🦊 Backroad Notes: Cheesy Potato Soup, Porch Swings & an Uninvited Guest 🌈

We made it to Iowa a little late last night, but thankfully, the drive itself wasn’t bad!

As usual, Bug fell asleep pretty much as soon as we got moving, so he got himself a nice, long nap on the road. Of course, that meant getting him settled down once we arrived was a bit of a challenge. 😂

We let him run around the house for a while to burn off some of that pent-up energy and get reacquainted with the place. Once he’d had a chance to explore and wear himself out, he was finally ready to settle down for the night.

I headed to bed while Chris stayed up a little longer, and this morning, we all got to sleep in. No alarms, no rushing to hitch up the camper, and no race to get to the next destination. Just a nice, slow day.

And honestly? We needed one.

I even managed to take a nap out on the porch swing. It was peaceful, relaxing, and exactly the kind of downtime I’ve been craving.

Then I made the mistake of trying to brush something off my hand.

Yep. I got sprayed by a stink bug. 🤢

WHY DO THEY SMELL SO TERRIBLE?! I was just trying to enjoy my nap, and suddenly, nature decided I needed a reminder that the outdoors doesn’t always come with a pleasant fragrance. 😂

Thankfully, that little incident didn’t ruin the rest of the day!

I spent some time making cheesy potato soup with the cousins, and we have another food win for Bug! He loved it, which makes me happy because we’re slowly adding more things to his list of foods he’ll actually eat. At this rate, maybe we’ll eventually get beyond the fries-and-chicken-nugget stage. One can dream! 🤣

He also got to try a baby swing for the first time, and he liked it! It’s fun watching him experience these little things for the first time. After all the traveling we’ve done, it’s nice to slow down and enjoy the simple moments with him.

Today was just a chill day with family, good food, and a chance to catch our breath.

I’m not sure what tomorrow will bring, but I’m here for it. We’ve got a little time in Iowa before we make the final trek home, and I’m happy to let the days unfold without trying to plan every minute.

And to finish off the evening, I caught a rainbow peeking through the clouds at sunset. 🌈

After a day of potato soup, porch swings, and getting assaulted by a stink bug, it was a pretty beautiful way to end things.

Sometimes the best road-trip memories aren’t the big destinations or the packed schedules. Sometimes they’re the quiet days in between, surrounded by family, watching your little one discover something new, and catching a little unexpected beauty in the sky.

Until the next mile, keep the fire lit and the road calling. 🧡🦊