Coming Home

It is always such a sweet time, coming home to my kiddos after days of being gone.  Our trip to Kauai was good for me.  I really had to let go and just enjoy myself and quit worrying about my kids at home.  I would catch myself thinking, "Right now the kids would be getting ready to go to school, right now, I wonder how Bereket is doing, etc.. "  Truth is, the last part of my vacation I HAD really let go and didn't have a care in the world at the time.  I really needed that too!  It is crazy how sucked up we get in life into schedules, appointments, rushing here, rushing there,....!

A great example was the first appointment we had after getting to Kauai (it was only two days after arriving there).  We had to be to the Kayak shop at a certain time so we could go on the kayak trip.  Anyway, I could feel my blood pressure rising as we were in a hurry to get there, we didn't know where exactly we were going, we had to make an extra stop before at Walmart for water shoes.  I then became really angry and snappy (yeah, kinda like a turtle, just ask my hubs).  Then , I realized where my frustration was coming from.  I was upset that I HAD to have an appointment, be at a certain place at a certain time, while I was one vacation!!  I expressed this to Cade.  He said, "Yea, I can tell!"

You see after such a long time of NOT really remembering what relaxing felt like, I had a taste again of what true relaxation and rest.  It was hard to let that go, when we were headed back home to the crazy.  While on vacation, I had started thinking of what I could do in our life to help simplify, enjoy more time with my kids, have fun, laugh, and less of the stress, crazy,  and busy stuff!  It's hard, though!!!  I read a post from a fellow blogger (www.whitesugarbrownsugar.com) not too long ago on simple parenting.  This is basically what I want as well for my family.  It was a great post!  A lot of similar thoughts.  That means sometimes denying being a part of things that would just make our lives crazier, possibly extra curricular activities outside of school, etc!

Anyway, I don't know that I have had any success at simplifying, but I do know that giving the kids direct consequences for not abiding by our home rules has made a big change and that is only in a little over one week!  That encourages me to keep trying, keep working, keep aiming,....!

friends we ran into at the Portland airport (they were flying to Kauai)

My Hawaii flip-flops stayed with me for as long as
possible (this was getting off the airplane in Portland)

Krista and Cyrus before Cyrus left for school the morning Krista left.

   

Krista with the other 5!  My kids will always have special memories
of their time with her staying with them when we were gone!!