Vacation Planning

I love planning.  I could think and dream and research and plan all day.  Unfortunately, it doesn't do me any good unless I get up and actually do something.  (sigh)

Alec is graduating from Army basic training, and evidently, it's a big deal.  So we decided that we would go.  All of us.  We'd drive for, maybe forever, in our big white van towing our tent trailer.  And we'd eat fun travel food and play fun family games and never get upset with each other and have no potty accidents and see the country and make great family memories.  What a great plan.

I like the planning, but the actual prep work is so not my favorite.  NOT.  AT.  ALL.  It makes me grumpy on a good day, and nearly unbearable by the end of a bad one.  It's a fault of mine, I know.  So I worked really hard - prayed lots, took lots of deep breaths - to not get stressed out about this one.  Challenging, because besides just getting kids on a trip (doing laundry, finding luggage, making sure that everyone is packed), I always want to leave our house presentable (cleaning!  Yes!).  And our critters need to be cared for while we're gone (finish building the chicken feeder, hiring a neighbor girl, making an egg-collection door into the nesting box).  Add in the family reunion (lunch for 50, a presentation in the family genealogy program), and the details of camping (coolers, food, bedding, cooking utensils), and you get a perfect storm of stress for the mom-person.  Oh yeah, and the man had to work overtime the week before we left, so he couldn't help.  Yikes.

So I made lists.  That way, I could 1) not forget anything, 2) feel some sense of accomplishment as I crossed items off the list, and 3) I could give lists to the older boys and they could help.  They were a great help, and we made it on our way without any meltdowns.  No big ones, anyway.  :-)

It actually looks like this on our trip.  Blue skies, puffy clouds, unending ribbons of road.  Maybe one day I'll figure out how to get pictures off my camera.

We started the trip by going on a family reunion.  Two nights and two days of hanging out with some of the neatest people on the planet.  I loved it.  The only drawback was that the kids didn't get to play on the lake.  They rented waverunners, and my boys were so excited... but it didn't work out.  Major bummer.  We'll have to rent some when we have some time with Alec.  That will be fun.

As we finally got off and driving, we had plenty of time to think.  I thought of my lists and felt satisfied that I got most of the biggest things done.  I think.