Missing My Grandmother

I am starting to miss home more and more these days. I have always missed it -- don't get me wrong -- but after nearly 6 years in Utah, it is starting to really hit me just how long we have been gone and how much we are missing with regards to our family. Everyone at home has given up on us, I bet, but we are going back at some point. It has just taken a long time for us to figure out what to do with life. And I have no doubt that we were led to move here by the Lord, and He will lead us home when the time is right. Being on our own has been a tremendous blessing for our marriage, and Chris and I have learned to lean on each other much more than we ever did before. It has been a positive experience in so many ways.

Isn't my grandmother a Betty??? I love this picture of her. She is a beautiful person, inside and out! A few days ago she sent me the sweetest email, which made me long for her so much. What an example she is to me of a kind, generous, loving woman. She is the tender matriarch of our family; we all love and respect her beyond measure. Hearing her kind words has me reflecting on all the things I miss about her and about home. I miss my family the most -- my mom, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws! Enough wonderful people to fill my mom's house to overflowing. How I long to hug and kiss them all!

I love this photo of my kids with my granny, taken last summer. It's not compositionally the best -- Nathaniel doesn't look too happy, and the light from the window is not good -- but I love seeing her love my children. They adore her so much. Especially having Lindsey, her little namesake, on her lap, is such a sweet image. I can't wait until she can hold them all again. Those of you back home, take care of each other! Enjoy every minute of every day that you have to be together. I can't wait to be back home again.