Oh, hey August!

Well that summer just flew right past us now didn't it! We were on vacation for the month of July, and it was oh so good. We packed up and shipped out on July 2 for a week in Stone Harbor, NJ. That week was simply delightful. I don't usually have high expectations for vacations, with everyone in different beds and on different schedules, but this one just worked. We had a house with a pool and were 3 blocks from the ocean. The weather cooperated in the most fantastic way, with cooler temps and no humidity. We cooked meals at home and took naps everyday, and it all just worked out.
From there we headed north to Philadelphia for two weeks on the farm. We got to see friends that we only ever see once a year on our annual trip "home". I had a little getaway with a good friend to the Spa at the Hershey Hotel (if you've never been, I highly recommend it!) We had a Party for a Cure Fundraiser and raised $2000 for the CFF. I worked a little bit here and there (more on that soon), and we just had a really nice two weeks in PA.

My People

We ended our month-long extravaganza with a trip to Waterford, CT to visit my husband's family. I love New England and all things New England-y. We went to the beach, toured a submarine, took a ferry to Long Island to see some friends, visited with cousins, and enjoyed our last week away from home.

By the time that our visit to Connecticut neared it's end, I think we were all a little hungry for home. We packed up the car last Friday morning and headed west, and just 13 short hours later (or the equivalent of Frozen about 8 times) we arrived back in Cincinnati. It was very nice get home on Friday and have the weekend to get reacquainted with our home and our city before jumping back into the world of non-vacation living.

For anyone who follows this blog with any regularity, you'll be happy to know that we made this trip without a hospitalization. CF did not interrupt our vacation like it did last year and the year before. Perhaps that's what really made this trip a completely relaxing and rejuvenating one. Drew got sick when we got home, but just for a day. We've found a treatment plan that seems to work when he starts to get sick, and I'm so grateful for that.

I don't even know where to start with sharing about all of the wonderful things that have been happening in the world of patient engagement and advances in collaborative care for CF. I've started but haven't finished about 4 posts on all of that awesomeness, so stay tuned because I have a lot to tell the world about!