Introducing the White House on Wheels

Right now we are ready and waiting to head out on the road with our new (to us) truck. We sold our old truck, and have purchased a 2000 Kenworth W900 with a 156" sleeper on it, and only 729,000 miles. The new truck is laid out so well, and we are looking forward to how well it will work for us. I am showing a few pictures below.

Profile view of the front of the truck.

Back of the truck, showing the headache rack.

 The truck has a custom headache rack, which is VERY handy for putting stuff in. Even with all the storage on the inside, there are still some things we have to put in the back (like laundry). And now my hubby has plenty of room for his tools.

Looking in from the back door.

 As you can see from looking in the back door, it is laid out sort of like a hallway. You can see the bottom of the TV there, but it really doesn't stick down too far. Full size refrigerator, 2 burner stove, sink, batroom with shower and potty, and LOTS of storage. The bed is folded down in this picture, but when it is folded up, there is a dinette under it.

The new couch.

 This is the new couch (now it has a few more pillows on it too), which folds out into a bed as well, so my daughter has a place to sleep, or do schoolwork.

Looking towards the back door.

 Here you can see the 42" TV with all the components above, and a sound bar mounted as well.

The "cockpit" as our family tends to call it.

The front is where all the driving happens, and there are so many switches, I can't remember what most of them are for.When it turns dark out, you just have to start flipping switches until everything is on. I am sure we will get used to it. This will be only the second Kenworth I have driven, and the first W900. We have been in so many Peterbilts, the "feel like home." I am not sure how it will be to drive this new truck, but I am looking forward to the new adventure.

Some Days I HATE Meteorologists

Some days I wish the meteorologists could just get it right. I know, it is not an exact science, but seriously. And, it is winter, but again, I just want to know what's ahead of us.
Woke up in Amarillo, and when we went to sleep it was going to snow in Gallup early morning, but nowhere before that. As I dtove through Tucumcari, there was ice on the road. Excuse me NMDOT, but that wasn't on your website. As I got a little out of town, the temp started climbing from 15, to 17, to 19. Then bam, it was 21 and snow started flying. It was on no radar, but it was on the road. I HATE driving in the snow in the dark. It got thicker and thicker, but I slowed down and let the super truckers pass me. I set small goals and just kept concentrating on the task in front of me. As I hit Clines Corner, the snow was prwtty much gone.
When the snow stopped, I had a nice little conversation with God. (Yes, I talk to God when I am driving. It seems one-sided at times, but believe me it helps.) I know I talked yesterday about keeping focus on the immediate future, but somehow this felt like a test. OK. I've got it. God is God, and I am not. He knows what's ahead of me and will give me the tools to make it through. Now can the weatherman and DOT be correct so we make informed decisions?
I am sure there will be several more times in my life this same sort of thing will happen. I just pray we make it safely through the storms life will have.

Labels

This time of year brings to mind several favorite things. No, I won’t break into song to list them (although I could do that with the mood I am in); I will take time to talk about one of them today. One of my favorite things is wrapping and labeling presents. Today, I just want to touch on the labeling portion.

After the presents are wrapped, I love to come up with creative labeling options and creative ways to label the presents. I have used ornaments to label the presents (the ornaments had the kids’ names on them), old Christmas card cutouts with the labeling on the back, store bought labels, and even pieces of wrapping paper. I usually try to think about the labeling while I am shopping, and will try to get labels to coordinate with the wrapping paper if I am going to use store bought labels. It is a big deal (in my mind) to label presents appropriately, considering the person and the gift. In the end, that label ends up being read quickly, some figure out the cryptic clues, and anxiously toss the label aside.

Today as I was driving, I started thinking about the various labels we have, and the labels we put on others. Our parents could have labeled us things like lazy, selfish, or slow; or they may have given us a great label like beautiful, gifted, or generous. Teachers label students on their report cards with words like talkative, bright, lacks attention, fidgety, or a joy. Sisters and brothers label us a pain, silly, dumb, or self-centered. Other family members come up with their own labels as well.

Society labels us in a few different ways. They label us by our job (truck driver, accountant, teacher, cop, etc.), and from that label us further based on stereotypes or history. They label us by our looks (pretty, tall, nerdy, ugly, etc.). They label us the same as the company we keep, whether they know them or not. They label us by our car, or lack thereof, neighborhood, hometown, or even our current state of residence (dumb redneck Alabamian).

Just like words spoken to someone, once a person is treated like their label, it can harm them. However, what if we choose to see the labels not as a “scarlet letter,” but as a badge of honor.

Yes, I am a truck driver. I am not a dirty, rude, unorganized idiot. Cleanliness is important to me, and anyone who has been in our truck knows it is organized (sometimes organized chaos, but organized the same). I do not believe I am an idiot.

I am a mother, a step-mother, a grandmother, a grand daughter, a sister, a niece, and a cousin. I am a homeschool teacher. I am our accountant and tax preparer. I am a writer (whether anyone else reads what I write or not). I am these things and so much more.  These are labels I choose to wear proudly.

What about the labels we are given by God? I am blessed. I am forgiven. I am a friend. I am beautiful. I am graceful (believe me I have to claim that one a lot). I am healthy. I am rich (another I claim a lot). I am strong.

We can look at any label in a positive or negative way. If someone has labeled you negatively, I challenge you to look at how you can turn that on its head. Even if you can’t change someone’s mind about a preconceived notion, have faith that you are worthy of seeing yourself in the best light. Remember, you are a special creation, labeled as only our Creator can label anyone.

Monday :-(

I am so glad the day is over for me. I know some don't understand, but when you wake up at midnight, the day ends about noon. The day started with unloading in Tulsa. Couldn't see the sunrise as it was behind me most of the time and then shining in the mirror too bright for my eyes. My drive was good. Ended the day in Albuquerque with a shower and lunch.
About the shower, if I have to wait over half an hour for a shower because you haven't washed enough towels, then it better be clean! Was it? Obviously not or I wouldn't be complaining. There was dust on several things and little black hairs on everything else (like the shower curtain, sink, shelf for you to set your bag, etc.). After being informed as to why the shower took so long, there was no way I was going to demand it be cleaned. I used the washcloth and wiped everything I would need to touch, and took a quick shower. Afterwards I made sure they knew I was not happy with the bathroom. They acted like I was crazy.
After my hubby got done with his shower, we went to eat at Denny's. Before I could even sit down, I had to request they clean the seat first. Honestly, are my expectations too high???
Anyway I will finish the first book today. Mara is definitely an intriguing book with a lot of history behind it. I hope my daughter likes it. I am really feeling great about our curriculum choice.