– It was so nice to just spontaneously decide to do something, and we left right then. No hounding children to get their shoes on, breaking up fights over who’s first in line or who gets to open the car door. We just left.

– Every night I almost turned on the monitor. The kids all sleep upstairs, and we sleep downstairs. So without a monitor I wouldn’t hear anything up there (coughing, crying, puking…).

– One day I saw a squirrel eating the corn we put out for them, and I almost announced, “Look, there’s a squirrel!” But Chad wouldn’t have really cared.

– For 3 full days I didn’t have to: take anyone to the bathroom at a public place, pick up toys or shoes or dirty clothes, wash dishes (we ate out!), argue when it’s time to turn off the TV, figure out what in the world we’re doing today to get out of the house, go to bed on time knowing they get up at 7 every day of my life, cut up or blow on anyone’s food….

– For 3 full days I did: sleep in, take naps, go out to eat for 2 meals a day (that’s all we had thanks to the sleeping in), go to a theater without paying for a sitter, go out to eat without paying for a sitter, go to a Tin Caps game without paying for a sitter, get home at 11pm without paying for a sitter, eat a candy bar for lunch knowing no one would beg for a bite (or their own candy), enjoy being with my husband and no one else on the couch.

“Thank you Lord for my parents, for this selfless gift they gave possibly without even realizing just how big it is for us. Thank you for my husband, for this incredible gift you’ve given to me, knowing that he is exactly who I need as my forever companion through this journey. There’s no one else I would rather be with ‘all the days of my life’, and you knew that. Thank you for this restful break, for meeting our needs. Thank you for not getting tired of that job even though I do with my kids. Thank you for loving us this much.”