I was going to title today’s post “Cherish,” but that word seems just a little too precious to describe a 100 mile car ride with three kids….

Last week, I was reminding myself to appreciate each day for what it is–a gift. Today, I suppose, is a repeat performance of that same idea. And it is absolutely a lesson that bears repeating.

I’m spending the weekend with all three kids on my own. We’re up in Chattanooga for two days–one day at a regional championship for two of my three kids, and then the next day for some outdoor climbing. It’s not the first time I’ve had all three kids on my own, and it probably won’t be the last time either.

But it could be.

My oldest is fourteen years old, and while it is quite the cliché to say it: those fourteen years have flown by. I consider myself pretty lucky that he still enjoys spending as much time as he does with me and his brother and sister.

My middle child will be twelve in a few days, and the “baby” is now eight. The truth is: it won’t be long before these sorts of trips will only exist in “remember when” stories.

Trust me: I’m not romanticizing spending hours in a car with three kids, or holing up together in a hotel room. There are plenty of opportunities for me to be irritated, exasperated, or just plain worn out.

But tonight, in the midst of the silliness, and laughter, and bickering, and fussing, I am trying to remember to enjoy it while it lasts.

As an old friend used to say to me pretty often:

Remember, Mark–these are the good old days.