I have been married for almost 23 years. My family is in Kansas, Colorado, and Oklahoma...a full two-day drive from Michigan (where we used to live) and Ohio (where we now live). Prior to our marriage, I was in college in Missouri for four years. So, most people would think: "You never get homesick any more, right? You're used to it!" Not really. I grew up on a farm in southwest Kansas, the youngest of four daughters. We are a close-knit family, and we LOVE spending time together. All three of my older sisters were married by the summer I was 12, so I spent several years as an "only child". I forged such a great bond with my parents during those years. We lived in an equally close-knit community, filling our days with church, school, 4-H, and other community activities. Whenever I visit home, I see people I have known since I was a child. They are truly "life long" friends. It's always a joy catching up on each others' ...