Vacations

See that post below, from yesterday?  Well, that was a post I spent an hour writing, kept reading over and over to edit, and then ended up deleting entirely in the end, just leaving the picture of Ava.  It just felt like a complaining, whiny post and seemed so pointless. 

This is the time of year where I see everyone around me going on fun vacations with their families to all kinds of cool places.  I get jealous.  I was basically moaning and groaning over the lack of family vacations in my life the past 2 years.  And funny enough, I was talking with a friend right after that, and she informed me that she has not taken a family vacation with her entire family in over 6 years.  So that pretty much shut me up. 

I have so much to be grateful for, God has blessed us so much.  Sure, I hate that Neil has to get up every morning at 2am to deliver newspapers, I hate that he has a super time finding a sub, and I hate that when he does get a sub it is for something related to ministry (youth camp, retreats, missions trips, etc) so we don't get to enjoy a typical family vacation. 

But you know what?  I LOVE that that stinkin' newspaper route allows me to be able to stay at home with my kiddos, (I really hated the stress of going to a job, no matter how fun it was).  I LOVE that we are living day to day debt free (other than our house) ... EVEN though living that way means I have to say NO to a lot of stuff I reeeeallly don't want to say no to.  Recently I was finding myself rationalizing how we could go somewhere and put a trip on the credit card, how it could be worth it, right?  ;) . . . but God again reminded me that I need to be content in all circumstances (Phil 4:11-13).

And you know what?  God gave me a gift this week that I didn't expect at all.  While Neil is in Nicaragua for a missions trip in July, I have the opportunity to take my girls on a road trip with some friends to California.  California!  Where I have never been (other than that one brief layover at an airport in 4th grade, don't think that counts), and always wanted to go!  No, it's not our entire family and no, we can't go to Disneyland, but you know what?  It is okay.  Beaches are free . . . and we love the beach.