Wog Sports Vacation

There are many days when I look at my schedule and I have no idea how we are going to manage it.  I have people tell me to limit my kid’s activities but the reality is I have five kids and no matter what, it’s going to be hectic.  There is nothing more I enjoy than cheering on my kids at their various events.  However, by the end of May with all the additional school activities, I am about done and close to unleashing a serious ginger snap. 

Thankfully this year, we managed to slip in a quick, mountain trip over Memorial Day weekend.  It came together last minute and I was ecstatic to steal away with my babies who are quickly growing up.  The kids and I packed and we loaded in the Wog truck and off we went!  The first challenge to overcome is the car ride!  Thank you Jesus for technology!!!  We played games on the iPad and watched movies.  Of course we had a couple car sick vomit sessions but it wouldn't be a true mountain vacation without someone barfing!  

One thing I can say with complete confidence, is that going on vacay with the Wogs is never boring and always includes quite a bit of drama and fun.  This year they brought it all…and I mean all. When Bubba’s football bag was unpacked, an endless supply of sports came forth….football, basketball, frisbee, golf, baseball, bocce balls, & soccer. Oh…and even a scooter and several fishing poles were stashed in the truck! 

A friend texted me that they 
prayed I was having a relaxing time….I responded, “I have five kids.”  I am thankful for trips like this because my attitude is, I will rest when they are grown.  I want them to think back on their childhood and remember all the hilarious, adventurous, fun things we experienced together as a family.  The secret to a successful large family vacation is busyness.  You will have a full-blown brawl if you leave them unorganized. I have a spirited bunch of kids and I am not always talking about the Holy Spirit.  We hit the ground running and crammed in a ridiculous amount of activities. 

A couple highlights for me was when the kids decided to take rafts down a rushing stream.  I have Eddie’s petrified face, burned in my mind while he hung on to a rock for dear life.  He thought he would be lost forever down the stream but thankfully Dan yelled, “Just stand up, it’s only a foot deep.”  Yes, there were injuries, tears and even some blood and bruises. 

A true highlight was when Bubba and Annie decided to take a chance to go under the bridge and survived to the other side. They will never forget doing it and I will never forget being so relieved when they emerged unscathed on the other side. I will also never forget Bonnie standing 20 feet up on a fallen tree and my relief when she safely returned to the ground. Or when Bonnie went into a full sprint and successfully retrieved Ed’s rogue raft from being swept away!   Whewwww

I will never forget when Annie, Bubba and Eddie were diligently fishing and fishing and Maggie drops a stick with a line in by accident and hooks a fish much to their dismay.  Or when she hysterically cried that she had killed a fish when she saw some blood near the hook.  


I will never forget Eddie whizzing into crowded sidewalks on his scooter clearing the way as I pretended to not be his mother.  Or the time he snapped and went a little cray cray when I laid my gum on the top of his hot chocolate lid.  I quickly removed it, apologized and googled anger management classes for 7 year olds.  No one will forget the enthusiastic family baseball game with Dan’s obnoxious taunting “Easy Out” or when he accidently pegged Maggie with the baseball and her crumbling into tears over her injury.  I did notice people cautiously watching our game afraid to come to near.

The moments I savored the most were sitting by the pool watching my kids paddle board, rocking in rocking chairs with Dan eating VERY expensive local fish dip that I got bamboozled into buying.   I loved snuggling on the air mattress with my babies holding them close before they are too big to let me.  I loved taking long walks with the whole family ending with ice cream and smoothies.  My heart ached when we snacked on Pringles and my kids did duck faces just like I used to do with my Dad on mountain adventures.  Oh how I miss my Dad! My kids would have loved him so much!

I am so blessed, fulfilled, and 
thankful that God trusted me enough to allow me to raise these five unique, gifted, special, funny, smart kids. Yes I am perpetually exhausted, surviving on coffee and a whole lot of Jesus! What I know for sure is these years are flying by having my entire family unit together.  I try my best to value every moment together! I am happy I get to partner with Dan in this journey and even happier that he didn’t say one word when the kids had ice cream twice in one day! Yippee! #Fundad!