Back to Real Life.

Uncle Jonathan and Eli

My sweet nieces: Sydney, Ruth Anne and Hannah

Jonathan and the Lively girls from Belle Glade

Lively family!

DC Lively's at the beach

Our 12 days in Florida were wonderful. I have been full force back to "reality" in DC and haven't had much time to contemplate our vacation, but the fact that when I came back to work I got comments that "I look different" must mean that 1.) I needed a vacation and 2.) It was well taken and I soaked up every minute including a nice tan and rest for the baggy eyes.

While the day to day includes more stressors, free time and some "blah" activities, I was happy to come back to our home in DC, a city that we love and can't imagine leaving, and to get back to work. My Dad sometimes drives me crazy when he constantly says how important it is to love what you do....And this was modeled to me my entire life by my Dad. I have never heard him complain once (this is in 27.5 years!) about his job and working, making him entirely the most positive person I know to the point where you have to think something is wrong with him, but he really just chooses to be positive and genuinely enjoys and finds purpose in his work. SO, while I have not reached even close to his positivity, I am thankful for my work and that when I got back from vacation, caught up around the office, called my children and families to reconnect, I felt enthusiastic, challenged and some kind of genuine joy. So, thanks Dad for instilling in me the importance to like what you do all day long and for God/my workplace/coworkers to contributing to making this a reality for me.

Two weeks back into the full swing of things, vacation sure does feel like it was a long time ago but here are some pictures (above).