Be flexible.

Because plans change. And hold onto your hat because around here, plans can change at breakneck speed. Take the family vacation we had planned for this week, for instance. We reserved a campsite at Rock Island, WI. Never mind that we have never camped as a family before.

See where the marker is? That’s Rock Island. To get there, first you drive up that peninsula and put your car and your self on a ferry that takes you to Washington Island. Then you drive to the northern part of Washington Island, park your car, and hop on another ferry to Rock Island. From there you walk to your campsite while hauling your camping gear. Simple enough…if you are a group of adults.

I started getting a headache just imagining this weeklong adventure with kids underfoot. Granted, the older ones would be fine. But the five-and-under crowd? Not so much. I asked Jim if he minded taking the older three while I stayed back with the younger two. He agreed, so this became plan B. As time got closer, we realized a week apart wasn’t exactly a family vacation, as we had originally intended it to be. Jim strongly suggested I reconsider bringing Ruthie–it’s totally do-able, we can bring an extra tent, the pack-and-play and some baby-friendly activities…not a big deal at all. I reconsidered. Really. So we were on to plan C….or A. Meanwhile, I prayed, asking God what He wanted me to do. When I settled again on the decision to hang back with Jeremy and Ruth, I told Jim. So then we decided on plan D, which was really plan B.

We happened to look at the weather forecast for Rock Island for the week, and it was questionable. Good chance of storms. Jake was planning to bring his telescope to go stargazing. So between the iffy weather and our desire to be together, Jim made the final call last night. Plan E: we will all stay home.

First order of business on our stay-cation?

Yes, I know we had made the decision not to set up the pool this year. Please refer to our family rule #32.

As the kids frolic in the partially filled pool, flexibility sounds really good.