we.are.family

ahhhhh thanksgiving.
this special day of the year has long been a favorite of mine. probably because it meant getting away from school and work, just to relax and eat....a lot. :) but this year, it held special significance. because, this year was the first one on my own.....so when i walked down the makeshift road between Aunt Angie's and Gma Margie's to see my little sister Kristin running for me, my cup was flowing over. sure, i've spent months away from home before, but never with independence and adultliness (hahaha i'm well aware that this is not an actual word...but i just don't really know what word to use to describe this weird world of adulthood). so the look on my brother Peyton's face when he saw me climbing through the woods to hug him made the 3 day drive suddenly worth it. when i walked into Aunt Angie's kitchen and my dad turned around, my eyes were filled with tears and my heart filled with gratitude.

there's something really special about going home to my roots and seeing my big crazy family. each face, each hug and each smile took me by surprise and helped me to see the significance of this great love between us.

they each mean so much to me....and it's so important to me to make that journey down there every year.....i got to hear about Brandon's first year at UGA; to see Jordan still crazy about his high school sweetheart; watch Thomas, Caleb, Jordan, Dakota, Peyton, Cody, Tyler, and Bradley build their campsite in the middle of the gorgeous Georgia woods; laugh with Christiana, Kristin, Mandy, Brooklyn and Briana; hug Rebecca and Joanna a million times; read Bible stories to little Jackson; see Sam taking his ginormous dog Toby for a walk in the fog; giggle at Aunt Bo while she's giving directions; talk with Uncle Shane, Uncle Lane, Aunt Teresa, Uncle Tommy, Aunt Angie and Daddy about things that matter; hug my Papa and know that I love him anyway; sit with Grandma and hear about her buddy Jack and how much he loves her; laugh with Tyler and Josh about Jack's 3 bowls of peanuts for dessert....talk with Aunt Lisa and Caleb about prop 8, psychology and loving people; watch John and Ruth laugh at each other as fierce competetors and loving spouses; bounce on the trampoline with Jennifer and Jessica; solve the problems of the word's depressed teenagers with Bri; talk about nonsense with Bryan and Clark; kiss Kristin on the forhead enough the leave a mark; wait for Mom to call 15 times a day; laugh till my head hurts with Jaime, Dan, Jim, Harley and Hunter on the drive down; talk about my new life and what the Lord is doing in it with whoever will listen; watch Aaron and James playing soccer together in the dark; throwing citrus in the fire with Caroline and Jessica; remembering Uncle Mike with Ashley and Aunt Kealey.....alllllllll these things.

all these things make made my life more rich over the last week.