A Week Away: An Overdue Report

Let’s face it, traveling is exhausting! Last week involved a late-night flight to Boise, an early-morning flight to Portland, a drive to the beach and back, a back-to-Boise flight, a road trip through Idaho’s Second Congressional District, and, finally, a window seat on a 767 bound for Washington Dulles. In spite of the fact that I am still exhausted, and in spite of the miles traveled, there were several good and wonderful things that happened during last week, including:

1. Sisters. (And Mom and Aunts and Cousins): My dad is the nicest. He picked me up at the airport at 11:30 last Thursday night, then took me back at 5:45 the next morning, all so he could see me for the fifteen minutes we had together on the freeway each way. Over the weekend, we held the first annual Sisterhood Retreat at the Oregon coast with the aunts and cousins on my mom’s side of the family. We had a fabulous time together—playing games, laughing, catching up, freezing on the beach, eating chocolate covered Rice Krispie treats, etc. My time with my non-Idaho extended family is all-too limited, and I’m so glad I was able to be there for the weekend together!

2. Meeting Baby Mason: It may have been a Sisterhood Retreat, but it was also a Weekend of Little Boys. Shaanti and Jenny brought their boys for the weekend, so I got to lay eyes and hands on six week-old Mason. Love him. He is a brick—so solid and thick, and I think he weighs as much as seven month-old Troy!

3. Visiting with Grandad: I would prefer not to admit how long it has been since I last saw my Grandad, who will be 90 in September. It was good to visit the Farm, where many of my favorite childhood memories are set, and to watch Troy eye Grandad’s long beard with very sincere interest…
4. The Parade of Nephews: Until recently, the boys pretty much lived separate little lives, running around in the same circles but not caring much that the other existed. But recently Cole has discovered that it can be fun to make Troy laugh, and Troy has discovered that Cole is pretty much the coolest person ever. Troy smiles all the time, but he really only bursts out laughing when Cole says “boogaboogaboo!” It will be fun to watch them become better friends as they get older. In my severely jet lagged state, I love to just sit and hold both of them in my lap.

5. Coming Home to Jason: We had a great week of work—traveling from one end of the state to the other, and meeting with lots and lots of people—but oh I was ready to come home! How nice to see Jason’s car pull up at Dulles and pour myself into the passenger seat!