Family Vacation: Going Seperate Ways

We were on a family vacation of sorts last week.  I say it loosely as we all went out of town, but we didn't really spend any of our time together.  Yes, we all still get along.  It just worked out for the girls to spend some quality time with grandparents while Mr C had some male bonding with his uncle while P and I went to a business meeting a few hours away.

Before you think I was at an exotic location soaking up the sunshine on a beach, you might as well know we were in a small town in Indiana. Great quality time spent in the car and over dinner at night, but too bad it couldn't have included a few sunsets with an ocean view.

We did have some great family bonding time before we left including having the kids learn how to make homemade ice cream the old fashioned way by hand cranking it out.  Who knew you could have a workout at the same time you are creating an ice cream taste treat.  Thank goodness we had our new muscle man around to finish the job.  Even if his sister did grab the paddle first for tasting!

My kids had a fabulous vacation.  The girls made memories that will last a lifetime; picking blueberries, making cookies wearing new aprons, and of course a few trips to the pool.  Miss A to keep her streak alive even made a hole in one at mini golf.  Miss M points out that even though she missed an ace, she won the round. 

The girls had some great stories about "birds" living at the pond, the perfect way to feed the hungry fish and how much ice cream they had.  According to Miss A, it's not a trip to visit B & B without a walk around the neighborhood to find golf balls. Grandparent spoiling is the best. 

Mr C had a great time sans sisters and was thrilled to show his aunt and uncle what life with a teenage boy is like.  I think they might have been shocked with the amount of food he can consume and how quickly he can get ready in the morning.  According to C, we've missed out on some of the best parts of Chicago, a park with a fantastic walking trail and canoeing down a quiet river. 

He even got to cross an item off his bucket list by eating a Chicago Dog on Navy Pier. What could be better? Guess you could say that walking around downtown Chi Town with some natives gives you access to great museums, people watching, and train rides.  A perfect adventure for this boy.

All in all, it was a perfect family vacation; memories with those we love, quiet time to read and knit for the mother, long conversations in the front seat, and lots of laughter in the car.