Never Ever Dull
With every conversation, I always seem to end with "Never a dull moment"....our lives are rich, complex, and beautiful stories. Join me in laughing about everyday things and appreciating life-bumpy roads and all.
Ok, I confess. We arrived home from the big family beach trip today. I retrieved my puppy from his doggie hotel and crawled to a spot on our comfy sofa. I'm exhausted from a week of vacation. How does that happen? I thought vacations were meant for relaxation and renewal! I think many can relate to this. There's huge anticipation for an upcoming trip: loads of laundry and packing, purchasing the extras, planning meals and outings, figuring out who will be taking care of the dog, turtles, plants, mail, trash, etc. Then, it's time to hit the road. For us, we road trip in the Tank, sitting side by side in neat rows. Blankets and pillows for the ones who wish to sleep or need protection from the crazy kid who is controlling the a/c (I promise that I think I've seen icicles in our car!). A/C always wins, those who oppose bundle up in their blankets and leave a peep hole for breathing. Then, there's the kid who is like the Music Police-he flips stations whenever there is a commercial or any kind of chatter, selecting tunes that fit only the tastes of the Music Police. Beware if you're the one smacking chewing gum...you might have the wrath of the Oldest's glare. And there's one kid who has a gigantic sneeze. That's always a bit earth-shattering and a bit surprising. I remember one trip in which the giant sneeze occurred and one child innocently said, "It's raining!" Ugh. This past week as we headed to the Outer Banks, we came to a stand still and ended up turning off the car. We couldn't get out because we were in the swamp section with traffic signs warning drivers: "Beware of black bears next 15 miles". Oh, great. We sat there...a...long...time. That's when the Blonde started into sharing all the Camp Cheerio songs she's learned as a staffer. Fine. There were at least a hundred chants, songs, etc. We all quickly grew tired of hearing about the bushy brown squirrel and how he wiggled his big bushy brown tail. Then the Oldest showed KazKid how to upload an app, 5-0 Radio. It reminds me of the days when my parents would pull out their CB radio to get the police reports. We listen, decipher the codes, and determine what is going on up ahead to cause us to sit in this gigantic traffic jam. That got kind of boring so the Oldest suggests we switch and listen to police reports in another city...like Chicago. Amazing stuff happening over there in Chicago. We listen intently. I decide to not to move to Chicago any time soon. The traffic begins to move. Windows go back up. A/C is cranked again. Blankets and barricades buffer the arctic blasts. We drive until we almost drop off the barrier islands and stop. We're ready to "officially" begin the big family beach vacation. Actually, our vacation started when we drove out of our neighborhood. Vacations aren't simply about the destination or the entertainment. The key to making the greatest vacation ever is simple: making memories. So, no matter if we have to pack like we're going off to Alaska as we head to the beach or if it takes double the time to reach our destination, it's about making memories that last forever and simply enjoying each other in creating them.
1 Comment
Lee
7/18/2015 11:45:13 am
Love you! The best read ever!
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AuthorFun-loving mom to 4 kids and 1 big puppy. Fifth grade teacher of amazing little people who have never ending things to share with me. Love to discuss Jesus, diy projects, and life. Trying to keep it simple: Love Jesus, love people. Archives
December 2021
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