Souvenirs!

I remember when I was little looking forward to my parents coming home after traveling. I'm sure that I missed them, but I remember how excited I would be when they would open their luggage and it was souvenir time! It really didn't matter what it was that they brought us, just the fact that they had thought of us and brought something home for each of us made us feel special. Now I am the parent bringing home the souvenirs!

Being as we were so close to Disney World this past week, there was no way we could not get some Disney stuff to bring home for the kids. Ava got a Disney princess T-shirt and Luke got Winnie the Pooh sunglasses (he is kind of obsessed with Ava's princess shades, time to get him something a little more manly, so Daddy says). But I think I got the best gift of all when I got home. Two little kids were pretty happy to see mommy and daddy! There is nothing better in the world than to know you were missed!

We had a fabulous time in Florida. The weather was amazing, 85 degrees every day, not a cloud in the sky. We spent 2 days in Cocoa Beach and then 4 days in Orlando for a church planting conference. It was so nice to lay on the beach and listen to the ocean and not have a schedule for a couple of days. My kind of vacation. And I am ready to go back, especially after the snow we had AGAIN today. Winter will just not die this year! But I am not going to keep harping about the weather, so here's a funny story to wrap up. Yesterday was family day, and we took the kids out for ice cream after supper. On the way home, my phone rings and it is Andy's dad calling to welcome us home and to raz us a little about the weather we are coming home to. I tell him I agree, it is lousy and I am ready to hop the first plane back to Florida, and Ava bursts into tears, thinking I am really leaving again! Poor kid, she cried the rest of the way home and wouldn't let me out of sight the rest of the night. I even tried to bribe her with another T-shirt, but she would have none of it. Guess I am stuck here for a while, but that is fine with me. I'll admit it, I missed my kids! But the beach was nice...