What. A. Wonderful. Weekend.

After a year of pretty much staying put in our house in Cleveland, we FINALLY made it back to New York to see my parents. My brother had flown in from Germany, so we braved the 8+ hour car ride with the two kids to see him and my parents for a quick weekend. We hadn’t been back to New York since December 2019 – it was crazy to think how much has changed since then. Not just with the pandemic, but even with our kids  — LM was still nursing, in a crib, in diapers, and not talking; FW could barely remember what my parents’ house looked like, and was hardly independent, etc. Oh yeah, and I was not 6+ months pregnant. It really seems like another lifetime. 

It was a quick trip  – way too quick – but so great nonetheless. I got to enjoy home cooked meals and baked goods, quality time with my whole family, and even some runs with my brother. Here’s a little of what the weekend entailed:

Running with my brother – one of the runs was actually my 365th day of running in a row and i got to celebrate it with him, for a beautiful run along the river!

Hiking with the whole family – We did a hilly 2+ mile hike on a nearby island that also had some great views. The kids did great!

A walk around a local park (another about 2 mile walk) and a trip to the playground that the kids loved.

And, ice cream. Because when it’s warm out and sunny, you always get ice cream. I finally got the soft serve I’ve been craving!

It’s so great to be fully vaccinated and feel like this are almost normal again. Fingers crossed that this summer brings a returned sense of normalcy – with the addition of a new little one – and more trips and family visits!