Vacation Highlights!
We got the opportunity to go to Disneyland as a family last week and it was INCREDIBLE! I wanted to share some of my favorite insights with you from our getaway:
1. The creativity was awe-inspiring! I’m a creativity junkie. I could care less about Mickey Mouse, but the details sucked me in from the moment I got there. I love what God poured into the minds of people and Disneyland is the ultimate use of creativity. I LOVED every step and was mesmorized by the logistics of how they staffed all of the positions. Truly amazing!
2. My two girls could not be more different. Kennedy found the most joy in the danger of it all. She loved the roller coasters, speed, and drops! She thought space mountain was awesome as it sped through the darkness of the stars and sent your stomach on a journey all of it’s own. She laughed hysterically when the River Ride soaked her from top to bottom. She was fearless…until she saw a princess. And then she ran away and cowered behind my legs. OK. Delaney on the other hand lit up like a firework on “Princess Day”. We got to meet and greet all of her favorites and watch them dance. You can literally see her jumping out of her own skin in the pictures because she was so excited. Bottom line: God made us all light up at different things. Find your passion and do it!
3. We rented a Ford Focus, but when we got there all they had was a shiny red sports car. Sometimes God upgrades you for no reason. And so does Alamo.
4. Delaney mastered swimming at the hotel pool. She’s had all of the mechanics for years, but refused to just commit and put her face in the water and go for it. Once she was “all in”, she had no problem propelling herself through the water. People spend a lot of their life with their heads out of the water and wonder why they aren’t successful. You’ve got to give it all you have to succeed.
5. We spent a day at Huntington Beach. It was Kennedy’s first experience with the ocean, which was fun to watch! Kennedy looked down the beach and asked, “How far does the ocean go?” I think that’s how we think of God. Surely He “stops” somewhere. It’s hard to grasp the enormity of the ocean and even harder to grasp the enormity of God.
6. Delaney walked by a princess wedding dress everyday. I watched as her head would turn, lock into the dress, and she was instantly transported to another world. One day she simply said, “Mommy, will you buy me that dress?” I looked at my seven year old and thought, “Yes, if you promise to marry a prince.” I want my girls to dream of their wedding day (and the marriage that follows) for their whole lives. I want them to know how special marriage is and how important it is to keep it valuable in their hearts. Sometimes I think in our feministic world we have done too good of a job of helping our girls know that they won’t be living in a fairytale. The world will do a good job of beating that out of our children, but in the meantime, I want my little girl to live in her perfect dream.
7. Below is my favorite picture from the trip. Our raft got stuck for a bit on the River Run and while we were sitting around doing nothing the other lady in the raft snapped this shot. Just seconds later we plummeted down the rapid and were completely drenched. We went from frustration to exhilaration in moments. This means a lot to me right now because I feel like I’m sitting around waiting for my raft to get going. I know the excitement is imminent, but I’m not entirely thrilled about the waiting part.
Thank you to all of you who helped make our trip possible! People have been giving us gifts for years in order to bless us with a great vacation and we diligently set all of that aside. It was SO incredible and a dream come true! We took advantage of every moment and let the weight of ministry go for six wonderful days. We’re back and ready for the ride to get going again!