Good Morning Gorgeous Friends,

Thank you so much for allowing me to share these days with you!! I am going to cherish having this trip documented.

Day 11 was Monday morning, and it began with a change in scenery in our RV park. We moved from the playground spot to the splashpad. The kids woke up and ran to play!

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Ayden and I had a special lunch date with my mom, grandma, and aunt Julie. We went to the cheesecake factory for the first time. I ordered lettuce wraps with grilled avocado. It was amazing. I never grilled an avocado before, but when I get home, I plan to try!

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I never realized the Cheesecake Factory menu was so varied! They have literally almost anything you could want. If you’ve never been, it is worth checking out. It seems like a great place for a special occasion.

Chuck stayed back at the RV with the kiddos. They played all day at the splashpad and a kind woman who was camping with her grandkids painted all of their faces.

Then, they took a trip to the lake.

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Later in the evening, I went to my grandma’s to spend some time with my grandma, aunts, my mom who is here from Florida as well, and my uncles.

We went through album after album looking at old photos. Here are just a few!

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Family photo of my grandparents and their seven children

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Here are a few photos of me when I was little.

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We gathered together as a family and prayed for our family. We lifted up each and every family member and prayed for their salvation. We prayed for our family to walk with God and to hear His voice, to have encounters with Him, and to walk according to the destiny He has planned for them. It was moving to gather in prayer for our family.

And then, we got a knock on the door from Mike, which is Ayden and Addyson’s dad and my ex husband. He was here to spend a few days and then then the plan is for Mike and Ayden to fly to Wisconsin to celebrate the 4th of July with Mike’s family.

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Even though we are no longer married, we continue to form a family  and raise our kids together in a loving atmosphere. We all get along well and having Mike fly into California made the most sense to get Ayden to Wisconsin with him by the 4th of July. So again, hugs and hellos went all around as Mike said hello to my aunts and uncles and grandma.

That’s a wrap on day 11.

What a joy this trip has been so far! Of course there are moments of stress in between. Times when the kids are making messes or getting into trouble or fighting. That’s daily life! But I am documenting the moments that stand out as novel and special to this trip.

Daily stresses of raising a family and all getting along are normal and part of our life whether at home or in California!!

So thanks for enjoying the highlight reel with me! Please know, normal squabbles and children’s tantrums are still happening behind the scenes…

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the joy of family!! Thank you for reconnecting us and reminding us how valuable family is. Thank you for these roots that run deep and solid. Thank you for a praying family. Lord, keep Your promises in our hearts and help us to remember what is available to us and our families through Your Word. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

Blessings to each of you!

Vanessa Lynn

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