Excitement is high these days and the questions are endless:

“Mom, is it now only three days till we travel to Ohio? Mom, Will I get to sleep with Aunt Mary? Mom, may I pack my bags?”

Traveling has been something I’ve enjoyed since I was a young girl. Being a mom and packing for eight adds a rich dimension.

Yes, I love it, though I won’t deny that there are also challenges strewn among the blessings!

With each trip, I keep learning little things that make things flow a bit more smoothly.

While I used to go for the prettiest bags and purses, most of our clothes get stacked in totes. Yes, a plain old Rubber-Maid tote gets tugged from one room to the next as I place each person’s clothes in it, ready to be put in drawers when we reach Grandpa and Grandma’s house.

The children enjoy helping with their clothes. Why this morning when I opened Hosanna’s clothes drawer I took the second and third look. Her clothes were all gone besides some socks, and most of those didn’t even have a pair.

Hearing me remark about it, Hosanna said, “Yes, I was packing my bags, I put everything else in my bag.”

I’m finding that having little helpers does eventually, pay off; Julia does super with her clothes and helping with the little ones’ clothes after I’ve sorted through, looking for stains, snags, and missing buttons.

Using a Walmart gift card a friend had given, I bought a double-rod clothes rack to hang on the shirts and dresses ready to go, which has helped a lot to keep organized.

Time and again I’ve found those last hours to be quite intense. Seemingly the only way to keep things flowing is working, but especially thinking, ahead.

Then I think of the words by my soft-spoken aunt who had nine children. On some occasions, she simply told her children, “For right now, don’t say ‘mom’ more often than you need to.”

Little steps of prep go a long way in our home. Julia does excellent with helping me make lists of things to take along, she as organizer at heart. Her patient character more naturally couples with organization than mine.

We have found that if we remember to give the children motion sickness pills before leaving for a trip, things flow so much more smoothly! Taking their little purses or backpacks with treasures to play with during the six-hour drive is of utmost importance to them.

Elijah, our little ball player, will clutch his favorite ball for hours on end. Guessing games are popular, so is counting, singing, taking turns to tell stories, snacking (of course a favorite), then there are those rare quiet times, when several of the children happen to sleep at the same time.

About halfway there, the endless question begins to pop up, “When will we get there?”

I have found that simple answers telling how many hours, even to the ones too young to grasp time, has a way of satisfying them. A highlight for each of them is our halfway mark, the arch between by the state line, going from Indiana to Ohio and its sign, “Welcome to Ohio.”

There are giggles of delight and chants of, “We are in Ohio now!”

Today I’ll be sharing my overnight french toast recipe I’m using for breakfast for our guests in the morning. I made it this morning and stuck it in the fridge, now all I need to do is stick it in the oven in the morning and serve it with homemade sausages!

This can be enjoyed plain, or eaten “Daniel style” with a dab of peanut butter, a generous helping of maple syrup, some fruit filling and a dollop of whipped topping.

Classic Oven-Baked French Toast

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

• ½ cup butter

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 12 slices bread

• 5 eggs

• 1 1/2 cup milk

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (opt)

Instructions: Mix first three ingredients together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then pour into the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch cake pan. Place slices of bread over brown sugar mixture. Now beat up the eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt and pour over bread. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. This may be made the day before and refrigerated overnight. The next morning bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until egg mixture is set. If desired, cut in squares and invert. Yummy!

Serves 10-12.

Gloria Yoder is an Amish mom, writer, and homemaker in rural Illinois. Readers can write to Gloria at 10510 E. 350th Ave., Flat Rock, IL 62427.