Ok, I’ve been home for almost a full week and if I tried to tell you everything about my 13 days, this blog would never end. So instead I’m writing a one sentence (ok, who am I kidding 2 sentence, maybe 3..) highlight from each day. This is my trip in a snapshot.
Oh and for those of you who are wanting to know, no I did not make it through the trip without making a single negative comment. Ugh! Here I go again 
Day 1
So Oklahoma, Kansas, and Southern Nebraska could be seen as boring, not much to see type of places (I mean…umm), unless you are with great friends who will stop at things like the WORLDS BIGGEST BALL OF TWINE or rent a quad bike just for fun. What a great way to kick off the trip.
Day 2
There was a Buffalo Bill show done in miniatures, need I say more?
Day 3
If I’m being honest, I thought seeing these guy’s faces carved into a mountain was going to be the most boring thing I did. Sorry, I’m just trying to tell the truth! But it was actually pretty cool, even though none of the kids would listen to my cool history facts along the way…
Day 4
Headed to the Indian Reservation was pretty frightening as we were all filled with Stereotypes (yes, sad but true, we all have them), jitters, and fears…
Day 5
Ok, watching the locals set up a teepee has to be one of the coolest things ever. I didn’t sleep in it, because well…I don’t like bugs, but it was cool just the same. Maybe the best part of this trip was seeing how this incredible group of people have held onto tradition in so many ways. We saw several teepees throughout the week and all of my kids slept in it.
Day 6
Day 2 of the VBS for the reservation kids was by far the biggest beating emotionally. The kids would walk there themselves (of all ages) and when they were tired of what we were doing, they would leave. Many of them had difficult home lives and it just felt like we weren’t sure what good we were doing. But after a long and stressful day, this sky awaited us hand painted by the creator, and all was right in the world.
Day 7
Seriously, one of the hardest parts about the trip was keeping my kids from snuggling this mangey puppy that we lovingly called Lone Ranger which later morphed into Lone Manger or Little Manger.
Day 8
This day was made interesting when I fell (literally on top of this poor kid) rolled over him and had to lift myself off of him. I tore something in my hand and this was my makeshift room in the ER. The nurse literally walked me into another room where an INMATE was being held (that’s right, and INMATE) to help her get some equipment to bring to this overflow room.
Day 9
My favorite day of the trip by far. Little Big Horn Canyon. Amazing! We came, we saw, we swam, we awed.
Day 10
This was our last day on the res. We had learned so much about these people and fallen in love with the children. We all loved their Indian names- Little Light, Plays with Toys, Yellow Bird, Beautiful Necklace, Cactus- it is such a cool culture in many ways. We had made some new friends (hope we see some of them again) and now it was time to say goodbye. This is the amazing and unexpected treat to mission trips, the relationships you form, the bonding that is done.
Day 11
I loved that I got to experience Yellowstone with my kids. Seriously, is this not beautiful? My son almost had a geyser named after him when he fell off the path, but let’s not talk about that.
Day 12
Creepiest thing we did on the trip, the frontier prison museum. I still have the heebie jeabies…
Day 13
Yes everything is bigger and better in Texas. Even if they 103 degree temps hit us like the dishwasher being opened on the drying cycle (you know, how it steams up your glasses), it was good to be home!
My Outlandish Life 