Home again home again

I'm exhausted and surrounded by Christmas decorations that won't put themselves up, and it's hard to remember what happened this past month.

We've been busy. The Iowa State football season finished fairly well, considering the scheduling. Rick and I went to Friendsgiving, a gathering of friends with a Thanksgiving menu which is always a good time. I also headed to Kansas City a few weekends ago to see some friends and had a good time with them as well.

The past week we've been in Texas visiting Rick's friends and family. We arrived on Friday and spent a few days with his best friend Jeff out at his lake house. It was good to meet some more of Rick's friends from college and I know he had a good time catching up with them. Sunday afternoon we headed to Rick's parents' house to spend the week. Highlights included shooting an array of firearms (I stuck to the handguns), driving Roy's new Mustang, seeing Tangled (very cute), a large Thanksgiving with Rick's dad's side of the family, a smaller Thanksgiving with Rick's stepmom's side of the family, and professional family photos. The weather was nice until Thanksgiving day when the temperature took a deep plunge.

Yesterday we drove over 900 miles--Rick drove for 13 hours and I drove 2--a long time in the car. My good friend Theresa got married yesterday and we had to get back to celebrate. We woke up at Rick's parents' house in Texas and fell asleep at my parents' house in northern Iowa on the same day. The same long day.

It's never been so good to be home--it just seems like we've been gone forever. We picked up Darby from my parents' house--she spent the week at their farm and apparently wore herself out. After her bath, she hasn't done anything all day but sleep. Lazy dog. I did miss her, though. Good to be home with her. Since we've been home, we finished hanging Christmas lights, Rick constructed Darby's new dog house, we bought and put up a Christmas tree, I drug out all of our Christmas decorations (and have strewn them about the living room and don't plan on picking them up tonight), ran out to the barn to see Maggie, Rick got groceries, I made cookies and did 4 loads of laundry (so far). What I really need to do is take a shower and go to bed.

I get to sleep in my own bed tonight. Can't wait.