These are a few of my favorite things... :)

I am having so much fun being home these past few days, and am loving the fact that I still have a week and a half to go. Today me, my mom, one of my sisters, my niece, and Reese spent the day at a waterpark. We had a blast... even with two babies. Yesterday I dropped Reese off at my Dad's parents' and took off for an afternoon with my best friend since we were 15, Ruth Ann, who is now a massage therapist. One of our new favorite things to do when I come home is meet up at her office... she gives me a massage and we catch up on the past month or however long it's been since I've seen her last. It's one of the most wonderful hours of my life. :)

So here I was today, a big grown-up Mama now, driving around my old stomping grounds, and what should I find, but a radio station that seriously must've picked up a playlist from 1999 'cause all it did was play some of my favorite tunes from high school. What a perfect day.

Most of the afternoon we were reminiscing about old times, and my mind didn't stop reeling as I drove home. This led me to a list I compiled of my favorite things about coming home... and especially in the summertime. Therefore, in no particular order, we have...

Corn FieldsEverywhere you go in Germantown, Farmersville, Miamisbrug, Carlisle, or the million other little towns I could name that make up home to me, there are corn fields. I do not exaggerate when I say everywhere. Once my brother in law visited home with Reagan and me, and all he could talk about was how much corn there was and how we all must be cornchildren.

The Family Farm


Oooh how I love this place. It's absolutely gorgeous inside and out. This house was my favorite place to be as a child. It was built by my Grandpa's Great-Grandpa I believe, or maybe just his Grandpa, I can't remember... in the very late 1880's or so... (I'm sure if my mom reads this and I'm wrong, she'll let me know... although it is etched into the concrete floor in the cellar. Maybe I'll go check that out before I leave.) I pull into this place and feel as though my roots spring up out of the ground and just hug me tight. I walked in the doors just tonight and for a short moment took a very deep breath. The smells took me back to being 7 years old again eating Grandma's breakfast and watching the Bugs and Tweety Show on Saturday morning with my Grandfather. So much history in this house... so many memories made by myself alone, not to mention the scores of other people who have inhabited its walls. My Grandfather passed away 7 years ago, and just last year my Aunt and Uncle moved into it and still farm it today. Each time I go back to it my heart aches with the memories of childhood and I miss my Grandfather all over again. That, however, is another post in itself...

The Carlisle Spaceships


"What the *?!@ is that?" How many times have I heard that? I love driving by these things, located less than a minute down the road from my parents home, especially with unexpecting newcomers. It took me by suprise the first time someone asked. I mean- duh! They're the spaceships! Doesn't every town have random spaceships hanging out in a cornfield somewhere? I mean, these things have been here my entire life... since before I was born I guess, and yes- to my knowledge, people still live in them today. There's a big ol' white farmhouse in front of them, and a swimming pool to the right, and whatever posessed these people to do such a thing I'll never know, but they are a landmark. We give directions by them... "go past the spaceships and look for our house about a mile down the road on the right."

The Giant Jesus

Now this thing has not been up my entire life. I actually got to watch this thing go up. It sits in front of a church located just off of I-75, and directly across the interstate from where my dad goes to work everyday. Not exactly sure why they would ever wanna build such a thing. Word has it that it was built to take attention away from the Gentleman's Club on down the highway... who knows though. Being a Buckeye fan, of course my favorite picture of it shows why Jesus himself is also a Buckeye fan. :)



Last but not least...

Yes, this picture is a little old... (Reese was an unknown bean in my belly at the time it was taken.) But call me a little biased, I can't imagine any one family loving to be together as much as this one does. I'm so blessed to know that every trip home that I make is going to be a meaningful one, and not one member is going to dread getting together with any of the others. They are what make coming home the best times of my life...