Happy New Year!!!!

Yesterday was January 1,2009. WOW! It is hard to believe that we have been driving now for almost 2 years. It is amazing how time goes by so fast when you are having fun and really enjoying what you are doing.

2008 was quite a year for us. We finished a year with Schneider in March and in April we decided to make the jump to Prime where we are now lease operators. It was definitely a scary jump at the beginning, not knowing if we would fail or succeed in running our own business. I am happy to report that we have done extremely well with Prime and couldn't be happier. I know that I could be a little more organized with the business and that is my resolution this year. We have seen all of the lower 48 states with the exception of Vermont. I am wondering if we will ever get there. You would think in two years that we would have been there at least once! We also had our first taste of putting on the chains on the truck last January/February. Boy, that was an experience! We have seen the trees blooming in the spring and the beautiful colors of the leaves changing in the fall in New England and in the western states as we have made our way across country. We finally made it to Miami this year, although we didn't get to stay and do anything, and I got to drive across Alligator Alley in Florida. I have to say I was disappointed though when I didn't see a single alligator!! We had our first floral load with Prime that had 14 stops on it. We got great fuel mileage but we were worn out after hand unloading that one! I went on a cruise with some of my best girlfriends, J went hunting with a friend and I got to spend a week with my Dad out on the road. That was a great week. We also found Smokey and made him our official truck dog and our little Bandit is now with my Mom where she has room to run around. Oh, and we did determine that Smokey's birthday is January 1st, based on how old the vet said he was when we got him, so yesterday was his birthday and he is officially a year old. Justin graduated from high school and joined the Navy and we went to Great Lakes to watch him graduate from basic. I got my 4th tattoo while we were there and J got his 3rd. haha Justin broke up with his girlfriend of over a year and a half and now has a new one, which is a really nice girl, and we finally got to meet a boy that Jessica is dating. She will graduate this year. I am sure there is more that is important, but this is what I can think of off the top of my head. We have been blessed to have had safe travels this year and to meet some really nice people while we have been out on the road. I can only hope that 2009 is at least as good as 2008 was to us. I know that as long as I am on the road with J that is can't be bad. There is nothing better than doing a job you love with the person you love.

Right now I am sitting at the hotel and J is still sleeping. Smokey is in his place on the king size bed right in the middle as if to protect me from daddy. We pick up this afternoon between 1500-1700 about an hour from here. I am sitting here watching the weather channel and looking at the snow that we are going to have to deal with on I-80 and I am really wondering if there is a way to go around, which I know there isn't, and I am hoping the roads will clear up before we get that far, which I know they won't. I do think though that we are going to need another set of chains to be legal in all the states because I don't think we have all that we will need. So I guess it looks like we will be making a stop somewhere along the way to pick more up.

Everyone be safe out there and I hope that you have a great 2009!