Lesson #19 ~ We Learned A Lot!

Lesson #19 ~ We learned a lot

In 1997 I participated in a University of Minnesota foreign exchange program.  I went to Venezuela for three months to study Spanish.  My eyes were opened to so many things while I was there.  So many unforgettable experiences are etched into my memory.  And I learned so much about myself.

Just like my experience in Venezuela, this 6-week RV trip is unforgettable.  We see possibilities like we’ve never seen them before.  We saw things we didn’t even know existed.  We felt soft and fuzzy things.  We felt pokey, painful things.  We smelled things that made us want to pass out and things that made us want to eat.  We heard soothing sounds.  We heard ear-piercing sounds.  We tasted delicious things.  We tasted disgusting things.  It was amazing and I pray God lets us experience something like this again.  We are returning to Minnesota a slightly different family - we learned a lot along the way.

We learned:

Our children are very funny and fun

Lincoln is hilarious

Becoming a better person equates to a better marriage and a better family

We can really enjoy where we are

We have incredible friends all around the country

Mindy is the best sister ever

KC is the best dog ever

It’s really fun to travel with Jim and Linda in an RV

We miss Grammy when we are away

Parker is a cuddle bug and has a magnetic pull to my leg

Taite is very responsible

Calla is very helpful

Everyone needs their sleep

I stress easily if I’m paying attention to my phone and get interrupted

The kids can get along with a lot less (one toy each for six weeks!)

The adults can get along with a lot less

Humans need to take better care of animals

Humans need to take better care of the environment

If we want to be healthier, spend time with healthy people

If we want to be more like Christ, spend time with Christ-followers

Pray about everything

Know that our money isn’t our money - it’s God’s

Know that God can do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine

Our kids are cute

There is a lot to see and do in our own country

Our family can do well in a confined space for over a month

Quantity time with our kids is as important as quality time

San Diego’s cold 50 degrees is still warmer than Prior Lake’s -2 degrees

Our cheap or free excursions are as, or more, fun than the expensive ones

We don’t lose as many things in our confined space

Our children can play hide and seek anywhere

Taite often gets ‘sick’ when he has to do schoolwork

Lincoln really likes Perplexus

Taite loves to draw, he doesn’t like to write

All of our kids can remember a lot

All of our kids are very intelligent

Lincoln is unbelievably intelligent

Everyone likes animals

Lincoln likes motors and fast things more than animals

We know God has blessed us with much, but it might be more of a blessing to have less

Minnesota is beautiful - even if it's cold

We have a great church family in Minnesota

We have great friends in Minnesota that we miss when we are gone

God makes all things work for good for those who love him and are called to his purpose

Once home, I noticed our kids bickering over their ‘things.’  While it’s important to take care of the things we have, I was disappointed to see them fighting over toys or yelling at a sibling for breaking a toy.  We hadn’t experienced that in weeks.  My friend, Amy Rogers, mentioned a great book she read called Seven.  It’s about a woman who did an experiment in her family, getting rid of all the excess in seven different areas of their lives.  Ultimately it proved to her that the excess is more of a problem than a blessing.  I consider.

We are still living in a place of, "Wow!  We really just did that!  Some people dream of doing that."  Long story short, our family has been impacted for a lifetime.  We are grateful to be back.  We are excited to see what lies ahead for our family.