Vacations

Vacations are something that we all love! Going to a place that is away from work, away from pressure and away from our real lives. Getting to explore new things, meet new people and make new memories.
We are trying to plan a vacation for this coming year. We still have to figure out the reality if we can afford to take a vacation this year...but with that in the background...we are having fun just looking into it.
We have thought of two places we would love to go. Disney or Canada.
The kids are at the perfect age to enjoy Disney World. Even my 16 year old is excited at the possibility. He went once when he was 6, but doesn't remember a lot of it. Hubby's kids have never been. So it would be magical. The problems...it is very costly even with good discounts. To drive that far would be exhausting with a car load of 5 kids and to fly would not be financially possible. Again on the finance side is where we would stay. In all reality to really be comfortable and not crawling all over each other we would need a cabin, condo or large suite....or two hotel rooms...all of which cost too much. The one part I do remember about my trip to Disney with my 4 kids was that it was not a relaxing vacation. It was an exhausting vacation. Up early, dealing with crowds, expensive food and the heat. But when I look at the pictures I don't see that. I remember the fun, the smiles, the utter amazement in the faces of my boys when they saw new things. I would love to do that with Hubby's kids...and Hubby.
Our other option is Canada. Hubby grew up taking family vacations to Canada and has wonderful memories of it that he wants to pass on to his kids. This would be the complete opposite of Disney. It would be quiet, peaceful, and relaxing. It would not cost nearly as much and we would be able to rent a house. Fishing would be a big adventure that the kids love to do. Swimming and exploring would be the other fun activities. We wouldn't be doing amusement parks and spending all kinds of money on stuff. It would also bring fun, smiles, and utter amazement in the faces of all our kids. I know this is what my husband would rather do, and in all reality I would too. I just am hoping that we can at some point let his kids experience the magic of Disney too. But maybe just for a day and not a whole week.
Two years ago Hubby and I took my 3 youngest boys and his oldest on a fishing trip to Canada. The triplets were just too young to sit in a boat all day. For that matter they are still too young at 8 years old to sit and fish all day long like we did 2 years ago, but they will be able to go out for a few hours. These pictures are from that trip. It was wonderful!
As I wrote this I think I really made up my own mind what I want to do. I think if we are able to take a vacation this year, it will be Canada.
The following pictures are from our vacation last year. The triplets had never been out of the State of Ohio before. We took them to Gaitlinburg, TN for 3 days to see the mountains for the first time. Then we went to Myrtle Beach, SC for 3 days so they could experience the ocean for the first time. It was sooooo fun to hear their excitement at everything new they did. Just hearing them when they saw the mountains...they turned off the video player and too out their MP3 players from their ears and just were so excited. That's what vacations are all about. Those memories are precious!


We all had a great time here. The cabin and mountains were great and when the kids talk about that vacation they all say they want to go back to TN! They loved the beach and playing in the ocean for the first time (Boy 4 had been there before, but Hubby's kids had not), but their best memories of our vacation was the the mountains. Interesting isn't it?