Surprise!

 The year started off in a dark place for me. The passing of my friend John and the aftermath of emotion, is still rumbling under the surface of my daily routine. 

Then the sun peaked through a little last week when I adopted a new kitten. It's been a rough start for her. She has a post operative infection from her spay procedure and contracted a virus at the clinic that she subsequently passed to Buster. They are both recovering and Penny's true personality is starting to show as she heals and continues to get used to her new surroundings.    

 

Last Friday afternoon, the curtains flew open and the sun shined bright again! We came home in the early afternoon from our shifts working for the park to find our oldest sitting on the patio with his wife and two of their kids!  They had road tripped all the way from Iowa to the Rio Grande Valley to surprise us and spend the weekend. We were both absolutely speechless and of course I started crying like I do anytime an emotion good or bad overwhelms me. 

The weekend was filled with showing them a short list of RGV attractions. The two grandsons don't have passports so a trip to Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge and a walk on the trail took us to the banks of the Rio Grande River. The closest we could get them to Mexico. 

Taking in the DonWes Flea Market

Derek at the Rio Grande

Randy and Amber at the Rio Grande

Champ and Caleb at the Rio Grande

On the trail at Santa Ana

Kids on a suspension bridge taken from the Hawk viewing tower

Champ Rockin' the Sombraro

On the second day we took them over to Boca Chica Beach to check out the Space X facility and beach area. Then it was off to SPI. The boys were experiencing the beach and ocean for the first time. It was too bad that it isn't warm enough this time of year to get in but we walked on the beach and waded a bit. I just stood back took lots of pictures and watched with a smile on my face and a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart. I love watching people experience something for the first time and I was still so happy I felt like I was going to burst. 

Beach time in the winter is always kind of weird. Some people like Derek and I will go out barefoot. Others leave their shoes or boots on. The air is warm but the water is cold this time of year. It's not your typical beach day, but then again sand dunes and cool water beat the hell out of snowdrifts and ice any day! 

We finished Sunday with Fajita's at our place and some pool and hot tub time.  I remember being an Iowa kid in south Texas at my Grandpa's place in McAllen swimming in December. It seems like yesterday even though it was 50 years ago. Watching the grandkids swim that evening brought back many memories of my own winter visits here to see my Grandfather. 

Monday was low key. We revisited one of the beach shops so the boys could buy some more items to take back home to siblings and friends, grabbed some pizza late in the afternoon and before we knew it our 3-day whirlwind was winding down and they were pulling away to make the long road trip back home to Iowa and back to their jobs and routines. 

And... they are off! 

We sat on the patio after they left still marveling at it all. I love a good surprise and this one definitely put itself solidly in first place of surprises. Most of the time the ones that come out of left field are bad things. It was nice to be on the receiving end of the kind of surprise that takes your breath away, but in a good way.  It was also the perfect event to jolt the dark energy that started off the new year back onto a positive hopeful trajectory. We will never forget the joy we both felt finding them lounging on our patio that afternoon and the memories we made over the next three days. 

Until Next Time...