updates, edition 3: our vacation

dave and i differ on this point, actually, but i don't believe that you can "vacation" with children. if you're somewhere with kids, i think the correct terminology is a "trip" or an "adventure"...but not a vacation. vacations are relaxing, responsibility-free time where you don't have to pack your entire life up just to go and try to live it more inconveniently some place else.

don't mistake my realism for dread, however. it's a lot of work to go on vacation, don't get me wrong, but i LIVE for time alone with my little family, and getting away from the hum-drum every day. and one of my resolutions was to be more adventurous, no? :) so although it can seem overwhelming to me at points when i think of the amount of packing and logistics to consider, i truly am excited to get away with my love and loves.

whether you have a family or not, i'm sure you're quite aware that vacations are expensive. understatement of the century, right. especially when you're taking two kids and need that much more space to vacation in. it's not exactly in the budget to rent a house somewhere for most people. but this year, we are blessed to be vacationing in nantucket. for those of you who know anything about nantucket, this island is not a place i ever thought i'd be able to take my family on vacation (it's kind of "posh" or something). a day trip, maybe, but for a week? yeah right. but through another local pastor, we were introduced to the ozias', who let pastors and their families come and stay with them on the island for free.

man, some people really have big hearts, huh?

it's really an amazing blessing to not have to pay to lodge for a week (who says lodge?), never mind that we are lodging on the adorably quaint and insanely beautiful island of nantucket. blessed.

so we'll be on the island for a week, back home for a few days, then off to lake taghkanic in new york with dave's folks to spend a week in a cabin for some more rustic living. the kids are going to have a blast! and i'm really excited that dave's family, who are out in indiana and chicago, will have a chance for some stratton kid saturation. a little piper and elias can go a long way :)

and now it's crunch time. i won't bore you with my extensive list of things i need to find/buy/finish/locate/pack/organize before we can go. but i will tell you i'm going to miss writing to you while i'm gone. i'm not sure i'm going to be able to be away and not write for that long! i may have a couple blogs to fire as i'm away, one for piper's one year birthday, and a couple videos (if i can ever get them to upload, what the heck!), but i'll be on the beach or in the woods for a good while. i'm looking forward to it. it has the potential to be a lot of fun. we'll just have to see. don't worry- you'll be the first to know ;)