Giumarra Family Blog: We can do it!

Lately (as in the past 7 years), the vision of doing family activities has alway been easier than it actually turns out to be. I tend to make grand plans in my head to go apple picking, or bike riding, or a walk around the park and it seems like such a good idea and I think that we would all have so much fun... however, typically it turns into immediatlyneeding to find the bathroom, instantly hearing about how hungry my kids are and that they need snacks, or someone being so tired that they are cranky the whole time and my vision of a perfect family activity is shattered.

This has happened so many times, that I have actually re-designed what "a perfect family activity," actually means... as long as some of us have fun and no one gets sick or terribly hurt, I considered it a success. Now, I think about at what age will the kids been when they are old enough so that we can have a good time together without complaining, but then I worry by the time that Colin is old enough to make that possible, then Natalie probably won't want to hang out with us anymore!

Well... this past Saturday, we beat the impossible and had a delightful family activity!! With beyond perfect April weather, friends invited us on a family hike up the Pilot Knob Nature preserve. Since they have small children, I figured it was going to be more like a walk, than a hike... but I was mis-taken again. With Colin on Nick's back, the girls were troopers. Up the mountain we all hiked and no one complained and everyone seemed to have a good time. The temperature was perfect, the view was beautiful and although the hike was long, it was the perfect distance. The success of this trip made me realize that we CAN do it. We CAN have successful family outings and they aren't necessarily going to just be a figments of my imagination, but something we can pull off. Now, I am a realist, and I understand that it won't be perfect bliss from here on out, but at least I have felt the taste of it!