Interview Trip ABCs

One fun thing that we like to do on the way home from times away from home is make an ABC list of things that we want to remember (or at least do remember, even if we wish we didn't). It is a fun way to look back at what we have done.

This time, besides doing our big ABC list we decided we should play the ABC memory game. We went around the van and each started with "We've been on the road almost a month and during that time we..." and then listed off everything that had been mentioned before and added something for our letter. It was a fun way to fill an hour on an almost 30 hour drive from Colorado to NY (we did make 2 stops - one in OH to see my brother's family and one in NY to see my grandparents on the way home to break up that 30 hours).

Here is our list from the game of our time away from home:

"We've been in the road for almost a month. During that time we...

Ate at Artic Circle
Saw Bison (and Big horn sheep)
Ate at Culver's (and Chick-fil-a)
Drove through Denver (and Dayton)
Saw grandpa Earl early in the morning [1:30am and 4am actually - Thanks Grandma & Grandpa for hosting us and getting up at crazy hours to let us in!]
Far, far, far in our Ford
Grand Junction is gorgeous
Horses galore
Interviews were long
Jon burned the turkey
Kansas was flat
Love is like jello
Mountains are majestic
Naomi was met
Oklahoma is OK
Philips were a blessing
Quesadilla from Estavans (good thing someone ate one or we wouldn't have a Q!)
Reynolds house - our home away from home
Spending money at Sierra Trading Post (securing Steph's job ;)
Tremendous amounts of tortillas tasted
Utah is unique
Van Huesen was Voted a bad word
Wyoming is wonderful
Xavier (and the rest of the Schwindts)
Yak meat was yummy
Z plate - the end to several alphabet games

We played the above game partly because we had played the ABC memory game to make a packing list for our month long trip on our way home from NH a few weeks before we left. It ended up getting pretty silly. We couldn't remember everything from the end of the alphabet and I am SO glad we didn't bring most of this stuff but here's our silly packing list.

"We're going on an interview trip and we're going to bring:
An apple
A Bible
Cake
Dog
Elephant
Fan
Glenn- he's the one interviewing
Holy Spirit to guide us
Iguana
Jet
Kangaroo
Lion
Mess cleaner upper
Nail clippers
Oklahoma- all of it
Pizza
Quail
R
S
Ties
Umbrella
Vet - to take care of the animals
Water
X
Y
Zebra

And... last but not least... here's our big ABC list. It is not complete, I am sure. We started it just after the missions conference so we have a bit from then but then didn't add to it again until after the last interview... so here's what we have. So grateful for the opportunity to have a quick look at our country and some great residency programs. Here's a few words to spark our memories. Feel free to ask if you want details ;)

A- Abigail, Africa, Asia, assess, ABWE, Adolph brothers. Artic Circle, Abigail's birthday, acrobat videos with grandpa, art in downtown areas, alpine tundra, Amtrak, Abby, antiquing, Arkansas, animal game, "air ride equipped" - helpful place we discovered to find a "q", (Aunt) Amy
B- Bible focus, Bob M, Brother Daniel, breakout sessions, Bob C, "be there", bison, big horn sheep, buttes, Black Friday shopping at Sierra, black turkey, back packs, battery for our van, Brody, (Aunt) Billie, Bryan, bridges, Brave, bb, broken leg (thankfully not our kid!), BJ's
C- Cortney, Caleb, catered Chick-fil-a, catering, candy, conference, Carolina, "cash - I found 25 cents!" (L), CMDA, challenge, cookies, Casey VC, Cate M-D, Culver's, cake, Colorado National Monument, Colorado, (Aunt) Camy, Christmas lights, cucumber sandwiches, Cafe Rio, cookie sandwiches, College Station, Cheyenne, Colorado River, cabin filter, Chick-fil-a with family, cousins, cheese stick, car wash, children watchers, Cooper Tire rebate, Carna
D- David S- CMDA, (Uncle) Danny, (Uncle) Darwin, Denver, dead deer, Dallas, Dephanie, Dan
E- EHA, evangelism, "Everything, Everyone, Everywhere", Ella, Estelle, (Gpa) Earl, elk, Eisenhower Tunnel, Estevans, egg nog
F- Forever Reign, "Frank Smith" -missionary doctor in Laos, First Wednesday, fog, Fort Worth, free food, facebook to update people easily, Fred, fire station visit and playing on fire trucks, Fort Worth Botanical Gardens
G- Glenn, God's love, God's presence, goodies, generation iY, Global Missions Health Conference, Greeley Freight Station Museum, Grand Junction, grandparents - Nelson, Reynolds & Nicodemus, grandpa's garage, grandpa's golf cart, gas stations, Glennwood Canyon, Greeley, Give us Your Courage. gas station tacos
H- Hannah, Harley Jo, Howard S, Hawaiian Haystacks, Holiday Parade, Hyatt Place, hot chocolate, HABA games, head lamps, hedge apples
I- I TEC, intentionality, ice cream, interviews, Idaho
J- Jayden, JPS, Jack S, John & Shea E, "Joshua Problem", Jason, Jon, "jello", jerky, (Uncle) Jerry - he's home!, (Aunt) Joy, Jasoh
K- Kristen S, Kentucky, Kansas, KFC, Kyle
L- Lydia, Louisville, life changing, Lilites, Lou, Lander, Left Center Right, Lamberts, Loki hat, Lion King, long horn cows, Lamplighter Theater, Luxury Diner, libraries, Luke
M- Maverick, mentoring, Melissa & Christo P, majestic mountains, Malachi, Mississippi River, Mexican food, movies from aunt Stephanie, sleepovers with Aunt Stephanie
N- Nikki, Naomi, (Aunt) Nancy, new tires from Noltz Tire, Nicodemus, Nelson, number game, No Name Rest Area, nativity making with gma Nelson
O- oil changes, Oklahoma, Ogden, oil wells
P- preparation, prayer room, Patrick Allen, pronghorn, Philips, Powell, Pocatello, prayer, Pappasitos Cantina, Pizza Hut, Pandora Radio, pecans
Q- quesadilla
R- Rilynne, Robin M, Russell, Reynolds, Robber's Cave, residents, rocks, (mostly clear) roads, resident dinners, (Aunt) Ruth
S- Side by Side, Schwindts, Sarah, (Aunt) Sue, Stephanie, (no!!!) snow, Sierra Trading Post, Smartwool sweater, Smokey, sorting stuff with gma Bernie, Sheraton, Spider Solitaire, Subway, Sebastian, skiers, (Russell's) school, swimming, sleep overs
T- Tim E, Ten Thousand Reasons, Taco Johns, Trapper Loop, Ty, tortillas, tunnels, thrifting, time zones, Texas
U- Utah, U-turns are labelled "authorized vehicle use only" in several states (helpful for alphabet game)
V- Via Christi, Van Heusen, Vail potty break, vomit 2x, Valerie, voted, Vivek
W- "Would it be helpful to you if I prayed for you?", worship songs, Wyoming, Wichita, Wreck it Ralph, windmills, (beautiful) weather, West, wide open spaces, Winnie, wallet- lost and found
X- Xavier
Y- yak meat
Z- Z-plate

Thankful for fun memories as a family! Praying for wisdom on our next steps.