Summer Vacation

As summer approaches I can't help but think about summer vacation; not because I will be taking one, but because I have already taken so many wonderful ones! As a child I can't remember a summer when we didn't go on some kind of vacation. Whether it was camping at Mount Shasta or staying in a cabin in Cape Cod, our family always made a point of being together for a week each summer. My memories of these trips are all wonderful even though I know many of them were plagued by broken bones, rain, trips to the hospital, and boats flying off of trailers, nonetheless we endured and created some of my favorite memories. Learning how to body surf in Cape Cod, eating BUCKETS of fried clams, once again in Cape Cod, having my dad use his underwear to keep his head warm at night during a particularly cold camping trip, seeing my mom tough it out with crutches and a broken ankle during a very rainy east coast camping trip. Some memories belong to my parents rather than me, like when I locked myself in a port a potty at the age of 3 and they thought I had fallen in the lake, or when I said to my mom, who was very concerned about bears attacking us at night and would sleep with a spoon and pan, "bears are very quiet you know." The summer meant no school, running through sprinklers, swiming at the community pool, and of course, vacation. Sometimes we would incorporate our vacation with driving my brother to camp, which always made me sad. I would cry and cry as we drove away from his camp, missing him terribly!

And the vacations didn't stop after leaving home. I have been blessed as an adult to have visited some of the most beautiful places on earth. My honeymoon it Italy, while not a summer vacation, still stands out as one of the most amazing trips I have ever taken! SCUBA diving in the Caymen Islands, Bahamas, Hawaii, and Cancun also stand out. Cancun was our first vacation with a baby. Anthony was only 9 months old when we took him to Mexico and he was the BEST! There was only one incident where he pooped all over himself and his highchair. Daddy took care of that mess and I am still paying for it to this day! Then there was the Bahamas with both Anthony and Dominic. Again, such a fun trip. Dominic almost walking in the condo living room, Anthony sleeping on the floor, practically under Grandma and Grandpa's bed. Daddy going diving with SHARKS! Then there was the Caymen Islands for the second time, again with Anthony and Dominic, and learning that Auntie Erin would soon have a baby of her own! Joe losing the van keys in the ocean on a dinner cruise. Oh, and to go back a little, Australia, where we celebrated Chrsitmas in the heat and humidity, and with a slightly tipsy Santa. Soon after this trip we learned we were pregnant with Anthony.

All of these trips hold such wonderful memories, both big and small, and I wish I could go back and take them all over again! I have no idea what future vacations will hold, probably some trips a little closer to home. I would love the boys to see the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and other national parks. I want Joe to see Cape Cod, and I want to see the Florida Keys! So, we have a lot of planning and vactioning to do. Thanks for letting me share some memories.