Home Sweet Home

I put off posting the last few posts [from the last few days of the trip] for a couple reasons:  a) I was too exhausted every night to add pictures to the posts and b) we had decided to come home early and wanted to surprise folks.

Dinner with the family in Indiana.

So, we spent Friday night and Saturday in Indiana and we were originally going to also spend Saturday night and then just drive home (about 10 hours) on Sunday.  Then it occurred to me that Sunday meant church and church meant basically all of our family would be in the same building.  So Neal and I agreed we'd drive through the night on Saturday, get to Gloucester, changes clothes, and go to church.  I wanted to surprise my parents but figured since we were staying with my grandparents, seeing all of my relatives right before we left, and staying at their house, that'd it be pretty much impossibly to surprise them.  Thus, my parents and family in Indiana were the only ones who knew we'd be home early.

We got to my parent's house at 7:00am on Sunday morning, hung out a bit with my parents, took showers and started our trek to church.  My parents always pick up my Aunt Nancy so she got in the car and was pretty surprised to see Neal and I.  Then we went to church where we surprised Neal's Uncle Billy and my sister (who is very easily excited...so interrupting her teaching Sunday school, with the pastor's permission, was pretty dang hilarious and totally worth it).  Then, we waited.  We knew Neal's parents would be at church because my Dad had asked my mother-in-law to sing with him that morning.  We waited and waited and debated hiding.  Then finally they arrived.  Neal's Mom walked in and like 10 people were standing around the door, she joked about their bieng a new welcoming committee, then she saw Neal she let out a shriek and it was so great! I loved it.  His Nanny and Dad were equally excited and, well, it was just great to be with everyone again.  We saw lots of friends also at church and gave and received so.many.hugs.

Lunch at Juan's on Sunday after church.

After a couple days of being home, we're still exhausted, but it just feels right to be home.

We had so much fun on our trip, but we both agreed we will never drive cross-country again.  It's so exhausting.  We did agree there a few places we want to go back and visit, and we will....one day.

Please pray for us as we search for a home to rent. We want to be out of my parents' hair as soon as possible for their sake, and, well, we just don't want to live with my Mom and Dad forever.

Thanks for following along our journey and praying for us along the way.  It meant so much to have so many people invested in us and this huge move.  Also, a huge thank you to those of you who gave us information about cities we were visiting (where to stay, what to eat, what to avoid, etc.). 

Began Sunday driving through West Virginia, ended the day reading books to
Kinslee in Gloucester.  Couldn't have asked for anything better :)