Smith Family Vacation 2015

As we did a couple of years ago, our summer vacation was spent at a small cabin resort in Northern Minnesota.  We enjoyed it so much 2 years ago (last summer our 'vacation' was moving into a new home!) that we knew we would come back.  It's the kind of place that takes hours of back roads to get to, and your stress slowly melts away with every twist and turn of the road. By the time we arrived, we were all itching to get out of the car and stretch our legs.  We had just enough time to go check out the dock and beach, and make a quick run to the lodge for games and puzzles before the rain started. We managed to grill burgers despite the rain, and spent the evening checking out the cabin (complete with a kids loft!) and settling in.

We knew this year would be different from last time, as Henry was now 4 and could genuinely appreciate a lot of the activities.  Ingrid, who was 5 months last time, was now able to explore with him, and Gwen was getting to join in on her first vacation!  Part of why we love this place so much is the simplicity of it.  Aside from a small beach, playground, a few kayaks, and a nature trail, the resort is simply cabins and walkways.  The kids could roam freely (within reason) while we watched from the cabin or nearby and they were able to dictate much of the activity.  It's refreshing to do that when you stay home and do lots of instructing throughout the day!

The following day was rainy as well, so it included a huge breakfast, sipping coffee well into the morning for Jerry and I, and cabin movies and games.  The kids and I snuck out for a nature walk while Gwen napped and Jerry read a book.  I also got out for a gloriously quiet run that afternoon as well.  We had a simple dinner and all crowded ourselves into the kids loft to hang out together.  I should also mention that since there is no dishwasher, lots of dishes get done by hand and dried by hand here.  I'm no fan of dishes, but somehow at the cabin it's kind of relaxing.  It slows me down and makes me grateful for all of these mouths we feed.  We also followed tradition by primarily leaving our phones on airplane mode so that we were more present with the kids and each other.  We spot checked them during naps and in the evening, but by and large we stayed off our phones. It was refreshing!

Thursday brought friends of ours that came to visit from a town nearby.  They have a little guy about Ingrid's age, so the kids enjoyed playing at the beach while we had a picnic on the dock and eventually headed out on the little boat provided by the resort for some fishing!  Everyone had the chance to catch a fish (and then some!), so it was definitely a successful day on the boat.  The littles were getting sleepy, so we headed back and fished some more from the dock while they napped.  Heidi and I threw together fajitas for Jerry to grill and we all ate dinner on the patio and chatted while kids ran around. Before they took off, we managed to throw together a killer fire for s'mores and more chatting!  It was really nice to have friends come visit us this year-especially ones we hadn't seen in forever!

Friday was more of the same for the kids and Jer and I.  Coffee, kayaking, sand digging, and walks around the resort.  Jer and I squeezed in runs again, and then we all got cleaned up for the evening to head into the 'big' town nearby for mini golf and dinner.  Mini golfing was crazy but fun! It's always exciting to try new things and realize just how much the kids are capable of.  We went to dinner at the exact same place and sat at the exact same table as 2 years previous.  Somehow that made me reflect on God's goodness to us as I ate my BBQ Chicken pizza:).  I'm grateful he has given us healthy, hilarious kids! I'm grateful for our marriage and how God has grown it over our 8 years.  I'm grateful for income to provide for a simple vacation that refreshes our spirits.  God has given us more than we deserve and I so easily forget how amazing that concept is.

Saturday the kids got one more go round on the playground while I tidied up before the LONG trek home.  We were definitely sad to say goodbye to our little cabin home, but it's always so nice to get back to your real home with your own bed .....and dishwasher:).