A Change of Plans - We are IN the Country!

While we meant to come down to the ranch on Monday, we decided on Saturday afternoon to change that to Sunday. I plan our days out as well as I can so that  we can enjoy as many days as possible at the ranch while still having enough days at home to take care of things there. It's a real blessing to have two places we love to be and we are so thankful for Dean and Sherry's hospitality!

I've been working my  way through the house taking Christmas and winter down and cleaning up behind it. Saturday I took all my Christmas dishes out to the storage building and brought in all my 'regular' ones. I have three 'batches.' Regular and Fall and Christmas.

The kitchen is all back to 'normal' which is a word I used to absolutely LOVE!!

If it was 'Normal' - I was all in !!

I remember when I was a little girl, I would ask my mother, "Are we a normal family?"

I have finally grown up and now realize there is no definitive normal that applies to everyone at every season of their life.

I am celebrating the fact that in my 73 years of life - I have been living my normal life for over 2 decades. 'Normal' is not without its trauma and drama......that's part of living.

Louis Dean tells me he has lived so many different 'seasons' of life.....and they have all been wonderful! God has blessed him with this - his childhood and growing up and young adulthood, his marriage to Ellen, service in the army, working in the bakery, college years with his beloved Ellen, teaching school and raising their family and then - in time to come - after he lost Ellen and grieved for 5 years  - our life together. We will be married 17 years in June.

 God has also blessed me with the seasons of my life - even the painful ones came with lessons and direction. I celebrate these happy golden years and moments and will cherish them now and in time to come.

What goes around comes around and as Louis Dean and I were busy switching gears and preparing to leave a day early - our Sweet Stephanie brought us Saturday's dinner and it was delicious!!

I worked in the den taking the Santa wall down and cleaning - I have not cleaned this room in months and it shows!!  But I stopped after several hours of working and binge watching NCIS-Hawaii - and will finish it up when we get home.

We packed up. loaded and left midafternoon today - and as we were driving down Hwy 183,

I loved seeing how Texas is supporting Ukraine.

Praying for Ukraine and its people.....

President Zelenskyy and his family......Andre and Tanya and their children and so many others.

First stop was the rest area just past Hillsboro.....

then Aldi on Valley Mills Road.

Last stop was HEB where we loaded up with snacks and things for when the Bells arrive tomorrow for Spring Break at the Ranch!

I'm loving the time change tonight as we drive in.

This is where we turn from the paved roads to the country ones.

Seldom so we encounter another vehicle here ...... 

At the gate!

My MOST favorite moment.

All the minutes, hours and days of our visit are right beyond that gate - all ahead of us.

I intend to enjoy every single second!

We came in and unloaded, unpacked and put everything away - which took a whole lot longer than it did to write that! Our little kitties are such good travelers!  Not a peep out of them on the way down.

I think they are as glad to be here as we are!

Candles were lit and we celebrated our arrival with a glass of wine.....

and now it's time to go to bed.

We have lots of life to live and memories to make this week!