We returned last night from a whirlwind trip to Chicago. It was great to see family (G&A, Shube, the Shumates, the Fjellanders). Trying to take two little boys (we left Matthew with Dave and Joni) on a weekend trip like that was probably a mistake. The boys did a great job in the car considering, but the drive was not real enjoyable for anyone.When Amanda and I were debriefing last night, we talked about the difficult decisions that will come down the road. If we are going to have a large family (at least four kids), then there are going to be certain things that we simply cannot do. Here are a few of which I can think.
Load the kids in a car for a quick weekend trip of six+ hours: This is the first one that comes to mind. To do the Chicago trip (or longer) with our whole family wouldn't make sense. We talked about only driving a long distance if we can stay longer than a few days. If we can stay a longer time, it makes the long drive more manageable.
Fly: For us to fly a family of six anywhere, this would be the equation.
$1500= $250 x 6 airplane tickets
$300= car rental of minivan (six people do not fit into a compact car)
Those are good deals too. The price would more likely be higher.
So this means, like I wrote, some difficult decisions. What do we do when our whole family is going somewhere for a holiday? What do we do when someone dies or gets married? God has led us to have a larger family and so I guess that God has also led us to miss out on some things and for us to stay home more often than not. In order that this doesn't sound like a "poor me," we are so glad that we have the boys and this little girl coming. We wouldn't want it any other way. I guess "its all about trade-offs."
1 comment:
Does that mean no trips to FL???
SOB!! Carrie, Joe, and I were talking about my friend Lynn and her family driving all the way from Alpena to Fort Myers, FL and I was feeling sorry for her. Carrie said that her family made that trip every year for as long as she can remember. Her sister, Elizabeth, was a baby in a car seat, two other preschoolers, and they'd drive straight through with Mike and Chris taking turns. Sometimes they took a "babysitter" friend just to help with the kids in the car. She remembers the games in the car, snacks, stopping at the gas station in Georgia to change into shorts, and maybe taking one night in a motel to swim in the pool. They drove all the way to the Keys which sounds unbearable to us adults, but Carrie remembers it all very fondly and as fun times with her family. Even if you don't come all the way to FL, it's a different perspective on that issue of long road trips. Maybe it's like women and child birth...you have to have a little distance on it before you can do it again.
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