This holiday season has probably been one of our best ever! It has been filled with family, fun, and for the most part, gorgeous weather! We made it back home to Texas in late September (about a month too early). It was still summertime here (HOT). But, Paul was overseeing a building project that required him to be on site beginning in October, so there you go. He has been super busy since we’ve been back. That has been an adjustment for our family because we had gotten used to him “working from home”. It’s been nice to have the steady income though, especially through the holidays. It sure has been great to be close to family when he isn’t home though!
Upon arriving back in Texas, there were several things that we realized very quickly that we had missed about “home”, aside from family and friends, of course. We missed those wide-open Texas skies! West Texas has some of the best sunsets on the planet in my opinion.
We also missed our Julio’s! You can’t get this stuff just anywhere, friends, and it’s a staple food. 🙂 I did find out you can have them shipped to you unless you’re in CA (not sure why Cali gets left out…they don’t know what they’re missing!) Next time, we leave the state, we will be stocking up before we leave. And Tex-Mex food…oh how I missed you! 🙂
It has been great to catch up with family, meet new family members, and let the kids play with their cousins. Tyler got to fish with PawPaw, and I got to go to Muffins With Mom with my niece, Jailynne. I also got to visit with two of my cousins, Jena’ and Christa, whom I haven’t seen in years!
We made a trip to Midland, on October 16th, and celebrated our Baby Lily’s 9th Birthday in Heaven with our Annual Family Balloon Release. Can’t believe it’s been 9 years! I miss her everyday! There is more of her story in this blog.
The kids enjoyed the Family Fun Night at PaulAnn Church (the church we attend when we are home).
We’ve done some painting and personalizing the inside of Our Moving House, got the tires changed, had some repairs and maintenance work done on the truck, and repaired a busted cabinet in the bunkroom. It felt like “home” from the beginning, but it sure is cool to put our personal touch on it!
We celebrated Paul’s birthday, November 4th, at San Angelo State Park with a gorgeous night around the campfire, a little baseball, and some giant steaks!
We celebrated my birthday, November 20th, in Fredricksburg, TX. It’s a great place to visit if you’ve never been. It’s a little German town in the Texas Hill Country with lots of history. We stayed at Fredricksburg RV Park, which was a little bit like a can of sardines, but everyone was very friendly. It was very clean and well maintained. The office staff were very friendly. It was a little difficult getting our big rig in. We ended up having to go all the way to the end, down the wrong way, to come back around to get into our site. We were assured by a gentleman who “had done it a hundred times” that it would be fine. 🙂 The site was plenty long and we had enough room when it was all said and done. We also went out to Enchanted Rock State Park and climbed to the top. Absolutely beautiful!
Thanksgiving was awesome! I cooked the turkey again for the second year. My mom and I work very well together in the kitchen and had a lot of fun! We have a big Thanksgiving with both sides of the family over! Was a wonderful day of celebrating all of the things we are thankful for!
Then, it was Tyler’s 8th Birthday, December 10th…we LOVE destination birthdays, and I love planning them! LOL! This year, the weather was nice enough for travel so we went to Cleburne State Park, where we were close to Dallas/Ft.Worth and I had a few surprises up my sleeve! His first surprise was the Legoland Discovery Center in Dallas. Then, after a morning of fun there, we came back to camp and he got the 4 wheel drive remote control car he’s been wanting. That evening, we went into Fort Worth for his birthday dinner and happened to catch Santa on the town square. The next morning, we took him to Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, TX to see the dinosaur footprints. So cool! Then, for our final surprise, we went to Medieval Times, Dallas for dinner. I’m not sure who had more fun…him or us! Love that kid!
Then, Christmas Eve…what a great time! This year, my sister, Kelli, hosted us at her house on Christmas Eve after we attended the Christmas Eve Services together. I was in charge of games, etc…one of my favorite things to do. We have done a silly gift exchange among the adults the last few years and it is hilarious! This year, we did a “Redneck” theme, and it did not disappoint. I also planned fun games for the kids, which kept them entertained and gave us adults some good laughs.
This year, for Christmas we are parked at my parents’ house, so we shared some of our Christmas traditions with them for the first time!
Now, as I sit here on this New Year’s Eve 2016, reflecting on this amazing year, my heart is so full! We have been so blessed this year. We have met so many new friends, seen many old friends, and spent more time with family than ever! Our business has done well, we have seen and experienced so many awesome places, and God has been so faithful! We look forward to 2017 and all God may have in store for us. We look to Him for every move we make and every step we take. We would like to wish all of our family, friends, and followers a very Happy New Year filled with love, joy, and peace! May God bless you richly on your journey through 2017, and remember to enjoy the ride! Each day is a gift. Time is precious. Make the most of every moment, and love big! God bless you!
Our Moving House 