Although we thought we would be at the ocean until our kids
turned into fish, after a few days on Padre Island, the wind, cold, and fine
sand set our journey north, up to the suburbs of Austin where we were reunited
with family (something we had no idea how much we missed!). We similarly enjoyed the quiet and quaint
neighborhood we stayed in. I will never forget
jogging past endless wildflowers in the sweet morning sun and conversating with
the horses, ladybugs, and Lord in the pastures.
What a precious and much needed time of rest and relaxation. Not to mention the fun we had dining at the
oldest BBQ joint, triple stepping at a live dance hall, and boogying down to twist
and shout at a wedding. Texas was a
ball. But all good things come to an end
and we were excited to get home to see more loved ones, and get ready for our
next adventure (God willing) through Canada and up to ALASKA!!! We had plans to experience the panhandle of Oklahoma,
but once again, God had a different agenda for our family. It wasn’t waterfalls and hot springs, but elephants
and Herefords…literally! We were led to the
small town of Hereford, TX just outside of Amarillo, due to severe weather in
Oklahoma. We were blessed to stay at a
park with a beautiful walking and biking path, next to a duck filled, sunset-mirroring
pond. The circus “just happened” to be
in town for the couple of days we were there, and we were wowed! As if that wasn’t enough, we discovered an
awesome thrift store where Ethan laid eyes on “Mantis”, his new big boy bike
(for $5!). Although attending a Baptist
church service celebrating the graduating seniors had us missing home, we were
cordially invited to have burgers at an amazing couples home. Between the wedding in Austin, church in Hereford,
and a BBQ with “grandparents”, the seeds of home calling us were officially
planted and we were on our way. Although
we loved the beauty of Colorado, it didn’t have the people like Wyoming does:
fewer and kinder. We didn’t even spend a
week in the entire state. After “accidentally”
missing our exit in Glenwood Springs, Eric asked me if I just wanted to go to “the
cabin” (just outside of Laramie, WY). My
answer: “YES!!!”. It wasn’t until we went
hiking to an old mine the next day that I realized how extraordinary the mountains
of Wyoming really are. As I gazed upon
the intricately placed myriad of spring blossoms, rocks, and even cactus, I was
in awe of God’s creation. Even with the
cactus, I felt so safe and at peace here.
I even imagined this to be a little piece of heaven. How blessed we are to have this in our backyard! Traveling south did make me appreciate the
beauty of Wyoming, our home on earth.
Will Alaska prove otherwise?
Geographically it’s already in the negative for grandparents, grizzlies
do seem a bit more daunting than even snakes, but beauty and people…we have yet
to determine! Stay tuned ;o)
