Rocky Mountain National Park

The wind in the mountains sounds so much like the roar of ocean. It’s almost as if one is echoing the other. The beauty of the day and the still night make us feel both content but with a deep longing for something more. More meaning, more feeling, more love. Or maybe for something less in our daily lives, less noise, less stresses, less hate.

The kids have observed many different creatures that emerge in the morning to go about their business of the day. The harmony these animals have created is a lesson for us all. The bird doesn’t ask the chipmunk to learn to fly, nor does the chipmunk ask the squirrel to shed his tail. We demand the impossible of each other and our kids, and get frustrated as a result. We’re learning to slow down and accept the children with their individual personalities rather than trying to mold them to fit one ideal. Our harmony means letting one child have time to dance while he’s getting dressed, another to pick flowers while the rest of the group continues on with a planned activity, and allowing an adult a self-imposed time out to regroup.

Garden of the Gods

The name of the park is blasphemous as it is accurate. We got to enjoy just a sliver of the park, and were content with all the beauty we were able to experience. There were some things we had wanted to see but time simply didn’t allow for it. That seems to be a theme for most of this trip—so much to see and not enough time to see it. We’re enjoying all that we are able to see, but still feeling like we missed out on something. Being closer to God and his creations makes us want to slow down and enjoy, and yet we persist with activities that won’t allow for that. It brings to mind a Robert Frost poem where he muses about his life choices and the path that he chose verses the path that was left untrodden.

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both….” –Robert Frost

Having had only a limited amount of time to see part of God’s natural formations, we had to adjust our mindset with the idea that we were destined to see just what we saw and to take away from it a bigger lesson about how what we want is not always what we will get; what we want is not always what God has destined for us.  We hope that we’re choosing paths in life that will shape us into better individuals, and longing for reassurance that we’ve made the right choices despite the struggles we’re experiencing in our daily lives.

Palo Duro Canyon

(A stock photo because we aren't photographers)

Today was the longest drive. We left about thirty minutes past our expected departure time, but we made good time nonetheless. We had a fairly good trip and stopped outside of Dallas to see a friend who had a lovely snack spread for the kids.

We arrived at Palo Duro and immediately began making dinner in our cabin. The kids worked on their binders while they waited for our pasta and salad. We ate, the kids cleaned the dishes, we got ready for bed and told some stories after we prayed. The sun setting over the deep red canyon cast a beautiful glow over our small campsite. We loved that our kids could appreciate the serenity and simplicity of our surroundings with minimal complaints.

We were struck by our vulnerabilities in nature, being isolated. The solitude brings with it peace, yet fear crept into us with the echoes of the silence within the canyon walls. Being surrounded by noise and constant activity makes us feel invincible, but the quiet surroundings had left us alone with only our thoughts as they ran rampant. We were able to settle our thoughts to a point where we could make sense of our musings and at the same time hear and appreciate the subtle whispers of the canyon.

Small Blessings, Big Impact

I am overwhelmed with the amount of feedback we have received since our first post. We've each received numerous calls, texts, private messages, posts, and met with so many well-wishers. I'm humbled by the beautiful dua'as that some have made for us, and I am so happy to hear the advice that others have shared.

Not everyone is an expert at travelling, but everyone has something of value to share. One friend gave us the idea of possibly using a plug-in refrigerator for the car (hello, perishables!) Another suggested easy go-to recipes for camping with a crowd. One especially generous, kid-hearted individual heard that we needed a double stroller so she had sent a double stroller attachment device sent to us, and before that, a travel game for the kids out of pure excitement for the trip. Again,  we are incredibly blessed for the support we have.

(While the kids love the gift, I'm in love with the note. #hungryhippos #ddlj)

We've requested smaller items like a dust buster, and some larger items like rooftop cargo storage and we've been fortunate enough to have people come forward to loan them to us. We are still working on getting a second umbrella stroller and possibly child harnesses (leashes?) for those I'm-not-taking-any-chances moments with the two spirited three year-olds. I am keeping my ears open for good audio book or podcast recommendations (see what  I did there?). My kids love audio books so I have downloaded a substantial amount of material that needs converting, and uploading to devices that are much smarter than me.

This next week will be spent with us practicing loading up the van, getting a thorough inspection of said van, setting up a tent in record time, narrowing down how many clothes we will need, figuring out food essentials, practicing a fetal position when the kids become too much...but  I digress....

We will have eight different personalities on four wheels for a month's time, so if you have any tips, now is the time to share them! We appreciate every bit of direction we can get (no pun intended) even the ones who tell us to cancel everything and just stay home to nap away the hottest summer month. We hear you, and to you we say:  stay tuned for next year's blog--eightprayzzzZzz.

More than the big and small loaner items that will help us get from A to Z (and everything in between) we cherish the words of encouragement, caution, and outright fear that have been shared with us. We've taken note of all of it and we've packed it all carefully away until we need it. Thank you to everyone for the valuable contributions!

Community Without Borders

A friend and I have decided to take a road trip spanning well over fifteen states and part of Canada. We also decided to take our kids, because: a) unattended children is frowned upon and b) we have lofty (read: unrealistic) ideas about making each moment of our trip a teachable moment for them. I have three boys and so does she, so at least we can rule out...nothing. We can rule out nothing.

We have a spreadsheet, map, binders of activities and prayers, contacts of people we will either visit or stay with, landmarks we must see, and a checklist of things we want the kids to experience, learn, or otherwise share together. We meet intermittently over coffee, discuss as we’re dashing out of the gym, or late at night over the phone. We pour over minute details and skim over seemingly important ones to (virtually) pencil in adventure. We’ve got it down to a science but we’re also ready to throw it all out through the driver’s side window (those child safety locks are in place for a reason).

We’re at once exhilarated and scared. We are doing something that each of us has done separately to some degree but never together. Yes, our kids play together, but will they help each other and bond or will some of us be flying home? We are armed with a plan and taste for adventure that refuses to be quenched by the parameters of a tame vacation.

We are curious creatures. We travel and explore only to crave home. Whatever our path, wherever our place in the journey, we’re all looking for something that reminds us of home in a new place. And as we do our final preparations for the trip, I wonder what will remind us of home? We often associate “home” with only our house and surrounding community. But in a broader sense, a community can be formed by defying physical boundaries and relying instead on a shared common goal or feeling of camaraderie. And that’s what we’ve generated. A network of kind-hearted family and friends that foolishly agreed to meet us or let us stay with them at some point and I’m at once thrilled as I am concerned about what that may mean for the future of our relationships post-visit.

So, as we set off on our incredible journey, join our community without borders, and follow along as we eight, pray, and love.