Here, There, Everywhere

If there's a theme for the last month and a half it would be travel--or maybe chaos.

First, Memaw (aka "me-me") and Papa traveled to St. Louis and stayed for the first half of September for their annual visit--a visit which was coordinated to overlap with my own (work-related) travel plans. Since I had conferences to attend during both the first and the second weekends of September, it was really nice to have the extra hands around to help during the time I was out of town and also the times I was in town but trying to get ready for the next trip. As it turned out, I also had a third conference--and, so, also traveled during the first weekend in October. The very next week, the whole family packed up and traveled to Tucson Arizona. Some time ago, we'd promised mom that before Jess and Evelyn turned 2 (i.e. before we have to start paying for a seat for them--something which makes our flying to out to AZ much less likely) we'd bring them out for a visit to Memaw and Papa's house. Well, they turn 2 this month, so we really couldn't put it off any longer, so away we went!

In the midst of all this, we also parted ways (very amicably) with our previous nanny. This meant that, in between the trips and the paper/presentation writing, we were not only left without childcare (since this happened right after mom and Marv left!), but I was also placing ads, fielding applications (we had like 40 applications for the position), and personally interviewing candidates for the nanny position. Meanwhile, Brent had to take multiple days off work to stay home with the twins some of the days I was out of town. The story has a happy ending (namely, our finding a really wonderful new nanny), but I must confess, it felt pretty crazy there for a few weeks. Then again, since the twins arrived, life comes to us in varying degrees of chaos. But, you know, I think we might be getting used to it because, with these two little ones in the mix, even when life seems insane it also seems good beyond measure.

Here's September and the first half of October in pictures--i.e., from the time of "Me-me" and papa's visit here in St. Louis through the time of our visit in Tucson. (A bonus: you also get pics of Addy (Jess and Evelyn's cousin) and a very pregnant Aunt Holly!)