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| Be Better Bus |
Pilot Point Texas is BREATHTAKING! The serenity and calmness were a Godsend and the residents of the town fit that same description. The family we were blessed to visit lives in an area of the town that is its own private oasis. It was a beautiful experience all the way around.
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Choice, Juliann, Tate, Ryder, and Shiloh
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| Ryder, Shiloh, Juliann, Tate, and Choice |
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| Ryder, Shiloh, Tate, Choice, and Juliann |
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Jan and Mike have lived in this area for 12 years and talked of how they still love it here. They were so welcoming and hospitable, and the food was delicious!! With the help of their son, David, the grill master, and their granddaughters' fabulous desserts, Jan fed us like royalty. We enjoyed Texas smoked ribs, fresh organic salads, and homemade cookies and treats for dinner. Then in the morning, Shiloh enjoyed helping Jan in the kitchen with homemade waffles.
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| Jan and Shiloh |
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| Shiloh and Jan |
Mike is a gentle and hardworking man. I chuckled when he mentioned that he is "retired", seeing as I met him as a result of thoughtful acts he did for our family by way of his business. He helped me understand that the work he does now is just to have something productive to do to contribute to society. I'm humbled and amazed by his dedication to hard work and his commitment to making a positive mark on this world.
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| Juliann and Mike |
The kids had a great time getting to know 6 of Mike and Jan's grandchildren. They were such sweethearts with incredible manners and similar interests to my kiddos.
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| Evie, Choice, Tyler, and Ryder |
Ryder became immediate buddies with their grandson, Tyler. It happened to be Tyler's 8th birthday so we were able to hear about his new toys and what a special time he had celebrating with his family. After that, Ryder and Tyler found themselves lost in the world of Minecraft for the rest of the visit. They are now virtual friends as well as real friends.
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| Tate, Tyler, and Ryder |
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| Mike, Jan, Tyler, and Ryder |
The other kids enjoyed watching the movie, HOME, in the theater room. This was only the fourth time they'd watched it in two days. :-/
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| Ryder, Tate, Choice, and Evie |
Morghen and I had an opportunity to visit with Jan and get her view on this wild ride we call life. She had positivity oozing from her every pore. I felt lighter and happier just being in her presence and pulling from her energy. She shared with us her philosophies on enduring life and enduring it well. "Life is hard. The sooner we accept that, the happier we will be". This first line from one of her favorite books personifies the great character that can be found within Jan. How very true is that statement...LIFE IS HARD. There is no way that any of us are going to make it out of this world without a few bumps and bruises along the way. The sooner we come to terms with this reality and work on mastering the art of picking ourselves up and dusting ourselves off, the more successful and impactful we will be. Thank you, Jan, for leaving a wonderful impact on me today.
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| Jan and Juliann |
We came into initial contact with Mike and Jan a little over a year ago...
My brothers are not only thoughtful, but also very creative, and had the idea to make heirloom pens with the wood Andrew and his crew cut in Yarnell.
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| Wood from Yarnell Hill Fire |
We collected the wood near the deployment site where Andrew and the 18 other Granite Mountain Hotshots lost their lives. From there, Jacob and Jonathan went through the process of making these amazing pens. Check this out...
When they had completed 10 memorial heirloom pens, I contacted McKinney Pens with an inquiry into personalized pen boxes. Mike and Jan are the owners of McKinney Pens. Their work is exquisite! They make masterfully handcrafted pens in endless different styles. In our case, we were only in need of the pen boxes. They personalized 10 pen boxes with Andrew's name. From my online order, they recognized the name and date of passing and contacted me shortly thereafter. They said they'd like to personalize these boxes for us as a gift from their family to ours. It was a great blessing to receive these gorgeous boxes from Mike and Jan and be able to give them as gifts to family members on the year anniversary of his passing. That wouldn't have been possible without the thoughtfulness and assistance of Mike and Jan, and my brothers.
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| Pens made by Jacob and Jonathan using wood from the Yarnell Hill Fire |
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| Pen Boxes made by Mike and Jan |
While visiting their home, Mike gave me a tour of his shop where the pen making takes place.
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| Mike and Juliann |
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| Mike and Juliann |
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| Juliann and Mike |
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| Mike |
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| Mike |
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| Juliann and Mike |
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Juliann and Mike
It was fascinating to see the quality of work and the intricate craftsmanship that goes into making a pen. Bless Mike's heart, he allowed me to bring more wood from Yarnell and leave it with him to make additional heirloom pens. These pens make amazing gifts and keepsakes. Please visit their website at www.mckinneypens.com |
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Rusty, Jason, Tate, Choice, Juliann, Shiloh, Ryder, Leza, Tyler, Mike, and Jan
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| Mike, Choice, Jan, Tyler, and Leza |
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| Mike, Choice, Jan, and Leza |
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Leza and Choice
The kids and Rusty loved being out in the country. The acres of green grass had them running and playing.
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| Rusty, Tate, Shiloh, Choice, and Ryder |
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| Choice, Tate, Rusty, and Shiloh |
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| Choice, Tate, Shiloh, Rusty, and Ryder |
| Another special thank you to Mike and Jan's neighbor, Linda, who opened up her ranch house to us for the night. It was lovely to be able to sleep in larger beds and use a full size shower. |
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| Tate, Choice, Ryder, and Shiloh |
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Tate, Choice, Ryder, and Shiloh
The kids wanted to stay forever once they caught a glimpse of the livestock at Linda's place. They were mesmerized by the Texas longhorns and the donkeys. |
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| Shiloh |
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| Shiloh, Choice, and Tate |
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| Tate, Shiloh, Choice, and Ryder |
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| Tate, Shiloh, and Choice |
Morghen preferred the stuffed animals. :-)
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| Morghen |
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| Juliann |
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| Morghen and Juliann |
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| Choice, Tate, Shiloh, and Ryder |
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| Choice, Tate, Ryder, and Shiloh |
Pilot Point was a wonderful experience all the way around. Thank you to Mike, Jan, and Linda for allowing us to intrude on your peaceful oasis. We learned so much from you all about hospitality, hard work, and family values. God bless!
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| Rusty, Jason, Choice, Juliann, Tate, Shiloh, Ryder, Leza, Tyler, Mike, and Jan |
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