Going Home Again...

We're back...we're tired...
but wow, did we have a lot of fun!

We were gone only one night and two days, but we packed in so much in this short amount of time, I feel as though it's been a week!

And that is why I feel I must divide this all into two parts.
And even at that, be prepared to sit back and relax...depending on the time of day, pour yourself a big ole cup of java...
The first part is my path down memory lane...where I visited my old suburban town, my old grade school- and most importantly, my old grade school friend, Mavis...
(For how Mavis found me, you can read the story here.)

But first, let me start at the beginning...

Saturday, before we could even get underway, we had to take our youngest to the pediatrician, since just when I thought she was about over her 2-week cough, it seemed worse. I knew I couldn't relax unless I made sure it wasn't anything serious. Thankfully, she was able to get looked at right away- and with no bronchitis, pneumonia or any nasty ear infections, we got the green light to be on our way!

We had DVDs and audio tapes all packed...but at the last minute, couldn't find the cord for our portable DVD player...
plus we had taken my husband's car, which meant... no tape player!
Yikes! What were our girls going to do in the car for over three hours?!
Well, would you believe it...they actually looked out the window at the interesting sights and scenery passing before them, chatting excitedly...and didn't complain of boredom once!
Just think...if they had had a movie to watch all that time, they would have missed the changing landscapes that they had never seen before... a blessing in disguise.

The three hours went by quickly, and before we knew it, we were in my old town, Kent, where our hotel awaited. I hadn't slept well the night before (between my little one's coughing and my own excitement) so hubby and I crashed for a little while, as two little impatient girls kept asking us how many more minutes we were going to just lie there. They should have been tired but strangely enough- just were not. They only seemed anxious to plop into the indoor swimming pool they heard all about. Hubby managed to doze but I just couldn't fall asleep with two excited girlies milling about and bouncing off the hotel walls. Finally their daddy got up and took them down to the pool and I freshened up...because by now, it was almost time to meet Mavis!

An hour later, I found myself walking into the coffee shop, my heart beating fast...and there she was, standing up to greet me.
My Mavis- after 35 years. She looked beautiful!

We embraced, and then we began the incredible process of catching up with each other-almost through every decade of our lives...looking at old pictures (she obediently brought hers at my request, but I forgot mine!) and comparing memories of our childhood get-togethers, sleepovers, and all the various classmates that colored our mutual third grade experience.

The only thing marring this wonderful reunion for me was one of those bad head aches which had sneaked up on me, due to travel and lack of sleep...and wouldn't you know, I hadn't packed my trusty ibuprofen.
As thrilled as I was to see her, I was afraid I might not be appearing as perky as I felt down deep inside, but I mentioned it to her, and she was very understanding. We agreed that after coffee we'd be on a quest to hunt down some ad*ils somehow.

In spite of that annoying headache, though, I just loved catching up with her life...and seeing who she turned out to be.
I think if I were just meeting her today, having never known her as a child, she would still be some one I would really want to be friends with. She has turned out to be a beautiful woman, inside and out...a successful business woman and entrepreneur... sweet, and full of life...and best of all, she has told me that she is a Christian.
To know this childhood friend of mine also loves the Lord is a wonderful thing.

After chatting over coffee, we finally headed back to my hotel to pick up my now very sleepy family...wake them up...and drive over to a nice Italian restaurant that Mavis had picked out.
And my goodness, from the first moment my girls met her, she was instantly a hit with them! They don't always take to strangers right off, but it was if they knew Mavis all their lives, and treated her just like an auntie. (In fact, they said they would love for her to marry one of their single uncles and have it be so...heehee)

Here we are, all helping with the hidden word puzzle on the kids' menu...such concentration!



Although I don't have pictures of us as children posed together, here's how we looked as friends back in the third grade...







And here we are, finally reunited this past weekend, after 35 years...






Isn't she just so pretty?
(And look- she got taller than me! No fair!)












I hated saying our good-byes in the parking lot and going our separate ways...but we promised to keep in touch and not lose each other again...and with only three hours between us, we hope to get together sometime in the near future.

I just thank the Lord He allowed me to connect with not only a happy time in my not always happy childhood...but with the dear person she turned out to be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After this emotionally rewarding time...our family drove from the restaurant that evening directly to my old street to find the house that I had lived in...
but so many new houses had now been suddenly added- even new culdesacs....
and after much deliberation I sadly came to the conclusion that my house was torn down and a new one built in it's place. Some of the old houses around it were still standing, so I was so confused trying to find it...but I'm quite sure none of the remaining homes were mine.
I had visited the old neighborhood 14 years ago- at that time it was still there. I
Yes, it was a little sad...even for my girls, who had hoped to see it...but such is "progress".

I lived just a block from my old grade school, so we stopped there so that my girls could play on the same grounds where I did as a child.

Here is my oldest daughter and I playing hop scotch in the exact spot I played countless times before...

I had so many fond memories of this cemented square area...and they now have added this great painted map of the states!
My husband had them hook on like a train to show how he and I had driven across the country as newlyweds...



Then we went out to the grassy part of the playground...they had changed everything around, but two original bar areas remained that I had actually played on as a child.
I had to try it out for old times' sake...

(Can you tell that by now, I got my ibuprofen and it was kickin' in?)
Then my oldest daughter had to try...

(Okay, which one's the mom, which one's the kid?)


And then, feeling brave, she tried it on the other bar...


We really had such a great time!
True, it was a little disheartening to see how run down the school yards currently were, though...weeds popped up through the cement and everywhere we looked. Hopefully, they'll do something with it before school starts in three weeks...but then again, the houses that all seemed new when I was a kid are all completely run down, as well. I guess that is one of the negatives about "going home again".
But the negatives for me were far outweighed by the joy I felt on this trip back to my childhood town.
The privilege of seeing both my old school and my old school chum in the same day was incredible.
And playing with my own children on the grounds that I have always tucked sweetly inside my memory was almost surreal.


We all went back to the hotel, exhausted, but happy...and we would certainly need our rest, because the next day- in Seattle- would prove to be just as busy for us!

(Stay tuned for Part 2!)