Oh home.

I'm so behind on all the things I want to document from these past couple of months.... a fabulous trip with Paul and Amy, spring which is on the cusp of transitioning into summer, life changes approaching. Once I fall behind it's challenging to pick it back up and write about the now, because I feel guilty for skipping over other major life events. I'll focus on the now and hopefully find time to backtrack :)

Oh home. Not enough adjectives to describe this past trip. It was a time to bask in love, to relax and not think about anything, really. A time to consume mass quantities of coffee on my parents' squishy couches while we discuss life, to cruise Melbourne for glimpses of manatees and cherish childhood memories. I'm beyond grateful for both of my parents' dedication to our upbringing, for their grace and love that shaped who we are today. I'm also incredibly thankful that Mike's parents live in the same town. What a joy to be able to connect with them and to essentially have a second set of parents! I'm a lucky girl.

Latest obsession (alongside manatees, of course...) Sandy Hill Cranes!  

 Most common question I receive from non-Americans... "Have you ever seen an alligator?!" Why yes, yes I have. 

 Always have a kite handy in the back of your car- Grayson family rule

 Hot date night for a proper Bloody Mary 

Yep, still kickin'

A reoccurring theme that I mulled over in my mind was the concept of 'home.' It was like all these places that we've planted roots comprise a sense of 'home' to me. Is that even possible? Home is Melbourne, where I was raised, but it's also not the same and ever evolving. And then, I felt like I was returning 'home' to St. Auggie where we spent the past 6 years and developed community that I'll carry in my heart forever. I drove by our house and parked outside like a creeper, with someone else's mini-van in the driveway and tomatoes that weren't mine growing in the garden box that we labored over and I just cried for the life that we had in that town that we simultaneously loved and drove us crazy. That life was grand, but it'll never be like that again, a life without kids in a house that we own in Florida.

I'm getting all weird, I know, but it was trip that gave me the chance to reflect on what makes me me... the wonderful people in my life and experiences that will forever shape who I am.

Anyways, back to the joys of seeing everyone! Sadly I barely took any pictures, and if I did they're mostly on Instagram already. Babies galore, catching up on the past school year and picking up right where we left off. Lifelong connections, for sure; I'm grateful that my friends are sweet enough to keep me in the loop, letting me know when major events occur and watching their littles grow!

So much more could be said, but I think I'll leave it here because quite frankly this post has been sitting unfinished on my desktop for a week now; I'm tired of seeing it. More thoughts later, maybe.