It's that time of the year!

We will be starting our long road trip for our holiday vacation this week!  As we are the only ones from our immediate familes that live out of state we always come back into Texas for the Christmas holidays to visit our familes.  (  Once we have kids, we'll see how that changes ;)   )

I put together a little make do map that features most of our destinations.  Without including all of the driving we will do within those destinations Google calculates that we will drive 2,822 miles.  So by the time our trip is done...we will have traveled well over 3,000 miles in 2 weeks.  w00t!

We will start off by going to Amarillo for this first weekend then driving to Houston.  With a stop in Cross Plains to visit friends and a stop in Hico for the night.  Then we will continue onto Houston until the weekend after Christmas.  Then we will go up to DFW, Stephenville, and Hico all over again to see Amy's family until New years Day.  Then we will start our trek back up to good ole' middle Tennessee....or as I sometimes refer to it "the dirty dirty"...as in The South.  Where sweet tea flows freely, BBQ is pulled pork, and the banjos never stop playing.  (OK, I am kidding, I never hear banjos.  But I also don't wander off into the deep woods either)

So there you have our glorious trip. 

But before that we have a small group holiday meal tonight with a gift exchange planned.  Then we still need to pack and pick up the rental car on Wed.  Then Thursday Amy will pick me up from work with the dogs and bags in tow and we will hit the road. 

So if you read this and you are somewhere along that blue line you see up there on that map...let us know and we can try to get a visit in, catch coffee, let you walk our dogs, you know...the usual catch-up situations.  We'd love to see as many peeps as possible! 

drop us a line  -  isaacllanes at gmail dot com    OR   amyllanes at gmail dot com

the snow showed up here...now

Yesterday it had been raining most of the day and we had heard that there could be some flurries toward the evening.  Well when it comes to forecasting the snow here in middle Tennessee...you can't believe it until you see it.  As I was leaving the office building at 4:30pm it was for sure not just rain falling anymore but what weather forcasters like to refer to it...a wintry mix. 

So I jumped in the car and headed toward the interstate knowing I would be in the car for awhile considering people already forgot how to drive when it just rains.  Throwing some snow in with the rain is a whole other monster that people don't know how to handle.  Lucky for me the interstate was not bad yet...so I got home in 30 minutes and picked up Amy b/c we had to make a grocery store run.  That's when it was now purely snow falling and it was coming down heavy.  I was nervous driving to the store and I did almost hit another car but thankfull my quick thinking and acting go us out of that pickle with no harm done to anyone.  (remember I am a mexican kid from Texas so driving in these conditions is completely unnatural for me)

So I caught this picture from the Kroger parking lot as the snow was falling...

We were having some friends over to the house too...I called them to see if they were still wanting to come over with these crazy conditions.  They are from Iowa so they didn't see a problem with it so still got to enjoy some good company for dinner. 

This morning I took these next pictures as the snow covered everything and even stuck to the sides of our fence.  I think we probably got about 3 to 4 inches of snow in about a 3 hour span. 

Then I took a picture of my foot in the snow trying to show how deep it was in the yard but it isn't too much of a good measurement.  I guess this is why they make rulers and measuring tape..which I had right behind me in the garage, but it was early and I was all giddy about the snow.  no time to think.  just step and snap.

To friends in the north...yea...no big deal...little bit of snow for us.  To our family and friends in Texas did you guys get this much? 

The interstate this morning was a complete crawl so I finally rolled into work and found out from some co-workers that it took some of them nearly 4 hours to get home last night.  I shouldn't have bragged about my 30 min commute home...they didn't find it as pleasing. 

Well the sun is now out and all the white should be gone soon.  So we got to enjoy it for a bit and we'll see when the next random snow fall hits. 

Since I mentioned McD's...

...I know most people don't go here very often but I figured Ishould share this.

I got word, via The Consumerist, that a new item has replaced a staple item from the Dollar Menu. 

Yes, the Double Cheeseburger has been taken off the Dollar Menu and is now $1.19 and has been replaced by the new McDouble.  What's a McDouble exactly?  Two patties with just one slice of cheese.

Apparently...McD's is trying to save money on the cheesy side of things. 

Did you know there were 2 slices on the Double Cheeseburger?  I guess I never paid close attention.  Well there you have it folks...if you go to McD's and order a Double Cheeseburger don't be surprised when the total turns out to be $1.07. 

Have a good weekend...i'm out!

Food Fast

Have you ever had an idea and it sounds awesome?  You start implementing it and in the process or soon after you are done...it either has gone horribly wrong or in the complete opposite direction that you thought it would.

I usually have what I think are great ideas but probably would not turn out like I would like too...but lucky for me I never act on those thoughts and ideas. 

I came across this video a few weeks ago and it kind of serves the point...you will have to watch this.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Every now and then, even though I know there is absolutely no nutritional or moral benefit, I do crave a quarter pounder and some fries from McD's.  And just like the video...I start to believe that the craving probably came from the devil himself (not that he lives inside of me...but that it was just an evil craving...ha!)
I think that video is so funny to me b/c it is so true. 

Isn't every decision we made a risk though?  Some of course outweigh others but every choice has a good outcome or a bad one. 
And just like I will willingly choose to eat at McD's then wonder why I ate that...it was still a conscience decision where I knew it would not turn out to be good in the end...but choose to do it anyway. 
Why do we do that?  Why are we wired like that?
In our youth we made mistakes knowing there would be a bad outcome...but did it anyway.  Then we had to live with those consequences and endure that bad decision.  But the good thing is that it always passes...some sooner than others.  The bad does go away.

In our community group we have been sharing out spiritual journey's and everyone's story has a low point..that turns into a turning point.  Where our lives got redirected on toward the right path.  And we all have those decisions where we knew that God was leading us in a certain direction...even when we thought it would be a bigger risk...there's peace.  I have been challenged to take risks in decisions and not fear the failing of it...but to have faith that God will guard that decision when He leads me toward it.  (i'm not talking about McD's anymore)
I have always been insecure about myself and when I was given the chance to a community group leader, I took it and there is not a week that goes by where I regret doing it.  But I know it is what I am suppose to be doing.  Is it easy for me, not at all.  Does it stretch me every week, yes.  Is God putting me through the ringer so that all I can do is rely on Him, you better believe it. 

"...any time God asks you to do something that is absolutly impossible and everything inside of you screams to do the opposite and you have no choice but to die to yourself before Him, that's a benefit..."

I heard Matt Chandler say this in an old sermon of his this morning on my drive in.  And it bite me in the butt hard because I realized that I had been for the longest time trying to do it all by myself.  He followed up asking if there was anything else throwing us at the feet of Christ?  And b/c we live in America where we have everything...most of us can get everything we need or what we think we need.  And probably get it at Wal-Mart.

I hope there is something that you are going through that is able to stretch your faith and make you solely rely on Christ.  Don't be afraid to be stretched and get out of your comfort zone.  He didn't call us to be comfortable and at a stand still.