Sunday, October 10, 2010

Reality & Memory

We are on our way home now. Last week just might have been the busiest week of my life. I felt honored and priveledged to have spent time with so many people that are dear to my heart. Joey worked like crazy but the kids and I got to play. We tried our best to take advantage of every moment that we had... which I might add, was no easy task for me with my four small treasures. The business made me long for my simple life back in CO.
Even though I still love and cherish the people back in CA, San Diego felt less like home than I was anticipating it would feel. Crazy of all crazies, I actually thought to myself once or twice, of how much I missed my humble Falcon abode and how much I missed my favorite neighbors.
But my anxiousness to get home just might have something to do with the fact that we GOT THE KEYS to our long awaited farm!! I haven't written about it much since August because we were waiting for our financing and a few other things to go through... but now it's official and I can hardly believe that it's really ours!! I have been literally dreaming about this farm four-five nights a week since the first day we saw it back in May. And the absolute best part about the whole process is that the Lord has had his hand in every step, which makes me VERY confident that it is His will for us to be there. All along, us and the Peeks have been praying that the Lord would close ALL doors if this place was not a good place for us. We have been praying that our farm, if we got it, would be a place for HIS glory... a place where each and every person that steps foot on that property would experience His presence there. And all four of us believe with all our hearts that he has put this farm into our hands for a mighty purpose. This home is His and always will be... we simply have the priveledge of occupying it for a season... hopefully a VERY LONG season!
WE are driving across Utah right now and I don't have any pictures yet to post, but I hope to go to the farm tomorrow, then I can post some pictures tomorrow night.

Anyways, on our way home yesterday, we were able to make a long awaited stop at the desert house where my Mom's ashes were spread nine years ago this past September. The desert house was one of my Mom's most favorite places on earth. Now my step dad lives there. We stopped there last night on our way to Vegas and my step dad made us dinner. After dinner I took my four treasures down to the little memorial spot that my step dad had made for my mom. It was beautifully placed on a hillside with a gorgeous 360 degree view of the mountains all around. There was a lovely plaque on the ground next to a white, ceramic bird bath... my mom loved to bird watch.
I sat on the ground in the dirt, and slowly slid my hand across her elegantly inscribed name...

Sherry Dukellis
April 4, 1958- September 22, 2001

Then Joey and all our treasures gathered around her site. I read the plaque out loud to my kiddos. They asked me several questions about their Grandma Sherry. I truly delighted in answering every single one of their questions. Then they all piled in my lap and I told them how much their Grandma Sherry would have loved loving on them. I told them how proud of them she would have been that they loved Jesus and had Him in their hearts. Then Joey snapped a few photos... And then the battery on my camera died... we plugged the battery in the wall at Grandpa Dale's house and of course we forgot to get it when we left... So once again... I have no pictures... But I promise to post them when I get my camera battery back.

Now we're on our 18 hour ride home... How do we do it with our many small children?????? Well, we bring a lot of snacks, watch a lot of movies, and we recruit our two year old to feed our 11 week old while we're driving so that we don't have to make any "extra" stops... but don't be too impressed... cuz even with our two year old hard at work... we still seem to make a whole slew of stops with our cute crew of crazies!!

As we drive east, CO is slowly becoming more of a reality... and... CA more of a memory... And I think that I just might be okay with that. :)

(Pictures Still to come)