Summer Travel Plans: Part I

Is it weird that Mark and I have already started making plans for this summer?

Because we definitely have.

And they're BIG. Like gigantic, things we've never done before, kind of plans.

So for Part I: Girl's Trip!!! (Mark doesn't get to come on this one)

In May I'm going to be traveling with my aunt, grandma and two cousins to Prince Edward Island. You know that Island where Anne lived? The Anne of Green Gables / Anne of Avonlea, Anne??? I'M GOING THERE!!! I know this may seem random... I mean, why am I taking a girls trip to Prince Edward Island now? Why summer plans without my husband? But there's a story behind this...

You see, my mom has 3 sisters. (Well actually 6, but 3 were adopted when they were much older, and we love them and are close to them, but the 3 biological sisters happen to be extra close...) The oldest of this biological group is Linda. She has remained single through out her life and has spent the majority of it spoiling her nieces and nephews.

My mom and her other 2 sisters spent about 15 years of their lives having babies side by side, one after the other, bringing the grand total from the 3 moms to 22 children. And I'm incredibly grateful that they thought things through by having babies at the same time. Because they did that, we all had "partners" growing up. We would always split off in to our "groups" to play whenever we would get together.

My Aunt Linda decided that when each girl group of cousins reached a certain age she would take them on a special trip. My sister and her "partner" cousin joined my Aunt Linda on a cruise... there was only one issue with taking my group on a trip....

This was my group. 

My boys. My best friends growing up. They were my knights in shining armors... and they are still so dear to my heart. This picture is from my wedding rehearsal dinner. But can you see the problem? It's a little difficult to take a co-ed group on a special trip.

BUT Lucky for me. I also had another group...

My Emma. And my Anna. I'm a little older then they are, but we also had a blast growing up. When it came to girl time, these were my girls. So my Aunt Linda said that it would be us three that she took on a trip when it became our turn. And she said she would take us to Prince Edward Island because we LOVED Anne of Green Gables! We also promised our grandma that she would come with us because she loves to travel! Unfortunately since there were age differences between us 3 girls we never really reached a milestone at the same time. (Like Sweet 16, Graduation, etc.) Not to mention our Aunt also moved from Virginia to Texas and then to Massachusetts over the last 8 years.

So things were a bit busy for a few years there. Not much time for special trips. 

But you know what?

Things have started to settle down. And we have finally picked a date for our special trip! The trip we've been waiting for, for oooohhh, about 8 years. 

When we go Anna will have just graduated from nursing school, Emma will be finished with her junior year of college and I will have just celebrated my 1 year wedding anniversary. So you see, we are still all at very different stages of life, but we are still beautifully close friends, and we still make family and special trips together a priority. And my aunt has never forgotten her promise. You couldn't even contain the excitement that the three of us are feeling right now if you TRIED.  

We're going to be taking our trip May 23rd-May30th. 

Thats only 3 months away!!

Get ready for frequent Prince Edward Island updates over the next 90 days or so.

Also...

Stay tuned for Summer Travel Plans: Part II

It's even better. And Mark is totally included in this one! : )