Five Years

In one week I will be leaving for Vacation with my wife and kids for the first time in Five years. I am filled with mixed emotions for this trip. Anticipating a good time with my girls and yet feeling a bit overwhelmed by the amount of things that need to get done as well as how hard it is to travel with your three year old.

Then there is the tension that can arise with in-laws. I know not everyone has problems and is welcomed and can be accepted into the family as part of the family, but this is not the case for me. So, I spend time in prayer asking for patience and God's grace and favor with them. There is also the fact that my definition of vacation is so much more different than most.

I see vacation as relaxing and just going with the flow making as few plans as possible and having no schedule. Since I got married to my best friend and beautiful wife every vacation with her family has been planed out by every moment. No sleeping in, no resting on a deck, no hot tub (if one is there), and no real spontaneity. Well her dad at least! Sure, we have a planned visit with dates to my grandparents, aunt, and uncle as well as visits to the zoo and space museum. But I have gone out of my way to make sure we are not making a planned out schedule, that we will be free to roam, sleep in, go for walks, play in the grass with the warm sun, and just have a good time giving our girls ALL of our attention.

I admit that my initial thought is to not have to go to church and take a hole month off. But, I am not going to allow that to happen. So this is one area that may cause some tension with my wife's family as they are not Christians. I hope they won't have a problem with it, but just the same we will be in God's house! The heat could pose a problem as we are acclimated to the cool summers of Alaska. The heat will feel good at first, but sun burns are not a good by product of the fun we will have.

My wife is also pregnant with our third child and with her natural hormones during this time, things could get very emotional and if tension does come could result in some hard moments. In the end I am filled with anticipation and all the other emotions can take a back seat and I will breath through them and focus on the trip being as fun as possible.

I need this trip as much as my wife and kids. It's important to get away. Getting away from the norm creates a clear mind and desire to come back and be busy about our purpose in life. I pray all of you have a great summer and get a chance to get away from it all and enjoy life!


Blessings,
Mike III, AKA BIG DADDY