Several years ago, we moved from Spearfish, SD to Rock Rapids, IA. In May it will be 7 years, to be more exact. We had a lot of kids with one on the way and not a lot of money, but we knew the kids were growing fast and we needed to make memories with them. Making memories was very important.One of the ways to make memories is through vacations:concentrated family time. While we knew we couldn't do the big vacations: Europe, Disney World, or the like; we still wanted to do some special things with the kids. So we decided to ask them what they would like to do for vacation that year. The list was long, but surprisingly simple. It looked something like this:
1) Go to the farm and ride the four wheeler.
2) Play board games with Oma.
3) Go fishing with Grandpa and Opa.
4) Go to Falls Park and climb on the rocks.
5) Go to Wild Water West/swimming.
6) Go hiking as a family.
7) Take a day and go to the Omaha Zoo.
8) Stay at the Pirate Ship Hotel.
9) Go-carts and mini-golf.
10) Go to the movies and out to eat.
All simple pleasures that could be done in a day with the entire family (finding activities the whole family enjoyed became more challenging as we added more children to our family and their ages and interests diversified. Each of the activities listed required a minimum cash outlay, but garnered great family memory dividends. Here some photos from the list of activities the kids chose to do.
Swimming at the Rock Rapids Swimming Pool. A pool pass is a great investment for our family. By the time the end of summer rolls around, our pool pass cost just pennies a day. We swim every nice day in the summer. The kids love it and expect it and I relish the time the kids are expending energy and I can visit with friends or read a book. Although this summer, I'll be splashin' away in the baby end again! :)
The bonus part of this is the kids friends are there and they get to make family memories and friends memories at the same time. The swimming pool is just good clean fun.
Opa and Grandpa took JP, Jericho, and Jeff to the Missouri River for a couple of days of fishing in Grandpa's boat. The photos were awesome. The weather was nice and they actually caught some fish.
I notice they have lifejackets in this picture (I'm thinking it's just for show for mom) as in the picture above they are still in the boat and no life jackets can be seen.
Since Kezia worked at Sunshine, we got a free day at Wild Water West. What an awesome adventure. There was something for everyone. Big slides, little slides, climbing toys, baby pool, wave pool, and if you were tired of the water, go carts! The kids had a blast and we made some really fun memories.
Selah and Lacey going down the slide...again!
One advantage of living in the midwest is the vast expanse of nature that surrounds us. One day we went for a hike. These photos were taken at Big Hill just minutes from where we lived in Spearfish, SD. One thing I've noticed is that we rarely take advantage of the free sightseeing opportunities right near us. There are many opportunities (near and inexpensive) that offer families a great time together without costing a fortune or vacation days from work.
A day at Thunder Road in Sioux Falls. We played mini-golf and the older kids road the go-carts.
Jeff, JP, and Kezia strapped in for the ride. Because we were there on a weekday there were few others there and we got right on. Which was nice since it was very warm.
When our kids were younger, we bought a zoo pass and a children's museum pass each year. With a couple of trips to the zoo we had the pass fee paid for and then the rest of the trips were free. Plus with their "friends" discounts we also could get into other zoos around the country for half off or sometimes even free. This was one of our favorite pasttimes when all the kids were smaller. The fresh air and exercise were wonderful and the educational aspect was an added bonus. The kids were learning and not even realizing it.
Here is the Pirate Ship at the famous Pirate Ship Hotel (I believe it's really called the Ramada Inn) But why trifle with names. The kids loved it and it has been one of the long lasting memories without pictures for all of the children. They had a blast.
Well, there you have it. Some simple vacation ideas for your family this summer brought to you by the Poppinga children. Our list for this summer includes:
Hiking at Palisades National Park
Fishing with the Grampa's
Canoeing/Kayaking somewhere
and that's about it.
For me, as long as we get to spend time together...that's what is really important!
Remember, when making those memories, Live, Love, and Laugh.
Lori
6 comments:
That sounded like a lot of great fun!
Very nice post. I notice there's a common denominator in all of those pictures. The absence of snow. :) Hope it works for you guys to come visit this summer.
Yes, Angie--the ideal vacation for me is located somewhere very warm. Odd for someone who has always lived where there are four distinct seasons.
W.B.--It was! :)
Hey. Haven't been on Facebook, so I've missed you. I love your family. Love the header pic. Wow. You give me hope cuz I see a bit of a gap there before baby arrived. Who knows. Though I am old, so was Sarah and Abraham! God does have a sense of humor...but I am ready to embrace contentment also.
So glad to hear from you, Pam. Yes, the age difference has taken a bit of getting used to. We often say we have 8 kids and Gracia. Being so much younger she is like an only child in a lot of ways. She's a treasure. After having her, I am ready to embrace contentment too! We were sure after we lost Judah, we would have no more. And yet, she came almost a year to the date after Judah was due. God's Timing:)
Thanks for stopping by! I loved all your vacation ideas. With three little ones, we have to find ideas that are inexpensive. What a treasure that most of the ideas were with Grandma & Grandpa. That relationship is precious.
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