Traveling

My wife and I really don’t get much time off from being parents, so this past weekend we took advantage of a quick weekend get away to NYC.  Being able to get a weekend away is or has at least been virtually impossible. So when given the opportunity, we had to jump at the chance.

So, while the kids stayed and played with my mom, my wife and I took in a Broadway show, visited the World Trade Center Museum and ate really well! But the highlight, might have been the 9th annual Texas Independence Day concert! Well, that and getting to sleep in for a few days.

Being a father is the most rewarding job that I’ve ever had, but before I was a dad, I was also a husband, friend, etc. and some times we lose focus of those things when kids come into the picture. One of the things that my wife and I usually so, when we do get a night off, is that we are going to focus on us as a couple and spend more time together. The reality is, that in that moment, is sounds nice, but then life gets in the way and we don’t do a very good job of sticking to it.

But this time, while we were talking on the way home yesterday, the conversation was different. This time, it wasn’t, we will try to spend more time together and try to do better, it was we will do better. It is just as important to get away and regroup, as it is to reconnect as a couple. Did I miss my boys? More than anything. I would text my mom on a regular basis, just to check in on them. But by Saturday, I realized, that I needed to focus on the time that we had together and not what was going on at home.

So a quick trip to NYC, some really great food and a lot of fun at the concert. But the time that my wife and I had together, reconnecting, was even better.

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Thanksgiving traditions have changed for me throughout the years. As a kid, as with Christmas, we always loaded up and went to my grandparents. We would eat lunch at one grandparent and then go to the other grandparent for dinner. But what I do remember is all of the riding. I remember to this day where all the bumps were in the road and sights were on the road and I remember being out on the farm and running around.

And as an adult, my Thanksgiving traditions changed when I moved to Houston, as for the first several years, I didn’t realize that I had family out there. But my traditions revolved around watching the parade, going to Luby’s for lunch and then finding a place to volunteer. But what I liked the most about those traditions, is that for several years, I didn’t have to travel. I could just stay within a 5 – 10 mile radius of my house.

Now that I have kids, my Thanksgiving traditions have once again changed. And I say that, because they are going to change again next year. But this year, my wife was called out for work, so the boys and I got up early and watched Star Wars – Return of the Jedi, then watched the parade and then we played and I also cleaned the house.  We did travel to have lunch with my wife’s family, but that was it. But it couldn’t be that easy could it? Nope. Today, after work, we’ll load the kids and drive for 3 1/2 hours for another Thanksgiving.

So what is the change for next year? NO TRAVELING! NONE. NADA. ZIP. ZERO. I’M DONE TRAVELING FOR HOLIDAYS!

I’ve hit my point in my life that I’m done with traveling, if family want to see my kids or me, then load up and come on over. I’ll take care of all the food and will have a cold beer waiting, but don’t expect anymore traveling. Traditions were made to be broken and I’m breaking this one. I don’t want my kids to remember the bumps in the road and all the little sights like I did. I spent more time in the back of a car going from place to place and honestly, I resent it. I resent that my parents didn’t stand up to their parents and ask them to come to us. Sure, later in life, driving wasn’t as easy and that I understand, but not when we were kids. And as soon as my wife starts talking about our travels for the holidays, my blood pressure shoots up.

So, this years Thanksgiving traditions stayed the same, but going forward, we are making new traditions and traditions that I hope that my kids can carry on as they grow up and start a family.

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Vacation is quickly approaching and I can not wait.  Every year we look forward to a family vacation and every year, it doesn’t seem like it is coming fast enough.

Well, it is almost that time. In fact, it is so close, that my wife and I are already talking about packing, what food we need to take, what we are going to cook, etc.

The boys have no clue that vacation is coming up. They have no idea that for 7 days, they will be playing on the beach. They have no idea that they are going to be able to run and play in the ocean.
They have no idea that they are going to see family, cousins, grandparents, etc.

But for my wife and I, it is a chance to unwind. Vacation is something that we look forward to every year. But not in the same way we once did. Now, we look forward to vacation for the quality family time, with no cell phones, computers/internet, or just basic struggles of life.

Vacation is going to be a great time, to relax and recharge.

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A little tip for when traveling, use Gift Cards. I am a big fan of trying local restaurants when traveling, but if you have a lot of gift cards, why not save a little money?On our last trip, we were able to eat out 4 times using gift cards, which meant that we saved almost $120, if not more.  So using the gift cards not only saves money, but it is a very thrifty way to travel and save money.

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Have you ever taken a trip and as you were coming back home, you realized that it would be x number of months before you next trip? Well, it happened to us and somewhere along the way, we started changing our plans.

Instead of taking a trip and coming home to nothing planned, we started planning our next trip before we left for the first trip. Makes sense, right?

Well, changing our thought process changed our thinking on trips too. Now, as we returned home yesterday from a long weekend, we were not focused on returning to work, instead we were focused on our next trip. Where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do.

Sometimes, it is all about the next trip in life.

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My wife and I have had a long discussion about what to do for our summer family vacation this year. And the debate came down to 1 thing, do we spend the money for a vacation or do put that money towards paying down debt? The average vacation is somewhere between $1,000 – $2,000, depending on where you go.

Well, after a lot of back and forth, we decided that it was important for us to get away for a few days for our summer vacation. So, now that the decision had been made, the question became where do we go?  The decision was made to save between now and the trip, push back the trip until off peak season, and look for bargains.  With fewer families taking a summer vacation this year and opting to stay local, there are deals to be had/made. We will be staying a few days with family before heading to the beach for a few days. The boys are still too young for the ocean, but we were able to rent a house that had a pool for a $4,000 discount. That was literally difference between the week before we are going and the week that we rented the house for.  We are going to also take all of our food, so that we are eating at the house and only going out to eat 1 night while we are there. This will be a huge savings for us as well.

So, if you can, enjoy your summer vacation, whether you go to the beach or stay local. Have fun as a family and enjoy your family time together.

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Country LivingMy wife’s god parents have a home out in the country. This past weekend we packed up and took the kids out of the city and into the country for some fresh air.

Having grown up with grandparents that lived on a farm out in the country, I am quickly taken back to my childhood. The boys on this trip were able to not only play with the dogs there, but also got to see their first horse. It was great to see how excited that they got when the animals came over.

My wife’s godparents also kept the boys for a few hours so that my wife and I could go and have a quiet lunch together. And that quiet lunch turned into lunch, then 2 winery tours and then back to the restaurant for dessert. My wife and I were able to spend some quality time together and the boys were able to get out to the country for some much needed family time.

The trip was so great, that we are scheduling our next trip the country this week. It is important to plan trips ahead so that it gives you something to look forward to.

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In 2008, my wife’s mother was killed in an automobile accident. After a few months, my wife and I decided to seek help in dealing with our loss by seeking help from a Grief Counselor. We got a lot out of the counseling, but one thing that has really stuck with us and that has been really important in our marriage, planning trips.

Whenever my wife and take a trip, whether it is with or without the boys, before we leave for the trip we plan our next trips. It is pretty basic actually, this gives us something to look forward when we return home. It gives us something to look forward to, something to start thinking about and planning. Looking for attractions to visit, restaurants, places to take the boys, etc.

Taking trips can be a wonderful thing, either as a family or just as a couple. It allows you to get away, clear your head and most importantly, reconnect as a couple. So before your next trip, start planning and even booking the next place that you want to visit.

Here are a few photos from a trip that brought me a little comfort:

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I’ve been asked numerous times if it is hard traveling with twins. And though I usually laugh off the question, I try to give the person some idea of what we do to not only prepare & pack for a for a trip, but also how we handle the drive too.  So this is what we do and have found to be the most beneficial:

Prepare & Packing

  • We start packing the night before
  • We factor in whether or not there is a washer and dryer where we are going, as that helps determine how much we pack
  • We have all major things, i.e. 2 pack n plays downstairs and put in order of how they should be packed into the car first thing the next morning
  • Gas the car

The Drive

  • Have all snacks ready to go
  • We are able to get about 3 – 4 hours a time with our drive before we have to stop.
  • Plan ahead and and look at possible places that you can stop. Whether a restaurant or Starbucks, find a place that allows you to stretch your legs, use the restroom, but a place that is comfortable for your children so that they can take a little bit of a break.

Traveling with twins can be a challenge, but it is really what you make it. Depending on the age of your children will determine if you’ll have only a few good hours on the road before your first stop, so make the most of it.

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My wife and I have had many conversations lately about places that we would like to take the boys as they grow up. This is going to be an on going list that we will update, both once we complete the visit, as well as new places that we want to take them. So, here goes the initial list:

 

Place City State Notes
Dean E. Smith Center Chapel Hill NC We will have to find a UNC game to take the boys to once they are older.
Carolina Basketball Museum Chapel Hill NC Since this is literally next door to the Dean E. Smith Center, we will combine both into one trip.
Baseball Hall of Fame Cooperstown NY My wife and I went for the 2007 induction for Cal Ripken, Jr.
Yankee Stadium New York NY As a life long Yankee fan, it is only fitting that we take the boys.
Wright Brothers Museum Nags Head NC
Arlington National Cemetery Washington DC
Army vs. Navy game
DC Tour Sites Washington DC Standard tour spots, The Capital, White House, etc.
Field of Dreams Iowa IA Where the movie Field of Dreams was shot.
New Orleans New Orleans LA This will be a trip for when the boys get a little older, but it is such a great city to visit.

This list is going to grow and will be an on going updated list. I can not wait for the boys to get older so that they can experience these places.  Any suggestions?  Please let me know.

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