Years ago, a friend said to me “You only have 18 summers with your kids.” 

18 summers.

 I envisioned an hourglass of sand already more than half empty, and felt desperate to make as many family memories as I could before those 18 summers were over.  

The thought of only 18 summers made it seem like our precious time making memories on vacations would stop once the kids turned 18. 

Now, as my kids have gotten older, I realize that just isn’t true. 

We have surpassed the 18th summer with my oldest daughter and are close to it with my son. 

We are still going on new adventures, but the adventures have changed.   When they were younger, our vacations were more beach centered, but as they’ve gotten older, we’ve become more adventurous. 

Don’t get me wrong, they still love the beach, but we have been able to mix in more active excursions that we couldn’t have done when they were younger. 

Now, as I have gotten well into the second half of my forties, I am thoroughly enjoying this quality time with my teenagers and  am now learning how to keep up with them on our trips!  

Cheers to many more than 18 summers!