The “there” where I’ll be is none other than Christendom College’s annual Homecoming celebration.

Admit it, you’ve been waiting for a return of these posts.  You’ve been sitting at home neglecting your kids, your spouse, your dog all the while frantically wondering what you could possibly have done to merit the desertion you think I’ve inflicted on you.

The days have been long, the nights intolerable as you tossed and turned, dreaming of Grill’n & Chill’n events gone by.  “If only I’d been able to make it to just one of those!” you scream out at 3AM.  As you fall out of bed crying tears of bitterness at your lost opportunity you begin to realize a few things.

• You shouldn’t have let the salesman talk you into a bed so high it requires a Hillary Clinton-inspired step-lift to mount.  Man, that hardwood is hard!
• Screaming at 3AM?  Probably not a great idea with a Russell Terrier curled on top of your feet.  They’re a “temperamental” breed.  And they bite.
• You were a fool to let that moment pass you.  Who knows when the Hester’s will recover enough energy to mount another transcontinental “fun-on-wheels” road trip?

Let me address the last point first.  When we got married, Karla and I discussed many things.  We determined we would take whatever children God gave us.  We would never argue over money.  And we would trust God to give us the means to do whatever He asked of us.  Guess what?  He gave us a talent for doing stuff like this and He supplies us with the requisite resources (physical vigor included) to carry on.  I could hit the road tomorrow morning if it weren’t for this pesky thing called work.  Even there, I traded in a summer full of one-night stays and early morning driver seat sessions for an academic year of getting out of bed at 5:45 to stand on my feet all day and teach.  And I love it.  The thing is, I’ve always found that when you love something it seems easy to do.

On the other points, Russell Terriers (like my Buddy) are indeed schizophrenic and that bed is too high but oh so comfortable when little kids climb over you in the middle of the night.  You almost sleep right through the sterilizing blow of a foot right to what Scripture calls “the stones” (at least the King James version, but then the Brits did know how to poeticize things like that).

Here’s the deal.  It’s not too late.  Even if you did happen to see us this summer as almost 1,000 of you did we want to see you again!  If you didn’t get to join us and you’ve been wondering what we really look like here’s your chance.  If you just want to test the theory that I truly do accept any bottle of gin from a stranger, well, you know what to do.

Christendom’s Homecoming is this October 7-9 at the main campus in Front Royal and will feature reunion celebrations for the classes of 2006, 1996, and 1986.  If you’ve never been to one, here’s your chance to come and experience what it’s like to be an adult on your old college campus — in other words, you don’t have to hide the booze this time.

Lots of exciting things are going on these days on campus.  For instance, this past Friday night the college kicked off “A Call to Greatness”, the capital campaign that will fund the construction of the newest iteration of Christ the King Chapel.  And you were wondering what that church was in the new banner image above.

So consider making the trip, especially if it’s been a while.  Karla and I will be there and you know your autumn won’t be complete without us.

We hope to see you there!