~it was chosen for us~

We never intended to end up here in Burkburnett.  In fact this small community was never even on the "radar" for us in the beginning of our search for a new home in Texas.  When things didn't go together as planned in Wichita Falls at the end of May, we had to make some changes in our game plan and make them rather fast by the way.  There was only so much we could do with an entire moving truck filled with life's belongings plus a dog and cat who had travelled just about as much as they could without figuring a way to overthrow us.  For a short 12-hour period of time we were "homeless" and that was 12 hours too long for me.  

15 miles to the north and up the road aways we found this place and have been most thankful that we did.  We've learned so very much in our first three weeks here and it is knowledge that has been most helpful to us as we find our niche along the banks of the Red River.  

There are ants aplenty here and everywhere we seemed to look in our front and back yards, there they were.  Initially we wanted to try and get rid of them but after Mike spoke with the man at the lumber yard, we learned that they are really good ants to have around.  Seems as though this kind prefers to eat fire ants, which are also prevalent in these parts.  No need to kill them.  Those little guys do their part for the ecosystem and the natural balance of life.  

We have also encountered the friendliest of people here.  Burkburnett might as well have been called "Mayberry, Texas".  You fully expect sometime to see Aunt Bea coming out of the post office or Barney and Thelma Lou sitting on the front porch swing across the street.  Every single soul we have come across has been so very nice to us.  Walking down the aisle of the local supermarket last night, a total stranger passed by us, looked us square in the eyes and said, "How are y'all doing tonight?  Are you having a good day?"  At the local McDonald's yesterday as we were enjoying yet another ice cream cone and utilizing their free wi-fi, a nice older gentleman came up and began a conversation with us.  He asked us where we were from, what brought us here as well as what church we were going to attend.  I recognized him as one of the members of the "meeting of the minds" club that I came across a few days back.  He invited Mike and I to join his table sometime to discuss life and the world today.  His parting words to us, said with a huge smile on his face, as he left to go home for the day were these.

"Now y'all remember that if you are not doing anything else that you need to come and sit with us at that table.  Shoot yesterday we actually made it to the 1950's in our discussion.  That's pretty good for us!"

Burkburnett and its people are really a combination of every great place that I have ever lived in my life and all of the wonderfully kind human beings that I have had the occasion to know.  It's like Burrton, Haven, Yoder, Hutchinson, Montrose and Olathe all rolled up into one.  We are glad that this is where we were led to live and even though we are not quite sure yet of our future, each day it becomes more and more plain to us.  Little tiny things are right now being set into motion in the lives of a lot of different people, living in a lot of different places.  Those things which are not really coincidences at all, but rather part of a huge life plan that has been laid out for us by someone way smarter than we will ever profess to be, are the ones that will guide us to where we are supposed to be here.  They will show us what we are to do.

People like to visit here and when new folks come to town, they make it a point to greet them and to ask where they hail from.  We have been asked so many times by folks here why it was that we chose this place to come to.  They all want to know why on earth we would ever have given up our life in the beautiful Rocky Mountains to come here. The more I think about it, the more I realize something. 

We really didn't choose it at all.  
It was chosen for us.    

To our dear friends and loved ones back home in Colorado~

And to our friends and loved ones back home in Kansas~

We are doing very well here in northern Texas.  There is not a day that goes by that we do not think of you and hope that you are doing great.  Peace be with all of you from us here in Burkburnett, Texas.