An Unseasonably Warm and Unusually Snow-Free MLK Weekend.

It's kind of crazy that I could even think about the gift of a four day weekend and not immediately start looking at travel websites... but a month-plus of holiday travel and upended schedules had really taken a toll on our sanity, our routine, and our travel budget. The kids wanted to be home. So I reluctantly capitulated, and it wound up being a nice couple days to catch our breaths, catch up with laundry, and enjoy the unseasonably balmy weather.

Friday I also wound up having to work for a few hours, and the kids came with me and loved every second of terrorizing my super-secure building (the guard literally chased us down because he had neglected to search Ford's pockets), discovering the Fort Bragg library, and gorging at the food court. (Um, hello, Boston Market kids' meals might mean I never cook again.) And then we fled north to see Aunt Nicole's chickens

and help ourselves to organic broccoli from her garden, which Ford regarded with the expected amount of suspicion and Finley ate directly from the stalk.

Saturday was the day we had agreed to haul 2 hours west to Spencer, NC, home of the NC Transportation Museum, for the day of Ford's dreams. It more than lived up to the hype. Ford got to hand his prized ticket to the "'ductor" and go for a ride,

drive restored cabooses and engineer simulators,

and wander through a beautifully preserved roundhouse, where we watched our train get put into its shed after the ride, a la Thomas. (Seth and I were arguably more impressed than the kids.)

Sunday we recovered from our long if incredible pilgrimage, which included nutella waffles and looked like this until about noon:

and later featured hours at the park enjoying 50 degree weather

followed by Valentine's crafts and homemade carrot cake.

And for Monday's grand finale, we all slept until 9am (after a late night watching football playoffs), and then made the terrible decision to attend the "community heroes" day at the Raleigh Children's Museum. Which was insanely crowded but did involve real firefighters, a community service project,

and some hilarious costume changes. Even if it left Seth and I hating every single other parent/ child combo in the universe.

Still we made it home in time for movie/ fireplace time, for Ford to learn (to our dismay) that there were carrots in carrot cake (!), and for Finley to knock out one of her front teeth dancing naked in the kitchen. All in all, we had a banner four-day weekend enjoying our kids, our time off, and home sweet home.

It may not have been a ski weekend in Vail, which it seems like every single one of my friends enjoyed, but it was warm and it was funny and it was downtime that we really need sometimes (at least until F+F are both old enough to dump at ski school.) Hope everyone who got the holiday enjoyed every second.

2019 is already full of surprises.

Well. The new year is officially upon us, and like all good new adventures, it has thrown us for a loop.

Seth has had a couple weeks off. In that time, he's become Mr. Dad. He hangs out with the kids. He has long workouts. He cooks, he cleans, he does laundry. He takes F+F to Chuck E. Cheese

and ballet.

The other day he texted me from the grocery store to ask if there was anything I needed, a communique so rare I nearly fell out of my chair. I've had a rough couple weeks at work, and every night I walk in to happy kids laughing with their Dad, making dinner (instead of racing frantically to daycare only to pick up the kids late and toss the pantry looking for dinner ingredients), I want to fall to my knees.

The stress level of our insane circus of a life has gone through the floor.

The other night, Seth said, "this is great. I'm done. I'm going to medically retire from the Army."

This is a lot to process. It's been a crazy year and a half, and Seth is mentally exhausted from having spent 18 months battling medical uncertainty and crummy care, as well as 6 months at what I'm convinced is the worst unit in the Army -- but being dual military is part of our identity. More importantly, I worry that being in the Army is a huge part of Seth's. I love having him home to help out more, and I love how happy F+F are with more Dad Time. But I also like being able to afford to travel and shop at Whole Foods, and enjoy feeling like both of us are involved in the grind.

There's a lot to puzzle through.

I don't know what to think, really. I do know that Seth is happier than he's been in a long time, and he seems serious about medically retiring and moving onto other things. He certainly deserves the break if he wants it.  

In the meantime, his downtime has meant a terrific January- and yes, a sketchy mustache- for us. (Bolstered by the gift of unseasonably warm weather- it was 60 degrees today!) We've had bocce and BBQ with old friends 

complete with golf cart races,

rediscovered downtown Fayetteville (including weekend train shows) and dragged ourselves to church (which has a playground) with friends,

put together a monthly brunch club which always includes mimosas and kids running wild,

practiced morning yoga (badly),

and discovered the dine-in movie theater with incredible reclining chairs and wine. (Um, if you haven't seen Mary Poppins Returns yet, do so ASAP.)

F+F continue to be the thickest of thieves

and get into everything, including and especially my lipstick,

and continue to be our best (and worst) late night Target dates. Because our wild social life currently looks like this:

At my strident insistence, the whole crew acquiesced to the Chinese Lantern Festival in Cary last weekend. Which was as beautiful as it was, educationally, a little odd (the cultural performance included basketball spinning and hula hooping);

and there was a strange "wheel of fortune" future predicting wheel (results below.)

Plus- the real hit of a 40 degree night in the south- there was hot chocolate.

And, because it was a no-school night, we ruined a fair number of first dates by taking the hoodlums to sushi.

In short, we're having fun, and who knows what 2019 holds? I'm just grateful it includes (so far) an increasing number of nights that look like this:

New Year's 2018

And then, after a couple of quick work days (on which Seth, still on leave, took the kids hunting and let them wear PJs and eat whipped cream as a meal and spread their new toys across the living room)

I managed to come home early a few times for warm, rainy playground antics (thank you, southern weather!),

and we squeezed in some always-appreciated Carron-Taylor time.

Before we knew it, it was New Year's Eve. One of my absolute favorite holidays, packed full of Walters family traditions like the annual "eating of the chips" and "burning of the bad habits." We also make New Year's resolutions for each other, and if you've never survived a true challenge to your relationship, you should try this. Finley, for example, resolved that Ford should eat more vegetables. While he told her she should "get it together, Finley! And don't hit me!" I'll leave mine and Seth's to the imagination...

Anyway, on a whim, we headed south to Myrtle Beach, because of the (admittedly fabulous) "noon year's eve at Lulu's"

at which sand castles were built

 and a new New Year's tradition, the dropping of the beach balls, was begun.

Plus, Ford acted like this

 and the kids danced to live country music barefoot. Because, South Carolina.

 We finished off the day with, predictably, a trip to Bass Pro Shops,

 a walk on the beach,

and a trip to the truly horrifying indoor water park at our hotel. Which the kids loved, almost making it worth whatever ringworm I am definitely going to contract.

We had dinner at a lobster joint, popped confetti cannons, and slept in, after which we jubilantly welcomed 2019 like this:

(perfection in every way.) Below is an actual photo of Finley biting it and eating sand, our favorite clutz incarnate. Plus, funny Ford. Who hates the sun.

And then we broke alltheresolutions at Senor Frog's on our way home.
Which is as it should be.

We looked like this (photo of the week) as we arrived home, ready to tackle the new year. But so, so tired.

2018 was rough, and exhausting, and just not our favorite. We made lots of resolutions this year, among those which are "making the best of everything," but we sincerely hope that's less of an effort in 2019. Here's hoping it's full of joy, and irreverence, and stolen beach days. And lots and lots of love.