The Great Rusty Mater Search

A few years back our satellite went on the blink. It was several days before the tech man could come to evaluate our problem. We remained in TV purgatory for what seemed like an eternity. During this intermission in this particular outside world communication, Luke watched Cars: The Movie on the computer over and over and over and over.....and over. He developed quite a liking to the movie and to this day it remains his favorite.

Shortly thereafter, we began to collect the little "hot wheels" type cars of the characters from the movie. This may not have ever happened if in advance I had known that every single car that appears in any part of the movie there is a die cast replica in the collection including 15 red Lightning McQueens. CA CHOW!!!!

Luke turns 4 today. My precious little man, how could this be! He stayed with a friend yesterday while his sister and I drove to Little Rock to buy him some presents. We bought clothes, toys of different kinds, and Cars gift bags but.....no Cars toys! He already has a gazillion of those little boogers laying around the house.

Often I have these super fantastic ideas that float in my head. Normally, I am incapable of getting the idea from my brain to my hands to make the idea a reality. Also, I have a hard time explaining to someone who is an artiste. So, most of my great ideas remain floating around like scissors in space. While driving around in the city, I got a vision of the perfect cake for my son. It needed to be like a field with Lightning McQueen, his buddy Mater, a tractor, and Frank (the combine). Tractor-tipping!!!! That's it! It would be perfect. (If you have never seen the movie, this means nothing to you) I called my friend Kim, to my surprise she said, "I'm seeing it! I know what you're saying!"

"Do wut?" You mean that idea actually made it out of my head. Oh, this has to be a God thing. Someone else saw it too!!! I'm excited!! Kim calls her friend, Paula, who makes the world's greatest cakes. She tweaks the idea a little and Kim calls to tell me that I need to sterilize my cars to use on the cake.

I went digging through the toy boxes. Sidebar: We really need to have a yard sale or start culling the herd. There in the depths I found one of many Lightning McQueens. I managed to locate one with Moriah's help that still had most of the paint on it. Very close by is Frank the Combine and tractor. Great! All I have left is Mater. Yea! I just saw him the day before. I knew right where he was.

Have you ever participated in one of those radio contests where they hide and object and take pictures and you can go by their broadcast stations and look at the pictures and then you go and look for it along with thousands of others? This is how I felt. Mater was nowhere to be found. I visualized him sitting against the wall on the beige carpet right there in plain sight. I searched and searched and searched all by myself.

This is ridiculous. I encouraged the kids to help look. Moriah and I were running around looking frantically to no avail. If you want to know something go to the source, right? "Luke, where is rusty Mater?" This was followed by his classic standard answer of "I don't know....must be somewhere!" If it wasn't so cute, I would be so irritated at this point.

Okay, nothing is getting accomplished and it is 9:30. Vacation Bible School is in the morning at 8:30 and I'm getting tired. So, I resort to idle threats. "NOBODY is going to bed until we find Rusty Mater!" This didn't really seem to light any fires but still, neither of them tried to go to bed. Moriah was tired but Luke was thinking "BONUS! No bed!"

Finally, at 10:30, I caved. I admitted my failure and said, "Moriah get some shoes on...we're going to WAL-MART!" Insane. I am INSANE. (Also, means nothing to you if you haven't seen the movie.) We loaded up and started out on our late night journey. Did I mention that we live 15 miles from the nearest WalMart? :-)

Moriah suggests that we drive to Greenwood to get my niece, Marleigh's Tow Mater. Well, that makes perfect sense. Why didn't I think to spend $30 in gas to drive 90 miles one way to get one for free when I could drive 30 miles round trip, spend $5 in gas, and get the Mater for $3? Bless her heart! I know she is just trying to help.

Have you ever had a random thought that came to you and for no particular reason you felt compelled to share it even if it in no way was related to the topic of conversation? My daughter is a genius at this!!! She gets it from me! We are driving along and she says, "My friend Kelsie had a stomach virus last year and her little brother Mason did too. She says their brother, Chandler didn't because he has a strong stomach but she and Mason do not."............Huh? Luke pipes in, "Alright! Go Mason!"......What? I had no idea what any of that really meant. I broke out in laughter. Luke says, "Oh, sorry Mom!" I said, "I love you guys! You make me laugh."

Then, without notice, Luke's head drops ever so slightly to the side. He's asleep. I told Moriah we should have taken him for a drive sooner. I woke him to get him out of the car. He raises his little head off of my shoulder and says, "Are we leaving Chloe in the 'quoia?" I tried to explain to him that Chloe was at home. Moriah says, "Yeah! She's in BED!!!" Do I sense a little hostility in the ranks? Perhaps some "friendly fire" is next!

We arrive in WalMart. It is now close to 11:00pm. Do you know what kind of people go to WalMart at 11 o'clock at night? Shift workers, associates of the store, crazy people, and mothers in a relentless pursuit of the one thing that will make the perfect cake (or I guess that would fit under crazy people as well).

We go straight to the Toys because we are going to be home in bed by 11:30 (Yeah. Right.). Upon arriving to the Cars section, there it is right in front of me. I can hear the 'Hallelujah Chorus' playing in the background and all of the angels in Heaven are singing it. I picked it up and held it to my face and stroked it ever so gently. It smelled so purty, like the air right after a Spring rain! Awwwwww. I sighed a sigh of relief. Moriah spoke up and affirmed what most people already knew..."Mom, you are CRAZY!" You know, I had an idea that this was true but there is no greater confirmation than that of a 12 year old.

We went to checkout, of course, there were no lines...at 11:00!!!!!! I purchased a Diet Pepsi so I wouldn't fall asleep on the trip home. I noticed on the way up that someone had cut some trees that had fallen in a recent storm. I have to ask myself--why when a tree falls across the road do people cut the tree from white line to white line and leave the rest there for weary travelers to dose off and hit? I didn't want this to happen to me in what was otherwise a perfect evening. So, I drank the Diet Pepsi down pretty fast, some even came out my nose. Yes, it hurt! But, that brings me to you now! It is 12:46am on my baby's 4th birthday, I have to get up for VBS in a few hours, and I am TOTALLY strung out on CAFFEINE!!!! I think I will go bounce off the walls for a while!!!! HEHEHEHEHHE!!!!!

Kelsie and Moriah

Kelsie and Moriah

Run to My Father

There's something about my children that make them want to call us Mother and Father. With Moriah as soon as she turned 4, Mommy and Daddy were no more for Mother and Father had been born. Luke, on the other hand, calls us Momma and Daddy when addressing us. However, if he is speaking about us to anyone, he refers to us as "my mother" or "my father." Actually, it's mutter and fotter; but we won't get technical. This is a disclaimer that is necessary to lead into this story.....

One cold evening in December, the kids and I were traveling back to Perryville trying to make it home for the local Christmas Parade. The tank was on empty and we had not a minute to spare to make it in time. We drove in on fumes and a prayer.

As we topped the hill coming into our quaint little town, I could see that the parade had already started. The police had the road blocked and I could see the lights and hear the sirens of the many firetrucks that were participating. I quickly made a detour and headed down the back streets. I knew that if I drove quickly but carefully we could make it to the Courthouse Square before the parade.

We arrived safely to our destination. I grabbed Luke and all of the blankets (and the keys too, you know I don't always do that). Moriah had already ran ahead of us because it just wouldn't be cool to wait. We found a spot on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse. We cuddled up in the blankets and got settled in to watch the festivities.

There were firetrucks loaded with firemen and families from every community sounding their sirens, flashing their lights, and throwing candy to the children. Policemen with their blue lights on shouting "Merry Christmas" to everyone. Motorcycles and horses adorned in wreaths and lights. It was a truly happy time.

In the distance, I could hear the marching band coming. This is always especially exciting for us. Luke starts jumping up and down screaming, "I hear the band. My father's coming." It was a sweet little voice that had all of the ladies "ooh"ing and "ahh"ing and had me on cheek-pinching alert. As the band got closer and closer, the excitement built. Finally, the point was reached when Luke got a visual on his long awaited quest.

"It's my Father! It's my Father! I see him, he's coming" He throws his blanket off, runs out into the street, and grabs his daddy by the legs. "I love you!" he says to his father.

"I love you too Son!" John says as he bends over, wraps him in his arms, lifts him up, and gives him a kiss. "I'll be back for you in a little bit."

The band was passing by where we were seated and John had to go. Luke seemed content to watch the rest of the parade knowing that he would get to see his daddy again soon.

What an awesome thing that had just happened in front of my very eyes. Eyes that sometimes can't see the obvious. Eyes that sometimes let my thoughts wander to where is God in all of this. And there He is....EVERYWHERE in EVERYTHING! No matter where I am, I can run to Him and be assured that My Father will never be too busy to wrap me in his arms, lift me up,and let me know I am loved. I can continue to enjoy the blessings that He has given me. And, Praise HIM! He WILL be back for me in a little bit. Isn't that a great feeling?

Proverbs 8:17--"I love those who love me,
and those who seek me find me."