we went to pittsburg, ks last weekend for the shortest trip in the history of the world. zoe's best little friend, krishel, was being baptized. they've been best friends since they were in utero, and we simply couldn't miss it. it was amazing. so fun to get to stay in poppy's basement. and have "slumber parties" with cousins and best buds. it was perfect. just way too short. but the drive only took 6 hours, so we will plan another trip. it was actually a very strange experience for me. the whole "going home" business. my parents don't live in the house (or any of the houses, for that matter) that we grew up in. so going to visit them is always just that. we are going to visit them. we have no connection with the town, no memories of the bedrooms, no funny stories of what happened in the backyard and no friends that we get to bump into at undisclosed locations. i, of course, always love visiting my family, but i have never gone "home". until now. and now i get it. i understand. the familiarities. the comfort. the simplicity. while we were sitting in the primary room at the baptism (the very primary room that my monkeys were sunbeams in, that i fumbled through prelude music in, that i whispered into my babies ears for scriptures, talks, and prayers in) zoe looked up at me and whispered, "mom, this is our home." and she's right. even if we never live there again, it is our home. after my dad had gone to bed one night, he heard jakob and cousin colton outside his window talking. making wishes on stars. "i wish we lived in 'picksburg' again." but in reality, he just adores his cousins. he wants to be wherever they are. 'picksburg' or mars. it wouldn't matter. i love that they have so many cousins so close to their ages. i never had anything like that and i hope they will get to develop these sweet little relationships their whole lives. jakob was thrilled that he got out of school early (so we could get to kansas before it was pitch black) but clearly annoyed that we would not be staying forever. "you mean we have to come back?!" but they are loving school and adore the friends we are making here. it's just hard to leave the cousins. the aunts. the uncles. the best friend. the grass. the red and yellow leaves. the laughter. the middle of the night. the pond. the haybales. the smiles. but we'll take the memories. and, of course, the stars.
Friday, October 31, 2008
toto...i have a feeling we're not in kansas anymore
we went to pittsburg, ks last weekend for the shortest trip in the history of the world. zoe's best little friend, krishel, was being baptized. they've been best friends since they were in utero, and we simply couldn't miss it. it was amazing. so fun to get to stay in poppy's basement. and have "slumber parties" with cousins and best buds. it was perfect. just way too short. but the drive only took 6 hours, so we will plan another trip. it was actually a very strange experience for me. the whole "going home" business. my parents don't live in the house (or any of the houses, for that matter) that we grew up in. so going to visit them is always just that. we are going to visit them. we have no connection with the town, no memories of the bedrooms, no funny stories of what happened in the backyard and no friends that we get to bump into at undisclosed locations. i, of course, always love visiting my family, but i have never gone "home". until now. and now i get it. i understand. the familiarities. the comfort. the simplicity. while we were sitting in the primary room at the baptism (the very primary room that my monkeys were sunbeams in, that i fumbled through prelude music in, that i whispered into my babies ears for scriptures, talks, and prayers in) zoe looked up at me and whispered, "mom, this is our home." and she's right. even if we never live there again, it is our home. after my dad had gone to bed one night, he heard jakob and cousin colton outside his window talking. making wishes on stars. "i wish we lived in 'picksburg' again." but in reality, he just adores his cousins. he wants to be wherever they are. 'picksburg' or mars. it wouldn't matter. i love that they have so many cousins so close to their ages. i never had anything like that and i hope they will get to develop these sweet little relationships their whole lives. jakob was thrilled that he got out of school early (so we could get to kansas before it was pitch black) but clearly annoyed that we would not be staying forever. "you mean we have to come back?!" but they are loving school and adore the friends we are making here. it's just hard to leave the cousins. the aunts. the uncles. the best friend. the grass. the red and yellow leaves. the laughter. the middle of the night. the pond. the haybales. the smiles. but we'll take the memories. and, of course, the stars.
