Where are we today???

It's been a crazy busy couple of weeks. We knew it was going to be even before we got here, but Thursday it caught up with us. I am a list maker, a planner. I function best when there is structure and routine....2 weeks in to our month long visit to the States and I have done pretty well with the craziness.  But Thursday we were in Texas and one of the major reasons Zane and I made that part of the trip was to see his pediatrician and get the second half of his Hep A vaccine.  Thursday afternoon John was supposed to join us, he had been at an off site meeting with some colleagues.  Zane and I were planning to run some errands and then go to the doctor in the afternoon.  Rain changed John's plans and he joined us earlier than planned...that threw my whole day off.  We were driving to join some friends for dinner when I realized we had missed the doctor's appointment!  Seriously?  It never even crossed my mind until we drove past her office. Luckily they were able to work us in on Friday.  I feel grateful that everything has gone smoothly up to this point.  We have packed ALOT into a short time.  

The first week we really just hung out at KPT and enjoyed the quiet.  The birds and the bugs and the sound of the wind and the river are things we miss a lot. Zane loved getting to just run and play and get dirty!  We enjoyed having some quality time with Taylor and Tucker. 

We celebrated Tucker's graduation with a weekend in Southwest Missouri.  We are so proud of Tucker and the young man he has become.  It was fun to hang out with my whole family.  Zane spent some quality time with Uncle Chip during graduation and also got to hang out with his cousins. The weather was so nice while we were in Missouri, so we got to have the party outside.

The day after graduation Taylor, Zane and I loaded up in Taylor's truck and drove to Kentucky where Taylor will do a summer internship at Loveland Research Farm.  Taylor drives a big truck that is jacked up and on big tires.  It is loud and bumpy.  He loves it!  A few minutes into our 6 hour drive I realized he didn't have air conditioning.  Zane loved the bouncing and the wind in his face and we made it in one piece, one sweaty piece! We got Taylor settled into his apartment and stocked his shelves with food and his fridge with gatorade.  Owensboro is a beautiful little town with a sweet little downtown and the most amazing public park and playground I have ever seen.  Smother's park is right on the riverfront downtown.  If you ever find yourself in Owensboro and have a little one with you, or not, check it out!  We spent some time there both of the evenings we were in town.

John had driven to Texas the day that we left for Kentucky and after getting Taylor settled Z and I flew to Texas to meet him.  This was my first flight with Z alone since he has been walking.  The logistics of it all made me a tiny bit nervous.  I knew how much I had to carry and I knew I only have 2 hands....it was all good.  He is such a good sport and slept most of the way to Texas.

Z and I hit the outlet mall and Target when we arrived.   I'm not a huge shopper but I don't really get to do much of any shopping in Taiwan so it was nice to look around and get a few new things for us both. 

After our rescheduled doctor visit we drove back to KPT together.  It has rained so much here....the lakes and rivers are so full and running out of their banks.  We got home Friday evening and Chris and the girls arrived sometime after we went to bed.  We enjoyed a quiet Saturday morning catching up on the porch.  John's mom and Kate drove down on Saturday morning and Mark Brown joined us by dinner time.  It was a houseful!  We visited and took walks between rain showers.  Having the covered porch has made this visit really nice, because even though it is rainy we can all still sit outside.  Sunday we just watched the river rise and wondered how far out of the banks it would come.

It's quiet today.  The rain has stopped for now.  Everyone has gone home.  John is gone having lunch with an old friend.  Z is sleeping and I am enjoying the sound of the river and the woodpecker that is nearby.  We are so blessed to call this beautiful place home.  When we are gone we miss it so much.  I think all of us that call KPT home have different things that we carry with us when we leave, that we pull from our memory when we need a boost.  For me it is the sounds and the smells.  I love the smell of the grass in the Spring, the honeysuckle that grows wild and thick here.  I love the smell of the yellow dial soap in the summer...Mrs. Pickle swore it was the best for chiggers.  The sound of the river when it is high, the birds. the sound of a screen door on the cabins, the sound of the wind blowing through the trees when everything else is quiet.  On the tough days, the days when I ask myself why we are doing this, or where are we today,  I pull out the box that I have tucked away in that hidden place in my brain and I can hear the wind in the trees and I can smell the ball field just after David has cut the grass. 

Today I am refueling.  Restocking my box with the sounds and smells that I love. Making lists so I don't forget anything next week.  Tomorrow our life will get busy again.  Our schedule is full until we leave for Taiwan in a few weeks.  We have friends and family that we can't wait to reconnect with and a wedding to celebrate!  But for now, for today, you can find me sitting on the porch enjoying the view.