And the winner is...

I can finally say that AB and I have decided what we are doing for vacations this year. It only took three months to decide.

One of our routine complaints is that we don't do "fun" vacations, that as a family who lives away from our loved ones, our vacation time and money is spent traveling to see parents and siblings. I get a wee bit jealous when my coworkers and friends plan vacations to fun places.

But then the inevitable happens. We start missing our family.

This year we were bound and determined to do it differently. We enjoy traveling with our families, and so our goal was to organize and plan vacations in fun places where we could all go together. We had wonderful notions of Hawaii.

Then the thought of the long flight with two little kids. And entertaining the two little kids once there... And taking two little kids into the ocean...

Well suffice it to say that we have bagged Hawaii until the kids are a touch older. One of our major reasons for us to go to Hawaii is the volcano. AB and I are both volcano buffs and would love to add to our list of active volcanoes we have seen. (Together that is... I have already seen Kiluea, it was amazing, AB? Jealous.)

But would a 4 year old little boy really get *that* much out of the volcano? Or would a 6 year old enjoy it a lot more with a deeper understanding of what is going on?

Hawaii? Officially postponed.

One trip that has been thrust upon our schedule is Alaska.

I know. For many Alaska is a once in a lifetime adventure.

For us it is a trip we do often with AB's family being in Alaska and with a vacation property there. What has been a little shocking is that AB - that would be ALASKA boy - is not overly thrilled for this trip. A little strange that *I* am more excited for Alaska than him it appears. Still a week or so in Alaska over the 4th of July is 95% certain right now.

I also took this opportunity to point out to AB that he will have been "home" twice in a year after this trip compared to my going to Colorado last in December 2006. It is only fair...

And I have become a little homesick for Colorado...

We are aiming for Colorado next Thanksgiving. Tentatively planning for Friday before through Saturday after the big T day.

Also on our list of vacations are two mini trips to the coast. To the cabin. Leif has been asking for months now to go. We are assessing tides and work schedules (seriously coworkers, quit putting important things on my calendar)! We will go either over Memorial Day weekend or the following weekend (when tides are ideal and cabin should be empty).

We usually also try to do the coast in October, when work slacks for me. It is a great time to get away to the coast and pick blackberries and go to Oysterfest. This year though - and I am pleased to say - work shouldn't be slack for me in October. I recently obtained three new sources of funding that are not subject to continuing resolution. I will be living the high life. I will be the one fielding requests from the desperate multitudes for work. I will be working in October!

Still though - the coast in October is a must do.

The last one on my radar is a girls trip to one of my favorite places... Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Vargas Girl and Brooke's mommy and her best friend are planning a getaway and I wanna go. I really want to go.

Amazingly enough my husband said yes - he could take the kids for the weekend and I could go drink wine, eat out, shop and have spa time in the high country with the girls. So right now I am just seeking tickets and cursing Travelocity for their teaser airfare rates... "sorry that fare is no longer available".

Determination has set in.