A good trip

After getting wiped out by the fair, my family and I had the chance to escape the great state of Montana and go home to spend time with my family in the suburbs of Chicago.

The road trip was long and treacherous. Lincoln was crying thirty minutes down the road and then off and on throughout the trip. Despite his disdain for being strapped into his car seat, the little guy did good. If you knew how “busy” he was you would understand why he was so eager to escape his seat.

PJ traveled like a champ, mentioning each and every grain elevator that we saw on the trip. PJ proved to be quite the big brother often handing Lincoln food, his sippy cup, or one of his various stuffed puppy toys.

I had a chance to see my parents, brothers, my aunt Lois and various friends. I had the chance to sell my coffee in my hometown during a farmer’s market.

Our trip took an interesting turn as I found out that Bolingbrook was holding their annual “Taste of Bolingbrook.” The Taste is a copycat of The Taste of Chicago, an event where various vendors in the food industry showcase their food.

Even though Susan and I have been on a diet since last fall, during our vacation we ate anything and everything that we wanted at the Taste and any other restaurants. In the span of a week, I gained 15 pounds! Since then, we have returned to the diet and have been seeing our weight return to normal.

It was good to see that the world outside of Phillips County wasn’t as terrible as the national news headlines can make it seem. It was nice to see our country and its cultures outside of an electronic device.

It’s also pretty crazy that today (Wednesday) was PJ’s first day of kindergarten. It seems like PJ was just born a few days ago but I am proud of the young boy that PJ is. He is respectful, loving, smart, and has a big heart. I hope that he enjoys school as much as I did and even more. I hope that he understands the important of his education and I look forward to seeing him graduate from high school in 2032!