Back from Vacation!

Is it just me, or does the first day back from vacation just all-around stink? There's piles of laundry to get done, suitcases to unpack, then you go back to work and there's piles of stuff to do, like answer the 200 emails that got sent to you while you were gone. Oh, and don't forget the frenzied dog greeting that lasted about a half hour when we first got home (okay, that is my favorite part about coming home - love those enthusiastic doggie kisses!).

But I digress.

Luke and I just spent 5 days in Florida, where it was, yes, sunny. It only rained one day and we spent that day just hanging out in our condo, until the afternoon when we made an ice cream run and saw a pretty double rainbow. It was really cool over the ocean.

I spent a lot of time reading contest entries for ACFW's Book of the Year contest. I think it is going to be a steep competition this year just based on the books I read. That made for some very fun days for me - reading on the beach and then taking breaks to go play in the water. Or reading in the condo and then napping. Yep, it was a good vacation.

After Florida, Luke and I headed to Branson, Missouri for three days to hang out with his family and celebrate his sister graduating high school. We spent two days traipsing around Silver Dollar City (an old-timey theme park that had my "historical writer" senses on overload) and trying to burn off all the calories of great food we were eating. Then I would collapse back into bed at night and try to recover for the next day. :)

We had our fill of roller-coasters and family game time (the girls lost at Cranium twice in a row!), and now we're back home in the daily grind.

And I am so glad to be here! I missed my bed and my shower and most of all the dogs. I always always always enjoy vacation, but I am always glad to come home, too.

Most romantic part of vacation: 1) walking down the beach at sunset holding hands; 2) Luke buying me a glider rocking chair and ottoman that I've wanted for forever from SDC.

I will be back on my regularly scheduled blog post days now!