The last sometimes is the best

This will probably be the last post I make from Lake of the Ozarks. We had a great day today! After we got the boat serviced at noon, we decided that we were going to cruise the lake. We did that for quite awhile and then found a great place to anchor up and swim. The kids and grown-ups swam all afternoon! Jenn and I were able to sneak up to the top deck and take a nap. It was exactly what I needed! We cruised a bit more in the late afternoon before we came to dock in the marina. We had a nice supper and started packing. I am using my time now to upload pictures and check some email.

At supper, we all went around the table and said our favorite things from the day. It was really nice. Here are the things I will miss from the trip:

• Bloody Mary's after breakfast every day - thanks Chad!
• Taking turns cooking - food really does taste better when you don't have to work for it!
• Swimming every afternoon
• Swim suit and shorts as my uniform
• Ice cold beer and frosty wine from the cooler
• Watching my kids play with their cousin

I am looking forward to some things at home:

• A nice hot shower!
• Clean clothes - although I still just want to wear athletic shorts and t-shirts every day
• A trip to the dentist - who would have thought I would have ever wanted that!

We are very thankful to Pam and Dave for this trip. Pam is right - we will take the memories with us.

The List of My Favorite Things

So, we are getting ready to leave on vacation - and we are all super excited! The planning and anticipation made me think about my "list" of favorite things. Yes, I keeps lists - lots of them. And I realized that vacations were not on my list! So, here is my newly updated list of my favorite things:

1. My girls' birthdays - My girls are 3 years and 13 days apart. Both were born in February. After Kaitlyn's first birthday, we decided to throw a huge birthday bash for both of them. I think we topped out at 48 people. I absoluntely love throwing that party! Food, beverage, gifts, genuine excitement - who could ask for anything more!
2. Christmas - Kind of a given, right?
3. Our Annual St. Louis trip - We go to STL right before football starts every summer. We wives make the joke that it's the last itme we see our husbands until Christmas! We do the same things every year - Cardinals game, shopping, eating and drinking. But, by the end of the weekend, my face hurts from laughing and smiling so much.
4. Swimming on Sunday in the summer - We are very lucky that many of our good friends have pools. So, every Sunday in the summer, we try to go swimming. After church, we make some calls, pack a cooler and float and drink. What a perfect way to end the weekend!
5. And finally, vacations - Since I was 3 years old, summertime was the time to take vacations. Until I was 25, that meant going to Lake Lida in Minnesota. When I was 25, Dave and I went to Florida for our 5 year wedding anniversary. The start of Kaitlyn? Maybe. The year I turned 30, we went to Jamaica to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. Thus far, my best vacation. We still have a picture on our entertainment center from that trip. We are already planning our 15 year wedding anniversary trip. Bahamas, I think. The Disney Cruise was the best trip the girls have taken. Being warm in January was good for me too.

Stay tuned to see where Lake of the Ozarks fits in.