Where Home Is

"Home is where the heart is."

We've all heard the old saying, and I've always believed it.  Now, though, I feel it.

Ed with one of his best friends, Kelcey.  12 June 2010

I'm a real homebody.  I love to travel, but in the end where I really want to be is here in my own house with my three adored children.  That has always been true for me.  At least, it was true until I fell in love with a certain man and married him, then put him on a plane for Wyoming.

The four days I spent here without Ed didn't feel like home at all.  The yearning in my heart was to be in Cheyenne.  No, that's not right.  My yearning was to be with Ed, wherever that might be.  I didn't even know it was possible to feel like this!

Ed pulls the bad engine out of his truck.

While I was in Wyoming with Ed, I spent 17 days away from my two oldest children, Sarah and Jacob.  That was a first for all of us, and I missed them like crazy.  Still, I knew my place was with my husband.  Cheyenne was home for a time.

Dylan assists with lifting the engine.

There was plenty of work to be done before we could return to Arizona.  Ed spent the first week tying up loose ends and completing jobs he'd promised to people in his community and church.  During the second week he had to pull a burned-out engine from his truck and put in a rebuilt engine.  Dylan provided some assistance, but it was a huge job.

Living and dining area in trailer.

My job during that second week was cleaning and prepping Ed's fifth-wheel trailer for the trip.  In order to be able to haul the trailer to its new home in Arizona, Ed had to have the truck up and running, so he worked at it almost nonstop.

The trailer's little kitchen.

Ed's mom, Caryl, came to Arizona with us to check out the area.  We're hoping she'll decide to move here to be near us.  She loved the retirement apartments we toured and she's enjoying our mild weather, beautiful scenery, and friendly people, so we're hopeful!  Meanwhile, she's staying in the fifth-wheel trailer parked in the driveway.

Geoffrey and Meghann have their first dance as Mr. and Mrs.

The youngest son of Ed's good friend, Kelcey, got married and had his wedding reception on June 12th.  We knew we had to stay in town at least that long in order to attend the festivities.  It was a lovely reception, but I remember looking around and then hugging Ed and whispering, "I don't need all this to feel married.  I just want to be with you."

The truck and trailer finally ready for the road.

We had hoped to be on the road by Monday morning, but last minute problems with the new engine forced us to stay in town until Tuesday morning.  We toyed with the idea of leaving late Monday and driving all night, but we weren't ready to go until almost midnight and we were all simply too tired by then.  We spent the night at Caryl's home in northern Colorado and left at 7:45 a.m.

I followed Ed all the way to Arizona.  This was the view ahead of me for almost 16 hours!

It was a very long drive!  It was 10:30 p.m. Arizona time when we finally pulled into the driveway of our White Mountain home!  That's 11:30 p.m Wyoming time, so we were on the road for almost 16 hours.  It's normally a 12-hour drive, but hauling a heavy trailer slows things up a lot. 

The snow-capped Rocky mountains provided gorgeous scenery through most of Colorado.

Our family will be vacationing in those mountains come July!

It was fun and exciting to call Cheyenne home for a while.  I loved seeing what Ed's life was like and meeting his friends and living in his apartment.  Yet being home with him here in my world, with my children within arm's reach, is even sweeter.  He says the White Mountains already feel more like home to him than Wyoming.

The sun sets as we near the western border of New Mexico.  Home is just 3 hours away! 

I dread the long, long drive back to Wyoming next week.  I guess I could wait here for 4 more days while Ed drives his mom back home and packs up his apartment.

Who am I kidding?  When Ed drives away, my heart drives away with him.  Where he is, there my home is.  I'll be in Wyoming next week.