"Keep your face to the sunshine and you'll never see the shadows."

This week back in Missouri has been crazy, busy, fun and exhausting all at the same time. Kinsey has been keeping me busy with her funny sayings and personality. She is always saying something out of character and way too grown up. It's been fun.
This week we have done so much. My visit started with dinner immediately when I arrived. It was great to see the entire family at one huge table.
We had a small family reunion at Aunt Tammie's house and a little swim. This was the first time I got to see Kinsey swim without floaties. She puts her head under the water and swims everywhere. It's adorable and kind of funny too. When we arrived we saw that there was a blow up slide. Kinsey told me that when I grow smaller I can slide down it. (If only it worked that way.)

We have been swimming, shopping, eating, playing at playgrounds and with friends, and soo much more.It amazes me how much everything changes in the short amount of time I am gone. The town square looks different, the kids look different, everyone's lives are different. Half the people I graduated with are married and/or have kids. Part of me loves it and is and always anxious to see how different life is when I return. Part of me wishes everything stayed the same here so I know what to expect, but that is selfish thinking.
The one thing that has never changed is the weather. It's always stormy when I come back for a visit. This visit didn't let me down. The original forecast was that 6/10 days I'm in town it would storm. There have been a few good ones.

From here until Monday, the time will fly because I will be busy. Tomorrow I'm having lunch with my brothers fiance, Linzy. Then I'm going swimming (if it's not storming) with Brooke and Kinsey's friend Lilly. Tomorrow evening I'm staying at my brothers house. Saturday is their engagement party, which will be like another family reunion. Sunday is church and lunch at great grandma's house. At 2 I'm heading to the Farris Theater to see the last Harry Potter film with Sarah. Then Monday morning, bright and early, I fly out.

This ten days has flown by fast, as it usually does. Seeing my family has been rejuvenating and I'm happy that I was able to come home right before school gets stressful again. If my heart had a mouth, it would be smiling! :-)