Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

I'm sitting in the Raleigh airport waiting for my flight to board.  36 hours ago, I put my husband and kids on a plane to West Africa where I'll meet up with them tomorrow.   It seems like it was only a couple of weeks ago that I was arriving at this airport, with no idea of how long I'd stay or what would unfold during my time here.

Truth is, it hasn't been a couple of weeks, it's been a couple of months...  a couple of very emotional months.  We have ridden a total roller coaster of emotions.  We have grieved deeply, been loved fervently, experienced reunions joyfully, and said our "see you laters" with gut-wrenching sorrow.  In so many ways, it seems like we've been experiencing these highs and lows at a rate that is simply too fast to process them all.  I expect that in the days ahead as we digest all that has happened there will be more than a few smiles and tears.

I thought I'd share a few highlights of our time here in good ole 'Merica.

We enjoyed family time...even if the only jeep available was pink!

We celebrated some birthdays...  Lizzy turned 13

 A good friend hit number 11 and we took note at Cracker Barrel

And Abe celebrated SIX years with a Dunkin Donut.  Hey, we can make cake in Africa.

We also got to experience fall, complete with pumpkins...

You might be a TCK when mom suggests that you paint a face on your pumpkin and you don't realize that she means just the face, not the body.

My glamour girl's pumpkin...

 Roller skating was a big hit too.  In Africa, we have one pair of skates and they often share them with two people each using one, kind of like a skateboard.  Abe could not believe it when we walked into this place and everyone got their own pair PLUS there was so much smooth surface to skate on.

 

We loved the open road.  No traffic, no middle of the road salesman, lots and lots of miles with no brake lights.  I could get used to that!

Best of all were the visits with people that we love.

 

friends and 

 family! 

 They may have grown, but they are still big buddies!

 We even got to see dear friends we made in Nigeria.  It was a bit surreal being with these lovely ladies in the American world.  They are just as loveable here as they were when they were one of our only social options!