Same Roof

 It is wonderful to have everybody waking up under the same roof. Luggage is strewn through the living room and bedrooms and souvenirs are littering the kitchen table.  Sleep schedules and meal times are wonky because of the time change, but I know that will sort out quickly. I am also perfectly aware that I will probably be wishing for more space and quiet in a few days, but for right now I am content with the chaos. 

The boys had a fabulous adventure. I have thoroughly enjoyed looking at their photos and hearing their stories.  What they experienced was transformative and they both emerged from their adventure changed. It is one thing to learn about the battles and the holocaust. Standing in that hallowed ground is something completely different. 

With everybody back home, we will slowly settle into our summer schedule. Laundry will be attacked over the weekend, and slowly all of the souvenirs will be put in their new homes. In the meantime, I'm just going to enjoy hearing the sounds of everybody being together.

Welcome home

 

After 12 days away, yesterday we finally picked up our international travelers.  We decided to make a sign to welcome them home.

 

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Arriving Home

Travel often changes people. It opens up your eyes to history and other cultures. From looking at the photos, I believe that this is the case for Robby. I watched his growth over the week. At the beginning of the tour he looked like a happy teen. Now he is holding himself differently in the photos.  

He has matured during the past week. I'm sure that part of that is from the travel, but I suspect that it is primarily due to the nature of his tours. It would be hard to visit such fierce battlefields without emerging unchanged. I'm glad that he has had this experience, and this unique perspective. I knew that the trip would change him, but I didn't anticipate being able to witness the transformation through photos from abroad.

After 11 adventure filled days, Scott and Robby will arrive home tonight. To say that they have been missed would be an understatement. While Timmy and I had fun by ourselves, the house was eerily quiet. I will be happy to have everybody back under the same roof.

Week of Fun.

 While Scott and Robby have been off on their adventure, Timmy and I have been staying closer to home. Well, not closer to home. I should say that we have been staying home. Between the heat and the price of gas, I've been trying to limit the amount of my driving around.  

Even though we have been staying home, we have had a great time together. Over the past week we played games, splashed in the sprinkler, ate spaghetti and meatballs without plates or utensils ("pig jig style"), had a day where we ate ice cream for every meal and camped in the tent in our living room. 

Our furry family members benefited from our adventures as well. Friend enjoyed numerous silly walks through the neighborhood. He was treated to a cheeseburger for dinner and he received a seemingly endless supply of snacks. Timmy didn't want to let the cats out of the fun, so we picked up some sardines as a special treat.

In the evenings we chased lightening bugs and hunted for ghosts. We had dance parties in the kitchen and only made our favorite foods for our meals. We watched movies and played the Xbox. Our week wasn't as grand as a European trip, but we still had a great time making some fun memories.