My Second Home

If you would have asked me 14 years ago, would I ever consider 1** Dodge Road, Texas my second home, I would have laughed in your face.  This Christmas marks 14 years since my first visit to Texas.  Travis and I were dating and after Christmas I went down there to meet his family and of course because the angst of being apart for 2 whole weeks was more than we could bear. 

It was my first visit and I was overwhelmed with arriving in a strange city airport and no one was there to meet me.  My husband used to have a habit of being late.  I've pretty much broken him of it.  Once with him, we headed out to the ranch and I looked around at the dry, dusty tan color of the caliche soil and scrub oak and wondered why anyone would want to willingly live in this state.  Under my first observation I wasn't too impressed.  After hitting the ranch it was cool to ride in an old, open top jeep all around, be able to roam forever and still be on Whiting land, and hunt on your own property but I didn't think I could ever be converted to this Texas superiority complex that every Texas I had ever known possessed. 

Eventually I married my Texan and after many visits, this Thanksgiving I realized that somewhere along that way I became a convert.  Because while driving to TX from PA I sighed in relief once I hit the state border of Texas and not only because we had driven so many hours, but because I was home.  And as I finished the journey driving, as I turned up the driveway to his parent's house - I said, "Kids, we're home!"  Because that's what it really is.  My second home, my peace in life, the backstory to my kids and the way they are, who my husband intrinsically is and a host of many fabulous marital memories.

So of course Thanksgiving was awesome.  And the family spoiled us like crazy with food, fun, massages, hunting and just good old fashioned love and attention.  And Travis's brother and his family came too.  It was so good seeing them.  And so when it was time to leave, I felt a bit emotional, that I had to leave my haven and return to real life.  But I know we'll be back soon enough, because it's home and no one can stay away too long.


Thanksgiving Dinner

the view from the front of the house onto their land

a lot of the hunting channel and great weather

Dickens on Main - tree lighting and Christmas kickoff

it's not Texas w/o my Mexican food

butchering your own meat on the kitchen counter

the kids laying in the hammock

playing in the tree house - ehhh platform???

rope swing

touring the property in the aforementioned jeep

wide open spaces

tire swing and in the background their constant companion - Boomer