Homecoming

We traveled up to see my family for the holiday weekend. Though I've made a couple of trips up there with the kids, this was the first time in at least 18 months that all seven of us went as a family. We had a glorious time! When it's just me and a couple kids, and my husband stays here at home, I get homesick for my Georgia nest and love to flutter back to it. This time was different. Maybe because my husband was with me and I wasn't missing him. Maybe because we had the chance to do some classic Franklin/Nashville things. Maybe it was the precious time with family. Maybe it was the unforgettable experience of seeing U2 together. Maybe it was the gorgeous weather, highlighting the beauty of the land around the West Harpeth River. Whatever the cause, we suddenly became a little homesick for Tennessee.

As Psalm 16 (my favorite Psalm) says, the lines have fallen in pleasant places for us here in Georgia. We are very attached to the covenant community we've found here at church and at school. We're content and not going anywhere anytime soon. But in my heart, I'll always be a Tennessean.

Some of my favorite moments:

• Working with hubby & my boys as they helped my Mom do some landscaping on her hill. My parents have 3 acres, situated in the woods on a steep hill that can prove a challenge to cars, lawnmowers, and growing things. It was fun to see their hard work bring beauty.
• Eating a black bean salad at one of our favorite Nashville cafes. One we've not visited in over five years. Yummy!
• Strolling the Franklin Farmers Market with dh, my Mom, and a couple kids. Goat cheese samples, italian ice, kettle corn, and yes, live music.
• Going to the U2 360 concert, not only with my favorite U2 fan (whom I happen to be married to ;), but also my sister and brother. It was an amazing show - I think the guys knew they needed to show Music City a good time. They paid a little homage to Johnny Cash, and even gave away Bono's Ireland-green guitar to a blind guy that they pulled on stage for the encore to play 'All I Want is You' with them. U2 was the music of our courtship, and seeing those songs performed live & holding my baby's hand was very special. Unforgettable.
• Running 2 miles along the Harpeth River with my little man, A. (almost 7yo) It was HOT and he was a trooper. It was kind of a run/walk/talk -- every now and then he'd stop, drink some water, and say, "I need to go over here and discover!" He kept hoping a cave would pop up along the river, but alas, not many caves in Franklin. ;)
• Lots and lots and lots of cousin time! There are 12 of them, and they are all close friends.
• Sitting on my brother's deck, all us grown-ups, talking late into the night while children scampered all over the house and yard.
• Celebrating Independence Day with the whole family. We had a glorious feast, prepared by my sweet parents, managed to get a family photo with the camera timer, and shot off a zillion fireworks at the bottom of my parents' hill. The dads & teen boys did the pyrotechnics, and the rest of us sat in lawn chairs eating popsicles and spectating. Bliss! (Except for the mosquito bites - we're all covered!)