Entry #25

I am going to go back over our family vacation in my mind and take time to praise God specifically for blessings I can recall on our trip.


#246 - That Daniel set aside his terror about leaving home for so long (and so far) and traveled like a trooper!


#247 - There were no flight delays or cancellations going or coming. Everything worked like clock-work!


#248 - Getting through security going and returning was not a problem. The morning of our return, Michaela was so anxious about security. We prayed for friendly people to be working security and God gave us the most friendly people we have ever experienced at security! What a blessing that was! Thank you, Lord.


#249 - Praying about a LOT of things (even the "little" things) caused us to see God's answers to prayer that we often miss. Thanking him for all of these "small things" ministered to my daughter, too. Thank you, Lord!

#250 - The rental car pick up was so easy. What a surprise that was! Then, to see that we had "somehow" been upgraded to an SUV...oh wow! What a blessing that was! There was room for all 12 pieces of our luggage and tons of leg room for everyone! The little Chevrolet Equinox was a dream for our entire trip. Thank you, Lord!


#251 - Thank you, Lord, that my husband's concerns about the car being broken into (since it didn't have a normal trunk) never came to fruition. You kept our luggage safe the entire time.


#252 - We saw so much of Washington, D.C. on our first of two days there that the second day, when we got delayed getting back to DC by a terrible accident on the highway, we weren't missing as much as we would have been otherwise.


#253 - The timing of our trip to DC was perfect...the day AFTER the Pope had left! The crowds while he was there were, no doubt, much thicker than they were when we were there.


#254 - The warm weather in DC was a delightful surprise and the trees were beautiful and still in bloom!


#255 - Our first two nights spent in a single hotel room, I heard NO complaints from the kids about that...and the beds were wonderfully soft with luxurious quilts and pillows. I slept so well those two nights. So did everyone!


#256 - The drive to Williamsburg was uneventful...a GOOD thing!


#257 - The kids got along so well on the entire trip. MUCH better than I ever would have dreamed. Sure, there were squabbles here and there, but over all, they really did a great job of getting along with one another. Thank you, Lord. You know my stress level escalates when they bicker.


#258 - For the convenience of food places that served what even the pickiest of our family members could enjoy...and Daniel's stomach stayed settled! WHOO HOO!

#259 - Again, as I think back, I was thrilled that Daniel even tried NEW foods in NEW places...who would have thought he would have enjoyed food at Dennys or Chilis? But he did! He TRIED new foods. His pickiness isn't an act of rebellion as many might assume. It has to do with the unique way God has wired Daniel and he is sensitive too changes in ANYthing, including textures and tastes. He did SO well this entire trip!

#260 - In Virginia, I was bowled over by the lush green growth. The trees were so different than "my part of the country."

#261 - That I got to see some of historic Jamestown on foot before I got too sick and the rain was coming down in buckets! This was one of the aspects of our vacation I had been looking forward to. We planned this trip back in October 2001, but changed those plans when 911 happened. I was too nervous back then to fly to places that I felt terrorists might target for another strike against our country and our country's morale. I was blessed that my fears never materialized and even more blessed not to feel any fear about terrorism while traveling to these amazing parts of our country!

#262 - The kids were up to a driving tour of Jamestown our second of two days we were there. They had good attitudes even though by that time they were sick. That was when we saw the turtle I wrote about at my God Is Doing a New Thing blog. Such wonderful blessings we got to enjoy...showing up in surprising moments. Thank you, Lord!

#263 - That I got to work on Melissa Pelletier's website while on the road so that I could get it up and running. She is such a blessing to me that not having her website running to proclaim her God-given gifts at working with horses and people, seemed like a crime! Thank you, Lord, for causing me to be able to get it going!

#264 - We prayed for the weather to clear, for driving to be without concern of storms and the weather as we traveled through Delaware and Maryland was AMAZINGLY perfect! Thank you!

#265 - "George" at Dover Speedway gave the boys (and us girls, too) a GREAT time at the Speedway. He drove us at highway speed around those banking turns and we had a taste of what it might like to be a NASCAR driver (well, not quite). It was DEFINITELY more than I could take had he gone any faster! Daniel and Bob LOVED it. We had so many wonderful photo opportunities. I know the next time there is a NASCAR race on TV at Dover, we will eagerly gather around the TV to see if we can spot "George" who has the job of telling the winner where Winners Alley is. His stories of over 50 years being involved behind the scenes of NASCAR were fascinating! Thank you, Lord, for providing "George," another "unexpected" blessing and a freebie, too! WOW!

#267 - As we arrived in Chincoteague, we were able to go for a short walk to see wild ponies. I was so thankful--more than ever--for the great weather and that God sustained Michaela (especially) to be able to walk the half mile out and back. It was so interesting to see the wild horses out there.

#268 - The hotel we stayed at in Ocean City had an amazing view that night of the ocean. While it is different than the Pacific (the only ocean I had ever seen before this trip!) in that the sun doesn't *set* on the ocean, but rises there...it was still gorgeous to have the ocean shore right outside our 11th story hotel room window.

#269 - That Bob was able to find a restaurant in Ocean City where he and I could slip out and have a "date" night. The kids were happy back at the hotel (I am thankful they are old enough to leave like that!). He had crab cake that he said was WONDERFUL. I am so glad that he got to enjoy the "local fare" at least once on this trip!

#270 - Travel to Philadephia went smoothly as the fog parted and the skies cleared. We had an uneventful drive to Philadelphia...Thank you, Lord! You know I was nervous about navigating us to where we needed to be, but you directed our steps!

#271 - For SAFETY getting OUT of Philadelphia with all those drivers willing to put their lives and others on the line to get out in a hurry! Lord, please protect those people! They all seemed crazy! (Even compared to California standards!)

#272 - For keeping us safe as we traveled to Amish country. We had a near miss and I knew you had kept us safe, Lord.

#273 - For Caleb, our Amish wagon driver. He was warm, candid, and amazingly articulate. He was authentic, having been raised Amish, but choosing to go to public highschool and now awaiting his chance to go to Vet school, his story was not "typical." Daniel really connected with Caleb, making something Daniel hadn't been eager to do (going on the wagon ride) something Daniel actually enjoyed!

#274 - The amazing photo opportunities we had traveling through the countryside of Pennsylvania! How BEAUTIFUL! I have never seen anything like that before except in photographs! Being able to take our own photographs of such amazing beauty was a lot of fun!

#275 - Another unexpected surprise - finding "by accident," one of the famous filming sites of Daniel's model train videos. The boys were able to pay a small fee and go in and see an amazing "layout" of toy trains. They really were delighted and surprised by this and we know it was yet another example of your care and concern for us, Lord! THANK YOU!

#276 - That the Railroad museum in Strasburg had a simulator that Daniel enjoyed. That was another surprise gift from God.

#277 - Michaela maintained a wonderfully joyful attitude throughout all the train stuff, Lord! Thank you for her joy.

#278 - That we were able to be flexible enough to travel the back roads of Pennsylvania enough to see more farmland, Amish, and covered bridges! Thank you for the meandering country roads!

#279 - For all the Amish buggies and horses we saw. What an impressive site to see those horses blitzing at a trot along the asphalt roads. It was astonishing! Those Amish people like to rip snort along!

#280 - I forgot in my chronology to mention the place we stayed in Pennsylvania overnight before seeing the Amish countryside...another "surprise" was the TWO room suite we got to enjoy! Again, I saw your hand in that, giving us ample opportunity for more rest, more space. Thank you for the "mix up" that caused the folks at the hotel to give us a bigger suite than we ordered, Lord!

#281 - For safety when we got back to Baltimore and stopped quickly to "rest." We found ourselves in a depressed area of town...it was clear, Lord, that there was gang activity there, but we didn't realize it was potentially an unsafe lcoation until we were out, using "the facilities"--even in our "tourist regalia" (camera attached to belt, shirt that said "Ocean City", hat that said "Chincoteague Island" etc., etc...like a walking billboard saying "Rob me!") you kept us safe. Be with those folks, Lord...bring your truth to them...my heart broke when, with my bladder finally emptied, my eyes were opened... Help us to train our children not to have hearts of fear, but of compassion.

#282 - The room we stayed in the last night was wonderful...comfortable sheets and pillows...so nice and clean--newly updated, I guess...and with restaurants so close we could walk to them AND a gas station right next door where we could fill the rental car with gas before driving the 10 minutes to return it. It was WONDERFUL!

#283 - For Gail Ivey staying with our critters and even taking the time to train them a bit (especially Daisy, the Crazy Golden Retriever...who Gail says she "LOVES."). What a HUGE blessing that was, Lord, as it was THE FIRST time I was EVER able to go on a vacation with my family and NOT worry about the animals for some reason...Thank you for healthy animals we were able to leave and a wonderful caretaker for them.

#284 - Our home, Lord...thank you.