2014XC: Final Thoughts About The Trip…

After a few weeks back at home and reminiscing from time to time about the trip, I realize how much more I enjoyed it than I thought I did at the time.  And, the best part of all, is that each of our relationships to each other has changed for the better, each in varying degrees.  The idea for the trip was Steve’s, after feeling that this might be the last year that Morgan, almost 15 years old, would actually enjoy a trip with his family.  Thankfully, Morgan said he did, and we both feel like he’s just a little bit different too – for the good.  In fact, I think we all got more out of it then just beautiful landscapes and lots of swimming.

Sure there were times when we were getting on each others’ nerves, but who doesn’t go through that?  And, it doesn’t stop just because we’re home either.  But things are just…different.   Steve and I are in at an even better place in our relationship then before we left.  We felt like we let God down a little throughout the trip when we didn’t make more effort to organize family devotion time.  So, we’ve begun praying together in the morning and evening daily as best we can, and I make a short devotion (reading time of a daily devotion book or the bible) part of each of the boys’ chores for the day.    Steve and I talk more, and about more things, and trying to be more purposeful with our time – together alone and as a family.   I can’t say that they do their chores without complaining, but it almost seems as though they’ve more resigned themselves to the fact that it just is what it is.  I guess it’s true that a change of scenery is sometimes all you need to spark some life into a mundane routine.

Another good thing is that neither Steve nor I feel any pressure to do something big for the summer before the kids go back to school, since we already did something really really big!  So the rest of the summer is just  “whatever”  happens for that day.

For some time before the trip I’d been working on a website to upload some of my pictures to.  I take way more pictures than I’d ever be able to organize and display, but there are many I’d like to share – more than just from this trip.  Creating this blog (instead of just uploading some to Facebook), as well as setting up a new photography portfolio, I am able to organize them best for viewing and sharing while enjoying the trip down the “memory lane” for the trip.  It sure is a beautiful country we are blessed to live in.

I’m so thankful that God provided the time and materials to embark on trip, and the protection and blessings for all the places we were, together as a family.  We’re prayerful that there will be many more trips in our future together.  Some weekenders a stones throw from home, to a wishful Alaska endeavor.  And some just ourselves, and some with extended families.  Whatever the future holds, we are thankful none the less for just where we’ve been already, Lord.