We had such a good time at home for our *very short* visit. Everyone at work kept asking me if it was worth it to drive over 20 hours in 3 days just to see family...and my answer is always yes. There's something about spending time with the people who've known you the longest, and love the dearest, that rejuvenates you. Nothing compares to seeing how excited my Mom gets when we pull up after that long drive.

I *love* spending time with Sarah and Doug. I am often reminded of how awful I was to have as a big sister growing up, but somehow all is forgiven now. My sister is so drop dead gorgeous that she makes you stop in your tracks. My brother is SO good looking it's scary. Both have grown into wonderful adults, despite my efforts to torture them as kids.

On a sad note, our new friends Jason and Angela called yesterday to ask if we could keep their German Shepard for the next couple of weeks because Angela's dad died unexpectedly. The similarities of her situation and mine are eerie. They *just* moved here a few weeks ago, and she just started her new job when she found out. It's a mirror image of me almost 4 years ago. It brought back so many memories, and I wish this kind of pain on no one. All I could tell her was that I was here for her if she needed anything, because I KNOW that no one wants to hear anything else during those moments. I just pray that they get to Texas safely, and that she has the same type of support system we had when we lost Dad. Your friends and family make the biggest difference when it comes to getting through the worst tragedies of your life.