This is Yoakum

So I was about to meet my husband in the next town for a dinner preceding a golf tournament in which he would participate when I had the thought...man, I really have gotten it together tonight. My friend helped me find baby sitters at the last minute, I got ready, shower and all, in about 20min., the babies were ready for bed, and I had a notebook of information in case the sitters had any questions. Lastly, and remarkably, I remembered to leave cash for the sitters so they could get a pizza. The empty pizza box I saw in their hands when we returned was even more affirmation of my sudden "togetherness." Then I noticed the pizza money still sitting on the counter. I asked why they didn't use the cash and sweetly they explained that their mom had to bring them dinner and finished with, "Um...this is Yoakum. We don't have pizza delivery."

This, my dear friends, and other discoveries like this, are the culmination of our life unfolding in Yoakum,TX, USA.
As if you couldn't tell, I have not entered a blog in about 3 1/2 months now. This particular move (in comparison to the previous five) has definitely been about letting the details slowly unravel, breathing each moment one at a time, mostly because it's SLOWER here, partly because of existing in survival mode, and sometimes just because. Instead of making one big migration southward, getting settled, and jumping into life, things have happened in stages. Maybe it's that way when you don't automatically move into your own physical home.
To get you up to speed (which is just not that fast) let me briefly describe July, August and the beginning of September.
After moving to Michael's hometown, and while living with Michael's parents, we had the privilege of getting to visit with Michael's sisters' families. At one point this summer, there were 7 adults and 8 children under the age of 5, except for a token 7 yr. old, under the same roof. At any other given time between July and August, there were always at least 4-5 adults and 5 children. We had a blast and I'm THRILLED Nolan and Lori were able to get to know their cousins and aunts and uncles so well. This made sitting down to the computer to load pictures and share my thoughts seem a little less priority. Oh, and not to mention trickier due to dial-up internet because DSL just doesn't always reach country folk like us. It's SLOWER here, have you heard? Then, finally buying our own home only added to the hectic splendor. After a mom-and-dad-only vacation to Mexico and our poor, sweet Lori getting terribly sick at home(IVs at the hospital and everything), we're still unloading... Either way, in the midst of our personal chaos, God, Yoakum, and moving here tugged at the reins of general life and slowed it to an unrecognizable crawl. I think I've mentioned that. All at once, I learned that my timeline for anything was (is) irrelevant. Actually, that, and many things I once knew were (are) irrevelent. Like the fact that just because there is a Pizza Hut in town DOES NOT mean that there will be pizzas delivered.
And mostly, without having time to give proper credit, I'll just say that remarkable spiritual things are happening as other things slow down. Think God had the slowing of life in mind when things started working in our lives? I'll say. Talk about getting us focused on what He would like us to see...
Anyhow, if the Pizza Hut discovery tickled you at all,
I'd like to enlighten you with more ponderous discoveries and general ways of life with which we've been re-acquainted. Some of these ways of life are unique to Yoakum, some simply to South Texas. I am back in my childhood a little at a time (I know Michael is) and y'all...it's good to be home. There are many already but I'll start you off slowly (that's how we live now, slowly)... as long as you promise to check back in and read some more! I'll also add some fun pictures from the summer so you can see how our 21 month old and our 7 month old have grown!

Okay, the first major entry in the, "This is Yoakum," category:

THE BENEFIT SUPPER
I remember suppers like these when I stayed with my cousins in El Campo. In fact, you can find them all over surrounding towns. They start with an ad in the paper and tickets sold at local hotspots...like the bank.

Next, you follow the signs to get your food. Along the way, you pass the men who've been cooking all day so you just don't have to...



Hand the sweet girl your ticket,
get your food,
say hi to a few people because you certainly know the families of everyone in the serving line,
and then get home to bbq chicken, beans, and giblet rice, y'all!


Thanks to Carolyn for humoring me by driving (slowly!) so I could take pictures to share with you!
More soon! We love you all the way from Yoakum!