Vacation - Part 2 - 5 Boys and 1 Girl Make 6

We are home. For 2 days now we have dusted the sand from our sandals and tucked them away for 70 degree temperatures (that are hopefully in our future). I have sifted through the vacation images smiling at the beautiful place we were able to stay for 10 days. My husband and I were never big vacationers. In fact 3 days into trips it would not be abnormal for us to say we were ready to abort the rest of the vacation and go home. That has changed. I guess it is the whole seize the moment. I have become much more content where I am, no matter where that might be. So as it feels great to be home, I was so comfortable where we were. I like that.

As I look over the images from my trip certain things stick out. Moments of frustration with each other and then magnificent sunsets where I watched my kids run up and down the beach as silhouettes. I know the crazy frustrations will soon be a distant memory because who needs to remember who brushed who in the line for Splash Mountain or the fact that we remain the meanest parents in the world because we choose to go on this ride instead of that one. Those memories will be filled with the good stuff. How it felt to get off the plane and be smacked in the face with warm weather and the afternoons at the pool with a margarita in our hand. And Disney…..Disney.

I guess that is how we cope with the good and bad that comes with raising kids. Vacations remind you how difficult it is to keep 6 little bodies happy in the “Happiest Place on Earth”! But because of the way we compartmenalize those memories we continue to go back. I think that is ok.

Right now my heart is bursting with gratitude for a week with my Dad, my sister and my family. We don’t take many weeks off like that and my brain was able to reboot with new ideas and a fresh perspective on spring. I told my husband I spent a good 10 days with no anxiety. No worries of right or wrong. It felt good. As we were unpacking and I was getting caught up on work I turned to him and said it is back. He looked at me like I was crazy and I said, “The anxiety, it is back.” He laughed because he knows that is how I thrive. I think there are good and bad things that push us. Anxiety is one for me. It drives me to keep moving.