Deep Thoughts...

My best friend Kim got a thinking award on her blog the other day. I must say that even back in the first days when we were getting to know each other she would ask me question after question about how I did my schedule, and why did I do it that way, and how could we do it another way....I had never met anyone who was so inquisitive and thought so much about everything and anything! Well honestly sometimes I would get annoyed and want to just make stuff up, or say...I don't know why I think that...or do that...just because! I now appreciate all the questions and the deep thinking hour to 3 hour talk sessions that we had. If there is anything I ever want to know about, or try and do research on I know for sure the top three people in my life to call has Kim at the tippy top cause that girl can find the answers! Way to go girl! I have to agree that your blog does make my head hurt from thinking so much. I often have a hard time commenting cause I still find it hard to keep up with the conversation going on in your head!

Do any of you ever remember the good ole days of Saturday Night Live (if there ever was such a thing). I wasn't allowed to watch it, but did watch it some at friends homes now and then, and reruns later on. My favorite thing on SNL was the Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy.... they usually were really simple and hilarious statements...and of course I don't remember most of them, but the one that was and is my all time favorite still can make me spurt my drink out of my nose! It goes something like this...(read this very seriously and with a straight face)

I think that in weightlifting

Sudden, uncontrollable urination

should not automatically disqualify you...

Okay well that just shows you it doesn't take much to make me laugh and have a great time, but I can just see the big guy in the stretchy pants having to run off stage. Oddly enough I can so relate...bless the Mommy's hearts who have had all the babies and can't run, do jumping jacks, laugh, or sneeze without having this issue! If you know what I mean! Okay I digress....hmmm...I'll have to go think about that one! No awards please Kim...it would embarrass me : )

Camping Part 2

As I said before we were able to even fit in the bikes for our camping trip over spring break. The kids had a huge area to ride their bikes around. Gabbie even got in on the action when Michelle and Jeffrey rigged up the hiking backpack thing on Jeffrey to let Gabbie experience the true freedom of having the wind blow through her precious red hair! We were tearing up just watching her screaming at the top of her lungs...yeehaw...woo hoo....look at me y'all...I'm flying! Michelle said she thinks that is the fastest that Gabbie has every gone other than in a car! I was scared to death that Jeffrey would crash, but Michelle knew that he would be careful. He is so good and caring when it comes to that precious cousin!

Michelle and the girls left on Monday evening, so we woke up Tuesday morning ready to try and head to a cool bike trail that Jeffrey found and couldn't wait for us to experience as a family! I literally thought...you know what's a little 30 minute ride gonna hurt. I can do this with a bruised tail bone and all. We started out on this nice, wide, sidewalk type trail that went through beautiful trees, etc....just enough hill to make you not have to pedal the whole time. It was really allot of fun to have all of us out together being active and being able to keep up with the kids! Well then we get to the end of the nice trail that came to a little road. As we stop and look across the road we see a dirt trail that is super small, but there is a sign that says hiking/biking trail. I'm pretty sure it was at that point that my adventurous/athletic (not) husband started hearing the theme song for Indiana Jones in his head when he chimed in with the kiddos-who were already half way up the trail-"Come on babe....let's have some adventure!" So I kicked it into the low gear as my family took off and made it up the first hill without even having to get off and push! Man what a rush, and I felt so strong and confident!

We continued on up and down the trail...hills, rocks, trees, tree roots, stairs....yes I said stairs! Jacob was leading the pack and when we heard screams of excitement we knew that meant something fun and probably super dangerous ahead. Did we stop...oh no....we kept going! We passed a family that was actually HIKING the trail...imagine that....and I overheard the little boy say to his dad...."I didn't know you could ride bikes on this trail dad?!" I tried to keep a smart look on my face as we rode past them and deeper and deeper into the woods. Every time we would go down a great hill Marv would say, you know we are gonna have to go back up that, but it will be fine! Marv's goal was to stay on his bike no matter what. He actually did pretty well...even with no ACL in his knee! It was probably at least an hour and a half into the great Jolly adventure that we found that the trail seemed to just stop.

We could see the lake, so we knew at least that we were still in the camp ground, but no signs, no people, no nothing. It is at this point that I realized several things: 1. Marv I think we are lost! 2. We have no map. 3. We have no cell phone. 4. We have no water, or food. (Remember it was just gonna be an easy 30 minute ride on the concrete sidewalk bike trail!) 5. And no matter what Marv was telling me...we had no clue! Oh yes and there seemed to be some dark clouds starting to form in the distance!

It was at this point that we literally had to carry our bikes up and down the terrain to find some kind of thing that looked like a trail and then we see it....some signs that told us that we had just come 3 1/2 miles, and that the lodge was only 1/2 mile away that way. That meant water, bathrooms, and civilization! When we made it to the lodge looking pretty scary, we sat on a soft couch in the great room and had a treat of water and ice cream! Marv went to the front desk to ask what would be the quickest way to get back to Elephant Rock(since it looked like rain may be coming)....which ended up being back the exact way we just came, or down the state park highway...which is only about 31/2 miles of asphalt. Well after what we had just accomplished...which was really fun by the way until the last 30 minutes where we were sorta lost....we thought... we all decided we could do the easy hi-way part in no time!

So off we go with Daddy in the lead, baby girl next in line, then Jacob, Jeffrey, and Momma bringing up the rear (literally) and watching for cars. There wasn't much of a shoulder really so we had to stay as close to the white line as possible...unless there was a car coming in which I would scream...."CAR" and we would all slow down and head off to the grass. We were making great time and were gonna be able to make it back to the tent in no time until...we got to a part in the road where we got...no joke going downhill at around 20-30 miles an hour. From the screams of delight up ahead we knew we were about to pick up speed, and Jeffrey and I were lagging behind somewhat and saw this as an opportunity to catch up. (Did I mention that none of us had on biking helmets?...big no no! : ( This thought went through my mind as I started picking up speed, and then it happened....

All most in slow motion...and there was nothing I could do to stop it....Jeffrey's front wheel starts wobbling and then he goes flipping in the air and crashes right in the middle of the road on the asphalt! Somehow the boy was able to hang on to his handlebars while trying to use his hand brakes. He landed on his bike...which broke his fall for the most part, and landed on his stomach all sprawled out in the middle of the road. He was yelling...my legs, my legs! At that point I don't remember much, but the adrenaline kicked in this momma and I had him pulled off to the grass and then got his bike out of the road within 30-45 seconds. That's when several cars showed up...thankfully not any earlier, or it could have been really bad! The family that stopped with a first aid kit was amazingly from our town! Jeffrey only had a cut on his thumb, scraps on his shoulder, and some bruises on his legs. I was so embarrassed, thankful, and freaked out all at the same time! Needless to say...Marv rode the rest of the way to our tent...I think about a mile...to get the truck and come get us and our bikes off the side of the road.

We were so thankful to get back to our little outdoor home and have some lunch. Of course Jeffrey took some Motrin and ate his sandwich lying down in the tent. He was pretty banged up, and we watched him closely to make sure there wasn't any internal bleeding, etc... It was super scary, but fun to know that we had just survived one of the greatest mountain biking adventures. Jeffrey's back bike tire/wheel still has a gimp thing going on, and probably will have to be replaced soon! The day was not over yet....that I will save for part 3 of our camping adventures! Until then....lesson learned...always, always, ALWAYS wear your bike helmet!!!

Camping Trip Part 1

I grew up tent camping for weeks at a time during our 3 week summer vacations all over the good 'ole USA. Our family of six would pile into our latest dodge van that pulled a converted motorcycle trailer turned camping gear trailer. My dad even had us set up with a porta-potty for #1 only thank you, and even made curtains for our van. He also rigged up a bed to go behind the back seat with a foam mattress for napping on our long journeys. I loved helping my daddy set up the tents, etc... I was sure at the time that I was a huge help and he couldn't do it without me, but now I know I was probably more in the way than not! (Thanks for letting me feel like a big helper though dad!) I loved camping...washing my face and brushing my teeth in the freezing rivers of Colorado. Getting postcards, souvenir spoons, and making great memories along the way.

Well.....my sweet hubby also grew up tent camping and so we decided to try and get more camping in for our family this spring. Why not start off big like a whole 5 days during spring break? We loaded everything and I mean everything...including the kitchen sink, bikes, and the dog. The great thing about packing in a truck is there is virtually no limit to how high you can pack and stack your stuff! Of course that does mean that you have to have some skills with the bungy cord. Or should I say CORDS (plural) cause I'm pretty sure we used so many I can't count that high! I tell you if one thing flew off on the highway it was ALL gonna go! Now that would have been a sight! Marv has the same knack that my daddy has for riggin' up stuff and even welded and made this hitch rack a year ago....which came in quite handy for all the little extras I kept throwing in last minute!

You know the thing about camping is that it really shouldn't be considered a VACATION for the mommas cause you have to pack up everything and I mean everything in the kitchen and be prepared for anything and everything that usually can and will happen, but now will be attempted outdoors! If you want to cook a meal of hot dogs, beans, chips, and maybe even a little dessert then you've gotta not just pack the weenies, and buns, but also the mustard, mayo, ketchup, relish, spoons, knives, something to cook the weenies with, paper plates, can opener for the beans, pot to cook the beans in, spoon to stir the beans with...you get the picture! I did precook the brownies the day before at home, so at least those were done, but a little flat by the time I got them off the truck from under who knows what! Then once you finally finish the wonderful meal...it's time for dishes done with cold water from a faucet that in real life you only use to water your plants and lawn outdoors. It was fun to wash each piece by hand and hose and then hand it to Julia...only to watch her set it down on the dirt to dry it off! Too funny, but at the time frustrating and back breaking! Then putting EVERYTHING away...back in the rubbermaid tubs and back in the truck for safe keeping from the little critters overnight! It was pretty exhausting, but I was glad to have Michelle there to help for the first couple of days! It was nice to have a hammock to go to when I found a moment to be still and dream while looking up into the leafless trees! It was peaceful though!

The new tent that we had never actually been camping in had more than enough room for our family of five, dog, and all our stuff. It was hilarious to watch Marv and the boys put it up with all the poles and just to see the shear size of the thing. Marv got a good deal on the tent that is literally bigger than our living room with it's three doors, two rooms, and huge windows! It was a good thing that the winds hadn't picked up yet! Yes the wind was just a beating! We found a great spot out on a penisula type place that I'm sure in the summer is nice to have the breeze. We had great weather the first day and night, but after that it was pretty much non stop wind for the duration of the trip! We now know why there weren't any other people camping around us...they all were smart and crammed in together over by the trees that shielded them from the wind. Oh well we had plenty of room to spread out, and if anyone did try and come camp near us we just told the kids to run around and be loud. That usually kept most from wanting to be anywhere near us!

We had our little tent set up for Michelle and the girls, and a huge tarp between the two that allowed Gabbie to be able to move around with out getting too dirty...although playing in the dirt was on her agenda for the week! Here are some pictures to enjoy and I will make sure and finish at a later date with the adventures of our family bike adventures!

Gabbie is Home

Gabbie had a cough and the pink eye develop in the last 24 hours before her surgery so the doctors were not able to sedate her. This would normally be impossible to allow the surgery to go on, but since she has no feeling in her legs or feet the doctors were able to do the procedure while she was awake! They did give her some kind of meds to help take the edge off, and hopefully make her sleepy and loopy. She was wide awake and not very happy during the whole procedure though so they had to get done quickly. They didn't end up putting on the hot pink cast since they were in a hurry to finish her up so she could have some peace....I'm sure their ears might have been hurting by this point as well...she does get her lungs from the Curbo side of the family! I was on the phone with Michelle and heard them taking her blood pressure...wow was she was letting them know that she was ready to go home! I didn't end up going down to the hospital since they sent her home by 10:00 this morning! She was only going to have to stay overnight if they had to sedate her, so that was a praise for Michelle to be able to go home and take care of her at home. She was making Michelle laugh at all the silly things she was saying and coming up with from the goofy juice they gave her....so it was good to hear Michelle laughing and at peace with everything. Big sister Maggie brought balloons and a stuffed animal to her so that was the highlight of her day!

Thank you all for your prayers...I believe she is a blessed little girl and God will allow her to bless many in her lifetime!

Pray for our Gabbie girl

Please pray for my precious niece Gabbie Martinez. She will be going into surgery Monday at Scottish Wright in Dallas. She was born April 16, 2002 and when she came into this world the doctors realized that she had several urgent issues to deal with; one being she he was born with spina bifida and is paralyzed from the waist down. She will be 5 this next April and she is the most amazing little all most 5 year old I've ever known! She is a true red head like her momma and a spit-fire one at that! She will melt your heart the second she says hello. We are so thankful for her and her little life because even with all the difficulties my sister and her family had to go through over the last five years they have shown amazing strength amid the chaos and heartbreak. This surgery will be one of several that she will have over the next year. The surgery on Monday is to release her achilles tendons and tendons in her toes so that her feet will be able to bend at a 90 degrees. This will allow her to wear shoes easier and help with the circulation in her feet.
Gabbie has been asking her momma lately when she is gonna get to start walking like her sister, friends, teacher, and parents. She has thought all this time that she was a baby and that's why she couldn't walk yet. When Michelle had to tell her again that she won't ever be able to walk she just sobbed the saddest cry. It tore Michelle's heart out, but I am so amazed at the way Michelle is able to communicate with her girls and how she always finds the good in their situations. Talk about tenacity! Those girls are super lucky to have her for a momma! Michelle finally told her a couple of days later when she asked again why she still could learn to walk yet and when she could starting learning to walk. Michelle told her that when she was born she was a very sick little baby and that they were just so happy that she was alive. Gabbie said, "I'm alive?!" Michelle answered her..."Yes, Gabbie you are alive and that makes me so happy!" Gabbie started smiling and cheering, "I'm alive, I'm alive just like you mommy, and daddy, and Maggie, and my teacher, and my friends....." What a great thing for me to learn that no matter how bad things seem to be for me in this world any given day...I'M ALIVE and so thankful to my Lord for all the blessings this precious angel has taught me!
Gabbie you just keep on smiling and being a little angel that God shared with us in this lifetime. I can't wait until the day we are all in heaven dancing around the campfire and you WILL be able to walk my precious niece! (Michelle and the girls went camping with us over spring break. It was their first time and it was so neat to see them experience a camping adventure with us!)

Coming back to life

Hi y'all! I know my precious blogging star, Kim, has fallen on the floor seeing that I am back from the depths and ready to start talking again! Pick yourself up sister cause I've got ALOT to say and share!
God has had me in the shop for some major tweeking and tuning up....well really a major overhaul. My heart, hope, and home have been revived and I might get a little obnoxious cause I'm so grateful and still a little bit in shock of how deep and wide and far God's love is and can go! I never ever thought that I would truely be able to experience God the way I have seen few truely godly women in my life display the real and rare beauty that comes only from the work that God has done in their hearts and lives. NOT saying that I am that women yet, but after what God has taught me in the last two months I'm closer now than I've ever been and I finally GET IT. Well maybe I should say am daily trying to GET IT...where before I just wouldn't even try so much and for sure have NEVER EVER been hungry for HIS WORD. All my life I've sat in church listening and even taking notes...thinking okay this is good stuff....now if I can just get up Monday morning and study this and dig in more, but never would. Call it lazy, bored, not understanding, feeling confused, and having doubts that I would ever really be able to GET IT kept me from living in His Spirit daily and having HIS Power in my life that comes from meeting with God first thing. I'm a little hard headed and God knew it would take a MAJOR crisis to WAKE THIS GIRL UP Y'ALL. Well Jan. 3rd after I sent the kiddos off to school he sat me up on the kitchen counter and got in my FACE. YIKES and PRAISE THE LORD at the SAME TIME!!!! Have you ever experienced God gettin' in your face? It's scary and got me on my face. Over the next few weeks though I was in an all out spiritual battle to save our family and saw the mighty hand of God come down and teach, rebuke, answer prayers....many prayers from many friends and family (you will never know how much you have all ministered to me and us over those weeks...thank you from the bottom of my heart!! You know who you are and I thank my God everytime I remember you!). I wasn't able to stand some days from what God was teaching me and showing me with each new day. I went several days reading the bible(like it was a magazine), reading books, listening to preachin' on the radio...that all just happen to be talking about what I was going through...not a mistake, or coindence....I couldn't eat anything cause I wasn't hungry for earthly food...NOW THAT RIGHT THERE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS AN ALL OUT MIRACLE, but was fed those days on God's word alone. GIRLS true revival has broken out at the JOlly home and praise God is spillin' over into the kiddos.
My prayer is that the mountain top experience we had on January 20th will never ever be forgotten and that God will use our marriage and family to help others move closer to HIM and receive the same restoration and healing that we have gotten. I'm so thankful for the precious Christian men and women in our lives who spoke truth and held us up when we couldn't hardly stand ourselves.

2 Corinthians 2:3-7

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

Thank you Father...amen!

Streams in the Desert book

My friend Kim tagged me to do this...

1) Grab the book closest to you
2) Open to page 123, go down to the fourth sentence
3) Post the text of the following 3 sentences
4) Name the author and book title
5) Tag three people to do the same

So I sit here and grab the closest book...and it didn't even have that many pages...so the next one to it was Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman. Great book and when I read it, or My Utmost for His Highest it amazes me how on target it usually is with where I am in my life. Well the date of this page is March 21st, but still somehow God is speaking clearly through this book...


Let us remember that no earthly circumstances can hinder the fulfillment of God's Word. We must look steadfastly at His Immutable Word and not at the uncertainty of this everchanging world. God desires for us to believe His Word without other evidence, and then He is ready to do for us "according to (our) faith."

And now my heart and I are sweetly singing--singing without the sound of tuneful strings; Drinking abundant waters in the desert;Crushed, and yet soaring as on eagle's wings.

According to your faith will it be done to you. (Matthew 9:29)

I'm so thankful that in the midst of craziness, sadness, lonesomeness, and when everything seems total chaos in your life that all we have to do is pray for peace and have faith that He will not only supply that peace, but walk by my side and be with me through it. It isn't always easy to do what the bible says, but I have to remember to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God!

I'm so thankful for the godly friends that God has blessed me with who will lift me up in prayer in time of need and knows that they can expect the same from me. There is a fresh and new freedom that I have experienced as of late in sharing my heart straight up and being transparent. It just has knocked down the walls and barriers around my heart and I am slowly beginning to be able to have faith in God's perfect will whatever that may hold and mean for me and my family in the future!

I tag Michelle, Amy, and Misty