Home at last!

   We are home now and trying to get back to normal life.  We left Wind River with heavy hearts having to say goodbye to Durango and to all of our friends at Wind River.  We miss Durango and hope to see him later this summer.  I felt really bad leaving him with people he didn't know yet but I know that there are horse wranglers there who are hopefully getting to know him and spoiling him and I hope he is getting to be friends with his "herd."  As amazing as this journey was, I was so excited to get home to my own bed!  It is amazing the things you take for granted like SPACE and a toilet that you don't have to go empty every few days!!!  I ended up having to turn down the movie I was supposed to start working on because they needed me to commit to a start date a month ago and honestly I don't think I could have started working immediately on a movie working 16-18 hour days.  Luckily, I was able to go and celebrate my mom's 70th birthday celebration and her retirement from 46 years of teaching!  If there is anything I have learned from my brother's death and Jonathan's, it is that life is short.  Faith, good health, good friends and family are the most important things in life, work is not.  Don't ever give up life things in place of work.  It simply isn't worth it in the end.  Work will always be there, your family may not be.  Appreciate every moment you have with the ones you love. 

     We are thankful for every person we met on this journey and for all of the experiences that we will never forget.....Never.  Winston and I are both changed by this journey and we can only hope that we will be able to continue to share this story with others.  We have been contacted to do a presentation to a group already and we hope to do more of that.  I made a slide show of my favorite photos from the journey which I have included a link to below and which I am sure we will use when doing presentations.  I am also working on the photo book that was one of the rewards for our highest backer category and hope to have that finished in the next month or so.  The framed photos are also in the works for our next category of backers but it was really hard to choose from the photos!!  We are still talking about publishing my blog possibly in the photo book or separately and Winston has been diligently writing the novel about the journey and about his friendship with Jonathan.  All I can tell you from what I have seen so far is that you will not be disappointed!  As I have said before, he is an amazing writer and I know you will all love the book when it is completed.  We are looking into publishers right now and hoping to get someone who can help market the book nationally and internationally when it is done.  If we get proceeds from the book, we have a few organizations in mind to make donations to.  He is still working towards the March 2015 release date.

     I have been so touched by the emails, texts and facebook messages asking me what we are doing because you miss the blog and miss knowing what we are up to on a daily basis!  Believe me, we miss you all too.  We achieved Glory and fulfilled a final promise and we will try every day to relay that message to anyone that wants to listen to our story.  I know Jonathan is proud of Winston and I know he is still with us every day.  

    These are a few photos from our last day at Wind River and me when I got to my bed!!  I am sorry that we missed photos with Don and Rob on our last day so I have also included the group photo from the building dedication.  And the link to the slide show.  Hope you will all enjoy reliving the journey through photos!  We sure did enjoy reminiscing and remembering all of the people we met in each of these places!  We will keep you posted on the progress of the books! 

 

Love, Donna (aka the Trail Boss!)

Link to slide show of photos from the journey:   

http://youtu.be/Vk78QjU6Ovg