A Post Written In Fits and Spurts

I am home.

What a lovely word, home.

With every step in our journey home yesterday I felt a little more hopeful. We started off by meeting in the Americana Lounge on the ship at 8:15 am, and I arrived home at 9pm last night-- over 12 hours of planes, buses and automobiles were involved in getting me safely home. And with every leg of the trip behind us, I could feel my heart settling peacefully into my chest. That out of sorts feeling that comes from being away from my family was slowly but surely diminishing the closer I got.

When I walked in last night, they were all waiting by the door-- from dad down to the two year old. My fifteen year old (who has been giving us a fit lately, but that's a post for another time) was the one who opened the door for me, smiling just as big as the rest of them. I was so happy to see those faces and as we all gathered in our kitchen sharing stories about our time apart, I thought, "Nothing on that trip-- no yummy food, no breathtaking views, no amount of laughing with my friends-- can touch this feeling right here." I have said it before and I will say it again, there is indeed, no place like home-- and no people like the ones I share that home with.

And now today it is back to life, back to reality. (Yes, I am singing that 80's song as I type this.) I have a to-do list that makes me want to sit and stare off into space while drool rolls down my chin because I am so overwhelmed by the thought of tackling it.

I will list it all here just so you can feel sorry for me: Ü

read and respond to more than 100 emails
make tea (something no southern home should be without!)
return several phone calls
take my daughter to the chiropractor
make grocery list and go to the grocery store
review Thanksgiving menu
vacuum
clean the bathroom
unpack
laundry times ten!!
write 2 devos
write 1 article
clean kitchen sink

Our washing machine died this weekend. We held no services but we probably should pay our respects to that dear humble servant who literally worked herself into an early grave. So the laundry from the weekend, plus yesterday sits piled in my laundry room until the new one is delivered this afternoon. It will be a few days before I am caught up I think.
I am so thankful to my husband for not only holding down the fort, but for dealing with this problem too. He is a gem and I am blessed. Did y'all just love his posts while I was gone? I thought he did an excellent job in my stead!

And yes, I think he was motivated to post some more about the book so you all would be motivated to buy-- seeing as how we have to buy a new washing machine unexpectedly. Hint, hint. Every purchase counts, y'all. Don't go thinking that the books are selling so well that I don't need YOU to buy one!! Cause that just would not be true!