First Field Trip of the School Year: World War 2 Commemorative Airshow

While I was gone on a weekend Ladies Retreat a couple weekends ago,

my husband had the opportunity to take our children on their very first

field trip of the Fall season.

"The 2017 CAF Wings Over Dallas WWII Airshow is the preeminent WWII Airshow in the United States. The world's largest flying museum presents some of the best vintage aircraft, vehicles and living history reenactments in the world on October 6-8 at Dallas Executive Airport."

Our little homeschool co-op took the day off from school

 to attend this very special, free event. 

The Commemorative Air Force holds this show annually just 15 minutes from our

home, and this was the very first time they got to go!

Never could we have dreamed that later that evening, a terrible tragedy would strike
one of the families that went on this day trip.

Retreat 2017

Every year, in January, as I'm putting things on my calendar, 

this one event gets penciled in first!!!
It takes high priority for my whole family,
and my husband looks forward to taking time off to stay with the kids 

and have some fun time with them!!
Ladies Retreat means so much to me,

and I always come away refreshed and ready to advance back

into what God has called me to do with my life.
This year was no exception.
I had absolutely no idea what was about to come down the pike

into our lives!

It has become a bit of a running joke in our house that every time I go away

on ladies retreat, no matter how much time I spend planning and preparing

for those left home, some kind of "disaster" happens.
It has always been something that my husband could usually handle on his own.

Things like a son's poison ivy swelling his face up like a pumpkin requiring

the dad to make a trip to the pediatrician and pharmacy for a prescription.
 Terrible storms blowing through and knocking the power out for two days

requiring the emptying of freezers and refrigerators.
I've come home to stories of infected tiny toes that needed to be lanced,
and the dog getting out of the house, racing through the neighborhood,

with all six of my children running behind her trying to catch her 

before she bit another dog or small human!!
But nothing in this world could have prepared us for what would happen this year,

and the phone call I would receive while I was nearly 250 miles away.
God knew.
And He knew I would need to hear the theme song several times
to be constantly reminded of this truth in spite of what was about to change our lives

in a drastic way!

You Are Always Good
by Jonathan Hamilton

"Looking back, I can see Your fingerprints
Upon my life, always seeking my best.
There were times when Your way would make no sense,
But as You said, You have never left.

You are always good, You are only good;
You are always good to me.
Though my eyes can't see, help my heart believe
You are always, only good.

Looking in, I can see my frailty;
My sin is great, and my strength is so small.
Still You stay, and Your mercy shelters me;
You hold my hand, and You hear my call.

You are always good, You are only good;
You are always good to me.
Though my eyes can't see, help my heart believe
You are always, only good.

Looking up, I can see Your sympathy;
I doubt myself, but I'm sure of Your love.
Lavish grace was poured out at Calvary,
Securing me for our home above.

You are always good, You are only good;
You are always good to me.
Though my eyes can't see, help my heart believe
You are always, only good.
You are good."

Family Reunion 2017

Recently, we spent a Saturday with my husband's side of the family

for their annual family reunion.
Just so much fun!
Lots of fabulous homemade food!
New babies to meet!
Hikes to take!!

A little homesick?

I grew up in Northwest Ohio. 

 Way out in the country.

  In an old georgian style brick home surrounded by corn and soybean fields.  

The summers were warm and bright and clear and beautiful.

Winter was long, and cold, and snowy.

Now I live in Texas.

I love it.

It's hot......a lot.

We don't have a lot of snow.

Usually just one day a year.

And I'm happy with that.

My children get to experience snow, but I don't have all the hassle.

But it's this time of year that I miss my childhood home.

The smell of leaves in the air.

The smell of bonfires.

The hayrides with sweatshirts and jackets on, roasting marshmallows in the crisp, cold evening air.

The pumpkins lined up on hay bales decorating everyone's yard.

The suede jackets, and courderoy, and fleece. 

The field trips to the apple orchards, picking the biggest, juiciest Golden Delicious Apples you've ever seen.

The change of colors in the leaves on the maple and oak trees.

The crunching of leaves, ankle deep, under my feet while walking through the forest.

The harvesting of the soybeans.

The canning of tomatoes and corn, and digging up the potatoes in the garden and storing them away for the winter.

I miss butternut squash, cooked with smoky link sausage.

It's these kind of scenes that fill my head when I smell a "pumpkin spice" or "maple pecan" candle burning.

That's about as close to the season of Autumn that I can get down here.

Oh, there are plenty of counterfeits.

You can buy all the pumpkins and Autumn candles you want, but it's just not the same when it's 80 degrees.

I miss the party.

October's Party

October gave a party;

The leaves by hundreds came--

The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,

And leaves of every name.

The Sunshine spread a carpet,

And everything was grand,

Miss Weather led the dancing,

Professor Wind the band.

The Chestnuts came in yellow,

The Oaks in crimson dressed;

The lovely Misses Maple

In scarlet looked their best;

All balanced to their partners,

And gaily fluttered by;

The sight was like a rainbow

New fallen from the sky.

Then, in the rustic hollow,

At hide-and-seek they played,

The party closed at sundown,

And everybody stayed.

Professor Wind played louder;

They flew along the ground;

And then the party ended 

In jolly "hands around."

~~George Cooper