Enjoying Along the Way

The alarm clock went off but we were already awake. Charlie was pacing in her kennel waiting to get out and pounce on the toy that was right outside of the door. Jorj lifted his head slightly to look back at me eyes inquiring if it really was time to let his little sister out. Every morning is like this, the alarm goes off, Charlie paces waiting for the moment the door opens, and Jorj seemingly rolling his eyes. We walk them early only because it is the perfect time to get out while the neighborhood seems to still be sleeping. My sweet hubby and I have a chance to talk about the day, the dogs have a chance to smell and re-smell the yards that we pass. We all get our exercise, and to be honest it charges us up for the day.

As we got back to the house there were a lot of things to get done. We were getting ready to go on our annual camping trip to the coast so that meant packing, repacking and checking the list over and over again. To make matters a little more interesting I still had to work for half a day while Tim and two of our three kids left to start the journey west. It is very hard to stay focused on work when you know there is a campfire and crickets waiting to be enjoyed. By the time my middle daughter and I left we had a shopping list of items that were forgotten, a full tank of gas, and the air conditioning going.

One of the things I love the most is getting one on one time with my kids. This time I was blessed to have my middle daughter with me. I was taken to a mythical land were clans of cats co-exist and try and out smart the humans that are trying to take over their homes. There were cats that were in a river clan who lived on an island, there were cats in the wind clan that were agile and fast. Each cat had a certain look and backstory. She described what each looked like and why they were important in the land. We talked about her competition and if she thought she did well and when the conversation ended because she fell asleep I felt so special that I got to have a chance to see the inside of her world. As we pulled into my in-laws house for the night, we unfolded ourselves out of the car, grabbed our food and enjoyed relaxing for a bit, until I suggested we go for a walk.

The walk turned into a bike ride, which meant going up a hill. Lets just say we made it half way up and then had to walk the bikes the rest of the way. We are both in shape so I will blame it on the ice cream we just ate. Getting to the top was so worth it though, because that meant we got to fly down that same hill. There is something about going fast and having the wind in your sails. The thrill of it makes up for the work it takes to get up the hill in the first place. After two more times of “thrill riding” it was time to finally settle in and just relax. The vacation officially starts when we get to the coast but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy ourselves along the way.

Tomorrow will bring picking strawberries, watering the plants, doing the last minute shopping, and picking up the surprise cake for my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary. My daughter will finish her competition and then we will be on our way to the best little campsite in Oregon (at least in my mind). There will be conversations and naps, there will be the anticipation of pulling into our designated camping spot for the week. The nieces and nephews will be happy to see us as will my other two kids, the hubby and the dogs. It will be a time to not think about life and just relax. It will be the best that it can be and I can’t wait! Until next time:

Remember,

Most of your stress comes from the way you respond, not the way life is. Adjust your attitude, and all that extra stress is gone.

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