A Week of Thanksgiving - Returning Home

I am linking up with Lil Kid Things in posting a week of Thanksgiving posts. For today, I want to write about returning home. Most of yall who read my blog with any regularity know that almost 3 months ago, Russ, Damaris, and I moved in with my parents. I have never considered myself as having a hometown because with my dad being a pastor, we moved quite a bit. We moved to Carlsbad, New Mexico, in March of my sophomore year of high school. I got the heck out of dodge as quickly as possible when in 1995, I moved to Texas for college. Since then, I had never been back to Carlsbad to live, only for short visits.

Towards the beginning of my 2nd year of residency as a hospital chaplain, Russ applied to several Ph.D. programs. Unfortunately, with such a competitive pool of applicants and not many spots open, he didn't get into one for 2011-12. When we heard from the last one in mid to late spring, we began looking for our next option. We felt like we were not supposed to stay in Houston especially because of how the weather was affecting my health. We put out lots of job applications and tons of feelers, but nothing came to fruition. We came to the point where we had to be out of our apartment and our chaplaincy residencies were coming to an end. My parents offered for us to stay with them while we figured out things

So, September 2nd, we moved to Carlsbad, New Mexico, and now we've been living with my parents for almost 3 months. We're still trying to figure things out, we're putting out feelers and hope to get a bite soon, but in the mean time, my parents have been so gracious to let us continue to stay with them. We never thought we'd be living with my parents for our 14th wedding anniversary, but this is where God has us for now.

When we knew we would be making this move, I wanted to fight it with all that was within me. I did not want to return to Carlsbad. I had gotten out of this town as quickly as I could. I didn't want to go to a town that had no Starbucks, no Target, not much of anything. I didn't want to have to move back in with my parents; I'm an adult, I'm married, I have a child.

But it happened and I wasn't able to stay upset about it. I couldn't stay upset about it. I had to live fully where I am and be grateful. And you know what? I am! I am grateful that Russ, Damaris, and I are getting to spend time with my momma Beckey (Damaris' B-Ma), my dad Gary (Damaris G-Pa), my sister Carrie, my brother-in-law J.R., and my niece Lola and that we'll be here for the holidays for the first time in 3 years and that we'll be here when my nephew Wyatt is born. And yall, that's a great reason to return home.


My dad Gary (Damaris' G-Pa), Damaris, and my momma Beckey (Damaris' B-Ma)


My sister Carrie and niece Lola


My brother-in-law J.R. and niece Lola


Russ and my niece Lola


Me and my niece Lola