Ah, Maine.

 And suddenly life got a whole lot sweeter.

 This summer has been crazy. We moved from NYC into my parents' home for 6 weeks, then moved into our awesome new home that we love more and more every day (come visit!), and both worked hellish jobs such that we were literally counting down the hours until they were over.

A week ago Wednesday, at 5 p.m., we both left our summer jobs for the last time, welcomed a sweet babysitter into our home to watch Will, and went out to celebrate. A nice dinner at an outdoor table, a little shopping, some batting practice :-), and coffee and frozen yogurt that tasted like freedom.

We made it.

WE REALLY MADE IT!!!!

Remember when I wrote back in June that the finish line kept getting pulled back and back and back and I was so ready to just feel settled and not in a million places all at the same time?

Well, 36 hours after our date, we were on a plane to Maine, which I am hereafter renaming Heaven. 

And as we sat on the plane, our sweet and healthy Will between us and a settled house in Louisville and summer jobs over and good jobs awaiting us at the beginning of the school year, I took a deep breath, smiled, and finally stopped running toward the finish line. We crossed it, baby. We quit our awesome jobs in Chattanooga and moved to NYC and Clay got his degree and we worked a million little jobs to make it happen and...it happened. Ah, we DID IT!!

And this is the view from the finish line:

(aka the view from the front porch of the house in Maine)

 We're all so happy here!

 Our days were full of reading and relaxing and swimming in the ocean and eating Kay's amazing cooking and watching the Olympics and playing playing playing.

 Will even learned to play paddleball, giving his sweet daddy a hug after he hit the ball:

 Sweetness.

 And then John arrived from Azerbaijan and Heaven got even MORE perfect.

AND he brought NYC bagels with him. 

I have the BEST brother-in-law ever.

 Ah, it was so nice to be with Pat, Kay, and John again.

 And from the minute Will saw "Unk Nyun," he wouldn't let him out of his sight.

 Love all the hats (although Will wasn't loving his at the time)

 Brothers.

 

Maine was beyond perfect.

School meetings start tomorrow...I'm back in the classroom, baby! 

Here we go!!