AHHH Vacation!!!!

We are so blessed to be able to be spending 10 whole days in Sandestin this year as our family vacation! As I am writing this, I am mindful that not all families are able to spend this amount of quality time together. Although at times, truthfully speaking, it is trying and frustrating to spend this much time together... we are forever grateful for this time with our two girls and each other. I know the time is coming soon when our girls will not want to be spending this much time with us and will be asking for friends to come along. But right now, we are golden...they want us to do everything with them. All week we have heard..."Daddy, come ride the waves with me!" or "Mommy, come get in the pool!" In other words, stop reading your magazine over there in the lounge chair! These are days we'll remember....(taken from one of my favorite songs by Natalie Merchant).
You know...biblically speaking...God commands us to rest. Why is it that as families we have become so given over to busy schedules and taking our children to this activity and that latest and greatest whatever?? It is so important as families or couples to slow down and relax...stop rushing around and take the time to reconnect! Do you know your daughter's biggest hopes for her life right now? Do you know what it is that your son fears most about this stage of life that he's in?? Do you remember why you married your spouse?? What is it that made you fall in love with him or her all those years go before you had children and demanding crazy lives?? These are the questions that you may find time to answer if you take the time to spend quality time together!
These ten days will definitely go down in the books as some of the best family memories that we have created! As my Dad said today when I called to talk to him, "It's important to take time to relax!" He reminded me that there were plenty of summers when we probably didn't really have the money to go on vacation, but we did anyway, because he felt like that time together was important! So..take time to relax..even if you take off work and spend the week together at home! You will be so happy you did!