We're baacckkk...

In case you didn't know, we arrived back at home this afternoon. It was a long drive back and it seemed like we'd never get here! All went well though and we didn't have to stop to rest like we've had to do in the past. The girls did well and pretty much slept all the way home too!

I learned some things while we were on vacation this trip that I thought I'd share:

1. This you may have heard me say before - It is not important to stay at a hotel that has free breakfast if you can't get up in time to eat it! Our hotel served breakfast between 6 and 9! Ok, I don't fix breakfast before 9 at home so I'm surely not getting up early on vacation to eat it!

2. I missed my 2 ply toilet tissue! In every public restroom we "visited", they only had one ply - even in our hotel room! I know, silly as it may be but trust me, you miss those luxuries when you don't have them!

3. Always go on vacation where you have access to a Wal-Mart or similar store. The first night, we realized Mike forgot his toothbrush and I forgot my deodorant! We also purchased some snacks and drinks for the kids to keep in the hotel room. Thanks Wal-Mart for saving the day!

4. There will never be enough time to visit everyone on your list so make the best of your time and try to see people in groups. I had lunch with small groups of girls from my previous employment rather than visiting one person at a time. Yes, I still missed seeing some of my friends but hopefully they know how hard it is to fit everyone in!

5. Say a thank you prayer for the person who invented the dual dvd player for the car especially if you have small children. Believe me, the 18 hour drive would have seemed like a 1800 hour drive if it were not for the movies!

6. Always pack a cooler. Even if it's one of those cheap styrofoam ones from a convenient store. We had drinks in our hotel refrigerator that we bought at Wal-Mart (see #3) and ended up taking them home in a plastic bag. It wasn't a bad thing to do but on our long drive home, we made stops for cold drinks to have on the road!

7. If you have a problem with your hotel, let them know! Don't tell them something is fine when it's not. We had a problem with the pool where we stayed yet after I mentioned it to the front desk and spoke with the manager about it, our problem was solved!

8. This one's a money saver as small amount as it may be. When you arrive at your hotel, if they deliver a newspaper to your room, it may not be free. You are most likely charged a fee for the daily paper and a tiny bit more for the weekend edition. If you are not a reader, you can request that they not deliver the paper and you should receive a credit for it on your hotel bill. I didn't know this until this trip! Our hotel stamped the front of the paper (in small print mind you) that there was a charge that was already included in the cost of our stay for the newspaper. HUH? I simply went to the front desk and told them I didn't want the paper and they credited our account for the week. I know, it's a small amount but we could have used the change to buy that styrofoam cooler as previously mentioned had I thought about it before we left!

All in all, have fun! We had a ball with the kids and our friends. Thanks to everyone who put up with us and fed us! We enjoyed every minute of our time together!