California With Littles: A Trip We Didn’t Expect but Truly Needed

April 30, 2025

Our trip to California wasn’t planned.In fact — we booked the flights the night before.

A family emergency put a loved one in the hospital, and within hours we were packing bags, making arrangements, and preparing to fly cross-country with the kids.

It was emotional, overwhelming, and fast — but looking back, I can see God all over it.

The Reality of Last-Minute Travel With Littles

We navigated:

• Changing schedules

• Airport chaos

• Rentals

• Logistics of a flight with three kids

• Car Seat "trains"

• Quick thinking and packing

• Reporting absenses

• Dog sitter

• Uncertainty and emotions

And yet, the kids handled it better than I could’ve asked for. Their flexibility reminded me how resilient children truly are.

Finding Peace in the Midst of Stress

Even in the heaviness of the situation, we experienced:

• Teamwork within our family

• Details falling into place

• Family offering a place to stay

• Smooth transitions from dropoff to security to gate

What truly was a jumble of details seemed like keystrokes - as if God was laying down the steps right as we were obeying them.