We're Home

Thanks to each of you who prayed for our safe travels. We have been home one week and it seems like one month. We hit the road running. We landed right on time in Lubbock, 30 hours after leaving our home in Pattaya. One really realizes how far it is when you are making the trip. When you are busy with the every dayness of life and e-mail and Skype with friends and family you tend to forget how far it really is. It was just the best to land in DFW after that 12+ hour airplane ride from Seoul and then to see Mom at the Lubbock airport-lots of hugs and much rejoicing. We loaded up all 8 of our bags and headed straight away to a most delicious meal of Mexican food. It was hilarious listening to the boys, "Ahh, the roads are so smooth! Everything is so clean! No dogs! WHATABURGER!" Dustin explained it to Grandmamma this way, "Thailand looks a little like a tornado hit and no one bothered to clean up the mess!" That accurately describes some parts of Thailand for sure.

We then stopped by to visit my grandmother and Aunt Sara at their new home. My grandmother has moved out of an assisted living facility and my Aunt is caring for her. Nanaw looked amazing and her stamina and health has improved since saying good-bye to her last July. There is a lot to be said of homecooked meals and loving care. We are thankful for her continued health.

We left there and headed on to Clovis, NM. Within an hour we were outfitted in our western attire and headed to the rodeo where our nephew, Coli was competing in the Wild Cow Milking Contest! It is surreal, I've felt like have we not only landed on a different continent but we've entered another dimension! I felt teary when the rodeo queens were parading the American flag around, the National anthem was being sung and the announcer prayed in Christ's name-I am glad to be an American.

We were exhausted by the time we arrived at Mom and Dad's house. On Sunday, Cory and Angel joined us for brunch and then that evening we enjoyed a good, ole'fashioned cook-out with my parents, my sister, her two boys and their families and my Aunt Sara. What fun getting to know Coli and Jenna's new daughter-Jaylee who was born in April.

At 4:00 am on Monday morning Mom, Aunt Sara and I headed to Dallas to shop for 3 days for the boot shop. The boys stayed to work with Pappa Joe at the boot shop. We returned on Wednesday night from Dallas after lots of shopping, several hours I spent in the car trying to adjust to the time change and catch up on sleep that was lost on the trip over. On Thursday, the boys' friend, Kelly flew into Lubbock for a visit. It has been so great having him here and the boys seemed to just pick up where they left off. After a day he was fully outfitted and ready to work along side the boys at Joe's Boot Shop. He has been such a good sport, eager worker and joy to have around. We have missed Kelly and we are so thankful for this time for all the guys to hang out together.

It's been an eventful first week back and we're trying to just enjoy every minute of it and hoping the time here doesn't speed by too quickly. My US temporary phone #806-368-1629 for the summer. Call me!

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