June 28

Today was a travel day. We got up reasonably early, secured travel-day-approved Mickey D's, and headed to Oakland airport to catch our flight to Maryland. (Well, kind of. We actually caught our first flight to LAX. And then we caught the flight to Maryland. But you get my point.)

It was, as far as travel days go, a fairly smooth one. Our flight out of Oakland was on time; the connector was not. A guy Brady knows from school was, strangely enough, on both flights and wound up waiting near us in the rental car area. (Although the boys didn't actually speak to each other, save for an enthusiastic hello before we left Oakland. That would've been weird, according to Brady.) Said rental car counter in Baltimore was slower than molasses in any month (as is always the case when we arrive late in the day) and they were out of the minivan-style car we'd "reserved" so we currently have a too-small-for-us SUV. The kiddos looked like sardines crammed into the single backseat row. They didn't think it was funny, but the sight hearkened back sweet memories of Abby, Logan, and Isaac lined up in their car seats in the Highlander when they were young.

We got to the my grandma's house after midnight and my mom was here to greet us with the key. As I looked out into the dark, dark sky, I saw the flash of a lightning bug for the first time in years and enthusiastically told the kiddos to watch because they'd never seen them before. We don't have them in Northern California and I'd forgotten they'd be out this time of year. And as odd as it sounds, it was sweet for me to share those little flickering bugs with them. They're not little anymore, but I could still see their eyes light up in wonder at the sight. 

It is, like it was last May, weird to be here without grandma. The house will be officially sold very soon, so it's definitely the last time we'll stay here. And I'm still deciding how I feel about it and I sense lots of long locked away memories and emotions rising to the surface of my consciousness. But those thoughts are for another time.

For now, I'm thankful for the chance to take a week away visiting my home state. I'm thankful for the chance to see family and friends and to explore places my kiddos haven't seen. I'm grateful for super-neighbor Mary for once again watering my plants and watching our house. And I'm thankful for a peaceful day of travel (even if my right ear still hasn't popped).