Saturday

Home again after a long 16 hour drive yesterday to pick up dear daughter. We allowed Chaser to duck hunt a few more days, so I'll do another long drive Sunday night, but they will meet us half way that night. Madison came home sick and fevered, so today will be a quiet day at home resting and trying to help her feel better. Dh is out hog hunting for the day. We found a deer yesterday, unfortunately with the new Jeep.....three ran across our path in the fog of the early drive, Les was magnificient in his driving and braking and managed to swerve to miss two of them running in front of us, but clipping the third....all I remember was seeing 3 deer directly n front of our windshield and ne screaming.....we stopped and two deer were already running and the third was getting up and running, more brushed by the rubber guard than hit, so it ran away quickly. I was simply aware and awed once again that God protected us from something that should have caused massive damage to deer and Jeep....
Christmas day was almost sad this year, no extended family, just the two of us....and we tried to make the day positive....calls to loved ones, emails to others....but it wasn't a good day for our hearts, we missed our families. Still new in a new town, we didn't have folks to call to come over casually after the festivities either. We did have our meal of peppered ham, biscuits, and plates worth of go withs.....peppered ham on Christmas day is from my childhood....and it was good, we had baked it earlier and fried it in a skillet for Christmas day....yum.
The children like their natural dad's fiancee', I am glad. I remember all too well what it was like to be new to the children and family when Les and I married. I have encouraged them to take time to learn her, to love her, to allow her to be in their lives. She is from New Zealand, though she has lived in the U.S. most of her adulthood and teenhood.....she seems kind and dedicated to her work as a paramedic.....people ask, actually ask, if I am angry he's remarrying.....why would I be? I so want him to be happy , for this new marriage he's planning to be one of joy and happiness for them. Our past has been long over, many many years over, and it is my hope that he have a happy life with someone.....
This week until Jan 7th, the children are still off and we have a quiet week planned. There will be lots of holiday cooking we didn't get to do while they were gone, and meals shared together to celebrate our family's holiday as well.
God is good....