How to Sum Up a Vacation Like Ours...

...the trip from H - E - Double Hockey Sticks. That's how.

Seriously.

Monk would tell you otherwise, but he's always been a "glass half full" kind of guy anyways. And frankly, all that positive-ness gets on my nerves a little.

And he didn't lose near the sleep I did. But I'm not bitter.

Let me give you a brief summary of the events that transpired on our first ever 2 week vacation, shall I? And because I like to live on the edge a little, I'll do it in bullet form.

• We leave Saturday morning June 6th for Tennessee.
• Before we've been in the car 2 hours, Charlie has a diaper blowout of epic proportions. All over herself, me AND her brand new car seat that had been purchased the day before.
• 2 hours later Charlie has a repeat performance. Just tell me this...how much can one baby hold for goodness sake?!
• We arrive in Tennessee around 9pm and totally crash.
• Sunday was a great day ~ rested and spent time with my mom.
• Monday was a great day ~ met up with my friend Jill and her family. I haven't seen Jill in 20 years and it was wonderful to catch up! That is until Monk nearly killed us all with a Roman Candle
• 5am Tuesday morning Hope wakes me up throwing up.
• Hope feels bad all day Tuesday and throws up one more time that evening.
• Hope starts perking up, but still not herself Wednesday and then gets horrific diarrhea.
• Monk and I debate whether to just head home. My sister Teresa begs me not to and we decide to move forward with our trip to Michigan.
• Thursday morning June 11th all seems well and we start heading to Michigan.
• We're making great time and at the last stop (a restaurant) Liv says her tummy hurts. We are about 2 hours from my sisters.
• About 5 minutes from my sister's house Liv begins to cry and say she's going to throw up.
• I text message my sister letting her know my child is going to puke in her driveway.
• We pull in, I get Hope out of the car seat in the back and hand her to Monk.
• Hope throws up on Monk
• I pull Liv out of the back and she pukes in my sister's yard.
• We are quite the guests, are we not?
• Monk changes his shirt and 15 minutes later Hope pukes on him again.
• Liv then gets the horrific diarrhea aspect of the virus. The kind that really can't be controlled not matter if you're 2 or 6. More clean up. Ew.
• Liv feels bad on Friday and starts to perk up on Saturday a little
• Saturday night I meet with my bff's from high school that I haven't seen in 20 years. A definite highlight!
• Sunday morning I am awakened by Grace crying in the bathroom. Guess what she was doing? Yep. Throwing up.
• By 2 pm she is feeling a little better and we head to the lake by my sister's house. Another definite highlight. We spent most of the day there and it was beautiful. And fun!
• Grace and Liv's tummy's still hurt on and off on Monday and Grace gets the nasty, uncontrollable "D" word. I go and buy Children's Immodium AD for the trip home. Just. In. Case.
• Everyone was healthy on Tuesday and we all loaded up and went to this absolutely fabulous place called Greenfield Village. An AWESOME historical sight to visit! I was STOKED! I went there several times as a child and couldn't WAIT for the girls and Monk to see it.
• I walk through the gates, take about 8 pictures and my camera DIES! Totally. I didn't bring my camera bag so I have no extra battery. I was bummed and mad at myself beyond belief. BUT we had a great time!
• Wednesday morning we start heading home and have no health issues or bowel catastrophes whatsoever.
• Thursday we are continuing home when Madgirl calls to tell me there's hardly any water pressure at our house. Hmmm... We call the water department. Nothing wrong on their end.
• Madgirl calls back to say that the yard is flooded around our water meter.
• Call the water department back and they send someone over.
• Madgirl calls back a few hours later to tell us a note had been put on our door that we have a broken pipe close to the meter so THEY SHUT OUR WATER OFF!! Madgirl proceeds to use bottled water for the dogs and to wash her hands.
• We arrive home on Thursday, June 18th at 7:30 pm to absolutely no water. None. I go buy 4 gallons of water and Monk starts calling plumbers.
• Friday morning at 9am the plumber arrives and fixes the pipe for a mere $300.

And there you have it. Our trip in the nutshell. (How was that for brief?!?!) I cried a few times during the trip out of frustration and sleep deprivation. Coming home to no water nearly sent me over the edge.

Monk kept reminding me that God was in control and this was teaching us to rely on Him more and that He would be glorified in this situation.

There he was being all positive again and all I wanted to do was wallow. And maybe smack him a little. But I wallowed for a good, long time. And I got over it. You know why?

Because I realized that we are home. Safe and sound, in one piece. My children are happy and healthy and my water is on. God didn't forsake us. It was just another one of those opportunities to trust Him. Monk succeeded and I failed. As usual. You would think that I would get this by now. Obviously God keeps trying to show me through these little trials.

Apparently I'm a slow learner.

Anyway. I'm home. I'm not rested or tan (as if!) or telling terrific tales of great adventure (is vomit considered adventure?). Heck, I don't even have that many pictures! But you know what? I am glad to be here. Where I belong. Doing what I do.

And I am thankful.