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This is a picture of our big service trip this year. šø No airport selfie, no collection of funds to brings LEGOS to children for Christmas gifts, no attempts at speaking broken Spanish (my favorite trait of Loganās), no hugs from children waiting for us to get off the school bus as we arrive. Not gonna lie, Iāve been throwing myself a pity party that this yearās mission trip to Colombia has been cancelled. After three previous years of spending an over-commercialized, Christmas-present-buying-driven time of year in a country with great need, this approaching Christmas season feels, bleh. Yet, there are still so many needs around the world (and even in our own backyards!) still in existence even if our trip isnāt in existence at all. I want to personally challenge every family reading this post to say āyesā to some type of service project from now through the end of 2020. Whether that be supporting a child (online) through Operation Christmas Child or Salvation Armyās Angel Tree, sponsoring a child monthly (that you havenāt been able to personally meet) through One More Child or contacting a local charity for their needs, the need is still real even if the trip isnāt. This year, our family encouraged our new school to form a Christmas service project for the younger elementary grades. The boys helped me prep the materials to provide paper for handmade Christmas cards to the students at their schoolās sister school in the Dominican Republic, Freedom International, which will include scripture, stickers and a little Christmas surprise. As we packed and prepped, we talked about how sending little Christmas goodies to these children in the Dominican Republic reminded them that God loved them, that others were thinking about them and that even a little message or note can help cheer up someoneās day. Trips are cancelled. āļø Serving others isnāt. ā„ļø
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Our weekend in Louisville, KY is in the wraps! If youāre headed to #Louisville, these are 4 top recommendations: 1 - Stay at @thegalthousehotel , Louisvilleās Only Waterfront Hotel, is in the best location and also has the best heart - during the pandemic, they offered a relief fund for associates and had a complimentary food pantry for furloughed employees. 2 - Eating at the @swizzlelouisville in the @thegalthousehotel with revolving floors is the best way to view waterfront downtown Louisville. 3 - We revisited @slugger_museum , the iconic stop in downtown Louisville to learn about making baseball bats. Our bros absolutely loved it! 4 - Located in Williamstown, Kentucky, about one hour outside of Louisville, is the @arkencounter, an interesting, life-sized replica of Noahās Ark. It was super interesting experiencing the ark as it is written in the Bible. It was a special weekend with our life friends ā„ļø. Also, if you are planning to visit Greenville, SC, the drive from Greenville to Louisville is gorgeous in fall as you drive through Asheville, NC and Rocky Top, TN. š #hosted by The Galt House Hotel
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Iām having a hard time finding words for this experience. We just left hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, NC with dear friends and it was one of the most beautiful sights in fall that I have ever seen. If youāre looking for a kid-friendly way to visit the Blue Ridge Parkway in the fall, choose the Visitors Center in Asheville, NC. This center offers indoor exhibits, the opportunity for kids to earn their Junior Ranger badges and the best part: several hike options right from the center. Park your car once, hop out and hike anywhere from .3 miles to a 2.3 mile hike to view the most beautiful autumnal leaves. I am in awe of Godās beautiful fall creation and just thank Him abundantly that we now live only an hour-and-a-half away from this fall gem. Have you been? Help me form words!
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Happy Sunday! Itās going to be a good week here as Iām thrilled to have been invited on @yourcarolina local news to share about Go and Do Good ā„ļø. Weāre prepping to get filled for the week at @newspring_church and then welcome our latest visitor to Trinity Farm next weekend for a special adventure at a S.C. National Park. Iāve been reading Jeremiah for the last few weeks and Iāve found so much comfort in knowing that I cannot control the outcome of everything going on in our country right now. The people of Jerusalem were lost...their country had spun totally out of control in evil (sound familiar?!). Yet God continued to remind Jeremiah that HE (God) would be the one to bring judgment. And so my takeaway for this week from my reading has been to just love others and not judge their actions, whether they āagreeā with me or not. I may be the queen of my little boy mom household š š but God didnāt appoint me as a judge. š¤·š¼āāļø. Sending love to you all on this beautiful fall day - itās boot weather!
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Five years ago today, my then 40-year old sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. Our family didnāt see it coming, although maybe we should have since my mom, both grandmoms and a great aunt and even an uncle had it or died from it. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and itās a reminder to our family how far God has brought us in five years since my sisterās diagnosis. My sister is now fully in remission and works in the Cancer Care division, supporting those at @virtuahealth with a recent cancer diagnosis. š With an intense family history of breast cancer, four years ago I looked in the mirror and realized I may be next. Having a preventative prophylactic double mastectomy with two young children at home was the best decision I made, limiting my chances of getting breast cancer now to the normal levels of a woman without an intense family history. This month, I urge every woman and man (men are not exempt from breast cancer!) to do the following: - Learn your familyās history of breast cancer (learn about it on your spouseās side of the family for your childrensā future, too) - Do a self check - Schedule that annual OBGYN appointment that you may have put off due to COVID: it could save your life - If you have aggressive breast cancer in your family, seek out a local geneticist and/or a family care doctor as a first step Think (and drink!) #pink š„ š
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Our favorite part of travel? The hotel. But you knew that š¤·š¼āāļø If youāre heading to #Charleston, SC anytime soon, be sure to consider these two hotels doing so much good for their local community. @belmondcharlestonplace is a great choice for being a premier shopping and dining location, for their amazingly fun and family-friendly indoor/outdoor retractable pool and their fun cocktail lounges. @hvicharleston is great for seaside views, access to local parks and stellar views of the harbor. But one thing these both have in common? A heart for their community āļø ā„ļø @belmondcharlestonplace joined the COVID-19 fight by partnering with local farmers and fishermen to put together donated grocery bags for out-of-work hospitality and food & beverage workers. ā„ļø@hvicharleston invites unaccompanied visitors to live like a local and to give back to the community at the same time. Their Solo Southern Retreat program, in partnership with helps provide solo travelers the opportunity to feed those hungry in Charleston as well as feeding their very own souls by doing good.
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WEāRE BACK IN CHURCH! Our new church @newspring_church recently reopened its door for in-person services and we couldnāt be happier to be worshipping in-person again. Jesus + fall temps = full š§”s
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2.3 miles. Thatās as far as our young kids could handle hiking when visiting Great Smoky National Park last week, our first National Park visit. I was completely confused on what trail to hike and where to begin as the park is absolutely massive so we asked the guides at Sugarland Visitor Center to recommend a hike. They recommended Laurel Falls, a moderate 2.3 mile hike with a prize awaiting: a massive waterfall. I highly recommend consulting with @greatsmokynps guides when planning any trip to this National Park. These guides are the experts and when we felt overwhelmed, they pointed us in the best direction for our first time. Headed to our second National Park in a few weeks! How many National Parks have you been blessed to be able to visit? Which was your favorite so far? What tips about visiting National Parks have you learned? Weāre new to exploring them š
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I found it and wondered, āIs @undercanvasofficial really worth it?ā After spending the night disconnected as a family, gazing at the stars and playing cards with rocks, I found out the answer. Itās worth it. If youāve been thinking about trying out @undercanvasofficial , glamping under the stars near 7 (almost 9!) National Park sites, itās an absolute must. Glamping in luxury was enough of a prize, but Under Canvas Great Smoky Mountains also offered a complimentary photo session with our stay to capture all of our memories. Have you experienced @undercanvasofficial? Which site do you want to try?! Weāre hoping to hit up Moab next āØ
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#good is all around you, you just need to look for it. Do you see it?! ā„ļø NAME CHANGE! After operating on social media for the last three years as @trekkingtwice, the name of my original travel blog, today my account officially became @goanddogood Hereās why: ā„ļø there are tens of thousands of family travel accounts, many which I adore. Yet to stand out in this industry, having a niche is super important and I feel so blessed that God revealed to me my niche of sharing about hotels that give back generously to others ā„ļø we arenāt just traveling twice anymore! This pandemic and halt on international travel opened my eyes to our own new backyard and truly not favoring one country or city over the other. By trekking only twice, our family was limiting the amount of hotels in the directory that we could actually visit each year ā„ļø living a double life is exhausting š¤Ŗ having two names that my business went by was super confusing when sending hotel proposals to join the directory So excited to be kicking off this Monday with a little extra amount of goodness š. In the next weeks, weāre glamping our first National Park (@greatsmokynps), visiting two Go and Do Good hotels in #charleston and prepping for a massive treehouse build on Trinity Farm. . . #goodvibes #goodnews #travelfamily #travelgram #consciousness #conscioustravel #traveltheworld #namechange #smallbusinessmom #good
