Memories today...word art freebie

We had a wonderful weekend. We traveled to Idaho for a family reunion. There were a lot of people there but still just a fraction of our very large extended family. It was great to see my cousins. I haven't seen them for years! You don't realize how much you miss family until you see them again. We are hoping to plan a trip to Texas to see them again in the next year or 2.

We love to travel. I enjoy the quiet (sometimes) time on the road. It is a great time to talk with my boys. We make a point to turn off the electronics and just look out the windows or play those long lost road games. My boys travel well. It helps that we have always had to travel to see some family or other but they generally do well. The trip back is the hardest (they are usually tired and grouchy) but we try to time it for a nap or settling in for the night. 

Each trip is memory laced. We mark milestones with our trips. The boys will comment, "remember when we went to Oregon" or "yeah, that was on our way to Nauvoo!" or "that time we went to San Diego". There are lots of them. I keep them straight based on how old each of the boys were. Soon, we get to add Colorado and Texas to our growing list of states we have visited. Generally, we camp along the way with our little pop-up. Sometimes we stay in a hotel. Either way you grow closer as a family when you travel together. There is something about the tight quarters that discourages the "he's touching me!" syndrome. (I wont' add that I pull out the movies in times of desperation).

In the end, it's all about families. About making memories together. The house, the garden, the cars, the toys, the clothes....all of it will go to the way side, but the memories we make together will remain with us forever. I want my children to have all the memories I can pack into their big minds. I want the to know how to work but to remember our trips. The fun we had together.  The sights we first saw together. Then I want to be with them when they pass it on to their kids.

The classic summer road trip! I love it!