Road Trippin'

 There’s nothing like a road trip to keep ya on your toes about life.  Recently, my younger sister and her husband welcomed a sweet baby boy to their home in Kansas.  This aunt couldn’t wait to meet the little cutie and my boys were beyond excited to have a new baby cousin, so I quickly decided a road trip was a must-do.  I realized (A) would not be able to join us since we would be gone over a Sunday, and at 31 weeks pregnant, a 12 hr round trip drive with a 5 and 1 year old might be hairy, so the boys and I were thrilled when my youngest sister, their “Kayda”, agreed to join us (of course she really went because she was dying to meet her newest nephew). 

 

(A) arrived at school on Friday afternoon with a car full of excited travelers to swap me out for his empty vehicle.  Before we even left the parking lot we had both excitement about discovering there were snack bags and devastation because the toy bag had been forgotten.  I had worked through my lunch break that day and the boys had slept through theirs, so we hit up a drive through about 20 minutes down the road for a late afternoon pick-me-up.  As Kayda was looking at the menu deciding what to order (a) piped up loudly from the backseat “Order Kayda a salad!”  At that point, she and I were trying so hard to suppress our laughter that we couldn’t manage to get the words out to order anything.  But I made a mental note that we have a lot of work to do when it comes to learning what to say or not say to build the confidence of the women around you- especially when they are already thin and gorgeous.

 

I hadn’t realized JUST how little traveling we had done in the last year or so until the excitement of a hotel kicked in.  EVERY hotel we passed along the interstate through St. Louis, Kansas City, and all of their suburbs, (a) wanted to know if THAT was our hotel.  No matter how many times we assured him we would let him know when we arrived, he still kept asking.  He has stayed in several, but it has been quite a while and Kayda and I shared a lot of giggles over their hotel excitement.  When we did arrive you would have thought that Hampton Inn was the most luxury hotel on the planet for all the awe and wonder over pushing elevator buttons, counting numbers to find our room, having a fridge and coffeemaker in our room, looking out the third floor windows at the parking lot and businesses across the street, eating hotel breakfast, and swimming in the indoor pool.  Looking at that adventure through the eyes of my little boys was a perspective check for me- things I so easily take for granted were beyond exciting for them.

Hotel breakfast and indoor swimming were BIG highlights of the trip for little guys

We shared a wonderful visit with my sister’s family, and of course the little guy we went to meet is even cuter in person than the pictures we have seen.  The boys were head over heels for him, and it was sweet when we arrived home that despite the excitement over all the hotel things, (a) was quick to tell his daddy that meeting baby (d) was the BEST part of our trip. 

 

The road trip reminded me of a few other things as well- toddlers are the messiest car seat eaters on the planet (go away COVID so we can fast food dine-in again), don’t forget the toy bag, listening to (b) sing to his chicken nuggets is hilarious (and a memory we will have to share to embarrass him as a teenager) always buy the 28 pack of beef sticks instead of the 14, playing I-spy while driving down the road is HARD, taking our Kayda along was the BEST idea ever, and NEVER take for granted one minute of the adventure of a family road trip.   

 

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalms 16:11