Vacation Wrap Up

We are in the last week of summer break.  (Yes, tears come just at writing those words.)  Time. . . I can’t stop it.

I’m
doing my best to drink in these last few days before we enter the world
of routine again.  I have posts formulating in my mind–or probably
better to say–my heart.  A lot of change coming very soon.  Me and
change?  We don’t get along so well. 

I’m swallowing down the lump for now, though. 

For
now, I pause for just a moment.  A moment to document the rest of our
vacation–the time after our early morning, donut eating, nearly
disastrous, but finally glorious sun rise viewing. 

You might call it a stay-cation.  No jet travels for us.  No adventures across the seas or to the beautiful sky-lined cities this year.  (But New York next year. . . right Chad?  Right?) 

In all reality, we have a one year old.  And little patience.  We weren’t interested in traveling far.  Instead, we enjoyed a few days at the sanctuary of my Dad’s house.  Have I mentioned this before?  I love going ‘home’. 

Meadow settled in pretty quickly and made herself at home.  Who needs the comfort of the indoors when you have a front stoop?

I am a proponent of ‘getting away’.  There is something about getting out of your normal environment that allows you to relax a bit more.  Let go of the ‘to-do’ and ‘must-get-dones’ and just be in the moment. 

We did a lot of ‘being in the moment’ on a tiny little beach by a tiny little lake. 

We kept it simple.  Very simple.  Each morning we packed the car with a blanket, a few toys, a small lunch, and, of course,  Diet Mt. Dew for Chad and I, and we hit the road.  We were reminded, once again, that it really doesn’t take much to make them happy.

They chased sea gulls, built sand castles, had noodle-fights, and dug their bodies into the sand and I was overcome with gratitude.  Thankful for days to claim as our own.  Thankful for simple memory making moments.  Thankful for smiles and squeals and a slight summer breeze that left us wanting for nothing.

Going home is always a bitter-sweet experience.  The memories that are attached to so many places are impossible to keep away.  Running in the streets of my hometown, going to the grocery store, remembering, wishing, and dreaming. . . the depth of feelings at the absence of my Mom are stronger when we are ‘home’. 

It’s just a part of life.  I get that.

But, there is so much to LOVE about going home.

I mean, really.  My Dad is awesome.  We love hanging with him and that is just what we did with our evenings.  We hung out with my Dad. . .

He’s cool like that. 

And between our mornings and our evenings?  We did what we could to wear them out. . .

And it worked. . .

So much so, that I even put down my camera for a split second. . .

There really is not a whole lot more to say.  When it was over we said things like ‘that was so nice.’ and ‘I’m sad it’s over’.   
I suppose all good things must come to an end.  I guess that’s what makes the really good things, so very good.