I'd love to be the mom that records (officially) life as it unfolds. Unfortunately, with three kids and husband and responsibilities of my own, I'll be the mom finishing the scrapbooks when the kids have already graduated from high school. I'll just embrace it. Every season has its purpose. Right now, the purpose is not timely documentary.
Over our spring break, the girls and I had a terrific road trip adventure. It began at 4pm on a Saturday after play practice for Breanne and Madison's Jazz Team won first place in their third competition! On that high note, we set off 600 miles to Ozark, MO where Bryce and Kayla live. We spent the two nights and a day with them and traveled on another 500 miles to Cookeville, TN, stopping off to see the Westermans outside of Nashville (Madison's first babysitters). We spent four nights and three beautiful days with the Giffeys and the kids picked up right where they left off. We all had a blast! After another 500 miles to Peoria, IL, we joined the DeWilde family for a Evie and Madison birthday party (1 and 11 respectively.) The last 400 miles home were a breeze!
As I sadly began my journey home, I started a list of gratitude of God's grace in our experiences in the egg shaped road trip:
- girls figuring out the garmin
- minigolf
- 15-minute rest…or hour nap
- flip, flub of grant's feet
- one last TN sunrise
- buds and leaves on willis swaying
- tender beet and carrot sprouts
- "Montana…I mean Tennessee."
- sleeping with the window open
- praying with the girls in Tennessee
- my Mother's Day magnolia tree (at our first home) growth
- yellow tulips blooming
- empty house at 1001 Buffalo Valley Road (not a home..a house)
- sand all over the tub and floor
- cowgirl Madi
- climbing in the barn with Gail
- barbwire fences and scaling them
- flowering crab tree and bees
- Derrick and Jeremy at the Wild game
- Derrick's faithfulness to me
- wrong turns
- hide and seek in the dark
- crying little boys
- Gage's huge brown eyes
- Grant's expression…biting lip
- cows in the pasture
- table set for eleven
- "You shouldn't be offended mom." Advice from the girls.
- Hannah and Emma for the girls
- "I need her address." A new pen pal with Hannah.
- being transparent with friends you haven't seen in three years
- texts thanking
- jumping down loud steps
- chickens and workouts
- friends
- Aliya singing (she is a little me)
- perfect Word of God
- Madi racing with Gavin
- openness with girls
- helpfulness of girls
- Jesus Storybook Bible
- Ten more minutes
- "being"
- no mushrooms…no issues
- pudding
- too much milk
- Lillie
- "You haven't seen us play basketball"
- faithful God meeting my needs
- invitation to talk
- Starbucks and lattes
- the letter
- time with Derrick
- great safe drive
- 100% whole wheat bread from Gail's kitchen
- girls loving Evie
- red dirt
- trampoline
- sandbox
- lunch at chick-fil-a with Jennifer and Misty
- tired kids from a full day
- hiking Burgess Falls
- rocks for boys to throw
- Bre's feet in the water
- group pictures
- sweating
- hot days
- iced vietnamese coffee
- Poet's
- checking the oil and teaching the girls how to
- small town Missouri
- Breanne noticing what kind of oil the van takes
- back roads of Missouri
- detours
- cotton fields
- muddy tractor in the "pond" field
- Tennessee rest stop
- daffodils
- Bradford Pear trees
- tulips
- sweet tea
- hands and feet with the Westermans
- house full of little ones: Addie, Sam and Lila
- Amber's enchiladas
- talking with Sarah
- talking with Andrea
- walk in Dogwood Park
- girls playing in the stream
- choosing transparency
- Siri run with Bryce, Kayla and Derrick
- Evie screaming about the cupcake until she tasted it
- stumping the engineers with a riddle that the kindergartner figured out
- amazing race team pictures
- Evie on a team
- the birthday hat for Ben
- milking by hand
- brisket to share
- shopping for Aliya's Easter dress
- decorations for party
- double chocolate birthday cake
- trust in relationships
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