Last Friday night we went to bed very late. Earlier, some of Kat's friends and I totally pulled off the perfect surprise birthday party for Kat. She cried. After everyone went home we got all the ski gear out, sorted, and packed. I loaded the car with boots, poles, skis, and snowboards. I think we went to bed at 2:00. At 6:00 AM we got up and got the kids setup for the two hour trip to Powder Mountain. It's a lot of work.As we drove through Bountiful on I-15 I looked over at my beautiful partner in crime. I surveyed the other cars on the road. I saw a car full of family in semi-casual dress. I imagined some family function (it is Easter weekend after all). They didn't look super stoked. I turned to Kat and said, "Do you think they wish they were us?"
"What do you mean?"
Everyone wants to be that family that gets out, lives on their feet, and adventures.
There are really good excuses not to:
- Truman is too little - he only barely walks
- Jeffrey could use a nap
- Emerson wants to play with his friends
- Ava wants to go to movie
- Elisabeth made plans with her girlies
- It's too far
- It's too hard to get everyone up and packed into the car
- It's too much work
- It only creates more work once we get home
- We could do other things on Saturday like cleaning or yard work
Well, I know that we are so much happier if we get off our collective ass. Get up and get out. Take the kids. Of course it's work, duh.
Years ago, Duane Call said it quite nicely: "We work way too hard during the week to not do something amazing on the weekend."
Sink your teeth in and suck the juice out.
Or the other car's family looked less happy because they had teenagers with them... Could be. While I totally admire that your family has this interest and you are great parents for putting in all the work it takes to get you there, I can also see the value in cuddling up together by the fire at home and reading a good book aloud to them. Lazing about can be a family adventure too. It's being together that counts. And don't judge the other car so fast! You just never know.
ReplyDeletePS when I read your blog online the flowers aren't in the way of the words but on my phone I have to use all my deciphering powers to see the letters because the flowers are part of the background all mixed in with the letters. Crazy!
Sorry about the flowers, I'm not really pleased with the design yet. I could use some guidance.
DeleteWe just got our first teenager this year, you could be right about that.
I think the risky thing that I am saying is that for us we're certainly happier getting out as opposed to cuddling in. Not that we don't do that sometimes, but if we let the inertial barriers keep us from getting out together, we'd be less happy and less bonded.