We did it. We road tripped down to NY for less than 24 hours to give Logan and our nephew their Christmas gifts of Legoland. Road trips are an adventure, but road trips in a very short span of time are still an adventure, but an adventure in fast forward. With my fireman’s schedule and the May and June craziness of sports and end of year activities, we truly had no other time for this trip and truly didn’t have more time for this trip. But, even in the rush, I’m so glad we squeezed in this time because had we waited another year, Logan would have outgrown it all. Of course this was the one Saturday all basketball season that Evan had to have late afternoon games, back to back. We already knew he’d be missing Sunday and the next few weeks all depend on timing, so after his 5:45 game ended around 7, we grabbed Chipotle and made the trek. Every time we road trip, I can’t help but remember the road trips when we had babies. My family was still living in NY then, so we made the trip on the regular. A 3.5 hour drive would grow and grow as there were bathroom breaks to be taken and babies to be nursed. This time, there was none of that and we made stellar time, arriving at our hotel right after 10pm. After we checked in, Christopher and Evan spied a gym and said we should go. After sitting in the car for hours and then at basketball before that, I figured, why not, I could stand to get some steps in. 30 minutes in the gym and then we joined Kenny and Logan in the room for lights out! Sunday at Legoland was a full day of rides, waiting in lines, laughs, and family time. It was really cool to see a brand new theme park in action, though they have some kinks to work out in the way they run their lines and such. It was a joy to be able to share the moments with Logan and my nephew, as they are all growing up so fast. Christopher and Evan were definitely a little old for it all, but they were great sports about it. I am learning to cherish these moments that we are able to sneak in, even if just for 24 hours, because so much more of their lives doesn’t involve us like they used to.

One of the best parts of the day was walking through mini land and seeing all of the Lego size buildings and landmarks. Funny that this is what stood out to my kids at an amusement park. And when the day was over and we got in the car to drive home, the boys began a conversation about how they don’t really love theme parks. I laugh to myself about the little, old men that we are raising. One of them said, “it’s always hot, there are long lines, and people are always complaining, and they aren’t very nice.” Truth. But we have made it a habit in our family, that when we go to a theme park, we take our time, we don’t complain, everybody gets to do what they want to do, and we have fun. That being said, I think our family is ready for some nature adventures. It is time for us to explore the world, well, we should explore our own country first. I’m excited to make a list of places that we would all like to go to. I turned to hubby in the car and said, how much can we see in the next 4 years before Christopher graduates high school? Ready? Set? Go!

Speak to me people! Tell me about your favorite places to go to. Where have you vacationed? Which destinations were amazing? Which ones were duds?

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