JOY

You know that feeling? That feeling of missing someone?
And than that feeling after missing them for weeks, or months, or years, and finding out YOU GET TO SEE THEM!!

This weekend I am trekking back to the motherland. The land of Eagles, and Wawa, and Herr's potato chips, and where everyone talks about roadtrips to the Shady Maple Smorgesboard, and 'da shore.' And now the Phillies are in spring training, so I know I am heading home again when I start seeing more red Phillies phlags flags on cars on 95N. I will really start to feel at home again as I drive through farm country on Route 1, pass the 'Pennsylvania welcomes you' sign, hop on 202 as memories of skipping school for Exton and West Chester start flooding my mind again.

And then when I get into those familiar backroads of Pville, and pass friends homes, my old high school, where the Val Rio used to be, 56 pizza places and nail salons, the NEW bridge street, and inevitably slam on my brakes when I see a new stop light last minute, the excitement and joy will start pumping through my body.

When I turn into Applewood, pass the waterfall, get to my cul-de-sack with the creek and the pond, and drive up my long, steep, winding drivway and come home to the invinsible (and miraculously still alive) 16 year old dog, my brother, my sister, and my parents, I will forget completely that I have a whole new life in another place, and just be a sister and daughter.

Friday I will go with roomie for a dress fitting and to find a veil for her upcoming wedding!  (S- if you are reading this, shout out to you and your fiance, and I am so excited for you both and praying for your upcoming marriage so much!)  Then I load up my jeep and head up north, because...  this weekend grams turns 80!  I will not only see my dozens of cousins and plethora of aunts and uncles, but celebrate a huge milestone in Grams' life.

Then out with my friends and my sister.  Because my sister is old enough to go out!  But not without first snuggling and catching up with my teenage brother a bit (ps... if any of his friends saw this, mancard may be revoked!)

Saturday I see Jay.  I have blogged about Jay before, and still feel so blessed that he was and is in my life, and my life is forever changed because of this man, and he will never understand the impact he has had on me.  Currently Jay is still recovering from a car accident that left him in a bed since April 2007, and I very rarely get to see him.  Which means it's time to print out pictures and figure out which great stories I want to share with him!

Then THE FAMILY is coming in.  Not my plethora of cousins and aunts and uncles, but I'm talking the EXTENDED family.  Not sure how we will all fit into one place, but very excited to see specifically the Brooklyn group - the twins that I nannied for years ago are now 16 years old and grown up!  Unbelieveable!  I hope their step-bro comes too.  I love those kids like WHOA. 

I plan to take a lot of pictures and decorate the blog with an abundance of them when I return next week.  It's just so exciting to see family and friends that I love so much and rarely see, and I can not fully describe how full of joy I am, and how this weekend can NOT come quickly enough! 

I plan to spend Saturday night with the friends that have shaped my life, and again - more with my siblings as well.  Sunday I am hoping to visit one of my Younglife kids who has been up in the PA/MD area for a while.  I miss him terribly, and would LOVE to see him for a few hours if I can swing it. 

It's times like this, those moments of wonderful anticipation, of love, of joy, and pure passion to live every moment and not miss a beat.  I cherish the people I will be spending time with this weekend, and will cherish every moment of seeing them. 

Life is so good... 

And I do believe, it's getting better <3