Although this was not a conventional vacation by any means, I really enjoyed the slower pace, limited activities, cooking, and real down-time. We limited our interactions, rested, watched Zoey 101 reruns and Shakespeare in Love.

We celebrated Caden’s birthday early, Alexa’s colleges acceptances thus far, and thanked God for our family’s health.

This is probably the first time I’ve actually felt well-rested after a trip. Usually, I’m exhausted by the time I get home and need a “vacation” from my vacation.  Most moms know that family vacations are usually about tending to everybody else’s needs in the family over yours...and when you have four kids ranging from 4 to 17, the “wants” very rarely line-up conveniently.

Here’s to learning how to dial it back a bit and really taking it easy.