Back in the day when I lived in central Illinois (before meeting and marrying Greg), my family developed this custom called "Blank" Family Weekend. No, obviously not really "blank," but I don't know that my parents want their last name splashed over the internet.

Each February, we'd plan an annual weekend getaway somewhere in northern Illinois (about halfway between our homes). We went to Rockford and Elgin (I believe it was Elgin because don't they have a casino there?) and so on. Stay at a hotel with an indoor pool and either shopping or the aforementioned casino readily available.

It was fun and a nice break in the winter. There's a photo somewhere of me and my sisters jumping on a hotel bed. We'd have drinks and snacks in the room, go swimming, and eat somewhere highly recommended by AAA.

Then I had my first date with Greg and shortly afterwards, the first time my family met him was on a Blank Family Weekend.

We had one more family weekend the next year and then we lost the habit. I lost my job, Greg and I moved to Wisconsin, we bought our house and we had Allie. Since her birthday is at the end of January and everyone comes to our house for it, we didn't revive the custom.

Well, I figure it's been 10 whole years, but we're bringing back the Blank Family Weekend. Sometime in February, me and Greg and our girls and my parents and my sister Pam and her man Jeff and my sister Claudette and her husband Mike are all going to vacation together in Wisconsin Dells.

I am really truly looking forward to it. The rooms we're getting have a full kitchen and dining area, fireplace, four TVS, three bathrooms (one with whirlpool tub), and three balconies (which I'm sure we'll make much use of in February, but it'll make for a nice view). It's at one of the many resorts with an indoor water park, so our girls will exhaust themselves and collapse happy.

How many weeks do I have to wait?