If only there hadn't already been a Chevy Chase European Vacation movie.......This wouldn't be a movie, but REAL LIFE..........going around, around, around, and around the round-abouts, having children stuck in a Murphy bed, children eating "sand and insects", trying to shield children's eyes from sexual connotations (EVERYWHERE), drinking too much wine and saying it's for our heart, desperately trying to keep the interest of 3 children when even we are bored so we break out in song and dance, sleeping like the Waltons, explaining the bidet, explaining the aroma coming off a man that you are standing right beside, riding in a French tow truck singing a French song, 2 rental cars with 2 dents........then again, the difference with this Hollywood movie would be..........laughing hysterically at dinner, kneeling together in a church and praying, praying together at night before bed, having intellectual conversation on the culture of Europe and the world in general (no, I didn't contribute much), grocery shopping and learning how to buy produce together, walking for hours, meeting wonderful people and realizing you can communicate with a smile, and most importantly, being grateful. Grateful ....not because we have seen and done more things that most people will never see, but because we are a family that loves one another and hopefully now sees the world as a whole. Todd and I have said, "have we shown them too much? Can they really appreciate everything we've seen?" Of course the answer is NO. They're 10, 12, and 16! But, our hope and goal is that we have planted a seed. The seed of gratefulness, family, God, history, food, and life (no particular order there!). A seed that hopefully they will figure out what it needs to grow! We had a grateful speech (many actually) of what we are grateful for. We had to name what each person said and then add something. We as a family are grateful for: our health, our family, this trip, parents that work hard and have the means and desire to spend good family time, and that Jesus Christ is our savior!
We ended our trip in Versailles, and it has been a great few days. Laid back which is what we needed! The children and I toured the chateau while Todd was in Amsterdam (he went for a day for business), but the most enjoyable part was biking all over the grounds. We had a blast. Our hotel has been fantastic! Another great way to end. It is right beside the Versailles grounds. The only reason we got to stay here was because it is where Todd's client has him staying. To give you an idea of how nice it is, Queen Elizabeth has stayed here!
It will be hard to go back to "normal" life and not because of why you think. We'll get back and life will go back to normal for a little while. What I'll miss the most: dinners that last an eternity full of laughing and stories of the day, living in such close quarters that it takes 2 minutes to straighten up the home front, huddled around a tiny T.V. watching some of our favorite shows, truly being driven to tears daily by God's beauty, and being reminded how much bigger the world is than Germantown, TN. What's crazy is that I didn't need to travel miles away from home to experience any of that!
Thank you for all your prayers and for checking in with us. These blogs have been personal, and a window to our family. The blogs were not only a way to let everyone know what was going on, but also a written memory for us. How could we ever remember all that we have seen and done, things we've talked about, and all the funny things that have happened! Thank you for being part of our adventure. I can't believe that we have been gone for 7 weeks. We are looking forward to getting home to see everyone especially Sam! We're off to Minnesota for Thanksgiving. The adventure starts back in January. We head to Hawaii for a different adventure! I'll keep you all posted when we leave.
Much love to you all! Aurevoir!
Callie and Todd
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