Got milk?

Every month, John and I pack up the kids and head out on a road trip. Our usual destinations are Bend, Eugene, Coos Bay, and Medford. These are all a part of John's territory for work, so we go along once in a while for family time. The thing about these trips is, almost every time John or I swear that we will NEVER do it again. We are actually on one of these trips right now. I am typing as John is herding the boys into the other room to allow me to have some time alone...he's so wonderful! This trip's declaration of the cancellation of ALL FUTURE TRIPS came when Demetri decided to karate chop his cup of chocolate milk. OMG!!!!! The milk flew everywhere inside our minivan! The worst part was, we were pulling up to John's next office to drop him off for his call. He was COVERED with chocolate milk! He wears business attire, so needless to say, he was livid. I remained surprisingly quiet as I looked around at the mess I would have to clean up. My attention went from John's shirt to the brand new DVD player...I wonder how many of these a family with young children go through? We are on our FOURTH. OK, back to the situation...I tried to help John get cleaned up and pulled out a new shirt from him to put on. I hurried him into the office and then focused on the milk disaster. Demetri thought this was all very funny (he's 3) after he got over daddy's reaction. I continued to remain quiet as I cleaned up the mess with baby wipes (not the best cleaning agent in this case). My silence even creeped me out. Was I about to blow my top, too? Was I beyond yelling at this point since we had been in the car for hours? Was I finally at a loss for words??? The boys kept asking me why I wasn't talking and wanted to know if I was mad at them. I calmly told them that I was not happy about the mess. (pretty good response, if you know me!)

This brings me to me wondering why we do these trips over and over again. Are we just gluttons for punishment? Am I that bored at home when John goes out of town? I've thought about it this whole trip. After much thought and introspection, I realize why we do this. In spite of the chocolate milk disasters, not wanting to go to bed at night, whining about food/drink/pottying, the constant yelling, wrestling, and hitting...I know why we do this. We do it for the moments. The moment I realized Noah could go all the way across on the monkey bars. The moment I saw Demetri put his arm around his brother's shoulder and say, "I luf few, budder." The moment Noah dove into the pool without his floaties and retrieved the plastic rocket from the bottom of the pool! The moment we are all piled into the big, soft king-sized bed waking up together and giggling. The moment when the boys were sleeping (finally!) in the car and John and I are holding hands and there is a silent conversation about how blessed we are and how much joy those two little monsters in the back seats bring to our life.

We have had our share of disasters on these trips. However, there is a sense that time is passing and these trips will be fewer and farther between. Noah starts kindergarten next month, so we know these excursions will happen less frequently. Not to mention that as they get older, their desire to want to be with us will fizzle! So, even though we've cleaned up poop (human and canine!) from every place imaginable, have wanted to light our hair on fire from the constant noise, and never getting to do what we want to do...what I know now is, I am doing EXACTLY what I want to do! I have the privilege and honor to spend time with my precious family. The times that frustrate us just make the amazing times that much more amazing! I am grateful that I have a husband that actually wants to be with us as much as he possibly can. I am grateful that our two boys can be loud and wrestle ALL DAY LONG! And I am now grateful that I have recognized the beauty in our chaos. I really wouldn't have it any other way.