Going Home

Exotic vacations, wild road trips, wine tasting tour, and hanging out at the lake all weekend are just a few of the things people will be doing this Memorial Day weekend. It’s the official start of summer. Everyone looks forward to a little rest and relaxation. I look forward to going home.

Going home is something I look forward to from the moment I return to Oklahoma to the next time I get to travel the 13 hours to Zionsville. There is nothing more comforting in the world than being around all the people you love the most. Home seems like such a simple word with such a simple meaning, but really there’s no other word that makes my stomach jump, gives me thoughts of the past, and gives me that excited kid on Christmas morning feeling.

As I thought about writing this post I began to realize that not everyone looks forward to trips home the way I do. In fact, I think a lot of people don’t enjoy being around family or home at all. It really makes me sad to think about those people. I wish everyone could come visit my wild family for a weekend just to see what my excitement is all about.

I love the late night conversations, the random coffee shop trips with mom, the outdoor fun with dad, the picking on younger siblings, the laughter, and the food just to name a few. As I’ve grown up going home has come to mean even more though. Bringing my own children back to the place where Brian and I grew up is wonderful. Sitting on the porch with our parents watching our kids play in the same backyards that we used to play in all summer long brings such joy to my heart. I can’t wait until they are old enough for us to tell them our old glory stories from sports in the past. I think the joy that I feel when my entire family is together is just a little piece of what my parents must feel too.

We have a huge family and it’s growing more every day. By the end of the summer we’ll have two new kids in the mix. However, we all get a sort of empty feeling if just one person is missing from the fun. This weekend everyone will be home. We all get to spend time together and just being with all my siblings, parents, nieces, and nephews is what I’m looking forward to the most. Time at home. What a wonderful way to start summer!

Blessings to everyone this Memorial Day weekend--travel safe, have fun, eat a lot, and give thanks to God for all of it!