Vacation At Home

Yesterday was the last work day for the Mister for about 3 weeks, and invariably when we mention we have 3 weeks off, the first thing people ask is where we're going to go on our vacation. Umm...nowhere. That's astounding to many, but what is more astounding is the suggestion that staying at home for vacation is a big let-down and maybe things will work out better and we can go somewhere next year. Let me clarify a few things, m'kay.

I do have a desire to travel. Perhaps abroad to the motherland one day, but not now. I'd like to take the kids to the Outer Banks to see where I spent a large part of my childhood and where their uncle Chris was born and all the pirates hung out. And I'd like to go to Gettysburg one day, when the kids are older and don't have to take potty breaks every 12.5 minutes. Of course with Miss Mara, that could be a decade or more away!

Here's the thing though; for me, being home with everyone under one roof is a vacation. I like it here.

-We have peace and quiet.
-Lush grass.
- Extraordinary views.
-Good neighbors.
-We eat local (backyard) food prepared with extra love.
- There's a lake down the road for fishing.
-Uncle Joe's pond is just a few miles away for a change of scenery.
-We have a spot for a campfire to roast marshmallows and hot dogs.
-There's a nice flat spot under the tree for a picnic.
-There's a wide open area for playing Charlie Brown football.
-There's a clean, warm pool and enough privacy that the kids can change out of their swimsuits in the backyard if necessary.
-On cool evenings, there's bike rides in the cemetery, especially now that it's freshly paved.
-Depending on the season, there's fresh fruit to be had straight from the patch/tree.
-There's also tons of great entertainment to be had in the tri-county area like museums, discovery centers, parks, concerts.

Tell me where you could go that would offer all those amenities?

And furthermore, why would I leave when I have it all here? I'll pass on the cruise and take my vacation close to home, thank you very much.

It's going to be a busy 3 weeks for us, as we'll be building a deck to replace the patio we jackhammered last weekend. Fun plans include a campfire, staying up late to chase fireflies, Cousin Olivia's birthday party and fireworks at the fairgrounds. Isaac wants to go to the AF museum again and I'd like to squeeze in a trip to the childrens's museum in Dayton...but we'll save those for a rainy day.

Have a great 4th of July....and don't forget to tell the kids the reason behind the fireworks!