The term vacation conjures up many images. Relaxing, time off from consuming duties, Disneyland, etc., and certainly there are different kinds. This last week taught me a little bit about what a vacation really is.
Being 5 1/2 months pregnant it was with more than a little trepidation that I began an 8 1/2 day trip as the sole parent with four busy offspring in tow, traveling thousands of miles via airplane with a stop each way.
Destination: visiting the maternal grandparents.
Description: loving grandparents with kid-friendly toys, but unaccustomed to loud noises, nighttime crying, kids swinging from chandeliers, and never-ending crumbs with any kind of food. I was envisioning the need for a vacation when I returned home!
The Facts: prayers and the priesthood are real. We had some beautiful blessings before we left and a sweet father/husband that prayed hard while we were away. The traveling could not have gone smoother, my three older children could not have been more helpful, the people around us more kind, and I could not have possibly been blessed with more patience or strength than I had. Halfway through the trip I was taking a few quiet minutes to myself before retiring one night and I realized how relaxed I felt and what a REAL vacation we were having!!! I had been freed from being the mommy taxi driver, meal preparer, dish washer, the phone never rang for me, I couldn't perform needed household duties and I was free to just be with my sweet children! It was delightful to play some games, take time reading stories at night, sit together, chat together, visit fun Cincinnati sites together, and we got to be with loving, fun extended family in the bargain. It was fantastic and twenty four hours after returning home I'm still not ready to end the wonderful feeling of just enjoying my family full-time.
On the Homefront: can it possibly be a vacation if you are working like crazy? Maybe, if you are Tyler and thus a work horse. He got a vacation from his wife's "to do" list and got to work on his own large project list for once. He took down all the child-proof locks and gates and loved being barrier-free for a week. He hosted a couple gatherings with work friends, watched a little bit of TV, read a little, went to the temple, worked a lot more...I hope he had a great time. I hope that his words on the second day we were gone stayed true the duration of our trip. He said, "Suzy, this is so much fun!!!" He was happy to pick us all up and eager to bike ride with the girls, hang up a repaired airplane for Jacob, and was astounded at how big Drew had grown.
What a success. Step aside, Disneyland! We may do this again in a couple of years. But next time, I think we'll take our dad along. We sure missed him a lot. Following are pictures and about a thousand words.
I'm not a fan of the movie Forrest Gump, but I have always loved the line that goes something to the effect of "everywhere I was going I was RUNNING!" I think it often as I see Drew. A family member asked me last week if Drew ever walks. This individual had only ever seen him run, and that with a bounce in his step. And he did lots of it. Grandpa likes to be on the go and go we did: the children's museum, EnterTRAINment, back to the museum center for a dinosaur exhibit and more children's museum fun, biking on the bike trail, searching a field for fossils, the Cincinnati Zoo...have I forgotten anything? Drew "walked" wherever he went. The beauty of it is at some point he stops. Traveling both ways, our first flight was the longest. Then Drew would run from one plane to the next, get all worn out, and sleep on flight #2. It was beautiful!
This is part of the Cousin Michael Fan Club. He's a talented guy, about to enter a top school for musical performance. He sings, plays the harmonica, piano, and does it with two children hovering around him. Thanks, "Piano Man"! The fan club did get an autographed senior picture and a CD of his music that almost wore out before we even made it home.
One of the wonderful things that I love about our family is that my kids bond with their cousins of all ages. There may be a quarter of a century between them, but Drew loved being Craig's sidekick for an evening.
While I shopped my favorite second-hand store, the girls were busy in Christine's backyard making a fun fort.
The Easter Bunny not only left treats at our home early (hiding them so well that not everything was found -- and a good deal of untimely moisture made the leftovers good and soggy, but Daisy enjoyed those), he also left lots for us at our cousins' house, too!
Everybody loves Maycee!!! She's our newly pseudo-adopted cousin and after a couple hours of fun the kids think she's a keeper.
I love this shoe shot. After tucking everyone in one night I went upstairs to tidy up a bit. As I lined up all the shoes my heart was so full of love for the little and not-so-little bodies and feet that fill them during the busy daytime hours. I love my four children, I love our new baby on the way, and I love the wonderful role of motherhood. And I'm thankful for the vacation that helped me to remember that all over again.
Over the last year or so craigslist and the ksl classifieds have brought many new things into our house: night vision, a bike trailer, a chainsaw, a bed for Jacob, nightstands for the master bedroom, a dollhouse/bookcase for the girls, a sofa table, a bookshelf for the basement, and now...new family room furniture!!! We were thrilled to finally find and get to this set before it sold. It looks great and as the pictures will attest has promoted some serious family bonding time. Out of the four pieces we got there is definitely a favorite -- the chair & ottoman. I'm so glad we could find all the pieces that we wanted used & at a great price. Hooray for new furniture & our new favorite chair!!!
