On the Edge of Summer Vacation

The only “real” summer vacation we were able to take as a family was in 2005. Noah was 10, Jonah was 9, Caleb was almost 7, and Jesse and Isaac were just 5. My parents had given us some money for a vacation. Jim was working for a company that didn’t allow 2 weeks of vacation to be taken consecutively, but he didn’t know that when he requested it. And they approved it! It wasn't discovered until he went back to work.

We had also been thinking about Jim resigning from the church he was working part-time. He was working nights at his full-time job, and it was taking its toll on him physically. We were going to pray and talk about it on the trip, and we planned on having a decision made by the time we returned home.

We started our journey from our home in the Kansas City, MO area with a large canvas luggage bag stuffed to the brim on the top of the van, a cooler full of food, blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, a portable DVD player and movies, and lots of odds and ends crammed in around us.

Our first stop was Oklahoma City for the first night.  There, we met up with our “brutha from anotha motha.” (I’m sorry I don’t know how to spell that slang correctly!) Having 7 people in your family necessitates more than one room. Jesse, Isaac, Caleb and I stayed in one room, and Zane stayed with Jim, Noah and Jonah in the other room and slept on our new air mattress.

Oh, but here’s the best part of that story! I am the one who shopped for all of our vacation items, and I bought this mattress at Target. I also bought an electronic “blower-upper.” Unfortunately, the only way it worked was to be plugged into the car charger. LOL! So, Jim and Zane were in the parking lot with the van running, and the mattress was getting blown up right there in front of everyone. They had to drag it up the stairs, too!

Ah, vacation.

The next morning, we swam in the indoor pool and had a great time. After breakfast and showers, Jim packed the van up again, and we were on our way to Albuquerque. One of our friends who graduated from college with Jim lived there with his family, and they were our next stop in our journey. It was great to see him and meet his wife and young son. They were gracious and let us stay in their home that night, which was a blessing. I had my first night on the air mattress, and I thought it was pretty comfortable.

The next morning, Jim packed up the van, again, and we headed to Phoenix where my brother and his family lived. As I recall, the van’s temperature gauge indicated it was overheating as we headed up those mountain roads, and I was in a panic. I don’t like being in a car or van when it seems like something might go wrong. Jim kept telling me it was okay, and he was right. That needle had been broken forever!

We spent a couple of days in Phoenix and had a great time. We also were able to see Jim’s best friend from high school, Dan, and his family. It was a good time! Caleb thought it was great because he spent his birthday with Uncle Darrin eating at The Cheesecake Factory.

Then, it was time to drive to Las Vegas. When Jim packed the van, and we left that morning, the temperature was 115 degrees at 11:00. It was miserable! My SIL, Tiffany, was going to Vegas, too, so I rode with her and my sweet little niece the whole way. We had a good time talking and laughing, but by the time we arrived at our destination, she was so sick. She already had a sinus infection/allergy thing going on, so it was probably a good thing I was there with her.

We saw my friend, Julie, and her family there. We hadn’t seen each other for a while at that point, and we had a great time catching up.

Jim, poor Jim, again, packed the van a couple of days later, and we were on the road again to the place that was our “real” destination. Caldwell, Idaho. Where is Caldwell, you might ask. West of Boise. Jim’s family lives there, and he grew up there.

When we drove into the driveway, it was such a relief to know we wouldn't be packing and unpacking the van again for a few days.

We had a great time for the almost-week we were there. We went to the water park, the rodeo, the movies, had cookouts with the family… It was so much fun! And the sad thing is it was the last time we’ve seen them, except for Jim’s mother. We have a large family, and some of the “kids” have graduated from high school and college, one has gotten married and has four kids, and time is continuing to march ahead.

On the way home, we stopped for the night in Wyoming, and my friend, Becky, and her family met us there and stayed at the same motel. By that point, I was getting sick. I knew I had a sinus and/or ear infection. We only stayed one night there, and by the time we left the next morning, I was in bad shape. I couldn't even sit up! Jim ended up having to drive all the way home to MO from WY. And that’s a long drive! And it’s not like me not to drive on a trip. In fact, I usually drive most of the way because I get carsick if I don't.

To say we were thankful to be home is an understatement.

The pastor from our church called the next morning and said he needed to meet with Jim the next day. We thought that would be a good time for him to give his notice. We found out, however, that they had the same idea.

We will never go on another summer vacation quite like that one. Our kids will never be little again, and we won't hang out in the van watching The Lord of the Rings and The Princess Bride constantly. Jim packed/unpacked the van 14 times on that trip. Poor guy.

Given the chance though, we’d do it again in a heartbeat.

But this summer, while I'm looking for a full-time job and revising my book, there will be constant video-game playing, air conditioning, and a possible move to another house. 

In my heart, though, I wish all of us could get in that van and drive.