We Now Have to Make a Decision

I am writing this entry from the ranch in Missouri. We arrived here yesterday after a 6 day trip to Texas to see family. The last month has been a whirlwind.

The month of May began with arriving back in Missouri after the family reunion in New Braunfels,Texas. We had a few days to relax before we took the trailer down to the Buffalo River for the Mothers Day weekend. Brian and Shannon planned the weekend and we joined them after a friend cancelled. It rained much of the weekend, but we still had an awesome time. The Buffalo National River in Northern Arkansas is an amazing place that we have not explored as much as we should. It is a short 2 hour drive from the ranch and certainly is a national treasure. In between rain storms we went for hikes and enjoyed family time in our camp above the swollen river.

Our campsite at Buffalo Point in the Buffalo National River area

Here is the crew on a hike to Indian Rockhouse. 3 mile strenuous hike.

Kim and I behind a waterfall

At Indian Rockhouse. It is an amazing cave that is difficult to capture in an image.

It was a very fun weekend. It felt like a typical weekend camping trip that most people do, but very different for us. The good news for us is that we didn't have to pack and unpack.

In the week before we went to the Buffalo National River, we got a phone call from our real estate agent. It seems the buyer was very eager to get closed on the land and wanted to move up the date. With our very busy travel schedule we were able to agree on May 14. So, the day before Kim left for NYC, we went and signed a few papers and collected a large check and we no longer own the land in Ozark and now have the money to buy a boat. It was sad and exciting all at the same time. This was the one part of the plan that I could not control. It felt great to get this part behind us. Now it all gets real.

The following week, Kim, Shannon, Phyllis (Kim's Mom), Kim's sister and daughter and Sister in Law and daughter all went to New York City. This trip was to celebrate Kim's mom's 80th birthday. I will include a couple of shots here, but because I did not go, I have no stories to tell. They all claimed to have a good time.

The crew ready for a night on the town in NYC

I liked this shot because it was taken from a boat

After Kim got back from NYC, we had a few days to relax and then we drove back down to Texas. My parents were down there to see their new Great Grand daughter, and my brother Alan, who was going to be home for two weeks from his 15 month contract job in the UAE. We had a great time with Mom and Dad and it was great to see my brother, Alan and Brian and families. A special thanks to Phyllis and Richie for letting us stay at their place and hello to my friend Annie.

Mom and Dad with little Bennett

Brother Alan with second Grandson 

We have been living out of a suitcase most of the last month and that continues today. We depart in about 1/2 hour to drive to the airport in Springfield to do something I swore I would never do again.(Flying in a commercial airliner) We are flying to Florida to get serious about buying a sailboat. We have a favorite, but once we get down there we may change our minds.

I am going to try to keep this blog fairly current over the next few weeks as we struggle over this decision. So, check back often to see if we have made a decision or have gotten cold feet. I have been praying for a sign, so hopefully the decision will be made easy for us.