An Old Fashioned, Memory-Making Family Vacation

(ROCKWALL, TX — August 2, 2018) I couldn’t believe Ireland went right into the water.

She loves to swim but swimming in a lake was a new experience, so she ventured in, then reality hit and she got right back out and stayed in the boat.

We had gone in “halvsies” with my brother-in-law to rent a huge pontoon. The plan for the day was to cruise around the mountain lake and when we found calm coves, get out and swim. We packed enough food for an army and we trolled around enjoying the forested mountains and bare cliffs. My boys and I love adventure so a little swim in a deep mountain lake was a no-brainer, but my baby girl was wary after a few moments in the water. She can swim like a fish but the idea of swimming in something so vast with the fish had her considering a day as a deck hand.

It’s tough to see your kid scared of something you know isn’t going to happen (a gargantuan killer largemouth bass) to a point that you’ll know they’ll regret it; but I’ve learned with her, when she’s ready, she’ll take the risk. I could tell a battle ensued in her brain and she finally, nonchalantly got up and slipped into the water. An hour later she loosened her grip on me and giggled and swam around the boat with her cousins, a victory moment in her life.

In the shadow of mountains and cliffs we ate some of the best cold-cut sandwiches I’ve ever had, nothing special, but the place and the company made it taste as good as any five-star.

I don’t remember, if ever, having a bonafide old-fashioned family vacation with my kids. When the boys were little, we just couldn’t afford anything other than going back to Tennessee to see grandparents. That has always been a blessing, and I love visiting, but Angie and I taking the kids on a trip outside of that we’ve always missed.

Now, this summer we went home for a few days but then we packed up with my wife’s brother and his family and headed off to the Ozarks. We split the groceries and when we arrived at the rental house, we configured how we’d crowd everyone in with blow up mattresses and couch space. Honestly, it didn’t matter once we saw the view from the deck. The house rested high on a mountain side with the lake below, so the kids set their alarms to see the sunrise and the adults enjoyed nightcaps on the deck as it set. My daughter and nephews played “Clue” till late (Miss Peacock is quite the naughty lady) and the older kids and adults laughed into the night (my diesel mechanic brother-in-law should consider stand-up comedy).

It reminded me of my childhood where we took a family vacation every year. There was no schedule to keep, no tournaments to be played (as so many do these days), just time with family and often other friends that tagged along. We were on vacation, a break from the crazy pace, a chance to visit another location, a suspension from our everyday lives for a time to make memories together. And we did, tons of them, in fact, some of my greatest and long lasting memories were from those trips. And I think we may have touched it again with my own children because no sooner than we got ready to leave, they were already making plans for next year, which is good because I have some ideas that they’ll never forget.

By Scott Gill of Rockwall. Scott is a teacher, coach, and author of “Goliath Catfish.” Follow Scott’s blog at puptentpapa.blogspot.com and read his “Front Porch Ramblings” at BlueRibbonNews.com.

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