Above Cloudsby Bobby Mikul
At least I’m hoping and praying so! My family and I have never been on a vacation. No, really! Sure, we’ve jumped in the car for a day at the beach, or a drive up to Philly, but have never gone on an honest-to-goodness vacation. The closest we’ve come to a “real” trip is when we moved cross country from New Jersey to Arizona several years back. We drove the entire way, stopping at a hotel each night to eat and sleep, and then headed back out on the road again the next morning. It took us a total of 7 days (we took our time), and we saw 6 or 7 different states, but didn’t really get to do much sight seeing. After 10 months of living in Arizona, which we loved by the way, we all made the trip back to New Jersey to stay.
Our oldest son and daughter-in-law took a flight back several weeks ahead of us. They were expecting our first grandchild. 
We all missed our family back home, so it seemed like the logical thing to do — and, of course, we wouldn’t have missed having our granddaughter growing up around us!
This year, we’ve decided that nothing will stop us from going on a trip! One place we definitely want to go is Illinois to visit my mother and grandmother. I haven’t seen my mom in close to 8 years, although we email and chat on the phone quite a bit. 
She takes care of my grandmother, who will be 90 this year. They used to fly out every Easter to visit, but unfortunately, my grandmother is not able to travel anymore. My mom is a stage 4 cancer survivor, and I’m so blessed to still have her in my life. I want to make sure I get out there to see her and my grandmother soon!
Life is short and you never know from one day to the next if you’ll be here or not, so we need to be with our loved ones whenever possible. They’ve neither one ever seen their great and great-great granddaughters in person, so all 10 of us are planning to travel together. It’s such a blessing to have 5 generations living, and we are looking forward to taking a photo to document such an occasion. Of all the places we want to travel to this year, this trip would mean the most to us.
Are you planning a trip this year? What’s your favorite way to travel?
We are traveling this year to Costa Rica as a family can’t wait – best tip that I got from Rick Steves, the PBS travel expert is to have your kids create a travel journal. Can’t wait to see what they create
Oh, that sounds like fun! I’ll have to remember the travel journal when we go too.
I dream about the day that we actually take a vacation. This year my vacation will be the two conferences that I get to attend. :/
Same here. lol Yes, I guess I could count the one conference I’ve been to in Atlanta (where I grew up). That was awesome, but still not a “family” trip.
No Mom in 8 years! You have to make that trip work out! All the best….
Thank you! Definitely must!
Love traveling! Hope you have lots of fun and you deserve it!
Thank you, my dear! I’m looking forward to it!
This sounds like it will be a wonderful trip! I hope you are able to go, it would be amazing to have all 10 of you there and all 5 generations together. I’m sure you’ll take lots of photos!
Wouldn’t it? I’m really hoping we can .. I would love to have some great memories and pics of all of us together.
I have a few blog trips coming up, but none of them include my precious girls and fab hubby, so to me they just are not the same. I dream for a family vacation….ooh Disney would be a BLAST! (I was at Disney for 1/2 a day with a sick kiddo…really need a redo!)
Oh, Disney would be AWESOME! We would love to have a family trip there as well! Good luck to you!
It is a blessing to have your mom. I feel that way about mine everyday.
I pray your plans will go beautifully to be able to see your mom and grandmom.
I have had travels that my husband would call vacations, but I wouldn’t. and one day I will have a vacation free to just enjoy said vacation.
Thank you for the prayers! I hope you get your vacation soon too!
Wow I hope your trip comes to fruition. I use to live in Illinois for 13 yrs I haven’t been back in 8 yrs. this year hubby wants to do the cabin thing as a vacation should be interesting for sure.
Cabin sounds fun! I’m hoping so too! Thanks!
Wow! I can’t imagine not having ever been on a family vacation together. I really hope you are all able to get back and see your mom and grandmother! We went to Alabama and Florida last summer. It was so much fun! I met a lot of my mother in law’s family, that’s where they all live. We are planning to go back to Florida this summer as well!
Thanks Courtney! I hope so too.. I love visiting family, and really want to get back to my hometown, Atlanta GA, and to Illinois to see my mom and grandma.
It sounds like a wonderful trip! I love family trips too…there is nothing like seeing the cousins all having fun together! My husband has a big family and none of our kids are the same ages, but they all get along wonderfully…they have an amazing bond!
I agree.. we have a very large, close knit family here in NJ, and spend alot of time with aunts, uncles, and cousins on the weekend and for holidays.