We hadn’t been back to Memphis since August 2009, when we moved to Schaarbeek. So you can imagine we were pretty thrilled when our plane touched down in Memphis on December 15th, after what seemed like an endless flight. Miles got very excited when he saw his nana and GDad at the gate. It was a very warm welcome; it had been since our trip to France since we last saw them. We spent the next couple of days at the house in Collierville, spending quality time and getting over the jet lag. Nana and GDad took us places. We went to the Sunday school Christmas party at Mike and Sherrin’s house, to the awesome Memphis Children’s museum, and to an intimite Bluegrass concert at the church. By the end of the gig the lead singer referred to Wiet as ‘Brother Belgium’, that’s how intimite it got. We went to the Starry Nights event in Shelby Farms – a display of Chrismtas lights throughout the park – and to the Enchanted Forest in the Pink Palace. Maybe the magic was lost on Miles a bit, but we sure enjoyed it.
We visited grandma a couple of times. She looks frail and is not very coherent, but she hasn’t lost her humor. Then Bethany came home from Saint Louis and a day later Amy arrived from Jefferson City. Sissy and Sassy – the dogs – had trouble adapting to a full house again, especially since there was a toddler now chasing them through what was once their undisputed and tranquil realm. On Christmas eve we were invited to Angela’s. Everybody was there: Angela, Mike, Carter, Joyce, Eddie, Houston, Tess, James and Cathy. It was an overwhelmingly warm welcome again. Miles got showered with Thomas the tank engine gifts.
We also got to see our friends again: Wendy and Kern, and Wiet’s colleagues at Hord Architects. We got to meet Bethany’s boyfriend, Trevor. Felt as if we have known him for years. We went back to our old apartment and showed Miles where he was born. A middle aged man came to the door and was kind enough to invite us in. Our old apartment is clearly in good hands.
And then suddenly two weeks had gone by and we had to leave again. Some things have changed. Some for the good, some not. Wendy and Kern have a cheerful baby boy Braxton. Two of Wiet’s colleagues have left Hord Architects. Grandma no longer lives with nana and gdad, but in a nice retirement home. But our friends and family are still there, and are doing well, and that’s the important part. Over two years without visiting Memphis is way too long. We’ll try to keep that from happening again.
