The Trip Home

The trip home from Utah was really LONG.  That is the only word I can think of.  We decided last minute to take the northern route home and stay with Becky and Rob the first night.  It was a great decision.  Heading home is hard especially when you come off of a vacation high.  Being able to have one more night along the road helped lessen the loneliness. 

Doing some essential laundry was awesome and sampling some garden grown/home canned red sauce was better than awesome!  Having a quick trip to Hobby Lobby was icing on the cake. 

From Billings, MT we headed to South Dakota and then to Walnut Grove, MN.  Earlier in the year we planned to take the girls to the Wilder Pageant because we had finished reading the Little House books.  Since we live so close, we figured we shouldn't pass it up.  The pageant was okay.  The kids liked the sets, the music, and the fire reenactment.  Marcus and I thought it was just so so.  Being able to see where the Ingalls Dugout was located and cross plum creek ourselves was pretty cool.  We decided to purchase pioneer bonnets for the girls and that was a highlight for them.  It would have been more enjoyable had we not just been on a two week vacation.  We were all worn out.  Plus, it was HOT.  I think 100 degrees with high humidity.

Saturday we made the final drive home (about three hours).  We were so ready to be home.  We were so tired of being on the road/in the car.  Usually driving into the twin cities we are full of dread.  Coming back has never been easy.  Three years in and it has still been very challenging.  For those "bloom where you are planted" folks (which I used to be) it has been like someone constantly spraying weed killer on you.  No matter how hard you try, you just can't get out of the dirt.  We usually brace ourselves for daily life on I-94.  You know, create our survival plan.

For the first time it didn't feel that way.  We still don't "belong" anywhere but it was a relief not to feel the dread that usually hits.  My garden was out of control and my house projects were calling my name.  The kids were thrilled to settle down.  It was good to feel a little bit of... do I dare say... home?  I also felt like I could breathe instead of suffocate from the loneliness.  Again, not giant leaps but really good steps.  It felt good to be home.  Hooray!

Here are some pictures from the last few days of vacation:

 Oh yeah, we stopped at Wall Drug.  It was over rated.

 Did I mention how hot it was?