A warm wind

Our St. Louis leg has been filled with family and food and finally some warmer weather. The Chicago winter has left us/me with a permanent chill. We knew the temps were slated to be nearly 70 degrees today, but my fragile mental state knew better than to hope for warmth before it appeared.

Thank you, weather, for delivering. We needed your sunshine.

The kids ran wild and I took my turn sitting in the grass and letting the sunlight fall on my face. It was good for the soul.

Why not meditate? 

The kids threw themselves into the sun, running, screaming, and digging for fossils. Anna reminded me that most fossils have been found in Asia. So they were pretending to dig in Asia.

Of course.

Grandma had graciously invited family over to celebrate Anna's birthday last week. The arrival of the cousins is always huge. My kids adore Evelyn, Jack, Aidan, and Grace. This might have been more exciting than the cake.

And what a cake it was...

We broke our gluten-free habits for the sake of birthday pizza and a FROZEN cake. The kids went right back to running around and playing in the yard, with occasional assistance from Great Uncle Karl.

Some trips are about seeing sites or trying new restaurants. Some are cultural adventures. But this road trip will be about connection. Seeing our family, visiting old friends, and weaving our way through the state I called home and, in many ways, still think of as home.