Homeward Bound

It has been a lovely weekend. The Indiana weather has been beautiful: warm and sunny with a thunderstorm or two thrown in just for us Utahns. All the Nelson women were together - including the newest one, Christina, who fit right in and shed tears with Ma, Maryann and I. I cried at Haylie's baptism, cried thinking of my girls' baptisms that are approaching, cried during Maryann's talk about Dads & our dad on Fathers' Day, cried thinking about my daughters' wonderful father taking care of them at home, cried when I saw the primary kids at church because I missed my kids, cried when Maryann cried, cried when Christina cried... Jeff was right about this weekend being a big bawl-fest. It is always good to spend time with my parents, my brothers and sisters. What a different experience it was this time, because the youngest child around was an eight-year old. I couldn't shake the feeling that I had forgotten something the entire five days I've been here. I miss my girls immensely, but I also cherished the time spent with my sister without any distractions. I enjoyed the long talks with her, my parents and DaronandChristina all the more because of how rare an opportunity it was. I got to know my niece and nephew and they got to know me, not as their cousins' mom, but as their Aunt, here just to see them. So it was good. And I am so ready to go home now. My flight leaves Indianapolis in just a couple of hours and I will be pulling into the big TQ before midnight tonight, hopefully. I can't wait to sneak in my girls' rooms and kiss them goodnight before sleeping in my own bed tonight.