Welcome to Week 7 of our Summer of Stories series! This Summer we have been featuring stories of incredible moms that have endured significant challenges. Through these stories, we pray you will remember that God is faithful and always with you through life’s most challenging moments.  In this week’s story, you will hear from the delightful, creative and intentional Erin Burchik. She is a family friend and I have long-admired her approach to parenting. She desperately wants to enjoy each of her kids and embrace the “good ole days” of kids in the home. She will share how traveling and taking trips became a passion of hers. And she will share some super practical ways to make trips doable and affordable when you’re on a budget. Before we get to the scoop on traveling for less, she shares her story about becoming a mom. Through many trials and some devastating financial loss, Erin has fought through doubt and frustration with God. She felt called to adopt and then it didn’t go as smoothly as she had hoped. It’s so fun to see her on the other side of this battle and see the family that God designed from the very beginning.  My favorite part is when she explains the WHY behind their family adventures. She’s not traveling to flex on Instagram or show off or waste money. She’s traveling because she wants to create memories with her kids, to carve out time to adventure together and to get out of their comfort zone. I love her approach! In this episode, we discuss: Erin’s journey to motherhood - foster care and adoptionHow to find community with other adopted familiesHow to exchange gifts for experiences at ChristmasHow to find creative ways to do big trips on a little budget Enjoy!! Courtney Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 04:02 The Journey of Adoption 08:57 Building a Supportive Community 18:13 Creating Lasting Memories 20:05 Santa Bringing Christmas Trips 22:10 Maximizing Credit Card Points 25:29 Saving Thousands on Family Trips 28:21 Benefits of Traveling with Kids 30:15 Building Independence and Confidence 33:31 Enjoying Motherhood and Savoring the Moments Connect with Pardon The Mess: Christian Parenting Pardon The Mess  Courtney DeFeo Get your 2024-2025 prayer journal, A Life of Faith Resources from today’s show: StrongHeart Erin’s Instagram Erin’s travel site - Points For Families Erin’s book - Animals of the Nativity Erin’s book - The Bear Hug TBRI for families that have adopted Pardon the Mess is part of The Christian Parenting Podcast Network. As a donor funded ministry, we rely on generous supporters like you to keep this show going. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider giving a gift today. Join the Christian Parenting Legacy Builders community Our Sponsors: * Check out FamilyAlbum: family-album.com * Check out Seed and use my code 25MESS for a great deal: seed.com * Check out Seed and use my code 25MESS for a great deal: seed.com Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy