The first year our family traveled to Lake Chelan and camped at the Lake Shores RV Park was on my golden birthday in 1988. Great Aunt Betty had traveled with Grandma and Grandpa Van Dyken and along the years other family members joined the group family vacation. Aunt Cheryl's parents and nephews eventually began camping with the party and cousins were added as the years went on.
My sister and I would attempt to defeat Gigi at a fierce game of Phase Ten or SkipBo while all the grown ups sat around reading. Bike rides or walks around the Riverwalk happened then and continued this year looking at the same ducks, walking the same route and rehashing the past memories of trips before.
This camping tradition went all the way through my high school years and continued on as an adult. Addison's first year was when she was not quite a year old. Since then the family hasn't visited every year and my last visit was back in 2010.
Trying to recreate a tradition is impossible when those you loved aren't here with you anymore. Grandma and Grandpa are passed, Great Aunt Betty took a rocket to heaven according to one of the kids she ministered to, Aunt Cheryl's mom has passed and Traci no longer spoils the kids at the donut shop or candy shack. The cousins are all grown up and our own kids now do all the entertaining. Vacation as a kid is fun and easy; carefree and spontaneous. Vacation as a parent is exhausting and busy; home-life squished into a twenty-five foot home on wheels.
The memories I cherish from eight years of age forward will always be dear to me, but if I've learned anything over the past eighteen months, it's that you can't live in the past. You must move forward.
So, with that, came a new year.
A new trip to Lake Chelan with a different landscape and new faces.
Uncle Bob and Aunt Betty joined us for the first time this year and cousin Chad brought his sweet girlfriend. Most stayed in the RV park, but others wanted the comforts of a regular shower, comfortable bed and space to breath when not all crammed inside of a trailer. (smart ones there) It was a new year; a chance at creating a new tradition.
The cousins got along great as most often Ashlyn, the smallest of the group, chose to pull the two little girls in the wagon around the loop. The teenager only said she was bored a few times, Charlie had to be told not to spend all his money on candy and only a few times did Myriam make new friends when unattended. Baylee sang Twinkle Twinkle throughout the camp ground on the back of Tim's bike, Charlie and I learned we're not so great at miniature golf, Addi enjoyed the first cup of coffee with Dad sitting outside bundled in blankets and Myriam got so many snuggles during rest time. Tim and I both came home relaxed and blessed from all the one on one time with each kid.
It was a great week and praise God we all got home safely to the piles of laundry awaiting detergent.
Thank you Mom and Dad for making this possible!
{ From oldest to youngest: the Van Dyken cousins. }
{ Life guards they claim to be but Broersma and Van Dyken is what they be. }
