We’re coming up on one year in our new home and it’s just as wonderful (and unbelievable) now as it was when we watched it being built last fall, after years of planning and delays. We’re finally Home- and will never ever take that for granted.
Ward gets stronger every day, and I’ve got him pretty well back to fightin’ weight with the liberal application of home cooked comfort foods. The doctors have cut his scans back to every 6 months or so, and every single day together is precious.
Alec just finished up his first quarter of 7th grade home school- good thing Ward’s his teacher because he passed me by at about 3rd grade…He’s involved in the International Future Problem Solver’s Program with the Denton home school group, is a 3rd degree black belt in tae kwon do, has an insatiable curiosity about all things socio-political, and is working on a complex and constantly morphing earth-berm structure with his dog- Aaron the Freakishly Understanding. He’s considering trumpet lessons since becoming a fan of jazz, big band and swing music.
Erika is back “on the hill” after taking a break for several years in retail management. She and her new husband Dave have a new dog, Lolo who is their running partner (on the shorter runs). She’s still running marathons and she and Dave finish at the head of the pack most of the time. Her wedding was absolutely beautiful at the lighthouse lakefront in Racine back in June of this year.
Dave (the son, not the son-in-law) is still working at Merchants with his dad. He and his girlfriend Kristin live in Oak Creek and have Sophie the guinea pig and now Bill the Bathroom Cat to keep them in line.
Joe’s mom Edna (age 92) fell last summer and decided she shouldn’t live alone anymore so she moved from Oklahoma City to…here. Her little modular home was delivered last week and is a darling little “grandma’s house” in between our log home and Joe’s cabin.
Joe and Alec spend a fair amount of time perfecting an art they call "Blowing Shit Up".
We went to Racine over the 4th of July and spent time with family and friends, and Alec and Ward got to experience the parade and the fireworks on the beach.
Our farm’s inhabitants remain about the same- 1 horse, 9 goats, 1 sheep, 6 dogs, 1 cat, 9 chickens, 12 ducks, 1 guinea hen and 50 (give or take)guinea pigs.
I’m still at the Tyler Animal Emergency Clinic, still writing for Homestead.org, still blogging and trying to re-work CancerDance with the help of a ‘real’ editor to hopefully get it ready for mainstream publication, have a tiny repeating spot on The Homestead Radio Show out of California, and am daily very thankful for family, friends and home.
Sending you peace and happiness during the holidays and always-
Love, the Dixons
Enjoy reading of your successes, thanks for sharing with the rest of us. Enjoy the warmth and cheer of the "holidays." :^)
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