I’m a firm believer in the idea that blood doesn’t define family. Some of the people I love the most are the people I came across in my life and have chosen to be part of my family. We all picked each other and that’s what makes our bond stronger than most.

These happen to be the same people that I go to Lake Anna with in Bumpass, Virginia every year since I was practically a newborn. It has always been my favorite vacation spot. Now, don’t get me wrong, the beaches of Cancun and tropical rum are quite a luxury. But let me tell you, nothing beats sitting around a campfire by the dock, telling stories and playing drinking games.

We live a different lifestyle at the lake. Ever since we were young, the kids helped out around the house as they should. We have trash runs and ice runs and that’s the kids' job. Everyone gets dish duty, everyone loads the boats and coolers. Age doesn’t matter here; you get out what you put in and that's always fun and hard work.

Some people may ask what we do for fun because we aren’t at some fancy beach resort. We dive down in the water so far that we can feel the temperature changing. We fish with homemade biscuits from breakfast and pull out huge catfish from the water. We ride tractors up and down the hill trying to knock people over on the way. We play kickball in the backyard which always takes an aggressively competitive turn because we never grew up. When it rains, we lay out sleeping bags in the living room and play cards all day; we're basically professional by the time the sun comes up. We tube, ski, and wake-board until our hands are covered in blisters from holding on for dear life. We anchor out in the water, sit on the boat, and watch the sunset set fire to water.

We don’t just visit the lake, we create memories there. The memories we've made at this lake house, with this group of people, are the stories we tell at every family gathering. These memories have impacted our lives so much that they have become a part of who we are. I’ve never met a crowd with more inside jokes and nicknames. You need thick skin around the lake housem but big hearts and lots of love fuel the jokes in this group.

If you ride around the water, you’ll notice huge, fancy lake house mansions. We pride ourselves on not having that. We stay in a small house right on the water. The sheets don’t match, all of the pillows are tie-dye. We have tacky pillows that say “You’re At The Lake!” and fish nets for curtains. We wouldn’t change a thing. The lake is about sleeping in pull-out couches and blow-up mattresses. It's about sharing blankets and a bed with your best friends and sisters. It’s about getting huge, slobbery kisses from the dogs when it’s time to wake up for breakfast.

You'll find us there at our favorite house on the lake for many years to come. The parents will get older, the grand kids will come through, and memories will continue to be made. This is a tradition that we never want to end.