Family Vacation

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Family Vacation.  Those words conjure up visions of the Griswold family, hilarious fun or fighting siblings, depending on the family, and either wonderful hotels in big cities, or tents or campers in a state park campground.  Throw those scenes right out the window!   After all, we are the Boothe family.  We don't do anything the normal way!  For 16 years, we have rented a house on Lake Anna in VA.  The Punkins call it Crazy Mimi's Lake House.  The crowd has varied in years past.  Troy's and My parents are no longer able to join us.  We added a cousin/bff  a few years back. There are no longer daughters-in-law.  (These things happen, and while we still love both girls and miss them, this is the new reality.)  But there's one constant, and that's our Punkins and our boys.  And this year we add our oldest Punkin's girlfriend.  The dynamics are changing!

While other families eat out, sightsee, and lay on the beach or float in a pool, the Boothes hang out on a dock fishing,  swim in the lake getting "fishy bites", and pack enough food to feed 12 people for 7 days. We don't eat out.  We cook every meal at the house.  We do multiple loads of laundry a day (lake water isn't terribly clean!), and for entertainment we have "Noodle Night at the Nut House" every evening after dinner.  For those of you who have never seen my pictures of this, it is our after dinner swim.  Everyone grabs a noodle, and we hang out in the water relaxing after a busy, fun day. 

Our daily routine goes something like this:
Wake up, grab your coffee and head to the dock, still in your PJs,  and watch the morning come to life.  Herons, jumping fish, early morning bass fisherman quietly moving around the shoreline.
Time for breakfast!   Sausage gravy and biscuits anyone?
Change into swimsuits, grab your beach towels from the dryer, and head to the dock.
Lunchtime!
Naps for anyone interested.  Who gets the hammock today?
More water fun, fishing, etc.
Dinner outside (not enough room around the inside table for all of us!)  Always prayer and then the customary clinking of glasses while everyone says "Cheers to the Boothes!"
Noodle Night at the Nut House!
Evening goodies....homemade cookies sent by Nana!  Or fresh baked brownies!
Showers for all and laundry started.
Everyone is totally exhausted so no argument when it's bedtime!
And repeat for 6 more days!

The Punkins help make the menu, and help make and clean up after the meals.  They help with laundry too. 
I'm a freakishly organized person, so hanging in the kitchen are two spreadsheets.  One is the week's menu, the other is a chore schedule.
See what I mean?  We don't do anything "normal"!  But it works for us!  That's what matters!

So my SUV is packed to the ceiling with enough food for the week, and very little in the way of clothes!  We don't need them!  PJs and swimsuits don't take up much room.  Who else packs only 2-3 pairs of undies for a week long vacation?? 

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