Wow! What a whirlwind of a trip we had in SoCal last week! We went from one thing to the next, traveled ALOT of miles, saw lots of people, did many fun things and I am happy to report we had a great, refreshing time! The kids were troopers with all the transitions of activities and beds they slept in. They LOVED Disneyland. Mason’s highlight by far was being trained as a Jedi and getting to fight Darth Vader. Check out the video below. He jumped right into character and took his training very seriously.

Theia was a big fan of Buzz Light Year ride and still cried when we said she was done after going on 6 times in a row. Kaia loved the It’s a Small World ride. She smiled and laughed and just kept hugging me throughout the whole ride. Pure JOY! I love how each of the rides that they loved fits their personalities:) This picture is one my favorites:)

We loved having quality time with Brian’s parents. It was relaxing getting to spend time at the pool with them and the kids soaked in every moment with Grandma and Grandpa. We are thankful for this time and the new memories we’ve created. It was definitely hard saying goodbye to them. But hoping it won’t be for too long!

Our last leg of the trip was in the mountains with our fellow staff members. Our speakers for the weekend were Dennis Rainey the director of Family Life Ministry and his son Samuel. Both speakers we encouraging and had some good one-liners that got me thinking. Again, we said goodbye to lots of good friends whom we share a unique bond with…staff life. I’m so thankful for the PSW region and it’s here we got our start in staff life. We’ve gained so much and will be forever grateful.

While we were away it hit me what a gift this week was for us. It was a time to get away from life in Chico where we are packing, planning, organizing, making big decisions, stressing and feeling overwhelmed. Stepping away from it all gave us a chance to catch our breaths before we dive in for one last time. I truly came away from this road trip refreshed. Thanks God!