vacation... not so much

I am a big believer in family vacations.  Packing up the family vehicle, cancelling the mail, telling the neighbor to keep an eye on the place, and getting away from the usual grind for some family togetherness.  I have very fond childhood memories of annual trips, and I don't really remember ever not taking at least one annual vacation.

I want that for my family... but life does not always happen the way we want.  Especially over the past few years, that has not been feasible, and it likely will not be this year.  In mid-April I marked my first year at my current job, and was eligible for one week of vacation.  Since my manager (whom I consider a work-aholic) allows only a very restricted amount of vacation during the traditional vacation months... and, since I am currently in the market for a new job and would lose my week (and the pay) if I switch jobs without taking the week... and, since finances are currently tight... and, since I need to get my wife's kitchen back together... we decided that I would take my week April 18-24 and make it a working vacation.  (Now, there's an oxymoron, if ever I heard one!)

My kids spring break started April 22nd, so the original plan was to work the beginning of the week, then maybe do an overnight road trip during the long weekend.  Although I didn't quite accomplish what I had hoped, the first part of the plan worked out pretty well.  I got quite a bit of work done on the kitchen/living room/foyer/stairway/hall, and hope to keep the momentum going for some evenings and days off.  Gotta get it done!

The second part of the plan... not so much.  Getting and keeping a family of six all healthy at the same time is not easy.   At least, not this family.  Jen and Ben are fighting off nasty colds and coughs, so the road trip was scrapped.  We managed to get out of the house Friday and Saturday evening for some simple family togetherness, proving that family fun does not always have to be elaborate.

Not my idea of "vacation", but for now, it'll have to do. 

Now, the challenge for me is to deliberately carve out more of those short, simple snippets of family together fun throughout the summer, to offset the lack of an actual summer vacation... all while getting my family in the new part of the house, trying to earn a living, and searching for a new job.  Phew!

4 nights for the price of 7

Having recently started a new job, I have no vacation time this year. Therefore, we decided to get away for a week to a state park near enough to work that I could go from there. Being veteran campers with young children, we made reservations and paid for seven nights. We lasted four!

Benny, being a lover of the outdoors, was surprisingly found to be a creature of habit who did not do well sleeping in a tent, away from his normal surroundings.

Lily, not really liking the outdoors, was not a fan of camping and spent much of the time bored and moody.

I, needing a decent amount of sleep each night to get up and go to work each morning, was growing more and more irritated by the fact that the twenty, or so, people on the two campsites next to us insisted on being extremely noisy until about 2 AM every night.

Jen, essentially a single mom camping with four kids, was running out of steam after part of a week.

Zachary, being an eczema sufferer, was having a great time but his skin was a mess from the lack of his daily home bath/ lotion regimen.

Dylan, being an avid fisherman, was having a blast.

It looks good in pictures, but it was not one of our better trips. We sacrificed three nights of camping fees, but it was good to be home… at least Jen and I thought so.

When's our next camping trip planned?  Well... anybody wanna buy a tent?

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OBX 2009

We built an extra week into our schedule for a possible vacation, assuming I could pass my CDL test on the first try (no pressure). I passed on a Monday. Jen reserved a last minute deal for a beach house (she's really good at finding beach house bargains) on the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Tuesday. We worked frantically to get ready, and hit the road Friday. This was our fourth trip to Hatteras Island... the place is addicting!

The boys are veterans of this nearly 700 mile road trip.

Lily, on the other hand, had no concept of "vacation", "beach", or just how far 700 miles is. She was a good traveler, but she kept saying "beach too par". (She can't say the "f" sound very well). Many times when we stopped to rest, she got out of the van and asked "this the beach?" It was both amusing and sad.

The favorite part of the trek is Route 12 South... the road to Hatteras Island. Anyone who knows and loves Hatteras has a special affinity for South 12!

The Bonner Bridge on South 12 over the Oregon Inlet... the gateway to Hatteras Island!

Our home for the week. I love the traditional weathered cedar shake siding of Hatteras Island. Sadly, many large, colorful houses are beginning to crowd out the traditional beach houses and cottages that make Hatteras so quaint.

Lily and Ben see the ocean for the first time.

Loving the wind in his hair (what little bit he has)!

Our first day at the beach was slightly chilly. Lily was not sure exactly what to do, so she spent a lot of time sitting and watching the boys play. At first she said she didn't like the beach because the "water too coe (cold)". By the second day, though, her opinion changed!

Here is how Ben spent much of his time at the beach.

The boys love to dig.

Attempting to get a family photo.

Tidal pool reflections

The famous Cape Hatteras lighthouse

More tidal pool fun

The boys recruit Dad to dig them a big hole.

I like this one!

The last time we were on the Outer Banks, I was wrestling with whether we were to adopt from China. I received an unusual confirmation. You can read the story at the blog post, "beauty in broken things". Remarkably on this trip, here we sit, sharing that same beach.

Our house came with access to a community pool. We used it a few times when we got tired of cleaning up 12 sandy feet!

If you've seen the movie "Nights in Rodanthe", this is the house used in the film.