Home Sweet Home

There is a reason for the saying, "Home Sweet Home." Besides it being blazing hot here in Missouri, it has been nothing but home sweet home. I have spent oodles of time with my sister and my niece and three nephews and it has been wonderful. It's a little crazy around their house, but what more can you expect with four kids under the age of 6?? :) I love it though. I have eaten at IHOP already a few times with them, we've played glow in the dark mini-golf at the mall, my nephew thinks I'm really good at Scooby Doo video games, I've gone to his t-ball twice, we've played outside in the small pool, we've gone to the neighborhood "big" pool, I've spent countless hours holding a sleeping sweet precious baby boy, and on and on. I am seriously enjoying every minute of it and soaking it all in. My niece and nephews are all getting so big and so funny.

Grace just finished kindergarten and her little mind works 24 hours a day. She is very observant and takes note of every detail, especially when you get something wrong, she loves to correct you!

She likes to take pictures, so this is her attempt to take a picture of us together!

And she likes to cut coupons! (Especially for candy or gum!)

With Mimi and Poppy at the play area at the mall!

Sam just turned four and he is quite the little character. His favorite phrase now is "You're not the boss of the car.....or of the couch......or of the basement." etc etc. So I finally said to him, "Sam, I don't want to hear you keep saying that to me or Aunt Kammie won't take you anywhere." Now he likes to remind me often, "Aunt Kammie, you're the boss of the couch. or Aunt Kammie, you're the boss of us right now." ha ha. He's so funny. He loves to 'play' video games. More, he really likes to watch someone else play them. Well, since I am quite the mature 30 year old, I still enjoy the video games. So we get along great. He loves to watch me play the Scooby Doo game. I do think I've gotten my name on most of the top scores so far. ha ha.

Getting ready to hit at t-ball!

Not sure if he's relaxing or waiting for a ground ball!

Sam loves his little baby brother and is a good helper!

Nate, who is 2 1/2 amazes me more and more every time I see him. He is growing so much and looks so much bigger and older to me each time I am home. I know that obviously he is just growing up, but coming from his little micropreemie status, it still just amazes me each time. He truly is a miracle to our eyes. He is jabbering now all the time. He will say "Tia" but not Kammie! That's ok, I'll take tia. :)

He insisted on having his goggles on in the baby pool in the back yard!

Gotta love those big blue eyes!

Just looking so big!

And little Preston, he is just a bundle of love. I am so in love with him, it's unreal. We missed out on a lot of the typical "baby" stuff with Nate, so it's so much fun to have a snuggly, cute, sweaty baby to love on!!! I just love letting him snuggle up on my chest and love on him!

Even though I love letting him sleep on me, I sure do love him even when he's awake too!!!!

Love the snuggly time!

Love it!!!

There's just something to be said about knowing my way around town and where things are and where to find things and feeling "home" again. No matter how long I've been gone and how much time has passed that I haven't even been in Missouri, I still feel somewhat at home here. Of course things change and it feels weird that I don't live here, but a part of me will always feel home here.

I've gotten to see some old friends, some people that I normally don't see and others that are my regular people to see! I have hung out with friends that I have known from kindergarten, friends from high school, and friends from junior high. I know it sounds stupid and my mom will never get it, but seriously, I am reconnecting with old friends due to facebook!!! It's so fun. I am getting together tomorrow night with five girls that I played softball with when we were like 14 years old and younger. We started playing together from the time we were in like 1st grade and we played together for several years. Softball was my life and these girls were a huge part of my life. I spent my entire summers at the ball field. I am so excited to see them and reconnect with them. I am also having lunch with my kindergarten teacher on Monday! How crazy is that??

I leave on Tuesday to embark on my long journey around the world. ha ha. I am so excited about seeing some other friends and seeing some other parts of the world. I will see Laurie in Spain, Rebekah in Italy, Wendy in Kenya, and Laura in Belgium!! I can't wait!