Transplanted in Texas

What will you be when you are grown? A missionary in a far-off land, or just a rancher with an extraordinary wife and lots of children? Perhaps you will be crazy enough to join the chicken industry, or the gas or oil industries. Perhaps your love for water will make you an Olympic swimmer, and you'll be the greatest that ever lived. Or maybe you'll be a veterinarian, since you seem to love all the animals you come in contact with. Whatever life path you choose, I know one thing: you'll be good at it, and you will try your best to be great. Yancey Lane, we are proud of you. You have inherited a headstrong personality from your parents, but also great strength and brains - from your father, no doubt. We will try to teach you how to use your intelligence for God, and couple it nicely with the stubbornness to get something good done in this world. But we won't be perfect. So try to be understanding. No doubt you will be, but only after you have kids of your own. ...

In this part of Texas, snow happens once every couple of years - if that often. So when it does, because nobody around here manages to keep equipment and such ready for the ice and sleet and snow, people get snow days from work and school. Including my husband. D already had a day off this week because he was sick, and another day off was bittersweet-ish. I mean, we really could use the pay that comes with another day of work, but a four-day weekend is nice. And then there is the fact that on Monday I came down with what he had and have been somewhat bedridden all week. Monday and Tuesday were my worst, however, and it was good to have him to take care of me. He had me to care for him and Yance over Saturday and Sunday, and then returned the favor. Yance had a bad fever over the weekend too, but recovered remarkably and is just fine. He never lost his appetite, just slowed down and slept a lot while burning whatever bug he had out of his body. I am so thankful for D. He mean...

Yance turned ten months old this week, and it has been a crazy ride. There have been a lot of battles as he tries to cry his way to what he wants, or simply cry because he wants to. But overall, he's had a wild initial ten months. He had a pet cat for a while, and a bad cough for several months. Midget absolutely loved the boy, but wouldn't use the litter box consistently so he had to go outside and ended up dead of unknown causes. After the cough spell he proved to be healthy as could be, if a little small, though he was growing like a weed. That stalled out after about eight months, and although he eats everything in sight (except green beans unless they're covered in meat), he is taking his sweet time with growth. He is healthy and strong, with little rolls on his arms and legs and a bit of a belly. He sits up, crawls, climbs, stands with the help of whatever he can find, and walks with help. He loves his Christmas toys, and if we lose something he is sure to f...

Well, the cold snap that occurred over the New Year weekend is finally letting up. Blegh. We were completely out of water for a day, because a pipe broke at a trailer house that is unused but still had water turned on to it. I finally got out to take pictures, because it was warm enough! Also, I had a cold that got worse New Year's Day and is finally clearing up now. Yance has been congested but not bad. His third tooth is much more prominent now, and he's a happy little guy. We spent last weekend with my parents, and it snowed! Not much, and was it was way too cold out to let Yance experience it, but it did. It was real snow. While we were there, my parents basically took over Yance's training, giving us a bit of a break and helping us figure out where we were good and where we needed to improve. It's been rough, this past year, and being first time parents we didn't (and still don't) know what we were doing. But I am grateful to my family for ...