By hope
We always took road trips. The princess and the gymnast took their first road trip a week after giving birth. When the kids became drivers, they drove some cars…but not many. We had a 15 passenger van and it’s a little scary to trust a new driver. It doesn’t mean they didn’t get their turn.
But I can’t remember a time since they were all driving, and we took a road trip. But me and the girls did it. Head to Texas for Thanksgiving. Three drivers and a dog. In my beloved Honda HRV. Over 15 hours of driving time, with a planned break in New Orleans. (I had the camping mattress in my car in place so anyone in the back could actually sleep. We were tightly packed.) No hotel downtime is planned.
We packed food. I budgeted $100 for gas. And everyone had their own money to spend on everything we do in New Orleans…Café du monde beignets and Muffuletta for me. Our goal was to reach my parents in less than 24 hours.
I’m grateful for this time with my girls. To have the means to make this trip and spend a week with my family including my five children. All thirteen members of my family will be there – parents, siblings and my children. These times and times are becoming more and more rare. And it’s more difficult to arrange.
Food for the week
I’ve sorted the list for this week. I will cook for everyone at every meal except one. (My kids will all pitch in to help.) And my dad will provide groceries for the week. I’ve already written about the cost of boarding dogs. I realize that there are some in the BAD community who are skeptical about helping my father. It’s the way our family works. This is how my father’s family worked. And I (all of us) realize how blessed we are and don’t take it for granted.
And then, after my kids had all left, I had a new laundry list of things my dad asked for some support with.
What about you? Do you have exciting plans this week with friends and/or family?
Hope is a creative, solutions-focused business manager who helps clients grow their businesses and operate more efficiently by leveraging expertise in project management, digital marketing, and technology solutions. She has recently become an empty nester as her five foster/adopted children spread their wings. She lives with her three dogs in a small town in northeast Georgia and prefers the mountains to the beaches any day. She has the travel bug and does her best to help each of her children finish school and become independent (but it’s hard!) She’s been running her own consulting company for nearly twenty years! Hope began sharing her journey with the BAD community in the spring of 2015, and feels like she’s finally in a place that allows her to truly focus on making wise financial decisions.
