SUMMER STATE OF MIND

As I've previously mentioned, summer finds us going in multiple directions. With a mission trip, 3 camps and a week of VBS, we are very rarely all in one place. That is why I always find myself looking forward to the first week in August when we can carve out some "away time" for our crew! As the glorious summer days are winding down, and we are counting how many calendar blocks remain until our alarm clocks beat the sunrise, I find myself longing for a "pause"...a chance to gather my chicks and savor the sweetness of summer vacation. Bear in mind, we are not lavish vacationers... Family vacation usually finds us enjoying time in our pop-up camper in a beautiful state park; hiking, playing games, and just relaxing. Vacation to me is not so much about the destination as it is the inclination of my heart to spend time cherishing those I love. With this year's trip coming to a close, I find myself reflecting on what truly makes vacationing so wonderfully sweet.

I am from the South, Texas to be exact, so FOOD is an integral part of "vacation". We like to eat and eat well! Of course this means that I am normally cooking almost every meal while we are out of town, which leads to dishes and clean up etc... Yet somehow it is never a chore... I find myself doing the same things I would be doing at home: meal prep, tending to the kids, tidying up the living quarters and such, yet my days are full of bliss. I'm not harried or frazzled. I find this both perplexing and intriguing.  Now there are some differences on vacation, for one my husband is off of work which means he is available all day. Also, the extra demands of my household are not pressing in on me.  But something about vacation just has everyone breathing easier. I'm curious, is there a way to bottle up the vacation mentality so I can live this way year-round? 

I think there is! I am hopeful that I can choose a vacation mindset daily and, by implementing a few practical "vacay" ideas, I can simplify my day-to-day life! In my opinion, the key ingredient to a vacation mindset is the absence of HURRY. Now, I have four children and they are involved with school, and church, and sporting events and sometimes we cannot help but be rushed! But I have noticed when I am not frenzied, my voice is sweeter, my tone is kinder and I am far more full of grace than when I'm pressed for time. So how does one do life without the hurry? In the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life how do you get the things done without getting the infamous eye twitch? I'm a practical gal, an epiphany is useless to me without some tangible steps to see it through!  So as I lay in bed last night, truly pondering this idea, I came up with Four Vacation Principles that I am hoping will bring increased peace to my home this year.

Jocelyn 10 1/2 months

1. PLAN: I am always a planner! I believe in planning a menu and making lists and organizing on a calendar, but on vacation I take this to the extreme. Every single meal is accounted for so that when the time comes for us to eat I have everything I need. I have also planned what I will wear each day. This has to be done in order to pack, but I've never realized how it simplifies my day-to-day decisions. Before we travel we also plan which days we will be having an outing, kayaking, swimming etc so that everyone can plan their clothing accordingly. I am convinced that having a plan for each week will allow everyone to simplify.

Jackson 13 1/2

Pierson 9 1/2

2. PREPARE: Once the plan is in place, the next step is preparation! Not only will I begin choosing my clothes for the entire week I will pull them to the front of my closet with any necessary accessories. I will also iron or steam those outfits so that nothing has to be done to them the morning I need to wear them. I will meal prep on Sundays for the following week, instead of chopping an onion for every meal I will chop once for the week! Each day I will try to get dinner done early so that when my kids are home from school I am free to visit rather than starting dinner.

3. PAUSE: It seems that on vacation I never feel bad about taking a few moments for myself. Whether I am reading a book, soaking up some sun or heaven forbid taking a nap, I always try to carve a few minutes out to just relax and unwind. Yet when I'm home I fill even my quiet moments with folding of the laundry wiping counters or some other chore. I think it is vital to have a few minutes where you can pause and sit alone or with a loved one and just be still! Even if only for 15 to 30 minutes!

Camden Almost 15

4. PLAY: Oh how we love to laugh! The last vacation principle is playing! Sometimes in the busyness of life I think we forget to be silly... to take a few minutes for a card game, or to tell a joke, or go outside and throw a ball around! These are the moments that make memories. I don't want my children to look back over their life and remember being in the car moving from place to place, event to event... I want them to recall conversations around the dinner table, laughter in the kitchen, karaoke in the back room, washers in the backyard. I want them to know that we made time to be a family.

My prayer is that as I plan, prepare, pause, and play this year, my home will be full of the simple sweetness that we find on vacation, and that next year's family trip will merely be an extension of the life we already enjoy!

haley for the hutch crew