My vacation top 10 list...er... lists

Top Ten Things I Will Miss About Being on vacation:

1. My mom
2. My dad
3. My brother
4. The beach
5. Playing a lot of golf
6. New York pizza
7. Not having to clean my house
8. Jolly Cow ice cream
9. Hanging out with my BFF and her kids
10. Brushing my teeth with COLD water!

Top Ten Things I Missed While On Vacation:

1. My hubby
2. My swimming pool
3. My hubby
4. My own bed (sleeping on the floor is more fun when you are a kid!)
5. My hubby
6. Chips & salsa
7. My hubby
8. My cats
9. My hubby
10. My friends

We have had a very eventful summer.  I drove 5040 miles over four weeks and three days.  We saw sunshine and drenching rain.  Dolphins and fireworks.  Old friends and even older friends.  I learned you can never have too much New York pizza, and I did my best to prove that!  My  71-year-old dad is the least "crotchety old man" I know.  He laughs, he preaches at his church, he takes his grandkids fishing and he still kicks butt at golf (although I can claim victory rights ONCE this summer).  My mom drives 40 miles back & forth to work each day, makes time for her friends and even more time for her family.  She makes her home our home and my kids and I were so comfortable there.  My daughter absolutely loved her Grammie's yard.  She would be outside from morning to night:  blowing bubbles, looking for worms, calling out for the neighbor's dog.  My son, as we were driving around one day, said, "Paradise!"  I asked him what, and he said, "This town."  He has good taste, as Saugerties was named one of the top ten coolest small towns in America. 

My daughter has had quite a few firsts lately.  She caught her first firefly, taught herself to swim underwater, found her first seashell and dug up some sand crabs.  She also lost her first tooth and got stung by a bee for the first time ever.  Five years old is turning out to be a busy age for her!

As much fun as we had (and we had a LOT), it is so very good to be back home.  I missed my hubby and my kids missed their daddy.  I know he missed us a lot, and I am so grateful and thankful that he allows me this trip every summer.  My kids and I enjoy it so much, and I know my parents cherish the time with us.