It is a tradition for my husband’s family to get together for a reunion once a year. Last summer, we rented a house on a tiny island outside of Seattle and stayed for a week, cooking, relaxing, watching kids play on the beach, and sometimes catching our own food.

It has also become a tradition for my mother-in-law to say, “Clara, take LOTS of pictures, ok?” and for me to grumble, “but I don’t want to work on vacation…” This time however, I was happy to oblige. The setting was gorgeous, and something about the island made it feel like we had all the time in the world.