Mom of the Year

We are on our way to Colorado!! We've been on the road for 13 hours, and we're still in stupid Texas (and will be for another 52 miles, but who's counting?!). I used to think that driving the 8ish hours across Kansas or Nebraska was torture, but this lonely west Texas road has them beat on the 'I want to drive off a cliff' scale. Every time we make this drive, I get that Caedmon's Call song, 40 Acres, stuck in my head. I think it's the opening line of:

Out on these Texas plains you can see for a million lives.
And there's a thousand exits between here and the state line.

So tonight I pulled it up on the 'ol iPhone to listen to. Caedmon's Call songs are the kind of songs that are catchy, so you learn them fast and they get stuck in your head easily...but if you don't stop and really listen, you miss the point of the song. 40 Acres is one of those songs I've "known" for a long time, but "heard" for the first time tonight. What a great reminder of the HOPE this Christmas season brings as we celebrate redemption through the most unlikely of places, a dusty stable in the middle of nowhere. Kind of like roads in west Texas, I suppose. Out here hope remains...

Here are the lyrics to 40 Acres.. I couldn't find a good video of the song.

Totally not what I intended to blog about...I love it when God interrupts our thinking! What I wanted to share was that I have pulled through and won the prestigious MOM OF THE YEAR award!! Look what I did to my baby girl :-(...





(disclaimer: these are iPhone pictures...while trying to get her to sit still!)

Evelyn and I drove to Kingsville to pick up Dan from work so we could leave straight from there and save a little time. I had the car all packed, and rather than disturb the delicate balance of getting everything in and in a place where it can be reached if necessary, I decided to just carry her in to give her some out of the car seat time and change her diaper. Well, the first step into Dan's building is just a little bit taller than a normal step, and I clipped it with my toe. In the fastest, yet slowest 2 seconds of my life, I tried to get my hand up to protect her head, but only got as far as her back as my knee, and then her sweet head, smashed into the concrete. I sat on the step crying and telling her I was sorry over and over while she (rightfully) screamed for about 5 minutes. Poor baby! Dan had to convince me that she was ok, these things happen, and we don't need to prolong our departure to take her to the ER. I can still hear the sound of her head hitting the concrete. Praise God it was only a little ways that she fell, and she seems to be doing fine...other than the big 'ol goose egg and bruise that popped up almost immediately! Sigh. Sorry other Moms...I've got this year's award wrapped up!

Thankfully she's doing awesome on the trip, she's slept most of it! I have a feeling she's going to wake up pretty hacked off to find she's still strapped into her car seat! But for now, I'll just enjoy the peace of the moment and reflect on the Light of the world piercing the darkness to bring us redemption. Fitting, as the sun is just barely starting to light the night sky. And we just passed the Texas line...there IS hope out here!

Location:Grenville,United States