First Family Vacation

In the middle of June, Trevor and I decided that we needed to go on a family vacation, and if we did not get it in the calendar right away it was never going to happen.  Summer is always a crazy time for us because of wedding season, but this summer has been especially crazy with Jasper added to the mix. It just seems like every day was beginning to be a drag - work, work, work and then before we had a minute to relax we were exhausted and went to bed. So we decided to go to Traverse City, Michigan at the beginning of August, and it was wonderful!Vacation is a funny thing because it always seems that you have to work twice as hard before it to be ready, and then twice as hard when you get back to catch up.  The few weeks leading up to it were as stressful as ever because I had so much work going on, and at the time I wondered if it was even worth it.  But, Shauna Niequist says it best in the book I am reading right now, Bittersweet, "The conversation felt as fresh and possible as the wind blowing in off the lagoon.  That's why travel is so important, among other reasons: to get far enough away from our everyday lives to see those lives with new clarity. When you're literally on the other side of the world, when you're under the silent sea, watching a bright, silent world of fish and coral, when you're starring up at a sky so bright and dense with stars it makes you gasp, it's in those moments that you begin to see the fullness of your life, the possibility that still prevails, that always prevails."So even though it was a lot of work to pack up for this vacation, and a lot of work with a 6 month old on vacation, Trevor and I both felt so refreshed by just the simple act of stepping out of our everyday lives being in another location.  It gives you the ability to see your life more clearly.  And I know Jasper sure enjoyed our complete attention; we spoiled him with love.Not a bad view for Jasper's evening cereal! We had planned on going out for dinner every night, but plans changed.  Jasper is such a morning person that we ended up ordering in at the hotel every night, but we fully enjoyed our early morning breakfasts with lots of coffee. Our beach day was short lived, but we only had to take two trips from the car to unload everything we needed. A family picture including Jasper's new favorite toy that he picked out shopping on vacation.  He loves to chew on his tail!