Thirty-Three hours of Memories!

People rarely count the exact hours that they are together, but from the moment I made the reservations for us, I had been looking forward to our trip to PA so Kendal could experience a ride based on the popular character Thomas the Train. When I originally made the reservations, it included an overnight hotel stay, but once we purchased our travel trailer we’ve named “Memory Maker” it was obvious that it would be the perfect opportunity for us to stay in it as a family – with me and Tim, Kim, Herb and Kendal – for the first time. One of the great selling points for the model of trailer we purchased, was that the two primary sleeping areas were on opposite ends of the trailer, perfect for both families to have some degree of privacy. But as Paul Roberts Abernathy said in his homily for our 25th Anniversary Vow Renewal ceremony four years ago, “you never REALLY know someone UNTIL you go on vacation with them”. Uh Oh!!!! So how would this work out ?? Better than I could ever have imagined!

So from a little after 7am Saturday morning when we left Clinton, MD until approximately 4pm on Sunday when Memory Maker was safely parked in it’s parking space and unloaded, the Lifelong Memories we Made were too numerous to count. .

All you need are a few of the highlights to understand!

Though this wasn’t Kendal’s first train ride, it was her first with a character she’s very familiar with. Of course I had ordered a special package for her with a Thomas the Train hat, whistle and train engineer’s badge all of which she proudly wore and used!

The train ride was short in terms of time, BUT an eternity in terms of the memories that all the children left that train with. Kendal’s reaction was just pure joy!! She kept yelling “THOMAS THE TRAIN” and then squealing loudly!! It was truly awesome!!

The true highlight of the trip however were the activities associated with Thomas the Train! We were supposed to take two train rides but we were so busy doing all the train activities inside a huge tent that we never did get on the second train!! It was raining quite a bit then too, so we were thrilled to be in the tent!! There were building blocks, little train rides the kids could drive AND musical entertainment too!! Kendal did them all!! There was a really cool singer with a guitar whose job clearly was to get as much audience participation as possible. There were a variety of instruments that the kids could play with, AND a microphone for those brave kids who wanted to try their hand at singing. Do I need to say that Kendal tried them all???? She played the drums AND sang too!! Actually sang isn’t a good enough word!!! That child PERFORMED!!! She swayed, rocked, stomped, and worked the microphone to the hilt!! We laughed sooooo hard at how hysterically she performed to the music, but truthfully she also STUNNED us with her showmanship, and the fact that she wasn’t intimidated in the least by performing in front of all of those people. We took a lot of video of the two songs she performed, including one that Kim accompanied her on with a washboard no less!! Whenever I am having a bad day in the future, I’ll be viewing one of those video clips that will without a doubt turn my day around.

When we got to the campground to unhook the trailer (which includes multiple steps and manual labor) each of the Sewards were ready and willing to help out!! It was the PERFECT way to get the overnight portion of the trip off to the best start!!! Then while Herb and Kendal napped, Kim and I took a walk exploring the campground and sharing mother / daughter time. Tim even joined us for a bit of our walk. We enjoyed typical camping fare of hot dogs and hamburgers and laughed and talked about our great day! Even better, after dinner Kendal stood on her little purple stool and helped wash the dishes!! And she’s GOOD at it too!! Could our time get any better????

YES!! It actually did get better, as Tim and Herb made a fire and we roasted marshmallows for S’mores!! Watching Kendal eat her first S’More was Priceless!! She was a sticky mess afterwards, but isn’t that the point???

So what did I learn from this short Thirty-three hours?? I learned that the Seward’s first impression of RV camping was just as positive as ours have been. WE LOVE CAMPING!!! Kim talked about how peaceful the campground was and how relaxed she felt. Herb remarked that he had an awesome time camping in a “condo”!!! As for Kendal, she just squealed with joy a lot!!

More importantly, the mantra that Family is Everything was re-confirmed for me at a time in the world that screams loudly for love, peace and happiness!! With domestic violence headlines, beheadings, kids who are missing as a result of actions taken by their mentally-ill mom, and the somber 13th anniversary of 9/11….. you feel yourself emotionally spent, and in desperate need of a pick-me-up. The thirty-three hours of family time for me exceeded all of my expectations.

You only get one family, and through life’s ups and downs and downs and ups, sticking together through it all is so worth the effort!! There may not be a Memory Maker or a Thomas the Train adventure weekend in your future, but there’s likely some event that will bring you all together for some laughter and joy! Don’t let that event pass you by, Seize the Day! I LOVE my family, and I believe you learn from what you’ve been taught! My Mom Doris and my Grandparents Charles and Alberta taught me a lot about love and family and I pray that I’m passing those lessons on in a way that would make them all proud!