Home

Ahhh....home. Dan & I were able to spend some much-needed time at home with my family in Missouri over Thanksgiving. It sort of felt like indulging in a package of double-stuffed oreos after having given them up for Lent (not that I've ever done that...). It was beautiful.

This time we drove and were able to pick up my sister Kelsey & her husband Brent on the way. We arrived home at 3:30 AM...not a typo...on Wednesday morning, but it was wonderful to wake-up at HOME that morning. There's something about waking up in your childhood room with mom & dad puttering around downstairs that just can't be beat. It kind of makes me long for the days when I would toss my clothes into a hamper and they would magically re-appear...clean, folded, and sometimes even back in their proper drawer. Those were the days.

Anyway...I digress. Our trip was filled with much rest, even more food, and wonderful time with family. We spent Thanksgiving Day at my Grandparents with my extended family, feasting on Grandma's delicious cooking (and Mom's rolls) and catching up. I even got to sit at the grown-up table this year...although Grandpa ended up at the kid's table, so I guess I'm really not sure how this works after all. We took a few pictures, but I'm going to have to wait on my Dad to send them as we misplaced our camera until the end of the trip. Bummer.

We also spent some wonderful time with Paige & Torri, playing Wii, raking leaves, poking at a snake (eek!), and even riding around town...with Paige driving! How did that happen? Man I miss those girls.

We also spent a couple nights partaking in one of my Dad's birthday gifts - Centennial. It's a mini-series based on a crazy-long book by James Michener, but it's also one of my Dad's favorite things in life. I mean really - we grew up on this stuff. When Dad turns on the French accent like Pasquinel, we know we've lost him. Anyway, it really is a classic, and if you're looking for a nice romantic trek through our nation's history, I'd highly recommend it. Maybe I should devote a whole post to this - I'm getting a little carried away.

As always, the time went way to quickly. Knowing I won't be home for Christmas made leaving that much more difficult, but it also made me savor the time. How thankful I am for a family like mine.

I left a lot out here, but perhaps that will encourage me to post a bit more this week. I have high expectations for the month of December :-)