Christmas in Arkansas!

So David and I are so happy that we had the opportunity to come to Arkansas for Christmas. It was so refreshing to be around people who know us...who are hilarious and make me tear up laughing. To be around my dad and hear his wisdom, to get one of my mom's famous hugs, to see Summit's new faces and how he's nearly walking, to appreciate my sister who goes to great lengths to make sure everyone's happy, to see Drew mature & grow into a godly man, to talk to Shelby and slowly realize nothing has changed about our friendship since we were in 6th grade. To love on David's family. All things that made me feel so complete. Yeah it sounds cheesy "you complete me". But its true! These are things that fill up my emotional tank to the brim, even spilling over. I realize this is something that will always be true about my hometown, my family, my old friends. Something that simply cannot be reproduced. Though its a somewhat sad realization it doesn't mean my current experiences with friends here arent as enjoyable, they just aren't familiar. But I also realize it took years to form friendships with all you girls, with even my family. And even though I had like 3 melt downs while I was there just thinking I would have to leave friends and family, I look forward to the long road ahead of me. Am I being dramatic? Probably...but its taken me a year of living here in Florida to realize this. That hometown is familiar, warm, safe...but that is not where God wants me to be right now. I am so grateful for that. To even have place to go back to. So many people run away from home never wanting to look back. I thank God that there is a hometown with my pictures on the walls, where family prays for me from afar. I will say it was an amazing feeling to come back to 70 degree weather, sunshine, a shining ocean. To see my cats, sleep in my bed. I'm slowly getting used to the idea that Sarasota is my home. David is my home. We are each other's family. I do look forward to the day when it doesn't hurt so badly thinking about friends and family back home. But I can say with confidence I haven't grown this much spiritually this past year in a long long time. God has drug me through some difficult things, emotionally wrecking things. But He also has built me up. And I'm truely thankful & joyful for His friendship.

Patches Christmas Photo Shoot

Ooh Christmas tree ooh Christmas tree...

So in celebration of living in a sub tropic environment David and I got a "Christmas palm" (its actual name) for our Christmas tree this year! Althought it made me miss the traditional Douglas Fir its also more "green" in that we can keep it after Christmas! And won't leave needles on the floor. So I was pretty excited about it. Problem is now that we have filled the pot with like 80 pounds of soil and the pot itself weighs atleast 60 pounds...not sure if we'll ever be able to move it from its current position...Oh well, gotta make sacrifices for Christmas cheer!