July 2025

July is our family vacation month. Since our children are all grown now, a few years ago we were struggling to figure out what to do for Christmas gifts. I mean, I think we are past the time of buying underwear and socks and frankly, they are all at a point where if they want something, they just buy it themselves. So, we decided that instead of physical gifts, we would give a gift of memories in the form of a family vacation. In other words: forced family fun time with the parents.

It started as a handful of days after Christmas and before New Year’s. We planned a fun getaway, rented a house, and had a blast. Then, as often happens, our family grew, and our first grandson was born…. right after Christmas. Since we couldn’t very well in good conscious plan a family vacation over his birthday, we decided to expand our gift, make it a week long adventure and move it to summertime. The family gets the dates, location of the house and pictures at Christmas to give them time to request time away from work, as well as something to look forward to for the next 6 months.

Currently, we have been enjoying different vacation rentals near the Michigan lakeshore each summer. We try not to be too far from Kalamazoo with two small children in tow, but maybe that will change as families and kids grow. While we haven’t found our forever rental spot yet, we are also hopeful that one day the place we choose will be able to become part of the annual tradition.

Our family vacation has become one of the most relaxing weeks of the year for us. It is a reminder that we all need to take a break, relax, and enjoy the important people around us. I hope you take a moment this summer to do the same.