To Beach Their Own

I’M ACTUALLY GOING TO GO SOMEWHERE NEW!!  In October, my family and I will climb on an airplane and fly up to Virginia Beach to visit my father and stepmother for a 4 day weekend.   I haven’t climbed on an airplane since August of 2009 when my (now) husband, myself, and my (now) in-laws climbed on a plane to Vegas for a quick wedding followed by a whirlwind tour of the Grand Canyon and loads of other beautiful places. We typically join Crispi and Grampaw at a beautiful stretch of Gulf Coast beach each year (which honestly is MUCH prettier), but this is uncharted territory.  I have missed exploring new places.

The view was Grand.

Helicopter over the Grand Canyon

Will holding up part of Bryce Canyon.

Granted, I have some major anxiety about travelling with young children – especially Stella.  She’s the main reason (and $$, of course) that we haven’t tried to go anywhere yet.  With her “issues” – sensory processing, ADHD, whatever – we have been terrified she’d get on a plane and raise such hell that we’d end up like one of those poor families you see on the news getting kicked off a plane by the TSA for unruly behavior.  But the meds are helping and she’s older new.  She’s been asking about when she can go somewhere by plane.  It’s time to try this.

I’m so excited I can barely catch my breath.  I booked the flight/hotel/car today (thanks, Dad!!).  If this works – and I think it will – it’s a huge new beginning.  None of the flights are all that long and the layovers are reasonable.  We can do this.

This also is even more motivation for my diet – the lurking necessity of swimsuits in public.

Obviously Will and the Dude have a jump-start on their beach bodies, as demonstrated by this “dress like daddy” photo op.

The Whole 30 thing is actually going surprisingly well.  This past weekend was my first weekend of familial Togetherness sans wine and I did not destroy anyone.  Our refrigerator is a joke.  We’ve overplanned this thing to an obnoxious extent.  It was rainy Saturday morning (i.e. I’m allowed to run the oven without overheating my house) so I made a bunch of stuffed peppers and mushrooms.  I had also stocked up on fruits and veg.  Will capped it off by going completely insane with grilling, and pre-cooked and sliced about 30 lbs of chicken breast.  We froze most of it, but you can’t open my fridge now without being pelted by Tupperware containers of grilled vegetables and apples.  I was going to make a diet-compliant sausage and kale soup this week, but I have zero clue where I’m going to store it.  And I feel good, dammit.  Yesterday I ate like a pig, but according to the website I’m using, it was only about 410 calories.

So that’s where we are this Monday.  I hope everyone out there had a good Father’s Day that needed/wanted to.  And ohmyglob Game of Thrones!!!!!

Have a fantastic week.

Antelope Canyon is still one of the prettiest places I’ve ever seen.