While our travels and adventures have been fantastic and filled with wonderful treasured moments with family and friends, we're ready to come home. And now, home has a different meaning:
Living near family, rather than making all new relationships. Green grass for Strider and multiple house levels for the two cats. Finding a new church, perhaps for the next 20 years of our lives. Saving money for retirement, and our children's college. Making long- term friends. Getting involved in the community (perhaps the Riverside Neighborhood Association, the one state orphanage, Central College, volunteering in the NICU, an exercise group, playgroups, the museums). Putting pictures on the walls. Renovating a house. Celebrating birthdays with cousins. Caring for grandparents and parents. Presence with family in times of celebration and need instead of just wishing I could be there.
I'm glad to be going home, yet also incredibly glad for all the places we've been, the people we've met, the things we've done the past two years. Virginia to Finland to Pennsylvania to Phoenix to Kansas... and amazing new friends, faithful churches, beautiful country, and many adventures in between, along with a lot of stress!!!
Tonight Joe and I settled into a fantastic hotel room at the Orlando airport and enjoyed a dinner with just the two of us. He made up for his unstable behavior the past two days (thanks Ruth and Greg for enduring!) by being absolutely perfect. He played with the wooden airplane that held crayons at the restaurant table, taking it from the place-mat "tarmac" to the runway, to the elevator (my hand), to the hangar. When we got back to the hotel room, he played "check-in" (to the hotel/ car return).
I was struck that this son of ours has traveled the world, and he just might stay a world traveler (and part of me hopes he does, just so I have an excuse to travel to new cultures and places) and that I won't have this little boy forever, he'll grow to be a man.
I hope he never grows out of throwing his arms around my neck and saying "Mommy's here! Mommy's home (with me)!".
As for me, I look forward to going home to have our little family together again for at least a month! And, my heart is reminded that my eternal home is not here on this earth, but with my Savior. The more I grow, the more life I experience, the more I long for Heaven and for those I love everywhere to be there with me and with the One who gives us Home!!
My sister in law, Jess, Joe and I on the drive from AZ to KS
Home in KS on the Arkansas River with Rod and Joe
Joe on the first annual Lemmons Family vacation in AR with Uncle Ben and cousin Josie
Playing with cousins Gabe, Caris, and Josie
Rod's truck hit 100000 miles at Coronado Heights, KS
Meeting Kirsten in FL, with my favorite mother in law, Millie
Hogwarts at Universal Studio with niece Hilda and Mollie
Ruth and I on the University of Florida campus lake, with an alligator in the background!!
Yes, folks, that's a baby alligator!! Just below the pedestrian bridge we were on, only 4 feet away!
Joe playing "check in" at our final stop, the Hyatt at the Orlando airport.
The Magic Kingdom with Uncle Peter, cousin Hilda, Mollie, and Joe
Love your post and all of your photos - they're great! So many adventures in such a short time. I'm so happy that you get to be settled back in Kansas and with your family. Miss you already :)
ReplyDeleteMarvelous, marvelous post! Awesomely written! (Whenever did you have the time to write it??) Plus fun and meaningful to read. . . I can sure identify, dear FAVORITE d-in-law! Sure glad to see all the fun photos and get the Hogwarts one, and to know you and Joe enjoyed the Hyatt. Happy being home! Hugs to all of you! :-)
ReplyDeleteAlso super glad to get the Coronado Heights one! I'm sending it right away to Dave to brighten his day!
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