Live with Intention: Stop Along the Way

We've been parents for a little over 3 weeks now, and to say we have learned a lot is a total understatement. Our little girl schools us on everything we thought we knew, and teaches us 100 new things every day. We've had higher highs and lower lows than we knew possible, felt a deeper level of love and guilt than we ever knew we could, and had countless epiphanies about our own childhoods and our own parents (who we now respect & love on a whole new level). 

One of the lessons Betty has taught us, and one that we love, is to SLOW DOWN and find beauty in the ordinary. We are a family on-the-go - Dan and I have always been big travelers and we always planned for our kids to be big travelers with us (no joke - we are in week 3 and dropped off the paperwork for her passport today). We were not totally naive to think that everything travel-wise would be the exact same with a baby as it was with just us 2, but we didn't know exactly how it would change, or that we would love the changes so much. We have done a few road trips and each time we let Betty decide when we stop along the way. We refuse to "power through" and let her cry for hours, because, let's face it, then we would all be crying in the car for hours. When she gets upset, we stop, we take her out, we feed her, we change her, and we snuggle her. And we look around. We take in what's around us, and appreciate the places we are that we would never have gone had it not been for Betty telling us to go there. 

On our most recent trip, our first one to Illinois, our home state, to visit friends & family, Betty made it the whole 3 hours there, no problem. On the way back, she wanted to stop, and we ended up at the Welcome to Wisconsin rest stop right over the WI/IL border on I-94. To say we were excited is an understatement. Dan and I have lived in Wisconsin for 5 years now, and we've driven past this sign hundreds of times and always laughed at the families who were taking pictures in front of it because, come on, you are entering Wisconsin from Illinois. Not some exotic locale. 

But now here we are. At the sign with our beautiful baby and we are one of those families giggling, smiling, and taking pictures in front of the sign. This actually was Betty's first time past the sign, and her first time re-entering Wisconsin. It is really perfect when you think about it.

DAN AND I HAD ALWAYS BEEN TOO BUSY, TOO DESTINATION-FOCUSED AND A BIT TOO PROUD TO STOP AT THE SIGN BEFORE. NOW, WITH OUR SWEET BETTY PEARL, WE MAKE THE TIME TO STOP ON OUR JOURNEY, TO BE HUMBLE & SILLY, AND TO TRULY APPRECIATE THESE LITTLE MOMENTS THAT BRING SO MUCH JOY TO OUR LIVES.