I’ve spent the last few weeks living out of a suitcase.
Here, there and everywhere.
I’ve been to New York, Florida, the beautiful distant shores of Alabama and a few other places in between.
I’ve seen the ocean at sunrise and almost randomly got attacked by Cookie Monster in Times Square and feasted on local seafood and toured an historic home and shopped at salvage yards and Target and watched actors dance across the stage at a Broadway play.
It was fun.
And exhilarating.
And exciting.
But I’ve been so busy eating and touring and shopping that somewhere along the way….
…..I missed Decades Day.
You know…..Decades Day.
The one day in elementary school everyone looks forward to where you get to dress up like a person from a distant decade long, long ago before they had cell phones and internet and color television.
Like the eighties.
Last week I got a frantic Face Time call in the hotel room asking me if I had any legwarmers.
During the video phone call….the scene was chaotic.
I was patiently trying to explain how to make a legwarmer out of the sleeve of a sweater to one of the twins while her sister was holding up a red lipstick tube and stick with blue eye shadow as her brother jumped off the bed behind her trying to make a layup off the wall. Someone else was singing in the background….
….as a piece of bacon floated through the air.
There was laughing and yelling and jumping and eye-rolling and make-up applying and giggling. And during the video phone call, somehow we managed to make leg warmers and apply blue eye shadow and discuss taking the basketball outside and putting the bacon on a sandwich in the kitchen.
After solving the problems of the world, twenty minutes later, I was off the phone.
And there I sat alone in my incredible hotel room with its Egyptian cotton sheets and down comforters and beautiful, well-appointed surroundings….
….where peace and quiet and elegance reigned supreme.
And I cried.
This blogging journey has been amazing.
There are days when I pinch myself.
And I am so grateful and thankful and overwhelmed at all the opportunities I have been given.
Truly.
But the thing is….all of these little moments and this chaos and the ordinary bits of joy and Decades Day are flying by faster than the speed of light.
Speeding by in an instant. And one day I’ll blink and they will be gone.
And that I realized that I would trade all the experiences and trips and fancy dinners and expensive down comforters….
….to watch a piece of bacon sail through the air.
I didn’t pause.
I didn’t stop.
I packed my bags and headed home early.
I told myself this was the last trip for a long while. And I made it in time to see a baseball game and watch my son’s triple and hear all about Decades Day and the Fifties and the Nineties and the Eighties and to see the leg warmers for myself and to check out the blue eye shadow and to listen to the stories with giggles and laughter…..
….and make BLT’s for dinner. 🙂
PS I took all of these amazing pictures at a salvage yard called Charles Phillips.
And wait until you see the basket I left with. 🙂
Awe! You had me from the word.. Bacon! You are so blessed in so Many ways. But my favorite is that you truly know what is truly important in life and keeping priorities especially that pack of people you Love straight. Wish I could see you and hug that sweet neck! Welcome back Home or in my case the zoo!! But oh how I am Blessed.:)
I have missed you and your amazing story telling. Welcome back and enjoy your bacon flying week!!
Why do we call it home-sick, when really it's kid-sick (and hubby, too)? The adventure of travels and discovery is sweet, but the homecoming is even sweeter - or maybe savory delicious. Afterall, bacon makes everything better!!!
Such a sweet post! I want to know where you were shopping - that stuff is awesome!
Love this story about how important our nutty, crazy little families are! Thanks so much for sharing.
You are a wise woman! There will be other opportunities to travel but when will bacon fly again? Have a great week.
In the blink of your eye years can go by and you will be looking back fondly at those memories!! Our God and family should always be first in our lives and you show that to all of us. Enjoy your family. You already know what a blessing they are. AND.....my dear you are a blessing to all of us readers !!!!
It's true, there really is no place like home.
This is lovely, Karianne...it's really what it's all about, isn't it?
Well done Mom! Well done!
Well said -home is the most important
vWelcome home Mom
LOVE this post!
Don't you feel sorry for all the mothers and fathers out there who must do this on a regular basis if they are the traveling breadwinners?
I'm glad you know what is important!!!
Those days are gone too soon. Stuff will always be there, and even if you miss a piece of "stuff" that could have been the.best.find.ever! Well is is still stuff! I so miss things like bacon flying, I miss times with "chef flambé". He know has 3 of the most amazing little guys that I get to be Granny to, yet the days of having my kids at home are gone. Bitter sweet.
Even an amazing Mom like yourself NEEDS the Egyptian cotton and quiet once in awhile. So you miss one piece of flying bacon - big deal. Believe me, there will be many more. Never, ever feel guilty for having some well earned time for yourself and your amazing blog life. You have the most loving, well-adjusted family because of all the care, love, and training you and your hubby have put in. It's good for them to let Mom have time away, and it is really, really, good for you! There, I've said, and now I'm the bad guy....
Not the bad guy Maureen! Just putting out a reality check to all Moms and Dads that time away is good, it just makes the coming home even better Have a great day everyone!
Another amazing post. You are an incredible mother. Home is definitely where your heart is. I am so happy you are invited to New York and other fabulous cities because there are lots more people who need and will enjoy meeting you and your fabulous stories besides other bloggers and readers like me. Wow, I wonder how many red ink marks I would have marked on a student's essay with a long sentence as the one I just wrote. You still get A+'s.
Wise woman! I missed you last week, welcome home to my ipad.
Beautiful!! I would have done the same thing!!I love it you headed the story" bacon flying through the air".I read a couple of blogs , but with that heading I HAD to read yours first!! Those years go by so fast, my children are grown up and now living a distance away! One is over two hours away with 2 granchildren and the other is almost seven hours away in another state with two other little ones! I am blessed!! Your children are very lucky to have a Mom like you!! p.s. I would have been hopeless with the making of leg warmers!!
There really is no place like home. And, the only people who really matter are those that own pieces of your heart.♥
Our two favorite sayings: #1 In a hundred years, what is going to matter? #2 Always, always make memories. And those babies matter the most and make the best memories! I bet they were thrilled to see you!
There's no place like home, there's no place like home . . . you needed red shoes you could click together!! And Ecco -- you'd be home where your heart is. I understand totally. Glad you are back where you belong!! Big Hugs!
PREC IOUS!!!!! I loved this story too. My girls are in KC, MO and I am in FL. They are grown with families of their own. I still feel this way, about my kids. I comprendo. (Snif) And then, I wonder why no one has painted a picture showing a colorful plate of bacon. Can you imagine how many women would love it????? Ahhhhhhhh flying and plated BACON! Here. Here. Cheers.
Oops forgot to add laughed out loud and reminded me of more ways than one of that movie Cheaper By the Dozen.:) could someone please tell Me if discussion boards still up? Moved n Internet not best but miss the boards and hope to Get back to Blogging soon.
You are an amazing Mom! Keep up the good work! xoxo Doreen
You are a very deliberate and present mom and won't regret going home early. Those are the really good times! Congratulations on all your success and choices!
This melted my heart, KariAnne. I think it's something that a lot of working-outside-the-home mothers experience. I think you did the right thing...coming home and jumping right back into the party! Jane x
I think we can all relate at some level to this tale… I admire you so much for embracing all the opportunities that have presented themselves to you but also for knowing when to say enough. Regroup and refocus! Bravo!!
KariAnne, I loved loved loved this post. I have 11 year old twin girls. Last night for the very first time it dawned on me that one day they won't live with me any more. I sobbed like a baby and feel exactly as you do. Give me bacon flying thru the air any day of the week. Best, Martha
You make me smile with every post, and sometimes shed a tear at the same time. That is a gift!...and you do it proud. Thank You!
love this post. I arrived at blogging when I turned 40 and although I think of all the fun diy projects before blogging and how cool they would have been to have shared online, I think I would have missed out on the moments of my youngest helping himself to a bucket size of cookie dough with a spoon. great post! Explain all the cool pics! laura
You are a wise woman. I love your stories and love that you packed those bags and went home early :)
I missed your regular posts and wondered what was going on in your life. It had occured to me that you might be ill. I almost wrote to ask, but I thought better of it. I decided that your new found, (and well deserved, I might add,) fame, had probably opened doors of opportunity for you. It wasn't hard to deduce since you gave us a few hints along the way. We're all glad that you've returned from your travels, and I'm sure your family is as well. There truly is no place like home, because that's where our precious families reside...but a little time away was probably good for you, and for them. They won't be as likely to take you for granted. But it's always a balancing act, isn't it? I bet Johanna Gaines can relate to that. Enjoy your family! And enjoy your gift, and the opportunities it provides.
Good for you Kari Anne !!!!!!!
as my husband always says, "we're on this rocket ship headed for the sun and it just keeps going faster and faster..." I'm so glad that you have these wonderful opportunities. I'm even more glad that you have a wonderful family to welcome you home! hugs.
You made me cry (again). My children are grown, I was a stay-at-home mom and I miss them more than I could ever say.
You are a wise woman...I believe you made the right decision. You will never get those times back again. I missed you too! ;)
These moments go by so quickly so grab them when you can. I tried to always be there for everything but that's impossible. But I do have so many wonderful memories and photos from when they were still home. They are 45 and 50 now but I wouldn't trade a minute I left things undone to be with them. They will grow too quickly and we don't get that chance again.
You have been blessed to have been given the opportunity of travel and experience due to your incredible talents...however, I can see you packing up early to catch that bacon flying in the air and coming to the rescue of making leg warmers and watching the ball being hit out of the park....they grow up so fast...you are a great mom and what is great is that you know how to "balance"....yes, the beam may cause you to sway a bit, but you always land on your feet with a perfect 10 !!!...Glad you had a great time with your travels....
I know your family is just as happy as you, to have you back!
"You're gonna miss this..." isn't that a country song? How true it is and how wise you are for not missing those special moments. I'm just so sad I missed you in "my neck of the woods"! Charles Phillips is one of my absolute favorite places - incredible treasures!! I would have dropped everything if I had known you were going to be there. Maybe next time!
You're the best storyteller out there my friend. Love this one - good call :)
Wow, a lot of weigh in on this one! I think it's all about balance, and the scale has been tipped a little lately. You're allowed to fill your cup and I honestly think your family benefits. The kids made a wonderful memory for themselves figuring it all out while you were away and you headed home in time to see the magnificent results! Win, win! xoxoxo
Awww what a sweet slice of your life. I got a little teary eyed myself leaving my 27 year old on his birthday after spending 2 great days with him. Folks always told me life happens fast. The best thing about your life and many others; we have choices. We can choose to run toward those singular experiences or run back home to be with family. It's being able to choose that is the real luxury . . .although those Egyptian cotton sheets sound real nice.
There is nothing quite like family and I for one can attest to how quickly the tim flies…before you blink an eye you will have plenty of time for the peace and quiet and Egyptian cotton sheets…just love that you packed your bags and headed home…you're the best!
I blinked.
I am really miss u and this blog. So, I wanna say welcome back and enjoy your bacon flying week. I wanna be there sometime.. :)
....and I am crying with you!❤️ Thanks for touching my heart once again..so glad you made it home...love your heart, sweet friend! You rocked parenting with this one!