As we write this, sitting in the middle seat of the Camry between Sam and Jacob on the way to Salem (We’ve already driven 6 hours from Pasadena. An hour and a half away from Redding. C’mon)
But the fact of the matter is, our Spring Break trip is basically over and done. We have tonight at Mark’s, which should be filled with pictures, food, Mario Kart and SLEEPING. Definitely no driving. What I’d like to do on this travel day is thank those of you who have supported us so much in this trip. Without further ado…
First, we have the car owners. The Van Ness’ and the Sandquist’s made the trip possible and these cars have been so reliable. I mean, the Sube is the Sube. But they made it down, partway up, back down and all the way back up. C’mon.
There are the Rawlins’. Our first day and last night have been spent in this wonderful home (“swamp” – Brennon). We’ve appreciated all that the Rawlins’ have given us, such as food, tires and lots of other things.
Then there was our oh-so-gracious Redwood City hosts- the Garvins. They let us stay in their house for two nights. Nine guys is a lot and we appreciate the space they gave us so much. They gave us breakfast and were so great to hang out with. So much thanks to the Garvins.
The Sandquists made us two fantastic meals and offered us the best spot we had to watch the March Madness games. It was great to see Tim, Kathy, Ellie and Hanna again, and they provided so much for us.
Then we went down to SoCal and got to Paul’s house at 4 AM, where he and Will Aufhammer were waiting for us to arrive. The Miller family graciously accepted us in and offered us another night to stay than we planned because we had a hitch with another plan. Their house was so great and it was great to meet Paul’s parents and brother. Also, they lent us three sleeping bags for our adventure on the beach. We owe them for the friendliness.
The LaBelle family invited us into their house so many times that we just had a debate on how many it was! We had two of our best dinners there and after we slept of the beach they let us take showers and clean up for Church there. We thought we were going to go there one time, but they made us dinner on less than a couple hours notice twice. They were so kind and so welcoming. We really loved meeting the family and seeing their amazing house.
Speaking of short notice, our decision to turn back down to Southern California couldn’t have happened without three more places to stay.
The Warner family invited us over for dinner and ended up having us all stay the night before departing for the beach. It saved us two hours of driving and gave us more sleep and beach. C’mon. They were SO great. It was fantastic to meet their family and get to watch March Madness there as well. They blessed our decision day so much.
Then, once we got down, we needed a place to stay. The Compton family gladly let us in their home for two nights and we can’t thank them enough for support on such short notice. We really enjoyed our time there and hanging out with Patrick and the family. They made us meals and everything. They were fantastic.
Finally, the Aufhammers. The best meal of the trip was our steak, potatoes, asparagus, salad and brownies that we got on our first time down to Southern Cal. We had nine of us and Will, so they made that meal for 12 people. We loved the conversation at dinner and took a lot of it to heart. Then the hot tub and pool house were amazing and we had such great places to sleep. Then breakfast? C’mon.
That wasn’t all with the Aufhammers. Mark left his wallet there so we would have had to go back to Pasadena to get it. We got a text from Will that it would be alright if we needed to stay again, even though he wasn’t there. The later five (Andrew, Sam, Mark, Jacob and Brennon) decided to pursue that for the last night in California. It was SUCH a great decision. That night was really the cherry on top of the whole trip. Jacquie and Al took us out for dinner at Islands and gave us a tour of Pasadena. It was so essential for a tired crew that needed rejuvenation for a 14-hour car ride the next day. We each got a very comfortable spot to sleep and they woke up with us at 5 AM for this very drive. They were the last people we saw in California and we have so much love for them.
Then there are you! We know the prayers of our friends were there – we could feel them! Also, to our friends who gave us mixes, that made our trip what it was! [FYI – we’re listening to the WINNER of best mix right now. We just belted out “You and I”…our theme song and the 1st song on the best mix of the trip – Jem’s Top Hitz! Jane and Emily you are the champs.] And then the friends on the trip just made it so much better. We love our friends and they helped us so much.
Last, but not least, God is The One Above that we want to thank so much. He gave us everything on the trip and He provided decision-making, weather and safety for all of us. So great. We are SO blessed. That’s the reality of it all.
The Guys.
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