Hey It's Good to be Back Home Again

Yesterday morning, I climbed into bed with Pace and rubbed my cheek against hers. Then, I pushed up onto my elbows and looked at her perfect little profile in the morning light. Pink creamy skin, thick dark eyelashes heavy laden, piqued nose, and slightly puckered lips, protesting my disturbance. I smiled down at her, filled to overflowing with the joy that her life brings to mine...and then I started aggravating the heck out of her by pecking her all over her face to wake her up. I'd spent the half hour prior to this moment, with the Dapples in my bed, both of us leaning back against my pillows--she watching cartoons with her thumb in her mouth and me reading my book with one hand and twirling her hair with my other one...I love home.

I hope this doesn't sound like an ungrateful wretch. I've spent every weekend in February flitting from one vacation to the next while Moogie and Popon or my Dad and Mrs. Konie

{Several of you have pointed out that you still haven't seen Dad's wife-to-be, so while I hope they weren't quite this dressed up when they watched the girls :), I wanted to be sure you saw just how cute she is}

watched my children, and while I love to travel and I LOVE a break, there really is nothing in the world like being right here at home. I long for it. The normalcy of it, even the routine. I love our little life--even though Jeremiah started on Trauma this week (which means early mornings, late nights, and little help with the girls), and the girls have been acting like this:and this:And I have a stack of paperwork: That I have to complete before I can even face doing my taxes.

And my grocery list is thiiiisssssss long:

I'm still thankful, because when I'm away, I make things like this for the little chicken wings I'm missing:

And every couple I saw walking down the streets of Austin made me send Jeremiah a text that said this:

Me: I've come to the conclusion that nothing in the world is as fun without you.

J: I can see why you would feel that way [He's soooo hilarious, isn't he. Why can't they ever just be sweet back? :)]

And even on days like yesterday when I drug two children through Wal-mart, then Sams, then the library (and Mary Aplin was SO BAD that I actually had to spank her in library parking lot), I still love this life I've been blessed with. So much so that this John Denver song played through my head all day long:

"Back Home Again" [selection]

Hey it’s good to be back home again

Sometimes this old farm feels like a long-lost friend

Yes ’n’ hey, it’s good to be back home again

There’s all the news to tell him, how’d you spend your time

What’s the latest thing the neighbors say

And your mother called last friday,sunshine made her cry
You felt the baby move just yesterday

Hey it’s good to be back home again - yes it is

Sometimes this old farm feels like a long-lost friend

Yes ’n’ hey, it’s good to be back home again

Oh the time that I can lay this tired old body down

Feel your fingers feather soft upon me

The kisses that I live for, the love that lights my way

The happiness that that livin’ with you brings me

It’s the sweetest thing I know of, just spending time with you

It’s the little things that make a house a home

Like a fire softly burnin’ supper on the stove

The light in your eyes that makes me warm

I hope you all read those lyrics before you laughed too hard at me for having John Denver running through my head all day. There really is more to him than those info-mercials of a grown man with a bowl cut singing about sunshine on his shoulders making him happy. We love him around here--bowl cut and all :)

I don't know if you saw on the grocery list that our meal from last night was Chicken Enchiladas, but I'll be back soon with the recipe!