Observations...

The first part of today, and most of yesterday, the land was so flat that you could see for miles and miles. In fact, we saw a tall tower in the distance and wondered how far away it might be. It was nearly 4 miles of perfectly straight level road before we came to that tower able to see it the whole time! It made me think of our road from our house out to the next road (689), that’s just over 2 ½ miles and most of that time, you can barely see more than a tenth of a mile in front of you! It’s hard to fathom for me, an eastern Kentucky girl, used to seeing trailers that had to have been airlifted in, set on any piece of land long & wide enough to accommodate them. The houses in Texas and the part of NM the we were in seemed to have been just plopped down randomly in the midst of these vast stretches of flat land, looking like tiny sailboats lost in the never-ending expanse of ocean. The nearest neighbor might be 10 miles away or more.

New Mexico is amazingly beautiful. In fact, I postponed school today. There are more important things I want my children to know than facts they find in their books (although I will be the first to say those ARE important). I want them to recognize the creativity and the artistic genius that our Lord displayed in the creation of our world. Sure, it’s important for them to recognize the names and works of great artists in history, but I REALLY want them to know THE great artist, who authored and set our history in motion. I want them to see the world, and THEMSELVES, as His great work of art, precious and valuable. If I never teach them anything else save that truth, I will have succeeded as their mother and teacher. (Bonus points if they actually see their siblings in that light!)

Part way through New Mexico, Harold worriedly turned to me (he in the driver’s seat and I, surprisingly getting a turn in the front passenger seat) and hesitantly asked me, “Have you been feeling any shortness of breath?” When I told him I had, his relief was more than evident. He said he’d been feeling it for awhile, but was afraid to acknowledge it. He said, what if something was really happening with his blood pressure or his heart? Then the kids and I would be stuck out here without him! It turns out we were at nearly 6,000 ft elevation and we were feeling the effects of that. We both had a good laugh about that. I wouldn’t want to be stuck anywhere without him!

We ate lunch alongside the road at the Continental Divide, which was nearly 7500 ft. elevation. That was pretty neat. The kids got to get out and play a bit. Cody, my inquisitive explorer, was checking out the flora and fauna of the area and wound up with a few fingers full of cactus needles. A pair of tweezers remedied the problem and he’s as good as new—maybe with a new respect for cacti, I hope. MaKenzie & Jared got a wagon ride across the great divide. Here’s a photo with Jared on one side of the Continental Divide & MaKenzie on the other.
The kids have been good travelers thus far. The older ones can easily find stuff to do to entertain themselves, although the scenery alone has kept most of us in awe. Jared & MaKenzie (and most of the big kids, too) amuse themselves most often by watching for semi trucks and waiting for them to pass near to us so they can excitedly pump their arms up and down, hoping that the driver will pay attention and give them a honk! This especially thrills Jared. He’ll laugh and laugh every time!

Matthew’s a great traveler as well. There’s a seatbelt on the couch (actually there are seatbelts at all the seats) and we buckle him in there. The kids all end up sitting next to him at some point and when they do, it really blesses me to see each of them interact with him in some way. He just lights up when they sit down and play with him for a few minutes (of course he EXTRA lights up if they have food in their hand when they happen to sit next to him). When he’s not being entertained by a brother or sister, he plays quietly with his toys or he takes a catnap. That boy hasn’t fussed ONE single time!