Living out of a suitcase and being Home but not Home.

For the past  2 1/2 weeks I have been home but not home.  I knew traveling back to Iowa in December and January would mean certain things. I would get to spend time with my family, I would see a white Christmas, I would get a new grandson on New Years Eve, and that I would be very very cold. 
Well I did get to spend time with the family but that time has been living out of suitcases. I had one suitcase packed with my winter clothes and the one I brought back from Panama.  This only became a problem when my New Years Eve's baby decided to come early and I was not able to land in one spot and make my 2 suitcases into one. So for the first week I carried around 2 suitcases.  Instead of coming to Aurora on that Wed. that I flew in I went to Iowa City where I stayed for 3 days waiting on baby Gage to make an arrival.  He did make his appearance on Christmas Eve and gave us all a scare by not breathing when he was born and being rushed to the NICU but Broderick Thomas bounced right back and only spent an extra couple of days in the hospital.  What this meant was that I did not come back to Aurora until Christmas Eve and then back to Iowa City on the 26th, never really getting organized. 
The strange thing about coming home was that I cannot stay at my actual house.  When we leave for Panama we shut everything down so opening it up for just me is silly.  So I am sleeping on couches and  in the bottom bunk of bunkbeds, but I am with my family.  On Christmas morning having Kaiden crawl in bed with me and not talk about what Santa may have brought him but about his new cousin and what it was going to be like in Panama was great.
As for that White Christmas well that did not happen either.- not that I am complaining but having temps that warm in Iowa in December but it  is just strange.  Talking about temps there again goes one of the things I knew would be true, that I would be very cold.  Now I am going to take credit for our odd weather as I must have brought it back in one corner of my suitcase. So I will accept your thanks yous for this warm weather but sorry to say I will be leaving on Sunday so you are all on your own.
During my time back in Iowa I was able to spend time with my family and also with friends. I got to stay at Seth's and watch him coach his basketball team for 5 games plus I got to help them paint in their new addition. I spent great time getting to know my new grandson and remembering the joys of holding a tiny newborn.  I was able to go to Dubuque and live like a college girl with Kinzlee and her roomies.  And I was able to drop in at my parents house just to see how they were and what they were doing.
But all good  things must come to an end.  The weather report is predicting cold weather so it is time for me to return to Panama.  My return will not be alone as Kaiden has his suitcase packed, I have his homework in my bag.  On Sunday we fly out of Chicago and make the 24 hour trip to my other home in Boquete.  Hopefully Bud remembers what I look like and is ready to share the apartment with the two of us. I am ready to show Kaiden what I consider "my Panama", and ready to see Panama through the eyes of an 8 year old. 
Good bye Iowa.