Home again, home again, jiggity jig. . .

All true RV-ers know, the best place to stay the night is in a Walmart parking lot.  It's amazing how many actually do this.  And Walmart is not stupid.  They add a few more yards of asphalt and they get a million more customers.  Brilliant.  It's good for a quick stop, and the price is certainly right.  The only bad thing is no electricity, no sewer and no water - but - as long as you have some juice left in your battery and some water in the tank, you can actually survive.  It's all right, for a night or two - maybe - but don't push it with me.  It's as close to primitive camping as I intend to get - thank you very much!

So - 3 weeks and over 4,000 miles later - we are back.  After filling up with California peaches, nectarines, figs, seeded watermelon, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and such - we were on our way.  Whew.  What a trip.  I must say, that Nevada on the way back to Salt Lake City wasn't as bad.  Maybe on the way out there it so bad because it was the shock of seeing - um - nothing - for miles and miles and hours on end -  that got to us.  This time, we already knew what we were in for.  Wyoming, on the other hand,  is full of nothing too - but in a  much cooler way.  At least the terrain is a geological wonder.  It's really beautiful in a stark, hard kind of way.  A different kind of nature.  And when you get to Gillette, you can pull in this really great radio station called 'The Point'.  97.9.  It's terrific.  We found it on our way out and the dj's are fantastic.  Funny and real and the music is great.  Especially this Wally guy.  Check it out online.

Well, we are back safe and sound and thankful to God for it.  It was a nice trip, but I am not ready to be back.  I started sneezing the moment we hid the border.  That's not fun.  And Gary already misses the hot weather in California and all the fresh fruit.  Good grief - it's a virtual garden of Eden out there.  What can't they grow?  Bananas maybe.  But everything else I'm sure.  Chico is the kiwi capital of the world.  And they weren't quite in season, so we missed out on that. Bummer.  Gary's ready to go back - just for that reason.

Our favorites:    I really loved just being out there and being in Salt Lake City just hanging out. I loved the air and the scenery and the people.  Strange.  Very strange, but so nice.  I also loved running and biking and eating. :)  (Loved the eating)  The boys liked the zip line and the alpine slide the best and swimming in the RV pool.   And the eating.  India liked the zip line and taking awesome pictures with her camera.  And eating.   We all liked the eating.  It's a bit tough to get really fresh fruit in the Dakotas, and vegan fare is just a bit sparse.   But - we're back to reality.  Our reality.  Back in the great state of South Dakota.  There is so much good here - that is very true.  And well - there's some not so good too.  The cold is coming, my friends, and I for one, am none to thrilled about it.  And soon we'll be living off oranges, apples and bananas - for 9 months.    And shoveling and driving in the snow and ice and wind.   But - let's not put the cart before the horse here.  Right now we have to concentrate on schedules . . .

We got here and hit the ground running.  Noah has basketball scrimmage, Ezra and Judah begin swimming (Ezra at 5 AM - aaahhhh!), Ezra also starts Mathcounts, India starts teaching dance (15 classes a week!), and school has begun in earnest.  Not to mention that we (meaning - Gary and the boys) are going to shingle a house in a couple weeks and we  (meaning - Gary and the boys) are cleaning out our basement after the spring floods.    That's pretty sparse to what's coming when basketball games start and swim meets began.  Nice to just ease into it - eh?

So, the random scripture reading for the day was from Matthew.  It had to do with faith, or the lack thereof, in the townspeople when Yahshua taught in the synagogue.  They didn't experience the healing and the miracles because they refused to believe he could do them.  Nice.  So, then, a few minutes after reading this, Gary gets this voice mail message from some unknown number.  The only thing the woman said was - 'faith' and the call ended.  Wild, eh?  So, the take away point is - believe and have faith - that God can and will do great and wonderful things.  Cause He can and He will.   Hallelujah!!!!

Now I'm off to eat some organic seeded watermelon.  MMMMM  :)

Keep the faith . . .

jill and all