Months of Planning Finally Coming Together!

During the summer of 2014 as I sat by the pool at swim team practice it dawned on me- My kids are growing up so quickly and our "free time" with everyone is limited.  In a blink of an eye we would have the kids' summer jobs, high school commitments, college and then they would be out of the house.  Our time where we could be together and have a true summer- relaxing at the lake, exploring parts of our own USA that we have never seen, playing with cousins and friends from afar that we do not see on a regular basis and just be together was NOW!  Really- NOW or NEVER!  

Making this decision was easy.  Convincing everyone that taking a break from swim team, travel baseball and status quo life in our comfortable hometown was another story.  As far as I am concerned- It's ok for my 13 year old son to not play baseball for 2.5 months.  It's ok for my 6, 8 and 10 year olds to miss their "up year" of swimming.  None of them are going to be professional athletes.  We do team sports to learn sportsmanship and working as a team, stay fit and interact with people.  The life skill learning I see ahead for our trip is plentiful.  My goal of raising "good people" will be further enriched with this trip.

So, once the "convincing" (really of my husband who fears for his family being in a car and traveling across the country) was done then came the planning.  Thanks to Pinterest, GoogleMaps, AAA TripTik, TripAdvisor, advice from friends and family and countless hours searching- the schedule is coming together!  Not only am I planning a 2 month trip for a family of 6- but I need to take into account the dog, making sure extended family gets time with us, my husband's work schedule and arranging with him to work bicoastal, making flight arrangements for the 13 year old to return for a mandatory Boy Scout event and shifting all of the moving pieces that come along with it.  I know it is worth it.  I know there will be ups and downs.  I know I will have to say (or yell) "STOP FIGHTING!" after we all have spent too many hours in the car together.  I know my kids will not be eating the healthiest options that I would prefer.  I know we will miss our comforts of home.  But as our fearless elementary school principal would say, "It's about using the life skill of flexibility!"  And with using that life skill, my kids and our family unit will be enriched beyond imagination with life skills and memories to hold onto forever.