The Poconos

Dave and I decided to take the kids up to the Poconos for part of Memorial Day Weekend. My parents had this house built when I was fourteen. We came up for the entire month of August for years and were always here on the weekends. We loved it but as we got older and our lives got busier and we all had more commitments, we came up less and less. Now, we try to get up here a few times a year. It is about an hour and a half away so it’s a quick trip.

Although, I’d never consider it “rustic”, it is definitely not modern in any way even though it was built in the 80’s. The kids laugh at the television which still has knobs on it and probably has a 14″ screen. We joke with them that at least it’s color!! It even has cable, (yet until two years or so ago it still, had the cable box attached with a wire)!

The house is up a five mile road from the highway. It is quite a large development, yet homes are set far enough apart that there is privacy around. There are no street lights and the back of our house has a long windy deck that leads to a creek. It really is a getaway, on warmer nights, if the doors and windows are left open, you are lulled to sleep by the sound of the running water.

There is still no wireless service here, so we really were “off the grid” when we were here. It was nice when we wanted to really get away. Now, as I sit here typing on my iPad and the kids are running around taking photos on their phones, using 4G, it’s a little more tech savvy.

It’s nice though, being together – just the four of us, where there aren’t a multitude of televisions to choose from, or channels to watch. We can be together, enjoy each others company, (I say this as I am screaming at Drew to settle down)…..

It seems so odd being here knowing that mom is not here. She hadn’t come up to stay here in awhile since she needed her special oxygen machines to sleep. She, dad and DJ did come up here once during the winter though. I am glad that the last time she was here, she was with DJ. I am sure he has happy memories of that. We hadn’t all been up here together in years. They were trying to get some things fixed up so that this summer we could all get up here at the same time and spend a weekend with the whole family. Even Grammy liked coming up here. We have so many happy memories in this house. Mom is everywhere here! I am sure she is smiling, knowing that we are here enjoying the house that she and dad built with the intention for us all to continue the tradition of getting away with our families to relax for awhile.

(This is the first blog I am writing that I am unable to add a quote, as I can’t gain access to my computer to upload one).