Some things I learned on vacation...

1. A ten hour drive can be harder on the parents than on the kids.

2. A king bed if far superior to a queen bed. Maybe that's why they say something extravagant is "fit for a king."

3. Sometimes it's hard to appreciate my family when every day is the same thing over and over again. Going away from the day to day routine really makes me realize that I not only love my family, I really quite like them!

4. It is so much more fun to say yes all the time than it is to say no all the time.

5. Going a week without watching the news or being online is not only doable, but also very enjoyable.

6. One of God's greatest creations is the ocean. It's hard not to believe in God when seeing such a wondrously vast part of the earth.

7. I need to start doing something more productive at night. Watching TV and playing online is not taking me any closer to the person I want to be.

8. Getting home is as big of a letdown as leaving for vacation is exciting.

9. I don't care for spray-on sunscreen.

10. Not sneezing one time or having to clear my throat for a whole week or having eyes that aren’t constantly red and itchy is priceless. Damn the pollen in SC and dog dander on Jake.

11. Sometimes kids just physically cannot walk when they are excited.

12. Enbrel makes me feel like I am gaining some of my life back. I could walk the beach for extended periods of time which is something I could not have done at all a year ago.

13. Snow...like it. Rain...like it. Sun...like it. Clouds...like 'em. Wind...hate it.

14. Eating fish by the ocean just tastes better than eating it inland.

15. Just because there were storms at the beach the week before we got there that made the beach look less beautiful than it should, does not mean it should ruin any of our time at the beach.

16. My husband is one of the most dedicated employees a company will ever have and I know he will be rewarded for that sooner or later.

17. As much as my boys love “The Magic Tree House” series, it’s hard to not make fun of the character’s voices when you listen to the books on CD for five straight hours.

18. I do not like to make decisions. My mind flows back and forth just like the tides and I have a hard time deciding what’s best.