It's always bittersweet to go home... in that I have to leave again. The older Gibson gets the more it rips me up that he isn't growing up close to his family. He has so much fun with his uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents, great-grandparents... I cry... and cry. BUT let's talk about the happy time that we had!! God's blessing was all over our trip...
1. First of all, Gibson was an AMAZING trooper in the car. He cried for about 20 minutes when we left early Thursday morning, but that was it... the entire 28 hours in the car! We stayed in Chicago with my Aunt Thurs night. The next day we woke up just in time to throw our stuff in the car and beat Chicago traffic. BUT we did beat it... just barely:).
2. We were able to squeeze in seeing the people on my list for this trip without it getting too hectic. We spent lots of time with my dad, brothers and grandparents. My sister was in town for about a day and half. We spent the afternoon and evening with my aunt, uncle and cousins. Gibson and my first cousin Luke are about 10 months apart. It was fun to watch them play. I got to see my other aunt for just a brief bit, but I was able to meet my cousin's husband and beautiful baby girl! I saw my best friend from Jr. High and her two boys, that I haven't seen in 10 years. It was so fun to reconnect with her. I had lunch with my long-time forever friend, Charray.
3. Bonus people... I always get bummed out that I never run into anyone that I used to know because I don't live where I grew up. This trip I separately ran into 1 guy and 2 girls I went to youth group with that I haven't seen in about 15 years... One of which was one of my best friends in Jr. High. I also ran into my music teacher from elementary school (it had been 18 years since I had seen her). It was fun to see her and tell her I majored in music, etc. I also got to see my cousin in Chicago who happened to be home from college that night.
4. Bonus events... Gibson and I got to go to one of my Aunt's homeschool pre-school classes. She has a business that does homeschool pre-school for 18 mo- 4 years. That was fun and really special to be able to do. AND my brother had a choir concert while I was home, so ... I got to go to my brother's event, which was awesome because I HATE having to miss things like that and it was fun that it was a choir event since that's what I studied in school.
5. Eats... I got my Slim Jim at Big Boy (it was even on special) and I had a cup of my cream of broccoli soup. Only Big Boy's sells just plain cream of broccoli... everyone else adds cheese... why? I got lots of Grandma's good cooking... pretzel jello salad, red velvet cake, cheesy potatoes, spaghetti, spinach salad, mmm... mmm... mmm. And Cheryl's FRANGO mints and bread pudding and brownies...
6. Other... I got in a couple of games of Euchre, played lots of bananagrams, got trapped inside Lakeside Mall... seriously, I was starting to panic. I couldn't find the exit I came in. I forgot what it's like to actually have to pay attn. to where you are when you are in a "big city", driving 80 mph and being completely with the flow of traffic... I got passed in the right lane by someone doing at least 90 mph, I looked over to see and it was this 75 yr old couple... Only in MI:))
7. Special things... I got to see my little boy playing in my driveway. It was so wierd... it was one thing to go home with a baby, but with a boy who was walking around was entirely different....it was this crazy circle of life type thing. I also felt that way when I drove by the water tower that I remember driving by with my mom when I was little. That water tower was the coolest thing in my world because it was so big. Well, almost. The Silverdome was cooler because it looked like puffy white clouds just waiting to be jumped on. We also drove by that together. It was really special to be driving by those things with my son in the back seat.
8. But mostly... Watching my boy laugh with and love on his family. Experiencing the comfort and peace of being known, being unconditionally loved, accepted, in complete trust of those I was with, being completely myself, totally supported, surrounded, feeling like -even for only 5 days - like I wasn't doing this thing alone. Home... there's no where like it. Actually it's not so much home... although I do love driving fast and eating slim jims... it's FAMILY. There's noone ever like my family... and I am so blessed because I not only love my family, but I like them... they are so interesting and fun to be around... just quality people, all. I don't understand why I have to live away from them. It doesn't seem fair or right to only experience these things a hand full of times a year. But the Lord knows the desires of my heart. And he knows what is best for me. And I trust that, even when I don't understand it. "Again, I must submit w/o protest, to whatever the Lord has laid out for my life" (Queen Esther~"The Desires of Your Heart").
I am so grateful He allowed me to go home for a bit and that his hand was on every aspect of my journey.
What I'm Into (November 2015)
10 years ago
3 comments:
Sounds like a fun trip! Your boy is awesome to do so well on such a long trip (and he is just adorable too)! Reading about your Big Boy meal sure did make me miss that place too. I haven't been to that area of MI in years because none of my family lives there anymore which is kinda sad.
Oh I so relate on the MI driving. I dread driving there when we go up because people here in Ohio are just not that scary of drivers. I never even thought about it when I lived there.
Congrats on a great car trip...that would be so hard. Aren't you glad gas isn't through the roof?
That is sad, Megan. If the fam wasn't there, their wouldn't be a reason to go back and that would be sad for me too:(. Yeah... it's funny when you learn how to drive in MI you don't think anything of it... it's crazy to drive in another state and have people going the speed limit. I am glad you guys share my MI-ness:)
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