Walk by Hello: Home

29 September 2008

Home

"There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again." -Margaret E. Sangster

I remember the old verse, "Thirty days hath September...", but this September has felt like a lot more than 30 days! We have been all over the place, had quite a few people over our place and now we are home!

The past two weekends we have been in Williamsburg, VA and Myrtle Beach, SC while Tim has conducted a Single Soldier Retreat and a Marriage Retreat. We have logged more miles on our old gray van and added more crumbs to the carseats. We have lost many more hours of sleep, despite the ever present Superbed (we push both hotel room beds together)and eaten more pizza than we could handle. But most importantly we have made some memories we won't soon forget.

It's always exciting to set out on yet another adventure. Exciting that is for the 5 minutes between all the packing and planning and preparing and attempting to settle everyone comfortably, with nary a whine, into the car and the moment someone begins lunging out of their carseat, straining against the straps and reaching wildly for handholds. Then the excitement begins to ebb a teensy bit. Once stomachs are full and tired eyes shut for the briefest of snoozes, a warm Starbucks resting in our hands and the open road before us, the light of anticipation flickers once more. We talk and laugh and dream, remembering early days and less complicated times and we've got quite a blaze going. All too soon the stillness is broken. But with relief we see how much good the nap has done and we play a round of "I Spy" or sing the ABC song merrily together. And so goes the rest of our journey.

Cheerful hours marked by swirling emotions and frequent scampering anywhere but in the right direction. Many attempts to create a magical space out of a simple hotel room with two beds and a window. We make blanket forts, pretend the beds are boats in crocodile infested waters, play marching and follow the leader, explore the hotel inside and out, make friends with most of its inhabitants and make an effort to get a nap in the midst of it all. More than anything else these little trips make us appreciate home. A place where there is room to run, space to grow, where people let you be you. So bring on the trips, especially the glad homecomings to follow.

2 comments:

Deanna @ oneagleswings said...: Ahhhh, roadtrips. I have a love-hate relationship with them...much like you described.

But you're right. There is nothing quite as wonderful as coming home.

By the way...who are the people in that group shot? Is that Tim's family or am I imagining things?; September 29, 2008 at 5:39 PM
Jennifer said...: Sarah, I love the picture of Adam. He looks like a little rock star! Home really is the sweetest word. Trips are so fun because I love the anticipation and the planning and then the anticipation of coming home!; September 29, 2008 at 7:10 PM

Pecan Cream Cheese Icing:

8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 3 (9-inch) cake pans with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the sugar, and beat. In a medium bowl or on a piece of parchment, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the eggs, beating well after the addition of each. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Add the carrots and beat on medium speed until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. Fold in the nuts. Divide between the 3 cake pans and bake until set and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest in the cake pans for 10 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, remove from the pans, and let cool.

For the Frosting: In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add the vanilla and pecans.

When the cake is cool, place 1 cake layer on a cake plate or stand. Spread the top with cream cheese frosting and top with a second and third cake layer, spreading the icing between each layer. Spread the icing around the sides of the cake and let harden slightly before serving. To serve, cut into wedges.