Vacations

Vacation time with kids is always fun, and builds wonderful memories.   Most of our first vacations when the kids were small were spent traveling across the country to visit grandparents and cousins.  When Mom is to be flying across country alone with three small children, extra-ordinary measures must be taken, especially when a plane change is necessary.  Hence the Baby Bear harness being worn by the Dear Son in the photo below.  We actually had one for each of the boys, and DD1 wasn't walking much at the time.

Visiting Grandparents in the summer time meant picnics and hiking in the mountains:

and playing with cousins in grandma's backyard wading pool.

Of course when the grandparents came to visit us, we would visit fun places too, like Ellis Island,

The Statue of Liberty:

And the World Trade Center:

Sometimes we would go camping with our friends from church:

We loved visiting Washington DC and walking along the Mall:

 

and Exploring the Smithsonian museums.

 But the favorite activity for the kids was riding the Carousel:

We have also taken the kids on trips to Niagara Falls, Chicago, Cape May and the New Jersey Shore, Gettysburg, Philadelphia and other fun spots, but Mom of Six often forgot to bring the camera!   When we moved back across the country, closer to the Grandparents, there were even more trips with extended family and sometimes just with our own kids, sometimes camping in tents and sometimes staying in cabins or motels.  Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, Bear Lake, Lake Tahoe, Zions and Bryce Canyons, hunting trilobites and geodes in the desert, and following the Pony Express trail.  

And always, whenever possible, swimming!

What are your favorite family vacation memories?