From Truckin' Duo to Truckin' Trio

We have a new addition. We're no longer the truckin' duo. We're the truckin' trio!

I can't believe it but Carl finally agreed to let Spice (our 4-legged daughter) travel with us in the truck. Well, I don't know if it is fair to say agreed...more like threw in the towel, gave up and gave in. I think he just got tired of me begging.  "But Carl, she is so lonely at home. She is sad and missing us. I think she is depressed. She isn't eating like she should. Her sisters are gone;Timothy works all the time and now we're leaving her." "No, not having a dog in my truck! No, there's not enough room for a dog! NO, NO, NO!" Well, what's the saying "Never say never!"

We were able to go by the house for a short visit this past weekend. While we were there Carl just out of the blue says, "She can't go with us because we don't have a collar or a leash." "Oh, yes we do. There is a black leash in my car and a red collar....somewhere." That was it, nothing else was said. Then Sunday when we went to the grocery store he started looking at the dog treats...claiming we were almost out at the house. I was just about to explode inside because I knew what he was up to. But as time went on, and as we started talking about all the different items we had to buy for her, I could see his stress level rising. "Now, if this is going to stress you out, we will just leave her here with Timothy." With a stern voice and a very serious face, he said, "You are gonna take care of her!" And with that...the conversation was over and our shopping continued.

Spice was so excited when I said, "Come on lets go." She usually runs away from us when we are trying to tell her bye. But this time her tail was just a wagging and she had the biggest smile on her face. We loaded her up...took off...and bless her heart she didn't know what in the world to do. She stood between our seats for about 3 hours. Wouldn't sit, lay down or anything....just stood there staring straight ahead. She finally walked to the back, laid down on her pillow and like a hot potato was right back up. Then she decided to lie down between our seats and we thought good she is finally going to rest. Nope, five minutes was as long as she lasted. Up down, up down, up down...her little legs were worn out by the time we stopped for the night. She was as happy as a lark when we stopped and we ALL got in the back and sat down. I don't know who slept better, us or her.

She loves her daddy and watches his every move. When he gets out of the truck she jumps up in his seat and sits there watching and waiting for him to return. I am talking 30-40 minutes. I can pet her, call her, offer treats but she will not get down until he gets back in the truck. She is going to be sitting in that seat a mighty long time when we go to Walmart.

Waiting on her daddy!

It's been 4 days and I must say she has done really well. She loves when she is able to run and play without being on a leash. Carl says we won't be able to let her do that when we get to Arizona. One whiff of a prairie dog and I will be chasing her across the desert. The first night we stopped was at a little Mom n Pop truck stop in the middle of nowhere surrounded by fields. We...I decided to take her leash off and let her walk around freely. She caught the smell of something and off she went. Carl started after her...stopped...looked at me...smiled and said, "You better go get her. You're the one taking care of her." So, off I went. She didn't go far...she's not getting far from her daddy. This week she played in the snow, next week she'll be playing in the desert.

Oh, by the way, Carl has also adjusted very nicely. I knew he would...he just likes to talk big and bad. He loves that little girl just as much as I do!!

"But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you: or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?  In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." Job 12:7-10

Till We Meet Again,
   Lynne

Only A Mountain

I must start off by saying how proud I am of my hubby. This month will be 2 years that he has been leased to this company and in March 2012 he was awarded the Driver of the Month and now he has just been awarded the Contractor/Driver of the Year. He is such a dedicated and hard worker. What a blessing it is to work for a company that expresses their appreciation for everything he does.  We prayed long and hard about joining this company and about me joining him on the road. The LORD answered our prayers and opened the doors for us and continues to reaffirm our decisions each and everyday.  Thank you LORD for leading us to a Christian-Based Trucking Co.

Now about our week...not much has happened other than the fact that Carl probably feels like he has Lucy riding with him. I have written before about how I am always doing something that makes him just smile and shake his head. When what he is really thinking is "No, you didn't just say or do that!" I am always singing....ok, well trying... to sing songs to something, Carl says. The problem is I usually only know a few words of the song so I am constantly singing just a phrase from it. For example, when a car speeds by us really fast, Carl will say, "He is cruising." That's my key, "Cruise on down, cruise on down the road." That's all I know...it ends just as fast as it begins. Another problem is that I also change the words or put the wrong tune to the wrong words. The other day he was talking to me and called me "Sugar" and off I went....I kept singing in my head "Sugar, sugar, sugar" but I could not figure out the rest of the song....then it hit me..."Sugar, sugar, sugar, Where are you?" When I sang it to Carl, he laughed and said, "That's the Scooby Doo song. Scooby, Scooby, Scooby! Where are you?" I don't care...I like it my way better and every time he says Sugar guess what goes off in my head.

I may be back at work but my brain is still on vacation!! I have forgotten how to do some very simple things. The other day I was trying to open one of our side boxes to get some straps out but for the life of me it would not open. I went to Carl and was like "The box will not open! The straps or chains are caught on the lock. You are going to have to do it!" So he walks over to it and laughing he says "You have only been back a few days and already tearing up stuff!" He reaches down turns the handle and says "That's how it's done!" I just busted out laughing....I was turning the thing the WRONG way....no wonder it wouldn't open. I stayed home way too long.

We unloaded at Camp Pendleton in CA and loaded right back in Long Beach, CA going to Laredo, TX with a load that had to be TARPED!!! But instead of 3 tarps we used 1 BIG tarp...30x35. That sucker is huge and heavy. But is beats dealing with 3/4 tarps any day. Yes, I am officially back at work.

When we left after the first of the year, Carl and I both said we wanted to stay south where it is warmer and there is no snow....yeah right! It was freezing all week and then Texas received their snow accumulation for the season in one day. We did get to enjoy 1 day of warm weather when we unloaded at Camp Pendleton but now we are sitting in Arizona and the news is saying they are expecting the coldest temperatures they have seen in decades. So much for warmer weather and no snow.

As we have been traveling through the mountains to California and back to Texas, I have once again been admiring their beauty. The mountains in Arizona look like boulders just stacked on top of one another. I told Carl as many times as I have seen them I am still amazed at how the boulders can stay in place like that.  While admiring the beauty of the mountains, I started thinking about the mountains in our lives. I love how the styles and characteristics of the mountains change from region to region. Huge, short, high peaks, rounded ridges, rocky, grassy, full of vegetation, no vegetation, enormous boulders, desert like, mountainous forests; they are all beautiful and magnificent. Just as all the mountains that rise up from the earth are different so are the mountains that rise up in our lives.

I love Jason Castro's song "Only a Mountain".  As we were riding through the mountains I kept singing the words to his song over and over in my head.

Ask like you believe it
Trust like you can see it
Take your fear and say
There's nothing in your way, no oh
Even when it looks big
Even when you feel small
Just a little bit of faith can change it all

This is only a mountain
You don't have to find your way around it
Tell it to move, it'll move
Tell it to fall, it'll fall
This is only a moment
You don't have to let your fear control it
Tell it to move, it'll move
Tell it to fall, it'll fall

Matthew 17:20 says "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

There is a cross at the very top of this mountain

My parents took some of their grandchildren to Stone Mountain for "Snow Days" before Christmas. My 4 year old nephew wanted to go to the gift store and buy a red train because he had lost his that he had gotten from an earlier trip. But my mother told him they couldn't go because it was raining. He told her he was going to pray to God that He would stop the rain. He prayed, "God thank you for stopping the rain. Thank you that we can go to the store. Amen!" They were almost at the campground and when they got there the sun was shining. He prayed with all the faith in the world that God would stop the rain...not a doubt in his mind! That is the kind of faith we need to have....a childlike faith! With a childlike faith we need to pray "God please move that mountain. Thank you God for moving the mountain, Amen!"

We sometimes get so caught up in doing things ourselves and trying to be so independent when what we really need...is to be dependent on Jesus Christ. Big or small...we will never be able to move the mountains...but God....He can move them! All it takes is a little bit of faith, faith of a mustard seed, a childlike faith. This is only a mountain, tell it to move, it'll move! Tell it to fall, it'll fall!

Oh, by the way...yes my parents took my nephew to the store but he decided not to get a red train. He got a jet...2 of them!

Matthew 18:3-4 "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Til We Meet Again!
Only by Grace!
  Lynne

Sweet Time! Family Time!

My oh my! What a vacation I have had! My sweet loving boss (aka My Husband) gave me 10 1/2 weeks off. Wow...I knew I was home a long time but until just now I  didn't realize it was that long.  Well Mama.. guess that explains why I seemed to be a little short and snappy at times. I must admit that there were times when I probably should have read one of my previous blogs on attitudes. Carl did get to take a week off at Thanksgiving and 2 weeks for Christmas but the rest of the time he was working. So 7 1/2 of those weeks were spent away from my hubby...no wonder I needed an attitude adjustment at times! My heart, thoughts and prayers really go out to all the men and women of our military who are separated from their love ones for LONG periods at a time. I know 7 1/2 weeks is nothing compared to the months and years they go through. I so appreciate the sacrifice they make for us each and every day. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Even though I was home for so long, there wasn't much rest and relaxation going on. My family kept me hopping! Mama thinks if she keeps me busy I won't miss Carl as much. :) I do love being home during the Christmas Holidays and taking part in all the activities that go on during this time of year. After Thanksgiving my calendar fills up in a hurry! Well, it's really the only time of year my calendar fills up or even has anything written on it. This year one of my nieces started the season off by having an Ornament Door Hanging making party after our local Christmas Parade. The children had so much fun decorating the hangers, eating cookies and then delivering the door hangers to the residents of our local Retirement Home. What a blessing that was...for all of us! That will certainly be a new Christmas tradition for us. I also went to a luncheon that Mama had for the women of our family. We don't get to see some of our aunts and cousins very often so this is something we all look forward to each year. Then comes my nieces and nephews  Christmas Program at Church, their school programs, and this year my 2 year old niece danced at her hometown's Victorian Christmas. How precious that was! I also helped my parents with a luncheon they had for the widows of our church. Our favorite Christmas tradition is Cookie Day. My mama, sisters and I and all the children get together and bake cookies and fix tins filled with goodies for family and friends. Even Timothy comes over and samples some of the treats and this year he got in on a little bit  of the cooking. He helped my sister fix her delicious divinity...which is always a 2 person ordeal. We had our traditional Christmas Eve Brunch at my sister's....had Carl's family over for our traditional Christmas Eve Oyster Stew Supper and then supper at my parent's Christmas Night. Carl and I did some babysitting for my sisters and had a Get-to-Gather at my house for some of my high school friends. In my "spare" time I worked on a few DIY projects. The best part about being home was being with Timothy! Even as busy as I was, it was so nice to see his handsome face, his glowing smile and to hear his contagious laugh everyday. So morning, noon or night I had something going on but I loved every single minute of it.



Well, my vacation time is over and Carl and I are back on the road. We loaded up Jan. 2 and are headed to San Diego, CA.  We are traveling with 2 other drivers and last night one of them asked Carl how much we weighed (the truck and trailer not us personally) Carl said 90,000 lbs which is about 3,000 more than the other driver. They started laughing and said his extra 3 was from me.  At first I was like "Wait just a minute!" I thought they were talking about my weight. Then I realized they were talking about ALL the stuff I put in the truck. Carl told them it took me 4 hours to load everything up. He was exaggerating just a little bit. Three hours and six pairs of shoes later I was ready to go! This time of year a girl just doesn't know how to dress, especially when traveling all over the country....so I need to be prepared!

P7 (Personnel Carrier)

I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving and Christmas. I pray that the LORD blesses each and every one of you in 2013.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17





Til We Meet Again!
Only By Grace!

  Lynne