I have returned from spending the weekend with my daughter, my mother, my grandmother and her sister.

It was a great time. It was a weekend full of home-cooking, hugs, stories, laughter and a bit of shopping.

We left for our journey back home mid-morning Sunday. Which means I didn't go to church. That hardly ever happens. It is rare that I'm not at a church on Sunday morning. We even go to church when we are on vacation.

I miss it. I miss hearing Gods word preached and hymns sung.

Anna and I made it home just in time for our Sunday evening service. We sat on the back pew because we arrived just after church had begun. The boys looked back and saw me. I wish I had a picture of their faces. It was beautiful. I fell in love with them all over again.

It was a great refreshing weekend away from home. And the homecoming was just as wonderful!

Family

In the last couple of weeks I have seen family.

Not just Stephen and the kids, but family-family.

I have seen my dad, his wife and her daughter, my cousin, her husband, and their daughter. My aunt and uncle, my sister, my mother and her aunt. My grandmother and my uncle.

And Sunday I think I am going to see another aunt and uncle.

I am being swarmed by family. Well, ok swarmed is not the correct word. Its just that we were talking about swarms of bees at dinner and it was still on my mind.

I am being loving hosted in the homes of loved ones. How about that?

It is the most fun! Usually I only see these people at Christmas and we are all together at the same place for a limited amount of time and no real visiting goes on.

(As I was typing that horrible run-on sentence I thought of my cousin Sarah and her family. I've not seen them since Christmas and won't see them in the near future. I wish I could!) (Oh! Sarah is an English teacher and is not a fan of the run-on or fragmented sentence!)

This has just been a great two weeks. Growing up, we were around most of this family and I took it for granted. But, I have lived away from home for almost 16 years now and I miss family.

I miss the identity I have in my family. I miss the love, compassion and familiarity of family.

But this has made up for it.

I haven't told you about our spring break activities.

Well, except for the arrival of Lucy Kathryn that is.

We started out our spring break week at the Historic Museum of Arkansas. It was great! The guided tour is informative and at times entertaining!
We then went in to the museum and found a play room for kids tucked in a corner upstairs. Anna thought it was the best part of the whole day.

We also went to the Macarthur Military Museum. I wasn't real excited about this one, but it surprised me. When we walked in, the lady at the front desk gave each of the kids a scavenger hunt to do through the museum. It was really great for them, they actually learned a little bit on their spring break.

And then we went to Shorty Smalls. We went there first on Monday and ate and paid. At the end of our meal the manager came buy and gave each of us a coupon for our next visit.
All 8 of us. (Stephens parents were with us!)

We went back to Shorty Smalls for dinner on Thursday (after the military museum) to use our coupons. We had 2 free appetizers, 3 free entrees, 1 free milkshake, 1 free dessert, and 1 $2.00 coupon. We paid $14.00 for our dinner and saved $81.00!!!!. We ended up paying for Anna's meal, our drinks and tax!

Impressive wouldn't you say? And the best part? The manager came back and brought free coupons AGAIN!!!!

This time I shared the coupons with some friends, and their family of 6 ate very cheaply this week.

I'm ready for another spring break!!!