Silver Bay - 2016

When I try to describe Silver Bay to people who have no context, I generally pull from the setting of Dirty Dancing.  It's an inclusive resort with no television, AC, and until this year - cellular phone service.  It's a place where generationally there is little change, where groups of people or families unite, where the shared experience is what bonds generations year after year.  Silver Bay isn't luxurious.  The food resembles dorm food at best, the beds are firm, and without A/C sleep is often impossible.  However, Silver Bay has a way of making the heart sad when it's time to say goodbye at the end of the week.  Some activities are the same from year to year.  You can always count on the clout shoot, shuffleboard tournaments, trivia night, dodgeball, square dancing, and ice cream at the store.

Shuffleboard six years apart.  .  .

The experiences change from year to year and the ties become strengthened.  This year was the first year that my kids experienced the same sadness I do when I have to say goodbye to Silver Bay and my extended family.  Carter bonded over baseball with both family members and other guests.  He got up the courage to join an adult softball game.  After an extended session of catch he proved himself and was allowed to play.  He got two hits, no errors, and even fielded a ball to make a play.  It was pretty cool seeing him interact with grown men throughout the rest of the week who all acknowledged him by name when they ran into him.  He also bonded with family members as well.  Not because of team affiliation, but because of a shared love for the game.  Archery was a new found favorite for him and he also aced the climbing wall.  Independence was given in allowing him to walk to archery on his own and swimming out to the raft independently.  I don't think there was a single activity that he didn't participate in.

Miles enjoyed a lot of shuffleboard and sandcastles.  He also took his artistic talents to the craft shop and made many fine pieces.  A cousin even commissioned his work.  He was still too young for many activities, but his youth was to his advantage in the dodgeball games as he was often the last one in.  I was proud of him for attempting the rock wall time and time again.  Each round he made progress.  His little legs logged well over 12,000 steps a day and he only had to be carried a few times.

My morning runs with cousins were outstanding and allowed for many meaningful conversations.  More than anything, I enjoyed watching my boys soak in all that Silver Bay is.  They were the epitome of the resort in the bay.  I was a solo parent for the week because Bradley had to tend to matters at home, but the boys were golden travelers and we enjoyed our exhaustively rejuvenating days together.  You know it's been a good vacation when the worst thing that happens is that is has to end.  (In reality, the worst thing that happened was our return travel schedules, but I'm not going to let that overshadow our trip.)

We live close to Bradley's family and make a point of visiting with the extended cousins at least once a year.  My extended family meets every three years, and each time I am reminded of what an awesome family I have.  It's pretty amazing to think that it all started because two people fell in love in 1933.  Words can't express how thankful I am for the week I spent at Silver Bay.  This has been the best year to date, but that's what we say every year.