Westward Bound

The journey home has officially begun!

Started the day off in Des Moines, Iowa.  Fortunately the rain subsided overnight, with only occasional drops/flurries/sleet this morning.   There was definitely a nice nip in the air though - temperatures in the 30's.   Brad and I went to breakfast with some of the football parents, some of them seniors parents so this was their sons last game and a bit bittersweet for them I am sure.  I guess at this point I should interject and say that Jeff decided a few weeks ago that he would return for another season as he has another season of eligibility (though he could academically graduate this year), so we have another year of games to savor.   We totally left it up to him whether he wanted to graduate or return and supported him either way.  Lucky Bulldogs get him one more season!

After breakfast we headed to Drake University where the Bulldogs played the Bulldogs!  Unfortunately it was not to be Butler's day as they lost their season finale 10-7, making their season record this year 4-7.  It was a heartbreaker of a day, complete with many turnovers for both teams, as I am sure that football felt like a chunk of ice and popped out of  both teams hands all day long.  We couldn't love our Bulldogs more and I will miss so many of the parents that I have spent the last few years with.  Everyone in the stands was bundled in layers of blankets, hats, winter coats, and praying the the unforgiving wind would stop blowing for just a while but we cheered with all our hearts nonetheless.   I love you Jeff and am so proud of you and what you have accomplished!

I have to give a shout out to my sister Wren and her friend Reona who came down from Kenosha for the game today too.  Reona has family in Des Moines so they had a nice weekend with them and us.  I really appreciate the fact that they took the time out to come and see Jeff play and it was nice to ge to watch the game with them, even if it was so cold and we were so bundled up that we couldn't really talk!   Love you too Wren!

After saying our goodbyes to Jeff and sending him off on the team bus, Brad and I headed west, deciding to drive as far as we felt like we could get.

Which puts us in a Days Inn in Hastings, Nebraska tonight.  It feels good to be beginning the journey home as I am ready to get back to my life and the things I left behind some 25 days ago.   I needed to to this.   I am glad I did this. I would do it all over again (Jeff is coming  back next year - perhaps there will be a Gratitude Tour 2011???) , but it is time to get home and I find that I am feeling an even greater sense of gratitude for the life I have to go home to.   My life is full and blessed.  I can't really explain it, but I feel a sense of calmness overall that I didn't really feel a few weeks ago, and I guess that is what this trip is about.   I am so happy to have Brad as my traveling companion and I am looking forward to the next few days when we can have some quiet time/tourist time together before the real world intervenes. 

The song I decided to pick for today is "This is Us" by Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris.  Love them both and this is a great song that sort of conveys that feeling that I am feeling today, hanging out with the love of my life and watching my "baby boy" play football today.

Life is good1