Day 3: Hello There You Wild, Wild West

"The Great Plains . . . feel at times like an almost forgotten region—and yet there are wonders in it."

—Larry McMurtry

As we raced down I-70 today, the sky was heavy with a thick, low blanket of gray.  The somber sky met the vast expanse of the Great Plains stretching out across Kansas.  I love all things weather.  A roaring thunderstorm excites me.  A sunny day refreshes me.  But this sky, this was for the birds.  Gray and dingy.  Sad it seemed.  My heart searched for happy in the moment.  

I could see it on the horizon.  I knew it was coming, and I could not wait to share it with the boys.  Something so simple, but so massive.  They blow my mind as they dart the expansive plains like sprinkles on a birthday cake.  

Those massive wind turbines are just impressive.  Truly impressive I tell ya.  Their giant size and graceful turns dancing in the wind really amaze me for some weird, almost very nerdy reason.  Kansas is beautiful in its own way.  With horizon lines that never seem to end, those fields full of crop make me think of the movie, Groundhog Day.  Silo after silo, field after field.  Set on repeat.  Yet, STILL so very beautiful.  Throw in those massive wind turbines, and I'm even more intrigued.  The boys thought they were neat for about five minutes...  

I loved the contrast of the new energy producers mixed with the old.  Those old windmills that days long ago stood so tall are now midgets in the shadows of the giants.  Yet, they still stand with grace and dignity.  Still turn.  Cattle gather underneath to get a sip of water.  Still producing.

The gloomy clouds slowly gave way to deep blue skies.  And the flatlands to rolling hills.

As the boys slept, giggled, and fiddled in the back seat, Brian and I imagined what it was like for the settlers of old riding their horse drawn wagons across this terrain.  Especially when we first caught a glimpse of the Rockies.  In fact, we have made this drive before.  When Garrison was 18 months old.  Seeing those monsters faintly in the distance took our breath away just as they did five years ago.  We laughed as we guessed that a lot of the settlers arrived at the base of the mountains and said, "Nah, forget it, we're setting up camp right here."  Thus Denver was born.  This is NOT how Denver came to be, but the joking was still fun.  All jokes aside, isn't life that way?  Sometimes when the hurdles in front of us seem too mighty to cross, we just settle?  Never pressing on or even trying to to get over them.  But man oh man, it sure is beautiful once you get to the other side.  And the journey there was majestic as well.  A conquering feeling of sorts.

It has been extremely refreshing to hear people say that they are praying for us.  I can 100% feel those answered prayers when I think about how well the boys are doing on this trip.  They are far from perfect.  There are spats, annoyances, gross talk, and loud voices (geez, why are boys so loud?  and, why must they talk about gross bodily functions?...and apparently find them hysterical? or, is it just my boys? oie).  However, given the magnitude of this trip and the close quarters, they are rocking it out in my book....99% of the time.            

Monkey see, monkey do

We wove through the roads that slice across the Rockies.  Snow still covering the mountain peaks in June stirred the curiosity among the boys.  Warner was asleep when we first began the trip into the towering giants.  However, when he woke up and witnessed the beauty before him, he loudly squealed "Whoa!!!"  How did he know that this was majestic?  All creation sings His praises...even two year olds.  The Lord's creation goes unmatched...and even preschoolers sense it!

Psalm 148:11-13 Every king and every ruler, all nations on earth, every man and every woman, young people and old, come praise the Lord!  All creation, come praise the name of the Lord.  Praise His name alone.  The glory of God is greater than heaven and earth.