To .... This Year We Took Pictures -

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We live in a little house at the end of a dead end, one lane road.
We're surrounded by almond orchards.
There's only 3 houses on the entire road.

Almond trees ... wait for it .... grow almonds.
:)
A small oval-ish shaped nut that is really good when it comes in a can labeled honey roasted & you buy off the grocery shelf.

They're also actually remarkable good just straight off the tree.
Raw & fresh.

Harvest time is a beast.
The dust is insane.
The flies ....
The shakers, the sweepers, the tractors, the semi's.

Each winter the trees loose their leaves.
They're pruned.

Each orchard is different.
Some farmers keep the rows completely free of grass or weeds.
Some mow the rows.
Others let the weeds & grass grow.

The hundreds of acres around us to the west & south are immaculately cared for.

And every February ....
Every February the trees blossom.

Almond blossoms are beautiful.
For a few weeks they just explode with white blossoms that cover the trees.

Then it's our version of snow as they fall off and are replaced by the nut that begins to grow.

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Stop right now & google 'OBB sweater' 

You don't have to actually watch the video ... but the song .... I can not look at his blue sweater without singing -

you. wore. my sweater. 

It came in the mail as a gift to him & he was genuinely delighted & excited over it.

- - - 

This year Sailor wanted to take pictures.

Everyone does it, Mom ... she said.

:) 

We never do, Mom ... she said.

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- - - 

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So we took pictures. 

She found clothes & I googled how to tie a bow tie. 

Two months ago we had no idea we'd be moving.

We bought a house last week.

It's not at the end of a dead end, one lane road.

It's not in the middle of almond orchards.

There are more than 3 houses on the street. 

We won't be here next year.

Chances are we won't really be here next week.

We're living the last few pages of an amazing chapter in our lives. 

I'm leaving all sorts of tear stains on the pages.

The last 15 years have been that beautiful. 

It's .... I can't even think of the right adjective to describe how God has worked. 

How He has moved & showed up & been mighty & provided & led .... 

There are so many pictures on my phone of the house that is now ours. 

All sorts of before & during pictures. 

I'll tell the story. 

Soon.

It's the start of the next chapter.

... which just makes these all the more special.