cityscapes to corn fields

we spent the weekend visiting my family in iowa. a country holiday does my heart good. reminds me of my roots: my deep love for corn fields, stars that outshine the city lights, and country music playing on the radio. I love the cityscape, but wide open spaces are pretty near heaven. family. it doesn't get much better than that. i am blessed to be soooooo close to my parents and siblings.they are some of the greatest stories of my life. they love. and love. and love. i've had people ask me what the secret to having a "close-knit" family is.faith. truth. being real. unconditional love. freedom to express yourself.the fact that my mom stayed home full time and homeschooled us... helped too! my parents came down to our level a lot - always open to being part of our lives. we were there for each other. baseball games, recitals, theater productions, etc. always trumped any social event that was outside of family. it was just that way. still is. family is the music of my life. it proves for great dancing! they know me better than anyone.they laugh, cry, and celebrate with me. they call it like it is. and it is good! my wish is that i can bless their lives as they have blessed mine. love you, family! and we missed you this weekend, dad! get better and we'll see you soon. also missed my other sister and her little family. michigan is for the birds.