My roommate Cole got back last night at midnight from Germany with his youngest son, Kyle.  Kyle is now 13 years old, almost as tall as Cole, and his voice has dropped since the last time I saw him just over a year ago.  I spent most of last weekend getting his room ready for him and cleaning up the house.  He likes his room, mainly because it's much bigger than his old one and for the first time in his life he has his own computer.  I'm really glad he likes his new room and our house and stuff, I worked really hard on it.  His Grandma Cummings is coming to visit with him today because Cole has to go to school and I am at work and Ryan is also at school.  Cole will get Kyle enrolled in Junior High later this week and he will probably start Monday in the 8th grade.  (It will be the first time he's been in school in America since he was 5 years old.)

Amazingly, the boys haven't fought over anything, YET. . .  I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.  Now that we have 2 teenagers at our house, things like peace and quiet have flown out the window.  But it's nice to have both the kids here so now we don't have to worry about them.

Although Cole is my roommate, he and his kids are FAMILY to me.  Cole is like a brother to me and I practically adopted Ryan and Kyle as my nephews that I always had but just never met (till 2 years ago in Germany, where I met them).  I treat them like I treat my younger sister's 3 children, Samantha, Matthew Jr., and Michael when I am parents house in Louisiana.

I hope that Ryan and Kyle will do well in their lives.  That they will both go to college and succeed in their jobs and relationships.  I can only help Cole to provide a solid foundation for them, everything else is up to each of them individually.  I want them to know what the word "Home" is really supposed to mean.  I am trying to learn what it means for myself.  Being a military brat and moving so much during my life, I failed to learn this.  I think it must be "the place that is safe where you go when you want to feel warm inside", I wish I had a place like that.  I hope our house is that for them. 

For me, my house, is just the place I live.  That's why I never have properly "decorated" it myself or invested in it I suppose (most of the nice things in our house are Cole's doing, he's got more of a flair for the artistic than I do anyway).  I have truly never had "my own place that I could never lose."  Maybe someday I will have a house of my own that will become my HOME.