2009 – Deep Creek Lake, MD

• “Interior pool door open.  Check the door. Interior pool door open.  Check the door.  Interior pool door open.  Check the door. Interior pool ….”

• Lots of local wildlife. Deer, rabbits, groundhogs, and two black bears frolicking at the end of the driveway

• Daily visits by the pool guys to check out the hot tubs and drain the well into the outdoor pool. Family members search the house for a bathroom with water pressure.

• Group rosary for Wes who got sick and required brain surgery.  Our relief upon hearing that Wes was better.  Mark came back and brought Geneva.

• Mark leading the cooking effort for his family and doing a fabulous job

• Frank, Karen, Mark, Mary, and Mike all play tennis. This qualifies as exercise for Frank, Mark, Mary and Mike.   This is considered resting for Karen

• Both indoor and outdoor pools, a hot tub, video games the alpine coaster, white water rafting, and tubing behind the motorboat were big highlights for the kids

• Playing Cross Up for the first time in 30 years.   Balderdash was big fun too.

1999 – Deep Creek Lake, MD

• Mary makes arrangements for a house on the man-made lake in Western Maryland.   There is a winding path down a hill to our dock

• The house has a wonderful outdoor fireplace – 20 years’ worth of smores are packed into one family vacation

• Christina attends her first family vacation

• The vacation is moved up from late August to late June in order to keep Benjamin from attending

• Mary is re-enacting Karen’s role in Sandbridge Beach as the 8-month pregnant beached whale

• 20 degrees difference between top floor of house and bottom floor of house ensures that no one sleeps too comfortably

• We use a nearby indoor pool

• Boating on the lake:  Party boat and waterskiing

• While mom and dad visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water, Mark Karen, Frank and Mary stay at the house and record the commentary to mom and dad’s 50th anniversary gift:  a video compilation of their married life together

• Mass is held outdoors at a bar underneath a large gorilla