All Our Bags Are Packed...

...and we're ready to go! We are so excited to be heading out this morning for a twelve-day trip to Florida (where today's weather forecast is calling for a high of 88 degrees with plenty of sunshine!). This is our first time to take a vacation as a family of three (and maybe our last, too), and we are REALLY looking forward to it.

An incredible organization called Pastors R&R helped make this trip possible for us. If you or someone you know serves the Lord in full-time ministry, you should check out their website here. Their goal is to provide vacation homes, free of charge, to families in full-time Christian ministry. They have been a joy to work with, and we feel so blessed to have the opportunity to spend twelve days as a family!

Emma is especially excited about our Florida adventure. Here's a quick recap of our discussion at bedtime last night.

Emma: Night, Mommy.

Mommy: Good night, Emma. I love you! (Mommy leaves room and goes downstairs to cross a few more things off her list of 1,047 things-to-do-before-we-leave-in-the-morning. About seven-and-a-half minutes pass...)

Emma (through the monitor): Mommy! Mommy! (Mommy goes back upstairs.)

Mommy: What's wrong, Emma?

Emma: I'm ready to go to the airport and the beach!

Mommy: We can't leave yet, Emma. Our airplane isn't leaving until tomorrow morning. You have to sleep before we go to the beach.

Emma: But I'm ready to go on the airplane to see the dolphins! (Mommy explains for several minutes about the fixed schedule of airplanes and the fact that we can't randomly head to the airport at 8:30 at night. Emma finally starts to catch on.)

Emma: Night, Mommy.

Mommy: Good night, Emma. I love you. (Mommy starts to leave the room.)

Emma: Mommy? Don't go to the airport with out me!

Thankfully, we made it to the airport on time (with Emma). I only minorly freaked out about forgetting something vital to our survival (like peanut butter), and I didn't go completely OCD with my plans for the trip. (Okay, my see-through folder with the stickers on the front and directions to every attraction in Northern Florida could be considered slightly OCD, but that's it – promise!)

Unfortunately, we are supposed to be somewhere high above Kentucky right now, but our flight is delayed (like 3-1/2 hours or more delayed - UGH!). Surprisingly, our tiny regional airport is super kid-friendly. There's a little plastic playhouse (where Emma is currently climbing out one of the windows), a caterpillar tunnel (where Daddy has squeezed himself and is looking like he could take a nap), and this amazing activity table Emma LOVES that they have at our After-Hours Clinic. (Yes, I did recently spend a L-O-N-G time there. If you missed the story, you can read about Em's ER adventure here.) I was going to post pictures of our airport entertainment, but, even after all my worrying, I forgot something vital to our survival: the cord that connects my camera to the computer. So sad...we might have to buy one of those.


EDIT (5/14/11):  I couldn't bring myself to splurge on camera cord #3 in Florida.  We're home now, so here are the pictures of Emma entertaining herself at the airport.

Having fun in the caterpillar tunnel.

Peeking out of the tiny playhouse's window.

Playing at the cool activity table.

We don't have internet in the house where we're staying, but I will do my best to post a couple of times while we're gone. If you think of us this week, please pray that we would truly be able to relax and enjoy this time as a family, that we wouldn't sweat the small stuff (like who the true navigator is), and that we would treasure every moment of this special trip.

Alright...I'm off to go see what exciting things I can pull out of my carry-on bag.

P.S. If there are any burglars out there reading this, I have to warn you that our house is full of garage sale finds and vintage technology that probably aren't eBaying for much. But, if you're interested in our behemoth TV, please (please!) take it!