Back in KC

We are back in KC after a whirlwind trip home to Iowa from Thursday - Sunday. We spent a lot of time on the road....driving, driving, and more driving! But, it was so good to be back home in Iowa. It was a lot more emotional, though, than I expected, that's for sure.

Friday, we spent the morning with my parents, going through some of my Grandma's things. I cried so much throughout her hospital stay and funeral, and since coming home, that I didn't think I'd be all that emotional. However, I was. After going through some things at my parents' house, we went over to Grandma's house and I was fine at first - and thankful that they'd already done so much cleaning, painting, and clearing out of things so it didn't look totally the same. However, what I didn't expect was how many memories would flood my mind.

Mom opened a cabinet and I saw a bowl, a green, plastic bowl, and that was all it took. The tears began -- my mind rushed back to sitting with my grandma in the kitchen, when I was little. She used that bowl so many times -- for the apples she'd just peeled for apple pie or for fudgins, which are fried dough that you cook and then roll while hot into sugar, that she'd make just for me, so many times, because she knew I loved them. My Mom asked me if I wanted that bowl, and I knew I did.

I'm really not into wanting all these things from my Grandparents' house, but I was interested in things like that which held special memories. There were certain dishes I remember Grandma baking in -- she loved to cook and was so good at making things from scratch. I saw the bowl above, and the custard dish, the silverware used while I was growing up with black, flower etchings on the handle. It was amazing the feelings I had in my heart as I saw all those things I hadn't really seen since a child.

And, then the 'setee' -- or at least I think that's how it's spelled. :) That is the one thing I wanted from my grandparents. I remember my Grandma asking me several years ago if there was anything in their house I wanted after they were gone, because she wanted to write it down and try to settle it in her will before she was gone. And, the only thing I really wanted was the setee. Basically, it's a piece of furniture that you can set on and it's also a coat rack. Not sure how else to describe it. But, it wasn't so much the piece of furniture, as I'm not 'into' antiques or anything. But, rather it was the memories that go with it.

I remember being a child and sitting on my knees in front of it and using it as a desk to color/draw on. It was a place that I could 'escape' the world and draw and be in 'la la land' as a child. It was a comforting place, where I felt warm and loved. I'd hang my coats on it, sit on it. As little kids, my friends and I would be there and pretend it was a 'throne', too. :) It is one thing I cherish that reminds me of my Grandparents and my times with them. I am so grateful that Grandma gave me the desire of my heart and it blesses me, even now, to see it in my living room and to sit on it and think of them. (Thanks Grandma!)

Friday night we drove to Ankeny to take the boys to their friends' houses. They wanted to spend the night there and hang out with some friends again, since they haven't done that in awhile. Well.......as soon as we drove into Ankeny, the tears began to fall. I did not expect that at all and it totally caught me off guard.

And, guess what it was that started the tears? Seeing a FAREWAY grocery store, of all things! lol I had no idea how much I'd miss that grocery store! lol There's nothing like it here! So, that was the beginning of a night of tears. After we dropped the boys off, Steve and I just drove around the city. So many memories flooded our minds and our hearts. We miss Ankeny more than we ever thought we would. Not so much the city, per se, but the relationships. We had deeper roots there than we realized.

We drove by our old church and realized people were there, so we decided to stop. We got to see Pastor Dave and Pastor Jon and when several others realized we were there, they came to see us. It was so good to see so many people again. I guess they were having a service, but several left the service to come see us! lol (oops!)

On Saturday, we hung out most of the day with my parents, which is something we love. Ya' know, it's amazing -- but the older you get and now living away from Iowa -- I miss and love my parents more than ever! I love the time we get to hang out and get up very early to sit and drink coffee and just talk together in the mornings! Needless to say we got little sleep all weekend, but Steve and I both treasured the time we got to spend with my parents.

Saturday night we headed back to Ankeny to go to our old church, Heartland Assembly. We hadn't been back in awhile, so we wanted to go since my parents were going to need to be gone for the night anyway. Again -- I had no idea how emotional it would be! We've been back before and it's always great to see people, but not overly emotional...until this trip.

We've been in KC awhile now and although we've met a lot of people and have people we'd consider 'friends', we have yet to develop the deep relationships that come from 'doing life together' over a period of many, many years. So, when we went back to Heartland and began to see so many again and everything, the tears just began. I sobbed that night like I haven't sobbed in a very long time. So many memories of times God had done such a deep work in my heart came flooding back to me. So many memories from the church when God had used us in a specific way to change someone's life. So many friendships. This was 'home'.

During worship, I just went off to the side and just laid down on the floor (which is totally the norm there!) and just laid before the Lord and wept. I don't think I realized how 'hard' my heart has gotten in KC. It's just been a long, lonely 9 months, and we still have no idea 'why' we're here in KC. Things aren't 'horrible' here, but -- it's so hard to explain -- it's just so different. I think there's a place in my heart that has grown 'hard' because it was the only way I knew to deal with life here -- emotionally that is. And, laying on the floor at Heartland, God began to soften and tenderize my heart and minister to me in such a deep way. He lovingly washed over me with waves and waves of His love and mercy.

Several dear friends came up to Steve and I and prayed over us. Our Pastor came to us and prayed for us. We just felt so loved and cared for and our hearts were strengthened and encouraged. We were so blessed to be back there!

Afterwards we went out with our friends, Roger and Vicky. We hadn't seen them since their wedding back in November! So, it was a treat to get to see them again and spend some time with them! It's so cute to see them together! :)

On Sunday, we went to Jewell to see my nieces, Ashley & Chelsea, graduate. I still cannot believe their old enough to be graduating and heading off to college! My sister did an awesome job of celebrating each of their lives individually and then them together. So many pictures -- it was amazing to look back to when they were little and think -- 'wow, that's how I still see them!' I can't believe they're these 18 year old, beautiful, WOMEN! It's amazing. They've done such a great job in school and we're so proud of them. I know they both have incredible futures ahead of them! Ashley wants to be an OB nurse and Chelsea wants to be a Vet Tech. It was fun to see them graduate and spend more time with family.

Then.......it was time to return to KC. A LOOOOOONG 4 1/2 - 5 hours home. We were so drained from the emotional weekend, plus the physical lack of much sleep......but we got home, made it through Monday, and our entire family was in bed by 8:30pm Monday night! :)