Raleigh Homecoming!

I have to admit, I was really excited when I heard that my dad and stepmother were going to be at the airport.  And, a small part of me really really really wanted our Bible Study friends to be there, too.  Let me just say, I was NOT disappointed.  Not only were our closest Raleigh friends there to greet us at the airport, but they had signs and balloons. :)

Mel instantly loved on her Grammy!

When we left, some of the kids above had not even been born yet.

When we started getting ready to break the news to Ben that we were leaving PNG (and his 

friends Lukas, Ryland and Hannah Campbell), we kept telling him that he had friends in America...one of which named John.  Ben was excited to see John again and kept saying that he "remembered" him.  We did live with John and his parents for over a month right before we left, so I guess there is a chance he really did!

Well, just like seeing my friends and the balloons and the signs did not disappoint me, seeing John again did not disappoint Ben.  They hit is off immediately.  They are about a week apart in age. :)  Ben even wanted to ride home with John and not us when we first arrived.  Even now (we aren't in Raleigh anymore), Ben will (almost daily) look at me and tell me that he misses his friend John.

After we gathered our bags, we headed back to Greg and Jennifer's house for some well-loved and desperately-missed Chick Filet!  We rode with my dad and stepmother.  But, of course, we got lost. We had never been to Greg and Jennifer's house...but thought we could make it there on our own....we were wrong. :)

We went to another friend's house and they were still there...thankfully.  We followed them over, but were pretty late.!

It was so great to see my family.  It had been 2 1/2 plus years!!

Ben loved being around his Grandpa.  I think he likes the New York accent.  I know I do!

Seeing all our Bible Study friends again was great.  I got into many conversations that weren't long enough.  My eyes just would not stay open.  And, if you asked me what we talked about during that party, I wouldn't be able to tell you.  All I remember is that it just felt right.  It just felt like that was where we were supposed to be.  And, it felt so great knowing that we have friends here and that Ben has friends here.  And, that Mel has friends here.

When we left for PNG, all 4 boys were within two years of each other.  Now, all 4 girls are within 2 years of each other, also!  It is so cool how God worked that out this way.

The party was too short.  We got too tired too soon.  When we got back to David and Amy's house, we got a second wind and stayed up talking with them until midnight.  I have heard that Amy likes to go to bed around 9, so this little act of staying up so late to chat meant so much to me. :)  She and David are such a blessing to us.  It was so good to "practice" talking about our experience in PNG with a safe couple. I am pretty sure some of what we said didn't make much sense, but they were gracious.  And, there were lots of laughs....I am so happy we got to stay with them.

David and Amy left the next day. We got their house all to ourselves and it was just what we needed.  There was so much that we had to get done that week- driver's licenses, filing insurance claims, repacking, etc.  Though it was kind of a stressful week, having a house to ourselves made it so much easier.

So, we got to Raleigh on a Friday night.  On Saturday, Caleb's parents came to visit us.....along with a surprise visit from Caleb's high school friend Paul and his wife Mena.  Ben loved seeing his Buna and Grammy.  They brought a computer for us to borrow and we had a great time chatting.  The visit was too short because they left that afternoon/evening.  

On Sunday, we went to church and reconnected with so many people there.  It was so nice to be back and our church really made us feel loved by announcing our return.  We got to meet the new pastor and look forward to sitting down with him at some point to share stories.  He and his wife lived overseas for 10 years (if I remember correctly). After church, we spent the afternoon with Joe and Amy.  I really missed them!

On Monday, it was all business.  Greg and Jennifer took the day off so that they could help us.  Amy watched Ben while we got our Driver's Licenses.  I was shaking during the eye exam and sign test. :)  But, I passed with flying colors! Greg and Jennifer hung out with us that night and again, it was so great to talk two on two.

The rest of the week was filled with reconnecting with friends. 

Here is a picture of me at Sunflower's.  I got to see my previous Revenue co-workers and was treated to a yummy lunch....felt just like old times with Beth and Stephanie. :) 

Later that night, Chris and Kristin cooked ribs for us!  I cannot remember the last time I ate ribs. Chris had just started culinary arts school when we left.  The dinner was superb and it was fun hearing all the things he knows how to cook.  Very impressive.

Then, we saw Katie and John....some of our best friends from college.  We actually graduated college around the same time and ended up in the same apartment complex for the first 2-3 years of our married lives.  We go way back and it felt so good to see them.  They have a son who is about a year and a half younger than Ben and a daughter who is a month and a half older than Mel. They had steaks for us.  We spent the entire evening with them and it felt like we had never been apart.

Claire and Melanie were fascinated with each other.  They sat for about 10 minutes just staring at each other and grabbing at each other.  It was so cute.

Thursday night, we had dinner with Matt and Jennifer.  Jennifer organized clothes for me.  All my friends went through their summer wardrobes and contributed to mine.  I haven't had to buy any clothes since returning!  Matt and Jennifer are friends that we really like to hang out with.  Caleb and Matt really get along because both play soccer! It's fun that we know them from church and from soccer before they started going to our church.

We were also able to see Brandon and Kelli.....other great friends from our Campbell University days.  Sadly, I didn't get a picture.  But, we are living with them in August, so I will have lots then!

On Saturday, David and Amy came back and we stayed in their house one more night.  Their daughter Jocelyn was born on the same day as Mel. Mel had a twin in PNG and she has a twin here.  I love it.  What are the odds??

We ended the Raleigh time with a wine tasting with our old Bible Study friends.  It was so much fun.  Amy and I dressed the girls the same.  They are wearing their skinny jeans.  How cute is Jocelyn?  I want her hair... for Mel....hehe....but, Mel's hair is growing more and more every day.  It'll get there....haha

Raleigh was a whirlwind....a good whirlwind....a fantastic whirlwind.  We loved everything about reconnecting with people, but the reality of our situation set in a little bit.  Caleb spent a lot of time applying for jobs all over the US. But, reality all went away again when we started our next trip headed towards Philly!