The end of last week turned into a flurry of activity as we prepared for our family vacation - this year to Florida.
Most people who know me, know that I am a very organized person so packing for a vacation shouldn't be that big of a deal, right? Not right!!! Packing for me is a necessary requirement for vacationing. In the past, I didn't mind the task as much but this time I truly dreaded it. I think mainly because I had limited space to what I am used to packing (when we travel via car we usually take our van this time we were taking our Outback). Also, my husband was packing for one week away while the kids were packing for two. After our time together in Florida, the kids and I are headed to Tennessee while Dave heads back home. We also chose to drive to FL from northeastern NJ, a 17 hour trip (stops not included). Dave and I fully admit we are not night drivers, so our trip consisted of a 2 day split - 10 hours the 1st day, 7 the next with the stop over in SC. This decision resulted in an overnight bag to pack. In the end, the packing did get done and after a very busy Saturday we headed out Sunday morning, Father's day.
The kids were ready for this driving adventure. We had been preparing them for weeks letting them know this was NOT going to be a quick drive in the car. They were armed with DS units, Kindles, a DVD player, books and more to pass the time.
About three quarters of the way through our first day of travel, we notice a tire pressure light come on in the car. Turns out we "picked up" a nail during our travels. Although having to make a few extra stops to add air to the tire, thankfully we got to our destination without incident. We made a game plan to get the tire fixed in the morning as traveling on a Sunday resulted in most places being closed. The funny thing is with my organizational craziness I'm usually a stickler when it comes to schedules being kept and this delay didn't really bother me. I had a peace about it, that it would be taken care of and I was very thankful that we didn't have a blow out or got stuck on the highway. The "peace" seemed a little unusual but I was glad for it. I believe everything is in the hands of God and even this nail in our tire and need of repair was part of His plan.
At 6:44 this morning, we found out how all this was working together. Matt has an issue with allergies and phlegm. Sadly, it builds up and the only way to relieve his upset stomach is spitting it out. Gross I know, but a way of life for him. Well, at this very early hour, he headed to the bathroom to start this elimination process. Once he starts, he goes until he is done and there is really no time table. With Dave having to take care of the tire, Matt was able to take his time and get "better" on his own time table. We still left by a little after 9 am.
God truly made this all work together. I know He is always working in the big and little things and I am thankful to be held in His hand.
Our trip took us through the states of South Carolina and Georgia, two states the kids and I have never been in. We can now cross those off our list of states we've "visited". The "Welcome to Florida" sign was a wonderful sight. We still had a ways to drive to our final location but we were happy to say we were in the state!
The place we are staying is a few minutes from Disney but we don't plan on going there until the end of the week. For now, we are enjoying the pool at the resort, get to go to its water park tomorrow and we will be visiting Dave's sisters and the kid's cousins.
It is so wonderful being on our family vacation and I enjoy sharing it with all of you!
No comments:
Post a Comment