Home Sweet Home

There is just something about walking into your house after an extended absence, smelling your house smell, seeing newly vacuumed carpet, looking at the beautiful wall colors you picked out, and sleeping in your own bed, that is so refreshing!  That was all I could think about Tuesday.  During our 5 hour drive from St. Louis to my parents' house I kept picturing walking into our home, smelling our smell, seeing my handsome husband, being greeted by little Harper Leedle, eventually seeing Skippy that night or maybe in the next few days (gotta love cats).  By the time we made it to their house I was anxious to get the heck home.  I quickly threw suitcases from my parents' van into our SUV, fed Carter an early dinner, and we were off!  Tuesday also happened to be my birthday.  My mom was determined to make the day special even though it was a traveling day.  My parents and Jeremy surprised me with cupcakes and presents at breakfast for my birthday and then mom carried the party over into the car with cake on top of ice cream cups with scratch off lottery tickets.  I got 2 tickets while everyone else just got one.  There were only 2 winning tickets and they both happened to be mine!  I had told everyone the best birthday present I could receive would be to see my Ty Ty.  So my parents got up early and got in the car without even showering.  I'm pretty sure Jeremy didn't shower either and he was the first person ready to leave.  I was extremely grateful.

Our 2 hour drive back home from mom and dad's really wasn't that bad.  I thought I'd be all crazy anxious and frustrated to just be there already like I used to feel on my way there to visit Ty on weekends when we were long distance.  I don't know if it was the fact that we'd been averaging 6-7 hours in the car a day so the 2 hours didn't seem like much.  Or maybe it was that Jeremy was in the passenger seat to talk to and keep my mind occupied.  Or maybe it was having Carter in the backseat not totally content to be in the car especially after his nap was interrupted earlier in the day when my mom accidentally bumped into a monkey stuffed animal my dad bought for Carter in a gas station.  The monkey made a horribly loud monkey screech, waking Carter up.  But I was pretty calm and cool.  Carter would start to fuss so I'd ask him who we were going to go see.  He'd reply with "daddy".  Then I'd ask who else we were going to see and he'd say "doggy".  If I asked him who else we were going to see he'd either say "kitty" or start over with "daddy" again.  He must've known his chances of seeing Skippy that night would be pretty slim.  The closer we got, the more excited I got.  When we pulled into the driveway I laid on the horn to let Ty know we were home and my heart skipped a beat when I saw him emerge from the house.  Getting out of the car and hugging him was the best feeling ever!

Yay, daddy!!!!

Ty stayed outside with Carter to unload while I ran in to the bathroom.  That gave Harper time to ambush me and get petted before Carter came inside.  After Ty and I unloaded the car, Carter came inside.  When he and Harper looked at each other it was like the chorus "Reunited and it feels so good!" started playing in the background.  He ran to her, she ran to him, and then Harper covered Carter's face with kisses.  Then Carter wrapped his arms around her trunk for a big hug, giggling and squealing the whole time.  All night long Carter was all over daddy and Harper.  He would grab onto Harper and not let go so as she walked, she actually dragged him along on the floor.  It was hilarious.  Carter was also excited just to be home, to have his toys, to be in his house.  He ran laughing down the halls and would run up to one of his toys giggling, play with it for a few minutes and then run to something else.  Carter's car seat was a mess and needed cleaned so Ty brought it in the house so I could clean it.  I couldn't believe it when Carter ran over to it and hopped in.  He wanted to be in his home away from home.  We joked that he was in it for the majority of his life that he could remember.  When I went to put Carter down for bed he kept pointing to the bedroom door and crying "daddy" so I took him out to the living room to show him Ty was still there.  We tried again and he was still crying for Ty, but wanted me to hold him, so Ty eventually came in and laid on the floor so Carter could see he was still home and hadn't gone anywhere.  It was so sweet, but so sad at the same time! 

Hanging out in his car seat soon after arriving home!

Harper was like, "Get out of there and come play with me!"

Staring lovingly at each other.

Carter found one of his wash clothes and wanted to wipe Harper clean.

Yesterday, our first full day home, we only left the house to run.  The rest of the day we did laundry and soaked up being home and stretching our legs.  It was the best day.  Just me, Carter, Harper, and Skippy.  Quiet, relaxed, no where to go.  Even with the padding all off, washed, and air drying, Carter got in his car seat again.  I swear that boy is crazy!!!  Partway through the day I could tell Harper was starting to wonder why she wanted the little boy to come home so badly.  She was starting to lose her patience with him hanging all over her!  Now that he's not all over her due to missing her, she's much happier about his return!