We arrived at the ranch on Monday and left on Saturday.
It was a day earlier than I was really ready to leave.....but it was time to go.
But first, I had one last fling and went off with Dean and Sherry to Mart leaving Louis Dean sound asleep. Mart was hosting a town wide garage sale and we stopped at Reed's Grocery for a map and made the rounds. We all ended up with a few real treasures!!
I must say that packing up to come DOWN to the ranch is a lot more fun than packing up to LEAVE here! But I'll be back!
Louis Dean opted drive out to the highway to Waco by way of the back roads.
I never get tired of the scenery.
You know it is REALLY the back roads when you see a cow cross the dirt road in front of you.
We slowed down and the cow walked back across the road.
There's always something interesting to see in the country!
Louis Dean saw a truck coming as we were on down the road and paused....the other guy paused and LD told him, "There's a loose heifer loose down there. Be careful."
He was so proud of himself for saying 'heifer' instead of 'cow.'
As we got into Irving, we had the great idea of stopping at our favorite hamburger joint on the way home. Good idea! We had a lot of work in front of us. Unloading, unpacking, putting the house back to rights, starting the laundry.
By the time we had that done, I could barely stand up straight.
We fell into bed, exhausted.
It absolutely amazes me what a good night's sleep will do!
We woke up at 8:00 - early for us - and went about getting ready to drive 80 miles to our family reunion.
We meet the first weekend in October at Mineral Wells State Park.
It's the Whitfield Family Reunion and this is Anthony - our Family Patriarch.
It's hard to get a full picture of everyone but Mike (Nita's husband) did a good job!
This side would be Mother's children, our husbands and some of the grandchildren.
A center shot.....
and this is Anthony and his family.
Our handsome photographer!!
Nita and Nathan, one of Deanie's grandsons.
This is such a perfect place to gather.....plenty of beautiful scenery and places for the kids to climb, hike and explore.
Family Reunions = Good Food!!!
Desserts......
Casseroles and chicken!
It was good to see Mother!
She doesn't come to stay with us anymore.
Her choice.
Toni Sue is the gal that makes this reunion work!
Her dad has the plan and she makes it happen.
It's always a good thing when can get together for an afternoon of good food, fellowship and be in a beautiful scenic place.
My sweet patient husband!
It's a wonderful thing to get acquainted with Anthony's super talented family.
Winston was a bonus guest and he belongs to Andie.
Tyler is a cutie! He's Deanie's grandson.
I have had the most amazing birthday of my entire life!!
This is an outfit Nita gave me and I plan to wear it on a special occasion Tuesday morning!
This one will be for later in the week!!
All too soon, it was time to do our goodbyes and leave.
We are all huggers!
Somehow, getting together in October and our quarterly Cousins Gatherings throughout the year seem to keep us all connected and every year we get to know each other better and enjoy each other even more.
Our drive across the dam.....Lake Mineral Wells was so dry last year, there wasn't even a swimming beach! Not so this year!!! The lake is full and looking beautiful!!
Life just keeps moving on. Days turn into weeks and before you know it - the month is over and there are new adventures on the horizon.
My 30 September Morns are over but I enjoyed every single one of them.
It was good to savor my very last one of 2016 at the ranch.
Now moving on into October!
"Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons."
Jim Bishop
What great weather for a reunion! NOT one of those hot ones with flies and melted food. You will look super in these cute shirts! Such a beautiful family. I am so sorry your mom is not staying anymore. Maybe the Quads were a bit much...
ReplyDeleteYour country vacation home seems so peaceful and entertaining. I could watch animals all day long! I hope your sister Deanie is doing ok with her health and your mom. I know it's a family thing but the dynamics are very intriguing. Maybe Deanie can come stay with you! ;) Wishing you a good October!
ReplyDeleteGreat family reunion pictures! I wish ours had been in the cooler weather. We were melting in August.
ReplyDeleteHope your October is as good as your September was.
How fun...we are having a family reunion next Saturday with my mom's family. There are getting to be fewer and fewer of us.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to end you time at the ranch. Can't imagine going from the quiet to the chatter of so many people but knowing you....it is not a problem:)
ReplyDeleteyou have such a lovely family and I miss our reunions.. that is a really good photo of you and your mother. one of the best. glad you got a good nights sleep before the long drive.. I am so jealous over you seeing a 'heifer' on the road. LOL
ReplyDeleteHi Linda, what a beautiful family you are and looks like such a fun time at your family reunion. The food the smiling faces surely making memories. Love the cow crossing the road!! Have a great week and thank you for stopping by the Texas fall tour! xo
ReplyDeleteLooks like a wonderful time!!...I grew up in the city.... and they were all cows to me...even the bulls... I had know idea cows were the girls:) So heifer... I have to think about what that is.... :))))
ReplyDeleteYou had a great week and a great week-end. Now it's time to switch and play with th quads. Hope this next 10 days goes well.
ReplyDeleteLinda, I am glad you had time with your wonderful husband at the ranch. You even had fun coming home and the very next morning. I miss our family times. It's getting harder and harder to get our family together. So many lame excuses. Time is short and people seem to think it goes on forever,...well it does, but maybe not for all of us. Your mother looks so good . As do your siblings. Blessings to all of you, xoxo, Susie
ReplyDeleteHow fortunate you are that you get together with your family on a regular basis! I and my cousins have lost touch since all of our parents passed away. My brother lives in McKinney, but we still only text occasionally and get to together once a year at Thanksgiving. My husband's family is still very close and most of them still live in the same town in New Mexico! They are having a reunion on the 15th, but we won't be able to go this year.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a fun day! I wish we could have a reunion but with most of our family in another country(USA) it is difficult. We do need to make another family trip though since it has been 3 years since we have seen most of them and Mom is getting older and I am not sure how much longer she will want to make the trek to visit her brother and sisters in the States. I think maybe we need to plan a trip next year or the year after.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures, eapecially the one of you and your Mom.
ReplyDeleteYour commitment to family and gatherings is wonderful. It would take something big to get you to leave the ranch.
ReplyDeleteI love the photographs of your family gatherings Linda, and it takes a lot of organisation and committment to make it all happen, but these times are very precious, and help us to feel grounded and connected. Wonderful times, and precious memories made X
ReplyDeleteFun times, Linda!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great day Linda. Beautiful family photos and the food looks pretty darn awesome!!
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