We Are HOME! Catching up......

Thursday morning we woke up in Amarillo, Texas - a mere 6 hours from home.
353.9 miles.

We woke up at 8:30 or so and I felt sure we would be home long before dark.

That didn't happen!

First of all, Louis Dean wanted to have a good breakfast at IHOP and then go to a Guitar  Center before we left town. I wanted to go to Cadillac Ranch and hit up at least one Goodwill.

Thanks to our navigational app - we were at IHOP easy peasy.

The Goodwill was less than a mile away from there and then the Guitar Center was another two miles from that! Win! WIN!!

All was well when we decided to hop up on Interstate 40 to get to Cadillac Ranch.

Whatever way we were going - it was impossible.

FIVE red lights on the frontage road - the same red light changed FIVE times - before I could turn left to get out of that traffic congestion!

I got on I40 going the opposite way we had been trying to go and it turned out it was the right direction to get to the Cadillac Ranch.

So on we flew to Exit 51. 

I had looked it up while we were still in our room that morning but, after driving and there was no exit 51 - I looked at the notes I had made and it was exit 60! Just 2 miles from where we turned onto I40 instead of the 12 miles we drove to ??

By this time I had to find a ladies room! It was so NOT fun at this point!

But we found Cadillac Ranch!

All these cars were planted firmly in the ground with farm land all around them.

Every single square inch of every single Cadillac had been decorated with spray paint.

I had thought we would sign our names with Sharpies!

This was way out of our league!!

Louis Dean was not impressed!

However, he took my picture and then asked, "Can we go home now?"

We got back up on I40 and since we were already ON the highway, we made it okay.

It was the fact that 10 exits and entrances to it were closed due to construction that made the traffic snarls on the frontage roads.

Still, we drove and drove and drove.

We only stopped for bathroom breaks and to switch drivers and a super quick sandwich picnic.

It was dark  before we got home but at least I knew where we were.

We arrived about 9:00.

I had thought we would unload the car and have a celebratory glass of wine and go to bed.

Not!

We surveyed the damage control situation from the water that had come in 6 days earlier.

Not as bad as we thought!

Then Louis Dean tried to get on his desk top and Summer had to walk him through by phone to sign in to the new updated Internet access she had fixed for us.

Summer bought these Internet extenders so we could have connections in all rooms of our house.

While he was figuring it out with Summer's everlasting patience - I decided to start the process of unpacking and putting up.

It was late when we finally went out to the gazebo for our glass of Champagne before going to bed.

We returned the car by noon Friday with Louis Dean following me to gas station to fill it up first.

I told him I was driving under the speed limit and still he was far behind me.

He agreed to speed up a bit and we made it to the car rental lot at the DFW airport by crawling along at a snail's pace. We rented from Budget and it was wonderful. They worked with us from the beginning when we arrived at a different location than the one we had rented from to pick up the car.

They made it work. 

Then we added an extra day to the rental so we wouldn't have to drive 600 miles in one day.

I drove right up and it was easy peasy.

Our final receipt was just as we expected it to be.

Plus Louis Dean had followed me into the rental return lot and the attendant had motioned to him where he should park and then he walked to the gate as we drove so he could let us out.

It was Win! WIN!! with Budget all the way!

We were not on vacation anymore!

The first thing Louis Dean did was buy two dozen roses for Summer!

She was already at our house when we got home - sitting out on the driveway waiting for us!

Louis Dean bought her the flowers - I bought her the pillow!

We love having Summer here with us.

This is a stress free home and she always seems to feel better when she's here.

It's kind of fun to be back home preparing meals and cleaning house.

I made up a big pasta salad and was glad I did when Brenda came by on her lunch hour to pick up some things we had brought back in our rental car for her. She may have shopped enough on the cruise that her suitcases could very well have weighed more than allowed! No worries! We had a large trunk!

I had mail waiting for me when I got home.

Lots and lots of birthday cards!

Ruth Ann had left this beautiful set of Sunflower mugs and pitcher for me.

I love them!!

Summer and I went for a short walk Friday afternoon.

We have seen some fall color in some parts of the country lately.

Here it looks a lot like spring with all the rain lately.

We walked around to visit a minute with my gardening neighbor, Tamara.

They are big Dallas Cowboy fans and so are we!

Everyone loves their Texas door!

Friday night Summer and I watched Tea With the Dames.

I had been looking forward to seeing this and seeing it with my daughter just made it perfect!

Summer had pizza and salads delivered for supper making it an easy peasy evening!

Saturday morning came and went and it was noon before I left the bedroom!

I made a big breakfast for lunch!

Then I started cleaning.

Louis Dean stayed in his music room all day working on his 'stuff.'

Summer worked on her ribbons and hair bows.

I thought this was so cool!

Curly ribbons!

She does such good work!

See??

By bedtime I had the den all put back to rights.

Louis Dean had gone out and bought two dozen roses for Stephanie that afternoon.

Thanks to her and Amber - the den wasn't too hard to put back together.

All the carpet in the entire room had been wet with the rains.

By the time we got home, what with the fans they had put out and AC cranked really cold, most of the carpet had dried.

Sunday Louis Dean was itching to go to the Cowboy Church so Summer and I decided to go with him.

It was really good!

Great message, music and fellowship!

Right up Louis Dean's alley!

It was good to see long time friends from another life in another church.

They have been members here for some years now.

We came home and spent the best Sunday afternoon!

Just like old times - Sunday dinner and football!

And the Dallas Cowboys WON!!!

As soon as the game was over,

 I cut a bouquet of what I had growing in my garden and made some fresh mint tea.

Then I went over to see Reaoma.

She can't see much anymore so I played all the little video snippets of our trip for her.

I know she heard then and she knew I was there.

When I prayed, we both cried.

It's been fun to have Summer here.

She had been working at the kitchen table so this evening she moved to the den so I could clean the kitchen.

She is such a crafter!

Just a few of her finished bows.

I told her when Rayne gets too 'old' to wear them - she can use them as bows on gift bags and packages. Some of these will be gifted to the quads this week!

We have a busy week in front of us.

Louis Dean has his 'Honey Do' projects in addition to his own.

I have two quilts to sew and the rest of the house to clean plus some yard work to do and, of course, a visit to the nursing home to see Mother and Lillian.

Nita sent a message on our Sibling Text Thread that Lillian's daughter, Ann, was in the ICU in Fort Worth with serious life threatening heart and liver issues.

I called Lillian and she said her daughter lives in Weatherford and had been taken to the hospital Friday night. They say if she had not arrived when she did, she would not have lived another day.

As it stands now, they are doing some tests on her heart and if the tests are good enough when they do them again tomorrow, she can be put on the list for a donor liver transplant.

I assured Lillian we are all praying for her daughter.

Ann will be 65 on November 2nd.....just 3 days earlier than Nita's birthday.

So young to be this ill.....

It's after midnight but I will not be up early so it doesn't matter.

For now I shall wish you all the blessings a Monday can bring!!