Tuesday, July 26, 2011

My Favorite Thing About Summer: Our Family Beach Vacation

Every summer our extended family gets together for a full week at the beach. We’ve been doing this for the past decade and it’s my favorite thing about this time of year.

We’re a tight-knit clan but live in different towns and have big, full lives. So other than a quick, drive-by pre-Christmas gathering (all the kids have to sleep in their own beds on Christmas Eve so Santa Clause knows where to find them) and the occasional wedding or funeral, the annual beach pilgrimage is our only time together as an entire unit.

I love this vacation because there is no agenda, no schedule. We all just hang out for a week. We are a loud and boisterous family so there is plenty of entertainment. We’re an active family too, so there’s always somebody to swim or walk or fish or ride bikes with. And we’re a family that values conversation, so there is always an (over?) abundance of talking.

The kids are becoming little people. My brother and SIL have a 7 and an 11 year old. My sister and BIL have a 2, 7 and 11 year old. Add mom and dad and me and EC to the mix and there are 13 of us in total. That’s a house full of loud people. We love it.

There’s much I could write about this annual beach vacation and still never capture the joy of the togetherness. I don’t have the talent or the time to do it justice.

What I do have is a hope. I hope we continue to rearrange our real-life schedules and make the personal sacrifices required to allow the family beach vacations to continue. I hope we are all willing and able to spend one week together as an extended family for as long as possible.
____________________________________________________

This post is in participation with the Group Blogging Experience, and this week’s prompt is summer and/or my favorite thing. I combined the two. If you want to blog with us, go to the GBE2 Facebook page and request to join the group. Everyone is welcome.

Photobucket

12 comments:

  1. LOVE THIS!!!!!! couldn't read the stung by a jellyfish tho..it said ;page not found :( can't wait to read it tho! Do you take your dog with you? just curious!! How fun is this and a great idea for an active family Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ah, thanks. I fixed the link and appreciate you letting me know.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I linked to the jelly fish poem. I haven't been stung by one, but I don't get to go to the beach much either so I guess that's why. Sounds like a lot of fun with a lively family. I would love to move to Charleston, frequent the beach, and would even suffer from a jelly fish sting and not complain.

    Joyce
    http://joycelansky.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I would give anything to get my family together for a week anywhere! I love having family around and a laid back week would be awesome.
    Count your blessings!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Loved the jellyfish poem and I really hope your wish comes true and that your family continues this wonderful tradition for generations to come *hugs*

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ouch for the three little jellyfish victims, but they did a great job on the poem!

    It's wonderful that your extended family gathers for a week together each summer. The time there is sure to build bonds between the cousins and wonderful memories for everyone. :O)

    ReplyDelete
  7. As an only child, whose cousins live in America, Canada and Australia, I envy all those who have large extended families nearby. My only expeience is when I visit my 4 cousins in NJ and they organise a 'family reunion' for me which is wonderful. We never stop laughing from beginning to end!

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a wonderful jellyfish poem!! I do hope your family takes time aside and continues this wonderful tradition! Cheers, Jenn

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a lovely family vacation to take each year. Fun poem.

    ReplyDelete
  10. That is wonderful. Something the children will always remember and memories you will always cherish.

    ReplyDelete
  11. That sounds wonderful and relaxing! :-) Don't no one wanna be around my family for an entire day never mind a week, but I love the get-togethers with my adopted family.

    ReplyDelete

What say you?