Traveling makes you richer

Oh, the places we have been in a year's time!  My next post will be a round-up of countries we visited or lived in during the year 2012.  

2012 was definitely a year for our family to get to know one another.  Six people living together, many of those nights in one room, and traveling together in one mini van gave plenty of opportunity for each to see each other at their best and worst.

And looky there - we survived!  Not only did we survive, but I think we drew closer as a family.  It gave us the opportunity to work through things as a team, and learn how to put one another first (not that we always did, but we were learning.)  In hotel rooms, the children rotated who would sleep on the bed and who would sleep on the floor.  In the van, the three older ones constantly rotated seats and learned what it meant to leave a clean seat for the next person.  One bathroom with one shower... it was all good for us. 

And here is what I got to see whenever I wanted to turn and look around in the van...

 {Below} Love that little boy's leg, hanging over the side of his car seat.

Very little sleeping went on in the van as we traveled... my kids just are not sleepy travelers.  Oh, but they sure did enjoy the open road as we traveled from September to December!  I think I would sum up their year as a big lesson in learning to live in tight spaces and be flexible... great life lessons that we can all use some brushing up on from time to time.

Many people feel sorry for missionary kids because they "miss out on so much."  But, really, missionary kids get to see so many more places and experience so much more than they would if they were "normal."  Yes, they do miss out on some material things, but they trade that for something bigger.  And when we're having a "chips and soda" kind of day, I like to remind them, "Isn't it fun being a missionary kid?!"

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