Lessons learned on the Road…..

So as you know we have been on the road a great deal this summer for Tyler’s baseball team.  And first of all I am VERY thankful for this picture!

Yep that is my boy with his driver’s license!  With all the driving we are doing this summer, it’s so nice to have another “official driver!”

So what I have been learning on the road of life this summer……….

iPods are great for traveling.  Everyone can crank up their own music to pass the time!

Sheetz is taking over the East Coast!  I have seen more BRAND NEW Sheetz stores along the highways than you can imagine.  But I must admit their coffee ain’t too bad, so I am cool with their take over.

Arby’s is just too expensive for a decent lunch.  On the other hand McD’s is very reasonable and Madi and I love their salads!

Curt is doing amazing well with all this traveling!  So much change for my sweet Early Onset Alzheimer’s guy, but he is packed and ready to go on time (which is at 6:15 am some days!).

There are way too many trucks on 81 South through Pa, Va.

All hotels should have continental breakfasts!

It’s neat to see the 3 crosses this man has installed all across the highways of America!!

That no matter where I may be, it’s always nice to have my own pillow with me! 🙂

It’s fun to get off the beaten path a bit and see the small towns of America!  Look what we found while traveling through VA.

And much to my surprise, all this traveling is not too bad.  We are enjoying precious time as a family together.   I’ve had more one on one conversations with my kids while driving or just hanging in our hotel rooms together then I have in the last 6 months!

We are a family, through the good and the bad, we are a family!  I am learning this summer not to feel sorry for myself and our situation…but live this life and savor the time we have with Curt.  I can assure you that is not always easy, some days it’s so emotionally draining.  I hate seeing Curt struggle with simple tasks, like putting in the ear buds of his iPod the right way (another example of those elusive spatial issues that are so difficult for him), or not being able to get the plastic lid on his soda cup right.  I hate seeing his ability to reason diminish,  and I hate seeing the kids get so frustrated with him.

But we press on. We live. We savor.  And we ask God to guide us daily!

My dear sister in law sent this to me the other day.  It seems to capture the attitude I am working on.

I’m reading Holding on To Hope  by Nancy Guthrie..a book on suffering.  A lot of these issues you may not even deal with but this section encouraged me about your situation and I hope it encourages you in some way too.

Here goes:

    He (Job) recognized that the process of understanding, of answering the question “Why?” would not be complete in this lifetime –

that only in the life to come, in the presence of God, would it all become clear.  And Job kept walking in the darkness.

    Would you be willing to stop asking, “Why?” and begin asking, “For what purpose?”

    Would you take comfort and find confidence in knowing that although the purpose in your suffering may be unseen,

God does have a purpose, and part of that purpose is to display His work in your life?

    Would you look beyond this life and embrace the Redeemer, who will take the pieces of your life

 and transform them into something beautiful if you invite him to do so?

I am learning to stop asking Why! 🙂

This was taken at the top of a beautiful peach orchard, near Charlottsville, Va.  We were a sweaty bunch and Tyler had just come from a game.  But who could resist fresh peaches and a great view!