Here are a few pics of our trip to Dallas.

The City of Little Rock Arkansas.

A HUGE cross in Illinois. Beautiful!

We got our first load assignment last night. 990 miles! We are going back up north to the city of Chicago. The weather/temps here have been wonderful and refreshing. Just to put a light jacket on or none at all and walk outside without feeling the chill of winter has been very refreshing. We are in Dallas.. the city is about 10 miles away. When you get on the 20 loop it's awesome to look and see this city standing alone as it seems. Lately when I've gone with Ralph the cities, which have always amazed me, put me in mind the city of God. I can't fathom what the city of God looks like. If I'm in awe of the way Dallas looks, or Chicago, or Indianapolis, or Colombus...what is going to be my reaction when I see His Great City. Gold, Diamond, Crystal, Pearls, Precious jewels of all sorts will make up that city. The glory of He Himself will be our light! Our cities are polluted with sin, fog, trash, rust etc...and yet i am still amazed at the beauty, especially at night when the lights shine all around. Yeah....Lord, I want to live in the house of the Lord forever! amen

The World Around Me

The world around me (annie) is quite different. We are inside the terminal waiting for a 'company car' so we can drive to Walmart and pick up a new blowdryer. Mine broke a few days ago. It had been wanting to fall apart on me for the past year now..and here we are, on the road and it decides to take a dump. In the motel we had a blowdryer so I was ok. I didn't get a shower today... I can't stand walking around with wet hair. Anyway... that's all trivial...

My husband is being amazingly calm as we still set here in Dallas waiting for a load to go ...somewhere...anywhere. Coming from driving for Walmart and hauling walmart frieght only and having his own set days... this is a stretch for him. He keeps saying that God is building his character. Today, He must be building mine because I'm starting to get a bit concerned about this whole thing. Our time together however, has been great up to this point. It's been good being together, hanging out and looking forward. That reminds me of a scripture that I have been writing down the past few weeks. I don't have it in here with me right now, but I think it's Exodus 14:13-15 14 states let the Lord fight the battle and we just need to be still... be at peace. Prior to that it states in 13 that that which held us in captivity prior would be gone out of our lives from that day forever! 15 states that God directs us to move forward!

The other scripture is Psalm 127:1 in the midst of reading this scripture a few weeks ago the scripture read: The Lord is your 'stronghold'. Woah!! a stronghold?? the LORD... what a new and wonderful way to look at what a stronghold is. I'm always associating a stronghold with something negative. It is great to see this positive stronghold. I truly want the Lord to be my Stronghold. What an awesome stronghold to claim, eh?

There have been many encounters with people here. You can tell wisdom from just plain crowd following. Negative foul attitudes. I naturally spoke my faith when asked how I stayed so young looking, which brought up a good Christian conversation. Which in turn took Ralph and I into a crazy conversation with a man (her husband) who believes that God comes down to earth with a helmet to keep him from being contaminated by environmental hazards. The conversation came to Obama and the question was asked why my husband didn't vote for him and he said abortion.... both their ideas to support abortion were world hunger, abuse etc... rape... Why don't people understand that if we just lived by God's laws that crap wouldn't even be. Kill babies, take God out of school and what else are you gona reap, eh? The man began to down large churches and etc. the typical why I dont' believe in God scenerios and finally Ralph said, "Hey, you're making this more difficult than what it is. You believe in the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. It's simple... get the Father, Son and Holy Ghost." He also 'mentored' a couple of guys. Not that he knew he was 'mentoring' at the time but he was. The one time was to a 58 yr old man who was continous in his pursuance to let me know what he thought about me. It was to the point of sickening and Ralph was finally to the point where he told him he needed to put effort into his own wife..he made another comment about his wife and Ralph said, "You know, there's more to a person, there's spirit, mind and body." An hour later or so the man came back and apologized to Ralph and I. Ralph was kind.. though he wanted to let the guy have it. But I think his kindness worked some conviction instead of condemnation. It was good.

Then the second guy was a young trucker complaining about his job. All in all Ralph was a positive note compared to the whole of the atmoshphere of complaining truckers.

So, here I am today on Valentines day. And though we are not hooked up to a load yet, we were able to take the company car to Walmart and get a bit of shopping in. So we came back and fixed sandwiches, ate some fresh carrots and broccoli with dip and some chips and cheese all on our bench seats and table. It was nice. Then we watched a dvd teaching by Lester Sumrall.

I better sign off for now.. this is getting a bit lengthy.. anyway, we can always use your prayers. Always! thanks everyone!

Ralph and Anne

Dallas Texas!

Today we are in Dallas! Ralph is taking some of his company training on the computer, so it has given me some time and opportunity to journal a bit. I tried to get online earlier through wifi in this room but it wouldn't allow me to. So I journaled on Word. That was good to do. I tried again and was able to get online. I wanted to be able to update this page while on free wifi. I told my hubby it was meant to be so I would just go into my word program and journal. :) Why waste air minutes, eh?

We arrived in Memphis Ark. Friday to sign papers and pick up the Volvo. It is an awesome truck...so 'homey' inside. I was able to unload all the suitcases and put items away yesterday and help Ralph set up the cb radio. We had some complications with that (the radio)and it gave us a bit of a test. All was good though, in the end. :) I had one suitcase filled with books! lol, no I'm not kidding. I had two Bibles, a Beth Moore 90 day with Jesus the One and Only book, My huge massage text book, two binders with massage study notes and materials, my anatomy color book and another anatomy book, a book on the Holy Spirit by Lester Sumrall, a couple of writing how to's books and yes a few more plus notebooks, colored pencils and etc. Also have my laptop brief case and my camera case with camera and video cam. And all the accessories that go with all that! Lord have mercy! lol I think Ralph scratches his head silently multiple times a day!

Oh yeah, I have my portable stepper (used that this morning) and arm weights. I'm hoping my weight issues don't 'spread' in this journey. uhg.. We have 'time' on our hands at the moment since we are not officially 'hired on' and running loads, so the time on the stepper was good to have this morning. Not sure how often that will happen, eh? I may be able to step while the truck is moving. Truly it's difficult to do much when the truck is moving.

We had some GREAT news when we signed for our truck Friday. We signed papers through a conference call with our sales representative who was working in Green Bay yesterday. She told us that the day before they had a meeting about interest rates on new purchases. They were lowering them for new buyers. So she brought up the fact that we hadn't signed for our truck yet and that she would be closing with us the next day. She was able to get us a lower interest rate, which saved us 125.$ a month on our truck payments!! Right away we just said. "Thank you Lord

I will post more later. I have tons to talk about. Ralph's generosity with a stranger and his kindness with a 'socially handicapped' driver... ;) the sights and more...(I don't have my camera with me to download and post recent pics.. I will soon!)

I DO need prayer! It's truly a different world for me. Going on various trips with Ralph is fun... but knowing this is my life now can choke me like a flood at times. I miss Ang. I choke when I think about not being there for her if she needs me. I'm her momma and it's a hard thing to accept. I miss the babes.. all six of them. I didn't get to see the other three before i left and I wanna see 'em. Addie, my sister-in-law, is full of so many responsibilities right now that I feel bad for not being there for her also. I know my son is fine. I cried a couple of times before I left about missing him and he just laughed at me. I love him! I do! My boy!

love and blessings,
annie ~and ralph :)

Almost time...

My baby girl and her precious family! Angela and Jeff and their babies, Jaden Noah, Jakeb Moses and Abigail Faith.

Well, time is winding down.

My baby girl just left my house. She and I both know we can't make too big a deal about this. One little hint that she's not going to be ok without me around all the time and I will feel sick. Seriously sick!

She knows that it's going to be a good thing for her dad and I. She's noticed a happy change in her dad lately. She loves her daddy! Her and her family lived with us for 7 months this past spring/summer. It was a GREAT thing! Because her dad of course is a trucker and he traveled all the years she was growing up there was a bit of a missing link. Nothing too bad, just missing. The time that they lived here was a great bonding time for her and her daddy. It was definately God ordained for healing. When he came home at the end of the week he would love on her babies and hug on her. He would tell her how pretty she is and that she's his girl. It was a time when as 'grown ups' they could relate and love each other respectfully and openly. This is not what I planned on writing about tonight... but I don't like to be too heavy handed with my writing. I generally go with the flow.

Tomorrow we pick up our rental car and early Thursday morning we take off. I'm excited at times and other times I'm a bit hesitant. It really is a big deal and such a change of who I am in taking this HUGE step.

Awesome News

I have been in Massage Therapy school since Sept. 08. I'm enrolled for a year and completed four months of schooling. When we were contemplating this New Journey, we of course had to think this whole thing through. We paid half of the schooling in cash and miday way through the school we would pay the other half. We had to really decide if this was the right timing or not and what God's purpose was for me in this schooling thing. Yes, I KNOW that God impressed upon me to go to this school and study massage. I remember the day that I went to visit the school and on the way home I noticed that life was brighter! Seriously everything around me just 'shone'. I know the Holy Spirit was thick around me and I knew that this was the path for me to take.

After attending the school a couple of weeks I knew one of the reasons why the Lord had directed me there at this time and this season. I met two friends... three really. Two of them, Nicole and Erin are amazing Christian gals who my spirit is very familiar with and I've become great friends with them. We have shared our faith stories from the first day we began class and have been excited about what God's purpose has been for us meeting. The third is a sweet, sweet young gal who I sat beside the first class night and sometimes it takes me a slow and gradual move to get to talking, and sharing and asking questions, but with Kathryn Ann I just began speaking to her, getting to know her and asking her all kinds of questions about herself. She's a sweet young girl and I've enjoyed getting to know her. Very early on we teased her about sharing her typed up lecture notes with us. She has been faithful at e-mailing me class notes.

In learning massage, I have a heart for women and relieving the stresses of everyday life, in all seasons of a woman's life. I've lived a woman's life and I believe what I've learned about the amazing health benefits of this muscle therapy. I believe that women have so much pressure on them day to day to be everything to everyone. I also believe that the first ministry a woman has is to her husband and children and in that I love lending a helping and 'healing' hand. So that said, what am I going to do with this pending career, eh? I already have my table and chair. I have the hot rocks and I have a great room set and ready to go. I have given massages already at home and my friends and family have loved them!

Well, I called my instructor Sat. and filled him in on what was going on in my life. The school is owned by a Christian couple. They live in and run a Therapy school in a different city than the one I attended. But this school's intructor and administrator is also a Christian. When you walk into the door of the school/clinic right beyond the doorway is a case that has the open Bible displayed. I remember the day I visited this school my instructor said something about if anyone who was enrolled with them ever needed time off for any reason that they could come back and just continue where they left off. So, as I was talking with him I asked if there would be any problem if for some reason this didn't work out and I came back a year from now or so, could I still finish. He assured me that I could! That was awesome news, eh? awesome! I had told him that I planned on taking my books along and studying on the road. That I was going to use all the chapter questions as my own tests and continue learning as I love this healing therapy.

As we were talking and he was asking me questions about when we'd be home and how long we'd be gone I explained to him it would be about 2-3 days home and about 2-3 weeks on the road. He said, Anne, you know if you're in the area and you want to stop by and take a test and do some hands on in class you are welcome to do that. WHAT?! I could not believe it! I said, "Are you kidding me?" I was totally flipped out! What a blessing! I'm so excited about that. I can still go with my hubby and do this thing we fill like God is leading us into and at some point finish my massage therapy course and have my certification. awesome. Awesome,eh? Thank You Lord!

blessings to you all....
Annie :)

Changes Already!!

It's Not a Kenworth anymore!

It's a Volvo!

Hello!

Thanks for the comments already Luanne and Lisa!

Just as I suspected might happen....there's been a change in plans already.

Even among the changes and going without much sleep, we still were capable of getting everything in order...again... so far......

Ralph went on a search to check out thoroughly all the details on the Kenworth engine. Well after several phone calls the verdict was that the CAT engine from 2007 -2009 has had some problems. Problems covered by warrently and recall, but problems in the eyes of a trucker mean time...even if they are covered when/if something goes wrong. And supposedly even after the problem is fixed....there are still some problems.

So, that put us in a hunt for a different truck. Our truck will be signed on with Schneider transport and so we are using Scheider finance to finance our truck. The woman we have been dealing with has been awesome! Karen has a great personality and has worked her tail off to keep us moving forward. But in going through Schneider it does limit our truck choices a bit. But we found a Black Sable Volvo in Memphis Arkansas. The Kenworth we were going to buy was in Green Bay Wisconsin. That meant that we would drive there and pick up the truck and go to orientation in Green Bay WI. Instead, we are picking up a rental car in South Bend and driving to Memphis Arkansas to get our Volvo. Then we will drive to Dallas, TX for orientation. Wow! We were planning to go farther up into the frozen North and now we are heading to the mild south. :) I guess I better get use to those changes, eh? I hope there's room to pack my all seasons' clothing!

The Kenworth had a double bunk/2 beds. One on the bottom and an upper bunk. I kept trying to think of a way to get a portable table for the truck, just so there would be some type of convenience for food and etc. I kept picturing it in my mind, saying Lord, we need some type of table. I had seen pictures of 'condo trucks' they have all the immenities...and a hefty price tag, and really too much truck for my hubby's kind of trucking. But I still wanted a table. Well when we went searching out new trucks we paused on the Volvos. Ralph had driven one years ago and loved it. He said it was the best ride he's ever driven as far as comfort. So, we began checking them out. I don't think he even realized that Schneider had Volvos available. He had his mind set on the Kenworth. But he is OH so glad we prayed and asked the Lord for guidance. He is so excited about the Volvo.

Oh, yeah, and about the table. The inside of the volvo we are getting has a bottom bed and a top bed... BUT, the bottom bed folds up into two bench seats and a table pops up!!!! I'm so excited about this. I feel like I at least have some type of 'homey' feel goin on for me. We are going to eat there, play dice and cards and I'm going to be using it much for writing on my new lap top!

I cannot believe how excited Ralph is about this change in jobs and life together. He's like a little kid in a candy store. He's been waiting for this day for a long time. He's been talking about us trucking together someday for many years. I just couldn't really see it happening. I thought, yeah.. maybe, when the kids are grown.....but as I found out, when the kids are grown, they're still your kids...and then they have kids, and your motherhood grows into nanahood. But the Lord knows, He's known, He's been preparing me slowly, but surely. Whew... even now when I write this, I leave myself wiggle room. lol

Ralph did say if I got too homesick at times he'd bring me back to stay awhile. I wonder if I will, come home and stay awhile... or will I continue on steadily...being a continuous business partner. Doing the bills, balancing the checkbook, and keeping the logs. I mean we will be home every 2-3 weeks, but that's a long time for a girl like me. However, if I stayed home awhile, I would miss his smiles, the winkin' and the kissin'....:) We always have such fun on the road together when I've hitched a ride throughout the years. He winks at me. He reaches over and holds my hand. He calls me sweet names.
I better watch out, I could talk myself right into this truckin thing. :)

I have so much to do this week to prepare!! Will it all get done?

'til next time...
thanks for ALL the prayers!!

ps Lisa.... Whatcha doin' the weekend of the 6th? ;) looks like we'll be in your area girlfriend!

Our Journey Begins...

Our new Kenworth T2000

Friday, January 16th, 2009

THE JOURNEY BEGINS!

Ahh… so many emotions. The past week has been a hurricane of thoughts, emotions and decisions. It’s official. Ralph and I have decided to take the plunge and go on the road together. Wow… the stuff that it entails just to come to that decision. Overwhelming to say the least! My emotions are raw right now. I had thought I was raw with the peri, but this decision is the one that will and is in the process of peeling away to the very core of who I am. (lol I think that every time there’s change)

I’ve been mom, nana and annie. My identity. My purpose. That's been the hardest part, thinking of not being available for my kids. I was 'crynin' (Lukies word for crying when he was a baby) I was crying like something was dying, or had died. It was me, in the process of dying to self, to my identity.

And yes, I’ve been a wife. And I’ve worked hard, prayed hard, slipped, stumbled, fallen and found victory in being my husband’s wife. Being a wife of a truck driver is hard. It’s a hard life. It’s a lonely life. It’s a life not appeased. But it’s life. And all in all it‘s been a good and blessed one!

So many things to consider. So many things to die to. But, so much potential in God and our marriage and the overflow to our family. We know He’s leading us. Ralph and I have been praying together everyday since March 22. We have been building upon a deeper relationship with the Lord in our marriage. We haven’t been praying specifically about this move for that length of time. Just praying. I’ve been dealing with an ‘upchuck’ of emotional stuff for several years now. A lot of ‘throwing up’ of past issues. Last March, the 22nd, the day before my 46th birthday, there was a 'melt-down' here...again... and Ralph said that the Lord spoke to him after watching a segment on FOX news with Louise Duart and Squire Rusnell about a 40 day prayer challenge for married couples to pray 5 min. together everyday, that if he took this challenge and began praying with me everyday that this season will be a successful one and healing would come through this process of praying with me. If you know Ralph at all.. to make that statement of the Lord speaking to him was not common place a year ago.

A 40 day challenge. It was awesome that he even said that to me. It was a GREAT day. A foundation was ready to be built. It was good but hard and didn't always work out the way we/I wanted it to. I still came upon emotional roadblocks. Ralph and I were both fighting our own battles at times. Of course there would be battles! Would the enemy of our souls ever want to see a couple make a commitment to the Lord to pray together everyday? By the 40th day I cried saying we're the only couple in the world that this challenge didn't come through for. What a bunch of bull, eh? Our prayer foundation was being built after 27 years of marriage and being seperated every week through Ralph's job.

Thank God Ralph didn't stop praying after the 40 days were up!! Thank God we didn't both give up when the waves of emotions for both of us would soar to try to stop this beautiful thing the Lord began in us. "Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare, before they spring forth I tell you of them." Isaiah:42:9 :) We’ve been seriously discussing this move for a few years now. It’s always been something we’ve kinda mentioned back and forth throughout the years. I really was never fully able to see myself ‘trucking’ until a few years ago. That began the major process of the pondering of pros and cons and praying the Lord’s guiding hand in all of it.

He began the process several years ago in prompting me to 'let go' of different aspects of my home. The first I remember right now was in my living room. Ralph wanted to set up exercise equipment in the living room.... ughh! If you know me at all, I'm a better homes and gardens kinda girl! When I was a little girl I use to dream about my future home, a lovely, clean and organized home. I use to draw pictures of a home that I would love to live in when I grew up. I live in that home now. :) I love my home! I love being a homemaker. I felt the Lord speak to me to comtemplate what was more important, my living room or my relationship with my husband. I was shown how many areas of the house I have control over and that's not a bad thing, because I am here all the time and he's not...but God was doing a 'new thing' and so I let go. Ralph never decided to put the items in the living room and all was well. I did eventually end up with an inversion machine in the corner of the living room. Funny story about how that looks from the outside looking in according to Jeff and Angie! lol

I am now in the process of beginning a life on the road. Giving it ALL up to travel with my husband. Giving it up so that we can spend time together. Time with each other and time with the Lord together. It's exciting and scary!

My girls (Angie and Adrienne) understand the Lord's plan in all of this. I couldn't have even considered it without their blessings and their understandings in it all. As a matter of fact we came close to this journey a couple of years ago, but it wasn't the right timing. Things just weren't coming together and we hadn't begun praying together everyday. I believe that has been the key.

Well that is a tidbit of what this blog is all about. I will be writing about our journeys together on the road. I have a couple of short stories I've written about previous times I've been with him and I will add those stories to this blog. Fun stuff!

All isn't 'set in stone' yet. Ralph has a few more weeks of work and will give his two weeks notice next week. He has been home with me the past 9 days as we have been getting things in order. He had a phone interview yesterday and we are set up to be in orientation the second week in Feb. We will go through orientation and get all the paper work signed for our new Kenworth that week and will be dispatched right out from there. I will be doing our paperwork as it will be our business together. I'm going to really learn the trucking industry after all these years. It seems so crazy, what I am giving up! Time with my kids anytime I want it, number 1. A home that I love. Baths everyday! My own bathroom! Ikes!!

Ralph has asked me to pray this week in my alone time with the Lord...just to make sure and he will pray also. He's concerned about me missing the kids. Pshh...well.. who isn't, eh? ;)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6