Good Morning Gorgeous,

It’s a brand new day. A fresh new start. A new day to rise and enjoy the day set before you.

Each new day is a day to be enjoyed and cherished. Even with all the twisty turns and even struggles, each day is unique and has treasures within it.

Last year we took a road trip across the United States from Florida to California in a rented RV. The trip was almost a month long, and it ended with us bringing two pups home! One rescue pup from Mississippi who we named Lucy, and one puppy from a breeder in GA. Those of you who have followed our story know that our puppy is the half brother of our sweet Maxwell who passed tragically just a few weeks before our trip last year.

My dog Maxwell was supposed to go on that trip and sit with me the whole way across the US. He never came.

My daughter Addyson put a small stuffed puppy with a sweet note on the RV seat right before we left town. A dear friend had gifted each kiddo with a stuffed dog that resembled Maxwell and Addy put hers in my seat.

Then, we ended up getting double blessings on our way home! We adopted Lucy from Mississippi. We just found her abandoned in a state park. And then we picked up Junior in Georgia, and headed home with full hearts.

Isn’t that just how God works? We headed out on our trip empty and came home with two pups. Lucy ended up being the perfect fit for Ayden and Addy’s dad. So, he has Lucy and she is quite spoiled there. And we have Junior. The two dogs love each other and spend alot of time together. Like how amazing is God!!!!!

This year our family vacation is a trip to the Georgia Mountains with our close friends that we have named our “village.”

Here we all are in the summer of 2019!

We haven’t all been back on vacation together since then, so this is an extra special week.

There are four families in all and 10 kids!

This trip, we brought Junior along, and my two besties brought their dogs too. And my sweet Addyson surprised me again. As we were unpacking our things and getting settled in, she pulled out her stuffed Maxwell and gave him to me again! I had no idea she brought him. The sweetness and tenderness of my sweet daughter really touched my heart. Here’s a picture of Junior and our Maxwell stuffy.

Our village decided that day 1 would be a cabin day! We would unpack and chill and cook a simple dinner. And what a great day we had just doing nothing but exploring what was around our cabin home.

Our cabin is on the Hiawassee River, and we spent a large part of the day in and around the river.

Here are some pics of the kids playing and running around.

I am so so thankful for this time to catch up with my friends!

Christy who writes at momstronglife.com is making a fun tiktok each day of our adventures!

Day 1:  https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTdTc1j5W/?k=1

So thankful for this time to just slow down a little and talk for hours. Let the kids connect and relationships grow stronger.

Life can be super hard at times, but having God given friendships are such a blessing. My village has been there for me through the valleys and the mountaintops. We can call eachother anytime day or night. And we are all on our individual faith journey where we can celebrate eachother’s growth in Jesus and discuss the hard questions.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you Lord for Your amazing creations. As we travel and see new parts of the country, I am in awe of Your creative Masterpiece! This precious earth is so beautiful and intricate. Even the rocks and the rivers are designed with purpose and beauty! Lord, thank You for friendships and people to lean on for support and encouragement while we are on earth. Lord, show us the things in each of our lives that we can say thank you for,  so that as we magnify all that is good and well, the darkness has to flee.

In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

Blessings!

Vanessa Lynn