Those Things I Miss and Will NEVER Take for Granted Again

I am far from regrettful or bitter about this situation we are in, but I do miss so many things about being at home ... sometimes I have to just reflect on those things to help keep me sane. I know life will resume to life as we knew it (almost) before Kadin made his grand entrance, but for now, I want to reflect on those things that I miss ... and ssooo look forward to again. Keep in mind, these are in no particular order either!

1. My ALARM CLOCK - I never thought I would miss that blasted thing. I have had the SAME alarm clock since I was in 6th grade. My mom gave it to me to help me get up and get ready for school on my own, to be more responsible, and I hit SNOOZE on it the same today as I did then and all the years in between! lol I have never had another alarm clock and I don't want another one. I am waking up to my cell phone alarm (Oh, and Robbi's "International Harvester" ring tone on her cell phone!) My alarm clock never can keep a radio station secured for some reason .... I often wake up to lots of static and maybe a faint song in there somewhere. I miss the bright neon green lights being right at my head and me squinting to see what time it is when I wake suddenly in the night. I sleep so soundly now from exhaustion that I am afraid I WON'T wake up.

2. My GARDEN TUB - Oh my gosh, I can't say enough about missing my huge bath. I LOVE to take a hot steaming bath, play my favorite music while I soak, singing my heart out is very relaxing to me, and I haven't been able to do that in a very long time. The baths we have now are very small ... showers are all I really have time for anyway.

3. My YARD - Before I found out I was pregnant, we were in the process of trying to get our yard in tip top shape. We had brought a backhoe in and levelled some of the ground, added a swimming pool, dug up some trees that were dead anyway, planted new grass, watered and nutured the growth of that over the summer (I really loved watering in my jammies every morning!!! - benefits of a small town!), and making plans for our add on deck. I love to go out and sit on the porch, listen to the birds sing, watch the kids play in the pool or in the yard ... wave at the neighbors when they come outside or anyone we know driving down the street ... mowing the grass even.

4. My LAUNDRY ROOM - Believe it or not, this is one of my most favorite places in the house. I am a laundry freak and have been as long as I can remember. I will do laundry all day long if I can. I love the smell, I love the freshness of it, the accomplishment of making it like new, the warmth of the dryer, the smell of the closet once they are all hung up. I'm a freak, I know ... and I will even stand there and watch the laundry wash. We have to do laundry in an onsite laundry room and it all smells the same. I need FRESHNESS! lol Not generic smells ... I want the smell of "home" and don't accomplish it even by using the same detergents and softeners, etc....

5. My KITCHEN - When I stopped working at the Sheriffs office, I was able to get back into cooking regularly in the kitchen again. I developed a new love for cooking. It is nice to have someone who will help you in the kitchen and cook with you, try new things, etc ... and in this room we are in, we have 2 electric burners and no oven! lol There is not any room for experimentation not to mention help, so we just do what we have to ... My husband cleans up while I make the messes and that's how we roll. It's great and I can't wait to get back home and have my fully functional kitchen again, complete with dishwasher !!!

6. My BED - I never realized just how comfortable my pillow-top mattress was until I had been on a Sleep Comfort bed and motel bed for the last 2 months! WOW! It was HEAVEN!!!! My body laid down and head hit the pillow and I was OUT. I will never ever take that bed for granted again. Not everyone can have such a comfortable bed ... I can't wait to get in it again. It was not so comfortable while I was pregnant because it is kinda high, but I will be having no problem getting in it now as long as I never have to leave it again!

7. My OFFICE/DESK - I am a fairly organized creature when it comes to bills and keeping records and in motels you just can't do that as well as you might want to. I'm trying, but I promise you, my desk and I will have a fabulous reunion when I can utilize it again.

8. My RAINBOW - ha ha ha ha, using the vacuum cleaners here is not anything like my Rainbow. Enough said!

9. My MORNINGS WITH THE KIDS - I really miss getting up with the kids and taking them to school every morning. I know I do the same thing here now, but it's different. We are up at 6AM every morning here and out the door by 6:50 to get them to school on time. Robbi starts at 7:20 and Kota at 7:55 ... we have about a 15 minute drive on which they usually both crash out til we get there. I miss only having to drive them 1.5 bocks to one school and about 5 to another. Heck, I miss driving that short of a distance to ANYWHERE !!! I will never take for granted again the convenience of a small town.

10. My SWEET TEA AT DQ - How funny, huh? We ate at DQ so often that we have not even stopped at one here the entire time we have been displaced! My favorite thing to do was have sweet tea every morning. My husband used to bring me a sweet tea in the mornings to get me going and I really miss it. Those sweet moments have been overshadowed with worry and concern for our child and our children and I can't wait to get back to simple country livin again .....

I'm sure there are MANY MANY MANY more things that I miss, but these are some of the simple things that my heart desires. I am not a complicated girl, my needs are few, my loves are many, and my happiness is abundant. So I am pulling for the day that my life can be simple and pleasant again .....

It'll get there.