True Grit

We're half way through Dad's trip....and today, I'm beat.

Well, I've been exhausted ever since our trip..sickness, long car rides, and no time to recover before the next thing hit...but today...today...I'm just done.  The kids haven't been crazy bad, nothing has really gone wrong (except for all of the night noises that make the Lucy in me go crazy)..just tired.

Jim's almost home..

just a few more days...

I Can Do This.....


Nope.  No I can't...but I can't curl up in a ball and cry either...instead, close the door and get some Jesus time in.

Funny how he reveals stuff, things that you know and studied before but through the tired broken-ness he reveals it fresh.

1. I am stubborn.  Pig headed, pitbull with a toy, dumb as an ox...won't quit till I hit the wall or keel over. When going through something hard, I put my head down, set my teeth, square my hips and just push through it.  I'm a rip the bandaid off kind of girl.  I do it all of the time, whether I'm working out or dealing with a crap storm...suck it up buttercup and move on through.

2. Jim and I are a great team...we fill in the weak cracks.  When he's gone, it's really hard.  But maybe this time is for us to learn to lean on the the other rope in our three stranded cord...

3.  Sometimes, no matter how hard you push..ya just ain't gonna move that mountain!  
....and then you sit down in frustration and evaluate the situation....



Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, I will give you rest.  Take my yoke and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

(Matthew 11:28-30)



Before we get all excited about the rest part, Jesus isn't saying "Yo, you tired?  burdened? well, come on out to Jesus Beaches Resort...pull up a chair, slap on some lotion, and rest...."

We still get a yoke...hooked up to a plow, ready to work.  But the yoke is easy, it's burden is light.   When we team up with Jesus, we are no longer the lone ox pushing through the hard ground.  

Jesus is the one pushing through.  He's the lead carrying the brunt of the weight, we just have stop trying to do it ourselves, accept his lead and follow his steps.   I find myself always picking up the God-sized yoke, but it's one that I was never meant to carry.  Take up his yoke, it's just your size Goldilocks.

He is a gentle and humble teacher, find your rest in him.

So, maybe True Grit isn't the power to push through any situation....

Maybe suck it up buttercup, should be let it go cocomo....

I need you more, more than yesterday
I need you Lord, more than words can say
I need you more than ever before
I need you Lord
I need you Lord




Friends, the choice is ours....Grit vs. Need.  In our weakness, we are strong.   So, I'm not a supermom who braves the bumps in the night and still has the strength to keep up with the laundry and the dishes...it's ok...one day at a time, following the steps of Jesus.   Head not down pushing though, but looking up for my strength.

Even in the trials, we are so blessed!

Exhausted and Not Much To Say...

Trying to recover from our trip back north....life doesn't stop just because the mama's exhausted...no matter how hard I try lol.

This guy turned 13 while we were in IL.  13.  I have no words.  I could just cry, not because I'm sad that he's growing up...well maybe, but  13!!!  I remember 13!  There's no way that we can have a 13 yr old son.   I want to somehow slow these moments down...but it just slips through my fingers like sand.

When we got back, Jim had the genius idea of hiking up to the cliff dwellings (a 3 hr drive!!!  plus the hike to the dwellings..which I'm sure are amazing, but my butt had spent the last 2 days in a car.....)    So after some mature discussion (aka loving loudly...not arguing), we decided to take the short trip to Elephant Butte :)

Poor guy, he's so white that he Glows!

My Three Stooges...

Just soaking in the moments...Jim's back gone on business, Jamie sliced his finger open the day after this picture (7 stitches and a major excuse to get out of dishes for 2 weeks)....sigh....our new normal!

Well, dishes and laundry are calling and every time I walk into the kitchen I remember that I need to desperately mop the whole dang house.....a mother's work is never done....

What?!?

So, we made the long haul back home on Friday...just me and the kiddiepoos..oh and the dog...

Major Mother's Day Surprise!!!

Because Mum was the word until Mother's Day, here's the million facebook posts that I wanted to type but couldn't lol:

* Freakin' Orange Cones!

* No Rain for 80 Days in Cruces, Rained the ENTIRE way Up NM!

* At least an hour per stop...seriously need to invest in preteen sized diapers! (when we were
   kids, we stopped when the car needed gas..not because the billboard looks fun...and
   seriously..the southwest rival the Badlands in billboards)
* Freakin' Orange Cones!!!!!
* If I see the TIV or any other storm chaser vehicles, both me and the middle son will pee our 
   pants..both for different reasons lol.
* "Oklahoma City is nice, but I like Missouri's plain rainbow better." 10 cool detective points if 
   you figure that one out.

* Freaking Orange Cones!!!!!!!!!!!
* How many "turnpikes" does Oklahoma need? Seriously...have my ancient phone, an atlas, 
   and a 13 giving me directions...freakin mapquest!

* Missouri, the land of tobacco outlets, guns and ammo, and porn shops...oh and Churches..

* Sneezed in St. Louis should be a musical...popped my ears and I thought I was going to

Die all the way back up to Northern IL!

*Freakin' I55..or I7whatever..or I39 whatever the heck you are..you are long and boring and       smell like cheese...just kidding about the cheese, but it's loathesome!

* 50 degrees....let me just let that one rest for a minute.....stepped out in El Paso IL to 50    degrees....El Paso TX was like 60 something (ok, we had a cold front..but normally it has 
   been 90's!)

* Child #3, shaking in his boots..." I am Never leaving NM AGAIN!"

* Reached Auntie Crystal and Uncle Duane's house...child #3 "I am Never going back to NM".

* Surprised my mom at church...spent the last 2 days in the car trying to figure out her reaction..   nope, not what they thought (and someone had even said She's going to Pass Out!)...just sat 
   there, stunned into a frozen blank stare for like 30 seconds...and then the screaming and 
   jumping, but no passing out!

Best day ever :) 

So sorry about the wonky spacing..tried to fix it..but it won't and I really am so messed up with this drive and alt. change and whatever that I really don't care!!!