Mission accomplished

Mission San Jose:

Lest I have led you to believe that our family vacations are idyllic and perfect, allow me to tell you that I spend much of the time FREAKING OUT about whether or not we are having fun. I love traveling, but I can wrap myself up pretty tight in the bonds of stress and worry. Sometimes I'm wrapped up so tightly that I honestly don't know if we're having a good time or not.

I can't tell you how often Greg has had to endure this conversation:

A: Are we having a good time?

G: I am having a great time.

A: Good.

G: Look at the kids. They're having a great time.

A: True.

G: Are you having a good time?

A: Um....yes. Yes, I am.

G: So we're all having a good time.

A: Okay, then. I can calm down, right?

G: Yes.

(Poor Greg. I'm pretty sure we had a similar conversation a dozen times on our honeymoon. And it's basically never ended.)

But here's one big reason I love traveling. On every trip Greg and I have taken, there is at least one time--one location or event or activity or afternoon or sight or whatever--where everything seems perfect. Something happens inside me, and all the tightness falls away. I am fully present, with no worries of the past or future. I am filled with deep satisfaction. I am completely happy in that place at that moment in time.

My soul craves those moments. I never know exactly when they will happen. They are usually unexpected. But I have these moments EVERY time I travel with Greg, which is why I hungrily press ahead with vacations in spite of stress, worry, expense, energy, anxiety, and plenty of yelling at my family.

Tuesday afternoon at the Mission San Jose was one of those moments for me. I don't know exactly why. Because the rain had stopped? The grass was so green? The crowds were minimal? Our kids were interested? The history engrossing? Whatever the reasons, it was a perfect hour.

I took plenty of pictures.

We love a good map in this family. While David and Daddy were checking out the map, Mary was...unlocking it with her keys?

Silly girl.
We checked out the living quarters of the native converts.

David and Mary peered into a well. Disappointingly, it was filled in with sand.

Next to the church was the convent and living quarters of the clergy.

Back in the day, the church was covered with brightly-colored designs. I love this pattern.

The church.
We spent plenty of time wandering the grounds.

And standing around.
And running around.
And running away.
More running.
Even more running.
Then the rain returned, so we scooped up the kids and sprinted to the visitor's center.

On the way back to the hotel, we drove by Mission Concepcion.

I hope to visit all the San Antonio missions the next time I'm in the neighborhood!

I admit that there are posts on this blog (and the original) when I freely censored a lot of the bad. Come on, do you really want to know every time I lose my temper with my kids? Or plop them in front of the T.V. for yet another entire afternoon of Nick Jr.? Or become consumed by clutter? Or have a complete meltdown myself? I hope not! I do try to be "real," but, yes, I censor. (Call me China.)

But this time? It really was that perfect.