Home Again

We are back home finally. It was a long drive back today. I have to say the kids were great. I'm always a little apprehensive about making really long trips myself. The biggest obstacle is always tending to the kids and driving at the same time. Does anyone else go crazy passing things to the backseat?! I love that my kids are secure in their car seats. We are 5pt harness people all the way, but it seriously makes me crazy sometimes. They are captives in their seats unable to reach anything for the first 8 years of their lives. I was thinking about it the other day while we were running errands and decided to count, just to get an idea. In a 2 hour time on the road, in and out of the car, I reached back 43 times! We ended up stopping 8 times on the way home for various reasons- items I couldn't reach, jobs that required two hands, and potty breaks. We made it home in a little under 8 hours.

It was a good weekend. The kids were great travelers, sleepers, etc. and enjoyed seeing so many family members. It was emotional for many being the first time they've seen Julia since her diagnosis and many will not see her again for quite a while. Being around so much extended family also brings to the surface all the realities of mortality and the frailty of aging. We have several family members in their 80s and 90s and it is hard to see them age when we see them so rarely. We are grateful for the time together, but our goodbyes are always bittersweet.

It is hard to believe we go back to the hospital tomorrow. Being away made the week go by so much more quickly. Julia will have chemo at 11am and then we have to go back to see Dr. McMullen (Dr. Hot Dog) for a radiation follow up. Julia has been feeling well this week and her side effects have been minimal. We are very thankful she felt so good on our trip.