Our time stateside, as usual, passed too quickly. We didn't see nearly everyone we would have liked, and I barely took any photos. We spent a lot of time driving from here to there - I even drove a car - something I haven't done in the past 4 years. I complained about traffic, the enormity of parking lots, rushing around, the seemingly endless chain of drive-throughs and strip malls. My ears missed sing-songy French greetings and I craved the mountains, but during our time in Illinois, we spent quality time with family, and our limited time with friends was splendid. We celebrated multiple Thanksgivings with especially high attendance - crowding together for great meals and lots of laughter.
We visited the oak trees and the prairie restoration.
Derek spent long days at Fermilab, which gave me some time home with my parents, and a few laps around the accelerator ring waiting for his days to finish.
Nearly a year has passed since our last visit, and nothing shows the changes a year can bring like a baby. Our goddaughter, Rika, now walks, talks, and is into everything. What a difference from the sleeping baby we held for hours last Christmas...now we can hardly keep up as she runs across the yard. Pretty darn cute!
