We took the kids to Utah for one last SHA-BANG...before school started. We drove all the way to Park City, and I tell ya what, "By far the best purchase of the day was the $8, new Miley Cyrus CD." We blasted that thing most of the drive, never tiring of the beat or the lyrics. Nope, we just, "Nodded our heads like, "Yeah!" Moved our hips like, "Yeah!" Track 2, the trip theme song FO SHO!
So, we did lots of fun stuff.
We basked in the beauty of Park City.
Raced down the mountain side on a sled, screaming through trees and belly laughing the entire way.
We strolled the ever eclectic main street, ate too much delicious food, swam in the hotel pool, napped, and visited with some of the Logan Ladies.
The talented and lovely Miss Steph and Angie B. of Whimsy Pix took our family photos, and Em helped out by dancing and acting down right out of control, making us laugh hysterically. Afterwards, shy guy Owen kept telling Robert, "I love Aunt Emily."
We also spent a day in Lagoon. The weather was over cast and perfect. We rode the rides all day long until the kids were asking US when we were leaving. Wow! Now that was a first. They were EXHAUSTED!
So, I had a few MOMENTS on the trip. You know, moments when you step back and realize, this is MY life, I am the parent of these kids, and they're pretty amazing (most all of the time), and I love em' with this enormous feeling that I can't find a word to describe or justify its intensity,
and I am GRATEFUL.
I recognized that it wasn't the big trip that created these moments, but it was the simple times when the kids did or said something that cracked us up, or when we realized they were happiest just swimming with mom and dad in the hotel pool, or jumping wildly off the hotel beds. And my best moments were seeing them get along, laugh, wrestle and dance with each other. And even better was when they were plumb wore out and crashed on their beds. Then it was ME and BOB time! Boy was it nice to just hang out, snuggle on our bed and flip through the channels aimlessly, without working on our computers, talking or texting on our phones, folding laundry, or doing dishes!
I also had a few flashbacks of my own life growing up and taking road trips with my family. We traveled a lot in the summer, following my oldest brother's baseball team. I remember the excitement of being away from home, staying in a hotel, eating at restaurants, wrestling with my brothers, playing silly games in the car to pass the time, and loving chasing all the cute boys at the ball field!
I guess what I am trying to say, is I am thankful for ROAD TRIPS, those I took as a kid, and those I am taking now with my little family. The quality time rendered on road trips makes me step back, have a MOMENT, and feel grateful.
