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Expectant Prayers ®

Jennifer Jo Weiss

How Many States Have You Been To?

It's another stormy day here in KC; in fact severe weather is on the way, so I'm not going to be on here too long. 

If you've been keeping up with my blogs... you'll know I've been working on cleaning out the kids clothes for the fall/winter season.   Well, even though I got quite a bit done yesterday, I still have Moses' and Titus' rooms to go (plus their closets and other areas where they keep junk).  I finished the little boy's closet and then moved all of the newly packed and labeled storage bins down to the "under the stairs" closet in the basement.  After all was said and done, we put 14 large containers away, 2 of which were sentimental keepsake clothes (Boy and Girl) and one entirely of baby blankets, afghans, and quilts.  It looks so great and everything will be much easier to pack away or find in the right season and size.  Plus, with clear storage containers, you can see what's in there, too.  What a blessing.

I also cleaned out the coat closet in the hallway.  Both cleaning adventures yesterday netted 3 more bags of items for the Thrift Store.   I also had a chance to rummage around the attic a bit- but that's a super huge job that will require major work when we can put out bulk trash or possibly have a garage sale.   Sometimes I think that garage sales aren't worth doing unless you have plenty to sell.  Time is also "money" and it's a precious commodity around my house - so you have to really consider the total outcome of holding a sale before committing to one.  But, my mother-in-law would like to have a combined sale in the spring, which may be worth the effort.  Spring would be a more reasonable time for us anyway.

So, back to this rainy Wednesday.  As we were studying our US Geography, I got to thinking about this great country of ours and how I would love to RV across America!!!  HA!  What better to dream about on a rainy day than being somewhere else?   I think it would be great for the kids to see and experience what they are learning about.   Of course, that would take time and money, but wouldn't it be FUN???    We could pick a favored tourist attraction, landmark, state capital, or perhaps geological feature to visit in each state.    My kids have never seen the ocean either- the largest body of water they have been on is Lake Erie!  Even though you can walk on the shores of the great lakes, it's not the same as walking on the white sandy shores of say, Florida, or somewhere along the coast like that and smelling the salty air.   Plus, we would have fun visiting churches while crossing the US and meeting/talking to new friends.  Sounds grand.     Oh, yes, the Grand Canyon comes to mind... we'd have to go there, too.  
We could make a video of our adventures and then allow other students to see the landscape and the sights we saw while we were there.  Wouldn't that be a great resource for teachers??  Oh, I know, my mind can think of a million things to do....

My kids have been to several states, but I know realistically there are people who have never set foot outside of the state they were born in!   How many states have you been to? 
I would like for my kids to see this great country of ours- experience it, appreciate it, relate to it, and personalize it.    
What a wonder to see the peaks of the Rocky mountains for the first time, to hear the roar of Niagara Falls,  to the unending flat prairies of Kansas, to the red/clay soil of Oklahoma,  the beautiful fall foliage of the New England States, the shores of Florida, the lighthouses off the Outer Banks of North Carolina... we live in a beautiful country and I thank God for it.    What variety from sea to shining sea!

I also marvel at the fact that technology has allowed us to befriend people who aren't just neighbors or live in the same communities as we do anymore.  I have several great friends that I talk to all the time and share pictures with that live out of state or across the state thanks to the internet and technology.   Chances are, you are the same way, too.   And, chances are, you are one of those far away friends of mine reading this blog!

So, that's my thoughts today.   I think I'll pretend that I'm in an RV on the way to church tonight.     If you see someone crazily waving from a red van, acting like a tourist- try not to stare.  It's probably me.


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