No more Beaumont!

Ferd got his floor down in the cabin.
It's sooo plerdy!

Bumble Bee was looking into my eyes!

This little feller was covered with pollen!

I bet he needed a bath when he got home!

Well, I do believe with all my heart that this was my last trip to Beaumont! It just felt like it when I left Trav today. He got his final "official" Parole Certificate so there's nothing more we need to wait on.....(except the bus of course!) Trav told of how his emotions are doing a number on him and how he is so excited one minute then nervous as a cat the next. Just about every other emotion you can think of right now, he's experiencing. I told him he sounds like a person that wants to go sky diving more than anything else in the world but when they get all their gear on and are sitting in the door of that plane, thousands of feet in the air, they start saying, "Wait, Wait, Wait, I don't know if I'm ready for this!" He said that is exactly how he feels! I know it will be a huge adjustment but we are all here to help him get back into the swing of things. We've even ordered the FAMOUS BANJO MINNOW FISHING SYSTEM so the Burts will be a force to be reckoned with on the river! Actually I ordered one and mama ordered one so we have TWO of these fishing packages in route. I had no idea she was ordering and vice versa. Oh well....the boys are tickled about getting two sets. Speaking of the boys.....I went outside tonight to see where Jer & Jamie were and it appears they were having a "blow dart" competition in the barn and they made me join them. We laughed until we cried! My turn came and when I blew, the first three stuck right in the target. The others went a bit off the beaten path but I felt like I had done an exceptional job and am most likely ready for the real hunt now! HA! Well, Jeremy went next and he didn't hit the target ONE TIME! I nearly peed my pants laughing at him. And so did Jamie! THEN, it was Jamie's time, and he couldn't hit the north end of a south bound cow so I believe I have de-throned the Burt men and have accepted the title of "BLOW DART QUEEN" of Burt Hill! It was very touching and I will probably add this skill to my resume! Not many women can say they've accomplished as much..... I believe you call it VERSATILE! ;)

Today has been a good day and God has blessed us many times over as He usually does. We are tired and in need of a long winter's nap....Or a long summer's nap maybe! Maybe just a good ole nap where you get up when you're good and ready! That's sound like the one! God love you all!

Take care and God bless you................

Well, well, well.............

Today was a complete waste of an eight hour personal day. I woke up at 6:30 to get ready for work and Alfred was sitting in his chair. I knew something was wrong because he normally leaves for work at 4:00. He said the well was out and we had no water soooo......that meant no shower and I wasn't even thinking about going to work the way I looked! I was hoping Alfred would be able to prime it but that didn't work. We had to call the well repair guys and they got here right before noon. After trying three times to prime it with no luck, they had to pull it. That's what they are doing in the pics. They are still out there as I write so I'm sure the repair bill is ticking upwards nicely. It just hurts my feelings to have to do this......again. Oh well..... enough feeling sorry for myself. T'will be ok...

Mama called Huntsville today about Trav and they said everything is in order and he has been PC'd (program completed) so they are just waiting on his certificate from Austin. The lady was going to call today and see if she couldn't get the process moving along a little faster. As you know, we are SO anxious for his homecoming! While we're on the subject of Trav......he had this old orange baseball cap that he dearly loved before he went to prison and he wore it all the time. As a matter of fact, the deputy that took him to Huntsville, the day he enteredTDCJ, let him wear it one last time on the way there. When I had to pick up his personal belongings, his cap was there. As you might imagine, that was an extremely emotional day for me. Over the past seven years I have taken good care of it, knowing he would ask about it again. And, last weekend he did! I didn't tell him this but in his new room, we hung a wall mounted hat/coat rack and his orange cap is the only thing hanging on it right now. Somehow, that silly cap hanging there just completed the room! That cap has traveled a lot of miles with him and I have a feeling it will be something he'll treasure from now on.

The well guys are done and we have wonderful, running water again. They said they'd have someone from the office call and let us know how much. YIKES! I think they were afraid to give Alfred the ticket! I've been planning all day to go in to work when the well was fixed but it's 2:00 and too late to go now. The sun is shining beautifully and I think I'll go outside for a while....God bless all of ya!

Been distracted....

Alfred told me I need to start writing again and I know he's right but sometimes I just can't think of anything good to write about. I've been distracted lately getting ready for Trav's homecoming. Anyway, he said, "Just write about us riding down to the river and getting the gator stuck." So, here goes......we rode down to the river this afternoon and got the gator stuck on the way back up the hill. HA! Actually we sat on the porch for a long time just talking and laughing. I tried to imitate the call of an Eagle and Alfred said I sounded like a ruptured chicken! What the heck is a ruptured chicken? My mama says Alfred is wise behind his ears! She also says, "Life is like a box of chocolates.....you never know what you're gonna get!" :) Anyway, we DID get stuck coming back up on the gator and Ferd had to get the tractor and push it up the hill. It was a slippery, nasty mess for sure.

Mama and me went to see Trav yesterday and he was in a pretty foul mood when we got there. He's so ready to come home and things aren't moving along the way he (or we) want them to. We are all so anxious to have him home and it just has to be any day now. He was in a much better mood by the time our visit was over so that made it a bit easier to leave him. On the way home, we stopped at Golden Corral for lunch and our chinese waiter tried to take mama home with him. He was a cutie pie for sure but she wouldn't cooperate! I do have to admit, the service was excellent! It really is kinda sickening to see old people flirting. Speaking of flirting....did I mention my mother-in-law has a boyfriend too! Holy cow! There must be something in the water around here! They're snuggling on the sofa like teenagers! We may be planning a double wedding around here before you know it. Alfred's mama AND my mama have both gone a'courtin!!

Oh well.....I guess this is about it for tonight. Hopefully I'll write again tomorrow and will have more to say. Have a great week and God bless.................

Still no Trav....

It's Saturday morning and I haven't written in almost a month. We were hoping Trav would make it home this week but as most of you know, it didn't happen. I know when it does, it will be a glorious day but I am tired of the wait. I suppose we've waited for seven years, and another few days won't make much difference. The thing I MOST looked forward to, was seeing him walk out of that place a free man but it looks like we may not even get to witness that. Seems TDCJ doesn't communicate information regarding release dates with the families (that's not their job) so we may not know when to be there to pick him up. Amazing to me but that's what we have been told. I honestly don't know why I'd expect anything different.....that system has amazed me time and time again over the past seven years. Maybe it will work out in spite of the incompetence. We really want to be there so WE can bring him home and I definitely don't want him on another nasty bus! Maybe next week....

Mama has been here for a week and we really do enjoy her company. She has a "friend" in Mississippi so I doubt there is any chance she'll be moving back to Texas now. As long as she's happy, we're happy for her. We just miss her terribly when we don't get to see her. Hey! Maybe she can talk him into moving out here! I doubt that too but it does sound like a plan to me! :)

I have lots to do today so I am going to sign off now. Hope you all have a blessed day in church tomorrow. See ya!