Visitors! And Realizations too!

So my brother and his wife have been visiting us since Saturday. It's been nice having them here and having them get to know my husband and this place we currently call home. However it's also been interesting having them here, as it's made me realize just how much this place has become home to me. It's been interesting seeing others respond to the state the same way that I initially did, but it's also let me know how much I've grown in my acceptance of this place. I've adjusted to waiting a long time for food when eating out, to having to enjoy a lil' more fat and other dietary choices due to those options being what is served down here, and to not having all my usual shopping options available to me. (Although in thinking about this post, I did wonder if I'm becoming too complacent about some things.....??)

The husband was able to ride with his buddy to work the last two days, so we let them take our car for some site seeing around the state (such as New Orleans). They've been able to see a variety of different locations, and it gave me some time to clean up the house again and hang out with some of the other wives yesterday afternoon. The cleaning piece is something I try to stay on top of all the time (especially now with the pets), but it's something that is really important to me when we have guests. I know how much I judge others based on the comfort and cleanliness of their homes when I stay with them (I actually won't stay with relatives and friends who don't provide this), so its incredibly important to me that my home (and the shower, linens, and the like) be clean yet comfortable for people who stay in my home. I also know that allergies are common in my family, so I've been trying to keep the dust and pet dander to a minimum during my brother's visit also.

But I must say that yesterday was one of the best days that I think that I have had here. In the morning I received a text from my dog walking friend asking if I wanted to join her, and although I got to it too late (since I was cleaning! :-)) it was nice realizing that I'm actually making some friends in this place. My husband had the new guy in his unit over for lunch for the second day in a row, and in the afternoon I had two of the other wives spend the afternoon over here just gabbing and watching a movie. I went for a run and walked the dog, and then the husband and I just enjoyed some down time doing whatever in the evening. Realizing that we really do have our own routine and are able to interact with a variety of people (sometimes helping to take care of their needs) on a regular basis was a very nice touch to the day. It was a nice thought--realizing how much we do have...being here in this place together.

So it's been wonderful having family here for the week--being able to catch up on the familiar and just spend time together. But it's also been wonderful realizing how much this lil' place has that homey feel to it now too. The saying really is true: Home is where the heart is...and truthfully, the heart can reside in more than one place.

Blessings to you and yours!