We recently returned from our annual family summer vacation, this time from the Nashville/Franklin Tennessee area. This year marked 44 years since we have been vacationing with Tammy’s middle sister Teri and her husband Al’s family.

We started in 1981 at Tammy’s family’s childhood vacation spot, a rustic “resort” on Bull Shoals Lake in Theodosia, Missouri, which since 1959 is still run by the same family. Tammy’s family began vacationing there in 1966.

Over the years, we have vacationed at Turkey Creek Ranch several times, in addition to places such as Hilton Head Island, the Hamptons, Breckinridge, Colorado, the Orlando area, Door County, Wisconsin and others.

Over the years, the family has grown in number. That first year, our oldest nephew was a baby. Today, he is married with two children. This year, we had nine adults and nine grandchildren, all ten years and under, including two under the age of two. As the family has grown in size, so has the challenge to find a home large enough for us all to fit in. That is the job of Al, the father/grandfather of this group. This year, he found a property in Arrington, just outside of Franklin that was once owned by a country music artist. The six-acre property included a large remodeled home, large swimming pool and remodeled “pool house”, the latter of which included three bedrooms.

Al and Teri have been wonderful parents and now grandparents. They are Christians and so are their three children. It’s probably somewhat unusual for grown children these days to want to vacation with their parents (and aunt and uncle), but there is true joy (and a lot of pizza and ice cream) when this group gets together.

In addition to finding a place for the group to stay, Al researched fun things for the grandchildren to do, such as going to the zoo, visiting a local park to walk in a shallow river, visiting a trampoline park, etc. I enjoyed time with the grandchildren in the pool and playing “Home Run Derby”.

Tammy and I were not blessed with children, but through these annual family summer vacations, we have enjoyed spending time with our nephews and nieces, and now their spouses and children.

Al and Teri have established a wonderful foundation in how they have led their family.

Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,
and the glory of children is their fathers.

Proverbs 17:6

Bill Pence is a former Fortune 50 manager, church leader, and lifelong learner passionate about helping others grow and thrive. A devoted St. Louis Cardinals fan, he draws inspiration from Colossians 3:23 and 2 Corinthians 5:21. Bill enjoys a wide range of music, from modern hymns to Christian hip-hop and classic rock. He and his wife Tammy, a Covenant Seminary graduate, have both authored books—Called to Lead: Living and Leading for Jesus in The Workplace (Bill) and Study, Savor and Share Scripture: Becoming What We Behold (Tammy).

Image by DeepAi