Love That Bee: Mission Accomplished!

For the past two years we have had a nanny (for lack of a better word) who has become part of our family. She was a college student who would come over twice a week at 5:00 to give me a much needed hour away. Within the first month of babysitting, she began to stay for dinner and soon a tradition was born. Every Monday and Friday night, I had a brief moment of space and Mandy had a home cooked meal. It was a win-win for everyone.

Our first stop, some much needed caffeine!

We arrive!

But this June she graduated. Gone are the dinners together, gone is the hour of freedom I so looked forward to. Even worse, she moved back to her hometown and we had to say 'good-bye' to someone who has played an important role in my children's lives.

It was really important to Mandy that we make the trek to her home to meet her family and see where she lived. As we planned the weekend we would go, it became clear that it would be something my husband would not be able to attend. Between work, already scheduled trips, and a bathroom remodel, he really needed that weekend home. That was fine, I could do it myself.

Leading up to the trip, I will admit, I was nervous. I have never been the responsible driver, always letting (truthfully not being allowed by) Brandon drive us to our destination. Plus, we would be spending one day on a boat and I was petrified of being in charge of all my boys on a boat. Some fears are crazy, some are rational. This one was rooted in the rational knowledge that 2 of my boys have NO fear of water. It doesn't matter if they are drowning, they think it is fun. I shared some of my concerns with my mom who suggested I find someone to go with me. But really, who wants to travel to Timbuktu in 100 degree heat and spend the weekend at a stranger's house. No one it turns out.

Saying Good-bye

I put on my big-girl-pants and on Friday at noon, I headed east over the mountains and through, nothing really, to Mandy's house. We arrived safely after 6.5 hours of driving, some crying, and some yelling of "monster!" by the baby. As soon as we arrived we were overtaken by the force that is Mandy's mom. No rules except, "No blood, no bawling" and as much candy and pop as you could ingest. We did reach Jack's limit as he threw up all over their couch our last night there. We picked cherries, went inter-tubing, played pool, learned to pee in a lake (Jack's highlight), and rode all the scary rides at the amusement park. It was a crazy 4 days, but I am glad we did it. It was fun to see where Mandy came from, I have a better understanding of her as a person. Sitting on the deck each morning looking out over pastures and seeing nothing but blue skies was my favorite part of the trip.