Family Times

These last few weeks, we've had the chance to spend some time with family - we traveled to San Diego for one week to see my family, and the following week my husband's family visited us from New Jersey. Admittedly, when I'm packing, cleaning, planning, or imagining eight hours in a car with a toddler, I sometimes wonder if it's all worth the effort. As much as I have a sense of adventure and love our family, there's this little part of me that wants to skip the chaos. 

Just as we were leaving for San Diego, Little Butterfly rolled in a puddle of icy water, and I cringed leaving the house with clean laundry strewn over our un-vacuumed carpets. A week later, before more family visited us for Thanksgiving, I realized I had forgotten a few ingredients for our dinner, and would have to make a second visit to the store with an overtired toddler. That evening my clever toddler literally poured a bowl of muffin mix over her head, right after I mopped our floors! 

But we went to San Diego anyway. And greeted our New Jersey guests with open arms. Watching Little Butterfly skip in the sand with her cousins, and how her face lit up while being gently led on a beach walk by her grandparents and Auntie Jen was more than enough to let me know it was all worth it. The following week, Little Butterfly had a huge grin plastered on her face for five days straight while she played, took nature walks, and held hands with her Amma, Aya, Bei, and Bhava. When we have children, we don't make the effort for these things just to please ourselves. We do it for our children also. Even in the hairy moments, I've found it's always worth the effort to see family. I'm also thankful they make the effort for us too.