Holiday after a holiday...

Well the Memorial Day weekend is over! Whew. I always feel like I need a vacation from my vacation. It seems like we run ourselves ragged trying to entertain or even just relax and end up feeling more worn out when the weekend comes to an end. My family came to visit from Illinois this weekened. Since we are major procrastinators, my husband and I stayed up unpacking, cleaning, and getting the house ready for thier arrival at 3:00 a.m. Saturday morning. We even went to Wal-Mart at midnight! I can't tell you the last time I was at the grocery store at that hour. Probably in college. But they made it in safely and we even managed to give them a short tour at that hour! The rest of the weekend was fairly relaxing. We shopped til we dropped, we ate out, we rented movies and did a bit of sight-seeing. Overall it was a good time.

I find myself wondering today how I can be so tired from all of this relaxing! I think most of it is emotional strain. Stress from trying to be the hostess and make them like our new home, and above all, missing them like crazy and not wanting them to leave. It's a 7-8 hour drive to see my family. Most of the time I do just great, until we visit or they do and then it takes me a few days to get back into the swing of things of it just being BJ and I. Don't get me wrong, I love the family BJ and I have going here in Tennessee, but I do miss my extended family a lot. Buying a house has made me realize that this is a bit more permanent than when we were just renting.

I think it's all going to be great. Once we get the house in livable condition (i.e., moving more boxes so we can walk through the whole house!) I know it will start to feel like home. BJ gets cranky with me when I call Illinois home. He moved all over as a kid and nothing has ever felt like home to him I don't think. Illinois was my home until last year. I never even moved out of the 30-mile radius of where I grew up until we moved here, 7 hours from "home". Growing up is hard...some days I still want my mommy. Today is one of those days and she's on her way "home". Suck it up, be a grown-up! Get back to work and go home at the end of the day and get back to life. My wonderful husband will meet me at the door and everything will be ok. Afterall, home is where you hang your hat - and mine are here in Tennessee......somewhere in a box, I'm sure.