Thankfulness

Let the new year begin!

Carlos and I brought in the new year at our 2nd home...The Dixie Inn fuel stop in Minden, LA. Our original plan was to go to Shreveport and watch the fireworks but it was cold, cold, cold and raining. Now, we already don't like the cold and we certainly don't like the cold in the rain so it didn't take us long to decide that fireworks in Shreveport were out of the question. We spent a nice cozy night snuggled up on our wee tiny couch in our truck watching fireworks out the front windshield that were being shot off in the park across the woods from us. We also watched the greatest band ever on tv playing live in Mobile, AL...The Village People...NOT!!! And who needs to see The Ball drop in NYC...not us...we saw something even better. We watched a moon pie drop in Mobile. Now people really...The Village People and a falling moon pie...what could be better!

New Year's Day...I don't know about you but the New Year's Day lunch is a very important lunch. Our parents have drilled in us that no matter what, we must have black-eye peas, collard greens, rice and cornbread. The black-eye peas are for good luck and the greens are for money; the rest, I guess just goes good with the other. Well, just because we were in the truck didn't mean this year was going to be any different...except maybe for the collards. I'm sorry but those things stink to high heaven. I can't stand the smell of them in my house and the thought of stinking up LC was...well, it wasn't going to happen. I'd probably still be smelling those things today. Thank goodness it's all superstition or else we would be busting our hineys for nothing. We did have a very good meal though. I cooked some stew beef with carrots and potatoes, rice, black-eye peas and cornbread. I kinda skimped out on dessert so Carlos went to the Huddle House and bought us a hot fudge brownie cake with ice cream. He asked me if I wanted to share one or have one by myself. "REALLY...I want my own!" It was surprisingly very good. We hate we missed spending the day with our family but as long as we are together...all is good!

We loaded January 2 in Minden with another control building for the Solar Farm. Back to Boulder City, NV we went. If you remember this is the farm that is built in a Tortoise sensitive area with the Tortoise Crossing signs. I was so hoping I'd get to see a crossing Tortoise this time but once again no Tortoise in sight. Maybe next time. We successfully unloaded in Boulder City and loaded right back going to....CONNECTICUT. I do believe we have lost our minds. Y'all know we do not do cold! You are probably asking the same question I kept asking, "What were we thinking?" Originally, we thought it was the money talking but we later realized it was the Lord.

Timothy took an extra week of vacation so he didn't leave when we did. He left the following week taking a control building to Boulder City. He loaded on Friday along with several other trucks and on Sunday morning while in New Mexico sleeping...WHAM! A super trucker decided Toot's truck needed a little remodeling. He ripped the front bumper off, tore the lights out and messed up the fender. I know accidents happen but when they do most people stop and check things out...not this driver, he kept right on going. I do not understand how someone can be so inconsiderate, disrespectful and just plain sorry. I am so thankful that Timothy wasn't alone. The drivers with him also heard the commotion and jumped out of their trucks to try and stop the hit and runner but to no avail.  Do you remember the episode of the super trucker hitting us and me getting out in the freezing cold with just my pajamas on...Timothy is a lot like his mama! It was freezing...in the 20's and he jumps out with just his jeans and a jacket on...no socks, no shoes, no shirt. One of the drivers with Timothy unhooked his truck and trailer and told him to get in. They knew which way the trucker went so they off they went, to track him down. They even went to the New Mexico scale house to see if the truck could be seen on video but of course, the video camera wasn't working. Now picture this! Timothy standing there talking to the DOT with no socks, no shoes and no shirt. He is very proud of his truck and works hard to keep it looking good and when an A-1 driver hits his truck and keeps going the last thing on his mind are clothes. The DOT rode down to the truck stop, wrote up the accident report and told Toot what he had to do for his truck to be legal on the road. Instead of spending his day off relaxing, he and the other drivers spent most of the day patching, bending and fixing his truck so it would be road legal again. Then on Tuesday...yep, there's more...his truck broke down in Flagstaff, AZ. Once again, Carlos and I are so thankful he wasn't alone. I think there were six or seven trucks traveling together to Nevada and when Timothy said he was having problems and hit the shoulder, they all hit the shoulder. They looked at his truck and advised him on what to do. They helped him find a good shop and tow truck and even pulled his trailer to the nearest truck stop. All of those drivers with Toot were under permitted loads and could only travel during the daylight hours. There wasn't a lot of daylight left when all this happened but they stayed and helped. One of the drivers even stayed at the truck stop to keep an eye on his trailer until we got there. Why in the world can't everybody be like these guys? It really isn't that hard to be polite, kind and helpful.

Our load put us on the same interstate as Toot and when his truck broke down we were only about 70 miles from him. This my friends is when we realized it wasn't the money talking to us it was the Lord. You see, we try not to go to Connecticut in the summer, y'all know how much we dislike working the north east. So us taking a load in the dead of the winter is nothing short of the work of the Lord. Some may say it was luck or a coincidence that our path crossed with Timothy's but I do not believe in luck or coincidences. I believe that it is all God. I have said it before and I'll say it again...His timing is perfect!

Sitting at the truck stop and watching your son's truck pass by hooked to a wrecker is not a pleasant sight. We were able to postpone our delivery date by one day which gave us time to take Toot's load to Kingman, Az where one of the drivers that had been with him earlier met us and picked up the trailer. This driver drove all the way to Boulder City, dropped his trailer and drove back to Kingman to get Toot's trailer so his load could be delivered on time...that is team work. After spending three days in the shop and a boat load of money he finally got his truck back, went and got his trailer and has now reloaded headed back to Georgia so his buddy at Real Life Kustom Services can get that baby looking good again. We are now on our way to Connecticut for a Tuesday delivery and then we are off to Chicago, IL. Ok, Lord you know we are not cold weather people. Timothy is going home, we have no family up north so please send us back to the warm weather. One trip up north is enough.

I have to share...when Timothy was riding with Carl for his training, I had several people ask me why I stayed home and didn't go with them. My answer was...."Are you kidding me? Carlos, Toot, me and Spice all in that truck! I don't think so!" Well, we experienced a little bit of what it would have been like. Toot stayed with us Tuesday night in the truck...yep, all three of us. The plan was for him to sleep on the cushions on the floor...well, things do not always go as planned. Since I am the shorter, smaller of the three guess who got the floor...you guessed it...ME! On top of that, I had to use a towel for a pillow because someone forgot to get theirs. When we were trying to get settled for the night Toot said, "Y'all really didn't think this thing through did ya?" Not sure we were thinking at all! He and Carlos both offered to sleep on the floor but I said I'd take one for the team...although, neither one of them offered me their pillow. I read something the other day that said Your children may get older and grow up but they will never be grown. Some of you may think we baby Timothy too much or we need to cut the cord. We don't baby him...we love him, we support him, we encourage him, we pray for him, we are proud of him and as long as Carlos and I are on this earth we will do whatever we can to be there when he needs us. I don't care how old you are, you are never too old for your mama and daddy. My parents have traveled many, many miles for us and Carl and I will always do the same for our Toot Toot.

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

No matter what our circumstances we are to give thanks to the Lord. It is easy to give thanks when life is running smoothly but it takes faith, love, commitment and trust in the Lord to give thanks when life hits a brick wall or takes a curve too sharp for us to handle. It is so easy to sit around and sulk during our troubled times but it is during those times that we get our strength and perseverance to carry on through Christ Jesus. Instead of having ourselves a little pity party, as Christians, we are to keep our minds focused on Christ and give thanks for His goodness, mercy and grace. It doesn't matter what is going on in our lives there is always something to be thankful for. Expressing our thankfulness to our Lord is the first thing we should do each day. Giving thanks for the sunset...the sunrise...the rain...the snow...the voice of our loved ones, the test that came back negative...the healing of a loved one...the birds chirping...the laughing of a child...finding your keys...the touch of a tiny baby...the food on the table...nothing is too big or too small for God. Expressing our gratitude and thankfulness puts a smile on His face and shows our love for Him. I know the things that Timothy went through did not directly happen to me but they did affect me. I am thankful that Timothy wasn't riding down the road when his truck was hit. I am thankful that he wasn't hurt when he got hit. As bad as the damage is, I am thankful that it isn't worse. I am thankful that when his truck broke down he was in Flagstaff and not in the middle of nowhere. I am thankful Carl and I were able to be there for him when he needed us. I am thankful for the truckers with him who stayed and helped.

Timothy's year did not start off the way he had hoped. He went from smiling and laughing to being upset, depressed, frustrated and stressed in the matter of just a few hours which he had every right to be...he's human. Things in life happen that are completely out of our control. What matters is how we let those life mishaps affect us. We can choose to live a life that is filled with sadness and a why me attitude or we can refocus our hearts and minds to the love of our God. We can choose to live a life of thankfulness even in the midst of troubles. Timothy didn't let his troubles get the best of him. He is right back to his crazy, funny self. Although, he probably wants to put a sign on the front of his truck that says "Caused by an A-1 trucker." The idea of people thinking that he doesn't take care of his truck or the fact that it doesn't look "SHARP" drives him crazy. But in just a few weeks, it'll be a sharp good looking truck again.

Til we meet again!
Only by His grace,
   Lynne

What Goes Up Must Come Down

Connecticut...REEEAALY...Connecticut!

Not real excited about our next trip Carl looked at me and said, "I sure will be glad when the freight picks back up so we can be a little more selective about what we haul and where we go. We are taking a communication building to Connecticut." "I know but I was sitting in the back praying for a load when your phone rang...with an offer on a load. So I don't think we need to turn this one down. The Lord just answered my pray. Next time I'll make sure I am a little more specific."

From the moment we got the load it seemed like Satan was putting people in our path to discourage us about going to Connecticut with an oversize load. First, we had someone to ask us how we were going to enter Connecticut because they do not allow prefab buildings into their state. "Really...that is the craziest thing I have ever heard!" Then the same man asked Carlos if we did get in how were we going to get out.  I was like what...drive out just like we drove in.  Who knew it wouldn't be as simple as that. Our permit would allow us to enter but once the load was delivered we would not be able to travel in that state because we would be too long. "Great...so what are we supposed to do...just sit in Connecticut from now on?" So, Carl called the permit office to find out if what he had just been told was true. "No, they do not allow prefab buildings, instead of listing it as a communication building we will list it as a concrete vault." What??? Looks like a building...built like a building...all the other states say it's a building...so it must be a building. No...it's not a building it's a concrete vault! Okay..whatever...as long as we can deliver this building aka vault...we don't care what it's called!

We were then told we would have to buy another permit to leave Connecticut...CRAZY!!!  Then a few days later we had another driver tell us that Connecticut only allows oversize loads to travel Tuesday thru Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  He also looked at our Pennsylvania permit to see what route we had been given. His comment to that, "Good luck!" By this time Carl had gotten really discouraged. He kept saying, "What have we gotten ourselves into?" "Don't worry, everything will be just fine. Don't start stressing. Lets just wait until we get our Connecticut permit and see what it says then we'll deal with any problems." After our Connecticut permit came in and Carl read over it, he realized that because of the way the state measures the length, if he raised the third axle off the ground we would be good to go. Yay! Another problem solved.

Now really...does this look like a road that needs to have a wide load traveling on it.
We ended up basically shutting the road down to get through.

One of our detour roads.

This is not a sign you want to see anytime...especially with an oversize load.

Then while sitting in a rest area in Pennsylvania, we had another driver that came up to Carl and just started talking. I tell you what, he must have a face that says, "Come talk to me. I'll listen." Anyway, he was asking Los where we were headed with the building aka vault. "Stonington, Connecticut." "That's where I live. It's just a little ole fishing town. I don't know where you're going to park with that thing. There's nowhere in Stonington. The closest place is an hour and half away."  WOW!!! What was it with all these people giving us discouraging news about this load. I don't think this has ever happened before. Satan was working overtime on this one. But we stayed strong and faithful and didn't let him get us down. It was a little difficult at times but God is Good! He helped see us through each frustrating moment.

For those of you that may not know, let me explain about the permits. Whenever we are hauling a load that is oversize which means the gross weight is over 80,000lbs or the height is over 13'6" or the width is over 8'6"...we have to have a permit. Each state issues its own permit and they tell us what roads we can travel and what times we can travel. This is to avoid roads that are under construction, bridges that may be too low and rush hour traffic in high populated cities. Also, if you are caught off route you can be faced with a very hefty fine!  Simple enough right...until the detour is through towns with narrow, narrow roads or the roads have trees with low hanging branches or the roads are as curvy as a snake or it takes 106 miles to go what would have been 20 miles on the interstate...not so simple then and also extremely stressful.That is why the driver told us to have fun on the Pennsylvania detour. Don't you just love sarcasm!!!

Now, back to our journey that has been filled with reassuring words from our fellow drivers.

We ended up spending the night in the parking lot of a closed down shopping center in a little town just outside of Stonington. It's times like these that I am so so so so thankful that I have all the amenities of home in this truck...especially, a bathroom!!!

The next morning one of the crewmen from the job site came and picked us up. It is always so encouraging when we have to have a guide to lead us to our final destination. The journey to the site was about 22 miles of little narrow curvy two lane roads and more overhanging tree limbs. Once we finally reached our destination it was a sight to behold. I wasn't really paying any attention when our guide rode off into the woods and we pulled off the road...well, I can't really say we pulled off because there wasn't a shoulder to pull off on. We were more like half on and half off. But anyway...I was sitting in my seat playing with my camera not paying any attention to what we were doing at the moment. After about 15 minutes of sitting there Carl says, "They want us to go up there." I turned and looked, "What? Up there! There is no way we can get up there! We will tear our truck up!"  I just started laughing. "They have lost their mind!"

The road to a day full of excitement

Sitting on the side of the road with our communication building aka vault.

After anxiously waiting another 15-20 minutes, one of the crewmen finally walked down the hill to get Carl so he could go scope things out. He was not a happy camper when he came back "Yep, we have to go up." It took all four of the men to help guide us up the hill. We had an 11'11" wide load and the road was 12'. It looked like someone went in there with a chain saw and cut down enough trees to make a path. There were large rocks on either side of the road and trees all up and down the edge of it. The limbs from the trees were hanging low and across the road. One side of the road was a hill that went up and the other side was a hill that went down. We had 2 men walking in front on each side of the truck and 2 walking in the back. The men up front had to make sure we would make it under the trees and that we had enough room to get between the trees. The men in the back had to make sure that when we went around a curve that the trailer would not hit a rock/boulder or hit a tree or for goodness sake slide off the hill. It was a very tedious job. The road was about 1/2 mile but it took us a good 15 minutes to get up. Finally...we made it to the top. Oh my...a little square with enough room for us to pull straight in...room for the crane...the pad for the building aka vault and another truck...that was the job site!

Our little hole in the woods.

Trying to relieve some stress.
 I couldn't even take the sign off the truck because of the trees.

A view of our surroundings.

Finally, we got unloaded! Now, the fun part...getting out! One of the men told Carl that they could pick up our trailer with the crane so we could back up and get turned around. Yes, that would be so much better than trying to back down and risk tearing up our truck. So, I grabbed my camera and got ready to do some picture taking.

Getting unloaded

They got the trailer hooked up and started raising it up. I'm standing down the road thinking this is the coolest thing everrr! Then I hear Kevin...oh for those of you that watch Big Brother and remember Jeff and Jordan from a few years ago...Kevin looked and talked just like Jeff. I finally asked him if he had a brother because I just knew he was Jeff's brother. They say we all have a twin out there somewhere...well, I met Jeff's twin. He was too cute! Ok ok back to the trailer...it's up in the air and I hear Kevin say, "Bring it down! Yes, bring it down now!" Then at that very moment the unthinkable happened...Our trailer. Fell. From. The. Sky.  My heart froze, my breathing stopped, my hands starting shaking and tears started filling my eyes. I just stood there...dropped my head and starting thinking Lord what are we going to do now. We can't afford to be out of work...how are we going to get our trailer fixed. I just turned my back to everyone for a few minutes and got myself back together. When I turned back around and looked at Carl, once again he was standing there cool as a cucumber. I thought, "Really, our trailer just fell from the sky! How can you be so calm?" When I said something about it later on he said, "Well, what was I supposed to do? I think I was in shock and couldn't believe what had just happened." 

After the trailer fell, everybody was quiet...nobody was saying a word. Then they started calling out to make sure everyone was ok and once everybody answered they got quiet again and just stood staring at Carl. He was like "Why are they staring at me?" I told him they were waiting for him to blow a gasket but he never did. He just said, "I am thankful no one got hurt. This trailer can be fixed." I was thinking, "Yes...yes it can, but how in the world are we going to get it out of here to get it fixed. I mean really...we're at the top of a hill and nobody can get out...and there isn't enough room for a tow truck to get in."

Going up...only for a minute.

Bent landing gear

No this should not look like this!
This is the rub rail...both sides looked like this.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 

James 1:19 says, "My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

With everything we had just been through my dear sweet husband followed both of these commands. He just kept saying over and over "I am so thankful nobody got hurt." He stayed calm...never raised his voice...never had a look of aggravation or disgust...and he listened with an open heart as Kevin told him what he was going to do. He prayed about getting the trailer fixed and the potential loss of work.

Doesn't Carlos look calm!

Matthew 6:34 says, "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today. Oh, how true this is and we certainly had enough troubles that day. Who had time to worry about tomorrow?? We had to focus on today. For a little while I thought we might be sleeping up in that little hole in the woods...along with 4 other people. But as I have said before God is so good!

Kevin immediately got on the phone and started calling people telling them what had happened and what they needed to do to get us out of there. He assured us over and over and over that his boss would fix our trailer. People...I can not tell you what a blessing that was. Most of the time if anything happens you are on your own. Not this time!

We were finally able to hook the truck and trailer back up. Let me tell you when I looked up and saw them raising the front of the trailer with the crane, I thought I was going to have a panic attack. But praise the Lord our truck and trailer were back together. They got someone to come up to cut the landing gear off (it had gotten bent and couldn't be raised). We were able to get the rub rail that had been snatched loose from the trailer cut off. I know this may sound quick and simple but it took about 3 1/2 hours. Now let the fun begin!!! When the trailer fell, it fell out of line with the road. Since we had no room and I mean noooo room to move around, Carlos had to move forward an inch back up an inch...turn the wheel to the right and move forward an inch...watch out don't hit the crane...turn the wheel to the left and back up an inch...look out for the boulders...turn the wheel to the left and move forward an inch...look out for the fence...turn the wheel and back up an inch...Stop...there's a tree...move forward an inch...stop...the fence again! This went on and on and on for the longest time. At one point we actually got to move 4 inches....oh the excitement there! If it hadn't been for the help of those 4 men guiding us and telling Carl how much room he had or which way to turn the wheel, I don't think we could have gotten out of there. Could ya'll see me trying to tell him what needed to be done....no....me either. But we finally did it....I say we...Carlos did all the work and I did all the praying! Bless his heart...his leg was given out after pushing on that clutch for so long. After the trailer was finally lined back up in the road, Kevin walked up to the truck shook Carl's hand and said, "After all that, backing down the road will be a piece of cake!" Once again with Kevin's help, we did what we did not want to do in the first place, we backed down the road. Finally...Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! We are out! 

Backing down this was so much fun!

We followed one of the workers back to their shop...filled our truck up with water...ate supper and went to bed. The next day they replaced the landing gear and fixed and replaced the rub rail to match what was on the trailer and by 5:30 we were on our way. It didn't cost us any time off work. So you see Matthew 6:34 is so very true. If we had worried about tomorrow it would have been worry for nothing. God had everything under control. Some of you may be asking,  "If He had everything under control then why did this happen?" Well, I don't know exactly why it happened. But I do know that it's just part of life. Things happen and  it's how we handle those things that matter...whether they're big things or little things our attitude...our words...our actions...matter. Jesus' life on earth was not a bed of roses so what in the world makes me think my life should be.  

Yes, our trial that day was nothing compared to what others have had to face. I think it is the little trials that prepare us for when those huge storms hit. If we can't handle the little things then how will we handle the big ones. Big or small...keep your faith and trust in Jesus. He will guide you through. I said we had 4 men helping us that day but the truth is we had 1 big powerful God who was leading...guiding...and directing 4 helpful men...1 happy couple...and 1 rambunctious little dog.

What an adventure this was!!

Til we meet again!
Only by Grace!
   Lynne

Prayers answered

Before I get started, I want to thank my awesome God for answered prayers. He may not always answer them the way I want or in the time frame that I want but he does answer. He always knows what is best for me.....for all of us! 1Thessalonians 5:16-18 says..Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. What a blessing it is to have a LIVING God who I can talk to one on one anytime..any place.

Now, let me update you about our latest adventures. We got unloaded Tuesday morning in Forth Worth, TX. We are suppose to be leaving Saturday to go on vacation with our family, so we prayed for a load going toward the house. Carl decided to sit it out in Dallas...a central location....while we waited. Tuesday night about 10:00 we were sitting there watching tv when we saw a pickup wheel up in front of us and stop and then another and another. At first we thought it was somebody trying to sell something...somebody is always trying to sell something at a truck stop. But when the 7th vehicle stopped we knew something was up....Carl was like "Man what is going on here!" I got up and rushed to the front of the truck...nosy me...I wanted to see too. There were at least 9 undercover US Marshal agents with bullet proof vests and guns...Oh My Goodness the guns....big, little, short, long, they had it.  We were like "somebody's about to have a really bad day!" They arrested a driver in a truck right across from us. I kinda felt bad for the poor fella but if he committed a crime then he needs to do the time. He was driving a "Bed Bugger" (a moving van). I just cracked up when Carl told me the CB slang. Those house owners sure are going to be upset when they get a phone call telling them their furniture will not be arriving on time because the driver is in jail. My mother is probably having a fit right about now after reading this. She is already worried to death about me staying at truck stops.

The last time we were in Texas we were entertained by the Border Patrol in Laredo. An illegal immigrant had managed to cross the boarder and was hiding out in the truck stop around all the trucks. They had choppers flying over us and cars riding all around the parking lot. They never did catch the guy but it sure wasn't from a lack of trying. I told Carl we may have to stop staying in Texas. But then again...it is quite entertaining.

When we got up Wednesday morning we were anxious to see if the "Bed Bugger" was still there....yep...someone still has no furniture. We called all our family about noon and told them we were heading home and we would see them Thursday afternoon. Guess we will never know the rest of  the story with the moving truck. On the way home I kept looking on the load board for us a load but nothing ever showed up while we were in Texas. After we crossed over into Louisiana I decided to look one more time, I should have been looking in Louisiana but for some reason my finger hit Texas...and about 88 miles from us in Texarkana, TX was a load going to Valdosta, GA....God had my finger and he pressed Texas....He is always in control. Just one problem...now we had to call everybody and tell them it would be Friday before we got home....sure wish God would have called everybody. Carl said I took the wimpy way out...I texted Mama so she would have to tell daddy and made Carl call Timothy and the others. Sorry, guess I did...oh how I did not want to hear my mama's voice or lack there of when I said "Mama, I'm not coming home." Hearing it with the text was bad enough and the expression on her face...didn't have to be home to see that! But all is good...haven't been disowned...yet!!!

Oh, I almost forgot....Carl surprised me with a Hershey bar Wednesday afternoon.  As he was holding the candy bar and pointing it at me, he said.."I am going to give you one more chance but if you make a mess that's it. I was one happy little girl and no...I did NOT make a mess.

We did get loaded this morning and are headed home ...if we make it across these Louisiana roads. Oh my goodness they are soooo rough. My neck and back are being yanked and jerked all over the place. I told Carl I was going to fall in the floor and yell whiplash...then I could go to the doctor and file for disability. He just laughed and was like yeah right!

Friday afternoon will be home sweet home and Saturday we will be on the road again; but this time it's vacation time....Yee Haw!!!

'Til we meet again....will be a few weeks!!

Only by Grace,
Lynne

Our ticket home...an answered prayer!!!

Military Mine Resistant Vehicle

Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.
Psalm 27:14