Transitioned

August 13, 2011

Some words from a month ago:

We've been home for 4 months! It has flown by!

Today we were talking about our time back here in Texas and it caused me to think back over the last few months. I realized something.

I think we are officially 'transitioned'!

I am sure there will still be off days here and there, but for the most part I feel like we have healthily grieved leaving Belgium, readjusted to America, and just overall feel NORMAL again.

It's a really good feeling.

It wasn't until looking back today that I realized how hard those first few months were. How out of sorts and out of place we felt. Kind of lost and overwhelmed. Like we didn't belong anywhere.

Through spending good time with family and friends, good time with the Lord, and the debrief we went through in Colorado, we feel like we're on the right track, and are feeling ready for what's next!

We've had fun catching up with family and friends since being home.




And had a great 5 year anniversary getaway!




It was soooo fun reconnecting with family at WWAC!



And not quite as much fun getting ready for our (hopefully) last garage sale :)

The last month or so!

Blogging happens better for me when I'm out of the country.

Obviously :)

When I am home I like to soak up every bit of every moment and tuck it away, and sometimes the way I feel about it all can't really be expressed with words.

I feel a rendition of John Mayer's "3x5" coming on :) Blogging may continue to be sparse while we're home.

So, in summary, The Last Month or So! :

Building sandcastles in Galveston.



Building sandcastles in Florida.



Having heart-to-heart talks with friends deep in the woods.



Casa Bonita.



Debrief program at MTI in Colorado Springs. And the gorgeous mountains.



New miniature donkey friends.



And a whole lot of this.



And this.



Very very good stuff.

Oh, and P.S.

Clint and Mel are giving me a niece! It's a girl!



AND I'm getting a new sister!



Life is very good.

Berry-picking

We've been on a blackberry kick ever since our little picnic yesterday.

Dad had the great idea to eat leftovers on quilts out in the pasture.

It was perfect.



Afterwords, Clay, Q, and I poked around a little bit and managed to fill 2 Solo cups to brimming with ripe berries.

We couldn't find the illusive tart recipe from our childhood, so we decided to go with a cobbler.




It wasn't bad by any means, but we knew it could be improved upon.



So, after church today (and after Q drove us all home, and I thought I would have to dig Mom's fingernails out of my leg)...



... the three of us set out again, this time armed with long pants, boots, and buckets.

After 3 hours, we came in the door with 20 cups of black berries!!!

(P.S. We call them blackberries now. After extensive online research, we have concluded that you can call them whatever you want. Dewberries, blackberries, snozberries. There is no clear answer out there, so I'm going with blackberry for everyday use, and dewberry when I'm feeling nostalgic for my PawPaw Wells. Snozberry, probably never, but the reference makes me smile)



Tonight's recipe:



Oh heavens.



Indeed.



Happy campers all the way down to the floor.



Now, on to other recipes!

The last few weeks.

This past week was a special one.

We FINALLY got to spend some time with our entire team that's going to Prague! We went on a retreat together in the Hill Country to talk about and cast vision for our future in Prague.

It was good just to be in the same room with everybody.



And talk and talk and talk.




Sweet Jack and Shirley let us stay at their ranch for the week.



The kids had a blast.



Can you find Clay way up in that tree?



He reminded me of one of those baboons you see on TV way up in trees in the jungle :)



Team Prague!



So good to be in Texas!!!



And to be with good friends.



On our way out they took us past this castle. Wow! Can you believe this??



2 Happy Texans.



Cute Autumn and Morgan.



We stayed up past midnight on our last night getting some final work done.



When we got home.... bonus! Rob was home! It's Q's birthday this weekend so the family is heading this way.

Today we ate Mel's for lunch, then headed out with Gma to feed the neighbors' horses and enjoy the pretty day.



Her daddy was born on this land.



When the horses see us they run to the fence. They know they're going to get some carrots :)



She was so brave. Go Gma!



We had a fun time checking the progress of the dew berries. They are getting close!



They are EVERYWHERE!

That entire bush in the foreground of this pictures is covered in them!



We snagged a few early bloomers.

So good! We can't wait for tarts and jelly!



I can't get enough of this land.

It makes me so happy.



We lost track of time, and pretty soon the cart started losing battery power.

Luckily we had other forms of power :)



Then Rob discovered he could pull more power if he went in reverse.



I was laughing so hard by this time.



There she goes!



And all the way home!



I am a happy happy girl.