Greetings from Perrin, TX!

Tonight the kids and I are spending the night with my parents.  Brian and a friend drove down to Austin to see Rush in concert.  Rush is Brian's favorite band, and he goes to see them in concert any chance he gets.  In the meantime, I loaded up the kids and the dog and we headed to Perrin. 

My parents have an offer on their land, and it is a good one.  They have accepted it, and so the next thing that they have to do is find a new place to live.  We will drive down towards Waco tomorrow to scout out some land that my parents are interested in.  They want to downsize to 2 or 3 acres, and have been looking online at places that are near to my brother and his family and that have lots of trees.  They will move their double-wide mobile home down that way.  The trick is to find the right place, at the right price.  The kids and I are looking forward to helping out with the search.  It is the beginning of a new adventure.

This evening, we walked out with the dogs and the kids looked for grasshoppers.  There is quite an abundance here, it seems.  Jesse is at the age in which collecting curious objects is an enjoyable pastime.  He picked up rocks and chased grasshoppers to his heart's content.  Right now, there is a jar teeming with grasshoppers in all different shapes and shades on my parents' dining room table.  Mom's cat is lurking nearby, fascinated.

There is something about the country in summer that is absolutely enchanting.  Wide open spaces, the sound of cicadas, the buzz of dragonflies--it's heaven to me.  It pleases me so much to see my children run and play in the setting sun.  They don't seem to have a care in the world, and this is just as it should be.

Tonight, I sat on the porch and watched the children chase our dog, Blizzard, in the red sand in front of my parents' house.  At twilight, Lily and I sat watching the woods and listening to the sounds of summer:  Cicadas, crickets, and rustling leaves.  The moon was almost full and so bright.  We looked for the first star and made a wish.  Lily scooted in close to me and I looked into her dark eyes and noticed that her face was filthy with dirt.  She looked like a little raccoon.  My little redneck princess.  She had been chasing bugs and dogs just like the boys.  Being here is rest to my weary soul.  Sometimes the concrete and congestion is just too much, and I long to be away from the city.  Even though the setting may change, I'm pleased for my parents.  They are looking forward to being closer to family.  I'm looking forward to making new memories with them. 

Many blessings,

Jennifer