Back in Oklahoma {Blessing}

 

We are back in Oklahoma and nothing quite says "Oklahoma" to me like an armadillo!
We seem to arrived home right in the middle of "armadillo season".  Not actually
an official season but this is the time of year we tend to see them everywhere!
This little guy was discovered in the front yard by Emma.  It wasn't easy to keep the boys
off of him long enough for me to take this photo.  Chasing armadillos is way too
much fun for my boys...my bigger "boys" tend to so something else to them!

 

Even Joy loves to get in on the armadillo fun!  It was so good to get back home
 and see our Joy.  She comforted herself in our absent by nursing all the cats.
A most amusing sight!  Yes, we are a strange family with even stranger animals! 



Since we have gotten home, we have had lots of fun
catching up with many of our dear friends. 
Couldn't resist this photo of
Camie, Esther and Emma...love how they "blend."



Oddly enough, scorpions remind me of home too! 
Kids found this one outside.  Parker let me take this photo
before he bravely killed it while impressing his younger sisters. 



While not doing school (I just love our new Abeka video program!), the kids
are outside enjoying the fabulous weather and being most creative.
Parker and Clay took the old trampoline fabric and tied it from a tree to a dog
kennel and have been having fun using it as a hammock. 
For some reason known only to himself, Clay did not want to
 have his photo taken.  Parker sure looks cute!


We had a great drive back to OK from CA.  David and Mark Fagala did more than their share of the driving making things a lot easier on the rest of the driving crew.  We were blessed to make an overnight stop in Guymon while dropping off David and Mark at their place of employment...their uncle and aunt's farm.  It was such a blessing to meet Jerry & Linda Lunsford.  They were so gracious and made us all feel welcome.  There are some photos floating around the house of our time in Guymon but until I find the camera card, they will have to wait.  We were also blessed to meet the boy's grandparents...both darling and couldn't say enough nice things about their daughter-in-law, Kathy Fagala.  Very sweet!

We were all so glad to get home and see Brent!  We sure missed that man and plan to take him with us to CA next year...at least for a week!  Jack fared well while we were gone and Brent was most happy to let go of his snake duty.  Lillie and Dee left the day after we got home for a week to travel with Wayne and Kathy Fagala (David and Mark's parents) to the Northwoods to attend a Journey Reunion.  Both girls had a wonderful time and enjoyed traveling with the Fagala's. 

Now that everyone is back home, we have been trying to find our "normal" again.  School, music lessons, art lessons, medical appointments, hunting preparation, and my strong need to not be the next person featured on "Hoarding: Buried Alive."  I have been using any "free" time to go through everything and try and get rid of as many things as possible.  Praise God, I am making progress but still have so much more to do.  The Chatham family have been most encouraging by their example and allowed us to take part in their garage sale. Just thinking about things getting out of my house makes me smile!  There is always something going on and chaos times ten!  In October, we have Family Camp and Dennah's 17th birthday, along with Lillie's knee surgery the end of the month.  Susanna will be coming home for a visit the first weekend which will be wonderful.  Hattie is loving her new nursing job...the charge nurse for the 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM shift at a rest home.  She enjoys the folks she serves and has even been proposed to a couple of times by a patient...very sweet! 

All is well here in OK...we pray the same for you and your family wherever you may be.