December

December January 14, 2009

1- Long Suffering

Once you discover what something is, what it means and how to do it, you realize that you had no clue before. I’m talking about long-suffering, in a relationship specifically. In a few days, it’s been two months sinnce Joshua and I have been in this Peterbilt. When you’re in close quarters with someone, and I mean close quarters, you’ve got to be more patient or else you will both play hell. I have learned a lot, and of course I am still occassionally too much of a princess, but Joshua tells me I am a trooper.

On our way to Nogales, Arizona, close to Tucson. We are going dancing either tonite or Saturday night, check out the honkytonk scene there. I guess I couldn’t wait, because the song “Jukebox Junkie” came on. Ken Mellons sings it. Yea, I don’t know who that is either. Anyway, I got up to get something from the sleeper and I started CRAZY DANCIN. I guess I was reallllly tired of sitting down :). It really got me laughing at myself. Fun stuff! I bet some of you could imagine that goofy side, huh? Good tune!

Well, I have a girls’ weekend planned so that’s super exciting. I shall plan another girls’ weekend this summer, too!

When I actually stop everything – texting, talking on the phone and other computer work, I really enjoy looking out the window at God’s creation. Check out Arizona:

Outside the city of Tucson, AZ

LOTS of awesome cactus

Fletchers, check it out! An auto place named after you!

The other day I saw my first tumbleweed (that I remember!) out near Fort Stockton, Texas. It was nuts!! Joshua said, wait ’till you see one the size of a small car. That’ll put a dent in anything.

My lovely Jennifer Downs said that we should check out the song “We Weren’t Crazy” by Josh Gracin, and that it was “our” song. Well, we recorded it and it rocks. I’ve heard it before but never really listened to the words. “We were young, we were wild, we were restless…. but we weren’t crazy!!” Thanks, Jenn! Can’t wait to see you, love.

Um can someone tell me what's the point of these??

So… thanks to my father-in-law, we now have a portable burner and skillet so I cooked tacos the other night. YUM! This is me cooking with…yes…a head light. Yea, laugh it up. It’s cool.

That night: Tacos for Dinner

So about the long-suffering, there is much of it goin on out here for us, but it is worth it. Right now as I type this, I’m looking at the snow-capped mountains of Utah. Last night, it was the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming. Beautiful.

2- You Can Always Learn New Dance Moves

We checked into a hotel in Fort Worth for a night, and I made friends with the hotel check-in staff. The girl gave us free tickets to go see Loretta Lynn at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth. It was Joshua’s first time at that huge honky tonk. Check out the pics.

The bear inside the dancehall; I wouldn't pose with it 🙂

We made friends there. Loretta didn’t play till 10:30 or 11, so there was plenty of dancefloor time. Stacey taught me a new line dance, and I taught her Copperhead Road. She caught on quick!

Stacey..... We taught each other new line dances!

Loretta Lynn was slow and kind of feeble coming in from her bus, but once she stepped on stage, she was a firecracker!

Only Loretta.....

The great walls of handprints... My fav, Conway Twitty of course. Boo boo, remember our adventures at Billy Bob's?

So, nasty restrooms. I know how to handle them. Do I enjoy it? NO!! Have I walked into a few, thought, I will NOT use that restroom? YEA!

We picked up some copper from Hayden, Arizona. The copper plant was crazy fun! Not only did we have to gear up in long sleeves, hard hat and glasses, we had to step out of the truck and show the guard we were dressed to work. That felt official. 🙂

I need some stickers for my hard hat. I look like a rookie, but I guess I am...

They gave us respirators. All of the workers there wore them.

So then we drove on the dirt roads, on top of the mountain, and drove down into the area where all the smelting, setting and cooling of copper happened. It was so kick butt when I saw the loader. WOW. Huge sucker. And the smelting, huge pots going and a lime green flame, yes LIME green, at least 5 feet in the air. See if you can see it in the pic to the left.

At the Copper Plant

We got loaded and put the chains on, tightened them etc. I was stoked. A workout and I got to see another different kind of work environment. Some of the job sites absolutely leave me with my mouth open in awe.

We did see something really disturbing though – another guy loading in front of us, well let’s just say he was securing his load but forgot to secure his pants first. We got a plumber show, more than we wanted!! That was funny.

On to cleaner subjects!! We are still having fun out here and we moved up a level in the company last month, from Level 0 to Level I. We continue to keep hauling interesting things and to new parts of the U.S.

Last week we went through a canyon in Arizona at night. That meant we drove down the mountainside into the canyon then through the canyon, down the winding roads, in awe of the massively tall mountains surrounding us. It is absolutely phenomenal. When we get back through there during the day, I will have to snap a photo. The depth is amazing. No words to describe it but I loved it! Pic to come hopefully soon.

This past week our church read 1 and 2 Peter. I just love how the bible is so refreshing. I aim to read it everyday, and our daily text helps me get started in that way. Of course, there are those days when I fail to read it, and I suffer from it! Ever feel that way – like if you don’t have your diet coke or coffee for the day? It’s hard to survive without it!

So how are y’all liking th monthly updates of our experiences? There are too many experiences for me to blog all about them, but I do my best. I take pictures along the way and then it’s easier for me to blog about them later. I miss my girlfriends and my niece and my Shortney. Cherry Merry Muffin, where are you? 🙂

At the Big Texan in Amarillo. 72 oz steak - whoever can eat it in an hour gets it free. We watched a dude fail at it 😦

Two dudes trying to eat the 72 oz

They played "Silver Wings" for us at Joshua's request

This is for you, Dad. DAVY CROCKETT (in the Big Texan store)

Well, I need a handle already! What should it be? Email or comment on the blog with any ideas! I’m keeping my mind open about it until one just makes me excited. Joshua’s handle is BIG RED, but I need one myself!

Love y’all and miss you! We are having a good ol’ time out here. xoxoxo Love sent your way.

3- More Goodies

Looks like this entry is going to be mainly photos, so enjoy!

This is Wisconsin kind of cold

And this.... This is Illinois cold!!

All these trucks are in our company. We got to a job site and we were the last ones to get loaded. It was an all day thing, but we got free lunch!

All these trucks are in our company. We got to a job site in Fort Stockton, TX and we were the last ones to get loaded. It was an all day thing, but we got free lunch!