Homesick

Ever since we had dinner with all our Iowa friends last week, I've been feeling a little bit poignant and even, dare I admit, homesick. Not just for any old part of Iowa, either, but Cedar Rapids/Robins and Faith Bible Church.

There's really something about walking down the hall in church and knowing that you picked blueberries in the Boundary Waters with this person, intentionally set off a car alarm in Chicago "just to see what would happen" with that person, dyed my hair gray for that one, and played a trick on Pops with that one over there. I guess it's just the whole being known for twenty years feeling. (In some cases that probably isn't a good thing.)

Here are some things I miss, I no particular order:

1. Singing with Sister in church (and everybody else, too...)
   
2. Being able to get to a Wal-Mart in under 20 minutes, although I don't even like Wal-Mart...but if I did the nearest one here is in Richardson. (Sorry, Pops, I definitely side with Homer on this issue, Wal-Mart is evil)
3. Dave Baugh & Wayne Larson -- fantastic, sacrificial youth workers, both of you.
4. Noelridge Park, for some reason
5. Working in the barn with Pops
6. Going on walks in the evening and not seeing a single car
7. During the worship time at Faith Bible, everyone really sings. Loud. I totally miss that.
8. Missions Committee potlucks...yum
   
9. Helping Mommy with things. Anything, really.
10. The Kid
11. The 4th of July downtown. There's absolutely nothing like it.
12. Shooting off rockets with Jooge and Pops
13. Mom and Dad's back porch...talk about relaxing
14. Baby calves and helping Pops "fix the sprayer"
    
15. Watching Pride and Prejudice (the 6 hr one) with Sister
    

I'm scaring myself with sentimentality.

I could go on and on...but suffice it to say that YES, I'm slightly homesick. Let's hope we get to go home for Christmas so I can get that Steven Curtis Chapman song out of my head...it's been on repeat for the last two days.