Trimesters, Toddlers, and Travel

Those three things put together are a recipe for insanity.  What is it like to itinerate and travel with two small kids while pregnant in the heat of the summer.... hmm... do you really want to know?  Well, it consists of lots of potty stops and getting our "wiggles" out.  It means that mommy wants to sleep all the time.  The toddlers want everything out of reach in the back seat ALL THE TIME!  Abigail would watch 8 straight hours of videos if we let her. Nate repeats "I come out, Mommy!" until everyone in the car is almost crying.  Brian drives and drives and drives and knows where ALL the Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks are along the East Coast.  Mommy gets out of her seatbelt over and over to pacify, entertain, feed, coddle children in the back seat.  Mommy always has to go potty when Nate is asleep.  I wish I had tracked the miles we have traveled in the last 5 months, but I think I would freak out if I knew.

The weekend travel also makes for a short week at home.  Coming home on a Monday only to turn around on a Friday again.  So Tuesday=laundry/food shopping. Wednesday=life, friends, paperwork, Thursday=see Brian's parents/prep for travel again. These quick turn arounds have made me an incredibly efficient packer. Ask Brian, it used to be so difficult for me to pack. It would take hours, if not days, to pack for a trip.  Now, I can pack all three of us (me and kids) in one suitcase in 1 1/2 hours!!  That usually includes shoving a sleeping bag and pillow in that bag!!  So, (tongue sticking out) BEAT THAT!!  LOL.  Brian says I am better at getting ready, packing, and out the door NOW than I ever was before kids. I don't know how that happened but it is true. I take 1/2 an hour to get done, shower to makeup now when it used to take me an hour alone!  And for some trips, I have awakened at 7am, fed/dressed kids, showered, packed and got out the door by 9am!  That again is miracle-working power from GOD!  God has certainly given me a grace to do what we've done -- even in the middle of first/second trimesters of pregnancy.

And now to give kuddos to the kids: The kids sleep so much better at home BUT to their defense, they are amazingly adaptable.  They eventually settle in wherever we are  They have become much more adept at eating anything that comes our way - from organic and fresher to foreign and cooked.  They have stayed in homes without kids, homes with kids, hotels, relatives' houses, pastors' houses, basements, small rooms, big rooms, other kids rooms... they are incredible children.  And yes, they drive me crazy in a car, but they are really REALLY great about all the travel and all the churches and all the different situations we have put them in.  Abigail is a steller traveler!  She should win gold medals in travel!  Nate...well, Nate is two.  And he's a boy. And he wants to be able to touch me all the time.  So, Nate is a little tougher to travel with. BUT he is such a joy wherever we go, making people laugh and fall in love with him everywhere. So, you really can't fault him for hating the car.  He kinda always has.  

I am so proud of my husband. I honestly don't know how he does all that he does.  While I complain, fall apart, fall asleep and fidget in the car, he drives.  And he drives. And when I sleep, he is still driving. And when we arrive somewhere, he preaches, prays, helps with kids, has all kinds of wonderful conversations and pours himself out.  He keeps going when I am toast.  He wakes up earlier and stays up later.  He has a grace that I don't know of on my side of the itineration job. I don't think I could get up and minister after a whole day of being in the car with the kids. I am worn out.   But he finds strength and goes for it.  And goes for it with his whole heart.  

As tough as all this is, I am watching Brian come alive again.  I see his passion stirring again, his missions fires getting stoked, and his missiological motivations push to the forefront again.  He is happy when he is preaching, sharing his burden for Europe and Germany, and ministering to people.  It is a joy to be in this with him.  We are in unity. We are excited. And we are moving forward little by little on many fronts preparing for this big overseas move and relaunch into full time missions.  Brian is building our website and working on our finances when he is not ministering on weekends and working with our network of churches during the weekdays.  I am writing newsletters, emails, e-newsletters, thank you notes, my blog and trying to keep our correspondence in order and updated.  Lots to do yet. I wish we had a personal secretary! LOL.

This has been a crazy-paced season but grace-filled and unforgettable as a family.  We've had so many wonderful visits with close friends and incredible ministers.  We've seen God go before us.  I've been so happy to see our friends all over America and introduce them to our children.  I've loved the hours of God-conversations we've had with pastors, friends and family!  My soul is happy even if my body is exhausted.  It's all been worth it and it will all BE worth it.  As we head into the fall, and I, my third trimester, I am hanging up my travel boots for a season --till little man Weaver comes along and I am healed.  But don't think that prep for Germany has stopped.... oh, no, it just switches gears for me. Maybe not for Brian, who may be traveling solo for a while... but for me and the kiddos, we are grounded for a while.  sigh...yeah.