Honey, we're home?

This weekend we went back to our old stomping grounds to see our parents. Since 3 out of 4 of them have been hospitalized recently it seemed expedient to go see them. It's always good to go back and see family. The downside is that as much as we enjoy it, the boys get kind of bored...okay Alex gets bored and since there isn't alot for him to do we spend quite a bit of our time getting him out of trouble or potential trouble. So we usually only stay a couple of days. This is where the problem really lies. When you have such a short time to visit, you have to cram a lot of visiting in. My head is spinning with  all the news, information and gossip that I heard. I don't remember who died and who had a baby because it's all mixed up in my brain waiting to be sorted out.
I enjoy going back to visit. I used to say we were going home. But now I don't know what to say...I mean, I really believe that Keya Paha county in Nebraska is truly one of the prettiest places I've ever been. And it's where I was raised. It's where my family comes from. The roots are deep. But this tree has been transplanted and it is no longer home for me. Even my husband agrees. He was walking around his parent's place yesterday, and he said it really hit him, that although he has many, many memories of that place, it's just no longer home.
My roots are digging into Ogallala. They've had time to find the water and I feel as though I'm finally starting to grow. We've been here long enough to see children start kindergarten and grow to enter college. We've quit dreaming of going back to where we grew up and love where we are. In the 29 years since I left my parents home, I finally feel like I'm home. This is where we raised our children, where we've gone through many trials, where we found our church home. This is my town. My home. It's been a long trip but finally I can say...."Honey, I am home!"