First, Robert and I went away for a long weekend without the kids. It was amazing and fun and romantic and relaxing – like a second honeymoon! We were celebrating our 10th anniversary in the Outer Banks, just the two of us. I loved every second of our time together and am so thankful that we got to do that.
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| 10 years together |
We came home and two days later we were packing up again. I was leaving for my adventure to run Hood to Coast with Nuun, and Robert was taking the kids to his parents’ house for one last trip before summer’s end. It was a whirlwind and I think all of us felt jarred by it, though we were surely excited. Routine was thrown out the window and we just went with it, holding on for dear life and praying it would all go smoothly.
I had the time of my life in the Pacific Northwest. It really did feel like a dream. I was completely swept off of my feet by Nuun and all of the wonderful people who work there and by the truly beautiful and inspiring women who shared this adventure with me.
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| me and some of my amazing team |
When I came home, reality hit me HARD. I love routine, predictability. I like having a plan – I pretty rarely adhere to it completely but I am always making plans and mapping things out for me and my family. When I came home it felt like everything had exploded and was all still up in the air, just floating up there, getting ready to crash down on me at any moment. I didn’t know how the pieces would all fall back into place, or what the proper places for everything should even wind up being. Because in just one week we would be adapting to the new school year and trying to find a whole new rhythm.
Coming home after so much time away from my family made me realize how much I truly missed them while I was away. It made me appreciate the little things so much more. It made me not want to waste a second of my time with them. Last week I was overwhelmed, trying to restore balance and settle back into life at home with the ones I love most in this world. I didn’t care about much else other than finding a way to get grounded and be PRESENT with my family. To let my little people and my husband know that I am here and that I love them so so very much, and that there is really truly no place I would rather be than right here, with them.
This week we started school and are getting into our groove again as a family. We have a second grader and a kindergartner and I simply can’t believe it!!
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| first day of school! |
Baby Gus and I are getting a lot of solid time together. At 19 months old, he is a true companion. He is always making me laugh and surprising me with his curiosity and his (strong) opinions. I love his sweet disposition and his playful spirit. I cannot imagine what I would be doing right now if he were not around to keep me company…as much as I crave my “me time,” I know that I am not ready to be on my own without any little people to share my day with!
Last year I pushed both boys in the double stroller on my runs a few days a week so I could get the miles in while Abby was at school all day. This year things will be different. This year I’m logging most of my weekly miles with the Honey Badgers (my running buddies) well before the sun comes up so I can be home in time to get everyone ready for school. This means I have time to do special things with Baby Gus in the mornings and I am so excited about it. Since he was born I haven’t ever made plans that are centered around something for HIM. I can tell that he misses his big sister and brother a lot, but I can also tell he is REALLY enjoying being the focus of my attention.
I’m embracing this new schedule and am excited about all it holds for me and for my family. We’re falling into our rhythm and are starting to make sense of what our routine will look like, at least for a while. Change is hard – especially when it is forced upon us – but it can also be so very good.
