Watching the Year Roll Over

We moved a year ago this weekend. 

Wow, it's been something to look back over the last year and also to reminisce about Texas. 

We really had a great neighborhood in Texas. I miss those sweet child faces, the helpful moms and dads, the fun our kids had in that cul-de-sac. 

With those cherished memories also comes great thankfulness for being here in Missouri. We are near family and familiar friends. We are out in the country and get to watch farming very soon. We have good work to do here ~ work on this home, work at church, work in town. We have that sense of place here. The land, the church, the town ~ the Gores and Fergusons have been here a good while, and we get to add to that heritage by living here. 

We're noticing the bits of nature that struck us when we first moved here. The robins have been running around for a few weeks now. The kill-deer are back, building nests and laying eggs I presume. I see henbit giving a purple hue to the same field I noticed it in last year. Our trees are budding, the wind is blowing, there are white blossoms on a tree in town ~ dogwood, I think. 

Phillip did more work on the front porch posts. Sanding and painting. 

We weren't sure what we thought of them being black, but I think we settled on: "We like it." 

Just sittin' around the kitchen talkin'.

Elizabeth came to visit over her Spring Break. She's reading the proof of my Charlotte Mason book. It'll be available very soon. Twila and I have a couple of podcast interviews lined up to talk about the book. I'll post links when they're out. Talk about nerve-wracking! I'd much rather write than speak. At least these are audio only. :-) And it's very nice to do this with Twila so I'm not in it alone.

At the Junction with Mimi and Papa.

Carl. 

Just...... 

Why can't we cuddle with you, Carl? 

Why do you have to always run away? 

Phoebe's been able to get closer to some of the others. I'm calling the most friendly one "Charlie." Even though no one else wants to call it that since we had a fish named Charlie. I guess I'll call him Charlie, and they can call him whatever, and we'll see who wins.