We’ve had somewhat of a covert operation going on in the Splond household for the last few months.

Unbeknownst to my daughter, my boo thang and I have been making plans to cross another item off the bucket list: We took a cruise to the Bahamas on the Disney Magic. It was the first time any of us had ever been on a cruise.

Preparing for the trip made me realize a few things.

One, my daughter is getting older, and keeping things from her is not as easy as it used to be. I thought I had a great cover story of us spending spring break hanging out by the pool at the Y, but I was wrong. Being the momma that I am, I had a backup plan. My sweet girl let me know she didn’t fall for my cover story. She thought we were just going to Florida for spring break. We spent a day hanging out in Orlando and had her thinking she was going to the Magic Kingdom the following day. (Lest you think she was disappointed, we’ve been to the Magic Kingdom before, and she has been begging to go on a cruise to the Bahamas for years.) Her reaction to finding out the true reason for our trip was priceless, and something I will always cherish.

Two, I was so focused on planning the perfect vacation that I didn’t start to actually relax and have a good until it was time to go home. I needed a serious vacation from my vacation. While I believe we have some good memories from the trip, I have got to learn to focus more in the magic of the moment. I need to pay attention to the journey rather than the destination.

Maybe you’re like me. You’re so busy trying to make sure life is so perfect for your spouse and your kids by providing them with a great home and everything their heart desires that you forget the magic of the moment. Today I challenge you to remember the magic of the moment and to just be present.