#ViewFromMyWindshield

I opened the curtain to get the big view and this is what met me!  The very picture of irony!

Not so much ::snort:: 

After a "short," but LONG, night of overnighting with the trucks, I felt anything but rested.  We woke with the trucks in ID....

Drove all day...

... and ended the day in a mud hole in WY.  We PAID to stay at this KOA. LOL

It was a quiet location, with hot showers and electricity.  Perfect, except for the mud. Today we finish our trek through Wyoming and enter Colorado. 

A Name for Baby D2 (BreZaak's Baby)

Excerpt from BreZaak's blog And They Lived Joyfully Ever After. 

Baby D2 has a real name! Actually, he has had a name for quite a while now. In fact, he was named eight years ago. I took a fancy to his name and the meaning. I wrote in my journal to "my future husband" about it. Years later, when I was pregnant with Bella and we didn't know we were having a girl, Izaak read that entry. The name was the only name we had when we went to the ultra sound where we found out she was a girl. Needless to say, Bella was the wrong child for the name. Baby D2, however, is the right child. Drum roll, please! His name is...   

Via Google Images

Gideon was a biblical judge through whom God gave miraculous victory to the Israelites over the Midianites. He was like you and me in that he was a normal guy with questions, fears, and doubts. Yet, once he had confirmation that he was hearing from God, he led with incredible faith and obedience! He was nothing without God. Yet, God saw what he could be. He sent His angel to him to say, "The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior" (Judges 6:12). His first assignment was to tear down the alter of Baal and the Asherah pole of his father "and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold" (Judges 6:26a). This was such a defining point in his life that his name was changed because of it. Later, God directed him to reduce his army twice. In faith-filled obedience to God; he went from having 32,000 men to 300 men. God wanted it to be known that He had given the victory, not the number of men in their army. After the defeat of their enemies, the Israelites tried to make Gideon their king. He, however, refused saying that God was their king. Israel enjoyed forty years of peace while Gideon was their judge.

He was not perfect. In fact, the Bible records his failings along with his victories. However, he was a valiant warrior who led with incredible faith. God used this man to show His power.

May our son also be valiant, full of faith, and obedient to God. May he be God's warrior to display God's power. May he know that he is a mere man without God and always give the glory to Him. May he be a leader in his generation who tears down strongholds of previous generations. However, may he not (as Gideon did) establish new strongholds. Rather, may he establish alters to God that would last for future generations. May the Lord be ever with him!

His middle names are a tribute to Izaak and I's fathers. Both of those men are a part of our story and thus a part of Gideon's story.

As a tribute to Izaak's father, Tom, he will have Tom's middle name: Vinton. This is a family name that has been passed down for five generations. Gideon will be the sixth generation. We do not know it's meaning. However, we wonder if it is related to Vincent (meaning: conquering) and Vinson (meaning: the conqueror's son).

Gideon will also receive my father's name: Michael. Michael means "who is like the Lord?" May he be a man that ever points people to God has his Grandpa Mike before him has. May he be a strong, gentle, gracious, leader as his Grandpa Mike is.

We haven't decided the order of his middle names, but these will be them.

My Mobile Workstation

On our first few road trips we talked how it would be nice to have a traveling desk. Dad G had made something similar for outside BBQ's. Mom G heard us discussing and gave us the lap desk. We tried it out. It had potential...but we quickly discovered the mouse (pens, mifi etc) would continually fall off the desk. Michael set about making a travel desk for me.

Desk NOT actually in use! ::wink:: 

It's quite large and pretty. He loves me well. He built a lip around it to keep things from sliding off . He envisioned me being able to work, blog, communicate and stream movies in comfort on travel days.

I discovered it worked for watching movies or while sitting outside. 

As we chug down the highway, I've discovered it works great for it's main purpose! Michael also put in a cup holder that fits my water bottle beside the front passenger seat. I'm traveling in comfort. 

Traveling Monday

We spent Sunday afternoon making sure we were ready to travel this morning. This is our first long trip in Uchi, pulling Nimo and loaded with kids.   Hookin up Nimo makes the getaway process a bit longer....of course it would be POURING RAIN for our first hook up.

Go guys, go! 

 That's the way it really was, but a slight change of perspective would make it all seem so much nicer. I joined them in the rain.....

...finally realizing this view would be much drier!  

There is always "one last thing," that has to be stowed. We settled in for the drive when I noticed the flowers may not travel well here. They are safely stowed in the sink for the drive.

The drive leaving Springfield was BEAUTIFUL. We drove through rain, snow, mountains and high desert today. 

Oregon - near the Santiam ski area

 This one has been pining for snow since we left Japan. Of course we stopped!

Silly girl thought we were traveling to SUN

 How does one look so innocent while throwing a snowball at the camera?????

Michael took advantage of the break to check out the vehicles. I took pictures. 

Wave if you see us.....

Taking Mom G to be reunited with Dad G at FT Logan National Cemetery

 He attempted to fix a problem...

Our personal, traveling, rain gauge

I told the kids to grab some photos while I fixed lunch. 

I assumed we were going south to get to CO....because we go south to get anywhere.....what a surprise to find we were going through Boise!  We had no clue what time we would arrive. We had no RV reservations. We're "boondocking" the travel days.  I did let our college friends know we would be in the area.  Rebekah, a dear friend from Beale, contacted me to tell me she was really close to Boise and wanted to meet up with us as well. Great friends.....it was 8 p.m. when we pulled into the truck stop....Rebekah and Sarah found us as we waited behind this truck in the fuel lane. We didn't need fuel, he looked like he was pulling through - and he did - but then he stopped....and so we stopped.

YIKES. I thought he was coming our way....

We introduced Don, Beth, Jonathan and Sarah to Rebekah, parked Uchi, unhooked Nimo and went to find a place open for dinner and ice cream. I neglected to take photos during dinner....but Jon and Sarah grabbed some for me as we left the restaurant.

Me and Rebekah

Being a military spouse is tough - I'm proud of Rebekah. She's had some challenging years, but is realizing she's strong, God is strong in her and she is doing great. She is finishing up her 2 year PA program and will soon rejoin her husband. So proud of her for persevering! Praying for you and Andy and the upcoming months, my friend.

It's always so good to see Don and Beth and their family. It's like a long, cool drink on a HOT summer day  - the TEXAS kind, not the Oregon kind. ::wink::

Beth, Me and Rebekah

Sweet conversation with dear friends is soooo refreshing. We arrived back at the truck stop a bit after 11 p.m. and "called it a night."

A side note. All day I saw signs to "Vale" and thought it meant Vail, CO. I was surprised at the good time we were making to CO....and then I realized there is a Vale, OR....geography is not my strong suit.

Our Daughter Wears Combat Boots...

Cute little boots though

....or she will very soon. Krista has been in Mexico since January. She is working with a ministry she has led several mission trips to assist over the years. Arielle has been down twice.   She knew this would most likely be her last chance to work with them, she will soon be completing her master's degree and plans to enter the Chaplain Corps after she has the degree in hand. She's already ordained, endorsed and working on the experience prerequisites.

She hurt her knee in December. In addition to assisting at the Orphanage, she's been working to rehabilitate her knee, get back to the shape she was in before the injury in preparation for Commissioned Officer's Training, and finish this year of her master's degree with Liberty.  She's hard core determined - we're proud of her and the work she's put in on all fronts in 2017.

Part of her training involves running, dropping and doing pushups, running some more, dropping for sit ups, running some more - you get the idea.  Krista has collected a little training community....

Krista will finish up in Mexico, meet us in Colorado to bury Mom G, and then go to Maxwell AFB for Commissioned Officer's Training (COT). This will be followed by 2 or 3 months in the Chaplain Candidate Program. She will be back in OR to pick up her car the end of July and will drive to Virginia to finish her M. Div in residence.

While we know there are challenges ahead, we know she can do anything God leads her to do....and we're proud of her determined chase after God.

If you'd like to read more about Krista's time in Mexico and keep up with her she blogs at A Walk in the Wild. 

#WYFF - School.....

It's #WYFF - and I'm relieved. 

We spent the day pushing to reach our weekly goals. We are now set to take 3 weeks off and be on track when we return! It's been difficult to stay on track with all of the unexpected happenings this year. We had hoped to be all done by the end of May. We won't be. HOWEVER, we are in our last quarter and I count that as a modern day miracle given all the challenges this year. 

Michael got home this evening. It's nice to be together under one roof. 

More #WYFF (Where's Your Feet Friday) posts can be found at the tab under the blog header.

The Discontent of Gingerbread Man

"Move into the RV with us Gingerbread Man," she said.

"It's an adventure,"  she said.

Then we moved to an RV park....and I spend my days watching....as it rains....

....and rains...

 ...and rains!

To think, I could be in Mexico now with Krista.

The winning Girls team of the 2016 Gingerbread Competition is hosting Gingerbread Man this year. He seems a bit discontent with his adventures at this point.