home on the range.

I've spent the past two days in Midwest bliss. It's great being home with my family, and back on the prairie again. I didn't realize how much I love the simple, strong beauty of the prairie. The myriad shades of green in the eagerly growing fields contrast with a vast, unreachable expanse of the deepest blue sky, sprinkled intermittently with every sort of cloud. Last night my younger brothers and I drove out to the edge of town to watch a huge storm system move in. There was a line of thunderheads to the north, and a black wall of cloud to the west, almost pink with the flashing lightning. Having lived so long in the little valley by the Sieg, it's amazing to see the immensity of the sky here. The sunsets are rich and vibrant, and they bring out the color and charm of all the neighborhood flowers. It's probably often overlooked, but truly, it's lovely.

Two little visitors spent a few hours at our house both yesterday and today: Bryce and Brennan, my adorable nephews! Bryce is two, can count to at least 30, spell every name in the family [we're working on A-N-N-I-E right now], do all sorts of tricks and with his contagious smile can convince us to do just about anything with him. He'll ask if we want to do something, and answer right away on our behalf, "Okay!" Who can deny it? Brennan is the sweetest, cuddliest, happiest little fellow. I hear that he's grown an awful lot even as a 2-month-old, but I still marvel at his tiny little toes and fingers! He doesn't cry unless he's hungry, and if you ask him if he's "got a smile in there," he breaks out in a great big grin. Tyler even had him laughing tonight for a while. [photo credit: Tyler Johnson]

It's been nice having nothing on the agenda for these first few days, and being able to just hang out with my family. I so appreciate each one of them, and we've had some great talks, great laughs, and great times already. Plus, jet lag has completely eluded me, so I've been able to sleep all night and stay awake all day! I'm thankful.

I'm excited to lead worship at church on Sunday, and to head back to work at the restaurant on Monday. But first comes Saturday! Have a blessed weekend.