How We Vacation
June 8, 2009 at 8:31 am , by Emily
This week at I Heart Faces, they are taking the week off of photo contests and just hosting a party where others can join in and tell a vacation story through photos.
Timely, for me, because we are on the countdown until we leave on vacation. 3 more days for anyone who is counting. 3 days until I climb into the car with a 4 year old and 2 year old and my mother and we attempt to drive 1200 or so miles to our summer vacationing destination.
A very brief background: when I was 3 and my brother was 4 (a looooooong time ago *grin*), my parents bought a cottage. Do you want to hear the cute story about how I grew up on a farm and we raised cows and they sold one of the cows and used the money to buy the cottage? Oh you don’t? Okay, I won’t tell it.
So, here we are, many years later, the cottages have changed. Okay, the cottages aren’t really the same at all. Yes, cottageS. I got ahead of myself. Years after buying the first cottage, the one next door was for sale and they bought that one too. I don’t know if any cows were involved in that sale. The 2nd cottage sat and sat and sat, falling apart, until my parents had the time, resources and energy to restore it. That time came about 5 years ago. It was restored and added onto and made into a glorious lake house. My parents were ready to spend the rest of their summer days in that cottage.
Then something else happened. The original little cottage, all rustic and charming and creaky got to the point that it needed to be torn down. I think it was an ant infestation. Something gross. So, just over a year ago, that cottage got demolished and they replaced it with another beautiful, glorious, wonderfully warm and inviting lake house that oozes cottage charm. My parents fell in love with it and moved out of the other one and into the “new” one.
These two cottages are a getaway for our family. A gathering place, where we can all find each other in a relaxing environment each year and spend time together. My family comes from Florida, my brother comes from NYC, my parents are there, cousins come for a week here and there, friends arrive and enjoy the serenity of it all as well.
It’s the perfect place, with entertainment built right in, endless outdoor adventures around us. For all of us, it’s a relatively inexpensive way to vacation together. It’s a place that will be part of our family history for hopefully many generations to come.
And so, off we go, in 3 short days. We’ll enjoy the sun, play in the water, go kayaking, hiking, spend some lazy days doing nothing but reading books inside. For 6 wonderful weeks, we’ll just be and enjoy, with no schedules, no commitments. Just long summer days with family.
A few more photos from our trip last summer:
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by carmen
On June 8, 2009 at 9:34 am
what a wonderful vacation spot…great way to spend your summer…
carmen´s last blog post..I ♥ Faces…Week 22
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by Amy @ Living Locurto
On June 8, 2009 at 9:48 am
That sound great!! Well, maybe not the long car ride with the kids:-) Good luck with that and I hope you have a relaxing and fun family trip! Thanks for sharing this with us today.
Amy
Co-Founder
I Heart Faces
Amy @ Living Locurto´s last blog post..I Heart Faces – Week 22: Boston Vacation
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by Jaime @ Fast Times
On June 8, 2009 at 11:04 am
I would love to own a cottage someday, as a getaway. I can’t imagine ever having that kind of money though.
I hope you and your family have so much fun on your trip!
Jaime @ Fast Times´s last blog post..I LOVE…Fridays
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by Donna M.
On June 8, 2009 at 11:07 am
How glorious for your parents to invest in vacation cottages! Have fun making sweet 2009 memories!
Donna M.´s last blog post..Photo Challenge: Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
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by Life with Kaishon
On June 8, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Oh, it looks SO fun! I love it! Cabins always seem peaceful to me. Relaxing and wonderful!
Life with Kaishon´s last blog post..I Heart Faces: Vacation Edition
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by erica
On June 8, 2009 at 2:21 pm
what great pictures! it looks like such a beautiful, peaceful place to vacation! i wanna go
erica´s last blog post..my vacation story in photos
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by Aura
On June 8, 2009 at 3:58 pm
That’s perfect. If I had that cottage I’d live in it permanently!
Aura´s last blog post..Two Years In Our House
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by Sandhill Sis
On June 8, 2009 at 4:12 pm
How lovely. I think simple vacations reconnecting with family is priceless. You’re kids will love the memories.
Sandhill Sis´s last blog post..Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps and Vacations
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by Denise
On June 8, 2009 at 5:03 pm
wow, I have been reading your blog for a while now because I totally remember you going there last year. I have to ask, will you have internet? if not, i will miss you.
have a wonderful time though. it looks so perfect.
Denise´s last blog post..another year: now wiser
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by Becca
On June 8, 2009 at 6:29 pm
That cottage looks so so fun! I would love to vacation there – what great pictures!
Becca´s last blog post..Family First – A Vacation Tour
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by renee @ FIMBY
On June 8, 2009 at 6:41 pm
I’m sure you’re not trying to make us all jealous, but man oh man – 6 weeks! Have fun!
renee @ FIMBY´s last blog post..Slugdog Millionaire puts me in the dumps
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by Foursons
On June 8, 2009 at 6:52 pm
I’m soooo jealous! I want my parents to have 2 cottages too! Can you adopt me?
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by mandi
On June 8, 2009 at 9:57 pm
What a wonderful story. I hope one day I can have some place like that for my kiddos!
mandi´s last blog post..Our Hawaiian Vacation in Pictures
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by Herb of Grace
On June 8, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Ooo, that sparkly water pic with every one in the water is super cool…
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by Wendy
On June 8, 2009 at 10:37 pm
How wonderful to have this family place to go to! You are building memories of a lifetime for your children – maybe similar to what you had. How great for all of you and your families!
Wendy´s last blog post..I ♥ Faces
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by Holly
On June 9, 2009 at 9:19 am
Wow – great blog and wonderful vacation!!!!
Holly´s last blog post..I Heart Faces – Vacation
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by melissa @ the inspired room
On June 9, 2009 at 11:18 am
I love your cottages! How wonderful to have them in your family. We love our beach house for the same reason, it brings our family together for priceless vacation memories. We were just there on Saturday and it was heavenly. Such a blessing!
melissa @ the inspired room´s last blog post..The Best Decorating Advice Ever
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by me
On June 9, 2009 at 12:38 pm
I remember cottages when I was little. Great family times! I love “back shots” so much potential.
me´s last blog post..CREATIVE PUNS FOR "EDUCATED MINDS"
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by Pam D
On June 10, 2009 at 10:52 am
So can I officially say that I am jealous? What a wonderful story that spans generations (and, no cows were harmed in the making of it.. at least I hope not!). And all of the great pictures will remind YOUR kids of the fun they had when they were younger. 6 weeks? The drive is worth it… good luck!
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by tanisharenee
On June 10, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Awesome photos!
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by Chiot's Run
On June 14, 2009 at 9:21 am
Looks like fun. My family has a similar thing, but it’s a hunting cabin that my grandma purchase years ago. It’s on acres and acres of woods, and it’s only 45 minutes from my parents home. We spent every weekend there spring-fall hiking in the woods, enjoying campfires, making homemade ice cream and enjoying wild-game dinners (it was a hunting cabin after all). Your kids will have so many great memories from this place!
Chiot’s Run´s last blog post..Harvesting Sugar Snap Peas
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On June 15, 2009 at 10:42 am
[...] How We Vacation (This one makes me a tad jealous!) [...]
by sheila
On June 15, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Hi, I am a mom of 3 and I dont have a blog but I love following and getting some inspiration out of reading about others lives…yours is one of them. Reason Im posting is cause my hubby and I would love to get away somewhere with the kids and we were thinking along the lines of cute cottage and such but we dont know where to go. So heres my question…do you have any suggestions and do you rent your cottages out. I live in NJ.
Thank you.
Blessings
Sheila
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