A Few Lessons from a Quick Trip to Cali...

Hello, friends! 

First up, there's a new episode of Story Central that just dropped on Wednesday. I interview Katie Gresham, who leads the non-profit, Under The Same Tree. Katie is not only an awesome person but she's also an IV alum AND she was Megan's roommate for a while in St. Louis. Check it out! 

Last weekend was a whirlwind of a weekend. We flew out to California to visit family for my sister's wedding reception. My younger sister actually got married in July of 2019 in a small, family only ceremony. The original plan was to have a larger, Chinese style banquet in March of 2020 but that was right at the start of the pandemic and everything got shut down. So, 18 months later, we were finally able to pull the trigger and do this thing. 

Here are a few things I learned from our quick trip out there: 

- Flying with 3 kids is hard work. This isn't the first time that we've flown with 3 kids but this is the last time we'll be flying with 5 people and only 4 seats. Jonah is just too wiggly. Thankfully, the flight attendants were in good spirits and the kids did do really well overall. It's just tough when you have long layovers, delayed flights, and kids who aren't used to staying awake until 1 in the morning. 

- There are many things I love about my family but one of my favorites is how much we all love a good dance party. My sister's reception included a BTS Flash Mob, the kids learning how to do the Maracena, my 90 year old uncle rocking out to the YMCA, and the most epic Family Closing Time I've ever seen. I only have a few photos (since I was busy dancing) but more will come later, I promise. =0). 

- As stressful as travel is, and for as long as I've been living in the Midwest, California will always feel like home, especially with the people there. Even if it was for a short trip, it was so good to see my family, especially the sibs. We had cousins and aunts and uncles come from all over the country to celebrate with us, which was a huge blessing. It was also great to see many aunties and uncles from church. 

This was the last wedding reception my immediate family will have to do for quite some time (seeing as how my niece is only 10), so in many ways, it's the end of an era. It was stressful getting there, but I'm glad we made the trip. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam