The Gift of a Getaway

In the last couple of days, I was reminded of the gift of a “getaway.” It’s been a LONG time since we spent a night away from home … our last adventure was in late August … 136 days ago already … 

I LOVE getaways with my little family … I LOVE switching my focus from what needs to be done around the house to a focus on fun … I LOVE trying and seeing “new” things … I LOVE playing … I LOVE just visiting with my family as we sit around and enjoy a meal together … I LOVE witnessing the wonder and awe in my children as they try and see “new” things … 

On the first day of 2021, we packed up for an overnight stay at my husband’s hunting “shack” up north of Prairie River … our destination was far from fancy, but again and again throughout our time away, I found myself overwhelmed with gratitude … we had everything we needed … plenty to eat and drink… a well-stocked cabin … clean bedding … lots of warm clothes … a fire to keep us warm … our snowmobiles (and a man who knows how to fix them when things go awry) … a few fun pastimes … and even TSN (so Dad could stay caught up with football and the World Juniors during “downtime”) … 

For 30 or so hours, we were all together, enjoying and experiencing things together … a couple of awesome sliding hills … incredible scenery … countless wolf and moose tracks … the warmth of a fire … the sweet taste of hot chocolate … grey jays hauling off leftover pancakes … snow angels … spruce tree “tackling” … some “sayonara” cliff jumping … gathering snow to melt for washing … beautiful weather … a few passerbyers (36 altogether actually) … climbing up Dad’s hunting treestands … giving straw bales to the moose … games in the back bedroom … colouring … word searches … Skipbo, Old Maid, Crazy Eights, and Paw Patrol matching … and don’t forget that bedtime movie … 

We had EVERYTHING we would EVER need right there in the middle of nowhere … THAT is a gift … it is a GIFT to be able to spend focused time with our families … it is a GIFT to be outside in nature … it is a GIFT to have the things we need to be comfortable … it is a GIFT to have such a “gifted” husband who can provide for us in such a unique way (his fixing abilities, for example) … it is a GIFT to have three healthy and amazing daughters … it is a GIFT that they are so happy to be with their parents yet … 

EVERYTHING about our 30-hour getaway was a GIFT … what an incredible way to launch a new year! 

I can’t wait to see what’s next for us all in 2021!