I’ve been having a good time visiting family.  It’s always good to see them, and especially good to see them in teh continental US.  Don’t get me wrong - I LOVED Hawai’i, and would drop everything to go back, but I’ll tell you what.  It’s infinitely easier and more enjoyable to fly an hour instead of 15.

This is the first time I’ve flown to see my family since they’re back from HI.  As I was packing for the trip, I started piling up books and stacks of DVDs to take in my carry-ons.  David watched me for a few minutes, and when I asked him for help fitting everything into a bookbag, he reminded me that I wasn’t going to be flying for 15 hours.  =)  I happily took out the stacks of books and DVDs and wow… it’s great having a feather-light carry-on!

So, anyway, I’ve been here with my family for a week.  When I visit, we typically pack the time full of visits from and to family friends.  Those meetings are always wonderful - I don’t keep in touch with folks as well as I should.  I have all these great intentions, but I never seem to have time to follow through.  The good thing is, these people watched me grow up (as much as any non-family member has ever done, anyway - being a military brat, not too many people get to know me past 2 or 3 years).  They know me well enough to know I love them even though I don’t call or write.  It’s great.

What isn’t great, though, is the thought of running into folks I went to high school with.  I DREAD the experience, and I know it’s just bound to happen.  Each visit to my parents increases the odds that I’ll run into someone I know.  For some reason, small towns have always made me feel trapped - like if I wasn’t careful, I’d get sucked in and never escape.  I watched it happen to people who were older than me, and I couldn’t wait to get out.

I really like who I am now.  I really like my life.  I don’t want to go back.  High school wasn’t the height of my life.  It wasn’t the best thing that ever happened to me.  I’ve moved on.  And I don’t really want to talk to or meet anyone who hasn’t.

That said, there are some old classmates that I REALLY enjoy seeing.  Sarah Camp (I’m so sorry about Joe!).  Sarah Green (thanks for having lunch with me!).  Adam Donius (I’m SO glad you came back to see if it was me - congrats on the baby!).

It’s been a good trip.  =)

Pirate Dave, originally uploaded by tara.aukerman.

This is pirate Dave.

When friend & coworker DD heard that David spent the day scrubbing our deck so it could be stained and sealed, she sent me home with an eye patch… so he could be a proper pirate. This is him. Wearing the patch.

It’s kinda funny… One of the kids at church, Kaylin, is writing a story featuring David and I. In this story, David is the pirate captain and I’m his first officer (mate? I don’t know pirate terminology). Maybe I’ll suggest this as cover art… =)

Sisters, originally uploaded by tara.aukerman.

An oldie, but a goodie. Anytime I start missing family, I just flip through old pictures. This one never fails to crack me up.

This was taken 8(?) Christmases ago. Melissa and I were both at Taylor, but I think it was her first year of college. Anyway, we went to visit good family friends (Marv & Winnie) and they had these crazy 3D glasses. Look at a Christmas tree through them, and Melissa saw tons of tiny Christmas lights and I saw tons of smilies. We posed for a “cool shades” picture for Leah (her words). =)

Me & My Grandpa, originally uploaded by tara.aukerman.

Thought I’d start posting some photos I never sent to Flickr. There are a few really fun wedding pictures I want out there for old friends.

This is, I think, my favorite wedding photo. Me and my grandpa. Doesn’t he look smashing in his tux? =)

candleslit, originally uploaded by tara.aukerman.

Happy birthday, sister!

We bought a cake and lit 17 candles (matches) in honor of Leah’s 17th birthday. Our dog popped in to wish her an HB, and her present’s on the table with us.

The cake was good, L. =)

david, originally uploaded by tara.aukerman.

I like the lines and the contrast in this photo of my husband.

dad, originally uploaded by tara.aukerman.

I miss my dad. =) I haven’t seen him much in the past couple of years because he’s been living in Hawai’i. I saw him every time I visited, of course, but only then. I saw my mom and sister quite a bit more because they traveled back and forth.

Now that the family is back from HI, I will be seeing more of them… but still, less of dad because he’s traveling. Right now, he’s in CA. He’s coming home this weekend, though, for Leah’s 17th birthday.

I like this photo of him - I like his eyes.

It has been a wonderful two weeks.  My sister, Leah, visited while our mother went to spend time with Dad in Hawai’i.  Then, Mom came back from HI and spent a few days with me in Indy.

I’ve discovered something:  of all the people I know in the world, I have the most in common with my sister Leah.  We like the same movies.  We like the same music.  We like the same shoes.  We drool over the same necklaces.  We have the same hobbies.  In fact, the biggest difference I could find between us while she was here was that she likes video games a little bit more than I do, and that I like playing the piano a little bit more than she does.

A couple of pictures from our family reunion, recently uploaded by Dave’s brother and his wife:

Tara, David, Randy, originally uploaded by rauke1.

Jake and Tara, originally uploaded by rauke1.

I just enjoy the first picture - I love having a big brother!  And the second photo…  Imagine that dog trembling - he was TERRIFIED of the water.  See how taut his muscles are?  He was very, very tense, and leaping about from rock to rock so he wouldn’t have to touch the water.  =)  We had a large audience up on the bank.

Dad and David are upstairs working on a small room/big closet we’ll be using for a library.  We inherited this project from the house’s previous owners - heretofore, this room has been closed-off and unused.  Now that my dad’s here, though, the boys are making this a liveable, useable space.  These guys started off with an unfloored, barely insulated, plastic-covered mess, and are slowly but surely turning it into a real room.  I’ll post more pictures as they get farther along in the process.