Pickups and Skunks

The kiddos and I drove into Utopia for the first time since December, reciprocating waves from folks gathered at the volunteer fire station and those driving big pick-up trucks because they have a good use for big pick-up trucks. Cade instructed us all to close our eyes through town because he had a surprise for us at the end. I thought this was funny because (A.) I was driving and (B.) we had been talking for the last five hours about seeing Grandmother and Papa, and of course, Papa Kitty. No one closed their eyes, but he did not know this because he was in the back and said for the short stint through town, "Not yet....not yet...not yet....NOW! Surprise!" We arrived at the house to a million-bajillion birds gobbling up seeds and sugar water, a baby deer not 50 yards away and best of all, GRANDPARENTS.

My children are early risers, and I am so happy that Cade can now read a clock and has the self-discipline to stay in his bed until 6:00. On Monday, he again rose early (but there was no clock in his room-bluh!) to find a skunk in the catch-em-alive in the yard. Fun times! Grandmother told him that it was okay to wake up Papa (who woke impressively with a bear growl), and he and the boys went to go find a safe place for it--carefully! I am happy to say that the mission was without incident. Grandmother cooked breakfast for us all with our various dietary preferences(and continued to cook for the next 3 days), and the Papa took all of my children to Vacation Bible School in a limo. Well, it was a better version of a limo--a riding lawn mower with an industrial strength garden wagon attached to the back. It was said my Cade emerged from the ride with his chest puffed out and was the envy of young crowd gathering outside the church building located down the block.

I'm now in Dallas for my blood treatment and doctor appointment tomorrow. I still will have these, but they are spread out enough that I'm cleaning out the apartment tonight and turning in the keys for the next transplant patient. My blood clot has complicated life a bit, but it isn't any worse than anything else we have dealt with. It is all relative now! I think I'll get back to Waco in time on Friday for a date night with my man. That will be really nice. Mom and Dad have the kids in Utopia until Saturday morning (bless them), then Van and I will meet them somewhere on the road to steal our children back. Knowing my husband, we'll stop somewhere fun along the way like a State Park (providing that we're not sweating bullets) or maybe even Aquarina Springs?