Home.
We are finally home!
In honor of this auspicious occassion I thought I would share a little song with you:
"Home. Home on the range. Where the critters are tied up in chains. I cut thru their sides and I rip off their hides and the next day I do it again"
Blessings.
I'm trapped. Trapped like a rat in a hotel in California.
My husband has a booth at the Red Bluff Bull & Gelding Sale. We have been here all week. Since Sunday. I am so sick of this place 
. It poured & poured & poured the first couple of days. But now it's nice & sunny. I will admit to liking the mild weather.
But I want to go home.
We brought all our school books & have been doing school every morning. That is, um, interesting.
And trying to keep 4 children quiet & calm & unbouncy in our 2nd floor room has been really interesting 
.
But we are here until late Saturday.
We have been going to the sale each day & checking out all the bulls. Walking thru the tradeshow & seeing all the cool stuff we can't afford & don't have any room for anyway .
This one booth has the most awesome chaise. It is huge, leather, cushy & just gorgeous. We would have to buy a bigger house to make room for it 
.
We watched some of the horses working today. I want #130. Gorgeous buckskin. Really nice attitude. I told my husband that was the one I want.
He just gave me 'the look". Hee hee.
Tonight I get to break out of the hotel & have dinner with grown-ups. I hope I can remember how to behave.
Only 2 more days...
Blessings.
Last week we traveled with my husband down to Petaluma CA, combining a business trip into some family fun.
The weather was something else down there. We were right in the middle of that huge storm system they were having. We saw torrential rain, high winds, downed trees, flooded & closed roads, a little bit of sunshine & several rainbows.
We took the kids to Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma. This was their first mission & they thought it was pretty neat
We also visited the barracks & an old boarding house/hotel that are in the same square.
Across the street was the Bear Flag Monument commemorating California's freedom from Mexican rule on July 9, 1846.
On our way home, we stopped in Fairfield & toured the Jelly Belly Factory.
Here is everybody in front of a Jelly Belly portrait of Ronald Reagan ~~my husbands favorite president~~
The tour was really neat. We got to see all the steps in making the candy & get free samples
The tour itself is free. So if you are ever passing thru Fairfield, it is definitely worth stopping.
We had fun but it is always nice to be home.
Next week we will head down to the Red Bluff Bull Sale for the week. It is a whirl-wind month of travel for us.
Blessings.
Today my littlest guy is 1 year old! Wow! How did that happen??
Just yesterday he looked like this
and then he was like this
and this
Then he looked like this
and now this
How does that happen?
He is such a sweet baby. Smart & happy & sweet.
I am so blessed by my sons.
Happy Birthday Biscuit!
I love you!
Blessings.
Yesterday our family went to visit my husbands grandparents: Grandma & Papa J.
We haven't seen them in several months. We were supposed to spend Christmas Day with them but we were all sick & didn't want to spread our cooties.
Finally, this week everybody was 'mostly' well so we headed down to see them.
Papa has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer 
And suddenly he & Grandma are old. They weren't old 6 months ago. They were strong & vibrant & healthy. Now they are old. They are tired & feeble.
It is heartbreaking.
My own grandma has been gone for 12 years now.
I miss her terribly & I have loved having Grandma & Papa for 'my own'.
Through the tragedy of sin & selfishness I haven't seen or spoken to my parents in 5 years. They are the same age as Grandma & Papa.
Sitting their yesterday, looking at them, at how old they've become, it hit me: is my Daddy that old? Is he feeble & tired?
Grandma & Papa are saved. The know the Lord & love Him & have the promise of eternal life.
My Mom & Dad do not.
My heart is broken.
I miss my parents.
Blessings.
These are videos of the dog my husband is training: "Honey".
So her 'people' can see her progress
Blessings.
