Days of Yore

Forty hours of vacation earned in nursing comes out to a week off with time to spare so I scheduled my first week off and made a flying trip back to Nebraska. Sandysendbigpresent moved into a new house a couple of years ago that I've never seen and has had two babies since the last time I saw her, so it was an overdue trip. We spent a chaotic first night in her house with a total of nine children under foot, including three two and under, three preschoolers, and three grade schoolers. At one point she said, "You know how something seems like a good idea when you are making plans for it and then you get into and you think, 'what was I thinking?'" Our usual late night conversation ended early after countless interruptions from children. Needless to say the patriarch of the house slept in the basement.Kennedy has wanted to cut her hair off for at least two years now. Dale promised her she could do it on her 12th (how would you write that out? twelfth?) birthday, after some convincing. Unbeknownst to her he bumped it up and told me she could do it when on her birthday next month. Our sweet Gabby was my first choice to do the job and being that she works in a salon, I knew she could get the hair to locks of love so we scheduled our day around our appointment with her. The new liberty in making personal hair decisions shone it's light on Tre as well who wanted a faux hawk. After running from house to house all morning, we met her and she did an amazing work of art on both of them. (Kennedy will be posting pictures on her blog very soon!!!)It was really strange to be back in Fremont. Driving down Nye I felt de ja vue and sitting at the Taylors' kitchen table was just like old times. My best friend Mendy was standing on her deck waving us in at the end of her journey. No px, but such a great way to end the trip. Sis took some video, so we captured a few minutes of princess Maddie, Big B, and Bendy Mendy in their cozy apartment. It was fun while it lasted, but as always, it's good to be home. Send me your pictures Suzy and Becky! Thanks to everyone that fed us and gave us shelter and clothes for the farm and let us use your bathroom and mess up your kids' rooms and reminded us that people love us there. Kennedy asked us why so many people loved us and if we were "kind of like--famous". It seems like such a long time ago, like it wasn't real. But you all knew us when we showed up at your door so I guess that confirms it. It was real. xoxo

One more thing to all of you. There was a huge division in that city that never should've happened. I know things change, but you're all still there in the same town within just a few miles of each other. Calvary Temple had something that few churches have anymore in their congregations and that's community; it always felt like family there even when things were really bad. The people there really loved each other and took care of each other when one person was down. If there is any way to pull that crew back together, do it! Find each other and love each other and live the love of Christ to one another! Run together as a labor of love for the Kingdom of God!