Fake Camping

Jul 16, 2010 - Fri: Heidi
According to Joey, we didn't really go camping July 9-11, but basically we did. In the middle of Reston, VA is a park with a great camping area, a water park, a lake, picnic areas, soccer fields and a park. The camping area includes "facilities" which is one of the main reasons Joey didn't consider it real camping. So fine, we went fake camping.

My sister-in-law (Nina) used the bathrooms and showers as a means of enticing my family into a family camping trip. Basically the only way my mom would ever be talked into camping is if camping meant "going to a fancy hotel and doing lots of shopping." So, our camping trip consisted of me, Joey, Christian, Nina and their two kiddies. To give credit where credit is due, Mud did plan to go but ended up shooting a wedding last minute so he had to bail on us. He did at least come hang out Friday night.

All in all it was a good weekend. We started out a little on the hot and sweaty side (the boys wondered who chose July and who really wants to sit by a campfire in 88 degree weather) but quickly moved to wet and muddy with lots of rain. It started raining around 3AM Saturday and rained steadily until about 10AM. In between bedtime and the rain, we did have an animal visitor who apparently needed a wash bin and some utensils because that was all we could tell was moved.

After having a tailgate breakfast under umbrellas, we decided to leave our stuff for awhile so it could dry out, and went to see "Toy Story 3" (another reason Joey says it wasn't real camping). By the time we got out of the movie, the sun was out and we headed back to our campsite for some time at the water park.

Naomi, of course, had to be with Joey so she slept in our tent both nights, which was so sweet. We would wake up throughout the night and Naomi would have her arm wrapped up over one of us and she'd be sound asleep.

Heth Family Vacay

Jul 06, 2010 - Tue: Heidi
We're home from vacation. Boo. Getting back into the grind of daily life is always slow after vacation, but alas here we are.

We left last Saturday and drove to Indiana to spend a couple days there before heading to Michigan with Joe's family for a week at the Heth family cabin. The cabin is where a great majority of their family memories stem from, and it's been so great to be able to continue going as everyone has gotten older. Although we do the same things every time we go, it never gets old! Being completely surrounded by woods and nature. No internet or cell service (well, cell service seems to slowly be creeping in). Reading on the screened in porch. Tubing down the (freezing cold) river and inevitably falling in at some point. Sleeping on the porch. Putting out food for the raccoons and waiting for the motion light in the backyard to come on signaling they've arrived to eat. Playing games. Roasting marshmellows over the bonfire. Shooting guns. Eating on the porch. Going into town for ice cream. Laying in the sun. Family hikes. And all of it accompanied by lots of laughter.

The time at the cabin always goes by too quickly but we always return home refreshed.

We left the cabin Saturday morning and drove to Grand Rapids to celebrate Joe's (maternal) grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary. What an accomplishment! Joe's aunt put together an incredible brunch where Grandma and Grandpa Andres were given a book of their wedding photos that had been digitized and printed into a little booklet. We all got to sit and look through their wedding photos and ask them questions. Someone asked Grandpa Andres if he felt like it had been 60 years. He laughed and said, "Well, no. I don't feel old." This is from an 89 year old man who still works in his backyard as if he were 45 years old. I want to be like that.

The two of them met on a blind date and Grandpa Andres fell in love instantly. He still remembers what she was wearing when they met for that first blind date. One of the sweetest things we heard from him was that when times got tough, he would go back and remember her that day and that helped him get through it.

Here's to 60 years!

Joe and I left Michigan on Sunday morning, July 4, to make the 10.5 hour drive back to Virginia. Before we got home we made a quick stop in downtown Manassas to watch the fireworks together. The perfect end to our vacation!