A vacation bucket list

Sean and I recently decided that in two years we WILL go on a family vacation. We are starting to save for this now so that we can have the type of vacation we want and not have to skimp on any of it! Right now we are in the research phase. In the summer of 2014 we will have a 3 year old and a 1 1/2 year old.  I've been spending way too much time on the computer researching some of the best vacation spots to take toddlers. All of this has me thinking....

There is a lot I want to do with my children before they grow up and leave me!

My family never vacationed. I took my first flight when I was 18 and on that trip I saw the ocean for the first time. Since then I have been to two different countries and vacationed on the beach multiple times. This has sparked a fire in me that I never knew existed. I am a traveler and I want to see the world.

However I am now also a mother. This shouldn't change my passion for seeing the beautiful things God has created all over the world. Instead it has driven me to want to drag my children along for the ride! I look at Ella and know that there are so many things that they can't teach her in school. They won't be able to teach her the excitement and anxiety of visiting a foreign country. They won't be able to teach her how the sand feels between her toes and how soothing it is to fall asleep to the sound of crashing waves. 

Knowing this motivates me to get her out there. Let her experience the world and see the things that make it obvious that God created everything!

Ok. My rant is over. My original purpose for this post was to share some of the places I am determined to take my family to. Not a bucket list to achieve before I die, rather one to finish before Ella gets married and leaves the nest.

So... here goes

1. Yellowstone, Rocky Mountains
2. Grand Canyon
3. Alaska
4. Scotland & Ireland
5. General Europe trip that must include Italy and Macedonia (where my ancestors were from)
6. 7. Hawaii- mostly to visit the Pearl Harbor Memorial
8. Cancun- mostly because Sean loves it so much and I have never been
9. South America
10. Australia

Ok. So we have hopefully around 20 years to accomplish all of this. Hopefully we can do it :)

New Book Review

I'm not quite sure where to begin with this review. Truthfully I couldn't put this book down and even though I finished it a week ago, I can't seem to stop talking about it. To say that this book impacted me is an understatement.  I feel like the testimony of Adam Brown is still working in my mind and in my heart.

This is the story of Adam Brown. In high school he was a star athlete, but ended up taking the wrong path. Adam fell hard and fast into the world of drug addiction, but miraculously found God along the way. His family and his girlfriend, Kelly, never gave up on him. When he decided that he wanted to become a Navy Seal, they were behind him the whole way. This book gives you a look into the lives of people around Adam and how he impacted them. He was always respectful and humble, treating everyone around him as a brother or sister. Adam is a true American Hero and lost his life in the Afghanistan during the war in Iraq, leaving behind not only a wife and two children, but a legacy that will be told for many years to come!

As a Christian reading this book made me examine my own faith and reliance on God. It made me question how much I truly trust in the Lord and wonder how I would act if put in a life or death situation. Adam's testimony spoke straight to my heart. I want to eventually become an addiction counselor and though I have a decent amount of school left to finish, this book got me really excited to get out there and start helping people. Adam is proof that you can beat addiction and that NOTHING is stronger that God. 

As a sister to an Iraq war vet, Adam's story brought me back to the memories of when my brother served two tours over seas. I never truly ask what went on over there, because I imagine it would be impossible for my brother to really explain any of it. While reading of Adam's final tour and the day of his death I literally had to put the book down and gain composure so that I could continue reading.

As a mother, Adam's story challenges me to be a good example for my children. To raise them to know Jesus and the sacrifice he made. To raise them to treat people with respect and kindness. To raise them so there is no doubt that I unconditionally love them and their father.

Do yourself a favor and go read this book!!!
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.