When I was a little girl, my family was tied to the farm and we hardly ever went on vacations.  I grew up in central California, in the San Joaquin Valley, “The Fruit Basket of the World.”  All summer long, we worked long hard hot hours in the fruit packing shed, sun up to sun down.  Summer was a time for hard hot physical work.  I worked in the shed all of my growing up years, until I went off on international adventures and then lived on my own.  Growing up, I never knew summers could be fun.

Later, with a family of our own, I discovered summers to be a whole new world–with summer play and trips to the beach.  Instead of a grind, they have become a delight.  Today we loaded our car with FUN things (like car seats, vacation food, beach chairs and boogie boards) and we headed to Newport Beach.  We vacation there every year with the kids, who will be flying in to join us.  This will be our last vacation for a little while.  We’ve submitted our mission papers again and we are waiting for a call.  It’s an exciting time.  We expect to hear from the Missionary Department sometime in the next week or so.  I’m grateful for a clean bill of health.  I’m grateful for our family, kids and grandkids.  And I’m grateful for summer fun!

When I was a girl, the few times we took a family trip (usually during spring vacation, before the harvest began).  We went to places like Yosemite, Caramel, Death Valley, San Diego or the Gold Rush Country, all somewhere in California and relatively easy to drive to.  Whenever we pulled out of our driveway, my Mom would sing a little jingle from her childhood, “We’re On Our Little Way.”  Then in the song, we’d sing goodbye to our house, the dogs, the yard, and whatever else we saw as we pulled out of the driveway until our home was out of sight.  I still sing that little song every time we drive away from our home.  I always connects me to my Mom and to her Mom.  It’s how we leave a place.  This will be our last little leaving, until our next Big Leaving.  Please stay tuned!