Back Home and Broke

We're back from our annual vacation in the Poconos with the Garrity side of the family, so in honor of my mother's father I used his favorite phrase to title this blog post. He was likely referring to a trip home from the track, but it works here, too.
And speaking of family, this first (of at least two and possible three) Poconos post is all about family, which, for me, is what this vacation is all about. (That and the ice cream at Hog Heaven...)
For the first year ever we were all there (five kids, four spouses, six grandkids, Grandma and Grandpa) at the same time and my mother's sister Brenda and her husband Dick visited too. We were a huge, happy and probably quite loud family group. So I'll take this time to introduce you to my huge, happy and definitely quite loud family as I describe our vacation.
First, the matriarch of the clan... my mom. Mom lives in Florida where it is apparently normal to wear a shirt, a sweater and a jacket to the beach. ;) Seriously, it was cold this week in the mountains so it was actually all the small people in the water who were crazy:



The Patriarch ... my dad, relaxing by the lagoon with his children, grandchildren and gin and tonic:

Sisters! This is my mom and my Aunt Brenda. Brenda lives in Florida, too, which is why she is wearing a sweatshirt jacket indoors:

Aunt Anonymous ... I could tell you more, but then she'd have to kill me:

My brother T.A. and his beautiful wife Ann at Hog Heaven, where we ate lots of ice cream and almost got into a fist fight (okay, not really) with one of the other people in line.

My nephew Tommy at the Lagoon where, since he is under 10, he is not wearing a snowjacket and boots. I heard the water was about 4 degrees about freezing, but since I was so busy taking pictures I ran out of time (ha, ha) to jump in. Tommy, Lizzie, Hannah, Rob and T.A. all swam out to the float, though, and suffered only a little hypothermia:

My niece Brenna charming her Great Uncle Dick with her rendition of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

Great Aunt Brenda and Brenna ... they were singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" as part of the G-Family Talent Show:

Aunt Anonymous teaching Hannah and Liz "Stop in the Name of Love" for the Talent Show:

Hannah tries her first fried pickle under the watchful eyes of Aunt Tina and Aunt and Uncle Anonymous. She loved it. Lizzie was next and she did not like it. But she doesn't like pickles. And a fried pickle tastes, well, like a pickle...

The ladies who lunched: Aunt Brenda, my mom, my sister Beanie, my sister Terry and my niece Shelby. This was at Sunset Grill at the resort where we had a delicious meal despite the lack of cranberry juice (although when we left we saw them carrying in a case of it, so that problem was remedied for next year...):

The boys who golfed: My brother T.A., my nephew Casey and my dad. I have no idea who won the game, but I did hear a rumor that Casey won (for most balls lost...):

Hannah and Lizzie at the Francis Walter Dam. They are not from Florida, but needed sweaters (that I had to go out and buy for them because I'm such a great packer - not) because the temp was in the low 60s when this picture was taken:

Me and the Mr. Lizzie took this picture and I'm sure Rob loves it extra because she managed to get our car in there, too:

The whole gang:
Stay tuned for more photos (maybe even later today!) about the activities, including knock-down, drag-out dominos and the WATER PARK.