My Darling Days

Well hello there!

It's been a hot minute since I've written a blogpost. I could blame it on the fact that we were without the internet for 3 months (#rurallivingproblems), but the honest truth is that the last 6 months have been HARD.

However, I bet I had you fooled! Because if you glanced at my Instagram feed, you'd see happy images:

katie_mydarlingdays on Instagram

But lemme tell you what. There's a whole going on behind those cute little squares.

My feed doesn't show our un-mopped floors.

It doesn't show how much laundry we have (seriously, how do 3 people make so much laundry?!)

It doesn't show our wet basement floor.

It doesn't show the horrendous weeds in our yard because I won't let Zac use RoundUp anymore. (Anyone know of a non-toxic weed killer that works?)

It doesn't show the emptied Tylenol & Ibuprofen bottles that we've been using in rotation far too frequently these last 6 months because we are trying to manage unexplained toddler fevers.

It doesn't show the nebulizer, which has become permanent decor, sitting on our dusty end tables for the bronchodilator & corticoseteriod medications that Ellis requires daily because #ASTHMASUCKS.

It doesn't show trying to navigate through one sickness after another after another after another this WHOLE winter. (Remember this post? It only got worse.)

It doesn't show our messy counters -- the EOBs, the medical bills, the well-water testing kit I had to have that's been sitting in the same spot for 4 months unopened, or the super-glue that spilled & left a permanent smear that's impossible to get off.

It doesn't show all the crap because when I look back & scroll through my feed, I don't want to see those things. But those things are REAL life.

We've all got 'em. Things that suck. Things that we're dealing with that nobody knows about. Things that we wish would just go away.

*******

Zac and I have a little joke about "Instagram People"; whenever I refer to someone from social media, Zac will ask: "Are you talking about a real person? Or a person on Instagram?"

And here's the thing. I love Instagram. It's really the only social media platform that I use consistently. I can go days without checking Facebook or Snapchat. I don't have a Twitter account. I just discovered Reddit like, 4 months ago... but I'm addicted to Instagram.

For me, it's a source of inspiration, a community, and a place where I can mindlessly scroll & not think at the end of a long, hard day.

But I'll be the first to admit that even my Instagram squares aren't 100% my REAL life. They are a snip-it of pretty pictures & moments sprinkled through real, hard life. And truly, not everything needs to be posted to social media. Some things are better left tucked away in our personal lives.

All that to say, just remember that everyone has real, hard life. Even if it doesn't look like it according to their Facebook or Instagram feed.

I'm curious to know -- what do you love about social media? What do you not like about it? Why do you use it?

P.S. I don't mean to sound like a complainer or a Debbie Downer. I have a million blessings in my life that I never intend to take for granted, and we have many good days, too. It's just this winter/spring -- it was hard. And if yours was hard too -- for whatever the reason -- know that you're not alone! Most people don't talk about their bad days, they only share the good.

Oh, and mommas -- if you have a baby with asthma, PLEASE please reach out to me.
This momma needs a support group because her anxiety is through the roof!

I'm finalllllly getting around to posting about the last stop on our #EverardEuroTrip2015.... That's right. Our trip from nearly FOUR years ago. Because I FINALLY got through all 5,000 photos I took. And, this is my online journal, so it wouldn't be complete without my final post!

Anyways, if you've been following along, it's been over one year since my last post about our trip, but you can click here to see where we've been if you need to catch up!

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After our quick stroll through in St. Paul de Vence, we left Nice via the high-speed TGV Train to PARIS!

Before we left for Europe, Paris was the city I was most excited to see... for sentimental reasons. Did I ever tell you about the Eiffel Tower keychain that Zac brought for me the summer of 2004 while he was in Paris?

Oh wait, I kind of did... here. but the longer version of the story, is that we had just started hanging out earlier that summer - like, not even dating - and he left for a Euro Trip with his friends. Turns out, he had bought a calling card (ha! back when you needed to buy calling cards), and called me every.single.day while he was in Europe. I mean, I hardly knew the kid, but after he got back, he gifted me with two boxes of Belgian chocolates (which I still have, unopened!) and an Eiffel Tower key chain. I thought it was so sweet that he had thought of me the whole time he was there, and even brought me back a few goodies. Fast forward 15 years and now we're married with a toodler... ahhh. I digress.
But not really, because that's the story about why Paris is so special to me, especially the Eiffel Tower.

HOWEVER, I gotta say -- I was a bit disappointed in Paris overall. Maybe I put it on a pedestal? Maybe my expectations were too high? Or really though, I think that the problem was that we didn't get to spend enough time there. Our group tour through Italy & France was amazing, but the one draw back to it was that you couldn't spend more time in a certain place if you wanted to.

Anyways, Paris.

Our first stop off the train was the Eiffel Tower... and it was breathtaking and beautiful and majestic and alllll the adjectives. And, it was also filled with 50 million other tourists, as well as a re-occurring loud speaker announcement telling you to be aware of pick-pockets, and to hang on securely to your belongings... (a total buzz kill).

We packed in like sardines, and took the elevator up for a bird's-eye view of Paris...

Next, we toured the Notre-Dame Cathedral and marveled at the Gothic architecture... these pictures now priceless, after the devastating fire that took place earlier this week.

Next, we walked over to the Pont de l'Archeveche, one the the narrowest bridges in Paris, covered in "Love locks"... (since our time in Paris, the locks have been removed... you can read about it here.)

After that, we hopped on the bus and took a quick stroll along the Champs-Elysees, stopping at the Arc de Triomphe for a quick photo.

After a quaint dinner, where we tried local specialties like escargots, soupe a l'oignon, & boeuf bourguignon, we were treated to a drive through the "City of Light", and it was magical!

We watched the Effiel Tower glow and sparkle in the night time sky. A moment I will never forget!

The next morning we opted to visit the Eiffel Tower again, and strolled the streets of Paris for a bit.

Later that afternoon, we took a short trip to tour the Palace of Versailles -- an incredibly beautiful palace filled with amazing paintings from floor to ceiling.