Good Morning Gorgeous,

It’s a brand new day. A fresh new start.. and my friends God is in your details.

He has you today. He is holding you, carrying you when needed, speaking to you, and breathing breath into your lungs when you find it hard to breathe.

The past month has been a tough one for our family. Yet, through every painful moment, I can surely say God was with us.

And today, is a fresh new beginning. We are embarking on day one of our family vacation.

Lots of firsts for us in this trip!

First time my husband and my three littles will meet my family in California.

First time we have ever rented an RV.

First time we have traveled cross country as a family.

First time camping.

And many more firsts will be discovered along the way!

Chuck and I stayed up until 4am packing the motorhome. We thought we were prepared. I had packed a tote of clothes for each of us. Packed all the food into totes. Grocery shopped and meal planned.

And yet…… there was so much to do. Beds to make, clothes to put away in drawers, decide what goes in the motorhome, and what gets stored under. Checking and rechecking that we have everything.

And then there’s the reminder that we are missing a family member. This trip was supposed to include Maxwell. He was to travel the country with us. He even had a Doggie Day Spa booked for the day we visit the Grand Canyon. He was part of everything we did.

But God has a way of weaving beauty right into the heartache…..

• 

A kind friend of ours gifted the four youngest kiddos with stuffed puppies that look like Maxwell.

• 

And, my sweet daughter Addy surprised me by leaving her puppy with this special note in my seat.

• 

• 

• 

Maxwell always sat on my lap in the car. He didn’t realize how big he was and he would climb right up and lay his head on the window. So when we were planning this trip, I told Chuck and the kids that Maxwell was gonna get to see the country from my lap. I planned to have him in my seat most of the trip.

So today as we left home, there was another loss as we didn’t load up our Maxwell. Yet, my daughter anticipated this and had a puppy and a note waiting for me.

So I count my blessings today and keep my eyes on Jesus. He is in every detail. We are so thankful for this opportunity and I am hoping to blog each day to share parts of our journey.

Today we are driving to Defuniak Springs which is in the Florida Panhandle. This will be stop #1!!

These pics are from our home and a few minutes into the drive.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

As I write this, one of our twins, Brycen just called out, “I love you mom. I’m so happy!”

“Yes son, I am too.”

There may be weeping in the night, but joy comes in the morning!

If you are struggling through something, hang on close to Jesus. He will walk with you, strengthen you, heal and restore, and you can firmly trust that there is truly joy ahead!!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for being in the details. Thank You for Your goodness and Your ways. Thank You that You make beautiful things out of dust. Thank You Lord for Your mercies that are brand new every morning. Thank You Lord for moments of Joy even when life is confusing, hard, or scary. Thank You for being our solid rock in all seasons.

In Jesus’s name, Amen.

Blessings and Great Joy!

Vanessa Lynn

• 

•