A good friend’s dad passed away early this week. The service was in Maryland and Thursday morning we woke the kids at 6:30 to hit the road. The drive up was about 7.5 hours but it was nice. We sipped tea, did school, listened to podcasts, etc.

I’m so glad we went. There are certain moments in life are impactful and it meant a lot to us to be able to support and hug a friend that means so much to us during a really hard time.

By 4:00 it was time for us to head back home, except we realized we were about 20 minutes from Annapolis and the sailboat show we love so much (2012, 2013, 2015, 2018) was happening. The funny thing is that we had plan to go, but cancelled our hotel about a month ago because it felt too chaotic to try and make it up. We could have sworn it was the previous weekend, but there it was, in all it’s Annapolis glory.

So, we decided to make a pit stop, buy preview day passes, and see some boats!

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Oh my goodness, was it a blast. The energy was high vibe, the boats were beautiful, and the weather was perfect. We debated finding a hotel room and staying a night or two, but we knew we had to get back. And we didn’t have anything with us except the clothes on our backs, but what an invigorating stop!

We headed out around 6:30 or so. We grabbed Chick-fil-A (which wasn’t quite the same experience as the local clam chowder that I wanted so badly 😉) and hit the road.

Whew, the drive back felt a little longer! I drove for a bit but around 10:15 my eyes kept trying to close so we tagged out. David is a machine and doesn’t get tired so he was good to go. I kept trying to stay awake to be good company but would doze off then wake with a startle. It was quite funny. However, when Hailey threw up dinner all over the backseat around 12:30 AM, I was fully awake for the rest of the journey.

Apparently the combination of a late night, chicken, driving, and an iPad screen doesn’t mix well for her. Poor thing. But we finally made it home around 1:30, all ran through the shower, and were tucked in by 2:00 AM. What a whirlwind!

So Friday, we slept in. I went and got my car detailed (no need to ask why; see above paragraph), then Mema arrived! We were excited to see her to help kick off her birthday weekend!

The real treat, though, she gave us in the form of a sewing lesson! Hailey took a sewing class camp in the spring and loved it, but there wasn’t a lot I could do at home to help her continue to learn. Mema showed up with a pattern and material for the cutest little apron and walked Hailey (and me!) through the entire process.

It was so much fun to watch Hailey through the making of the apron. She completely LIT UP. She looked so proud of herself and kept grinning and whispering to me “I love sewing so much!” It was such a special couple hours and she was so pleased with the result!

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We hugged Mema as she took off home, and we took off to Kaitlyn’s soccer game. She played great. We were all so beat tired afterward, we just grabbed some Marco’s and went home to call it an earl(ier) night.

I did go ahead an plan meals for this upcoming week, so in case you’re meal planning and need some ideas, check these out! I’m stoked that the week ahead looks like incredible fall weather. Bring it on!

• Sunday: Sirloin Steaks, Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes, and Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Monday: Lemon and Rosemary Roasted Whole Chicken with Vegetables and Mac ‘n Cheese
• Tuesday: Chicken Tortilla Soup with Chips and Guacamole
• Wednesday: Easy Beef Stew in the Slow Cooker
• Thursday: Sausage, Kale, and Tomato Pasta

All the meat if from Butcher Box, which leaves me with just a few items in my freezer, so it’s time for me to order another box. For those that asked, that means a box lasts me about 3 weeks. More details on this coming up in a grocery budget post!

Ok, this is long, but let’s goal check! (Spoiler alert: it’s not good ha!)

More presence and patience? Yes! Yay, a win. It’s so obvious to me that there is a direct correlation between the amount of time I spend on IG and my presence as a wife/mom.

More time outside? Not really.

Less phone? Less for sure.

Read a novel? Unless reading aloud to the kids in the car counts, nope.

Less alcohol? I had a rum drink at the boat show and a glass of wine last night. I think I’m at 6/13 days.

Meditate? Total fail; not at all.

Track groceries? I spent $33 at Food Lion yesterday, which brought my monthly total over $1000. I have to go today to get groceries for the week, so I’ll be interested to see where I end up for the month.