We just returned from our annual trip to Massachusetts. Things always seem to be changing there. I gasped every time I noticed a giant shopping plaza where an old building once stood.

We brought the kids to Revere Beach. Will had never stood by the ocean before, and the twins had no recollection of it.

(Follow-up from 2004 and 2007)

Our visit took place at the peak of a heat wave. It made up for the cold, rainy weather we found there last year. We spent hours relaxing by the pool. My Dad found a frog to show to the kids.

We returned home to find that my hydrangeas had wilted, a bird had died on the back patio, and the thermostat inside read 90 degrees. We unpacked slowly, then tried to get back into our old routines. Once again, we left our old lives behind us. We miss everyone back there, but somehow, we always know it was the best choice we ever made for our family.