One Time Around: Pocono Vacation 2015

Who's excited for Pocono Vacation Week?!

We are pretty sure that this summer marked our 25th year at Split Rock! It's hard to believe I was around Sarah's age when Nana and Grandpa first became timeshare owners there. We have so many awesome memories, and made many more on this trip!

Now that our clan has grown to 15 people and we no longer all fit in adjacent Willowbrook units, we decided to rent a house nearby with Uncle Tim and his family while Nana, Grandpa, and the French crew stayed at Willowbrook. We weren't sure what it would be like to be split up like that, but the arrangement actually ended up working out great! We spent all today together at the lake and then alternated hosting dinner at night. The kids loved getting to visit each other's "vacation houses" while still having their own spaces to return to at night. There is such a thing as too much togetherness, you know... :)

So let's start with the rental. It was a great little house! It just needed some TLC and a very serious deep cleaning. (Let's just say that other than to sleep and to shower, I never once took off my shoes.) But other than that, we truly had a fantastic week there. Some of the things we liked best:

Quality time with the NJ G-willies! And learning the art of Lego-building from the master.

Giggling with little G. She is such a fun and happy girl!

And Uncle Tony LOVES his silly time with his littlest goddaughter!

The foosball table in the basement saw a LOT of action from the kiddos that week-- definitely their top amenity!

Hosting big family dinners. Littles inside...

... bigs outside! We loved that deck and especially the grill.

Running around chasing the random stray dog outside and eating popsicles. So many laughs!

Some other favorite memories of the week:

1.) Family bowling day! We picked a morning with cooler weather to all go to the bowling alley at the Galleria.It was a first for my boys, and everyone had a blast.

"Do these shoes fit, Mom?"

Liam and Nana waiting for their turn

Dad got a strike! High five!

We're #1! Just maybe not in bowling!

The bookend girls :)

All the winners!

2.) Spending time at the lake. If you need to place a bet on where you will find any of us at any given time on any given day, bet on the lake and you have a pretty good shot at winning.

Aunt Erin and Uncle Thomas (love!)

Boating with Grandpa

Ring pops and the triplets... need I say more?

Nope, definitely no need to say anything more :)

The kids may have ring pops, but the adults have... the Sand Bar!

I love spending time with these two!

And spending time with these 7!

Sarah on the dock

Augustin and Pierre

Lovebirds going for an evening cruise

So close, Genevieve... SO close

Liam and Sarah, net fishing for minnows

Hi Colin!

Hanging with my main man Pierre and my little man J

They could be a boy band, no?

Which leads me to...

3.) Cousin bonding (and general silliness)

Love, love, love the triplets in action! Could not get enough of their antics and giggling.

An important meeting of the thumb-suckers

Attempt at a pyramid (spoiler alert: it failed)

What started as a little wiffle ball game with Aunt Jackie and Uncle Tim...

... devolved into this with poor Grandpa! (Despite the pain, he loved every minute)

4.) Family dinners at Willowbrook.

Typical pre-dinner mayhem

Our chef for the evening!

I captured a live one... time for dinner!

"This one's misbehaving. Get her outta here."

And that's what we think of THAT!

The boy who found the obnoxiously large stick that he grew so attached to that he made his mother bungee-cord it to the roof of the car to bring it back to our rental house because he couldn't bear to leave it behind. (The End)

5) Turtle Races!