snapshots of a vacation

Well, I've returned. We arrived home today after a 6 day venture to the Northwoods of Wisconsin for our first family vacation with our two daughters. It was quite an experience. A fair warning to anyone who has not ever taken a family vacation - remember, the emphasis should be placed on family, and vacation later. Keeping children entertained and interested when you go out of town can be a real challenge - perhaps not quite what Julie and I had planned. It was a challenge, but it was wonderful to return to Highlands. I really can't say enough about the place. It truly is paradise on Earth. It's a gorgeous location that can't be beat, and it's truly the place on Earth (that I've been to so far) that is the most peaceful. It is so easy for me to get lost in the moment and place in time, and forget about checking e-mails, returning phone calls or anything at all to do with work or home. As a matter of fact, although I've been granted permission to check my work voice mail by my wife, I'm really not ready to do it. I just want to savor the true concept of "vacation" by leaving everything behind.
The trip itself was a compilation of highs and lows. Travelling with two children, four and under, can have it's hazards. Meltdowns, hunger pains and boredem with long driving stints are true "roadway" hazards, and to be sure, we had our fair share. The ones we had really hurt - they were dissappointing and upsetting, because both Julie and I had grand visions of our family getting away, relaxing and spending that "quality time" that we don't have in the day to day world. It was probably also dissappointing for both of us in that from time to time, during those moments, we didn't respond the way that we often think parents should. We got angry... we threatened... or maybe we just ignored to keep our sanity.
On the opposite, there were certainly the highs. It was good to see Julie relaxed at times. I think that being pregnant with two girls is a real challenge, and I think getting away and spending some time with just her was good for her and good for us. Seeing the joy in my daughter's eyes as she got to help "drive" a ski boat, hearing her giggle and laugh when I swam with her in the crystal waters of Plum Lake during a "soap swim" and reading books huddled under the covers during a cold Northern Wisconsin nite were some of the high points.
It's interesting about vacations. You take pictures of the moments that you cherish, and as time passes on, those are the ones you remember. Perhaps, even enough time goes by that you can't remember why the dissappointments happened or what they were about. Years later, you look at the pictures, remember the joy, the fun and the laughter that you had on your family vacation, and perhaps, if you remember them at all, you can't remember exactly what all the arguements or heated words were about.
Amazingly enough, it strikes me, that God is the same way. God forgets our sin and how we dissapoint Him. No, He doesn't exactly FORGET the bad things, but like those pictures of the happy times, the bad things are washed away by something even better than our bad memories - His forgiveness and grace.