Birthday Wishes and a Magnolia Market Road Trip

Sometimes a Birthday Wish is so easy to grant!

This weekend past we celebrated Katie's Birthday with a Road Trip to Waco and the fabulous Magnolia Marketplace!!!

 

If you've been listening to my rambling for long ;-) you know that we're a big fan of HGTV's Fixer-Upper and this daughter just couldn't wait to visit their new silo and storefront!

 

The Silos are a work in progress (I see another road trip in our future!), but the storefront was simply a delight...

 

 

Even the floors spoke Welcome to us!

And of course we registered our visit in the guestbook...birthday girl and all...

 

And then we shopped...

 

 

 

 

And if you're observant (which of course you are) you noticed I'm in a different outfit from the beginning of this post (I know, you just scrolled up to check, smiling), and that's because we might have had to come back 2 days in a row to take it all in... heaven for these 2 country girls!

And then, when you get all shopped out (or you just need to get refueled) we headed for the Food Truck Court...

 

 

Crepes in Texas... Another new favorite!

 

Watching the children play as we ate,

the perfect family place...

moms shop, kids play, dads wait :-)

 

Then we wandered over to the Texas Farm Garden...

 

 

 

We fell in love with this rustic tee-pee reading corner!

 

I might have decided I want one.

With wild jasmine and sweet honeysuckle climbing the cedar wall posts,

it will be the perfect "secret" garden for our grandkids out at the lake!

We met the sweet young thing that built it...

and she convinced me we could build one too!

 

The Farmer just smiles...

 

What's one more project?!

 

Our trip wound down with the requisite #milestomagnolia photo op

and then it was time to pack up and head home...

Chip and Joanna sent us off with their Blessing :-)

 

And indeed, we are so very blessed.

Mom would be the first to agree.

Cancer may have hi-jacked the last leg of our journey,

but it could never steal the joy she brought to our lives.

Mom's heart beat to see the family circled together...

this road trip would have thrilled her to no end.

And in these days of counting our blessings,

and celebrating Thanksgiving with love,

we can feel her smile and hug like a real thing.

It was the best Birthday!

Love you to pieces, Katie!

Always and Forever,

                                 Mom and Dad

 

 

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!

McDonalds, the Internet and Another Road Trip

So... I just might be having Internet withdrawal...

Wow.  It's been 10 days since I last had a connection (I think... it might be longer... I have lost track of days in my social media white-out).  How did the Pioneers ever survive?

We have been on a Road Trip to the North to visit Farmer Husband's family, most especially the sweetest in-laws a girl could ask for...

 

Over the past year, as their health has teetered, they have made some hard decisions... home is now the Marigold Assisted Re-hab Center.  And yet, they haven't been quite able to part with their brick-and-mortar home filled with memories and antiques and treasures.  It has been closed up (no internet!) and winterized these past months, just waiting for visitors from afar :-)  

 

The fellowship and time together has been marvelous... so much to share in days to come... however, it will have to wait until we get home or find another McDonalds (who knew they had free wi-fi? Order another chocolate shake please!)

 

Pictures and stories and hope mingle right along with miles and miles of interstate.  We're headed home...

 

Love and Grace,

                         Jane

Living Life...on the Exotic Side!

Just back from a glorious few days with the Birthday Girl!

Daughter Katie turned "20-something" and asked for the sweetest gift... a road trip with her mama.  How could I not oblige?!  Especially when she told me the destination...

The Exotic Zoo Ranch Resort in Johnson City, Texas!

 

 

We stayed in a rustic cabin in the middle of our very own zoo!  Surrounded by wallaby, zebu, antelope and bison... we took a walk on the wild side!

 

 

A friendly Good Morning right outside our cabin door...

 

 

 

 

And then there was our zoo-fari trip around the compound!

 

 

We waited for an excited group of pre-schoolers to disembark the trolley before heading out on our adventure and to our blissful amazement, we had the safari trolley all to ourselves.

 

 

 

Lydia was our knowledgeable guide and she gave us the royal treatment, stopping often so we could get pictures and hand-feed the wild beasts...

 

There were camels...

 

 

 

 

And adorable, fuzzy, Scottish Highland cattle...

 

 

And curious Zebra...

 

 

And one very hungry ostrich...

 

 

 

And then we topped a hill and came upon the amazing Bison...

 

 

Gentle Giant...He ate right from our hands...

 

 

A Road Trip worthy of Birthday Memories!
We won't soon forget the adventure, the handsome beasts, or the charming accommodations.

 

But the Memory that holds top honor would be the time spent with a Beautiful Daughter, Reconnecting and Enjoying the Gift of Slowing Down Together...

 

There was laughing, and sharing, and shopping, and celebrating. 

 

Memories of Love tucked deep down in this Mama's Heart...

 

Happy Birthday, Katie!

Love you to pieces :-)