Florida!

What a great week or so! We drove to Florida, enjoyed the sun and surf, and incredible food. We stayed next to my parents - in the same motel on the beach -- and had a great time!

There is nothing like spending a week with family. People sometimes ask me "how can you afford to vacation?". My answer is "I can't afford NOT to vacation." I've spent so much time away from home this winter -- traveling (all good stuff) -- and it was just so nice to reconnect with my wife and children! I relearned their names and everything!

I noticed each morning there were families walking together from their motel rooms, carrying buckets and sandtoys, or chairs and snacks, and acting like they liked each other. And I thought "It's not fair that those who have money to vacation also have 'full' families, parents, kids and sometimes grandparents." And then it hit me - perhaps one reason that these families are together is that they've carved the time and saved the money to spend a week together. Maybe because they've made "togetherness" a priority, that they actually enjoy each other!

I've been blessed to have parents who made sure we vacationed together, every year -- just us as a family. A week or so after vacation, we'd go into the living room and watch the slides -- and relive the fun! And today, we all like each other, and spend time together. Thanks Mom and Dad!