I know, I'm eating my words now. The new house is great - but I'm dying for a trip. This is the time of year we'd typically start planning an autumn trip (usually to WDW) and I hate that I *can't*. It's purely psychological.

I keep thinking I could use points to go to Destin and at least have a couple days on the beach, but once we're in Destin it's not *That* much further to Orlando and it would be hard to not plan an extra couple days down there, kwim? Once you're that far...

Regardless, even if the points allowed a free weekend of hotel, we'd have to pay gas and food and entertainment, which isn't happening. :p

And, you know what? I LOVE the house - I truly do. It's been rainy here, but it's still lovely. I think the underlying problem is that there is SO much to do, I want to run away from it. <sigh>

We did manage to do furniture placement in the girls' dormitory last night - finally - so the cubes are up and they can start putting their toys IN them. It still feels like chaos, though. (And did I mention DH woke up puking today????)

I'm right there with you- we were going to head up to the tulip fields this past weekend and it got nixed due to dh's schedule so I get to pick somehting else in the next few weeks.

Can you plan a vacation as if you didn't live in this area, for your area? Plan a series of days (3-4) of packed fun with packed lunches and local parks and such, do some exploring!

Sarah

Or take a mini-vacation...get dh to watch kiddos while you do a "spa night" - lock yourself in the bathroom and get a long hot bath with lovely bath salts or EOs or something, or whatever you do for yourself that's nurturing.

Okay, I just talked myself into it. I'm taking my vacation day today. LOL. I have been debating...I do have to finish cleaning the Little League gear, but then I'm totally relaxing!!!

Alternatively...just be strict with yourself, a long weekend in Destin on a minimal budget, using the points to get there - you'll enjoy it so much more if you don't feel guilty about spending tons. And WDW is $$$$ while the beach can be really frugally done (eat in cheap seafood shacks on the water, unless Destin is as built up as I suspect it is..., no temptations to buy Mickey Mouse stuff, photos of your kid sitting on Ariel's lap, yadda yadda yadda).

I hear ya. We have actually never been on a vacation. :o Dh and I had a nice honeymoon and then a couple of years later he was in a wedding in Orlando so we went to WDW for the day and that's it.

We had really hoped to go back to Hawaii this year for our 10th anniversary, but it's not going to happen. I am determined that we will go on a vacation next year. :lol:

I'm being bad, and I'm going to go visit my friend. It's going to cost me almost 300 in gas alone (stupid gas hog van!) but is going to be SO worth it!! I'm used to taking a trip to see friends every other month, and it's been since Feb!!

I understand. To cover the upfront moving costs, we depleted our vacation fund for the year. While I think it's going to be awesome to be in the new house and I'm looking forward to it, it sucks to know we aren't going to even get a long weekend at the beach this year.

I may still try to do a weekend near the end of the summer if we can build the fund back up, but it is doubtful.

We "vacationed" the years we were in Hawaii:) Well, I did, dh went on many overseas deployments and to war. If we hadn't been lucky enough to do that we never would have a real vacation. I want to take the girls to WDW, but I don't know if we'll ever get there! Stephanie says, in her broken English, "Daddy, go bye bye me Dinney Worl wif A and Mommy see Minnie Mouf.":lol:
I do understand avoiding the work- I need to put away laundry and here I am on the computer!!

We're going to Branson and renting a cabin at a resort there. For entertainment you can go to Silver Dollar City or Celebration city, they have rides and family style shows. THis is our vacation plan w/ prices :D

July 4, 5, and 6

2 BR cabin for 3 nights $577 (yeah, I know! UGH! But worth it if the kids have to be in bed earlier) near SDC entrance (Not down town)

Dixie Stampede Dinner show (4:30 Preshow, dinner at 5:30, lasts until about 7-7:30, to takes up most of an afternoon) $48.13 adult $26.93 kids, 3 and under are free (my total is $125)

Silver Dollar CIty/Celebration City 3 day/2 park passhttp://www.bransonsilverdollarcity.com/offers-packages/default.aspx?id=132 $65 adult/$55 kids (my total is $185)

There are other fun places to stop and see things, so I am figureing about $125-ish on other attractions, like Ride the Ducks, or whatever, but most of our time will be at SDC. We also may do one other Dinner Show, the Tall TImber Lumberjack show, adults $39, forget what the kids is, but about $100 if we do that. I am also planning to do breakfast, snacks and a dinner or two in our cabin.

All said and done I'd say we will have about $1200 in our vacation, after gas and food. There is also a list of fun free places to go, like the fish hatchery, trails, and the resorts there offer nice pools if you kids just wanted to swim one day. In MIssour, it's about the best place to go as a family, and you can usually stay pretty on-budget. There are also cheaper places to stay, since we plan for our girls to go to bed fairly early, I wanted some place w/ privacy for the two of us after then went to bed.

I'm being bad, and I'm going to go visit my friend. It's going to cost me almost 300 in gas alone (stupid gas hog van!) but is going to be SO worth it!! I'm used to taking a trip to see friends every other month, and it's been since Feb!!

Yeah see, you guys can just come visit me when you need a vacation. LOL Allison can vouch for us. We're not toooo weird, or are we??? :p

Aileen

i hear ya! i'm ready for a vacation too!

i'm coming to st. louis in a week and a half..lol

SAWEEEEET :D