Family is Family

If what happened today had happened 5 years ago I would have been curled up in fetal position giving in to defeat. I am always amazed at how much I have grown.

The kids and I came to visit family in Miami. It happened to be that my brother & his family (wife & 3 kids) also came to Miami. Yesterday we made it a beach day.It was my Parents (2), my brother with his family (5) & me with the kids (3). In total 10 people... and just one car. I had to make 2 trips. To most people that sounds insane. I honestly don't mind doing it. I never see family as an inconvenience. I wanted to spend time with my family that I do not get to see too often, only 1 car was rented (and my parents don't drive) so I did what needed to be done.The alternative of being cooped up in a tiny apartment is more displeasing than making a 20 minutes one way trip 4 times. Boy did we have fun.

Jayden also has another cousin from his dad's side that lives here in Miami. He would have a fit if we didn't get to see him on our trip. I planned a second nice beach day with my sister-in-law, Jayden's cousin, Jayden, Tristan & me. ETD was suppose to be 11:00 a.m. My sister-in-law was going to be dropped off by her husband & we would leave from my parent's house straight to the beach. Surprise surprise things did not go as planned. At 11:00 a.m. I get a call thinking they were downstairs...but they weren't. They were stranded on the expressway because their car broke down.

On my way out to pick them up, my brother tells me to wait for him because he would like a ride to the airport. He decides to tell me the minute he needs to leave. He didn't bother to tell me the night before. I tell him he needs to wait because I have to pick someone up that's stranded. My sister-in-law had called Triple A, and asked me to pick them up. When I ask where they are, they tell me they were by a specific exit. So I get on the exit before that one, get to the spot where they supposedly are, but nothing. I call and they realize that they are not on that exit but rather at a sign that says that exit is coming up. So I get back on the express way on an exit that I assumed was further back, but I still didn't see them. Get back on the expressway AGAIN...mind you this is a toll road. I finally see them as I am going on the opposite direction of the highway. They were on a spot in the expressway where 2 expressway join together and I have to get on the turnpike first to get to that expressway. I am finally on the right tract when by some chance I totally missed them and ended up back where I started!!!!!! Finally I circle back around & find them.

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I went from "A" to  the dot about 3 times & from "A" to "B" twice. In my defense they were on the exit road not on the actual expressway. As they are getting in the car, I inform my sister-in-law that we are still not ready to head to the beach. I took Tristan with me to rescue my sister-in-law. We had to drive back to my parent's house, drop off the kids, pick my my brother & his wife to take them to the airport.

My brother has the audacity to tell me before we go to the airport we have to go to my other brother's house to pick something up. He doesn't even know whether he is home or not. I am literally on the road while he's calling my other brother who doesn't answer when I tell him: there is no way in hell I am going there if no one is home. We headed to the airport. Dropped him off, he tells me to pick him up Friday.

 "Um, I leave back home Friday" I say.

 "Just stay an extra day, and i'll pay the additional days of the rental", he says. Gotta love my brother. So my sister-in-law and I head back to the house to pick up the kids & finally head to the beach. We got to the beach at 3:00 p.m.

You know how they say it's not the destination that matter, but rather the journey? Well the journey makes the trip but the destination is still important. You still need to reach the destination! I was determined to make it to the beach eventually, and we did. Boy did we make the best of that beach day. The only thing missing were our men to carry all the supplies. Once again...What A Great Day! It was a super way to spend the day together.