Vacation....

We are just now getting ready to go on vacation and I can not wait. I just hope and pray that we have a great time and it does not rain. I remember the first family vacation that my family took. My dad as you know is an alcoholic so we did not do a lot of family vacations. If I can remember right my brother was around 4, my sister around 6 and I guess that would make me around 12. It was summer time and we lived in Rockingham. We packed the car up and was headed to the beach. We got to the South of the Border and and we were so fascinated  with all of the cool stuff there that we did not want to go on to the beach, so we got a room. It was the first time we had stayed in a motel and I remember how amazed we were at the room. I looked for a picture on the internet to share but I could not find anything. I will try my best to describe it. It was dark red walls, heavy dark red velvety curtains with gold tassels, the bed spreads were dark red velvet. we thought we were in a castle. There was a great big pool what more could we ask for. We stayed in the pool most of the time, swimming and playing. Mom sit out in the sun and relaxed and daddy was in the room but he came out drinking and was almost drunk. He passed out in the sun and got sunburned all over except where his bathing suit was, even the top of his feet were burnt. Don't start thinking poor little family drunk dad no true good memories. We had a blast! We loved our dad and to our family being drunk was just a part of life. He was not a mean drunk and he loved us. I miss my dad and I really hate that he did not live to see he had six grandsons. He would be so proud!

The last family picture we ever had taken I was 21 years old.