Thunderstorms and travelling sucks

I used to love thunderstorms. I especially used to love Texas thunderstorms.  I would stand on my porch and watch the cool lightning strikes and get a thrill from the sound of the thunder. Now, I never want to see another one again. Ever, ever again.

We drove from Utah to Houston.  On Day 1 we got snow and rain but mostly everything was nice. The next day after puttering about Roswell, NM we hit rain that was so bad I couldn’t see anything and we spent a lot of time hydroplaning. David wanted to press on and so we did. We pulled over a few times in rest stops so he could nap and to wait for the rain to let up.  For me, it was a horrific 8 hours of trying to see under water with strobe lights going off every few seconds while tailgating the truck in front of you, at insane freeway speeds just so you can see something. For. Hours. In pitch black.  In the wee hours of the morning when all good and common sense has long since gone to bed. Driving with one hand so that pistachios can be opened and eaten as a way of staying awake. By the time we got to my mother’s house I was a sick, nervous wreck with the mother of all headaches and I’m never going on another car trip again. Ever. At one point I asked to be let out of the car so I could stay in a hotel and follow him later on a bus. He thought that was funny.

Like I said, I’m never going on another car trip ever again and hopefully will someday recover from that nightmare.

Happy Birthday Joshua

On this day not too many years ago, it seems like just a couple but it’s more, my baby boy came into the world and has been the light of my life ever since.

It didn’t take too long for this:

to turn into this:

This is Joshua showing off his pretty, straight teeth the day his braces came off.

He has become such an amazing young man, he loves to build things and is really creative. He took an old umbrella and turned them into wings. He is very kind and funny and talented and I’m so very proud to be his mother.

Happy Birthday baby boy.