Welcome Home

Getting ready to deliver the wreaths

Hello all! Merry (belated) Christmas and happy New Year! Hope you are having a joyful holiday season!

Life has been quite busy lately, but mostly in a good way. Our regional route has been mainly uneventful, but we did have the honor of running a load of wreaths for Wreaths Across America, all the way from northern Maine to Chattanooga, Tennessee! It was quite an adventure getting up to Maine, and we were blessed to slip in and out again in between storms. We took the load down to Georgia, spent some time at company headquarters with the corporate people, and then delivered our wreaths to the Chattanooga National Cemetery early on a Saturday morning. Unfortunately, we weren't able to stay for the ceremony of laying the wreaths, but it was still quite an honor to transport them.

Holding the keys!

Some of you know that we have been in the process of buying a house. Well, after over a year of searching, and two months' hassle over a mortgage, we finally closed on the house, took possession, and moved in - all on December 23rd! That's right, we signed closing papers in the morning, loaded up the Uhaul in the afternoon, and moved everything into the house that evening.

My wonderful in-laws have been so kind and helpful - my hubby's parents helped clean the house, and they and my brother-in-law helped unload the moving truck. They have also helped with many little projects around the house. We spent Christmas day with them as well. It's wonderful having them close by now!

Pretty new mailbox!

The first few days after moving to a new place are always busy, but we have accomplished so much in the past three days. Not only have we unpacked all the essentials and much of the non-essential stuff, set up furniture, etc., but we've also made several improvements and made it more our own. We bought and installed a new front door, door casing, and front and back door knobs and locks; we changed several of the light fixtures and nearly all of the light bulbs; pulled out the dilapidated old mailbox and put a beautiful new mailbox in; completely re-coated the master bathroom shower; set up the master bedroom and furnished the guest bathroom; changed out old air and water filters, and cleaned years of dust, calcium deposits, rust, and grime out of the house. Needless to say, we're a little worn out!

I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have our own place, our very own house. And not only is it our own house, it's also our own property - six acres of property, in fact! We have big plans and dreams for that land (think garden, chickens, pigs, cows...), but there will be time for all that in the future. In the meantime, it's just so wonderful to come home to our own place, sleep in our own bed, cook in our own kitchen, dream our dreams...

I pray peace for each of you during this holiday season, and that the new year brings a fresh start and renewed life to you. Merry Christmas, happy New Year, and best of luck to you!

Catching Up

Snow accumulation in Pennsylvania

Well, it's taken us a little while to get settled into our new routine with our regional account, but we're starting to get the hang of it! I like knowing where we're going to be at any given time, it takes a lot of the uncertainty out of driving. Hubby gets a little bored with going to the same places all the time, but it is nice knowing what to expect!

In the meantime, we did attend one event in Georgia, and are planning to do another in December. We had dinner with a Georgia state senator and a state representative; we've had a little snowfall in Indiana and a snow accumulation in Pennsylvania; and we celebrated our second wedding anniversary and our third Thanksgiving together!

Anniversary date night!

Our anniversary was spent on the road, but I made my sweetheart's favorite pot roast and a delicious peanut butter chocolate cake for us to share. That weekend we had a very special date night - an hour at the shooting range and a nice dinner at a hibachi grill! It was definitely one of the best date nights we've ever had.

We were blessed to have Thanksgiving and the extended weekend off of work - a first for us! We've always had to work over holidays before, but since our new account is closed on major holidays, we were thankful to have the time off. We had a very pleasant Thanksgiving dinner with Don's parents and aunt, and spent the rest of the weekend enjoying fellowship with them. We helped set up Christmas decorations, had several good talks, and really enjoyed the time with family. It's the first time in many years for each of us that we've been able to be with family for Thanksgiving!

We're back on the road now, hoping that the weather holds off and dreading the upcoming winter weather. Stay safe out there!

Veterans Day

On November 11, 1918, the horror of WW1 officially ended. Still recovering 20 years later, our nation voted to honor WW1 veterans for their service with legislation deeming November 11 to be "Armistice Day." By 1954, however, we had seen WW2 and the Korean War, and Armistice Day was replaced with Veterans Day, a day to honor and recognize all veterans.

My husband during his service

Today is Veterans Day, 2016, and I would like to take a moment to reflect. I honor veterans of all wars as well as veterans of peacetime. I honor my grandfather, uncle, and cousins for their service in the Air Force; my father-in-law, who served in the Army during the Vietnam War; my husband, who served 9 years between the Army and Navy; and all of my brothers and sisters in arms, past and present. I honor those who were wounded in the line of duty; those who gave the ultimate sacrifice of their very lives; and all of us who raised our right hands and took an oath, willing to make that sacrifice if necessary.

WW2 veterans

Last night I had the privilege of attending a high school Veterans Day concert. The concert was very well done, but what was most meaningful to me was the time taken to honor the WW2 veterans present. Of course it is wonderful to pay tribute to their service and sacrifice, but it is absolutely essential that the young people of this generation are taught to respect and honor these veterans, and that respect and honor be modeled for them to emulate. In this day in age, when it seems that so many people feel entitled to everything, it is so important to recognize those who have fought to preserve the freedoms we so often take for granted.

Myself with our truck

This Veterans Day, when you see an older gentleman wearing a Vietnam Veteran hat, shake his hand and thank him for his service. When you see a few young guys sporting crew cuts gathered around a bar, raising a drink to a buddy who didn't come  home, show some respect. We all know someone who served - go thank that teacher or janitor or parent or relative or whoever it is. Let us all be grateful for the sacrifices made for all of us and our great nation.

Happy Veterans Day.

Stories From the Road

Sunlight peeking through autumn leaves

There is something that happens - a phenomenon that occurs with a predictability that rivals the daily sunrise - every time multiple people gather together who share a common occupation, hobby, or background. It happens at doctors' conventions, teachers' meetings, and office employee breakrooms. It happens at hunting lodges, retirement homes, high school reunions, and military barracks. It happens when farmers meet in feed stores, when homeless congregate around burn barrels, and when suburban housewives run into each other at the supermarket. And you better believe, it happens with truck drivers.

What is it?

Storytelling.

Let a few people gather together with something in common and the spirits of the medicine men, bards, and historians of the past rise up again. The most experienced try to top each other's tales with another more interesting or more dramatic than the last, and the least experienced listen in awe. Of course, a dash of exaggeration is often to be expected, but there is an element or morsel of truth in every story. It's a tradition old as time itself, passing on one's own experiences for the enjoyment and instruction of others.

And we have stories to tell. Believe me, we have stories.

The time we pulled a U-turn in a cemetary on a snowy evening in Virginia. The time we drove down a gravel road, between cornfields and through a river, to a solar farm in rural Texas. The time we delivered supplies at an inner-city hospital clinic in downtoon Brooklyn, NYC.

We spent Christmas on the beach in Miami, and Valentine's Day slogging through the snow in Vail Pass, Colorado. We've driven through flooding, hail, smoke, snowstorms, fog too thick to see the hood of the truck, and wind that threatened to tip us over.

Double rainbow after a storm

Oh, but the things we've seen along the way! Snowcapped mountains and craggy bluffs, the changing colors of autumn and the first new buds of spring, oceans on both sides of the country, sunrises and sunsets that take your breath away. Moose drinking from a Montana river, eagles circling in a cloudy Pennsylvania sky, antelope and buffalo grazing on Western plains.

Of course, we're regional drivers now, so our view of our wonderful nation will be restricted to a slightly smaller area. However, when you open your eyes, you find that there is beauty all around you, wherever you are.

These are the stories that we tell when standing around a parking lot or truck stop, chewing the fat with others like us. These are the stories we will tell our children someday. These are our adventures so far on the road!

Regional Drivers and a Discussion of Romance

Autumn in Pennsylvania

Well, after a year of being on a dedicated OTR (over the road) account, things have changed for the Davis team. We are now going to be dedicated regional drivers. What this means is that, instead of going coast to coast as OTR, we will now be driving within a certain mile radius of home, thus being regional. It also means that, instead of being on the road for 3-5 weeks, home for drill weekends and a few days for running errands, and back on the road, we will now be home on weekends! We may choose to work extra on some weekends, but for the most part, we will now be on the road for only 5-6 days at a time.

We are excited about the change. It came a little sooner than we had planned, but in the long run, it will be a good thing. Since we've been together, we've never had weekends off together on a regular basis, so this is a welcome opportunity to spend time together outside of the working environment.

Speaking of the working environment, it has been good for our marriage to live and work together in a tiny space 24/7, but it has also been difficult in some ways. For instance, it has taught us to communicate clearly and work together as a team; however, we sometimes have to remember to be not only coworkers but spouses and lovers as well. It can be hard to keep the romance alive when so many of the typical things (gifts, surprises, date nights, etc) are next to impossible on the road!

My favorite of several photos taken this month

I am thankful for this season of life, in which we have spent so much time together and learned so much about each other, and I pray we never forget the lessons in communication, trust, and teamwork that we've learned. And yet, since a great deal of the time is spent sleeping and nearly all the time one or both of us is working, it's like spending time in the presence of the other person but not really spending time WITH them.

One thing we have certainly learned this year, however, is to appreciate the little things. Too often we can take for granted the ordinary, everyday stuff that we do for each other - make lunch, take out the trash, sweep the floor, hold a door open - and yet, those little things are very important, especially when you live in a space the size of a closet! Just a simple thank-you, letting the other person know that these things are noticed and appreciated, is its own love language. So are back rubs. So is letting the other person speak without interrupting. These little things are, in their own way, the truly important things that make a spouse feel loved and appreciated. Sex is wonderful, but doing the dishes or letting the other person sleep in a few extra minutes are also powerful romance!

I'd love to hear your ideas or suggestions for making your significant other feel loved and keeping the romance alive. Until then, I'm off to go snuggle with my sweetheart. ❤

US Xpress Military Program Videos

When US Xpress commissioned the military tribute trucks, they also signed a commitment with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, ESGR, to specifically target hiring veterans and current service members as employees. Here is the video made of the ceremony where they signed the commitment and presented the trucks to the drivers:

 

At the same time, they also interviewed several current drivers who are veterans or current service members. Here is the video compiled of those interviews:


We were honored to be a part of this program. We enjoy working with a company that is actively interested in both honoring the military as well as listening to what their employees have to say!

Freedom Truck

Freedom, Marine, and Navy trucks

Back in July, when US Xpress wrapped six new 2017 Freightliner Cascadias in decals honoring the military and our country's independence, we were honored to be chosen to drive the Coast Guard truck. Now, three months later, we have changed trucks again, this time to drive the Freedom truck!

Unlike the other trucks, each honoring a branch of the military, the Freedom truck is not branch-specific. Rather, it represents stages of our country's independence, from Revolutionary War to now, and the photo of Arlington represents the true cost of freedom. This truck is applicable to all branches of the military as well as to everyone who has given their lives in defense of our country.

Freedom truck

We are excited to be driving the Freedom truck now. Unfortunately, when we got into the truck, it needed some maintenance to bring it back up to show standard. In the meantime, we've had a little time to relax and rest in a hotel while we wait. #3 is stretched out on a hotel bed, rolled on her back, snoring and twitching - I think she's enjoying this!

The weather is getting cooler, and leaves are beginning to change colors; autumn is upon us. It's time for sweatshirts, jeans, hot chocolate, and everything pumpkin! Pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cookies. So much autumn goodness! What's your favorite thing about autumn?