As I sit here typing this post my youngest child, who is now 18, is boarding plane number 2 for today. He is headed home from a week at NOAC and a short visit with his oldest brother and family. I have a pot of beef stew going and will cut up a cantaloupe to welcome him home. It has been a whirlwind month we are closing out as he arrives home.

I will unpack all of that with photos over the next few weeks but for now I am just glad to be home and to have him home soon. It is such a comfort to have everyone in place. Even as adults that are no longer living under my roof it is good to know they are all safe and tucked in at “home” with their own families. This will be the end of all of the traveling for my kids at least for a little while. God kept our vehicles running… gas prices were lower than expected… everyone stayed well and safe as we moved through 4000 miles of travel. There is so much to be grateful for!

It is also taking me some time to recover from all of the travel. This recovery seems a little slower. Before our trip I was sent for a ct scan with some stomach pain and put on meds for a bought of gastritis. I also discovered I have a small hiatal hernia. It just doesn’t quit it seems. With every step toward feeling better there are often two steps backward with autoimmune stuff. I did really well for the trip even with all the eating out we had to do. I am grateful for doctors and medications that were able to get me through those three weeks. God held me together… again. He is so faithful!

I am starting on a Low FODMAP plan now that all the travel is over. With autoimmune stuff it tends to take me a week or so to recover from long trips like we have just finished. I am getting things done slowly. Laundry is finally caught up and things have been stowed away. I did a small grocery run and placed two online orders for things we were out of. I have been taking some time each day to start a deeper clean for the start of school. I have time now because we have no more travel plans for a few months.

Dan and our daughter hit the ground running with teacher in-service at the Christian school the day after we arrived home. Dan also had to do a memorial service last Friday and we got shocking news that another church member passed away over the weekend unexpectedly. Our youngest has college orientation starting Thursday and then a first semester of college will begin. Life just continues to move forward. On top of that I heard on the news today that the earth is spinning faster?! What in the world???

I just wanted to hop on and give you a quick post to say I am still alive. I will leave with you with a photo to enjoy until I can sit and put a longer post together. This is the wedding day for our middle boy and these are all the kids and grands in one place. This photo was taken by my dear friend Marcia… who drove in from Kentucky to join us in North Caroline for the day. She is precious and I was so glad to have her with me to celebrate. I am glad to be back home now and will be more present here in the coming months with more life stuff, books, food, etc… It’s good to be back to “normal.” LOL Whatever that means. 😉