Packing Again

I finished out my wonderful and quiet week away at the family lodge and returned home last Friday.  It was a good time for relaxing, reflecting and planning for the future.  The only thing that invaded my sense of calm was the nasty case of poison ivy I am suffering from, which continues to torment me even now - two weeks after its onset.  Each morning I wake up convinced that I have "turned the corner" and that it is finally getting better.  Then, by evening I want to tear myself apart.

After returning home, I took care of the typical "back from vacation" chores.  I unpacked, did the laundry, sorted through the mountains of mostly junk mail, and paid a couple of bills.

Oh, and I relaxed with the hubby, sitting late one evening around our first home patio campfire of the season.  The temperature outside was pleasant, the breezes were cool, and the bugs stayed away.  A small glass of wine, and almost heaven.

I needed to catch up with the news of all my people.  While I was gone my mother had a fall, and she dislocated her right shoulder.  My father tells me he is acting as chief cook and bottle washer, and is taking care of her at home the best he can.  Let's all keep in mind what that really means.  He is an engineering genius, yet cannot operate a cell phone or a microwave.  However, he says they are muddling through this latest challenge.  They are both 80.

Daughter Sarah has had to return to work again, following her 12 week maternity leave.  Although she was glad to have the summer to be with newborn Gabriel, that doesn't make it any easier to put him in the care of others.  SIL Lance will watch Gabriel for the first few weeks, until he returns to his college job.  He sent a bouquet of edible fruit flowers to Sarah at work on her first day back.  What a guy!

Baby Gabriel is growing nicely and continues to woo us all.  He's at the bobblehead stage and is so alert.  He really seems to enjoy his tummy time on the play mat.

I had another adventure day with grandtwins Tori and Brianna, more to come on that in another blog post.  Brianna greeted me with a marker pen and an empty spot saved on her cast for my signature.
Of course I signed my "Germall" right there.

Reports from elsewhere in the state indicate that granddaughter Ellie's favorite thing to do is still dress up like various princesses.

These next two photos are very special to me.  In one, Ellie is wearing the actual flower girl dress that was worn in my wedding by my cousin Brita over 36 years ago.  Ellie is the same age now (3) as Brita was when she wore this dress.  It was made by my grandmother.

Granddaughter Ellie, 2014

Cousins Brita and Kirsten, 1978

It barely seemed I had been home a few days, and I found myself packing again.  Well, not packing for myself, and not exactly packing at all.  Son Caleb asked for the motherly oversight as HE packed for his upcoming trip.

He has traveled extensively, so you would not think that at his age, 26, he would need packing help.  Of course, his small suitcase was fully loaded with a laptop, a laptop charger, a go pro camera, go pro accessories, a go pro tripod, a cell phone charger, a portable cell phone charger, and a plethora of other gadgets and electrical devices.  Underwear?  Who knows.  He has forgotten them in past packing events.  So I sat and watched him pack, and made sure he had all the necessities.

Sheila didn't fit in his bag, although they definitely tried.  Ironically, I received a message from Caleb just prior to his flight.  He was in the plane waiting for takeoff, and watched as the luggage crew loaded a dog crate containing a weimaraner like his dog.  He said the dog was barking and crying and frantic.  Once loaded he could still hear her panicked crying down below him in the baggage compartment.  Never will he fly with her, he claims.  Ever.  

Most normal people are sleeping at 3:00 AM.  I sleep then.  It's dark then.  Somehow, though, I found myself driving down the highway this morning at that time, hauling him off to the airport for a very ungodlyish early flight.  

He will be attending a four day Team Beachbody Retreat in Salt Lake City, Utah.  It's an awesome opportunity to gather with about 30 of the other Beachbody coaches in a luxury mountain resort.  The schedule for the weekend includes time for socialization, inspirational messages from guest speakers, instruction, workouts, and hiking nearby. 

What I doubt if the schedule allows for is an overabundance of sleep.  And that is why, I'll be heading down the highway again on Monday to collect him at the airport.  

If there's one thing I do love about these early drives, it's that I get two hours of uninterrupted conversation with my son.

And that's worth losing sleep over.