Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Gratitude


Yesterday, I was just grateful to make it to our destination with my sanity. I think we did, but that might be my stronger personality talking and taking over while the real Whitney curls up in a corner with a Diet Coke.

We are in the country of Texas. That's right, Texas, where the stars are plentiful and the roadkill is too. Dave's family has a "farm" in East Texas, about 20 miles from the nearest town of 4000. It is lovely out here. I wish I had my camera thingy that lets me download to this computer, but I don't. This morning, mist and fog everywhere, then it burns off around 9:30am and we had a beautiful sunshiny day on our own little 68 acres (I asked Dave why they call it a farm, not a ranch, since we are surrounding by cattle ranches and even rent the land out to ranchers and he said that they didn't want to seem snobby calling 68 acres a ranch - that is only for those with a lot of land, go figure.

But it smells fresh and clean out here, even when you are walking by the cows, who stare at you from afar, all of them, which makes me wonder what they are thinking and if they know I don't know how to milk them. The mornings are slow, the day has a different tempo, the family congregates and we just chill - sort of.

There is still Wii and guitar hero and right now I can hear Caroline crying and fighting with her cousin Riley, but thank goodness for Play-Do and trampolines. There is still phone reception, wireless internet (thank goodness!) and there is still satellite tv.

Dave just burned two HUGE piles of old wood, big trees, I will add pictures later. Eli has been running non-stop with his cousin Grant, Joey has only gotten one bloody lip and then crashed on his head as I was telling Dave to look at his lip. Right now, Dave is outside with the boys taking slow rides on the 4 wheeler (helmets of course, we aren't hillbillies!) and hanging out with his dad.

We all get to spend time together in one house, which is sometimes a bit too cozy but great at the same time because then we can stay up late, after the kids have gone to bed, and play games, or talk or battle at the Wii.

So, in short, I am grateful for holidays that bring everyone together in fresh air. I hope your week has taken a slower beat like mine.

3 comments:

Lindsey said...

That sounds so nice - We will be having a cowboy Thanksgiving vicariously through you...from New Jersey!

Amanda said...

I have to admit, the open space and the cows... sign me up! Kids are in heaven in these kinds of surroundings, and I hope you get a chance to have a breather and feel the same.

Miss you and talk to you soon!

katie said...

have such a fun time in TX and i can't wait to see the pictures that you get!

ps thanks for all of your "gratitudes" as a reminder of the way my own thinking should be :)