Because I have to start somewhere

Because i have to start somewhere, i guess our family beach trip is a good starting point. Every year, since as long as i can remember, the Robertsons and the Howards (my mom's side of the family) come together for a week long beach trip. There are usually about 65 people total between both sides of the family. We rent two condos right next to each other so that we can all be close. The trip becomes very interesting because the Robertsons make a living off of hunting and the Howards are vegetarians. HA.

Side note: i tried to go vegetarian once, but we were having hamburgers for supper that night so that was as far as i got.

The Big Kids

The Big Kids, as we call ourselves, find plenty to do. Typically it involves fire, baseball bats, and/or crabs. This year i bought a 16 foot catamaran on a spur-the-moment decision, and drove 3 hours with Sadie's boyfriend to get it. Little did I know I was doing all that work only for it to rain every day of the week.The week typically occurs the same way every year. The women sit by the beach, read books, and shop. The Bearded Robertsons play golf all week, and they only go to the beach once and that is only to take the family picture. The golf game is a big deal to the all of the male members of the family. If you are not sitting at the adult table for meals then you do not participate in the adult golf game. You also can not get a spot at the adult table until you are married (i will tell more rules on the adult table in another post). i am Young, Beardless, and Unmarried…just to make it clear, so for now i can’t participate in the golf game. But one day…one day…

Beach Week is very special and important. It is the only time of the year that EVERYBODY on both sides of the family take a vacation from work and just spend time together as a family. Granted the whole Robertson family works at the same place and is already together all the time. In the early days of Duck Commander, it would lose all its employees and have to shut down for a week in order to for everyone to reassess their sanity. We also had 3 baptism this year in the pool.

Now, let’s get down to the Nitty Gritty and go over the lessons i have learned from the beach trip:

1.) Do whatever it takes to keep the family together. The beach trip is very inconvenient, but at the same time it is very necessary. And at times it is expensive because of how many people go, yet we still go. You may say, “Well you can do that because you have a very successful family business.” This is not inaccurate, but this trip started 20 years ago when there was no money, but my family still made sure that they always had this time to reunite the family, make memories, and spend time with one another. Today, the Bearded Robertsons have offers to go all over the U.S of A to speak, and have to film new episodes constantly throughout the week. Although the Beach Trip is still inconvenient at times for many different reasons, it is still a very important factor in keeping our family close. That is one of the main goals of my family.

2.) There is no use in being mad at someone you will have to be with for the rest of your life. In the first lesson above, i said that the trip is all about being together. We have already decided to stick together within the family, so we can either be happy together or bitter together. The question is no longer “Will we be together?” the choice is question “How will treat each other now that we’re stuck together?” Yes we get angry and annoy each other from time to time, but everybody has bad days at some point, and eventually things will be back to normal again. It’s not like anyone in the family is leaving the picture, we’re all in it together. It is a team effort. We might as well forgive, forget, and get on with our lives. The next beach trip is still going to happen regardless if we are happy about it or not…so we might as well find a way to be happy.

3.) DO NOT skim board with a seashell in your pocket! If you do, you’ll end up like me with a rather large slice in your leg the second you fall off that board…which happened to be the first time i got on it. Shout out to the family that bandaged me up and drove me back down to my condo that day. Thank you!

Next is Camp Ch-Yo-Ca. The place that made me into me in more ways than one.