The Grand Canyon and Sedona

We spent the last two days in Arizona, which I have now decided would be a fine place to live. My hair agrees and likes it here too. No humidity, so I actually have straight hair! My lips do not agree as I'm pretty sure I've gone through a tube of lip balm in the last two days. It is very dry and it's been an adjustment for our sinuses and skin.  Nevertheless, it has been 100 percent worth it. We explored the Grand Canyon on Wednesday and it did not disappoint.

We lost track of how many times we said, "Wow!" It is just so breathtaking and expansive that you really are left somewhat speechless. I'm so thankful that the girls are taking this all in. They seem to grasp the intensity of the beauty of God's creation and how different it is across the world. Every time one of them points out something they've observed, it makes our hearts so happy. Nature has always been a way that the Lord has shown His greatness to Joe and I, and it is important to us that the girls develop the ability to see God's magnificence through the nature He has created.

We arrived at the Grand Canyon from the East entrance so we made our way to the Watchtower Viewpoint first. This gave us a great taste test of what was to come. I love the Scripture that was on the wall as we walked up to the view point. "All the earth worships Thee; they sing praises to Thee, sing praises to Thy name." Psalm 66:4 The girls got their first Grand Canyon stamp of several in their National Parks passport and then of course had to try some delicious ice cream at the visitor's center:)

We made our way over to the main Visitor's Center and watched a short video about the Grand Canyon. It was quite funny when the video told us that the Grand Canyon formed millions of years ago. Megan was quick to correct them on that. It led to some discussions along the trail about Creation and Evolution theories.  We took a bus to a viewpoint down the road and then walked about 1.5 miles back along the rim, stopping along the way to catch a glimpse of the canyon from different angles. Then we took a bus up to a Yaki point just to see it and then took the bus back down again. The girls did great, a little complaining about legs being tired, but that's expected. We had a quick dinner in the RV and then headed to Mather Point for the sunset.

The sunset did not disappoint and lit up the Canyon beautifully. Another bonus was the full moon rising over the Canyon. Pictures just can't do it justice, although everyone tries to capture this awe inspiring moment, you really can't. There are some moments you have to just put the camera down and take a mental picture and remember the grandeur of it all. 

We woke up Thursday morning and had planned to just take it easy, do some laundry and eventually make a trip to Walmart. I tried to make pancakes outside on the grill/griddle, and although it worked, it was very stressful. Joe tinkered with the water pump and hot water heater again and thinks he finally has that figured out. My coffee maker decided to stop working, so I messed with it for about 2 hours, took it apart, put it back together and it still didn't work. So now a trip to Walmart was a necessity:)

Before leaving camp we treated the girls to a go-kart race since it was connected to our campground. We had so much fun zooming around the track. Then we headed to Chick-fil-A in Flagstaff and on to Sedona. On the road to Sedona, you can take the scenic route through Oak Creek Canyon. We had read and heard it was beautiful, but again, there are some things you just can't prepare for. It was absolutely gorgeous and massive. We stopped at Slide Rock State Park and the girls got to swim in the creek and slide on the rocks. They had so much fun!  Then we headed down to Sedona. It is the cutest town with breathtaking red rocks surrounding you. Everywhere you turn there is another massive rock. We had dinner at at little restaurant in the middle of town. This wasn't the plan, but eating on a patio, surrounded by this scenery at sunset was an experience we wanted to have and we are so glad we did. 

I won't inundate this post with pictures, and again, pictures just don't do it justice. It's hard not to snap so many because you really want to bottle up the grandeur of it all. It truly is an amazing gift.

Majestic Monument Valley

Good Morning from the Majestic Monument Valley in Utah. Yesterday we made the voyage from New Mexico to Four Corners so we could put our feet in 4 different states at one time. The girls wanted to do a fun acrobatic pose, but turns out the cement was incredibly hot and hard to touch so we settled for quick photos.

As we entered Monument Valley, we were all completely in awe of the grandeur of it all. The rock formations are absolutely breathtaking. We were so pleased to be coming in at sunset and it did not disappoint. Our campground was right in the middle of it all, so we had a perfect view of the sunset and the full moon rising. What an amazing God we serve. His majesty is displayed all around us and I love that we can pause in the craziness of this life and just give Him our attention for a few moments and bask in His glory around us.

The Mexican Hat 

 We thought it looked like Thomas Jefferson.

 A smooch for Thomas

 Moon Rise

On a lighter note, Joe was super excited to find Forrest Gump Point. He came very prepared with a shirt and hat on loan from his brother in law. This was certainly a highlight of the day for him as you can see from his smile.

I do have to back track just a little to recall the funniest thing from our drive into New Mexico. It was dark and really felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. Joe mentioned it looked foggy ahead. I mentioned it was smelling bad. He didn't smell it, but Keegan(the dog) reaffirmed with her sniffing that indeed something did smell off. Megan checked the toilet half expecting to see yucky stuff sloshing all over, that's how bad it smelled. By this time, we are all smelling it and trying to figure out what in the world it could be. The fog outside was getting thicker and then....we saw it.  On both sides of the interstate, cows, hundreds of cows in pins and this huge cloud of fog above them. It was a cloud of manure dust and it wreaked like nothing we've ever smelled before. We were dying, trying not to breathe, but laughing so hard and feeling thankful that our RV was not being flooded with sewer mess. It finally dissipated, just in time for the skunk smell to penetrate the RV. Oh the fun times of being out west in the great wide open!  Memories for sure!

Magnolia and Meltdowns

Today was a day we were all looking forward to. Yesterday was a long afternoon of driving. We finally settled in at a Walmart late last night after a stressful drive through Houston. Where is everyone going at 10pm on a Sunday night in Houston? Anyhow, when we arrived at a nice, safe Walmart(the nicest Walmart I've ever been in) Joe hopped out to fill the gas tank while I helped the girls get ready for bed. We quickly realized that the water was not running. I checked the water pump switch and it was on, but no water. Pretty sure I was chanting to myself, "I will remain calm, I will remain calm." We went into diagnosis mode and tried several different things. Meanwhile while Joe and I were outside the RV working on the water issue, Anna opens to door and says Megan is throwing up. Sure enough, Megan threw up, but she's a pro and caught it in the trashcan. So, now I'm standing in a Walmart parking  lot close to midnight cleaning up throw-up, wow, this is a great Summer vacation:) Again, those inner voice chants of remaining calm came in handy. We finally decided we would just worry about the water in the morning.

After a good 5.5 hour night sleep, I headed into Walmart at 6:00. I quickly assessed that no water meant no coffee, so I was headed into McDs inside Walmart to get coffee and a few other items we needed. When I got back, Joe had a plan for the water and it worked....we have running water now!  We hit the road headed for WACO...Magnolia Table.

We arrived at Magnolia Table in a rainstorm, but that didn't matter, we were excited to be there. After only a 50 minute wait, we were seated and ordering. The food was delicious and the atmosphere perfect. I was so excited for Anna to get to experience Magnolia. After breakfast we headed over to the Silos and Magnolia Market. It did not disappoint. Of course it was crowded, but it was very cool and we loved looking around.

We did have some meltdowns today. The younger girls woke up at odds with each other today. They've had their moments, but today it all culminated. They were at each other all morning. I tried really hard not to let it get to me. I have to find a way to not let their bad moods ruin my mood. I wanted to enjoy this morning, the wait, the breakfast, the shopping. I had to choose joy over the turmoil that was brewing. When we were back in the RV, they tried to play a video game together. I'm not sure what happened, but when I returned from the restroom, there were tears and daddy had taken away the electronics. Megan officially declared she was having alone time and she didn't want to be bothered. Anna was in tears and finally admitted she didn't know what was wrong with her today, she was just in a bad mood. So we chatted because she was aware that she had an issue. Megan took a little longer to come around. However, after the meltdowns and the conflict and the resolution, everyone has gotten along much better.

I'm empathetic to their feelings. It's the 5th day of our trip and it's a lot of togetherness. There are going to be days like this, moments we all need a break from each other. What I hope we can learn is that on those days when we wake up feeling like this, that we can ask the Lord to help us think of others before ourselves. It's not a concept that comes easy to any of us. We want comfort, we want it our way and we want to wallow in self-pity when it doesn't go that way. One of my biggest hopes is that we will all grow in this area on this trip and learn to love each other sacrificially. That would be the best sight to see of all. Onward to the Four Corners we go....

Long day on the road

We've had a long day today traveling. We left Pensacola around 1:00 and we just crossed into Texas a little bit ago. We'll make it through Houston and then stop for the night. The girls took some naps and played some games. We haven't heard "Are we there yet?" very much which is nice. Joe broke out the country music as we neared Baton Rouge. He's a huge Garth fan. So we've been belting some old country tunes, and our friends know that Joe knows all of them:) 

I've had a few moments today where the thought of what we are doing is completely overwhelming to me. I know it's fun now, but how am I going to feel next Sunday?  Are we insane for doing this? How in the world did we get to this point that we are on this trip? So many questions, doubts, fears, but at the same time, trying to trust and enjoy. This is an adventure, and adventures are supposed to be a little bit scary I guess. They take you out of your comfort zone. I can't experience the new if I don't step out of the comfortable. So I'm trying really hard to go along for the ride, let myself enjoy it and see each day as a new adventure.  Looking forward to Magnolia tomorrow and then on to several National Parks. I've only ever been to California so I am really looking forward to seeing the landscape of the West and God's beautiful creation.

Settling in to RV Living...sort of

We are learning slowly but surely how to live in an RV. One thing we know for sure is that everything that may shift during the drive, must be securely placed away. Hence, my computer being placed in a drawer that was inaccessible yesterday during our drive time. So I'm going to recap the last couple of days to get caught up.

Our adventure began on Thursday, June 21 at 12:30. We pulled out of the church parking lot and headed down the road. We did a short trip our first day to get used to things. We stayed the night in Greensboro at a KOA. This was our first time going to a campground to stay. Joe's first time emptying the poop shoot and connecting the RV up for the night. Everything went great, the girls got to swim and we had sloppy joes thanks to the Insta-pot(my new best friend).  We got on the road early so we could make it to Atlanta to see some friends.

We rolled into Atlanta at 12:30 at our friend's house. It was so good to spend a few minutes with them and hug their necks. The Judds have been our friends since Heather and I were pregnant with our first babies. Now are babies are going on 14. Then we headed across the city into downtown to meet Dr. King for lunch. Yes, an RV in downtown Atlanta...that was fun!  Joe was never the least bit concerned, I'm pretty sure my blood pressure was up quite a bit. We had a great time with Joe's mentor and friend. Dr. King took Joe in while he was at Georgia Tech. He was the best man in our wedding and his name happens to be Aaron, and we liked it so much, we named Erin after him!

Following our early afternoon of friends, we headed to IKEA...because you always need something from IKEA. Then, the real adventure was trying to get to the Braves game. We made it to our special RV parking lot and it was pouring. The good thing about an RV is being able to just chill out anywhere. We all took a nap, cooked some hot dogs and waited for the rain to pass. It did just in time and we made it to the game. It was an unusually cool evening with a nice breeze. We chopped and then the girls enjoyed some dippin' dots. We decided to leave at the top of the ninth when it appeared the Braves were going to win. We'd watch the fireworks from the RV. The Orioles ended up scoring so the game continued. We decided to get on the road and it's a good thing we did, the game went 15 innings.

This all led us to our biggest adventure yet. We knew we wanted to get a little out of Atlanta for the evening, but didn't know how far so we didn't have a campground booked. We had heard you can stay at a Rest Area or Truck Stop with the truckers and be just fine. Turns out, by midnight, most of the truckers have stopped for the night and are all tucked in to sleep at this time. Therefore, there are no spots left. We pulled in to 2 truck stops and a rest area and they were all full. Hmmmm...where are we going to sleep tonight?  We finally found a truck stop that appeared to have some room, made ourselves a spot, locked all the doors and prayed for the best. Not my ideal situation, but it worked and we were fine.

Got an early start yesterday to head to Pensacola. One of Erin's best friends moved here last year and she was so excited to see her. We arrived around 11:00 and all headed to the beach together. What a beautiful day on the beach with great friends. Erin and Harley had so much fun catching up and hanging out. The girls spent the entire time in the beautiful, clear water. When we headed back to the house we all jumped in their pool. Then we all showered, in a regular shower, and headed off for Mexican and to hear Rod play. The big girls stayed home, ordered pizza and enjoyed their time together. We had a great night sleep in the RV right here in the front yard!

That brings me up to today. We'll go to church with our friends and then hit the road for Texas. This has been a great couple of days. Three of us have seen our best friends and been able to reconnect with them. I'm the most happy for Erin. She has missed Harley so much and I just love seeing them together. Harley brings out a fun side in Erin. We all need a friend that brings out our fun side and helps us to not be so serious all the time.

Our journey has only been 3 and a half days, but let's celebrate the fact that we are all still having a good time, enjoying the ride and looking forward to what is next...We are heading on to see our good friends Chip and Joanna Gaines at Magnolia.  Maybe we should take them a baby gift since they had a baby yesterday!  I am looking forward to watching Anna enjoy the Silos. That little girl loves Fixer Upper and I can't wait to see her at Magnolia. Onward to Texas we go!

On the road....

Well, we did it...we actually did it. Some people talk about doing something this crazy, and then there are those who are just crazy enough to do it. I'm beginning my first post with "we did it" although we haven't technically done anything yet except embark on a 6 week cross country road trip. But like my dad said in his last sermon to the church he shepherded for over 20 years, "Every ending is the beginning of something, and every beginning is the ending of something." I think he said it more eloquently than that, but you get the idea. I'm not exactly sure what we have begun here, but I know it involves adventure, weeks, miles, smiles, probably tears, and a whole lot of family time.

This trip has largely been thought up and dreamed on by my husband. This is not something I ever said, "Wow, I'd loved to take an RV across the country for 6 weeks, wouldn't that be awesome!?" Those who know me well, know that I like stability, control, drama-free, conflict-free living.  I just don't think RV living is going to be all of those things. But, when your partner is dead set on doing something like this, you can resist, or join in. I call this the Summer of submission. Although, it's not something I ever dreamed of, I am excited for the adventure and what it will bring for our family. I am embarking on this beginning with a sense of expectation. Expecting the Lord to teach me new things, about myself, about my children, about my husband and most of all, about Him. We will get to see the glory of His creation and I am so excited to share this time with the people I love the most.

I will use this blog to keep all of our friends and family updated on our adventures, as well as a journal for myself. Some posts will be serious, some will be silly. Every now and then we may have a guest writer share from their perspective of the trip. Each of the girls were given a journal to record their thoughts and feelings on this adventure. When they want to share, I'll allow them to use this blog as an avenue to do that. Warning - I'm going to be real and raw. I'm going to show the good, the bad, the ugly tears. I do not expect this trip to be perfect and my goal is to be as transparent as possible. This is not just, look what we did and saw today, this is reflection, growth, stretching and breaking. So if you want to take this ride with us, you can find me every day at www.rvhereorthere.com. It will connect you to my personal blog. I don't mind if you scroll through and read past posts. Everything I've ever written about is something the Lord has brought me through and taught me through. I don't expect for this adventure to be any different.

So, here we go....thanks for coming along for the ride!

 

A Day to Remember

October 8th is a date I will always remember. Usually, as soon as the month of October begins, I start thinking about the significance of this month 9 years ago. Wow, I can't believe it's been 9 years. My baby girl, middle daughter, sensitive spirit child Anna was born 9 years ago in July of 2007. On October 8, 2007 she had open heart surgery. A day many in my family will never forget and a day I am commanded to never forget because it was a day of the Lord's faithfulness shown to me.

Just as Joshua commanded the Israelites to pick up stones from the middle of the Jordan River as they crossed through it, so am I commanded to pick up stones along my journey. Especially in times where the Lord parted the waters so I could walk on dry ground. As I tell my story, Anna's story, as I remember the faithfulness of God that is written on my stones, I tell the next generation of His mighty power. "When your children ask their fathers in times to come, 'What do these stones mean?' then you shall let your children know, 'Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground....so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.'" Joshua 4: 21, 24.

There is definitely a stone in my life marked October 8, 2007. Even a few inscribed with the dates leading up to this day and many, many in the multitude of dates since. When faced with an event as significant as your 10 week old baby having open heart surgery, there has to be some walking on dry ground in the midst of a raging river. I often think back to that day, watching my baby be wheeled off on the stretcher, sending her special little pink bunny with her, sitting in her room for a few minutes after they had taken her and praying with my husband. I can remember the peace I felt. I can vividly recall the presence of God I felt in my soul and on my body. I thought I would be that screaming mom we see on tv, falling to pieces and crying all over the place, because that to me would be a normal reaction. However, I was the complete opposite and the only explanation of the peace I felt was that the Mighty God was in that room with me and He was holding my hand as we walked on dry ground through the roaring river.

The reason I believe so strongly that God's presence was so great in my life that day is because of the prayers of our family, friends, and strangers across the country. I cannot remember this day without giving thanks to the Lord for all the people He invoked to pray for our family as Anna was in surgery. Whether they spent a few minutes praying, several hours, or the entire length of surgery, their petitions to God on our behalf gave us strength in supernatural ways. The prayers of our family and friends held the waters back and allowed us to walk on the dry ground and not be flooded with worry, anxiety, and fear. Every prayer a person offers in petition for another person is part of the victory, it's part of our story.

There will always be Jordan Rivers in our lives that we have to cross. The dry ground is always at the bottom of the river. We have to take hold of the Maker's hand as we step into the river. We have to call out to others and ask them to intercede on our behalf. We have to take it one step at a time, reaching our toes to find the dry ground, pleading with our Mighty God to prepare the path ahead of us. As He goes before you and parts that raging river, don't forget to bend down and pick up a stone. Write on it, inscribe it with the faithfulness of God and the step He allowed you to take. And when you get to the other side, celebrate the victory and tell others of the greatness of our God.

October 8, 2007 My God walked through the Jordan with me as Anna had open heart surgery at 10 weeks old. Today, she is a healthy, quiet, sensitive, and snuggly 9 year old. Her heart beats in perfect rhythm and the scar on her chest is a reminder that God personally touched her heart. My prayer for her is that her heart will sing no other name than Jesus. That one day, my stones will become her stones and she will continue telling her testimony of how the Lord carried her through the river on dry ground and He has been faithful to her ever since.