There's No Place Like Home

I love my house. It's very cozy (which is one of those polite ways of saying really, really little; then again, there are three people in my family. Little works.) I just love being here. And since I've been into making lists lately, here's my list of reasons I love my little house in the country:

-the SMELL! I walk in to my house & it smells like apples (we have boxes full of apples from our orchard all over our basement), my mom's lotion (Amber Romance), and a tiny hint of woodsmoke from our fireplace. Today it smells especially amazing; there's a blackberry pie in the oven, we're working on stuffing & turkey, cranberry sauce, and orange rolls. It. Is. GLORIOUS.

-my Mommy. She loves me. She's funny. She makes yummy food & lets me sleep in & makes me laugh. We cook yummy things together.

-my Daddy. He's hilarious. He's decided that he wants Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky" to be played at his funeral-not that he's planning that anytime soon. Maybe he's got a slightly twisted sense of humor, but I love him. He really gets into Thanksgiving - he's been reading up on turkey prep techniques for weeks. Who knew that gravy was so scientific?

-the music. As you may have noticed if you have spent any time around me, I'm a big fan of music. I have crazy tastes all over the billboard charts. It's genetic. I've spent the last few days blasting everything from Jimmy Eat World to Eva Cassidy, Michael Bublé to Red Hot Chili Peppers, Don McLean to Flight of the Conchords, Switchfoot to Sara Barielles, Eve 6 to Colors, & about 100 other bands. & my parents like it just as much as I do. We all sing along, even dance on occasion. It's pretty much the best thing ever.

- my friends. I have so many wonderful friends that love & support me & make me laugh - mostly my Kristen Elise. I don't know if she realizes how much I love her - she's such an awesome friend & she just blends right in to the crazy Holloway family dynamic. & loves it. She puts up with my sappiness & picture love, wrestles with me, and speaks my language. Seriously - she understands all the weird phrases and quotations. It's amazing.

-the stars. I cannot even express the sorrow that the sky in Provo infuses in my soul. It's so dull. I LOVE the stars here. I practically had a seizure driving home late Tuesday night when I realized I was out of the light pollution & spent the next hour with my forehead pressed up against the window in awe. The stars here make me feel so small, and yet so special. I know that sounds odd, but it's an amazing feeling to realize that amid all of THAT out there, my Father in Heaven, "who rules among the stars," still cares about that minuscule speck labeled "Kelsey."

-Love. I feel surrounded by love here. My bright green-walled bedroom with white eyelet curtains & pale blue bedding = Love. Kristen bringing me pictures, tackling me, and making slug breadsticks and pumpkin pie = Love. My daddy shaking his non-existent butt & singing along with the Chili Peppers at the top of his lungs = Love. My mommy hugging me, speaking with me in funny accents, and making all sorts of amazing delicious things = Love. This house = love. Having this Thanksgiving together when so many years ago we thought it would be our last = love. All of my photographs plastered on my closet door of so many memories = Love. All the music I grew up listening to = Love.

Being here with the people I love, surrounded by good smells and warm memories - I don't know if I could be any happier at this moment or more grateful for my little family in our little house in (well, 8 miles outside of) our little hick town.

Happy Thanksgiving!