Peace

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In Exodus 33, we read about Moses pitching his tent far away from everyone else. This tent is referred to as The Tent of Meeting. When he did this, the curiosity of the people of Israel peaked. They would watch with an expectation of what would happen. They knew that when Moses sought to meet with the Lord, the Lord was faithful to meet with Moses. And as they waited, they worshiped. Verse eleven says how the Lord spoke to Moses as one speaks to a friend, face to face.

His words to the Lord were, “See, you have said to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight'” (Exodus 33:13 ESV). Moses had been tasked with leading all 4 million of God’s people, and was quick to bring his worry to the source of who could supply peace over his concern.

Moses knew his task and also knew God’s promise over him. Yet, he found himself uncertainty about how God would make a way. The Lord powerfully responded to Moses, saying, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14 ESV). Moses, tasked with an insurmountable job, responds with significant words, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here” (Exodus 33:15 ESV).

He could not bear the thought of going forward without the presence of the Lord; that is what he desired above all else. He knew that the peace he was desperate for could only be supplied by the presence of the Lord.
The Lord who was speaking and meeting with Moses in this passage is the pre-incarnate Jesus. Though He was yet to be born, He was present. Though His Advent was yet to come, He came. He came to supply Moses’ need for peace through His presence alone. He came to spend time with Moses like a faithful friend.

Feeling anxious and uncertain is a crux of the human experience. It is nothing new. It is an ancient struggle. But just as the Lord promised His presence and rest to Moses, He promises the same to you. The faithful shepherd that David writes about in Psalm 23, leading him to the rest, provision, protection, and the restoration of his soul, is the same shepherd that offered it to Moses. His presence was with Moses. It was with David. It is with you.

When your soul longs for peace, know you can go to the supplier of living water and be fully satisfied in Him. His face will shine toward you. He will offer you His peace to become yours. His presence is our peace. His presence is a promise. Seek Him. Go to your “tent of meeting” and worship while you wait for Him to meet you there. When Moses asked the Lord, who will you send to go with me? The Lord replied “I will go with you, Moses.” Praise be to God!

Lord, as we long for peace, will you remind us it is You alone our souls long for? Help us to remember the promise of your presence as we walk the path you have laid before us. Fill us with the peace only You can supply. Please turn your glorious face toward us and faithfully meet us as we seek to meet with you? Help us to worship while we wait, expectantly.

Hope

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Jeremiah is nicknamed “the weeping prophet”. He had a nature of being gloomy and downcast. If you have spent any time reading through the book penned by him, Lamentation, you will be quick to realize why that nickname is so fitting. His grief over God’s people is tangible. His heartache over them turning their heart from the covenant they made with Him is evident. Jeremiah had the burden of being a prophet when God’s people could not have cared less that they were God’s people. And yet Jeremiah found himself, as downcast as he was, not without hope.

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
Lamentations 3:24

The word hope in this verse is the Hebrew word yāhal, meaning wait, hope, expect. Jeremiah was not only clinging to hope but was also staying with the expectation that the Lord would supply hope to him. Jeremiah couldn’t muster up the hope he needed to carry the weight of his weary soul; only the Lord could do that. And neither can you.
We wait with the expectation of hope in this advent season. But why is hope important? Why is it necessary? Why is the hope of Christ one of the promises we receive from Him?
Because the reality is that difficult times surround us or will soon surround us. They hit us like a colossal wave out of nowhere; circumstances leave us disoriented and confused about what happened and where to go next. Hope anchors us.

The security of our hope depends upon the security of what we have placed our hope in. If our hope source is faulty and fragile, then when the waves of life come to beat us down, they will carry us off. There will be nothing secure and steadfast anchoring us to a solid place. Sand and waves go hand in hand. Sand goes where the waves take it. A secure foundation of hope means our hope must be anchored to rock, not sand. The rock is solid and secure. It’s not being tossed about when waves come; it remains. Our hope must be anchored to the rock, which is Jesus.
It is okay to feel hopeless. I have been there more times than I can count. Feeling hopeless is not the measure of a follower of Christ. Feeling hopeless is the measure of being human. There is a difference between the reality of feeling hopeless and the knowledge that despite it, you are, in fact, not without hope. Those two things can exist at once. Feeling and knowing are two separate things.

Feeling hopeless does not mean that what we have placed our hope in is faulty; it means our ability to cling to it when life gets hard is faulty because we are human. Fixing your eyes on Jesus gets much more complicated when life spins out of control. But in the center of the storm, there is always peace to be found! And that peace is Christ. Cling to knowing that Christ is your hope, even when all hope feels lost. Wait with the expectation that He who supplied perfect hope to you once before will supply it once again!

Advent

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            Advent. A word that if you’ve been to a church service during the Christmas season, you’ve likely heard countless times. A word we grow up hearing but may have yet to take the time to understand its significance. A word that, in all honesty, can have the connotation of feeling stuffy and foreign. The word goes hand in hand with singing beloved Christmas hymns and lighting pink and purple candles. For many of us, advent might end there; advent doesn’t penetrate our heart and call us to respond. But it should. So, this begs the question: what is advent?

            Advent is a fancy word that means “coming” from the Latin word adventus.[1] It’s a word not found within the Bible, though the theme of what it represents is undoubtedly woven throughout all scripture. Advent points to the promise of the advent (coming) birth of Jesus, which is first prophesized from the very beginning, in Genesis 3:15. The subsequent rejoicing from Eve in Genesis 4:1 as she exclaimed the birth of her firstborn, whom she assumed was the promised One, is a testimony to her faith that God would supply what He promised—a Savior Son. But Cain would not be the one. 

             The promised One would not be born for some time to come. The Savior of the world was yet to be born. So, they waited for the advent. They waited for the coming. Time and time again, we see people waiting and longing for the advent throughout the Old Testament. We read Isaiah’s prophesy of it, Hosea symbolically represents it, and David as a precursor to it. Then, we flip the page from Malachi to Matthew. Four hundred years go by, and suddenly, the advent is here. 

            Where does that leave us? How do we navigate the advent season well? Knowing we sit on the side opposite Eve regarding Malachi and Matthew and the 400 years of silence. Just as she rejoiced at the birth of her unsavior son, we rejoice at the birth of the Savior Son. We must have an Eve mindset. Though she did not know how she knew God’s promise could be trusted. Though she did not know how God would make good on His promise, she knew he would. She waited with expectation, and so must we.

            In this Advent season, place your heart in the 400 years between Malachi and Matthew. Look back to God’s faithfulness while looking forward, knowing He who was faithful before will be faithful again. Trust God’s character, waiting with hope, peace, love, and joy as we wait for the One who supplies perfect hope, peace, love, and joy. Sit with the expectation that the God who promised the advent supplied and became the advent for our good and His ultimate glory. 

            As we sit in this modern season of advent, we can rest assured, full of confidence, that God has been faithful through every generation and will continue to be. He did not take lightly His promise of advent, and He did take lighting His promise to supply it.

Oh Lord, as we wade through the waters of the advent season, will you fill our hearts with Your hope? Will you help us meditate on the meaning of your advent? Wash over us with your divine presence. We praise you for who You are and what You’ve done. Thank you for being the God who supplies what you promise perfectly. Oh come, oh come, Immanuel. We long for You.

[1] Britannica 

We Are Moving!

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When we heard that we had to leave Spain, I thought moving to Houston would be the death of me. It seems like a dramatic response to me now, but a lie like this seems completely believable when you’re heartbroken. Unexpectedly moving to Texas was by far one of the most challenging seasons Trenton and I had walked through. We questioned God’s goodness, His faithfulness, and where He was leading us. When we landed in Houston, I felt like I had been plucked up and dropped off on a foreign planet.

While living in Madrid, we were constantly praying about what our next move should be. Both literal and figurative. We knew Madrid would not be a permanent fixture for us, as much as we would have loved that. We agreed that being overseas, moving forward, was the right fit for our family. We all thrived in Spain and grew exponentially as people from the experience of being surrounded by those who did life differently from us. Trenton and I were very much on the same page about where we felt called to next. I even told some of my closest friends, “I really believe that we are meant to be in Scotland.” Trenton could see the path being laid out before us plainly. A seamless transition from Spain to Scotland was being lined up for us without our effort or push. We were eager to allow God to work through us in the UK, in whatever avenue He saw fit. God was doing His miraculous thing, and we were hyped for it. Praise The Lord. Then the rug jerked out from under us, and we were plucked and planted. Scotland ended up being the death of a dream, Houston its graveyard.

I look back on that difficult time and see just how shortsighted I was. My eyes were fixed on my circumstance, and I was grieving. We were both grieving. I would bounce around a million ideas to Trenton as to why I thought God planted us in Texas. I was constantly spinning my wheels, trying to make sense of something that made no sense to me. I love Trenton for a bushel of reasons, but at the top of that list is his ability to point me to truth when I’ve spun around my own head to the point that I couldn’t find north if I tried. One day when I was mid-mental hamster wheel spin, he looked at me and said, “Stop trying to find the purpose in this pain. Some things are just hard and painful for a season, and you’re allowed to just sit in that for a minute.” We had been dealt a season of pain and hard, and I could accept that. That seemed so logical because that was precisely the reality I was living in. It was then I let myself truly mourn. After that conversation, I breathed a sigh of relief and rested peacefully in the arms of the loving God who held my future.

As time passed we began to heal slowly. We found community and friendships that provided and continue to give us so much joy. We made the most of being in the United States, ensuring our love of traveling was a priority. We were privileged to be given the opportunity to serve and love those around us. We laughed and joked a lot. We tried so many new things. As much purpose and peace as we ended up finding in Houston, at the end of the day, in the stillness of the morning, during our quiet midnight chats, our hearts still yearned to be overseas. I found myself continually praying, “Lord, help me be content with our present circumstance. But if it is your will, will you please make a way for us.” Deep down, though, I had made peace with the idea that this was probably home now.
Until I received an out-of-the-blue text from Trenton while away on business that said, “I’ve just been told there is a job in Aberdeen, Scotland, and it’s mine if I want it.” When I tell you I felt light as a feather and my mouth fell to the floor, it is no exaggeration. My heart’s reaction was to jump up, pack my bags, and sell the house, but my immediate response was prayer. “Lord, I know you make dead things alive. The dream I thought dead and buried, you have breathed new life into. But we will not go if you call us to stay. Lead us where you see fit.” As we prayed for weeks, the Lord made it clear that we were called to go. The spiritual roots we had developed while being planted in Houston, He saw fit to uproot and plant in Scotland. All His doing, as it always is.

So now we find ourselves here, preparing to move! Unexpectedly leaving Houston, just as unexpectedly as we came. Our dream may have experienced a death here, but here it was also given new life. God’s sovereignty being the mechanism behind it all. But there is something you must know. When I found myself in those broken moments, pleading with God, He was faithful to find me there too. He was faithful to whisper to my shattered heart, “Remember, I am the Lord your God. The God who has been faithful at every turn. I will never leave you behind. You can trust my character.”

At the center of it all is Him, and He does not have to move us to Scotland to be considered a good God. He would be just as good and just as faithful if the answer to my pleadings had been a solid “no, not now, not ever .” His goodness is not dependent upon my contentment with my circumstance. It is simply His nature of goodness that makes Him exceedingly good. He is a good God because even when I am full of doubt and my heart full of ache, He sustains me and fills me with joy beyond my understanding. He is faithful because I can depend on Him consistently when nothing else around me yields itself as consistent.

If I’m being honest, the news still seems too good to be true. I may even be in a slight state of shock. Probably because ending up in Scotland seemed an impossible reality to us! As we prepare for our move, we are full of excitement. We are also full of expectancy. But above all of our thoughts are those of awe and wonder. Awe, in how God made a way when there was no way. And wonder as to why He sees fit to give us the desire of our hearts when our broken hearts were so quick to question Him.

WE’RE MOVING TO SCOTLAND, Y’ALL!

Tunnell Family Update: We Are Moving

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When we entered 2021 the idea of moving was not on our radar. In fact, we had been given the opportunity to extend our contract here in Spain, we were going to be able to stay! We were thrilled. This is home to us. This is the country we love, this is where our kids go to school, we have amazing friends here, our church is here, the list goes on and on. Then, on April 28th, we got a phone call that knocked the wind out of us and left Trenton and I staring at each other blankley. The call went a little like “It is impossible to extend your contact here in Madrid.” The words just wouldn’t come to either of us. We were (and honestly still a bit are) devastated.

That night I didn’t sleep. I was up at 1:00 in the morning wide awake, quite literally a million thoughts running through my mind. I truly felt like a hamster on a hamster wheel (a very overwhelmed hamster). All I could think was we don’t own any cars in the US, we don’t have a house, where is a good school, all our appliances here will have to be sold along with furniture and TVs, how will the kids take the news, I’m going to miss our church, etc. As I layed there with these and so many more thoughts I prayed “I need some peace right now in my heart, Jesus will you pour your peace out over me right now?” I continued to lay there for another hour with no luck of sleep. So I did what most other people do when they accept rest is out of the picture, I grabbed my phone and started scrolling Instagram. A pastor that I follow had just posted part of the 63rd Psalm. So I opened my Bible app to read it in its entirety. I found such comfort as I read, when I reached the 6th verse I knew the Lord was speaking directly to my heart. It reads: “6 I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. 7 Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. 8 I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.” My heart was full of peace, and I was thankful for it. It was at this point I knew sleep would come. I closed my eyes and the next thing I knew I was waking up to my 5:45 alarm. I got up like I do every day, before my kids so I can have my coffee and read my Bible in the stillness of the morning. I said a quick prayer that the Lord would speak to me through his word. I opened my chronological Bible to April 29 and began to read. I was reading about when King David was being chased by Absolom. I couldn’t help but think how he must have been struggling with this. His own son trying to kill him and take the throne for himself. I knew David must have been devastated, and I could relate that morning. Though I am sure my devastation was nothing compared to what he must have been dealing with at that moment, I took comfort in knowing God was faithful to David, and he would be faithful to me as well. I turned the page to continue that days reading and there it was. The 63rd Psalm. Tears welled up in my eyes. I knew I was seen and cared for by God. I couldn’t help but think that when He was with David as he wrote that Psalm, He had my heart and circumstance on His mind. He knew this very Psalm would be used to comfort me thousands of years later. To speak beautiful truth over my life. To sing promises over me. And while there was still sadness in the circumstance, there was perfect peace in the plan. This was not our plan, but it is God’s. And I have comfort knowing his plans for my life always far exceed my own expectations.

I will answer some of the more common questions people are asking us:

  1. How are the kids taking the news? They were both shocked when we told them. Jane says she is both happy and sad about it. She said she is going to miss her friends and school so much. To be honest The states is a foreign country to her. She doesn’t remember much about it. She was 5 when we came here. Owen is taking the news a bit rougher. Which we anticipated. He doesn’t want to go. He loves every aspect of Spain, as do we. I know in time he will find things he likes about our new location, but right now he is feeling sad and that’s ok. We are encouraging him to remember how faithful God was when we moved here and how we know he will be that faithful again when we leave.
  2. Where are we moving to? We are relocating to The Woodlands, Texas, just north of Houston. Trenton’s company has an office there. He will still be working for the Madrid, Spain office, doing the same job he is doing now, and reporting to his same bosses. We will just be based out of the US.
  3. Why are we leaving Spain? Red tape. Fine print. Government particularities. None of which anybody saw coming. This was not only a shock to us but also to Trenton’s bosses. And the office here as a whole. (It’s kind of a lot to dive into, but if you’re interested in hearing the details message me).
  4. What does the future look like for us? We aren’t sure. We love being international. Our kids have thrived while being abroad and so have we. We are hoping that Houston will be a temporary location for us and that another position overseas, in a different country, will become available soon ish. (We cannot come back to Spain due to tax status stuff). There are a million different outcomes at this point. We aren’t the ones who know the future, but we know the one who does.

If you all would be please be so kind as to pray for us as we transition. A move overseas is a HUGE undertaking. A move overseas with very little notice feels overwhelming. Currently we own zero cars, no house, and have no furniture stateside. Many things we have here in Spain will need to be sold or donated as they are too large to fit in the shipping crate or do not comply with American electricity. And while all of that can be complicated, the real struggle to us is how we will feel coming back to America. America was the place of our birth, the country on our passports, but at this point it isn’t home to us anymore. We aren’t sure where we fit in. Please be gracious with us as we transition. Please be patient with our kids if you say to them “doesn’t it feel good to be home” and they look at you confused.

While this is not the adventure we desired, Trenton and I are pretty good at shifting our dreams and moving forward hand in hand. We are packing and going through the house at a crazy pace. And looking to the future with a sense of determination. Our current circumstance does not determine our joyfulness or thankfulness. Our hearts are overcome with joy and thanksgiving from our time here in Madrid. The memories we made, the friendships we formed, the ministry opportunities we had, the personal growth we experienced. Our lives will forever be divided into two parts, before Spain and after. We are not returning to the US the same people we left as. And I am glad. There aren’t enough words to sum up our experience here, but I will leave with this.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. -Ephesians 3:20-21

You’re Going To Be Alright

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I have maybe seen two or three episodes of the TV show Friends in my life. Shocking I know. I do, however, know the theme song. I’m sure you do as well, but just incase you don’t here are some of the lyrics. 

"So no one told you life was gonna be this way
Your job's a joke, you're broke
Your love life's DOA 
It's like you're always stuck in second gear
When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month
Or even your year"

When these lyrics randomly popped into my head last night, I thought to myself “I bet this is how a lot of people feel right now.” 2020 hasn’t been an easy year to navigate, for anyone. Some have had it easier than other. Some have had it so hard, it is unimaginable to the rest of us. People have lost family members, some have lost jobs, couples have had to get married while their loved ones watched over Zoom. Some women had to give birth without support, people died without a family member to hold their hand, and many people’s mental state plummeted because of the isolation. You might read all of those things and feel completely hopeless. Or maybe you have personally been affected by some items that I mentioned and you’re really struggling because of it. Whatever the case may be, I am sorry that you are having a difficult time.

A few months ago, I was having a really down day. I was feeling frustrated that we were still living in these unknown circumstances . I was sad that my kids couldn’t have huge playdates with their friends. I was disappointed because some of the plans we made had to be cancelled… again. As I was driving home from dropping the kids off at school and rolling around in my self pity I said to myself “I just feel gray and cloudy.” I looked up at the sky and it was gray and cloudy too. A perfect match to my emotion and current state of mind. Then I remembered something. Just because my life feels cloudy, that doesn’t change the fact that above the clouds, there is sunshine. In that moment I remembered so vividly flying into London last year right after Christmas. We were about 30 minutes from landing, the sun was shining so bright and beautifully above the clouds. As we began to descend to land we entered into the clouds, and the clouds kept coming. On and on for 20 minutes. Then the thick, dark fog hit. I was beginning to wonder if I would even see London at all. But about 5 minutes before we landed I spotted the ground below. I noticed how gray and cloudy everything was. Quite the contrast from the perfect sunny day I was enjoying while soaring above the clouds. The drastic contrast from above to below really struck me. On my cloudy day, that memory really provided some beautiful imagery for my life.

I realize your current situation or mental state might not be what you would prefer. It might be the exact opposite of what you had envisioned. The conditions you are facing right now may be considered far less than ideal. But there is good news. There is a promise deeply rooted in scripture that never changes, no matter how your life may be changing. And it is this, God is still good even when your circumstances are not. Your circumstances change, they may go from bad to worse, but the character of God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. There is no situation too difficult or too unpleasant that can undo His goodness. Your life might feel like it has just come crashing down, or that you’ve lost all hope, but there is hope in the hopeless. There is light in the darkness.

Trenton has a famous saying around our house anytime I am worrying about something, or stressing over a circumstance. He always calmly looks at me and states “but God.” That’s it. That’s all he has to stay to help me shift my focus from my worry to the one who holds all my worries in the palm of His hand.

Being able to remember the day we flew into London really shifted my perspective on the gray day I was having not long ago. I was reminded that no matter how I feel or what challenges I am facing there is always bright beautiful sunshine above the clouds, even though I can’t always see it. Above your clouds there is sunshine too. Beyond your problems there is goodness. Goodness rooted deeply in love and grace. Today I encourage you to shift your perspective. Focus your thoughts on the sunshine you might not be able to see and the God who made it.

What I Pack In My Park Backpack At Disney

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I didn’t realize how important a park backpack was until I started planning our first trip to Disney. Granted Jane was just a little over a year old at the time, so strategy at that time was of utmost importance because toddlers can be tricky y’all. Once I realized how much nicer I could make our trip simply by what I bring in the bag we carry throughout the day, I started making my bag a priority every trip! So here are my must haves when it comes to my park backpack.

1. Hard Copies Of Itineraries

If you know me at all, or you’ve read my other posts about planning Disney trips, it probably comes at no shock to you that I make very detailed daily itineraries for our trip. I may or may not even go to the length of color coding them, emailing PDFs to all adults and printing our hard copies for the backpack. I do this for a few reasons. The main one being I try to conserve my phone battery, and constantly being on it to check the itinerary would drain it pretty quickly. It’s also nice to have because Owen really likes to know what activity is coming next, so it gives him something to look at and is a great way he can help out by letting us know what’s next.

2. Sunscreen

I heard it said once that Walt Disney believed in fun but he didn’t believe in shade. There aren’t a lot of shade trees that allow you to get a little sun relief in the park, which is why sunscreen is super important to remember. Usually we have a few layers of clothing on, so I don’t bother packing a huge tube. Just a small travel size works just fine for us.

3. Bandages

When you’re walking 13,000 plus steps a day, blisters might happen. Or when you have a 4 year old who constantly gets “invisible injuries”, you need bandages. I am sure you could buy bandages in the park, but i’d rather not take out a second mortgage on my house to pay for them. This is why I always come prepared. And let me just tell you, we have never not used them!

4. Plastic Rain Ponchos

Depending on the time of year you are planning to go to Disney, rain might be of high probability. I prefer to buy the cheap dollar tree ponchos. They are literally $1 each. They are pretty thin, but for us it still beats the alternative of paying big bucks to buy a poncho in the park. Also, if you are going in a month that is a bit chillier, I recommend layering up, and using a windbreaker out your outermost layer. This will take care of any rain you might get and save you from needing to bother with a poncho at all.

5. Autograph Book & Pen

Some years we decide to do character autograph books and some years we don’t. When we do, we are sure to buy them in advance and bring them along. I also pre-purchase the pens. My favorite pen for autographs are the thin Sharpies with the clicking top. This helps the constant fumbling for the cap, and most times makes it easier for the character to hold onto. Plus they have a clip on them. which makes it easy to keep track of in your bag when you attach it to the book.

6. Hand Sanitizer

With a global pandemic it has become pretty common to carry hand sanitizer everywhere. It just makes a lot of sense for so many reason to carry it with you. The convenience factor alone, when grabbing a quick snack, of being able to wash up quickly is really helpful. Now, throw a novel virus on top of convenience, hand sanitizer is just a smart idea.

7. Medicine

This is probably one of the most important things I pack in my bag. Owen has a severe nut allergy so we always carry Epipens and quick dissolve Benadryl. I am becoming a little old lady, and the tiniest of rides gives me motion sickness, so I carry Bonnine to help with that. Jane has a super sensitive stomach, and Tums are really great for her. I do carry a bit of Tylenol in my bag as well, because you never know when a random headache will come along. I always say to myself “it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.” There have been times where these have come in handy. Thankfully, never the Epipen. It’s nice to know if something were to happen, we are covered.

8. Plastic Bags

It’s inevitable, at some point during our trip someone will spill something on their shirt or get soaked on a water ride. It is just handy to keep a few plastic bags in the back pack for when this happens. When my kids were smaller I would even carry an extra set of clothing in my bag just in case. Now that they are bigger and their clothes are bigger, it’s just not worth the hassle.

9. Snacks

My kids could eat snacks all day every day, especially at Disney when you are walking a ton and using up a lot of energy. And while we do splurge on fun Disney snacks inside the park, to do that 3 times or more a day would cost more than I want to spend on snack foods. Throwing some granola bars, fruit snacks, and goldfish in my bag at the beginning of each day is a time saver as well as a money saver!

10. Other Random Items I Pack

To wrap up I just want to share a few random items that I always keep with me in my backpack but don’t really need a whole explanation. So, here we go: hair ties, chapstick, baby wipes, sunglasses, wallet, and lastly glow sticks for evening fun and entertainment while waiting for fireworks!

I hope my list helps you feel ready to take on a fun day in the park at Disney! Being prepared for the day honestly helps us so much and gives us a lot of peace of mind. Thanks for reading and happy planning!

Christmas Cinnamon Rolls | My Secret Ingredient |

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I don’t know about you, but it’s just not Christmas at our house unless there are cinnamon rolls for breakfast. It may be the yummy smell that fills our home when they are baking or the sugar rush you get from eating them, but cinnamon rolls were just made to be consumed on Christmas. And since the holiday is fast approaching, I thought it might be fun to share one of my family’s favorite holiday treats with you all. I do have to admit, this recipe is one that I cling tightly to. I don’t typically share the secret to my cinnamon rolls. However, I so appreciate how lovely you all have been supporting my new blog, that I just couldn’t keep the recipe to myself any longer! Enjoy.

I begin with my basic bread recipe. You can find that in my previous blog post “How To Make Perfect Dinner Rolls: A Step By Step Guide.” I will link it here for you! Follow the directions on that post until you get to step number six, and then begin here.

Step 6: Roll Out Your Dough

Once your dough has nicely doubled in size, gently place it onto a lightly floured surface to work. Press all of the air out of your dough ball, then grab your rolling pin. Lightly coat your rolling pin with flour and begin to roll out your dough into a rectangular shape. It does not need to be a perfect rectangle, just the basic shape will do. I roll mine out until it is about a quarter of an inch in depth. If you find that your dough is not cooperating after you de-gas it, let it rest for a few minutes before trying to roll it out.

Step 7: Adding The Secret Ingredient

You will not be using butter to make your cinnamon rolls. My secret to perfect cinnamon rolls that will stay fresh and moist for days is to use canned pumpkin puree! I promise, you will not be even be able taste the pumpkin. (NOTE: Do NOT use pumpkin pie filling).

Take 1 cup of pumpkin puree and spread it evenly over your rolled out dough. I like to use a small offset spatula, but a butter knife would work just fine also. (I always save the remaining from the can and mix it into a batch of cookies).

Step 8: Top With Brown Sugar And Cinnamon

Once the pumpkin puree is nice and evenly covering your dough, sprinkle 1/2 cup light brown sugar over it. Then, generously cover with ground cinnamon. I don’t measure out the cinnamon, I just make sure it has a really nice layer to it.

Step 9: Rolling Your Dough

Roll your dough into a tight spiral starting from the long side of your rectangle. I start in the middle and work my way to the end to make it easier. As you roll ,you might find that the middle gets thicker than the ends. When this happens to me, I pull on the dough a bit from the middle to help even it out. Once I roll it up completely, I give a gentle to pinch to the seam to seal it just a bit and make it easier to place in the pan.

Step 10: Slicing Your Cinnamon Rolls

My trick for making nice crisp looking cinnamon rolls is to use unflavored dental floss. I just slide it under and cross it at the top, then pull it through the dough. Before I begin slicing my actual cinnamon rolls, I cut off the ends. I find that they just don’t look nice and don’t have a lot of filling so I discard about a inch from each end. One I do that, I slice about 1 1/2 inch cinnamon rolls using the dental floss and place them into a lightly greased pan.

Step 11: The Second Rise

Once all of your cinnamon rolls are placed into your greased pan, it is time for the second rise. I place a tea towel gently over them and just let them sit for about 45 minutes or until they are nicely doubled in size. I always make sure to preheat my oven during this point as well. You will be baking them at 375 degrees Fahrenheit or 190 degrees Celsius.

Step 12: Time To Bake

Once they are nicely doubled in size, it is finally time to bake. You will bake for 10 -15 minutes depending on your oven. Once the cinnamon rolls are nicely golden brown it is time to take them out. To prevent them from getting tough be sure to remove them from the baking dish after about 5 minutes or so. I place mine into a large serving bowl covered with a tea towel until they are completely cooled.

And there you have it! Perfect Christmas cinnamon rolls. If you prefer to have icing with yours you can make some cream cheese frosting very easily by mixing together 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 8 oz softened cream cheese, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 4 cups powdered sugar. So simple, and so delicious!

Enjoy your yummy treat and have a very Merry Christmas ❤

Answering Your Questions About Living In Spain | Q&A Part 1 |

1 Comment on Answering Your Questions About Living In Spain | Q&A Part 1 |

I have to say a quick thank you to so many of you that took the time to ask write out questions. There were so many really wonderful and thought provoking questions. I realized very quickly after reading them that there would be no way to answer them all in one post. So, I will be breaking this up into a few parts and intermittently posting them. Now without any more rambling from me, here is part one!

Question 1: Has the signage at grocery stores gotten easier for you?

I vividly remember when we first moved here I walked into the grocery store and just stood there with a blank stare. I wanted to buy something as basic as flour and I didn’t know the word for it, or where in the world it would be located in the massive store. I was so used to having a baking section in the U.S. stores, but in Spain that is just simply not the case. I even google translated “baking” on my phone and frantically looked for the aisle labeled “horneando”, which didn’t exist. Finally I found the flour, or harina, tucking neatly between the vinegar and the condiments. It makes no sense to me why it would be there, but for some reason that is where it exists. Another time I was trying to find active dry yeast to make some bread, and searched for 20 minutes with no luck. I finally did have to ask an employee to help me with that one. Let’s just say the exchange of my non Spanish to his non English is far too embarrassing of a story to share…but you can use your imagination and it’s probably accurate. Now after living in Spain well over a year I consider the grocery store words my most comfortable form of Spanish. Even though I joke at the fact I can speak pretty good “grocery store Spanish”, it is very true and doesn’t go far beyond that. Often times when writing out my store list I will accidentally write things in the Spanish word because in the back of my mind I guess I know that’s the word I need to be looking for on the shelf. So to answer the question, yes, thankfully!

Question 2: What do you feel has been the most positive impact on you and your family by being immersed in another culture?

My husband and I have always taught our kids that the world does not revolve around them, and that there is a whole world outside of their own in which people look, speak, and live completely differently. We have always shared with them that people from different places have different customs and traditions within their cultures. Those are wonderful things to teach children and to know as an adult, but getting to live in a country in which your way of thinking, your customs, and your food is not the norm, is truly a beautiful experience. Myself, Trenton, and our kids have grown in our appreciation for the way others think and act. We have learned so many times over that the way we do certain things isn’t as big of a deal as we always thought it was. We learned the way we worship doesn’t need to look the way it always has for us in the past. We learned that our comfort zones need to be flexible and in fact are still constantly expanding. Our kids just see their friends as their friends and they like them simply because they have common interests. Their friend group spans from many continents, languages, and faiths. I love to hear the kids talk about where their friends are from and hear the names of Iraq, Russia, Albania, South Korea, Kuwait, England and so many more. We went into this experience knowing our worldview would change, but I don’t think we quite realized how much our hearts would grow in such a life changing way.

Question 3: Have you found peanut butter or sour cream?

Truth be told there are a lot of foods that we simply cannot find here in Spain, but our pallets have expanded and we don’t miss a lot of foods like we used to in the beginnings. That being said, sour cream is just nowhere to be found. We do have cream fresh in the grocery stores here and to us it tastes pretty much spot on. In the states sometimes I would sub out sour cream for greek yogurt, and I do that here from time to time too. As for peanut butter, it is easy to find. The Spanish grocery stores will sometimes carry their version of it, but its not the same. For the real deal, one must make the pilgrimage to Costco to get the giant jars of Skippy which retails for a whopping eight euros. I had never in my life purchased Skippy brand peanut butter until moving here. I was a loyal Great Value girl. However, since Jane is faithful in her love of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and beggars can’t be choosers, I voyage to Costco and buy the peanut butter with all the other Americans in Madrid.

Question 4: What do you miss about the US?

I could list off some silly things I miss, personal preference stuff. Like Target or Chipotle. I can list a few convenience items like parking lots, and set business hours. But in all honestly, I don’t deeply miss those things. They actually don’t make a huge difference to me. In all honesty, we don’t miss living in the US. This is home to us, as foreign as that sounds. In my brain before we moved I had mentally prepared myself to be sad and have to deal with being homesick, but that just hasn’t been the case for Trenton and I or our kids, which I have been shocked by. With that being said, we do miss our family and our friends. It is sad celebrating things like the birth of your best friends baby from far away, or not getting to see your mom on Thanksgiving. I miss seeing my grandma deeply, and I would do just about anything right now to hug her and bring her a milkshake. It’s the relationships with those you love that matter most. Thankfully technology helps us not miss everyone so much. We text pictures and laugh about things. We still share our daily life things and our frustrations with stuff. The people we love are still a priority to us, we just aren’t a car ride away anymore. We are very much looking forward to the day when things go back to “normal” and when travel restrictions are lifted. We have many people who want to visit us here, and we are looking forward to being able to enter the US next time under more relaxed circumstances.

Trenton and I really enjoyed reading through all the questions you all sent in. Many of them were so thought provoking for us and led to some really interesting conversations between us in the evening. I am looking forward to getting to other questions in some follow up Q&A posts.

Flying With Young Kids | My Personal Tips |

1 Comment on Flying With Young Kids | My Personal Tips |

It’s no secret that my family loves to travel. Jane was a little over a year old the first time she flew on an airplane. Since then I have honestly lost count of how many times we have flown or went on long trips together as a family. Even though my kids are a bit older now and more easily managed while traveling, the days of having toddlers and small kids on planes is still fresh in my mind. I know a lot of people want to explore the world with their kids, but are intimated by long travel times or flying with them. I hope these tips help you and your kids have an exciting adventure with a little less stress or worry.

Prep Your Kids Ahead Of Time

This is a go-to tip for a lot of things in our family, especially traveling. I never like to go into something blindly and not fully understanding the expectations or circumstances of what I am walking into. So why would my kids? I always prep them at least a few days before we travel. I tell them how long of a flight to expect. How many layovers. What time of day we will be flying. When we will be eating (this is of upmost importance to them). I also make sure to remind them of my expectations as far as their behavior is concerned. My kids are at the age now where they pretty much know what to expect when flying, but when they were much smaller this was not the case. We would watch videos about what its like to ride on an airplane, or read books so they could better understand. We would remind them it was very important to be still so they wouldn’t disturb the person sitting next to or in front of them. Our motto is more proactive parenting and less reactive parenting.

Bring Your Own Disinfectant or Baby Wipes

This may sound like common sense now because we are living through a global pandemic, but I have always flown with my own supply of baby wipes and disinfectant wipes. Not only because I prefer to wipe down the arm rests and tray table myself, but when you are traveling with young kids things just get messy. It is so much easier to be able to pull out your package of wipes to clean up sticky fingers than to try and scoot your way back to the bathroom. Also, don’t even get me started on how dirty the little remote controls for the inflight entertainment must be. YUK. I should also mention that since kids like to put their mouths on everything for some reason, its just best to come prepared because airplanes are dirty y’all.

Time Your Flight Carefully

I highly recommend booking your flight first thing in the morning or during your little ones nap time. Obviously, if you are doing a long haul flight, this can be a bit trickier, but for flights that are under 6 hours this is my go to. I find that If I fly first thing in the morning my kids are generally happier and more willing to sit still on the plane. It’s probably because they have gotten a good night sleep and are ready for the day. For the times when this was not possible, I do my best to plan for a nap time flight. I have always been big on schedules, especially when they were smaller, so they would usually go right down for their nap on the plane if it was nap time. It also helped that I brought along their favorite blanket or stuffed animal in the backpack to make it a bit more comfortable.

Check Your Stroller At The Gate

Did you know strollers are free to check underneath the airplane? And did you know you can use them through the entire airport and check them underneath right before you board? This was a game changer for us. The thought of lugging around backpacks and carry on bags all while trying to keep up with a toddler sounds hectic and stressful, and it probably is. So I highly recommend using your stroller while navigating the airport and putting it underneath right before boarding. As soon as you land and exit the aircraft, you can wait there at the gate again for them to offload it so you can use while leaving the airport or going to your connecting flight. This was a lifesaver tip for us for sure!

Have A Bag Of Goodies

Keeping your kids occupied on a flight is key. I like to call my travel backpack my May Poppins bag. Not so much now, but when Owen and Jane were smaller I stuffed that thing full of goodies such as snacks and activities. For snacks, goldfish, fruit snacks, and lollipops were the biggest hits with my kids. Plus they didn’t leave a huge mess behind, so they were a double win for me. For activities, I also made sure to stock up at the Dollar Tree with simple things to give out during the flight. A little pack of Mickey Mouse crayons or a sticker page would go a long way in terms of holding their focus and being a good source of entertainment while flying. Plus I didn’t have to invest tons of money into prizes.

Help Them Pop Their Ears

I have never experienced ear pain during take off or landing, but I know people who have. And from the experience they have shared with me, it was excruciating. I always try to avoid this myself by popping my hears by yawning, but with kids its a bit tricker. They don’t exactly yawn on command! When Jane was a baby, I made sure to give her a pacifier or bottle at both take off and landing times. Owen was 5 the first time he flew, so I just gave him a packet of fruit snacks because they are super chewy. Now that they are both older, I have found that chewing gum works just fine. And thankfully we have been able to avoid painful ear pressure on every flight we have been on!

You’ve Got This!

I know some of these tips might simple, but I hope they help you gain confidence in preparing to fly with your kids. From my personal experience, these are the ones that I always found most helpful to me. I hope that wherever you end up traveling with your family, you bring home so many wonderful memories! I also just want to say a quick thank you to everyone who has been so sweet and supportive of my blog. I have so enjoyed sharing my thoughts with you all, and it has been a wonderful way to stay connected while living so far away! ❤