Our summer trip to WV

Our two week vacation to WV this summer was fun, but a little sad too.

First off, it was the first time I have visited home since my grandma's funeral. I know this will sound strange, but my grandma wasn't part of my daily life. So, while I've mourned and missed her, I haven't had to fill a void she left, because I didn't see her every day. I felt the void on the trip to WV, though. There was no need to go over to her house and visit. No phone calls to make to see if she wanted to eat at the Chinese restaurant with us or go to Tracy's (a country store we visit). I could really feel her absence.

Another sad thing is my husband couldn't make the trip with us. His company had a huge open house for their reps the week after we left. There was no way he could take the time to visit family. While my son and I were having a great time, my husband was working extra hours and stressing about everything that had to get done. I felt guilty about that and it didn't feel like a family vacation, with 1/3 of my family missing.

On the upside, we had a family reunion. That was fun. We went to see Seussical the Musical at Theatre West Virginia at Grandview State Park. That was really great. Next year we have to go see Honey in the Rock and the Hatfields & McCoys.

We also spent some time at Little Beaver State Park. I hadn't been there for years and it was fun to go with my mom and Evan and back again with Evan and three of my nephews. My mom actually went on the swings with Evan and that was fun to watch. She's such a kid at heart! Evan and my nephews went fishing. It was a beautiful, cool evening. I sometimes forget how beautiful WV can be on those summer evenings.

We had a birthday cookout for my mom at my sister's house in Ronceverte. I love Greenbrier County. It's just fantastic there. My sister has a great house with land and a terrific view. We had a great time.

I had a nice visit with my mother-in-law. I tried to find a place for Evan to fish there, but when it comes to Nicholas County, I am out of my element. That's why we definitely need Dad around to show us the good spots!

All in all, it was a good trip. I'm already making plans for next summer that include camping and a visit to the West Virginia State Fair.

We haven't been to the Fair for years and I thought it would be nice to go there with my family. My sister works for the Fair administrative office from June until the Fair is over and my niece, nephew, and this year even my brother-in-law got in on the action working at different little kiosks during the Fair. It's such a huge part of their lives and it would be fun to be in on that just a bit. There's no way I'm working there, though!

That's how we spent our vacation in West Virginia. It was a great time of family and fun!