We typically spend a few days at the beach over Spring Break. This year, we weren't sure if we would go. Holly is nearly 7 months pregnant, and wasn't sure she could arrange her work schedule to be off. And Aaron the son-in-law had to work. I was NOT feeling great about being responsible for her AND the baby...so far from home. Because I had a very premature baby (Clark), and I know some of the things that can happen.
Also, Logan and Morgan were going to Chicago, as chaperones with the college group from their church, so they wouldn't be able to join us.
But when Holly texted me THE WEEK BEFORE SPRING BREAK and said, "I got off Wednesday..." meaning, she would be off Saturday-Wednesday...I jumped on-line and made reservations.
And, here's the thing.
If you've ever traveled with kids, you know they have a LOT of stuff. If you've ever traveled with babies, OH MY WORD...you have to take every piece of equipment you have. RIGHT?
But if you travel with 5 adults in a Honda Pilot...there will be issues. Because "roomy truck space?"
I'd like a moment for rebuttal, Honda Pilot people.
Jim wanted to lay the back seat flat, in order to have more room for the luggage...which would have required 3 grown adult people to sit in the back seat, side-by-side, in a Honda Pilot. For 9 hours.
Um...no thank YOU.
I convinced him to leave ONE of the backseats up for Joshua. He likes to be able to sit back there, and kind of make his "nest" of all of his things. Unfortunately, on THIS trip? Very small nest.
Well we loaded up and headed over to pick up Holly at her house. Jim announced, LOUDLY, "I hope Holly only has ONE BAG...because if she has more than that...I don't know where it will go." He said this with all of the fatalistic exasperation you can imagine...like, it was going to be the end of the world, or we would have to cancel the trip.
WHY DO MEN HAVE TO BE SO DRAMATIC?
Well...Holly came out with not one...not two...but THREE bags. Jim's jaw got stiff.
And then she went back in the house...and came out with Frank-the-giant-pregnancy-pillow, allll wrapped around her.
And Jim's head?
Blew right off.
Right.off.
Holly had talked about the pregnancy pillow for a while before she got it. I remember the day when UPS notified her that her pillow had been delivered. She couldn't WAIT to get home. The box was nearly 5 feet tall. She was beside herself with excitement! When I went over to her house later in the week, she came out of her bedroom with that giant pillow wrapped around her, and she said, "Mom...this...is Frank."
Yep. She NAMED it.
So when she walked out with Frank wrapped around her...I lost it. I mean, LOST.IT. Because Jim's face...and Frank...and the thought of how in THE WORLD were we going to fit that thing AND her...in our completely crammed car...I could NOT stop laughing.
And NOT ONLY did Holly bring Frank-the-giant-pregnancy-pillow...she brought Laurie-the-robe.
For Holly's birthday in December, I bought her this beautiful robe from Pottery Barn. It's white, and goes all the way to the ground. The sleeves and the HOOD are trimmed in brown fur. She named it "Laurie," after Kelly Stamps' robe-loving friend, Laurie (Kelly writes about Laurie's robe on her blog). I'll try to post a picture of Frank and/or Laurie on my IG (martythemoose), if Holly will let me.
We ended up letting Holly ride up front in the passenger seat, and I sat in the back with the boys...because, if you're keeping track, Jim is driving...and Holly, Frank AND LAURIE are riding up front.
It was a long drive, but we made it to the beach!
"Praise the LORD, for He has shown me the wonders of His unfailing love..." Psalm 31:21
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