nothing quite like it

Brent and I have been home now for about a week and a half. We will have to head back to Louisville this weekend, but are trying not to think about that!

There really is nothing quite like being at home. Being surrounded by things you know and people who know you... there is truly something medicinal about it all. Yesterday Brent and I were driving into St. Joe, a drive that we have probably driven about 500 + times in our lives (or so it seems...) and yet yesterday I was just soaking it in. I had this moment, watching the hills and pastures roll by, and Brent wasn't saying anything and more surprisingly I wasn't saying anything-- we were both just totally THERE. Living in the city now I feel like that awareness side of me, the side that notices the new calves and the hawks on fenceposts (or "statue birds" like I used to call them) is gone. But when I returned to my "roots" I was relieved to find out that it was still there.

Brent and I also had an interesting conversation shortly after these thoughts ran through my head on our drive. Brent simply said, "It's amazing that our brain can still remember how to get everywhere back home." It is something I hadn't taken the time to stop and think about, but it's heartwarming to realize that we don't just push old memories out of the way and replace them with our new directions, and locations, and numbers, and addresses etc. We retain them. This relieved me as I thought of this simple truth regarding directions, because I realized this was the bigger truth I was realizing while being home. Since this is the first big trip home that we have taken, we were both maybe slightly apprehensive that what we once felt when we were home wouldn't stick...yet, just like directions to st. joe, it is a part of us, and just as easily we are able to resume our position in our homes.

We have been able to relax a lot, but we have also done our share fair of "bouncing" as I like to call it. Since our families live about 20/25 minutes away from each other, we just bounce back and forth. It is nice that our families are close and that we don't have to decide one place to spend the holidays, but sometimes it feels like we're shortchanging everybody! Christmas day was a good example: Christmas morning was spent at my house, then by 2 we were at my dad's parents with his side of the family and by 5 we were at Brent's house with his family! Whew. That doesn't take into account all the other Christmases we have had while being home...but it sure is great to see everyone. I even got a big surprise when Aunt Linda and Uncle Alan pulled into our driveway on Saturday!! Everyone had kept it a secret from me and it was SO good to hug A.L. again...I think I want to have her on my birthday cake this year :) I have also been able to spend some quality "play time" with Paige and Torri, always a treat, and not enough, but some time with Micah. Another fun surprise came when some of my closest college friends called yesterday and said, "Hey, if you think it would be alright we would love to come and spend New Year's with you?" OF COURSE! So tomorrow I get to surround myself yet again with some old memories that have not yet been pushed aside!

I have taken some pictures that I hope to post when I get back to Louisville (Brent got me a new touch screen digital camera for Christmas, so I have pictures!). But for now, I don't want to waste anymore time I could be spending with the wonderful people that are around me right now.