Home

The past couple of weeks I have been traveling. I went "home" to visit a few friends, two of which recently had new babies I just had to meet. As a military family, we move a lot and often where we call home is confusing. Over these past couple of weeks I've discovered what "home" means to me.

Home is...

... husbands old baseball glove becoming a permanent attachment to Q's hand

... sister snuggling Lanie Kate

... La Tolteca's fried chicken chimichangas

... an old school boom box in the back seat of sister's hand-me-down old Corolla because the radio stopped working

... Cracker Barrel's steak biscuits and a strangers friendly smile

... discussing life dreams over dinner

... a farmers market, a toy store, homemade local chocolate, and the best BBQ and hush puppies I've ever had

... staying up way too late talking face-to-face with dearly missed friends

... driving down VA 64 on a warm day in early spring with country music on the radio
... Colonial Williamsburg on a warm sunny day
... "turkey and provolone on french with house dressing" at the Williamsburg Cheese Shoppe with a good girlfriend
... chocolate covered gummy bears from Wythe Candy
... camera, backdrops, baby clothes, hot glue, elastic, fabric scraps, feathers, beads, and a creative friend
... mini vans, siblings bickering in the back seat, and soccer practice
... Q leading Granpop and sister in a porch dance
... playing with daddy's hair
... going to sister's restaurant for dinner, sister stealing LK to show her off, Q "helping" sister take orders, Daddy and sister arguing about who will get the check
... watching my best friend take care of her first baby
... holding my best friend's baby and trying to remember when LK was even smaller than him
... taking the babies to the bar for happy hour
... trying to guess when J is being serious or sarcastic
... shopping for Orioles gear in a physical store
... two-way challenge and encouragement from trusted friends
... keeping the kids up way too late to spend precious time with their great grandmas, aunt, and uncle
... going to Chick-fil-a five times in two weeks because you never know when it will be your last chance
... Q cheering when the plane touches down in California
... falling asleep in husband's arms
... talking for thirty minutes in the grocery store with a great friend because I have been gone for two weeks and thirty minutes doesn't even scratch the surface on all we have to catch up on

What a wonderful time the kids and I had on the East coast with our friends and family! We truly did not want to leave, but are also truly glad to be back with husband and our California friends who are like family.