Home.

Even though my blog does not (yet!) take us to the end of our journey in Europe, we are now home and have been for some time- (10 months to be specific)!!
It is good to be home.  There is no place like it; however, I almost titled this entry "Divided Hearts" because on our last day that is the way we felt…

It is the oddest feeling, your heart in 2 places at one time-
Ross was the first one to voice it and I think he expressed it perfectly when he said so sweetly to his daddy, "I am glad to be going home but sad to leave Europe."
The quandary of going and leaving… a melancholy eagerness (if there can be such a thing…)

Two words for the flight home- Milka bars & Movies.
We savored them both for opposite reasons- last bites of chocolate & first "TV".
The chocolate bars were carefully rationed to last for the entirety of the flight and savored since we agreed to take a month long break from sweets once we reached home but the movies were played continuously. It was the first time in 9 weeks that we were able to also understand what we watching.  The only broadcasts we watched on the trip were the few games of the World Cup which were in either Italian or German so we devoured the entertainment in our mother tongue.

This may be the understatment of the trip but it is the most pleasant way I can say it- our homecoming was MEMORABLE.

Everything was set up to be and at first pass, sounds picture perfect.  My sweet and always cheerful SIL promptly picked us up at the airport. Our very conscientious house sitter had the house beautifully clean and in order & the dog groomed. My precious mom decorated the house with "welcome home" banners & filled the fridge with fresh groceries…

yet…when we pulled up the driveway, the alarm was sounding!!

Long story short, thankfully there was no break-in and the worst was that the long anticipated reunion with our little pup was not as sweet as expected as he seemed traumatized by the incessant noise. No telling how long it had been going off before we arrived & it took us over an hour's worth  of phone calls & finally a visit by a technician to stop the alarm.  I can say that this was enough to send even the most easy going and even tempered over the edge (even without exhaustion from the travel home) but in the end we still did proclaim that familiar phrase "We're home at last and we're so glad!" (Then went to bed!)

**** Following this post will be our last days in Budapest & our time in Austria.  A dear friend of mine reminded me that "a picture is worth 1,000 words" (thanks t.!) so that is how it will be… mostly photos & captions (if I can remember).  I've come to accept my limitations  & hope that those who read this will too!