just breathe...

WOW...what an amazing few weeks we have had! i looked forward to time "home" and in the south for quite a while...so it is hard for me to believe that it is over, we are back in washington, and life must resume.

i am so thankful that i was able to see the sweet faces of those people that mean so much to us...and equally as thankful for the phone visits with those precious ones that we were not able to see this time around! there is nothing quite as important or amazing as my friends and i am so grateful for each one of the special relationships.

when we left little rock the other day, i could not hold back my tears. ella noticed that i was quietly crying and asked if i was sad. how do you explain to a four year old that you are crying painful, grateful tears all at the same time. i am SO thankful for the individuals that became our extended family during our time in little rock...but it still hurts so much that we are so far away. i told my sweet friend lori today that it feels like we packed up and left in the night. when i drive around there, it feels like i should be driving my kids home to take a nap, going to grab some groceries, or meet some friends for dinner. it doesn't feel like i should be a visitor. i miss it. and i definitely miss my friends. i miss the "warm fuzzy" feeling i had in my soul.

the relationships in my life are the most important things to me...and being so far away is really hard for me.

we made lots of memories while we were on our trek across the south. we had two plane flights, four rental cars, six deli casino sandwiches, 8+ days in "the country", and countless laughs and smiles! ella & maddie had such an amazing time seeing grandparents & other family, playing with their cousins, and enjoying the three week junk food binge! seriously, i can't remember the last vegetable they were served unless we can consider pizza sauce a veggie! oh well, that's what "vacay" is for, right?!

the south definitely still "fits like a glove"...and i look forward to the day that we can put these plane flights behind us.

there are sure to be more funny stories to come...the girls keep us laughing no doubt...but for now, i am sleepy and a little bit sad. needed is a good night's rest so that we can gear up for the rest of the week. introducing the idea of healthy eats back into our diet (yes, green things really are edible), relearning that bed time really is before 11 pm, and acknowledging that every night does not have to involve an "ella sandwich"!!!!! we'll see if we can achieve at least 2 out of 3!!!!!!!

thanks to all our family and friends who graciously hosted our marathon vacation! we appreciate everything...not one thing goes unnoticed...we love you so much! can't wait to see you again!
a slide show of our favorite peeps is coming soon!!!!!!!!!