LIVE A LIFE OF NO REGRETS!!: August 2023

Quote from "Stepping Heavenward" by Mrs. E. Prentiss

"She says I shall now have one mouth more to fill and two feet the more to shoe, more disturbed nights, more laborious days, and less leisure or visiting, reading, music and drawing.

Well! This is one side of the story, to be sure, but I look at the other.

Here is a sweet, fragrant mouth to kiss; here are two more feet to make music with their pattering about my nursery. Here is a soul to train for God; and the body in which dwells is worthy of all it will cost, since it is the abode of a kingly tenant. I may see less of friends, but I have gained one dearer than them all, to whom, while I minister in Christ's name, I make a willing sacrifice of what little leisure for my own recreation my other dear darlings had left me. Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to her time, her strength, her health, her tenderest cares, to her lifelong prayers! Oh, how rich I am, how truly, wondrously blest!"

Saturday, August 12, 2023

Day 2 of Alaska Bound: Next Stop - Illinois

I'm not exactly sure where my adventurous spirit comes from, but I believe it began as an army brat. We travelled to a new place every 2-3 years until we landed in Augusta when I was 10 1/2. I never thought I'd be in Augusta when I "grew up" but then I met a boy. As they say, the rest is history. We had 8 children together. Between babies and homeschooling, our travels were usually visits to his family in NC, my mom and brother for years in North GA, family in FL, or annual beach trips when we didn't have so many under 5 years old. Will continue this part of my story tomorrow, but for now let me tell you about our second day of our big adventure of 2023.

We woke up, made breakfast, packed up camp and headed out dressed for church. We ended up at Grace Baptist Church in Belton, IL. It was a sweet church, and it was great to dig into the Word with other believers. Afterwards, we had a goal of eating food from Illinois. We found a restaurant called Joe's Pizza where we tried Chicago style pizza. When we walked in, delicious Italian odors surrounded us. The boys loved the pizza, but Emily and I preferred thinner crust, less sauce and more cheese. We were still glad to have tried the real thing. Next stop was at the Second Largest Cross in the United States in Effingham, Illinois. It was a beautiful artistic display of the Christ story under a massive cross that travelers can stop and see right off the interstate. It was a great stretch your legs stop that was made for fellow travelers to ponder the things of Jesus.

Last stop where we are camping for the night: Starved Rock State Park. We set up camp & made plans to hike all the things in the morning. Another exciting day on the road enjoying the beautiful scenery. You can check out our day on our Vlog found here.

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Thanks for traveling with us to Alaska. Soon we will add our entire Alaska trip to our Etsy shop. Hope you go find fun travels to go on and make beautiful memories along the way. Need inspiration? Follow us and then go make your own adventure.