Time for the Watson annual vacation!! My family doesn’t have a lot of traditions or family gatherings however there are a few things near and dear to our heart. One one hand, my immediate family lives in St. Louis (my home town) and gets together on occasion in small groups of about 10 at the most. On the other hand my wife’s family, here in Houston, has some traditions and is ALWAYS getting together in about groups of 30-50. If any of you are Hispanic or have Hispanic friends then you will understand how being away from your family is never an option.
Traditions in my family are simple we get together on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Independence Day, and a party at Super Bowl however I am missing most of these holidays now that I’m in Houston (which is hard on me because I love my family and am a huge mama's boy...just ask my sister haha). Besides these usual traditions we have two that are more important to us then anything else. We watch Cardinals games (you can NOT live in St. Louis without being a diehard Cardinals fan) and our last tradition is going to the Lake of the Ozarks in Roach, Missouri (yes Roach, Missouri) every year!!!
I know what you are thinking….Lake of the Ozarks?? Really?! You are THAT excited about a dirty lake that recently had outbreaks of E-Coli….yes, that is the one! You see, we have a cabin and a dock that have been in the family for years. My Grandpa bought the cabin when my dad was young and they went there every weekend to ski and swim. It was religion…heck, it’s STILL a religion to us. Over the years there have been over a hundred different families that have visited the cabin throughout the years. It was once a safe haven to relax and let go of all your stress from work, school, and life in general. We still consider it a space for relaxing however things do change over the years but regardless of the fact we still love to go and dread the day the cabin is no longer around. I really think my sister will loose her mind if that cabin is sold! Don’t worry Jen, we will buy another, love ya!!
While things have changed, people have come and gone, new cabins built, new boats on the water, but one thing has been constant…our little cabin that is built for sleeping and eating. It’s old, infested with bugs, has shag rainbow color carpet, bunk beds that were once used in the Army, a septic tank that can’t handle more then 2 flushes in 30 minutes, a 20 year old fish on the wall, and you even have to dig a hole to bury your trash (biodegradable only…don’t worry we are good). Even with that being said, there is no greater joy then driving to that cabin and flopping on the beds in total relaxation.
This year I’m super excited about bringing my son with me and my wife. He lives in St. Louis so I do not get a lot of time with him throughout the year so I’m ready to spend some quality time with my buddy. He’s only 4 but is ALL boy! We spend time together fighting bad guys (we go outside and use sticks to hit imaginary people), play with ninja turtles, throw balls, chase each other, and soon we will be doing cannonballs which he said he will teach me how to do. Gotta love the innocence of a child, he’s awesome!
It will be nice to see my family again and to hang out, play cards, relax, swim, take boat rides, and also hit the wave runners!! We leave for the lake this weekend and will be gone for a full week. We will post some pictures once we get back…that is, IF we come back!!
BW
