Our Journey

Instead of exchanging gifts this year at Christmas, Lucas and I decided we'd take a little getaway vacation before this new baby comes.

On my US bucket list, was Austin, Texas. As the self dubbed, "live music capital of the world," it's always perked my interests. Lucas wasn't so sure at first, but eventually, he agreed. We found a little resort overlooking Lake Travis, looked up a few shows we were interested in seeing, and bought an Austin travel guide.

We headed for Austin this past week. And, just as we'd read and heard, Austin does "keep it weird" with vintage shops, artsy streets and nooks, and of course - live music. But the thing is, at the end of the day, it's still Texas. I can never get used to "macaroni and cheese" listed as a vegetable on restaurant menus, taxidermy as acceptable decor, or the eerie signs posted everywhere that read, "Notice: the unlicensed possession of a weapon on these premises is a felony with a maximum penalty of 10 year imprisonment and a fine not to exceed $10,000." Yeah, even in the pizza joint. Clearly, I'm a West-coast girl.

But, it was oh-so-nice to get away with Lucas. It was nice to hear him speak without two little voices screaming "Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom," on the plane, in the car, or in our hotel room. I can't say we even made the most of all Austin had to offer, opting instead for lazy nights going to bed early and waking up late; which was, in fact, the most divine aspect of our trip.

I found myself thinking often on the trip, "thank you, God." For this man. For this time away. For my girls (who I missed dearly.) For so many people that love them (like their grandparents who cared for them while we were away.) For another baby on the way.

The space, the time to clear my head, the moments to reconnect with Lucas all helped me to realize something I haven't been focused on enough lately: we've got it pretty good. There's so much uncertainty in our lives right now about where we'll be living next year, what our next career steps are, how this baby will change our lives - I've been praying a lot for MORE favor, wisdom, grace, direction. But, I realized on this trip: we're already living in it.