June 16

Abby and I got up early this morning, hugged all of the boys, and set out for our weeklong adventure in Maryland.

With the exception of a woman in the row behind us on the flight from Oakland to Vegas who talked about a selection of TMI-topics like she had a megaphone affixed to her face, it was a blessedly uneventful pair of more or less on-time flights and a blessedly uneventful drive to my brother's house.

So for all of that and for our time together (and with family and friends we see so rarely) to come, I am grateful.