A change of plans ??

Ever experienced things not going as planned? Ah, yes, well, that would be my past week end. Original goal? To escape, to rest, to absorb peace and quiet, to nap, to read a book even, to sleep ...ultimately, to have a "day off". Now, even this thought really is humorous as I knew full well this original plan included Baby Bryson coming with me. but hey, I just took it in stride and figured it was a great time for a mommy/baby bonding time without all the hub bub of daily life.
My reality week end? Fred having to work both Sat & Sun; Nick was off to a friends' for his own break, and me? Too late to cancel my reservation, off we went to my upgraded kingsized bed w/ a fireplace hotel stay...yep, me, TJ, Katie, Andrew, & Bryson. New plan? to survive! ;^D
Clearly with no expectations now, I humbly embrace my little blessings and go for the ride...
a 2 hour drive. The first hour? one emergency "pee pee" stop, a Burger King pit stop, and a nurse the baby (again) stop. Second hour? baby nods off, Andrew drifts asleep, and Katie is peacefully enjoying music. TJ and I enjoy scenery (a dark version by now), and discuss survival and navigational skills as we search for this remote place I once called my "escape".
The excitement of arrival stirs everyone, they all tag with me for check in, the lady at the front desk graciously gives me the eyebrow raise of counting my little tykes as I proudly claim that not ALL my children were with me! We get our room number, park, and now are faced with the journey of carrying luggage... TJ with his backpack and a large box with a top that will not stay closed, thus not being able to see where he is going; me w/ Bryson in his infant carseat, a overstuffed diaper bag, and 3 sleeping bags (did I mention Bryson weighs 20 lbs w/o the carseat?), Katie with her back pack and a pillow, and Andrew with his bubbling energy! Ah yes, to walk through the main lobby, past the gift shop, through the entertainment (pianist and flute player), up the elevator, down two hallways to our final destination...to where we stare at each other? Who's going to open the door?
All things drop with exhaustion, and in we enter our glorious room of relaxation! Giddiness (sp?) infects us all, as Katie searches the closet, TJ checks out the TV, Andrew test the durability of the bed (much like Tigger would), and I announce the need to search for Gideon... Gideon? yep, had all of 'em searching around, not quite sure what they were seeking out, lol, 5 minutes later they embrace the hotel Bible.
Next on our agenda? to explore our new environment of the the hotel, enjoying the sites of what we passed previously, but with a different approach, lol. Instead of being overloaded, now we were "searching for monsters" as this was the only way to get Andrew to whisper and tip toe versus the first method of bouncing off the walls (literally).
The rest of the night went amazingly well... a movie night really. We went to the local market for snacks, then watched a few movies. Proudly, we only had one complaint for the night, as the sleepy, angry gentleman below us called around 10 pm. Crime in progress? Andrew's knees hitting the floor while playing peek-a-boo with Bryson...not bad I thought. Again, the children drifted off one by one, TJ and I were last, somewhere between 1 or 2 a.m.
I awoke at 5:30 ish, turned on the fireplace, texted Fred a "good morning", and this...this is where/when I found my quiet peaceful time... grateful for the cherub faces surrounding me, reflecting on the things I need to be more appreciative for. All the while seeking the Lord's comfort for my worn out, exhausted, overlooked self. Humbly, I was reminded that it is not in my job description to have a "day off"...I will have plenty of those to someday enjoy in eternity...for now? to love, to guide, to nurture, to teach, to serve, to appreciate, to honor, to respect my life and the loved ones I am blessed with!! and with that, I took an hour nap before my little crew awoke.