There really is no place like home. I don’t think I have ever appreciated my home, Jay’s home, Iowa, the US as much ever before. Our last few days in Farragut were nice and relaxing, a great way to end our whirlwind Iowa holiday.

Zoo.
We went to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha with Memaw and Papa. There is a reason it has been voted the #1 zoo in the world. I have been there several times in the past, and every other zoo I have been to falls way short. It is laid out perfectly – plenty to see, fantastic habitats and viewing areas, and you don’t have to walk 30 miles to see it all. Fun for all ages, for sure. They opened a stingray area recently, so we were able to pet some stingrays. A tiger came right up to the window – I’m sure to say hi to Ty. Gorillas got pissy with a small dog that someone had brought into the zoo (not sure why that would be allowed?!?!).

My favorite part of the day, however, was being able to spend a few hours with an old college roommate, Anne, and her 4 year old twin daughters. I haven’t seen her in forever, but as luck would have it, she lives in Omaha and didn’t have any plans on the afternoon that we were going to be at the zoo. Yay!! It was so fun to catch up with her, and watch her girls explore the zoo with Ty.

Parks.
Even though Farragut is a tiny little town, it has two great parks. One is really close to Memaw and Papa’s house, the other is “across town” – which is only like a 10 minute walk. Ty spent a lot of time at them. We had beautiful weather the whole time we were in Iowa. Even the rainy day was nice.

Goodbye.
Memaw and Papa hauled us and our 75 (almost) pieces of luggage to the airport Thursday afternoon. Goodbyes are never easy, but this one wasn’t too bad. It really helps knowing that Memaw and Papa will be visiting us in Australia very soon. I tried to focus on that and somehow managed to choke back tears. Iowa. Who would have thought that the trip to Iowa, of all places, would be my all-time favorite vacation. Just perfect.

Flights.
The flights back to Australia were pretty good, all on time, good tail winds. The kids had a rougher time on this trip than 3 weeks ago. Ty got antsy about 12 hours in, and Lily was whiny most of the way. I think she had some sinus issues. Apparently so did I. With about 3 hours left, my head suddenly felt like it was going to explode. I spent the rest of the flight with a cold cloth on my head, trying to fight off the nausea. Thank you to the Qantas flight attendant who helped get Lily fed. And huge thank you to Jay for stepping up and taking that whole “in sickness and in health” thing to heart (and trying to keep me from feeling like the worst mom/wife on the planet).

Jet lag.
We tried to fight through the day on Saturday (arrived in Brisbane at 5:00 AM), but lost the battle around 6:00 pm. Unfortunately that meant that the kids and I were awake at 2:30 am. We watched the Fox and the Hound, then at 4:00 Ty was hungry (me too). We woke up Jay and had breakfast at 4:30 am. We did a little shopping and went to Burleigh for lunch and to make sure the beach hadn’t disappeared while we were gone. It sure does make it easier to leave home when we have those amazing beaches to come back to.

Mom asked me what jet lag feels like. That’s a tough one. I told her that it is probably similar to how she felt after 5 days of the county fair with 5 children in 4-H. It’s an extreme exhaustion, eyes feel really heavy, look bloodshot, you want nothing more than to crawl into bed but know you can’t for several hours, you wake up and are starving and craving roast & potatoes.

I have been most impressed with how my children have fought the evil jet lag. I’m writing this on Tuesday. Both days back at daycare have been a major success. Both kids jumped right back into their school routines. Ty skipped naps both days, Lily slept her normal 40-60 minutes. Granted, they are both ready for bed fairly early at night, but have been sleeping until around 4:30 am. We wake at 5:00, so their schedule isn’t too bad. Can’t complain!

Brumby.
Jay was able to get some pictures of the new ute in the daylight.

Hands.
Ever wonder how tall you are in horse measurements? Go out to your next draft horse show, find Jenson Shires, and look for the display of the adorable kid standing next to a beautiful Shire. You can stand next to the picture of Ty and find out how many “hands” you are. Emily had an amazing surprise when she arrived at the Nebraska State Fair – she nearly started crying. When she sent me a picture, I nearly did as well. Ty thought it was awesome! Such a cool idea!

Month end.
This week is month end. Jay is doing really well, considering the jet lag. The kids and I are getting along well, certainly neglecting the housework, but that can be done later. Should be an uneventful week as we all get back to normal. Have a great day!