There are a few fav parts that stand out in my mind.
One was being able to relax.
Totally relax.
And do so, without feeling guilty for it.
When the kiddos went down for nap, sometimes we did too! And as I would lay there on that couch, I didn't think about laundry, or work emails, or making my bed (shh, secret -- we never made our bed on vacay, not once!!).
Sometimes we read or just aimlessly surfed the channels.
That was one favorite part.
The ocean / beach was another favorite part. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the beach. It defines beauty. And when I stare out into the horizon, that seems to drop off beyond the last drop of ocean, I am quickly reminded of God's magnitude. How cool that He made something like that for us to enjoy. It's all just so huge (for lack of a better word).
Then there is the pure lack of schedule. Oh sure, we still kept a naptime, and a bedtime....but we left in the morning when we wanted to head on down the beach, and came back when the kids' tummies were growling, or when I felt they had had enough sun (PS these kids were coated w/ 45 SPF & 1/2 the time I even made them wear a shirt). There was no rush to get out the door first thing in the morning & we let fun dictate our whereabouts & whenabouts (is that a word?).
Also, things that stand out in my mind are when Flynn asked to swim in the kitty-cat pool (her take on Kiddie Pool), and when Gabe stood in awe at the advertising planes that flew over.
When we go through great pains (like a 14.5 hour car trip) for family fun, I keep in the corner of my mind, how they'll remember this. Yes, they're small; but, I have memories of a trip 'out west' that the Simpsons took when I was almost 4. I have so many flashbacks of that (one is being horribly car sick in our '78 emerald FORD van). But I also remember Sea World & a Penguin character who stood behind me while my mom was taking a picture....and he removed my sailor hat which was very offensive to me at the time (I went through some kind of obsession with wearing a sailor hat, don't ask). I was a weird kid with a very active imagination & an imaginary friend named Sherri (she passed us on our trip, her family drove a wood-paneled station wagon).
My mom thinks we run the roads too much. I think that I'll always do what I can to give these sheltered kids some life lessons & rich experiences. Some times that means the beach 12 hours away. Some times that would mean taking them to see Shrek 3 (which we plan to do today after nap). Soon, I'll be working full time again, and our time & energy will be limited to preparations for the following day. I want to squeeze every drop out of life. On our trip, I was reading a magazine with advice from seasoned moms. One said, "The day is long but there years are short." It's so true. Even in my 4 short years of being a mom, I've seen that as truth.
Bubs was all too thrilled to be getting to eat fig newtons for breakfast.
It even made him do the chicken dance.
THIS picture reminds me what a baby he still is (even tho he TURNS TWO TOMORROW!!)
This is what I saw when I opened my eyes that morning.
Everybody's happy to sleep in a tent.
Even when you don't get to ever sleep becuz there are about 
The great thing about camping is getting to wade in creeks.
and throw sand.
And swing.
