After a slight delay, we are headed to Cincinnati! We delayed our trip one day because Elliot started developing a rash. We weren’t sure what it was, but after a few hours we could determine that it was poison ivy.
The big kids like to rotate who sits in the back and are committed to making sure they switch at the right time. Here they are, doing the rotation.
Back in the Spring, just before the pandemic started, we booked a vacation to Gulf Shores, AL, with the Reagens. A few months later, it didn’t feel quite as comfortable, but we decided to make the trip anyways. The Reagens were not able to come because they wanted to be closer to Nate’s dad, who has not been doing well since the end of June. Vacation was definitely not the same without the Reagens, but we did our best to have a good time.
Today we started our drive to Gulf Shores and spent the night in Memphis. I was in Memphis a few years ago for a conference and looked forward to spending the night in the city again. We arrived in Memphis at around 7, stopped at our hotel, and then headed to the Lorraine Motel, the site of Martin Luther King, Jr’s assassination and current National Civil Rights Museum. We picked up some BBQ nearby and took in the experience, which felt more significant due to the current upheaval that is affecting the world. After that we headed to the Beale St. area, just to drive around.
Over the past few days we headed to Lake Viking to celebrate Gary’s 80th birthday. Good times were had by all.
For the second year in a row, we went to the Connors’ for Thanksgiving, in Kansas City. Fun was had.
We failed to get any pictures of our dinner out with Susan’s friend, Megan, and her family. It was a nice dinner and Lucia and Rose had fun playing with some other kids.
This weekend Aunt Mary came to watch the kids and Susan and I went to Omaha for a few days. It was the first time we left all five kids for an overnight.
This year for Thanksgiving we headed south and spent the day with the Connors in Kansas City. It was fun.Â
This weekend we made a quick trip to Cincinnati. We left Thursday afternoon and drove home on Monday. Holly’s 40th birthday party was on Saturday night and we thought it would be fun to show up for the weekend and surprise the Donleys and the Beinkempers. It was.
We dropped Susan off at the airport today around lunchtime. She is heading to the Dominican Republic for a week with her high school friends. It was a harder goodbye than I thought it would be. I was certainly not looking forward to her leaving, but I think I have taken for granted the fact that we have spent nearly every moment of the past 6 months together.