For the past couple of years, we have enjoyed a conference tradition of inviting a houseful of friends over to our house for a big Sunday brunch while we watch conference.  Since we don't have a houseful of friends here yet to invite, we had a smaller, just-us version of the General Conference Brunch-A-Palooza.

Here is the food before we all tore into it.  Yes, that is Cheez Whiz in celery that you see front and center.  After three years of hoity-toity European cheeses, I felt a responsibility to introduce my children to the all-American, trailer-trashy, cheese-food-like-substance that is Cheez Whiz.  For the record, they loved it.

 This afternoon, Brad and I took the boys to an air show at a little airport by Brad's office.  It was only 50 degrees, which is FREEZING in Texas, but we still had fun.

The Thunderbirds put on an exhibition where they flew jets really fast and really low in really tight formations.  Every time they did some maneuver, Luke would look at us all wide-eyed and say, "This is the BEST PLACE EVER!!"

Yep, this guy is upside down.

The planes were flying so low and fast that it was super loud - like the kind of loud that rumbles your chest cavity.  Many people wore ear plugs, but hello, ear plugs are for sissies!

(What?  Pardon me?  I'm sorry, could you speak up?  My ears are still ringing...)

We also got to look at a bunch of airplanes up close.  Don't you think this Galaxy looks like a whale about to swallow all the people?

Cool airplanes were admired, ear drums were damaged, hot dogs and pretzels were eaten, and Diet Dr. Pepper and lemonade were drunk.  Excellent use of a Saturday afternoon.

Tonight, Jess, Pepper, and I went to see Jessica's high school production of The Diary of Anne Frank.

  Jess really wanted to see it because many of the actors are in her drama class and she helped with sound crew until they decided not to use mikes.  Pepper wanted to see it, since he was in the play last year playing Miep Gies.  And I wanted to see it because I always like to watch plays.  Always.

I was very, very impressed with the quality of this production.  The set looked professional, all the actors were very well prepared and convincing, and there was not a single cringe-worthy moment like can sometimes happen in a high school play, except that they pronounced Anne's sister's name "Mar-gut" with a hard 't'.  I've always thought it was pronouced the softer "Margo", but the director told me at intermission that they chose the pronunciation after watching film footage with the actual Otto Frank, and he pronounced it "Mar-gut".  I guess he would know the correct way to say it.

The high school is doing The Sound of Music later in the year.  It would send me over the moon to watch Jess onstage in that production.  I guess I have a few months to figure out a way to manipulate her into thinking that SHE wants to do it...

So, we live in the sticks.  Our neighborhood is out in the middle of cow pastures and old farm roads.

It's actually awesome. 

Our backyard is on the other side of this cow pasture.  I don't know where the cows went.  Usually they are hanging out here munching on grass.  It would be so boring to be a cow.

But, every time I drive these roads, I feel a sense of contentment deep in my core.  I don't know what it is or how to explain it, except that it just feels like I FIT here.  Like when you find that right puzzle piece after trying to make 50 others fit, and the correct piece sort of slides into place, like it is pulling itself into the puzzle where it belongs.  There is just a deep rightness about it.  That is how I feel out here among the wide farm roads and bored cows and big blue sky.  I belong here.

 

This is the "downtown" near our house.  I know all you city slickers out there are probably appalled at the lack of Targets or Costcos or Olive Gardens, but this is just perfect for me.  It kind of reminds me of Garland, the small town where my dad grew up. 

I guess I'm just a Country Girl after all.

In the mornings, after we get home from seminary, Jess likes to let Joey in the house to follow her around as she finishes getting ready for school.  He is always waiting anxiously for her as soon as he hears the car pull up, and he trails after her every move as she does her make-up and grabs some breakfast.

This morning, Jess's bus was a bit early, so she had to rush out the door when it pulled up in front of our house.  Apparently, this mad scramble did not provide Joey with the closure he needed, because after she ran out the front door, he sat there whining and whimpering and crying for a good 10 minutes. 

At least Jessica knows she is loved.

Last night, Pepper mowed the back lawn and tonight Adam was supposed to mow the front.  When Pep got home from school and saw that Adam hadn't done it yet, Pepper hopped on the mower and did Adam's part.  On his birthday.  I'm telling you, this kid loves to mow lawns!

After that, we went to Red Lobster for Pepper's birthday dinner.

Happy birthday Magoo!!  Wow - 14!!

Some of Brad's former coworkers from Berlin are here in TX doing an audit, so we had them over tonight for a barbeque.

Bianca, Ingo, and Thomas with Brad.

They are truly delightful people, and we enjoyed visiting with them and hearing their German impressions of Texas.  Jess especially was in heaven when they bonded with her over how great Berlin is.