My prayer before we came home is that I would not make America an idol in my heart and in how I talk around my husband and my kids. We have been back for 1 week now and, while I think it has successfully not become an idol, I must admit that being home has been awesome! Here are some highlights (in no particular order)!
1. The backie garden. This is what Noah calls the backyard about 100 times a day when he asks to go out and it is GREAT! I love letting them go play outside and run around without fear of anything. Corinth didn't want to go the first day because she was afraid of the monkeys. She told Gran, "we can't go outside because monkeys might come." After Gran convinced her we don't have monkeys, she was so happy to play outside. It's GREAT!
2. Church. Kyle and I were admittedly a bit nervous about being thrown back into church after being in such a different world for so long, but it was wonderful. Seeing people from my childhood church and getting lots of hugs, seeing my mom sing in the choir, singing old songs I grew up singing, and hearing my hubby preach. All great things!
3. Being around family. Nothing like it, and will always be the thing I miss most about living abroad and the thing I love the most about being home.
4. The public library. Its total brain candy for everyone in the family!
5. Packaged food. Now, I would not generally consider myself lazy, but I can prepare a meal (I intentionally did NOT use the word 'cook') in like 15 minutes by opening packages and warming them up, and I find it strangely exciting. In a lazy sort of way. :-)
6. The playground. I love walking down the street and watching my kids play at the park. I feel so much like a mom (in a good way!) with 2 kids imagining on the playground and a baby strolling in a stroller. Heart. Full.
7. Running. I LOVE RUNNING!!!! And I can go without my phone and before the break of dawn and not be fearful. It's great! (But, after not running the last several months of pregnancy, I'm quite sore...)
8. People. They are so nice! The lady in the refrigerated section of Walmart is nice. The people letting me go before them while driving are nice. The librarian is nice. The checkout girl at the grocery store is nice. The toll-tag lady is nice. Pretty much every person I've interacted with is nice. Pretty much every American is nice. Right?! :-)
9. There are Indian people everywhere!!! I mean EVERYWHERE!!! I wore a kurta on Sunday and when I was at Costco a worker asked me why I was wearing his country's clothing. I told him I live there, and ended up having a 10 minute conversation with him in Hindi. It was so fun!
10. Driving. Glorious! I don't even mind that I'm driving a broken, 20 year old, total high-wasted-jeans-mom minivan. I'm rollin'.
Thanks for reading! Tune in for more soon!
1. The backie garden. This is what Noah calls the backyard about 100 times a day when he asks to go out and it is GREAT! I love letting them go play outside and run around without fear of anything. Corinth didn't want to go the first day because she was afraid of the monkeys. She told Gran, "we can't go outside because monkeys might come." After Gran convinced her we don't have monkeys, she was so happy to play outside. It's GREAT!
2. Church. Kyle and I were admittedly a bit nervous about being thrown back into church after being in such a different world for so long, but it was wonderful. Seeing people from my childhood church and getting lots of hugs, seeing my mom sing in the choir, singing old songs I grew up singing, and hearing my hubby preach. All great things!
3. Being around family. Nothing like it, and will always be the thing I miss most about living abroad and the thing I love the most about being home.
4. The public library. Its total brain candy for everyone in the family!
5. Packaged food. Now, I would not generally consider myself lazy, but I can prepare a meal (I intentionally did NOT use the word 'cook') in like 15 minutes by opening packages and warming them up, and I find it strangely exciting. In a lazy sort of way. :-)
6. The playground. I love walking down the street and watching my kids play at the park. I feel so much like a mom (in a good way!) with 2 kids imagining on the playground and a baby strolling in a stroller. Heart. Full.
7. Running. I LOVE RUNNING!!!! And I can go without my phone and before the break of dawn and not be fearful. It's great! (But, after not running the last several months of pregnancy, I'm quite sore...)
8. People. They are so nice! The lady in the refrigerated section of Walmart is nice. The people letting me go before them while driving are nice. The librarian is nice. The checkout girl at the grocery store is nice. The toll-tag lady is nice. Pretty much every person I've interacted with is nice. Pretty much every American is nice. Right?! :-)
9. There are Indian people everywhere!!! I mean EVERYWHERE!!! I wore a kurta on Sunday and when I was at Costco a worker asked me why I was wearing his country's clothing. I told him I live there, and ended up having a 10 minute conversation with him in Hindi. It was so fun!
10. Driving. Glorious! I don't even mind that I'm driving a broken, 20 year old, total high-wasted-jeans-mom minivan. I'm rollin'.
Thanks for reading! Tune in for more soon!
