Visiting Mountain View Ranch was a highlight of our trip toward Mexico!
Mike was my boss 'back in the day' when I worked as the Dean's Assistant at Reformed Bible College (now Kuyper College). Betsy, his wife, was a fellow crafter and home decor kindred spirit. I babysat their kids and even lived at their house for a time. Two of their kids, Emily and Rachel are off to college and the youngest, Jacob, is 15 now and bigger than his dad!
It was so good to see Mike and talk about all that has happened from the last time we all saw each other until now. He is still his same goofy, lovable, crazy, teasing guy!
The kids were instantly taken with 'Miss Betsy'. Betsy is no joke!!!!!! Although she isn't a grandma yet she has the grandma-thing DOWN PAT!!! They were completely spoiled and adored for the two weeks we were there. With Betsy the kids played card games, gathered eggs from the chickens, fed the horses, sampled the brownies, ate macaroni and cheese for dinner, played with tiny Maxwell (chihuahua) and laid out on the teak garden bench with pillows and blankets to watch the falling stars! And these are just a few of a many ways she made them feel loved!
And me...she took the kids so Paul and I could go on a date night. She let me take a bath in her giant tub! She passed her animal chore responsibilities over to me (I love to do it and was so grateful for the opportunity!), she fielded the kid's squabbles when I was overwhelmed and she just let me chill on her couch and watch Alaska Bush People with the kids (without guilt) because I just needed the down time (no judgement)! She was incredible!
Alia and I got to do some review lessons with the horses since I gave Alia lessons about horse care and riding a couple years ago. She remembered a lot and Josiah joined in as well! Alia is initially nervous when doing something new with horses but loves them so much and overcomes her fear every time! I am so proud of her! Josiah is a natural...I didn't know until now...being around horse seems to second nature to him. It was a lot of fun for me to be out in the pasture every day with my kiddos watching them grow and learn!
Paul did a few small repairs to Gracie and the van to make things just run a little more smoothly. Since we did school in the morning and spent afternoons with Betsy, Paul had a bit more time to get work accomplished, which he appreciated greatly!
Thanks Loomis Crew for allowing us to invade your space for a couple weeks! We LOVED seeing you again/meeting you all!
Do you have a place where you absolutely LOVE to visit? Somewhere that feels like home away from home? Tell us about it!