If we’re going to do it, let’s do it.

Once, the decision was made at Don and Marilyn’s kitchen table to buy the land just outside of Pampa, we were all excited and speculating about a move to the country … how much of the 4o acres we should we buy, when to sell our houses and what type of house we would build. Earlier that week, my childhood friend, Sherry, had mentioned that she and her husband had their land for sale and some had already sold. Just curious, the four of us drove out and were immediately attracted to the beautiful pasture of green bluestem grass growing tall within a well-built 8-wire fence. That was on July 20, 2018 and by Sunday, July 22, the contract on 40 acres was signed … we felt that good about it. If you had shown me a piece of land further south, in higher humidity, without a tree on it, I would have left it without one regret, but on that July day in the panhandle with a breeze fanning the grass … it felt like it would be okay.

Randy is a thinker and a doer. He weighs decisions, makes plans, gets organized and does what needs to be done; wasting no time, especially when he feels it’s the right thing to do. He interviewed, researched and applied for financing immediately so we were able to close on the land exactly one month later. With tail gates down on two pick-up trucks and lawn chairs, he planned a picnic lunch with his parents, serving Kentucky Fried Chicken and everyone’s favorite milkshake from Braum’s. Then he placed a small American flag in the spot where we wanted to put the house. If we’re going to do it, let’s do it. In the next few days, we were stopping at Gebo’s for entry gates, picking up pipe and gates gifted by his aunt and uncle, hiring a fence-builder, leasing the land to the neighbor and downloading a house-building program on the laptop at our kitchen table.

He’s the best hand. Randy is the hardest worker and that is one of the things about his character that I love the most. I am so proud of the mental and physical strengths he possesses. The only time I have seen him idle is deservedly after a long day. I couldn’t have chosen a better partner, and I cannot ask more from him. I thank God for him every day, and I thank his parents for being a great example, raising such a good man and instilling so many virtues. It’s because of hard work at his real job and after hours that we are able to do all of this. Bless him for his service to family and country.

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Marilyn makes a hand, too. Her energy, spirit and servant’s heart are unmatched. Any suggestion of a project, chore or meal and it’s done. She’s always ready to pitch in and help. After Randy set the power pole and installed the electrical boxes, he had to hammer the grounding post 8 feet into the ground, and she was right in there with him swinging the hammer and then holding the post with the pliers. She’s telling everyone that she and I are going to build the chicken house, and I don’t doubt that she can do it (with or without me)!

So after creating designs for the house, choosing a builder and negotiating a price, we closed on the home building loan on February 15 and we’re ready to get started. Thanks for watching our progress and hopefully some day soon y’all can come visit!