Misplaced Nebraskan
My cousin Julia came for a visit recently. It doesn't seem that it's been well over a year since she was living here. To have her visit was like she was coming home. She's never been here in the fall...her visits and stays have encompassed every season except the fall. We've always told her that she needs to come during this time of year and experience our city on a game day, as Memorial Stadium morphs into the third largest "city" in the state and downtown is literally a sea of red. The weekend that she came was an away game, so I guess she just needs to come back again next year! We keep trying to convince her that the University here has all the classes she needs for her Master's Degree! She'll be a misplaced Nebraskan for now...misplaced to AZ. :)
Family visits are never long enough. I often long for simpler times...for lots of reasons, but I am nostalgic too and I think that the way my grandparents grew up and raised their families was spot-on...sharing Sunday meals, having actual dances at a relative's home...the grown siblings lived close and the cousins grew up knowing each other. I wish AZ wasn't so far away...or California or Colorado or Montana for that matter!!! I also wish it was easy for our entire family to hop on a plane to go visit Julia, so I'm grateful that she can come here.
Considering that she had never been here in the fall and that the seasons don't change in AZ like they do here, we took her leaf-raking. LOL. Only something that is foreign is such a novelty. She was in awe of the changing leaves in general as soon as she arrived here, and then to rake them into piles was a bonus!
The weekend wasn't entirely as planned..not that we really had plans, but my miscarriage happened while Julia was here, so instead of spending a Saturday out and about, she spent it taking care of my kids and lying next to me on the bed to keep me company and liven my spirits. I wouldn't have planned it that way, but I'm entirely grateful that she was here. Maybe that was all God's plan. It's fun to recognize the difference in conversation in just a year's time...I'm sure we've both grown a little. :)
We had to have Runza while she was here of course, so we brought them home for a family movie night...complete with Flaming Hot Cheetos! Julia quickly discovered what a treat Runzas are and the mere fact that the restaraunt is local to our state makes them an even bigger treat!
The weekend wasn't entirely as planned..not that we really had plans, but my miscarriage happened while Julia was here, so instead of spending a Saturday out and about, she spent it taking care of my kids and lying next to me on the bed to keep me company and liven my spirits. I wouldn't have planned it that way, but I'm entirely grateful that she was here. Maybe that was all God's plan. It's fun to recognize the difference in conversation in just a year's time...I'm sure we've both grown a little. :)
The kids all enjoy Julia's company.
Just like having another sister!!!
I even think the boys enjoy having an extra "sister" in the house...although if we refered to her as a sister, then they probably would have to fight with her!
We miss you Julia! Come back soon and stay longer. Millie keeps asking: "Where's Jew-we-ya???"
