Day 27 of 31

This weekend dh and I are vacationing with his family at a state park. We've been doing this trip off and on for nearly 20 years. 

Recently my father-in-law was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, so this might the last trip he'll be able to make to the mountains. 

We're all going again (except for dd who has to work). I don't know how much walking he'll be up to or how much rain we may get while we're there. But one thing is for sure, I'll be spending time in the kitchen. I'm the family cook, which is fine with me most of the time. Tomorrow night I'll make a big pot of spaghetti, a tossed salad, and what we refer to as "Sandra bread" (named after the friend who introduced us to it). We may have brownies and ice cream for dessert or maybe apple cobbler. I haven't decided yet.

Sunday morning will be pancakes and bacon, and maybe some eggs if we have a special request or two. 

We'll eat and walk. The littles will play on the playground, weather allowing. We might play cards or Rummikub. I'll undoubtedly crochet and read, and everyone will talk.

It's odd imagining this might be our last trip like this, but the reality is any year could have been our last, we just didn't think about it that way. 

We don't have that many traditions in our family. I always wanted to have traditions, but it hasn't worked out that way (yet), but this trip is a nice reminder of the growth and changes in our family and extended family. 

Transitions

Yesterday afternoon, I put my son and husband on a plane to fly out west. They'll be gone for two weeks visiting wonderful destinations like Devil's Tower, the Grand Canyon, Sequoia National Park, and Mount Rushmore. They will hike, climb (Devil's Tower!), rappel, and have lots of time together just the two of them. I am very happy that they'll have this time to make memories that will, as the saying goes, last a lifetime.


On the other hand -- this is longest I've been away from my husband since before our children were born. I've never been a way from my son for this long. It's an odd sensation. I know they'll be fine, and it's not as if we are cut off from each other given that we all have easy access to cell phones, Skype, Facebook, and email, but last night as my daughter and I prepared to go to bed, the house just seemed too big and dark and quiet. Where was my husband laying out his early morning work out clothes? Where were the sounds of X-box emanating from my son's room? And all that pre-bed chatter? 


Claire and I have lots of fun things planned for the two weeks they'll be gone, and I have lots of ideas (too many probably) of great things to be accomplished while they're gone. But I had trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep last night, because things were not as they should be.


Maybe this is a good training period for the fall when my son goes off to college. A good test run to see how I'll fair without his laughter, chatter, and even annoyance and anger around the house on a daily basis.


Then again, maybe I could homeschool him for college.