Your Morning Routine Blueprint96In an uncharacteristic bout of spontaneity, I leaned over to
Jimmy and whispered, “We need to go on vacation.”
He looked at me with a puzzled expression that morphed
into acceptance and then excitement. “Okay,” he said.
I leaned over again and whispered, “Today.”
Once the shock wore off, I could see the gears in his brain
working things out. Do I have the vacation time? Is it in the
budget? Where to go? What to pack? We both got silly smiles
on our faces, and right there in the middle of church, we
decided we’d skip our traditional after- church meal and go on
vacation instead.
We drove home like kids headed to a candy store. As soon
as the girls were settled for their afternoon naps, we packed
the car; and the minute they woke up we headed off with our
only decision. North. (When you live in Central Texas, there
aren’t many other options.)
It was such a thrill to be on the road with no particular
plans. Me, the mom who kept detailed records of feedings,
diaper changes, and doctor’s appointments. Jimmy, our super
trip planner extraordinaire. We felt fun and carefree. It seemed
less about the destination and more about enjoying the journey.
We originally decided to go to Nashville, but after six
hours in the car with a baby and a toddler, we decided Hot
Springs, Arkansas, was the perfect location for our first family
vacation. We had a wonderful time hiking and visiting histori-
cal spots and candy shops. We’ve been back as a family many
times— most of those were also spontaneous trips (or at least
spontaneous as far as the kids knew).
But that first spontaneous Hot Springs family vacation
was very different from a trip Jimmy and I had taken three