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A Double Life

It hasn't even been 2 weeks since I got back from Phoenix, but I miss it terribly. I miss my friends. I miss my family. 6 days there was such a teaser. It wasn't long enough and I didn't quite get to see everyone and do everything I wanted, but I loved every minute of it.

God welcomed me back with a lightning show as my plane descended. Flashes of illumination throughout the dark cloudy sky over the city lights. This happens to be one of my favorite things in all of nature. He knows me well :)

It was nearly 11pm when I landed and Mom and Joanna picked me up, but we stopped by Laura and Ben's house anyway to see them and Brynley (who was sound asleep, but it was worth it). As I expected, I was very emotional that night. If you haven't guessed, I have a very tight-knit family. I never pictured myself living so far away from them. It was such a relief to be near them again. It felt really good knowing I was missed just as much!

My week was not particularly eventful but really busy. I mostly just spent as much time with people as I could. I went to one of my favorite restaurants Postino, saw a childhood friend and met her baby for the first time, watched U of A football with family, had pedicures with the girls, went out for sushi, played board games, went to church, had a jam session with my friend and her roommate, went to a Labor Day swim cookout, had a sleepover at Laura's house, and spent LOTS of time with Brynley!

Goodness gracious. I could write a whole blog based on that little girl. I was worried that she wouldn't have any recollection of me other than our occasional FaceTime sessions, but she called me "Aunt Cacky" right away and we bonded again instantly. She's such a little parrot repeating everything she hears and is learning things at the speed of light. I taught her the color peach, how to paint a circle, and how to drink every last drop of ice cream (which she pronounces as "ah fum") from the bowl. She laughs at the most random things, like yelling at the dog and getting gravel stuck in my sandals. She makes me laugh till I cry. It's hard to believe she'll be 2 in December. I love her even more now if that's even possible.

The strangest thing about going home was that it felt almost as if I had never left. It was easy to forget that I had another life up here with responsibilities and a job and all of that. It's hard to explain, but it almost felt like life in Anchorage was a dream. I missed Cory, of course, but talking to him on the phone felt normal just as we had done all that time we were apart. Actually, we both agreed that phone conversations are too boring for us. We're very glad that's not our normal anymore!

Nevertheless, I was quickly reminded that my life in Anchorage was real and waiting for me. Now that life in Phoenix seems so far away. What a refresher it was to visit. Grossly humid, but still refreshing. I even got my thunderstorm that lasted 20 minutes and rolled in while we were swimming, but I still enjoyed it. Now I get yellow and orange leaves that are falling off the trees and foggy mornings that force me to admit that summer is long gone. It's still manageably 50-60 degrees out, but the mountain tops are already snow-covered and the sun is down before 9pm. Good thing I have my man here to brighten my days :)

I never take as many pictures as I should, but here a few of the dozens I got of Brynley!

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