i'll have a side of patience with that, please.

what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger
eventually, everything becomes history
i can do anything for 1 day

HA!  i have actually said these very words.  the ones i distinctly remember NOT saying were "Lord, give me patience" because through life i have learned that if you ask for patience, you invariably get opportunities to grow in your ability to be patient...long lines, crying babies, crabby neighbors, slow traffic.  Here's the funny part.  Our recent family vacation was a series of stress-inducing, patience-building opportunities.   We chose to drive the 16 hour trip in 2 days.  First mistake.  From Mid-Missouri to Mid-Alabama was the goal.  We got a late start on Friday afternoon and did not arrive in Birmingham until midnight.  Stopped at the first group of hotels to find that they were all full.  Not a problem.  There were plenty of other options.  We hit the next exit.  Full.  The next exit.  No vacancy.  The next and the next.  All the way to Montgomery.  This is normally about an hour and a half drive.  But after stopping at every available hotel along I-65, it took about 2 1/2 hours.  There was a baseball convention in Birmingham and every hotel within 100 miles was sold out. Go figure.  We did finally find a place to stay south of Montgomery and crashed about 3 am.  Patience.
Next day, we headed out for the beach.  Only 7 more hours.  Holiday traffic.  Arrived at the beach later that evening.  After enJOYing 2 great days on the beautiful island of St. George, a gigantic storm blew through the area and knocked the power out to the entire island.  The reports say it was a possible waterspout in Apalachicola Bay.  And we thought we left the tornados behind in MO. 
http://www.wmbb.com/story/14986758/st-george-island-power-outage
Like I said, patience.  We were completely dark for 2 nights, 2 very hot, sleepless nights.  But I must say, during the day...a cooler of beer and a flat of fresh oysters makes you forget.  We finally got 70% power by Thursday.  That meant a bit of up and down emotions as the power would come on and off randomly.  Lots of booing and cheering going on.  Ultimately, the beach was amazing.  Sanddollars, starfish, scallops, shells, shops, and OYSTERS all fresh from the bay.  Gotta love the gulf.

What I learned from this vacation:  I AM stronger.  It IS history.  And I can do anything for 4 days.  Also, a week on the beach with your family is not nearly enough time...enJOY!