Oops... I did it again!

I can not believe it's been almost a month since I posted anything on this blog. I am a horrible blogger.

A LOT has been going on.

Chris is home, but leaving in a few days.

My bow business is booming. (I never expected this but am extremely thankful)

I have been feeling incredibly blessed lately.

Lilly knocked Chris's laptop off the coffee table and broke it. We are trying to fix my old desktop so he can take my new laptop with him instead of buying a new laptop. I am too cheap to buy a new laptop.

Back when we paid off our car I mentioned that we are now debt free. What I didn't mention were the collections we had. They have been laying VERY heavy on my heart. As of Monday, every single collection or past due account is completely paid off!

Zip. Zero. Zilch!

No more ANYTHING on our conscience.

I can't tell you what a relief it is for us to have it paid off. Now onto saving as much as possible to be able to buy a house.

Watch out! Momma's cleaning house!

I have a post ready for today but I didn't like that it was another whiny post. I need to stop doing that!

I'm working on de-cluttering the whole house. It is a disaster!

We have an abundance of stuff which is a big reason why I have been whiny. I can't see how blessed we are because we have too much. I resent the stuff we have.

Seriously, we have TOO much JUNK.

Throwing away and donating feels so much better than looking at the stuff piling up.

I can already feel a huge weight being lifted from my shoulders.

and that is a GOOD thing :)

Sophie chatting with the stick in the t-ball holder. Gosh I love that kid.

Look Out Cat Woman

This is Lilly. Or as I lovingly call her, Silly Lilly. Here's why.

She cracks me up on a daily basis. Her sense of fashion is eclectic to say the least. I need to remember to take some pictures of the outfits she like to wear when we go out shopping. The girl marches to her own drummer that's for sure. I love that about her.

Drawing a dinosaur.

She's showing me how the dinosaur walks.

She is totally rockin' the cat eye glasses.

Happy New Year!

New year, new beginnings.

Isn't that great? We get to start over. We get to do things this year that we didn't have time for last year.

I am resolving this year to be a better parent.

I tend to get into a funk right after Chris leaves to go back on the road. I cry and whine and act like a baby. I want to lay in bed and just forget that I won't see the father of my children for at least 5 weeks.

It's depressing, and not just for me. For my kids too.

I don't want to do that this year.

On another note... what is up with Twitter lately.

There have been such harsh words written towards people recently. Have people become so out of touch with reality that they forget that there really is another human being on the other side of the monitor?

I'm not pointing fingers because I am not perfect. But I do know that what you put online for the world to see, will in fact be seen. Good or bad. And I also know that what a person types in 140 characters or less can have a profound effect on the way they are perceived by others.

The last few days have made me reconsider even having a twitter account that has anything to do with trucking. Not only have I been offended by some of the things said, my heart hurts for those people making the ugly comments.

We as Christians are blessed by the Fruit of the Holy Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

– Galatians 5:22-23, KJV

What we as Christians say does leave a lasting impression on others, whether they are Christian or not. Shouldn't we, at all times, be trying to show others what it's like to be a Christian?

So thankful

If you haven't noticed by now, I'll let you in on a little secret.

I COMPLAIN A LOT!

I complain on here because I have no one else to discuss things with. Being a trucker's wife is a very lonely thing. And when that trucker drives teams and is on the night shift, it tends to be even more lonely.

This my complaint box.

But it is also my praise box. The place I like to write down what I am truly thankful for, so that I never forget.

This is one of those times where I will praise rather than complain.

Right now, I love the company my husband works for.

A lot of people don't.

BUT that's OK because it works for us. (at the moment)

I know there is no such thing as the perfect trucking company. I knew that going in. We both did. What sets this company apart, I think, is the fact that they actually try to be as accurate as possible.

He has had one error on his pay sheet in the time he has been there. It was corrected the following week.

His paycheck from his previous carrier had an error on nearly every check. 2-3 weeks to get corrected as well.

Not cool.

The place he works at now pay detention pay.

Previous carrier. Nada.

Now? Prepass.

Previous? Had to request toll money, got charged. Withdraw money from ATM, got charged. Lucky if he ever saw his toll money reimbursed.

What I am getting at is that when he lost his job back in July, I freaked. I cried. I was so upset.

I should have been on my knees praying to God thanking Him for His blessing.

Happy Monday!

It's Monday and I am happier than a bird with a french fry.

It's true.

First off, I survived the grocery store yesterday. The good news: They actually had a cart that held 2 kids for once.  The bad news: The basket on it was so small I still needed 2 carts. At least I should be good for another 5 weeks without having to go back!

Second of all, my husband, my loving, hardworking, dedicated, fun, adorable husband is on his way home. I couldn't be more happy right now. Well I guess I could be happier. But only if he walked through the door holding 1 million dollars and said let's move to a deserted island and live happily ever after. THEN I might be a little happier.

Next, it's Thanksgiving this week! Duh. Since we won't be making it to my father's house on Thursday, we are going to the next best thing. His cousins house! They are very special to us and just some of the most wonderful people you could ever meet. I always feel like a better person after being around them. They just ooze positivity. I love it!

Last, but certainly not least, Lilly. She has been coming in my room in the middle of the night to sleep with me. Which means, she wakes up when I do, which means we get some alone time just the 2 of us. It doesn't happen very often, even though I wish it did. She is a fun kid!! She has the best giggle and loves to be tickled!

I need to get my camera out. It's been a while since I took any photos. I have been doing a lot of reading on how to take better pictures so hopefully they will turn out, well, better. :)

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Gobble gobble!!

Another "test"

For nearly 2 weeks now I have been feeding our family straight out of our pantry and living off of my stockpiled items. I haven't been to the store once! While I would love to say that this was some sort of challenge I set up for myself, sadly it isn't.

This coming Monday our car will have been out of commission for 2 weeks. The alternator died while I was driving to the auto parts store to have it re-checked. Ironic I know. It couldn't have happened at a worse intersection. Or at a worse time. 6 lanes of traffic in one direction, 4 in the other. Thankfully I was on the side with only 4 lanes of traffic but it just happened to be 4:30 and I just happened to be sticking out into the intersection.

Panic was setting in. I couldn't get my car to start back up. It was totally dead. I have never been called so many horrible names, had so many horns honked at me or had so many dirty looks given to me at one time. Not one person stopped and asked if they could help. One person while stopped at the light asked what was wrong with my car. My response was "It's dead and won't start.", "Good luck." was his response back. Friendly town I live in isn't it?

I called the police so they could direct traffic around me and ended up having to call a tow truck to move the car. As of today, the car is still sitting in the parking lot. Hasn't moved since they tow guy dropped it off.

I am 100% certain this was another one of those "tests" that a certain someone like to give to us that have forgotten just who He is.  I have no clue why I am being tested other than I have forgotten who He is. We don't go to church as we should and it shows. We don't live our lives like my husband and I have been taught. We do know better and we need to change. Our marriage is stretched thinner than a NY pizza crust. My kids misbehave more than ever.

I am an emotional wreck. I miss my husband dearly and can't wait for him to be home. I don't like him being gone for this long. It has been 8 weeks since I have seen him and it hurts. He and I have made the decision to change. For the better of course. He is going to look for work here instead of being on the road. He knows he needs to be home.

This year has been a huge test of Faith. I have failed miserably. I WILL CHANGE THAT!

Update

Well Chris found out to day that he will be going to an orientation on the 2nd of August. That's good news! It's actually with the company that he wanted to go with originally but they were so overbooked with new drivers, the wait time was over 3 months. We just couldn't wait that long.

So a bit of good news today from me!

We are enjoying having him home. We haven't done a thing! My van is still at the collision center getting fixed. Going on 2 weeks now and it's supposed to be even longer! Good thing we got a rental. :)

Have a fabulous weekend and God bless!!

Nervous and relieved

I shared on Twitter the other day that Chris lost his job. So here we are. Back at square one.

He was let go Thursday morning and he still isn't home. They are keeping him on the truck for as long as possible because his co-driver isn't experienced enough to drive alone. Oh and he isn't getting paid. Yeah. I am NOT a happy camper right now.

He is in VA at the moment on his way to Nashville. I will probably go either tonight or tomorrow and get him off the truck. I just want him to get a little close to home first.

I am still in shock. Confused about what to do.

But you know what else I am? Relieved. Excited.

I can't wait to see my husband. I can't wait for the kids to see their Dad. I can't wait to do all the things that we have no been able to do since he has been gone. 6 months is a long time to be away from your family. Even though he wasn't gone for a continuous 6 months, it sure seemed like it. 5 days here and 6 days there goes by too quickly.

So there ya have it. Prayers for our family will be most appreciated. I am 100% certain that this is Gods will. Another opportunity will arise, and it will be bigger and better than the previous one.

Proverbs 3

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Not gonna let this keep me down!

Did ‘ya have a good Monday??

Are ‘ya having a good Tuesday?

So far this week for me is going pretty horrible.

Yesterday, a guy backed up his big ‘ole truck into the side of our van as I was driving behind him in the bank parking lot. I didn’t see him and he didn’t see me. It was simply an accident. Thankfully it wasn’t out on the interstate or on the highway at a faster rate of speed, but it still did quite a bit of damage.

The point of impact. The door gaps at the bottom. You can literally see the road as it passes by.

Kinda hard to see the dent on the sliding door, but I can assure you, it goes all. the. way. down. The black streak starts on the front quarter panel where there is a small dent and then continues to the back bumper.

I did manage to go to the bank and to Walgreens to get diapers, but it did ruin my trip to the grocery store. I ended up going back to the store later that night and it was a success! No one munched me this time!!

Today… ugh. What a day! I seems like every time I get up to do something, my husband calls me and needs directions or wants to know where the nearest “whatever” store is. Let me just tell you this… trying to find a store when you have no idea where the other person is located is pretty darn difficult. I know it sounds easy, but it’s not. It’s even more difficult when you have 3 kids screaming in your ear and the radio going and the dishwasher going and blah blah blah… you get the picture.

BUT!!! I have managed to get 2 roasts marinated, beans with sausage cooked, every single dish washed and delegated some chores to my oldest. She is on bathroom, floor and trash duty.

So even after a horrible start to the week, I am not gonna let it get me down! We will just keep on trucking along.

Have some compassion

When did being a Christian become so… hurtful. Insulting. Hateful.

I use Twitter for networking. I have met some amazing new friends on there and I really enjoy learning about the trucking industry from the pros out there.

What I don’t like are the “Christian” truckers out there spreading their hate of certain types of people through their updates.

I am a born again, God fearing Christian and have been for most of my life. I was raised in a loving Christian home with 2 of the best parents in the world. They taught me what it was like to be a Christian. And I have tried to live my life they way I was taught.

Am I perfect?

Um. Not even close.

Do I care?

Not in the least.

Perfection is something that can never EVER be achieved. All I can do is try to be a more perfect me. A better person. A better Christian.

I don’t understand it when people talk the talk but then don’t walk the walk. I can sit here all day and tell you I am a Christian, but if my actions or words tell you something different, what good does that do.

Have some compassion people!! Put yourself in someone else’s shoes that is less fortunate than yourself. Even if it’s only for a minute. You will quickly realize how blessed you are and how tiny and insignificant your problems truly are.

Psalm 145:8 (King James Version)

⁸The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

We are so blessed

I don't consider myself an overly compassionate person.

At least I didn't think I was. Until now.

I'm not sure if the mother in me, or the fact that I had such a great childhood but was such a freakin BRAT to everyone and now I feel lame about it. But my compassion meter is going through the roof lately.

First off, we are NOT well of by any means. We can hardly keep up with our own bills much less contribute to a good cause to help someone else. We have 3 kids. My husband is a truck driver with only 4 months of driving experience. I stay at home with the kids so we seriously have ZERO extra income. Heck we hardly have an income at all.

But I realized something this weekend. We are freakin RICH!

We have our health. We have our loving marriage. We have 3 absolutely gorgeous children. We have a very supportive extended family that would give the clothes off their backs to help us. We have a roof over our head and food on our table. Every. Single. Day.

We actually have excess stuff. Too much stuff.

My husband got a new co-driver this weekend. He didn't want to team with this person. He's a smoker and Chris really isn't a fan of smoke. He hates it actually. It gives him headaches and makes him sneeze all the time. But this guy was the only available guy to team up with him at this time.

There is no doubt in my mind that God brought this person into our lives.

This man has it bad. Really bad. He lives in a tiny apartment with his wife and 2 kids. His wife can't work because she is legally blind. I'm not sure what is wrong with his son but I am pretty sure he is mentally handicapped. He is 12 and about the size of my soon to be 4 year old with the speech to match. He is broke. He just finished his month long training with the company and is already nearly $700 in debt to them because of advances. Chris told me he brought 1 bag of food and a case of ramen noodles to the truck.

Of course I immediately went into freak out, overly concerned mode and loaded him up with so many groceries I don't think they will have to shop for 5 weeks.

I mean really. REALLY. And I sit here and complain sometimes that my kids are too loud or we can't afford to go out and eat.

We are so blessed. So, so blessed.

Weirdest week EVER!

This week has been one of those weeks you just want to forget. First of all, it had been raining for like 7 days straight so when Sunday came around, we wanted to get outside.

I was outside behind the house trying to get some pics of these birds all gathered around each other. I thought it was strange since they were all different types of birds. Don't they usually stick together... with their own type?? I'm no bird expert... I would have to ask my 10 yr old. But I can't do that... No way am I letting her think she is smarter than me!

So as I am taking pics, of course it start thundering. So the saying goes... "Don't like the weather in FL? Wait 5 minds it will change." It is so true. I got a picture of one of the Great Blue Herons but then just as I was taking another picture, this HUGE crash of thunder and lightning came down and scared the beejeesus out of us. I'm talking HUGE!! We all start running for cover. Granted it wasn't the smartest move... standing under the tallest 2 trees in the backyard while it was thundering. But ya know?? We are parents and we sometimes forget.


Here is the picture before the lightening.... I didn't crop or anything... so yes the junky empty condo is in the picture.


Here is right when the lightening hit. I did not adjust this picture AT ALL. I can't believe the contrast. It was pretty scary. But I am a chicken.


Anyway, as I was running, I forgot that I was down the embankment a little and when I turned around to run inside, I started stumbling and fell right to my knees. Yes embarrassing. All I could think of is that the neighbors must think we are soooo weird. Screaming and running in the middle of the day. What a site that must have been.

I hurt my knee in the fall. Nothing bad, just twisted it a little, but then it started stinging. I thought I must have landed on a pine cone or a wasp or something and got stung. So I pull up my pants leg and feel on the back of my leg and there is a bump. A weird feeling bump. I look at it. Oh my... it's a blue bump. Weird. Never seen that before.

I immediately go take a shower. Why you ask??? Well silly, I need to be clean in case I need to go to the ER. Even though I am hurt... I have to be clean. I call my dad... he tells me I will not die. (Thank GOD) He tells me that even though he is not a Dr. I will be just fine. Aren't dad's the bestest! My Aunt called him after I hung up with him and she told him it was probably a broken blood vessel... that it happened when I twisted my leg. It should go away in a few days.

Well... I am on day 6 and it looks as bad as ever.



What I am about to show you is gross... and weird.

The gross part is my big fat leg... the weird part is the bruise left from my eloquent fall.

This was taken on day 2 or 3. I can't remember. I thought... wow.. it's getting better. HA!



This shot was taken today. Weird huh. I did crop this pic. I have a huge tattoo on this leg and some people may not like tattoos. If you happen to like them... sorry.. I'll leave it in next time... if you don't like them.. well.. it's your lucky day... you get to only see an ugly fat leg and a gross bruise!


OK now onto some seriousness.

Yesterday was the scariest day of my entire life. Chris was off work and Harris Teeter is having triple coupons(yay) so we were planning a trip to the store. I was here at the computer and he was at the vanity. Which is kinda like in a hotel where the sink is in the room, but the toilet and tub are in a separate room. The point is we were BOTH in the room at the same time. I reach up to get my list off the printer and to check on the babies... I turn around for 2 seconds to put the paper on my desk and I hear a loud crash.

Then crying.

Then panic sets in.

The chest of drawers has just fallen on both of my babies. I can not tell you the fear that I had at that very moment. I could only see Lilly. She had somehow managed to get to the side of the chest when it fell. Luckily it didn't fall right on top of her, it hit the laundry basket and was on just half of her. I could not however see Sophie. Chris rushed over and picked up the chest and there was Sophie. I totally broke down. Sophie managed to get wedged in between the chest and some boxes we have not unpacked yet. She got 1 tiny little scratch on her lip. That was it! Thank God she was OK.

We are so lucky that something very bad did not happen. I truly believe that the unpacked boxes and laundry basket saved their lives. If they had not been where they were, I know they would have been crushed. We are planning on anchoring that sucker to the wall. I will NOT let that happen in my house EVER again.