Wordy After a Wordless

I know. I already posted my wordless Wednesday. But here I go, typing out words and posting them up for the world … who am I kidding… for you guys to see.

I just feel the need to write today, blogging friends. It could be the holidays being right among us, or the sleepiness I’m experiencing from a lack of sleep followed by a long drive… whatever the reason, blog friends, bear with me because I just don’t know what will come out of my brain today.

I miss my family. I do. I miss ‘home’. My youngest nephew E started walking more than a couple of steps this week and I think based on photos, that my niece C grew a foot since her birthday party (when I last saw her). I miss playing the occasional game of pool with my dad and watching movies with my parents; and don’t get me started on all the hugs I’m missing.

And I know, blog friends, that my parents are coming next week. That we’ll spend all kinds of time together while they visit for Thanksgiving going to some historical sites and playing cards. We’ll have conversation and hang out for a couple of days and I’ll get to cook my second ever Thanksgiving dinner for them. And I’m looking forward to it. I really am.

But right now I just miss ‘home’.

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. For as long as I can recall, I enjoyed that it was still a big holiday and my family would all be there and it was literally centered around spending time with family. Not presents. But if I was to be truly honest with myself this year, I think this is the first time ever in my life that it’s not yet Thanksgiving and I’m looking forward to Christmas. Not for presents, because frankly I’d be ok without them (God gives me all I need – Psalm 23:1); but because as time marches on and as I become more and more at home in Tennessee, I find myself realizing that Christmas means spending time with family more than Thanksgiving does.

Christmas means going to IL for a week or so. It means spending a lot of time with my parents and siblings and the kids. It means seeing extended family that I only end up seeing once a year. It hopefully means some snow. It means time spent with friends who’ve known me for over a decade and people I’ve known for over a decade that I’m calling friend again…

I still love Thanksgiving. And I love that I’m going to get about 2 ½ days of time with my parents. And I love cooking a Thanksgiving meal. And I love remembering the spirit of thankfulness that God gives us and we don’t show often enough (at least I don’t).

But I think I’m ready for Christmas………………………