Yesterday morning Andrew, Dexter Dogley, Big, and I went out to Adkins Arboretum for a hike through the leaves and trails. It was a place we hadn't been in a long while. I'm not quite sure why we stopped going out there, but now that we've started again ...
It was nice having the morning with Andrew - just the two of us (and the slobbery dogs). It's moments like these that we get to talk about things that we don't get to talk about when life is so busy around us. But what sticks out to me the most about yesterday morning is the conversation we had toward the end of our walk. As we neared the end of the trail I looked over at him and said, "I like hanging out with you, Andrew. You are a pretty cool kid." And he responded with, "I like hanging out with you, too, Mom. And you know what else I like? My life. I love it. I love my house. I love my dogs. I love my dad. I love my brother. And you and Dad have taken us to some really cool places and we've seen some great things. It's just awesome."
A lot of times I'm made fun of for the number of trips I plan and the money I spend on them. But any dime spent and any heartburn caused by the trouble it can be to pay for a trip; or when the boys whine and whine and I think - why in the hell are we even doing this? All of that pain and suffering and whining and heartburn went out the window with the words Andrew spoke to me yesterday.
Every dollar spent. Every photo taken. Every smile savored. That moment at the Arboretum proved to me that those are dollars very well spent.
It was nice having the morning with Andrew - just the two of us (and the slobbery dogs). It's moments like these that we get to talk about things that we don't get to talk about when life is so busy around us. But what sticks out to me the most about yesterday morning is the conversation we had toward the end of our walk. As we neared the end of the trail I looked over at him and said, "I like hanging out with you, Andrew. You are a pretty cool kid." And he responded with, "I like hanging out with you, too, Mom. And you know what else I like? My life. I love it. I love my house. I love my dogs. I love my dad. I love my brother. And you and Dad have taken us to some really cool places and we've seen some great things. It's just awesome."
A lot of times I'm made fun of for the number of trips I plan and the money I spend on them. But any dime spent and any heartburn caused by the trouble it can be to pay for a trip; or when the boys whine and whine and I think - why in the hell are we even doing this? All of that pain and suffering and whining and heartburn went out the window with the words Andrew spoke to me yesterday.
Every dollar spent. Every photo taken. Every smile savored. That moment at the Arboretum proved to me that those are dollars very well spent.