Brady's sister was in D.C. for a school trip and our worlds collided for a few hours downtown. I love living at a place that people visit, a place worth visiting.

 For Thanksgiving, while Brady was in England, we went to see Frozen in 3D (twice actually.) Elsie dressed up Layney as "the secret agent baby."

Brady is utterly exhausted from traveling. He still has a trip to Utah and Israel this next month.

I keep a list of lofty life ambitions written on my computer desktop.  It’s strategically placed to motivate me with goals like “Get my doctorate,” “Watch a World Cup live,” and yes, “Go to Istanbul.”

Without years of fantasizing, Brady just up and went to Istanbul this past month. Now, I’m not a covetous person, I recognize we each have our own perks, and jealousy usually passes right over me.  But sometimes when you’re perpetually exhausted, stressing over kids dripping in cold symptoms, and your other half is off experiencing the treasures of the world, yes, you feel a bit left behind.

I’m genuinely glad that fate and a business trip brought Brady to Istanbul. It was good medicine for him to take a break and a step back from life.  It was inspirational to see the beauties of the ancient world, to be provoked by novel sights, sounds and thoughts. Plus, he brought us back a huge brick of Turkish delight.

So, if it ever seems like someone is stealing your dream, my best advice is this: do nothing, just let them. Most goals are not mutually exclusive and there is enough fulfillment in this world to feed us all. Sure, the lucky dog may, and probably will, steal some of your magic. But, when it comes down to it, if you’re not doing something extraordinary, then someone else probably should.