Heading Out for Vacation (Kind of)

My children are Bible Quizzers (a whole other post) and they have made Nationals (think Superbowl).

Tyler and Andrew "FLORIDA 2"

 So our family will be loading up the car with suitcases and kids Friday morning and heading to St. Charles, Missouri (a 16 hour drive according to Google maps) for a week of intense competition with other Bible Quizzing teams from around North America.

Delaney and Christina "FLORIDA 3"

Getting a family of 5 ready for a 2 day road trip and a 5 day hotel stay followed by another 2 day road trip home is no small undertaking. It takes planning, preparation, and lots and lots of lists.




I have lists of errands I need to run.

I have lists of foods I need to make, pack, and buy.

I have lists of chores I need to accomplish before we leave.

I have packing lists for clothes and toiletries.

I was thinking about making a list of the lists that I need to make (and I guess I just did that) but I thought that might be a little much!

These lists are what help to keep me sane! They help me to not forget that the boys need dress shoes and that I need pajamas! They also allow me to not be a crazy woman (crazier woman)  for days wondering and worrying that I will forget something.

Packing and getting ready for a trip while stressful and a little overwhelming is just one more of the things in my life that I am SLOWLY learning to appreciate. Because I know that way sooner than I am ready our family of 5 will be headed out for our very first vacation as a family of 4 and then probably not long after that we will be down to just 3. I of course dream of huge vacations with my children's spouses and children all coming along but I know that even then it will not be the same! Someone else will be making the cookies and packing up the cars and telling Mom that she doesn't need to do everything. And my heart will break a little.

So this week, I will make my lists, pack the bags, cook the food, map out the route, do the laundry, AND ENJOY EVERY SINGLE MINUTE!