May 20, 2025

(click for today's pictures) 

• Today was one of those days that felt full from the moment I got up. I started the morning with my usual round of chores—nothing exciting, just the daily routine of straightening up the house, dishes, laundry, and making sure everything was in order. There’s something kind of grounding about starting the day that way, even if it’s not the most glamorous part of life.
• Once the basics were out of the way, the focus shifted to packing. We’re getting ready for a trip, so everyone had a to-do list. Packing always takes longer than I think it will, especially when you’re trying to make sure nothing essential gets left behind. Clothes, toiletries, snacks, chargers, books, backup outfits—it’s like a puzzle, trying to fit it all together and still zip the suitcase shut. The kids were mostly helpful... mostly.
• Reagan, my oldest, was gone all day at work. It’s still a little surreal sometimes, seeing her head out the door like a full-grown adult. She’s juggling a lot and doing it well, but I missed having her around during the packing chaos. It’s always easier with more hands.
• The big event for the day was the round of dentist appointments. All of us loaded up and headed over, and it turned into quite the ordeal. Reagan, Keaton, Anderson, and Graham all had cavities. Four kids, four sets of bad news. Not exactly the outcome we were hoping for, but at least we caught them early. The dentist was great—patient and kind—and the kids handled it all surprisingly well. Still, I think we’re all going to be brushing a little more carefully from now on!
• By the time we got home, it felt like we’d packed a whole week into one day. But even with the busyness, I’m thankful. Thankful for a full house, a trip to look forward to, and even dentist visits that keep us on track (cavities and all). Some days are just about getting things done, and today was one of those days.
• If you are still reading, can you tell that Reagan helped me write the blog tonight using ChatGPT? With just a few prompts, that silly thing was able to write a pretty accurate description of our day. The girls have packed, and Whitman and I have packed, but the big boys haven't even thought about packing. Currently, they are out playing pickleball, but they will have to pack when they do get home tonight.
• Another mistake from the above is that all 6 kids went to the dentist-Whitman and Campbell did not have cavities. The others all did-Reagan almost had a panic attack when she checked out after the rest of us (she drove from work) and saw how much her cavity would cost without insurance. I had to tell her where to see what we would pay-that made her feel better, and then we discussed the benefits of dental insurance. 
• This afternoon I was sitting in the living room and heard something beep in the kitchen. I went in there to see some letters on the oven where the clock should have been. I did some research and moved it to unplug it. Of course this meant I had to then clean under neath it. It did the same thing tonight, but hopefully Robby was able to fix it-he tried to tighten all of the wires-but this all probably means that the oven is going out (in the last month we have replaced a microwave, washer, and dryer.)
• We all ate supper at the table this evening, and then the boys left for pickleball. Now we are all just doing pretty much nothing!