Taltos getting ready to take a nap on a diningroom chair.

The new, 10-seater diningroom table!

A shelf in the diningroom.

Heading upstairs, where the boys are... and I can't hear them downstairs!

A wall in the kitchen.

Chester in the front hallway.

"Across the way".... leading right up to my mom's back door!

I've been in my home town of Keokuk for almost 3 weeks now. Since I've been here there has been an "epic" blizzard, dumping record amounts of the white stuff here. My boys have had a very, ummmm, erratic start to school. Between snowdays, strep throat, and a banged up knee, they have yet, between the two of them, managed a full week of school. They seem to be adjusting well and liking the variety of activities that they can be involved in. They are both in the TAG program again. Band trips, shop class, and an academiathon are the highlights so far! They seem to be doing well.

If you don't already know, we now live right next door to my mom. Or, as the boys call it, we live "across the way". We are already wearing a path in the ground between the two houses. It's great! Card playing, Scrabble playing, and family meals are rampant in this neighborhood! I'm hoping that this situation lasts for a very long time. : )

My greatest purchase in the past several years is the diningroom table that my mom found for me the other day. It's is awesomely huge!!!!! It opens, with leaves, to fit all 10 chairs that came with it! It's used, but has a padded cover that fits it, and is darn near perfect condition. The price was basially a steal! The best part is, that with all 5 kids, 3 significant others, Mom and me... there are 10 of us! We fill that table to the max without anyone else even being here! It's a darn good thing that this is a darn big house!

My favorite part of this house, other than the facts that it is right next door to my mom and that it handles that huge diningroom table with no problem, is that right now the boys are upstairs, in the game room above the kitchen, having a wonderful time...... and I can't hear them from the livingroom!!!!! In fact, if they are in that game room when I go to bed, I still don't hear them! There is so much room in this house and it's awesome! Plenty of room for folks to come and visit, too!!!! (hint, hint, hint!)

Suffice it to say that I'm beyond happy to be home in Keokuk. It's a feeling. I can drive around town and think of specific places where things in my life have happened. There are places where I had some of the best times of my life in this town. There are memories and laughter and joy. There are family and friends. I'm not unpacked completely. Not organized. Have no job yet. I'm still figuring out where things go here and how things work. But, I'm home. I'm not quite sure why I left in the first place. But, I'm home now. And, I'm happy.