Ah you take a week off and the cursor just stares at you mockingly once you sit back down to collect your thoughts. First of all HAPPY NEW YEAR friends! Yesterday was spent in a hung over fog from our 15 hour drive home from Illinois. Amazing how the Holiday rush around, can leave a person completely zapped. Honestly I feel like I've been gone a month. Instead of doing the smart thing and going to bed early last night we watched crazy Lady Gaga (in all her wackiness) and Dick Clark ring in the New Year.
Not sure if I mentioned before but I dreaded being away for Christmas. I'm a homebody when it comes to that holiday. There was nothing I wanted more than to run down the stairs in our house on Christmas morning and just be home...in Virginia. But as the school system would have it, we didn't have enough time at Thanksgiving this year to make the trip so Christmas it was.
Something happened along the way though. With every passing mile I felt peaceful and relaxed. I really haven't felt peaceful and relaxed in a long time. I needed a get away and apparently Christmas was the right time.
I still can't believe we live 15 hours away from my parents. The drive is no longer easy. We have to get up at the crack of dawn and get home late...like so late that you just want to close your eyes and go to sleep late, but you can't because you are driving around dangerous mountain curves in the pitch dark! Makes me sad, but that's just life I guess.
Morning at mom and dad's house. Had to whip out the camera at this sight. My dad making his OWN oatmeal. I grew up in a very old fashioned home. My mom would always wait on my dad. We are talking dinner tray brought to him every night. Imagine my surprise watching him fix his own breakfast. He was whistling "tis so sweet to trust in Jesus" while he stirred. Hmmmm maybe that's where I get the hymn revelations from;)
My mom's lemon squares are to DIE for! Seriously melt in your mouth butter heaven. AND my Grandma June's famous peanut brittle. Have you ever seen peanut brittle so thin?? She spreads it right out of the pot when it's about 300 degrees. Crazy lady! Anyway it's the BOMB! These two things are why my pants feel like they are cutting me in two. I'm officially done sabotaging myself and I've got a plan. I promise I'll share soon:)
Christmas Eve with Honey's family.
(Uncle Jerry and Aunt Rhonda)
Grandma Minnie showing us her pedicure at the table;)
Lots of giggles and cuddles.
Going home is beyond weird. Every single time we go we are flooded with memories. I'm sure it wouldn't be like that if we lived there, but because we are gone it's like walking back into your grade school as an adult. Everything appears miniature...smells so familiar...looks so old. It's a head game that's for sure.
My girls will remember climbing the creaky stairs up to my parents old unheated second story farmhouse. Where they sleep under piles and piles of quilts. Their bedroom is attached to ours and we can hear them giggle and talk forever. Then in the middle of the night we hear the creaking of the door and each step as one by one we will each inevitably have to make our way down to the one bathroom in the house. It's like camping...sort of;) It's all I knew growing up. Actually it's better than when I was growing up, they got all fancy and installed air conditioning:)
(My niece Jordan)
Christmas day was a complete blur. I felt horrible. I took four Benadryl, so needless to say I was a zombie.
(My nephew Derek)
It really is such a blur that I don't even want to relive it..so moving on!
Sunset on the prairie. I think one of the reasons I was able to relax and just breathe were due in part to the wide open spaces. I have truly grown to love the woods in Virginia, but nothing can compare to looking out and seeing nothing...ha! It's just peaceful.
Okay so after all the hubbub of Christmas we just spent time with the people we love. One day we did nothing but hit every Antique store in a 20 mile radius of Decatur. It was awesome. I needed that day. I was dying for that day! Anyhow we stopped for lunch at a swanky Japanese place and they made food right in front of us. The pics didn't turn out great, but it was a fun memory.
Speaking of pics...my friend Lori's husband Shannon looks just like Daniel Craig. He walked right into our shot. Can you see the resemblance?? We always go to dinner and a movie with them when we come home. This time we saw Sherlock Holmes. Have you seen it yet? It was a work of art, so many scenes just took my breath away.
While we were in IL they had their first snow. It was the same day I went to see a very special blog friend. Can't wait to share more about her:)
Of course the trip wouldn't have been complete without my Marylynn and Lori day. Where we plopped ourselves down in a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant, and had a margarita that made me slightly drunk...hate to admit that...and then proceeded to dish and talk about all the things that only really really close friends would dare utter out loud. It was wonderful. Salve to my soul!
The break was much needed. To be honest I'm struggling with the idea of jumping back into life. For a week I didn't check my phone. I barely got a single email. When did life get so busy?? I've been toying with this thought forever...I'm officially declaring January ME MONTH. I know that sounds incredibly selfish, but I really need to devote some time to me. I still plan on blogging, but I have to make some healthy lifestyle choices and that takes some real time. Do you feel this way too? Hope you had the best first day of the year ever. 2012 is going to be the BEST!!!!
Have a blessed day.
338. unpacked suitcases
339. a plan
340. songs that make me want to dance
341. grandma's peanut brittle
342. lemon squares
343. my slow cooker
344. a new year full of promise:)
