Family Ho!

Tomorrow we set out on the first of many family road trips. We are very excited. Those of you who don't know the torture that I went through as a young child let me enlighten you:

From the time I was...oh I don't know....BORN, my brothers and I were subjected to what we liked to call "endless driving" road trips with the family. They were conducted on weekends, holidays, vacations and any other time the parents could steal us away. We were woken up at the crack of dawn to renditions of "Revely, Revely, all hands on deck," by my Dad (a flash back to his Navy days). We were informed to dress for any occasion, which meant we would probably encounter snow on a logging road in the middle of the summer! My mom packed lunches, pimento cheese for them and peanut butter and jelly for us, snacks, and a soda (only because it was a special occasion). We would all pile in the Volkswagen van like Gypsies and off we went. We were always treated to another bout of singing by my father, Willy Nelson's, "On the Road Again." We drove to lakes, parks, national parks, rivers, streams, oceans, you name it, we went there. On our way we were usually banned from using any electronic devices, like Walkmans (oh ya I'm talking cassette tapes!), because we were instructed to look at the scenery, which there was plenty of on a twelve hour road trip through the back roads of Washington. We kicked, poked and generally tortured each other in the back seats most of the way, then got bored and played some driving games. When we finally arrived at our destination, we would eat our picnic lunch, take in more scenery, go to any and every museum in town and always hit few gift shops. I have been to museums for railroads, battles, Indian art, Chiefs, hot springs, transportation, trees, wildlife and other miscellaneous things and have the cheesy gift shop t-shirt to prove it! When we were good and educated and exhausted we would all pile back in the car and head home.

The reason I tell you this story is not to complain like I did for 18 years. Instead, it is to admit finally, that I believe the family road trip was an essential part of my upbringing. I believe that it kept me out of trouble, helped me bond with my family, learn about things I never would have learned about otherwise, and learn why our family was the envy of other kids in town. We may have looked completely insane but, we were together, communicating, exploring and refreshing ourselves for the week to come. We were not all sitting inside in front of the TV.

I also tell you this to let you know that our family, Paul, Sam and I are not in fact crazy. Well, maybe a little, but instead we are committed. To each other, to bringing up Sam in a healthy, happy, adventurous family. We are excited for many "endless driving" adventures, hopefully we won't be grounded by gas prices, but hey we all make sacrifices for things that are important! I'm quite sure that Sam and if we are so blessed, future siblings, will kick and scream their way out the door at the crack of dawn just like we did and poke and antagonize each other along the way, yawning all the way through museums but, will also someday thank us like I am thanking my parents now for the road trips and memories they created.

Thanks Mom and Dad. I love you!

Will post pictures from the inaugural road trip on Monday! Until then.....happy travels! And as Paul says, "Family Ho!"