The first few days are always the hardest, it seems, because no matter how hard we plan and prepare and think about life on the road, inevitably, things don't go according to plan.

For us, today, it was the heat.

Seeing Sarah Downs (used to be Cole) was a sweet blessing. Our kids sitting in her lap (with her own baby on the way) was reminiscent of old China days, of when she would grace our living room, nursing her tea, and loving our kids so well. Nobody tells stories like Aunt Sarah, and today was no different.

But the house was small and outside almost unbearable. I'd forgotten about the midwest humidity - the sweltering blanket - and our kids suffered to survive it. But we had ice cream, hamburgers, and sweet moments of loving old friends, which made everything worth it. Just like we had planned.