Eight years of Macie.

Happy 8th Birthday, Macie

Our girl is eight!

On September 29th, we celebrated Macie with exactly the kind of birthday she wanted.

A princess birthday.

After spending four months traveling around the country and then coming home for a short break, it was pretty special to slow down and celebrate our girl before everything gets packed back into the motorhome again.

And somehow, in just four days, we'll be back on the road.

Macie started this adventure as a seven-year-old.

She'll continue it as an eight-year-old.

And when I think about how much I've watched her grow just since we left home, that feels pretty special.

Watching Her Confidence Grow

One of my favorite things about watching Macie this year has been seeing her confidence grow.

Paddleboarding has probably been the best example.

Somewhere along this trip, she discovered that she absolutely loves it.

Every chance she gets, she wants to be back on the board.

She'll paddle farther out, turn around, and look toward shore to make sure we're watching her.

“Mom! Watch me!”

And of course, I'm watching.

At first I thought I was just watching her get better at paddleboarding.

But over time, I realized I was watching something bigger.

I was watching her become more confident in herself.

She's becoming more willing to try.

More independent.

More comfortable doing things on her own.

And so proud when she realizes she can do something she wasn't sure about before.

That's been one of my favorite changes to watch during this trip.

Our Helper

Macie also has such a natural desire to help.

We've seen it over and over when friends and family have joined us on the road.

When younger kids are around, she immediately wants to help take care of them.

She's the babysitter.

The helper.

The one checking on everybody.

Sometimes maybe a little more than they actually asked for.

But that's Macie.

She loves people.

She loves being involved.

And she has such a caring heart.

With two brothers, she also holds her own pretty well.

She hikes.

Explores.

Swims.

Paddleboards.

Gets dirty.

Deals with long travel days.

And then, apparently, comes home and requests a full princess birthday.

Honestly, that combination feels pretty fitting for her.

She can spend the day exploring outside and still absolutely love being our princess.

Seven Was a Pretty Big Year

When I think about everything she did while she was seven, it's kind of crazy.

She stood at the Grand Canyon.

Explored Zion.

Walked among the hoodoos at Bryce.

Climbed around the red rocks of Arches.

Hiked in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Explored the lakes beneath the Tetons.

Grunted at bison in Yellowstone.

Paddleboarded across beautiful mountain lakes.

Explored Glacier.

Lived in a motorhome with her parents and two brothers for four months.

Made new campgrounds feel like home.

Saw friends and family meet us all over the country.

And through all of it, she grew.

Not just physically.

She became more confident in who she is.

That's probably the thing I'll remember most about seven.

Now She's Eight

And now we get to see what eight brings.

We're home right now, surrounded by the people we love, celebrating birthdays, catching up, resetting, and enjoying a little bit of normal life.

But the motorhome won't stay parked much longer.

In four days, we're leaving again.

There are more national parks ahead.

More states.

More hikes.

More lakes.

More campgrounds.

More Junior Ranger badges.

More things that probably won't go according to plan.

And hopefully plenty more places for Macie to pull out her paddleboard.

There's something pretty special about realizing our kids are actually growing up during this trip.

This isn't just a year when we're taking them places.

It's a year of their childhood.

Hudson is growing.

Lincoln is growing.

And our seven-year-old girl who left home with us in May is now eight.

Someday, when we look back at this year, we'll remember where we traveled.

But I also want to remember who our kids were while we were traveling.

And right now, at eight, Macie is sweet.

Funny.

Helpful.

Independent.

A little sassy.

Growing in confidence.

Always ready to help.

Still very much a princess.

And becoming more and more herself.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl

Macie, I hope you always know how much we love watching you grow.

I hope you keep trying new things.

Keep helping people.

Keep laughing.

Keep finding the things you love.

Keep becoming more confident in yourself.

And most importantly, keep growing into exactly who God created you to be.

Seven gave us some pretty incredible memories.

Now it's time to see what eight brings.

Happy 8th birthday, Macie.

We love you more than you know.

And in four days...

the adventure continues.

-Kayla