Home Again

I finally dug up cheap tickets on one of my recent airfare scourings!  After some excitable screaming (from the kids. . . mostly) and a couple of quick emails, the reality of leaving in just a few short days hit.  Lots to do.  I might have panicked if I wasn't so happy at the thought of going to visit friends and family!

Considering we were headed for spring in southern Utah the kids and I packed for everything from snow to sunburns, and (leaving the parkas behind) somehow made it all fit into one backpack each.  It was a good plan, it did snow, and rain, and hit 85 degrees.

My sweet hubby had to stay firmly chained to work here but sent us off with a hug for everyone.  We thought about bringing Ted along, but his last (and first and only) flight was an exercise in how to kill your dog with stress and make it look like an accident.  So we left him safely behind where we knew he would be lonely but far from dead and the horrible threat of things like automatic doors or elevators.  He's quite sure they are infinitely more menacing than the vet's office.  

Our red-eye flight into Vegas was bumpy, seems like it always is.  Half way through the flight we hit a rough patch of turbulence and the poor guy behind me decided the only force on earth that would keep our plane in the air was singing prayers.  I'm not thrilled about flying but I figure as long as the flight crew aren't the ones doing that we're likely to be ok. 

The view coming into southern Utah.

Grandpa & Nana's.  I think Bug takes picture lessons from Calvin.  I got more like this than 'normal' facial expressions.

Great Grandma's Easter basket was filled with piggy banks for all the kids. :)

Soaking up some cousin time!

4 Generations

An eagle we happened upon.

We scrounged grandpa's closet for a coat.

Two days after it snowed they were in shorts in the river.

Our time was filled with visits, family, friends, laughter, games, a few tears, lots of hugs, and hearts full to the brim with gratitude for the beautiful people in our lives.  In all the months we've been here the kids still call southern Utah home, as well as our current residence.  In our conversations it has evolved into an automatic understanding of which 'home' we are talking about.  The walls that shelter us as a family are certainly home and so are all the people we love.  It's nice to know that no matter where our adventures take us we always have that.

The two weeks were so busy and went by so fast we were back in Vegas boarding the plane before we knew it!  Even after an hour of looking for misplaced keys at the park right as we needed to leave for the airport-- Lise left them in the trunk of our locked rental car.  It's hereditary I'm afraid.  I'm sure there's a gene, and when one of my progeny actually remembers to find it they will be famous.  In the meantime thank goodness for friends, long sticks and cracked open windows!

Two weeks isn't enough time to see everyone, certainly not as much as we'd like.  It is enough time though to start missing those left behind.  It's good to be back.  To spend family time.  To get routines going again.  To pick up where we left off in the unpacking, sorting, and organizing.  And we are already looking forward to our next trip 'home'.