Thursday, April 30, 2009

Re-entry

Taylor and I arrived back on Sunday after a long but good trip. We had 3 seats between the 2 of us on the long flight, which made all the difference in the world! Gotta love status with the Star Alliance. Thanks to all of Aaron's travel last year, I am the holder of a gold card (until August of this year), which gave us lots of perks on our trip ~ access to the lounges, priority/free/extra baggage, and that extra seat which meant a much more comfortable trip home for both of us. I felt like it was a little "thank-you present" from heaven for holding down the fort at home when Aaron was on the road so much last year.

We narrowly escaped the swine flu drama coming back into the country. The students who traveled from Mexico to NZ via LA were on the flight a day before us, and the drama of the whole thing really didn't hit the country 'til a day or two after we arrived. So fortunately we sailed through the airport with no dramas or difficulty. We did have to get Taylor a doctor's clearance before she was allowed to go to pre-school, but that was no worry seeing as how we're both healthy.

It's been good to be back with Aaron and to get re-settled here, though at the same time, I always find that it takes me a week or two for my heart to catch up with the physical location of my body. The body gets from Kansas City to NZ in 24 hours, but sometimes it takes longer for the heart to catch up! Of course I'm glad to be back with Aaron and glad to be back in this life we now live that is our destiny and inheritance and calling in God. Yet at the same time, twinges of sadness and pain still prick my heart as I take off that old, broken-in, comfortable pair of jeans (metaphorically speaking of the comfort and joy and familiarity of home) and return them to the closet of my memory, not knowing when the next time will be that I get to wear them. Fortunately, though, between Taylor's birthday, her starting school in a couple weeks, and preparing for the baby, I have enough here to keep me busy and to help me re-settle into life here. It's all good.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Quick Update

Not much time to post now, but certainly enough to give a brief update on our time here so far.

CT was amazing.  It was just so wonderful to be with family and simply to be home.  We made tons of memories.  Highlights were 
  • Seeing my Grandma and celebrating Easter with her and my cousin and his family
  • Seeing my Grandfather a few times
  • A special early-birthday breakfast celebration for Taylor 
  • A visit to mom's grave with my dad and Taylor
  • Visiting a few friends that still remain in CT
  • Trips to the park (not often that the grandparents and aunty get to play with Tay at the park!)
  • Grandpa reading stories to Taylor (my dad is great at reading stories aloud)...basically just watching Taylor bond with Dad and Joanie was such a special treat. 
It was a difficult good-bye; I don't think goodbyes ever get easier, no matter how often it's done.

Now we're in Kansas City and looking forward to the week here, though I can already tell it will go by too fast.  Got lots on the agenda for the week; it's going to be a full one!  

And by the way, it must be mentioned that I have the best husband in the world that he would willingly send his wife and daughter away for almost 3 weeks, knowing how good this would be for my heart.  Thanks, honey ~ Taylor and I love you and miss you!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

MIA

I'm back from the dead. It has been quite a month in which I've been burning the candle at both ends, so I'll start off with the bullet points for an update.
  • March 26-28 the House of Prayer hosted a conference with Bob Sorge. The few weeks leading up to the event were pretty hectic, organizing registrations as well as sorting out the details for the actual event. (Hence my silence from late Feb to late March). The weekend was awesome! We had lots of positive feedback, and Bob enjoyed his time here with us.
  • As soon as the conference ended, I had a week to prepare for our trip back home. (Hence my silence from late March 'til now). It was a full week of packing, laundry, shopping for last-minute items as well as presents to bring home, making final preparations for the trip, etc.
But now we're here!! We arrived on the 7th of April into KC, had a wonderfully perfect day there, and then flew out to CT to see my family on the 9th of April. Taylor did amazing on all the flights, and neither of us have had any jet lag ~ miracle. We weren't on American soil for more than a couple hours before I felt at home again. It is so, so, so good to be home ~ so good that it's almost painful, as I am reminded again how much I love and miss the country and everyone and everything here. Coming home feels like putting on that old pair of jeans that fits just right, doesn't pinch, and is comfortable and familiar. I mean, I like the 'new pair'
of jeans, too, but they're not quite the same as that old, comfy, 'broken-in" pair.

Our time in CT has been great so far ~ wonderful to be with family and to be in my hometown that contains so many memories: the parks I played in as a kid, the schools I went to, the stores I've shopped at hundreds of times, the streets I learned to drive on. There's just something special about coming back to your roots and birthplace. The weather has been horrible, but I'm LOVING the central heat and the luxury of living in a nice warm, dry house!! Oh, how I love America!

It has been such a special time so far, and I feel like the most spoiled and loved young woman in the world. The extravagance of my Heavenly Father and my family to bring us here is so overwhelming; every day I am overjoyed that I actually get to be here.

Tonight we had pizza at one of my favorite pizza parlors ~ the pizza in CT is unlike anywhere else I've tasted (including other cities in America). Also been loving the other food ~ OJ, mint choc. chip ice cream, tortilla chips, english muffins, rye bread, lemonade, ranch dressing/dip.....shoot, even the toothpaste tastes better here! (No joke, it really does!).

Anyways, I could go on and on, but I won't. Following are a few photos from our time here so far:


Our little world traveler, on the bus at Auckland Airport


Taylor at the park with Aunt Stephanie



Grandpa's Little Helper


Grandma and I