Brad, on the other hand, has absolutely no problems packing. What took me several hours to accomplish took him less than 10 minutes. Folding neatly is not a requirement. Matching clothes is not a requirement. And, looking cute never crosses his mind. Brad packs in a gigantic duffle bag, and it looks something like this.
And then we have the boys. They descended on the house about 5pm on Friday afternoon. Cameron packs like he lives life – with absolutely no worries. Just throw it in the bag and don’t sweat it. I can’t even begin to describe what Logan’s method is, but this picture says a lot.
This is the pre-packing chaos that ensured in the middle of our living room before he actually got stuff into the suitcase. Logan is a pigpen minus the pigs. Here is proof in case you’re doubting. I haven’t always been able to appreciate our differences. I spent many, many years wanting them to be more like me – neat, tidy, well-prepared, and concerned about whether or not they would be dressed cute. Anyone sensing here that I should have had girls? Grin. Despite my best efforts at teaching, cajoling, bribing, and downright nagging, here we are 20-something years later, and they haven’t changed one bit. Brad’s favorite couture is still the free t-shirt he gets when he donates blood; Logan is still going to create a full-fledged disaster before he can get organized; and Cameron is still without a care in the world. The only thing that has changed is me. I can laugh about it now, and I love them more now than ever.
And, I should show this picture, too, and give Logan credit for packing the car. He did this in considerably less time than it took him to pack his suitcase AND he made it all fit.
Of course, the packing frenzy (and the 18-hour car ride, of which we are currently 7.25 hours into as of the time of this writing) will get me to thinking. But at the moment, it mostly just got me to appreciating…to thanking God for my boys – all three of them…to thanking God for the gift of time spent together. Cameron said it best as he prayed over our lunch at the Scholotsky’s in Lubbock, “Thank you, God, for bonding time.”
Here’s to our spring break adventure. Thanks be to God.
I was bitten by the travel bug at a very young age. I had a vivid and overactive imagination that took me to all sorts of places and on the wildest adventures. Of course, I never actually went anywhere in person, but in my daydreams and through my love of books, I traveled the world. It was a great way to go because I never had to pack a suitcase. Seriously, I thinking packing is right up there with root canals and having to spend money for car repairs. Not high on my list of favorite things to do, but definitely a necessity with my Type A, quasi-OCD personality which insists that I not only be well-prepared, but also hopefully look cute. Packing is a daunting task, but when I finish, it looks like this. Everything is neatly folded and organized. I know. You are not surprised.
