My parents are coming in this afternoon so we can pack up their car. We head out to the beach tomorrow. Husband is staying home so it's me, my parents and my 3 very lively boys for 2.5 days in the car both ways. Yikes. I wish I could be strapped to the top of the car, but that would be the easy way out.
Today I pack. I packed all the clothes on Monday--laundry day--so today I just need to gather toys, life jackets, tooth brushes, etc. I will make a very wonderful list in a bit.
I had a wonderful quiet time this morning. The Lord reminded me that in this day, my job is to be pleasant, loving and kind to my kids. My house can be a bit dirty when my parents get here. The boys can watch more TV than normal. My attitude is more important than the rules I try so hard to follow. Who made those rules anyway?
This trip isn't a vacation for me. It's a chance to explore a really beautiful part of God's creation with my boys. It's time for them to share experiences with my parents. That's a blessing. Will it be easy on me? No but I can decide to not expect perfection. I can choose to smile and roll with the punches.
I look back at hairless generic Barbie and imagine maybe she wanted a haircut. Perhaps she was tired of her glorious locks. Today I am going to work at letting go of control of every detail of my day and look for moments to laugh, love and enjoy my family.
