Vacay

Friends,

The wedding was just the beginning of our summer vacation.

 

We stayed in Minnesota

at Madden's Resort.

It was fabulous.

Totally like Kellerman's Resort,

from Dirty Dancing.

 

Know what I am talking about?

I was one of those rich old women!

 

Yes!

Another drink, pool boy!

 

 

My parents joined us for a couple days.

 

So I just relaxed and enjoyed the view.

 

I watched the sun rise and I watched the sun set

and I watched my mom and my kids

and I let them all be little,

without any schedules or demands from me.

 

It was WONDERFUL.

We spent one day on a pontoon.

 

This should have been very relaxing,

but Darin was driving and

we had a shaky take off,

that gave me major anxiety.

 

In the end I realized,

it wasn't likely we were going to experience

death by pontoon (riiight?).

And IF we were,

it would be better to jump in the lake and enjoy my final moments splashing with my loved ones,

instead of dying on the boat alone

with only my bundle of nerves as company.



However, anxiety doesn't listen to logic or reason,

so I spent much of the day praying

to my Loved Ones in Heaven,

knowing they were looking over me.

 

I saw them in the sky and clouds,

and this provided some comfort.

(Gabe, Dad, Shooty, I MISS you dearly and I blame you for my new anxiety levels. xo!)

 

My biggest goal on the vacation

was to ride a tandem bicycle.

So C and I got one

and D and Lily

got individual bikes and

we took the loveliest joy ride.

 

Daisy, Daisy give your answer do,

I'm half crazy all for the love of you.

This is only song I could play on my Grandma Busha's organ when I was little.

I had been humming it ever since we

booked our reservations.

 

D hadn't been on a bike in 15 years. 

He hoped it was like "riding a bike."

 

It was.

 

Lily was a real trouper,

her first time on a long ride,

and her first time on a highway.

I was proud of her!

 



Charlotte was so cute chirping away behind me.

"oh Mom, listen to the nature sounds!"

"oh Mom look at the beautiful view!"

"Mom, everyone is waving at me,

because I am so cute!" 

"Remember when I used to be shy?"

 

 

This was truly a healing vacation for me.

The great outdoors is my best medicine.

 

We got to enjoy nature,

but we also got indoor plumbing, soft beds,

air conditioning,

and the finer things that D likes on vacation.

 

He got 2 rounds at world class golf courses.

 

I got a spa day.



We ate well.

And made new friends.

Charlotte met a friend named Mugsy.

Mugsy is short for Margaret.

How cute.

 

They made plans to meet

at the campfire in the evenings.

 

The girls played Shuffle Board.

We tease that Charlotte is our retiree,

so it was no surprise she is the best

Shuffle Board Player of us all.

Lily chipped a tooth,

playing a washer/hook game between trees.

 

This made us sorta famous around the resort.

At night I would sit on the porch with

my bottle glass of wine and watch the sky.

Taking deep breaths and enjoying just being.

And noticing that exact moment,

when the sun finally goes down to sleep.

 

And celebrating another good day in the life,

with a prayer of gratitude.

 

During the days,

I played.

 

I built sand castles and jumped on a water trampoline and collected rocks with the girls.

I took them to an art studio,

where they made these bracelets.

We could have stayed forever with the wonderful, magical, witchy artist who praised our creations.

 

These are only photos,

but can you imagine

the pictures in my mind?

 

Such a wonderful retreat for me and my family.

These are the moments that life is made of.

We work hard,

so we can have moments like this.

 

I am so blessed.

 

You would think I would want

to stay on vacation forever.

 

The best part of this story,

is that I LOVED coming home,

as much as I loved leaving.

 

I was happy to see my house and my neighbors

and to reconnect with my job too.

 

I think, that is the greatest blessing.

 

Blessings, Friends.