Family Vacations

Family vacations. They can be fun and memorable, or a total disaster. Imagine having 25 people staying under one roof for 5 days, oh and did I mention 9 of them are under the age of 9? A few weeks ago we did just that and I'm happy to report our time is Arizona with Mitch's extended family was amazingly incredible and a trip we will truly never forget. 

Mitch's amazing 93 year-old Granny passed away this summer. She was a sweet, insanely kind woman who loved watching sports and was up-to-date on all current events and pop culture. For example, years ago during a visit to AZ she asked Mitch, Jen, Matt and myself if we were on Twitter, and what we thought about this whole Charlie Sheen situation. You guys - she was 88 at the time and knew more about Sheen's tiger blood antics than us 20 somethings. Granny was a complete joy to be around and carrying on a conversation with her was effortless. 

Before her passing she requested her family not do anything big, but we all agreed this strong, incredible woman who was a fighter until the end deserved a celebration of life. Amazingly we found a weekend in November that worked for 25 of us, and a house that we could all stay at together. It seemed too good to be true, and I can't help but think maybe Granny worked her magic while watching over us. 

Not even a week before our trip, Mitch found out he was going to need to travel to California Mondays through Fridays for several weeks. It wasn't ideal timing (or at all, really) and sort of threw a wrench in our original plans. We adapted quickly and the plans quickly changed to have him meet us in Arizona rather than traveling with us from Minnesota. The thought of traveling on an airplane alone with two kids was sort of daunting. Mike, Jennie and sweet baby Emma were on our same flight so I knew if I needed to call-in for backup, the option was there. Luckily, I didn't need to. Both Harper and Emmett were great on the plane. They hunkered down with their headphones, watched a movie and played some games. Secretly, I almost fell asleep a couple times because they were so quiet but then I remembered I was supposed to be parenting, not sleeping. We arrived safe and sound in AZ to find Mitch and Nick waiting for us at the gate! Vacation had started and we were ready to celebrate one incredible lady! 

 

For 5 days and 4 nights we laughed together, cried together, drank together, made family meals together and created unforgettable memories TOGETHER. All 9 kids (3 under the age of 1) got along perfectly and played so nice with each other. The kiddos spent the majority of their time swimming in the hot tub (since the pool wasn't heated and it was f r e e z i n g!). There were many intense games of dinosaur memory, a lot of hide-and-seek and the girls even snuck away for a little arts and crafts time. It was so fun watching these cousins play together and get to know one another even more - all while us adults sat around watching with a giant smile and creating our own memories.  

The celebration of life for Granny and Pops was beautiful. Many people got to share their heartfelt stories with everyone which reminded us how lucky we were to know these two loving, sweet individuals. 

While I was in Arizona I even got to catch up with my old friend, Rachel. We went to Basswood Elementary, MGJH and St. Cloud State University together. I have soooo many fun memories with this girl (can you say, Planet Pageant?), so being able to see her - even for just a brief time was special! It's been years since I've seen her, but like old friendships can be I felt like we picked up right where we left off. She was sweet enough to come to the house we were staying at for a drink and even witnessed the crazy piñata experience. It was so fun seeing her and catching up, hopefully we can do it again very soon!

I still find myself daydreaming of those few days in AZ. It was an unforgettable trip, one that I think we'll always remember. There have been talks to make this an annual thing - and I hope that truly happens. As a group we traveled from 5 different states to be together, is that not just awesome? We loved our time in Arizona and hope to be back the same time next year! 

 

Since it was the first time we've all been together in years (although we were missing Sally!) we had one of Jen's old friends who is a photographer come to the house. She took individual family photos and even captured a few shots of ALL 25 of us looking at the camera at the same time! (it's a miracle, right!?) Thanks Cristi Owen Photography for the super special photos!

 

Until next time...

The Helleen's