Family Vacation

I remember the first family vacation we took after our children were born. They were very young - not quite two years old and we had to take so much stuff with us to the beach. I remember that we borrowed two portacribs which took up a lot of space in the back of the car. We had two car seats, two of this and two of that. A friend from Mark's office had a time share condo in Gulf Shores and had graciously offered it to us. We drove down and unpacked all of that stuff and finally got the kids to sleep and the next morning the national weather service issued hurricane warnings and we packed all of that stuff back into the car and drove home. Since then we have had many wonderful family vacations - - at least one a year - - and all but two have been at the beach. Can you guess where we went on the other two vacations? Disneyworld!! Anyway, this year starts a new chapter in the middle aged mom's vacations. This is the first family vacation we've been on without either of our kids. They are both working and can't go. My husband's family has been renting three three-bedroom condos at Four Seasons for years now. (We have stayed at other places - two trips after the hurricane before Four Seasons PIER was rebuilt) I can remember the first time that we allowed Laura to take a friend and I can also remember the year that we allowed her to take two friends . . . and I can also remember the years that we took Glenn's girlfriend. We've also taken my sister with us two different years. Can you see a pattern? On this "family" vacation, I'm usually surrounded by laughing teenagers/young adults. My niece, Grace and nephews, Paul, Ben and Thomas will still be with us this year and my three sister-in-laws and three brother-in-laws and even my mother-in-law . . . but our kids won't be with us. I love the sun and I love the beach and I even love most of my in-laws . . . but I'll sure miss our kids.