Nesting With Grace

by Brooke Christen

How We Plan an Annual Family Vacation- Experience Christmas Gift

July 14, 2026

If you ask any of our family what weekend they look forward to most each year, I think every single person would say our annual family vacation. My parents gift us an Airbnb rental for three nights together as our Christmas gift. Somewhere within driving distance, and everyone takes turn covering a meal. If you’ve ever wanted to start a yearly family getaway or host a reunion that people genuinely love coming to, here are some of the things that make ours so successful.

Create Traditions Everyone Expects

My parents give everyone the shirts we are wearing on Christmas with a little treat and they announce where we are going this year for our gift. We have been to Yellowstone, Driggs / Jackson Hole, and Bear Lake. We have repeated the Bear Lake trip several times. I set up my camera on a tripod and snap a family photo in the backyard.
(We give the shirts back to my mom on Christmas and she brings them all, making sure we don’t lose or forget them).

Why an Experience Is the Best Gift You Can Give

The excitement starts months before we ever pack a suitcase. We just got home from our yearly trip to Bear Lake, and once again it reminded me that some of the very best gifts aren’t things…they’re time together.

Start the Fun Before You Ever Leave

About a week before our trip, my mom sends everyone a flexible itinerary. Nothing is scheduled down to the minute, but everyone knows what the general plan is for each day. The kids especially love knowing what’s coming, and it helps everyone feel prepared while still leaving plenty of room for spontaneity.

Kick Off the Weekend with a Celebration

Our trip usually falls around my mom’s birthday, so we always begin the first night with a birthday party. But this could easily be a welcome party celebration!

This year I made adventure-themed party bags for all the kids, and they were a huge hit.
Each one was filled with things they could actually use throughout the weekend. Find everything here.

My niece Kasidee also made the most beautiful birthday cake. It was our family’s favorite chocolate cake with vanilla frosting, completely covered in fresh raspberries. Bear Lake is known for its raspberries!

Everything fit our Bear Lake adventure theme perfectly. Sources Here

Everything couldn’t have been more fitting. It was the perfect way to kick off a weekend full of fun together.

Start the Day with Movement

One tradition that’s become a favorite is starting the morning with a family workout. Kevin puts together a workout each year that’s fun, approachable, and designed so anyone can join in, no matter their fitness level. Most of our family genuinely loves beginning the day this way. Of course, every family is different. If a workout isn’t your thing, there are so many fun ways to get everyone moving together, even just a walk!

Keep Meals Simple

One of the smartest things we do is divide up the cooking. My parents provide lunch each day (everyone tends to bring things they want too) and then each family signs up for either one breakfast or one dinner. That means every family only cooks once during the entire weekend, leaving so much more time to actually relax together. Everyone brings their own drinks, and cleanup stays simple.

For breakfast my sister and her husband made egg, sausage, and cheese breakfast sandwiches.

We make our version of J Dawgs using all-beef hot dogs on toasted buns with barbecue sauce, grilled peppers, onions, pickles, mayo, ketchup, and mustard. On the side we had broccoli salad, potato salad, and chips. We served everything in hot dog trays with paper liners, which made cleanup incredibly easy. Sources Here

My sister makes the homemade sloppy joes using this chili sauce. We toast cheese onto the hamburger buns, then top them with coleslaw and pickles (we love bread and butter pickles!).

Homemade fruit bars for dessert. Simple meals somehow always taste better after a day outside!

Spend Most of Your Time Outside

Bear Lake is often called the Caribbean of the Rockies because of its incredible turquoise water. One of the reasons we love it so much is how shallow the water stays for such a long distance. It’s perfect for families with kids of all ages. We usually spend two days at the beach.

By the time we leave for the beach, our cars are packed to the brim! We bring paddle boards, kayaks, floats, boogie boards, life jackets, sand toys, Spikeball, soccer balls, footballs, and a Wiffle ball…basically anything that will keep everyone having fun. One of my favorite things is looking around and seeing every age enjoying the day in their own way. Some are paddling across the lake, some are buried in the sand with the toddlers, while others have started yet another game on the beach. It makes for the best kind of day. Sources here

Kevin usually rents a jet ski for one afternoon two.

We’re typically at the beach for five hours, so we bring packed lunches, shade awnings, coolers, and chairs.

The MVP this year? Our padded low beach chairs. (comparable but still not as comfortable!) Everyone napped in one and everyone wanted one by the end of the trip.

We’ve also explored nearby hikes, toured caves, and gone fishing over the years, but honestly…the beach is still everyone’s favorite.

Always Have a Craft Ready

One thing we’ve learned is that downtime happens naturally. Instead of everyone reaching for phones, we always bring a few easy crafts.

This year’s favorite craft was definitely paracord bracelets! They were simple enough for the kids to make but fun for the teens and adults too. Sources here.

Another craft that was a fun this year was fishing swivel jewelry. We made bracelets, necklaces, and anklets using colorful beads and fishing swivels to fit our Bear Lake theme. It was such a fun way to incorporate a little piece of the lake into a keepsake everyone could wear. We always keep plenty of beads on hand because someone is always in the mood to make something. Sources here.

End Every Day the Same Way

If you asked our family what their favorite activity is…volleyball. Every single night. Everyone plays. It’s competitive enough to be exciting but never so serious that someone feels left out. There is so much laughing, teasing, cheering, and celebrating. It’s one of those traditions that has become part of who we are.

The Games We Never Skip

Once it gets too late to be outside, we move the party indoors. Nertz has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. It’s what we all grew up playing, and somehow every game is louder than the last.

More Favorites Games

It’s Never Really About the Destination

I’m so grateful my parents started this tradition years ago. It’s become one of the greatest gifts they’ve ever given our family, and I hope someday our own kids continue something just like it. Because memories like these are the kind that last a lifetime.

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