Vacation Time

Tonight the family will load up the new (for us) minivan and tomorrow before daybreak (hopefully), we will start the drive to The Glade to see my in-laws. It is about fourteen hours there, and God willing, we do the drive in one masochistic day.

We've made the trip there only twice since we've lived here. The first time was for my in-law's fiftieth wedding anniversary, and it nearly was the last. Our youngest at the time was only 2 months old. She was such a good baby on the way, sleeping between feedings like newborns should. But on the way back all hell broke loose. She screamed. Nonstop. We would drive for forty-five minutes or so, then stop, feed the child, carefully place her back in the car seat, then drive for another forty-five minutes with her screaming her head off. Repeat. For 25 hours. Over two days. I threatened (seriously) never to leave home again.

The second trip (last year) was nearly uneventful--just brutally long. Yet my in-laws are good and gracious people, excellent hosts, great cooks, attentive to my wife and my children, and they even love me. And so I'm actually looking forward to going, er, being there and seeing them.

Please pray for safe travel for us and all others, and I'll post again once we return next week.