For those of you who spend a lot of time with me, or maybe just a little, you know that I can be feisty and what you see is what you get with me. I think it can be a great thing most the time but sometimes my feistyness (is that a word?) turns into sin.  Yesterday I had a terrible day with technology and it seriously makes my head want to explode and to top it off my bracket for March Madness, which really does make me totally insane and why I think they call it “madness” is soooo bad this year. The only reason I fill it out is because it’s how I survive all the basketball in my house for the next two weeks. I don’t even like basketball but it makes me care who wins because I’m so competitive. Another insight into my personality. So anyway, I was convicted in my time with the Lord this morning when I read this:

Most of all, Friends always rejoice in the Lord! I never tire of saying it: Rejoice! Keep your gentle nature so that all people will know what it looks like to walk in His footsteps.      Phil. 4:4,5

Alright, alright, so even when I’m losing and the internet makes me want to lose my head I can choose to rejoice and be gentle. It’s really the trivial things in life that get me.

P.S. Last night while we were praying my husband thanked God for my “passion” in life. I’m quite sure he was referring to my feisty side that sometimes gets misdirected. How cute is he?!

We had a wonderful trip to Arizona the past 8 days. We were able to see my brother, his wife and daughter and Matt’s mom and uncle. In Tucson we did fun things like go to the zoo, celebrate my brother’s 30th birthday, get the girls pictures taken in matching outfits, that’s right, matching outfits, and eat at In-N-Out twice. Simply wonderful. Then we headed to Yuma to see Matt’s mom in the park for 55 and older and let me just tell you, it was wonderful. A little oasis in the desert really. She had a pool 500 feet away which we took full advantage of and I have a tan line to prove it and got to breath in the sweet aroma of orange blossoms all day. It was such a needed break for us. I could get used to trips there.

But now we’re back in Bozeman. It’s cold and my arthritis already hurts again. Getting old is just grand. And the countdown begins. We have 20 days left here. We’re packing up our house in the next three weeks and moving it all to Oregon and we’re really praying that we’ll have an offer on our house before we leave. We definitely need a miracle!! We’d love your prayers for our transition and our house to sell.

For those of you with kids flying and traveling becomes a whole new adventure as you well know. We are going to Arizona today and I am soooo excited to get to some warm weather and not look at snow for a week. Life has been kind of crazy for us lately, or always really, so a little break in the sunshine will be incredible. Plus we get to see family that we haven’t seen in while.

Here are some things that we always have on hand for flying with a child:

-snacks & drinks

-a dvd player

-blanket (esp. if it’s during nap time or bedtime)

-a new book or activity that is plane friendly

-Clorox wipes. I can’t let her touch anything without first wiping it all down. And normal wipes.

I’m sure there are more but those are the essentials that I’m thinking of right at the moment (and this is for a 3 year old). So what are the things that are non-negotiables for you and your family when you fly? I would love to hear from you!