Road Trip Mania Week 4

We're completing our fourth week of traveling, and I think I'm finally winding down. This week we've been in Illinois and in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, with my brother Jonathan, his wife Lori, and their two boys, Rowan (3-1/2) and Ian (15 months). We've been here in WI for three days--longer than we've stayed in any one house this whole time--and have enjoyed a restful break from traveling!

Week Four Highlights

• Having brunch in San Diego with my Uncle David, Aunt Pamela, Aunt Linda, her friend, and my cousin Jeanine
• Worshiping at Community Church of San Diego with people who have known me practically since I was born
• Eating grilled salmon--mm!!
• Catching a few moments with friends JR and Christina in the San Diego airport--and being there at the same time, by God's cool timing!
• Enjoying Oberweis ice cream with Lori in Glen Ellyn
• Learning Caylus and Set with Jonathan and Lori
• Playing games with Ro-Ro and Ian, who both love to laugh
• Cleaning Timothy up after he spilled a whole cup full of ice-water at the Thai restaurant
• (for David) Touring the Kirschners' hospital and seeing what the family practice program is like
• Drinking Tetley tea with friends and family--including a real Brit and my college roommate Heather
• Attending a women's group at church with Lori, drinking hot chocolate, and using wonderful-smelling hand lotion in the church bathroom!!

Tomorrow we're back to Wheaton, where we'll spend Saturday night. Sunday morning we're attending mass with Will, one of my best friends from college, and singing folk songs with friends in the afternoon. Then we're headed to West Michigan for two nights. From there, we'll head back to Virginia (spending a night in Ohio en route) just in time to celebrate our niece Naomi's 6th birthday on July 3. Whew!

Road Trip Mania Week 3

We're back in Santee, California (a suburb of San Diego), after an eventful week! It's been nice today to just relax and stretch out after spending a few days in the car. This morning, my aunt Pamela--dear that she is--took me to her massage therapist and gave me the gift of an hour-long massage. Wow! It was phenomenal. Thanks, Anty P!

Week Three Highlights

• Seeing my cousins Marcy and Michael and their families, including two "new" first-cousins-once-removed, Amelie and Craig
• Swimming, with Timothy in a 6-legged-"spider"-raft, in my aunt & uncle's pool
• Touring the Coalinga museum
• Watching Timothy play drums at my aunt's dream-now-reality, the Imaginarium
• Spending two nights at the comfortable "Froofroo Inn" (in a four-poster four-foot-off-the-ground bed)
• Visiting Yosemite National Park and marveling at its God-made beauty! (and agonizing as we watched David climbing and slipping on the wet rocks at the base of Bridalvale Falls)
• Discovering I can't drink coffee any more, even decaf
• Iced chai lattes at Starbucks...need I say more?
• Singing "He Goes to Church on Sundays Now" in the car with my aunt Pamela
• Listening to my aunt Mary's version of how David and I became engaged
• Spending time with my aunts and uncles.

Tonight we're having dinner out with the family, and tomorrow we'll go to our friends the Davidsons' house and pack up to fly back to Chicago Sunday afternoon. We've had a really good time in California, and even though we've been on the road a lot, it's been nice to sit in the backseat with Timothy instead of doing the driving myself! (Plus it's been nice to let someone else pay $4.68 a gallon on gas!) Please remember us in your prayers as we continue our journey!

Road Trip Mania Week 2

Wow. David and Timothy are both asleep, and our hosts are at a wedding rehearsal until late this evening, so I'm finally--thanks to DSL--able to sit down and blog about our trip thus far.

Week One Highlights

• Introducing David to Good Will and Wal-Mart
• Meeting Ethan Gertz, our 2nd-youngest nephew
• Driving along a bit of the Blue Ridge Parkway with my sister and her family
• Getting lost near Waxhaw, North Carolina
• Seeing friends Alissa, Hannah, and Josh, and receiving a beautiful homemade quilt Hannah made for Timothy!
• Wading in a Georgia lake with my aunt Brenda, uncle John, and cousins Alyssa and Kelly
• Eating barbecue with my grandmother in Alabama and hearing about her youth
• Having African food with Laura, my best friend from high school, and touring her ambulance
• Listening to Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie.

Week Two Highlights

• Attending a PCA church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and having a cookout with a Nigerian family afterward
• Paying less than $4 a gallon on gas
• Visiting with my college mom, Pam, and her husband Don
• Spending time walking around downtown Wheaton with our friend Jonathan, and especially going to the Pocorn Shop
• Seeing my grandparents, aunt & uncles, great aunts and uncle, dad's cousins, and the cat Domino
• Eating fish tacos
• Setting foot in the Pacific
• Sorting out my bank issues--thank God!!

I know I've left a lot out, but those are some of our highlights. We're enjoying the San Diego dry heat.

Oh, Timothy is awake, so that's all, folks!

Road Trip Mania Week 1

I'm hoping I'll get a chance to actually write about our travels tomorrow night or Tuesday, but I just wanted to let my followers (haha) know that we're alive and well, right now in Smyrna, TN, enjoying time with my college roommate Megan and her current roommate Sara. Tomorrow morning we're off to Wheaton--bright and early.

We're doing well... Timothy has had a hard time traveling, but I think he's adjusting really well!! I was sick the first few days, and I've actually lost weight since being here instead of gaining it! But no worries. I'm feeling better now, and we're excited about seeing all these friends and family. This is state number six--wow!

Today at church we happened to meet a Nigerian couple (!) who took us to their small group barbecue. Cool! God's good.

Okay, I'd better keep visiting. All for now!