This time.....

This time 3 weeks we will be sitting in the international departures area of Vancouver Airport.

There will be no turning back. 

There will be tremendous excitement and some anxiety but we will be off.....

As this time of planning comes close to the end I have been reflecting on just how much work it has been - much more than I could have imagined.

But also such a family bonding experience..... we have poured over websites and maps together .....discussed geography and history and politics and genealogy and so much more together.

We have dreamed

We have been able to make some of those dreams come true (Hello riding elephants into the bush to have drinks at sunset!!! Seriously!!! Riding an elephant!!!)

Or so we hope......

And this is where I am in my head right now.....I have done all I could.....or as much as I could have under the circumstances and realities of time and resources....and now I need to let it go and enjoy the ride.

So.not.easy for me.

I have to know not everything will go according to my careful plans. The weather will not be prefect. The rental car may be a tad small. The luggage may not arrive on time.

David served up a vivid example of this last night by fracturing his wrist. My first thought was "how could I have not foreseen this?" How could I not have warned him not to play rough games 3 weeks before the trip. And then I was annoyed at him for being reckless (Mother of the year award now up for grabs!)

Ai Ya...... get a grip lady!

And be thankful you weren't the lady in the next room in the ER who broke her ankle the day before going to Hawaii.

That's the thing isn't.?.... to be able to take the unexpected, unplanned, unforeseen (it could happen - theoretically) and roll with it.....make it work or let it go and move on.

And count the blessings as we go.

I resolve to not spend this vacation worrying, looking constantly ahead..... I resolve to let myself revel in the moments as they come and go....to dig my feet in the sand....to breathe deeply.....to leave the stress at 10,00 feet and make the very most of this incredible journey with my best peeps.

I am excited. Really excited. Tummy-flipping excited.

And so thankful for the opportunity.

 The next 3 weeks will whiz by.....still a lot to do but I can now imagine it all done...and imagine getting on that plane.

 Eeeeeeekk......its happening!