As you all know, we take an annual trip to Alaska in memory of my husband, James. It is something we love to do as a family. It is a way for us to remember the amazing times spent at one of James’ favorite places. Each year we go at the same time to make it extra special. When my mom became ill and went into hospice earlier this year, we made the decision to cancel this year’s trip so that we could care for her. She passed away on one of the days that we would have been in Alaska. While I was originally disappointed to forego our annual tradition, spending those final days with my mom was a gift. I wouldn’t have it any other way. It is now six months since she passed away and I miss her so much. 

When we canceled our trip, we found ourselves with flight credits to use at a later time. We thought hard about what we should do with them. After some discussion, we decided to use it to take a much-needed family trip. This would be a trip with just the kids and I. It would be something new and special for us.

This is the first time that we had a vacation with just the four of us since James passed away. I was hesitant to take this trip. However, Alex was about to start high school and if we were going to do it, we needed to do it before school started. 

I almost decided against booking the trip, but my oldest daughter surprised me with a few activities. She even booked us a rental car. Doing something nice for the family was crucial to her, and I am glad she took the initiative. I can see that the happiness of the family is very important to her. It made my heart very happy. Arianna followed with planning to take us all out for dinner. It makes me feel that James and I did something right with how we raised our daughters. Their generosity is a reflection of that. So here I am starting this post while being sun-kissed by the Hawaiian sun.

As a single mom, it is not easy to just pick up and take a vacation. It was a lot more simple when we were a two-parent household. Yet, here we are, and happy to be surrounded by my babies. Getting away as a family was definitely worth the hassle. I can not begin to express how thankful I am to have my amazing kids by my side, and I am happy to share our adventures with all of you. Your continued support is what keeps me going.