Hi girlies...hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We just got in from our trip back home. I was majorly homesick. I hadn't set foot on Illinois soil since March and the ache for all things familiar was starting to get to me.
I thought I'd take you home with me. This is the road leading to my folks house. It's about now that I start getting excited. The bumps and dips in the road so close to my heart.
The sweet family of horses that we pass. The cute little pony that never gets bigger. These are our friends. We ooh and ahh every time we drive by.
Morning on the prairie. The beautiful sun breaking the dawn. Pure magic:)
Then the unpredictable weather that I remember so well. Every morning was different. We had fog, wind, rain, 70 degree weather. It's a crap shoot. Makes for a pretty picture though.
The fence my dad built. Every member of my family is an artist somehow. My dad welded for years and years. He can bend and build just about anything with metal. My momma makes beautiful church banners. Her medium is fabric.
And finally my home. The place that will always mean the world to me. It was here that I had my first kiss, where my Honey got on one knee and proposed...where I spent nights dreaming about my future and reliving my school days.
I used to spend countless hours on this porch singing and playing with my dolls. Always alone. My brothers were a lot older than me, so I learned to entertain myself well. We didn't have heat upstairs so on winter mornings I would wake with frosty snowy window sills and visible breath. It's those memories that shape me. It's so good to revisit that place...remember those days. I simply love coming home.
Have a blessed day.
*****It was so fun reading through all the things that made you HAPPY. What a great idea that was...ha;) I was constantly checking my Blackberry updating the comments. I hope you had a chance to read some of them too. Is there anything better than a grateful heart!******
Now for the winners...
Congratulations ladies:)
glad you had a great trip! welcome back.
ReplyDeleteWhat gorgeous pictures!!! So glad your Thanksgiving was full of old and new memories! Congrats winner ladies! :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to the winners!
ReplyDeleteOh, I would love to have that house and those pictures, especially the last two tree ones with the fog, are beautiful. I love foggy, overcast, dreary days. (It's the Irish in me.)
I'm glad you got to go home and I hope your time there is memorable.
PS-the horses are adorable!
Hi Becky,
ReplyDeleteYour family home looks like something right out of a Norman Rockwell painting, or maybe a Lifetime movie. I love it! It's so cool that your parents still live there. I would miss it too. Thanks for sharing. :)
Love the pictures Becky!! What a beautiful place! So happy that you had a wonderful time!!
ReplyDeleteyou had fun at home.....I'm so glad you got to visit with your family!!!
ReplyDeleteloved the pictures....
AHHHHH!!!!! Oh my goodness! I'm SO incredibly excited Becky!!! Woo-Hoo!! Wow, this just made my day! I'm sitting here with this giant, uncontrollable grin on my face, and I just don't know what to do with myself! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I've been such an admirer of your work, I just feel so blessed right now.... wish you coulda seen my little happy dance ;) Thank you thank you!
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad you had a nice time visiting with family. Your photos are so lovely. I don't think I quite know anyone who can capture fog and otherwise dreary days, the way that you do. So beautiful!!
Thank you again! I am so looking forward to it..can't wait to share the news with my hubby :)
Ohhh goodness, I love that picture of the fence and tree.
ReplyDeleteBEAUTIFUL!!
Theres no place like home...
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your photos and the one with the fence your Dad built is amazing Becky!
Deborah xo
hands down, my favorite post of ALL time!!! I love the shot of the fence and the tree, and I seriously can't believe you have parents that still live in the home you grew up in. I wanted that so badly, but my parents moved every five minutes. (slight exaggeration I guess) Anyway, maybe I can give that to my kids. Ha! (you know, since we aren't moving... LOL)
ReplyDeleteMissed you and glad you're home. I so hope it was a lovely and wonderful week for you guys!! I want to hear all about it. In fact, we need to have a heart to heart soon!! Wish it could be face to face, but phone will have to do. Just life... why can't I get above the water anymore? Anyhow, we can talk this week sometime. I would love to catch up.
Love you so girly!
S
Love these photos, home yes, nothing better. Great red barn, front porch and fog...love it!
ReplyDeleteBecky, you are really becoming a great little photographer ~ love the foggy morning trees and the picture of your daddy's fence!!! Great Pics! I can't even imagine still having my parents living in the house that I grew up in. My life was so different from that ~ it's like you came from Mayberry ~ SWEET! Thank you for the tour of your childhood memories. xo
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the winners! I simply love your childhood home Becky ~ the big wraparound porch ~ pure heaven to me. That shot of the fence is fantastic then to find your Dad made it makes it all the more special. So glad to see you back ~ I have missed you! Enjoy the rest of your week-end. xo
ReplyDeleteThere's no place like home! I wore my new necklace home just yesterday...I love it and I know the winners of your giveaway will too.
ReplyDeleteAhhhhh what a wonderful home you were raised in. Wow to be able to go back and visit, relive the memories must be amazing... my parents moved 17 yrs ago from my home that reminds me of my childhood.
ReplyDeleteWelcome home and so glad is was wonderful,
xo,
LuLu
I loved reading this post Becky! What great memories, and how lucky you are to go home to the same house. Truely special.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful place to grow up! Everything about it looks dreamy and your photos are amazing.
ReplyDeleteI wish my parents still had the house I grew up in...sometimes I long for "going home." Glad you had fun!
such breathtaking pictures! wow... so gorgeous and homey feeling -even to me! glad you were able to go home... there's nothing better than remembering the memories of years gone by.
ReplyDeleteThat fence is gorgeous! Your childhood home reminds me of my own and I have a feeling our upbringings were pretty similar, too. Happy weekend, Becks!
ReplyDeleteWhat gorgeous pictures... my favorites are the tree and the fence. Beautiful~
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your life through this blog ... I'm so thankful that I found it ... this post made me feel so warm and cozy ... especially knowing how you love your parents ... our world needs more folks like you ... so good and so kind (no pressure here) ... Happy, busy days ahead!
ReplyDeleteYay!!!!!!!! I'm all estatic. I never win anything. Thank you, so much Becky. I feel so blessed.
ReplyDelete;)
I'll be in touch...
so glad you had a nice holiday! my parents still live in my childhood home too and it's so cool to go "home"...welcome back!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had a fantatsic Thanksgiving holiday.Becky. Thank you for sharing your photos and your memories. Both were beautiful I love the fence that your dad made it is gorgeous! I love that you can go back to where your husband proposed to you. How romantic is that! And I love that you get to share all of this with your children. :)
ReplyDeleteCheers~Thanks so much for taking us home with you.I have enjoyed myself and love your childhood home.Welcome Home Enjoy~Kim
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful trip home. Americana!
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful heartfelt images!
I spent a week at my parents house in Iowa and totally understand how incredible it is to go back home. Gravel roads, cold weather, loving family, boys wrestling in the living room, just being "home". We got back to where we live in Florida last night. Seeing your post made me happy. There is nothing better than midwestern roots. I am thankful.
ReplyDeleteGORGEOUS photos!
ReplyDelete-Trish
What a gift you have to be able to go home to...home. So special. Congrats to the winners!
ReplyDeleteyour childhood home is dreamy! what a delightful way to spend the holidays!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you were an IL girl too! Where are you from in Illinois? I love your parents' house. That wrap-around porch is the stuff my dreams are made of. Truly. :)
ReplyDeleteGoing home...coming home...it's always good:) Thanks for sharing some sweet memories! And congrats to the winners:)
ReplyDeleteI love the pictures of your home. Love it. And it will always be your home. No matter what!
ReplyDeleteSo SUPER excited for you about your camera. Truly! Now, a word to the wise, you already take beautiful pictures. AMAZING. Your new camera will be a great tool to help you get better shots, but always remember, you already ARE a photographer. You didn't need a snazzy camera to make you into one.
Have fun with the classes. And the camera straps. And all the other things you are excited about : ) One of the best teachers you have though, is YOU : ) Make sure you take pictures every day. Look for beauty. I know you won't have a hard time finding it because you already find it every day.
Sending you love : )
So fun that you shared your home with us. Loved seeing it. Looks like you had an amazing time with family and there's nothing better than that :)
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Valerie
Congrats to the winners!!! What a special childhood home....thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful home your parents have...I would miss it too! Happy you had a wonderful time back home...and welcome back!
ReplyDeleteWe need to see each other...soon!
what a beautiful, beautiful trip and home...your pictures are gorgeous!!!
ReplyDeleteBecky,
ReplyDeleteThis absolutely moved me. You are a lucky woman to have such wonderful memories and to be able to go back & visit the place where your "life" started. I married my highschool sweetheart too! Would love for you to stop by...my daughter & I went on one of those day trips that stays with you when you get home.
I bet you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Your family is adorable.
xo Lisa
What a beautiful area your folks live in. I can feel your nostalgia through the computer screen. It's sweet and bitter all at the same time, hey?
ReplyDeleteI have no idea how I missed that giveaway! I just did. I never miss your posts. Oh well. Lucky girls who won!
Beautiful pictures!! I absolutly love the one of the trees agains the foggy background (5th one from the top) and both my husband and I loved the one with the fence your dad made! I think these are my favourite set of photos of yours - maybe it because your heart was so in it? No matter, just beautiful and I'm happy you had a lovely Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteLUCKY girl to have
ReplyDeleteparents who still
live where you grew
up. Having moved all
my life until we got
here, it was the people
who meant HOME, not
so much the places. I
do envy you having a
spot in the world that
molded you and that you
can return to : ) Welcome
back to your other home!
Are those pics from your
NEW camera, because they
are awesome, girl!
xx Suzanne
Your pictures...stunning!!!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Judy
love your childhood home.. we moved so much as kids.. but there is one place that feels like home we lived there for 10 years - sometimes I drive the long way home just so I can pass by it :)
ReplyDeleteWell...seeing as I missed the giveaway (still having some computer glitches:) I still want to share what makes me happy....You. Your beautiful words and your lovely soul.:) I can imagine the days you spent sitting on that big ole' porch. I bet you were the cutest little thing!;)
ReplyDeleteThis post makes me a bit teary-eyed. The place I made most of my memories was my Grandpa and Grandma's home. It was a beautiful old farm house and after Grandma passed away, my Grandpa sold it. We drove by my hometown yesterday and there it sat. Neglected. I am so thankful to know that I have every memory stored in my heart.
Wishing you the Happiest of Holidays, my friend.
Hugs,
Melanie
What a wonderful home. LOVE the fence and the picture of the fence :)
ReplyDeleteChris