Vacation?
"Vacations are supposed to be relaxing."
That's what John always says. And, he is right, although he and I differ on what we think a vacation should be.
We have been married for 33 years, but every single time we have gone anywhere, I have been the one proposing, planning, and pushing. John will go along with me on anything, but his anxiety is evident. He would be perfectly content to spend every vacation day at our house, doing nothing. I, on the other hand, love to travel, to see new things, to get away from home.
Refreshing slushies
We have only taken a few real vacations in the three decades we've been wed...partly due to the fact that we raised six kids over the past 31 years. It's not easy or affordable to take that many with you anywhere.
I also think we are somewhat a product of our parents' influences. His father never took him anywhere as a child. They literally never traveled.
My parents took us all over the place. We went to Pittsburgh, Erie, and Cleveland frequently. We also traveled all across the country a few times, seeing many, many points of interest. (The Rockies, big cities, Vegas, Hollywood, The Grand Canyon, the Mojave Desert, and stuff all along the way). Because my dad was a school teacher, we could take long and leisurely vacations.
Back to John and I-- whenever we have gone away for a few days, John always, in retrospect, tells me how much fun he had, and that he's glad we went!
Now that we only have one child under 18, you would think things would loosen up a bit, and we'd have more money and freedom to travel. Nope. We're not there yet!
The past week, John was on vacation from work. We decided to stay home, and he was more than thankful. The decision was partially influenced by financial reasons. We unexpectedly had to buy a new vehicle last month, and that meant our car insurance jumped by $70 a month, and we obtained a brand spanking new car loan. Ouch. We rarely have money to throw around as it is, but this totally scrunches our spending. Our budget went from a shoestring to tooth floss.
All in all, it was a pretty good week. Because our son is a manager at the local movie theater, we were able to go see a couple of movies free of charge. Going to the movies is always a mini vacation for me because it allows me to escape real life for a couple of hours.
We ate out with the kids a few times, which raises the question: how on earth does my sink mysteriously fill up with dishes when we eat out?
John and I have always found ways to make "every day things" fun, just by being together. That was how our week went. We spent some time with all of our kids, on one day or another. We ate out, did some shopping, took long drives (some in the pouring rain), stopped for coffee or cold drinks, and took the pups for walks. We stayed up late, playing Jackbox games with the kids. We helped a loved one do some packing and loading of things to put into storage. We visited my parents.
Millcreek Park
I'm glad that John got the R and R he needed. I hope we get to do something a bit more adventurous later in the summer, though!
That's what John always says. And, he is right, although he and I differ on what we think a vacation should be.
We have been married for 33 years, but every single time we have gone anywhere, I have been the one proposing, planning, and pushing. John will go along with me on anything, but his anxiety is evident. He would be perfectly content to spend every vacation day at our house, doing nothing. I, on the other hand, love to travel, to see new things, to get away from home.
Refreshing slushies
We have only taken a few real vacations in the three decades we've been wed...partly due to the fact that we raised six kids over the past 31 years. It's not easy or affordable to take that many with you anywhere.
I also think we are somewhat a product of our parents' influences. His father never took him anywhere as a child. They literally never traveled.
My parents took us all over the place. We went to Pittsburgh, Erie, and Cleveland frequently. We also traveled all across the country a few times, seeing many, many points of interest. (The Rockies, big cities, Vegas, Hollywood, The Grand Canyon, the Mojave Desert, and stuff all along the way). Because my dad was a school teacher, we could take long and leisurely vacations.
Back to John and I-- whenever we have gone away for a few days, John always, in retrospect, tells me how much fun he had, and that he's glad we went!
Now that we only have one child under 18, you would think things would loosen up a bit, and we'd have more money and freedom to travel. Nope. We're not there yet!
The past week, John was on vacation from work. We decided to stay home, and he was more than thankful. The decision was partially influenced by financial reasons. We unexpectedly had to buy a new vehicle last month, and that meant our car insurance jumped by $70 a month, and we obtained a brand spanking new car loan. Ouch. We rarely have money to throw around as it is, but this totally scrunches our spending. Our budget went from a shoestring to tooth floss.
All in all, it was a pretty good week. Because our son is a manager at the local movie theater, we were able to go see a couple of movies free of charge. Going to the movies is always a mini vacation for me because it allows me to escape real life for a couple of hours.
We ate out with the kids a few times, which raises the question: how on earth does my sink mysteriously fill up with dishes when we eat out?
John and I have always found ways to make "every day things" fun, just by being together. That was how our week went. We spent some time with all of our kids, on one day or another. We ate out, did some shopping, took long drives (some in the pouring rain), stopped for coffee or cold drinks, and took the pups for walks. We stayed up late, playing Jackbox games with the kids. We helped a loved one do some packing and loading of things to put into storage. We visited my parents.
Millcreek Park
I'm glad that John got the R and R he needed. I hope we get to do something a bit more adventurous later in the summer, though!
Tilt Studio
A fun time at the car wash, woo hoo!
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