home and happy to be so {s.o.o.c. sunday}

i've not done a s.o.o.c. sunday in ages. {that stands for straight out of camera {{no edits}}, for those of you who are not photography geeks *wink* and are not familiar with that acronym.}

we are back from our trip to florida. we were more exhausted arriving home than we were when we left for the gulf. but we are feeling blessed and full of gratitude for parents {in-laws, in my case} that fly us down to stay with them every couple of years. it's something we would not otherwise be able to do... at least not frequently. so, though we are tired and feel like we are just now picking ourselves up from a long week, we are so thankful to have spent time with family and to have had true fellowship mixed with some play. 

when we arrived home, little isaac sat on the carpet in the living room and looked around for several seconds before moving in any direction. he reached out to feel the carpet slowly, almost as if to test it. it was the funniest thing. it was like he was re-orienting himself to his old surroundings after having spent a week sitting, standing and cruising on sand, sidewalks or the shiny terra-cotta-colored tiles of my in-laws' condo. he scanned the room, and when it was all alright in his mind again, he was off to play with his old toys... toys that must have seemed like distant memories to one so small after being away that long.

speaking of home... it's unspeakably nice to be back. in many ways, things are so much better where we just came from. the weather is better. the pace of the people is better. the scenic views are better. my mother-in-law's gorgeous decorating is better {she used to be an interior designer}. the food was better. the amount of time to spend with those particular relatives was better {in that it existed, where here it does not}.

but even with all that, there's nothing like home... and familiarity... and the comfort of your own day-to-day space.

so i am happy to be back. missing them {more on "them" later}. but happy to be home.

•  •  •  •  •  •  •  •

well, this will very likely be my last post published on this blog from this computer. we are leaving now to go purchase a new one. if you have been reading here for a while, you will know how much having prehistoric used or hand-me-down macs {with ancient versions of software} has been a source of frustration for me... for years! it placed several limitations on me creatively, especially from the standpoint of starting any kind of real design or photography business. {that's not an excuse... just the truth.}

i wish i could say that i was always patient when waiting for the opportunity to buy my first-ever brand-spankin'-new computer. i wasn't. but i can say this... it has taught me patience and contentment on a level that i would never have learned otherwise {with the exception of patiently waiting to conceive and give birth to children, but that is so different, because i lost hope where that was concerned... and babies are... well, in a whole different league than computers}.

but words can't describe the feeling i have inside when i think about finally buying a computer and how many doors it might open for me, as it is a resource i have longed for and needed for a very long time.

it's why i chose this photo for today. i took it on the beach in florida. you can't quite see the end of the ledge, but you can see it's there. similarly, i did not know when i would get one, but i knew {sometimes in patience and sometimes not} that i would get a good computer some day. before last week, this day was not clearly seen looking ahead. but it's here now. and i couldn't see it in better detail if i tried! *broad smile* 

no material thing in life can make you happy or bring you joy if you can't know happiness and joy without it. but it sure can make you more joyful when you do get it! i'm one who believes we should have some of the things we long for if they are good things, even if they are purely material. so, i am excited and thankful to no end for this blessing! it did not come without sacrifice as well as generosity. and for that, i am all the more grateful!

when the type of job i need that would suit our family situation is not available, i have no choice but to resort to trying my hand at being self-employed. but that is a difficult thing to start up without the necessary things to start. this new computer is one of those things... the most important thing. so i am not just happy. i am relieved!

when i return here to post again {hopefully with my florida pics}, it will be from a new computer... Lord willing.