Things I Love About Home...

Just a few of the things I love about home....

1. These wonderful people are there (although they didn't want to have a picture taken):
2. Dad will still pay for things, like car repairs!

3. We always have breakfast on the weekends. As much as I LOVE to sleep in, I will always get up when I know breakfast is waiting.

4. You all know my theory on how every small town has it's own Mexican restaurant that is "the best Mexican ever." And the local pizza place. When I was home for the weekend we went out to our local Mexican restaurant that seriously has the most authentic, delicious food, amazing chips and salsa, and margaritas. Now this is what I call a margarita:

5. Mom always has real butter. I don't know why, but there is no spray butter, no margarine...just real butter. For some reason it almost seems like a luxury or treat.

6. There is a slower pace. Mom says when they first moved to my hometown she felt like she had stepped back in time because there were still 5 and dime stores. But I love how everything slows down and is more laidback when I go home.

7. Beautiful flowers like this on the table, from our own yard...and some for the road to make my home-away-from-home more cozy. This weekend was peonies:

8. Old friends, who are still good friends. You know the type -- you haven't seen each other or talked in a while, but you pick up right where you left off.

9. Shopping! It's fun to mix it up and go to different stores or go to yard sales and thrift shops and come back with things you wouldn't have found otherwise.

10. For some reason, Mom always feels the need to bake or cook when I come home. So I end up eating cookies, ice cream sandwiches, smoothies, frappes, or whatever the craving of the month is. And I usually get to take some of those with me too :)

11. The stars in the night sky are brighter and clearer. You don't appreciate that until you don't see it on a regular basis.

12. Being right next to the river. My hometown was cleverly coined as "The city on the river but never in it." This past weekend the river was at 41.7' and the flood level is 42' - you can tell the river is up, but still no reports of flood damage to homes and property! River cities seem to thrive around the river -- festivals, fairs, summer concert series, boating...and I love it!

13. Gas prices are cheaper!

14. The church I grew up in. It's a sense of community I haven't found since moving away.

15. Lots of good memories :)

I know this list could go on and on, but those are just a few of the things I thought about this weekend! Sometimes I forget how much these little things mean!