Saturday, October 22, 2011

A Mississippi Saturday Night

It's been six years.  Six years since the last time Josh and I went to a football game at our dear old alma mater.  Six years ago he was playing football for the Generals, leading the team, and a star on the field.  I was on the sidelines as a cheerleader, mainly just there to be closer to him.  Six years later we came back to that same field that we had stood on years before.  Things had changed and things had stayed exactly the same all at the same time.  We saw our old high school friends there.  We picked up some of the same conversations that I could swear we had six years ago.

Things were different too.  What really aged us was the way we identified people.  It wasn't anymore of who is this or who is that and how do I know them.  No, now we have come to a point in our lives where we were asking who is his mama and daddy, what do his parents do.  It was the sad realization that we are now old.  We are adults.  We work for a living, and we are done with that zero responsibility lifestyle.

It was the Homecoming game.  Sadly, the home team lost.  We laughed about what would have happened on that field six years ago.  We would get lost in moments envisioning what our Homecoming game was like six years ago.  And then we would snap back to reality.  We are happy, settled, thriving.  We wouldn't go back.  Ok, ok maybe we would trade in a day or two of work to go back to that carefree high school lifestyle, but we wouldn't let that change our present.

We spent the whole weekend last weekend in Mississippi.  Drove in late after I got off work Thursday night.  Talked the whole ride there over tacos about life and our thoughts and concerns.  Enjoyed Homecoming Friday.  Had the opportunity to visit with family and friends that we hadn't seen in ages.  Some things seem as if they haven't changed a bit.  Some people don't change.  Saturday night was my birthday dinner at our favorite hometown restaurant.  It is nice to go back where everyone knows your name.

After dinner was what we had been waiting for.  A late night four wheeler ride with friends.  It. Has. Been. Ages.  This fact was obvious when I forgot to pack appropriate clothing.  Let's just say midnight four wheeler ride in October + no socks = can hardly get my feet warm enough for hours after!  Despite freezing cold feet, it was bliss.  Three four wheelers, six friends, red dirt roads, and a star lit path...it took me back to a place that I miss.  At one point we all parked on a bridge and just sat and talked and enjoyed each other.  It was peaceful.  It was perfect.

The weekend ended much faster than seemed possible.  Typical.

We took it easy on the way home Sunday.  Drove slow, stopped where we wanted, had lunch with our favorite Brandon resident, and worked our way back down south.  The weekend in Mississippi...at home...was everything I hoped, everything I expected.  It was perfect.  My birthday weekend, and it was all the gift I needed.  Spending time with my husband at home, in our roots, back in the place that brought Josh and me together was surreal.  It reminded me how truly lucky I am to have him in my life.  And while we miss our roots and our friends so much, we were reminded how blessed we are in our life here in Louisiana.

You may not always end up where you thought you would be, but you will always end up where you were suppose to be...right where God intended you to be all along!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

The Fifth of October

Man.  A tough word to say when you are describing your "little" brother.  As much as I try to deny it, a man he truly is.

Twenty-two years.  For twenty-two years we have been bonded.  Siblings by birth, friends by choice.  And today the big day has come around again.  Happy birthday to my Jefie.  Happy birthday to my brother, to my friend.  Happy birthday to the one who has always been wise beyond his years.  Happy birthday to the one who has always been there for me, guided me, and laughed with me.

Happy birthday to one of the greatest men I know.





Twenty-two years seem like they have come and gone in the blink of the eye, but I wouldn't trade them for anything!  I can't wait to see what you make out of your next twenty-two years!