Almost Home

It feels like we're almost home now!

We have spent six days in Visalia with my brother and his wife, Kim and Jeanette Pickrell. They were married last July in Visalia. I was privileged to co-officiate at their wedding, along with a Catholic priest, in a very meaningful family service. Kim and Jeanette moved into their new home shortly afterwards, but we are just now seeing it. It is a lovely home, with a great floor plan, and they have furnished it with such an aesthetic flair. We are so happy for them -- and they are great fun to be around. They are both teachers; Kim just finished summer school, so this really is their vacation. They were with us a couple days in Ventura at the beach house also. We've eaten well, boogie boarded, surfed (Kim) in Ventura, and in Visalia we've gone on bike rides, eaten well, played tennis (Kim is a high school tennis coach besides being a math teacher), hiked in the mountains, shopped, played games, visited with family members, watched sports and movie, gone to a Mass, eaten well!

I grew up in Kingsburg, which is just 20 miles away, so it really does feel like home! We've had some nice visiting time with family. We were even able to see a niece who now lives in Visalia, and hold her two-week old baby! Her parents, Kent and Linda (whom we visited last May in Waco) were passing through from a mission trip to India, so we were able to see them again, also. Another day John and I had lunch with another sister-in-law in Kingsburg, and shared dinner with a nephew and his wife. We've also gotten acquainted with some of Jeanette's family, and even had a personal tour of her eldest son's huge dairy farm. On July 4th her sisters and brother/wife came over for a great lunch and games in the afternoon. (Kim married into a family who also like to play games! Yeah, Kim!)

On Thursday evening, we went to the weekly outdoor band concert in Kingsburg. It is the longest, continually-running summer concert in the U.S. It was started in 1887. Both of my brothers have played in it; three family members play in it now. It was a patriotic concert this week, and during one song, they honored all of the armed service people, including one POW in the crowd. John stood when they honored the Coast Guard. I don't think he's ever had that kind of honoring before. There was a Farmer's Market and food there also, so we enjoyed a picnic-style dinner beforehand.

Our other big news is we have a new addition! We're the proud owners of a new Prius. We went car looking one day. We didn't expect to find a Toyota Prius or a Honda Hybrid on any of the lots in either Visalia or Selma. But at the fifth dealer, we found a Prius ready without a huge mark-up; it was ready to go, and so we went!!! Before it was even 24 hours old, we took it up to Sequaoia National Park with Kim and Jeanette. It drove great!

Tomorrow we drive back into home territory in Santa Rosa with two vehicles and one trailer! It's a bit sad to think our trailer will be going into storage now for several months. We will be housesitting for Steve and Robin Brown during July. Then next week we fly back to South Carolina to be part of John's daughter's wedding. We'll post another blog entry after that, and then a wrap up.

What a year it's been! It is very special to end the main part of our trip right back where I was born. Life is full of blessings and adventures!