Just Call Me "Bag Lady"

     If you've ever traveled with children, you know that it's not a simple task of throwing your things in a suitcase and getting out of Dodge. Before we had kids, that's exactly what I did. Everything we needed - clothes, toiletries, shoes - it all went into one suitcase, usually the night before the trip. Now, it's a multiple day and multiple bag process.

     To start with, there's the clothes bags. The suitcase for me and hubby and then the suitcase for the kids to share. But that's not all, there's also the garment bag for all the dress shirts, coats (thank goodness we won't need those much longer!), scarves, and ties. Then there are the suits that we hang in the back of the van (GASP! They're not in a bag!) because they will wrinkle in the garment bag.

     Next, there's the toiletry bag. Not much explanation needed there. It holds toiletries. Well, also my hairdryer and curling iron, the medicine bag, and my sour patch kid's bows. Which are in a little bag of their own, I must add.

     Then, we have the shoe bag. Yes, we have to have a bag just for shoes. When you have to bring church shoes (which for me means several pairs) and day shoes (also means I need several pairs) for four people, that adds up to a lot of shoes. So we have a shoe bag, which now that I think of it, broke on our last trip. Guess, I need to get another bag. 😊

     Moving on, there's also the Bible bag. This I picked up from when I was younger and my family was on deputation. There were eight of us, so we needed a bag for all the Bibles. Now, there are only two of us that have a Bible at the moment, but the Bible bag also holds any music books, devotionals, sermons, and notebooks that may be needed during the trip.

     Then, there are the multiple bags that one must have simply because they have children. The toy bag, pretty self explanatory. The activity bag that holds flashcards, stickers, and other miscellaneous things to entertain a two year old in a car or hotel room. The pac-n-play, which is in a bag, and the toddler cot, which also is transported in a bag, and the diaper bags. Yes, that is plural. The kids aren't always in the same nursery, so they each have a small backpack. Then there's a third, larger diaper bag that holds all the extra diapers and pull-ups that will be needed on the trip.  And, then the snack bag. Okay, if I'm being honest, there was a snack bag before there were children. You just can't travel without plenty of snack options.

     Lastly, there's the laptop bag and the deputation bags, which hold our display table items, prayer cards, and banner.
 

     If you include my purse in the count, that makes a grand total of twenty bags! Sometimes I feel like this when I walk into a church.

     Well, we're leaving on a trip in a couple of days so I need to go pack my bags. How many bags does it take you to get out of Dodge?