Home Sweet Home!

Do you know that I love my messy, scraggly little yard and hapless attempts at gardening?

Outside my Window:  A dusting of snow and big, bright sunny skies!  I took Reina on a walk this morning and it was chilly!!  Refreshing, crisp, and oh-so-heavenly to walk the pavement of my little neighborhood again.  There really is something about home!

I am listening to:  Legolas on his wheely bug, rolling on our hardwood floors.  Galadriel and my (sainted) husband setting up a game of Stratego.  We're (re)discovering all of the old favorite fun things we left behind to go and explore the Southwest.

Funny Kids:  Yesterday afternoon we arrived home from our 24-hours-of-driving journey home after a month visiting our family in New Mexico.  Legolas (who turned 4(!!) on our month away) ran around for a while and then came up to me and exclaimed: "I like this new house!"

Eowyn took one look at her wooden kitchen set, opened her arms wide and RAN toward it saying: "MINES!!!"

This morning Gimli declared: "Mother, I'm disappointed.  TV coverage of the Master's doesn't begin until 3:00."  Ah, the trials of being an eleven-year-old boy.  (He was met with a blank stare from his Mother as she tried to process what he was even talking about.)

Thankful:  

For safe travels!:

It's worth noting that this family had never traveled further than the (about) nine hours in the car touring the Southwest last Spring.  We flew to Phoenix, rented a van, drove to the Grand Canyon and then up to the Four Corners region of NM where my in-laws live.  It was a grand journey.

This year we opted to drive the entire distance (almost 1400 miles one way).  While my in-laws generously help with expenses, flying there and then renting a 15-passenger van for a month costs...way too much.  So, one month ago, we loaded up and started to drive.   We logged 6 hours one day, 12 the second, and finished it off with 8 hours on the third day.  We pretty much repeated the journey on the way home.  Two nights were spent in a hotel each way.

For health:

 On the way out, Galadriel threw up in the hotel.  On the way home, Bilbo did.  I think it was just junk food and fast food combined with too much driving.  Neither had any repeat incidents and no one else got sick.  Thank heavens no one got sick in the car!

For home!:

There really is something about sleeping in your own bed and waking up in your own home and resuming your normal routines.  I'm such a hobbit.  Give me my hole in the shire and my eleven meals a day (Arwen's going to correct me on that) and I'm a happy lady.  Then again, what would life be without the "there and back again" adventures of life?!  And so I also add

for loving grandparents!

I really do love home, but it would be completely ungrateful of me to fail to mention the gift of having in-laws who love us so much.  They feed us and put up with our messes joyfully!  They are always so sad to see us go.  I'm always surprised that they aren't relieved to get back to peace and quiet and cleanliness (the things I often long for).  My in-laws are in their late 70's and early 80's, but in remarkably good health.  I am thankful that they have these times to forge friendships with our children and pass on a heritage to them.


Plans for the week ahead:  

Let's see...there's unpacking and laundry.  There's that thing we do called home schooling....

Grocery getting and meal planning...

it's going to be an adjustment getting back into the groove of running this household!

A third-trimester doctor's appointment for me (yay!--except I might refuse to be weighed)

Archery club for Arwen.

Basking in the comforts of home.


Around the House:

I noticed that our rabbits have gained significant weight while we were gone.  Rabbits need to have their food regulated or they'll eat to obesity.  I had my Dad feeding our bunnies every other day while we were away.  My Dad reminds me of St. Francis.  He loved taking care of the rabbits and, from what I can tell, he enjoyed feeding them well!

Our daffodils are about 6 inches out of the ground, but not blooming yet.  I'm so excited for Spring!!

Yesterday, within minutes of our arrival, our neighborhood friends came running over to play.  A joyful homecoming.

Looking Ahead:

Bilbo is about to turn eight!!  This perfect little boy wants a fishing pole, tackle box, and some painter turtles for his birthday.  I'm totally up for the fishing gear...and I'm going to think about the turtles!

 (Front Yard "There")

(And "Here")