Another Camping Trip in the Bag!

So if you've been around the blog for the last few years, you know how much we look forward to our camping trips... and you've probably heard about some of our famously YUCky camping trips... heart be still... they are so very much fun and relaxing and uplifting and absolutely NECESSARY for my sanity!

And the past week was no exception!

Time spent with a group of cherished friends who love us like family

There was a kayak trip or two...

And maybe some crazy hot games of volleyball...

And of course there was food... delicious, get-in-my-belly, camping food!

And bonfires...

And hikes... (on camp roads this year... cuz, well, strollers ya'll)

And smiles... beautiful, sweet smiles and crazy fun moments to fill hearts...

And such beauty for my soul...

It has been a God-gift to celebrate treasured friends this week past.

Is camping work?  Oh my yes...

And messy?  Ummmm, yes!!

Would it be easier to stay home in our comfortable, air-conditioned,

digitally-connected world?

  YES!

But oh what we would be missing!

These friends have held us up when our world was crashing around us...

and have spent time sharing their hearts in beautiful ways.

We.  Are.  Blessed.

Knees bend in gratitude for such a gift.

No matter the heartaches that attend this life, it is worth every messy, hard minute to pack up for this camping trip and re-connect...

Praying you are graced this night with a love and a "family" that is worth every messy, hard minute it takes to share your heart.

Graced, and Blessed and looking for a hot shower!

Always,

               Jane

Joy in the Midst of Grief, Is it Even Possible?

2 months ago we lost a friend...

Bonnie has been a part of our circle for as long as I can remember.  She lived just up the road from us in a little yellow house that bloomed bluebonnets all spring long.  Though in her 80's, Bonnie was a bundle of energy and the memories run long of the fun we've had together...

She and her daughter, Marilyn were a happy part of our Lunch circle, our Bible Study group and our Road-Trip Warriors escapades...

Her loss has left us a little off-center.  Her faith strong, we never doubted her home-going.  The goodbyes were sweet and full of love.  Her family centered in Christ's promises.   And yet, there is such a hole left in our lives...

We miss that smile, the encouraging hugs, even that sassy way she had of livening even the most ordinary of days.

And while we feel the missing, her daughter struggles all the more, for more than mother-daughter, they were best of friends.

And so, when life grabs you by the neck and drags you through paths uncharted, it is often that we end up adrift with no anchor... and in the midst of the uncertain, the bluebonnets bloom sure... and we dared to snatch Marilyn up for a Road Trip, even in the midst of grieving Bonnie...

For in our Cancer Journey, mom found that sometimes you just need to Get-Away for a bit.  And though we weren't Traveling with Cancer, we indeed needed a reprieve from the heart-ache... A granting of permission to go and enjoy the people, places and activities that bring us so much pleasure.

And so the Road Trip to Waco was born.  A Grace Break most needed.

Waco?!  Yes, the home of our newest addiction... The Fixer-Upper!  Have you seen it on HGTV?  Chip and Joanna Gaines are the warm and crazy hosts of a show that we simply love.  So where better to head off to if you live in Texas?  Magnolia Markets, the fabulous Fixer-Upper store front!

 

Oh and we shopped...

 

and shopped...

 

And then since you can only shop so long,

we set out to explore the Back Roads of Waco.

Friends, you need to visit Waco!

 

 

 

Such beauty... flowers spilling, heart-aches easing...

 

And we found the tallest Crepe Myrtle we've ever seen!

 

 

And of course, we ate and laughed...

and talked about our moms, and Bonnie,

and cried a bit...

And felt the Grace Break right on down to our very hearts.

And, naturally we found our bluebonnets...

 

Spring time in Texas...

Somehow Grace gives joy even in the midst of grieving,

for sharing the heart-aches together, surely eases the pain

and gives way to such beautiful memories.

Thanking God for the gift of you, Miss Bonnie,

your light and legacy live on...

P.S. You would have loved this trip!

The Lake Place Update...

Life in the country moves S L O W !!!!

The last time we shared about our adventure homesteading on the lake we were positively, definitely moving fast... at the slowest pace ever!

To bring you up to speed...we sold our farm last December (2013), *sigh*  then bought our lake place this past June (2014) *smile* and have been dreaming, planning and working hard every since, on country time that is... which I may have mentioned is S L O W...

But we have a driveway now... Yes!

 

 

I love how it curves thru the property...

And after all the dozer work, we are watching the pond refill...

 

It's one great, big, over-grown mudhole right now, but, oh, I see possibilities!

Just wait... this is the perfect "Before" shot.

One day, we will all Ooooo and Aaaahhh over the grand transformation!

And, then we found an off-the-wall storage container for all our "Stuff."

 

It's an actual rail-container.  Perfectly weather-tight and roomy enough for all the important stuff we had stored and scattered all over creation this past year.

 

It's incredibly comforting to have our things all back together again... 

Kind of like Christmas as we find long lost tools, books and assorted, but indispensable junk :-)

And then there have been the bonfires in the rain...

 

And the hikes along Brushy Creek in the winter sun...

 

And little gopher hills popping up all over the place!

 

but such, cute, furry little faces, makes me smile...

 

(Farmer Husband is not amused)

But, oh, so cute, just saying!

We welcomed friends to enjoy our country place...

After, of course, reminding them that we have no water, no potty,

nor even a home.

But they love us and came anyway!

 

 

And the most recent development is also the most exciting!  Just this week we began drilling our water well.  Such anticipation at the lake place!

 

 

 

We are anxiously awaiting to strike gold any day!  Clean, cold water is our prayer!

We will keep you posted on all developments...

And in the meantime, we continue to lift up all those enduring their own journey along the pancreatic cancer road.  Perhaps you might feel our love this day in a special way.  Your struggles are not forgotten and we storm heaven's gates daily for answers to the suffering of this life.

Praying you are swept up in Grace and held closely in Peace this night.

My Love Always, Jane