I think that one great way to spend time with your family is to go on vacation together. It is a chance to pull your family together and to get them away from the distractions that are all around them. It is a chance to build the bonds that will pull you through the difficult times. A chance to form the memories that will last.
I have fond memories of my family’s vacations. One year we went camping and came back sick from camping in a swampy campground. We managed to visit Yellowstone during the fires. I remember leaving and barely being able to see the road because of all of the smoke. They closed that exit the next day. And our first trip to Disneyland was during the L.A. riots. We were stuck in the hotel room and the only thing on all eight stations were the same pictures of violence. But we had fun wherever we went, and no matter what happened. Most of the time we didn’t deal with tragedy, sickness or natural disasters.
So as you pull your family together in a family council to plan this year’s family vacation, I have a few suggestions for a truly great family vacation. Take this time to slow down together as a family. You might feel the need to rush from exciting event to the next, but the things I remember most from my vacations as a child are the games played at night in the hotel rooms, or the hikes that we went on during which we talked as a family.
Your vacations can be as elaborate or as simple as you prefer. My husband remembers that it is the one time each year that his family didn’t seem to worry about spending money. I remember my mom carefully planning ways beforehand to save money, but once we were there money wasn’t the focus.
Over the next week I am going to write about different LDS trips that you can take. I will take about Nauvoo, Kirtland, and Palmyra. I will also talk about visiting Utah and Temple Square. I will also talk about all of the pageants, which are available to attend. You might be able to fit them into your already scheduled vacation.