We woke up on July 5th and began our trip to where the Lord had called us next...California!
It sounds really easy when I say it like that, but the true story is that the morning we started our drive out west, we had to go pick up our car from the dealer since a few days before we had to bring it in to have a part replaced...such a pain to have to pick it up the morning we were beginning our drive, but we were SO thankful to have discovered the problem before we began driving across the country!
So...the morning of July 5th, we woke up at our friends' house, went to pick up my wedding dress from the cleaners (its a long story), went to pick up the car from the dealer, came back to our empty house to pack all of our luggage (including a bunch of our things that were going on our roof rack like Ryder's bike and my...wedding dress, of course :) Of the things being packed in the car, what took up the most space were John's instruments that couldn't be stored in the hot moving truck for the amount of time our stuff will be in there, so...they went in the back along with our luggage :)
After hours of running around the morning we were leaving, we were on our way by noon. This was NOT our favorite way to start a 5 day road trip, but because our car wouldn't be ready until that morning, we had no choice but to pack up when we did. Thankfully the Lord had been helping me practice my patience for 3 years prior to this trip so my feathers were only slightly ruffled when we found out that our car had to go to the dealer days before our move! :) What can I say, I'm a work in progress.
First Day:
Champaign, IL to Topeka, Kansas
8 hours
(no pictures from that stop since we didn't get to our hotel until late that night with the late start we had that morning)
Second Day:
Topeka to Denver, CO
8 hours
I'm so bummed that the video I took was too long to post, but we drove through a CRAZY lightening storm as we approached Denver. It was amazing watching it from the distance and then driving through it to get to our hotel. We loved it though...we're all about adventure when according to Cole we should've been hitting Gramma and Gramps house really soon about ever hour :) He kept looking for the airport throughout our whole drive :)
Here are my sleepy little ones in the 2nd hotel we stayed in on our trip...
Thankfully my boys like to share!
...Sleeping Beauties...
Third Day:
Denver to Grand Junction, CO
5 hours (with lots of stops)
This was by far, our favorite day of driving...it was nice to leave the plains of the Midwest and travel through the mountains! The funny thing is that we thought we would get the worst gas mileage on this day because of all the mountains we'd need to climb, but because we went downhill so much of the time, we ended up averaging 26 miles to the gallon that day! We were so thankful for our diesel engine this trip...we averaged over 20 miles to the gallon throughout our trip...such a blessing :)
A happy girl through the Rockies!
Cole was OUT :)
Ryder was happy :)
John was loving it all...
And in this moment, Cora said..."Mom, take a picture of me!"
Our favorite rest stop of the trip...
Frisco, CO
What a place to stretch our legs!
My happy little family :) (4 out of the 6 at least!)
Cole was so happy to get out and run around!
I told Ryder we were going to climb mountains that day...he thought I actually meant, get out of our car and climb the mountains...these rocks by the water were as adventurous as we got for the day!
Mommy + 4 + Daddy taking the photo = my family :)
Love this one! Rylee was attached to me so Daddy took a lot of Rylee-less photos that day :)
Forth Day:
Grand Junction to St. George, UT
As we travelled the scenery definitely changed as we drove, but it was clear we were headed in the right direction.
Fifth Day:
St. George to CALIFORNIA!!!
We even got to stop off and pick up my cousin in Nevada along the way so she could spend a week with our family at my parent's house! We had a blast and more of those photos will come on the next post.
Here's a little recap...
We started in California, got a call from the Lord to Illinois, and so we packed our bags and left.
We lived in IL for 3 years. While in IL...
One appendectomy, one bilateral cochlear implant surgery and two births later, God called us back to California, and so we packed our bags and left.
We didn't have all the answers to our questions before we went, but we knew we were called, so we went.
We are now in California, and we are...
waiting on housing
working on schools for the boys
exploring therapy options for Cole
all the while, trusting that God will make a way.
He knows us, sees us and has passionate desires for us to remain in His will while we wait.
I was talking to a dear friend in IL before I left, and we were talking about being called to GO. We were talking about all the logistical reasons why it would be hard to answer a call to Africa right now for our families if God were to call us.
Then I felt the Holy Spirit tell me...
"I think God cares a whole lot more about your willingness to GO, then about your physical location in this world."
He can accomplish what He wants to without us.
God doesn't NEED us.
But He LOVES us.
When we get to place in our walk with Him when we can honestly say...
"Lord, whatever you say, wherever you lead, whenever you call...whatever the cost,"
there is incredible blessing that is poured out upon us in that moment. When we learn to trust who HE is beyond the limitations our earthly existence places on us, stop fearing and start believing that if...
God is who He says He is,
God can do what He says He can do, and
I am who He says I am,
then
I can do all things through Christ
and
God's Word is alive and active in me when I take Him at His Word and act in Faith when he calls me to new places in my walk with Him.
An old hymn that's been playing over and over in my heart lately has been
this one...I'll leave with you the lyrics and challenge you to ask Him...where in your life do you need to trust Him more today? With your pain, your circumstance, to do the impossible for the one who has faith as small as a mustard seed :) Tis' so sweet to trust in Jesus...
- Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,Just to take Him at His Word;Just to rest upon His promise,And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
- Refrain:Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
- Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,Just to trust His cleansing blood;And in simple faith to plunge me’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
- Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,Just from sin and self to cease;Just from Jesus simply takingLife and rest, and joy and peace.
- I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;And I know that Thou art with me,Wilt be with me to the end.
