Home!

Mark and I are home! :)  As a birthday-anniversary-mother's day-father's day-Christmas gift to each other, Mark and I went to Florida, starting on Friday night and Saturday in St. Pete at a gorgeous Sheraton Five Stars resort, then we went to this cool bar named Ferg's down the street from Tropicana Stadium where the parking attendant literally handed a free beer to us through the window of the car, just for parking there, and then on to a Tampa Bay Devil Rays game, before taking an hour and a half drive up to Orlando, for a three-day stay at Disney at the Dolphin Resort.

Mark and I love staying at the Dolphin because it's a short walk over the Boardwalk to Epcot and a slightly longer walk or boat-ride down the river to Hollywood Studios.  We had an amazing time... and before you say, "Oh my goodness, why didn't you take the kids??" remember that we are going with them and Mark's parents in October, and plus, all of you who have preschoolers and have been to Disney are jealous. Admit it. You know you are.  ;)

It was the first time I've ever been in Disney World and said, "Okay, I can't wait to get home." Because waiting for us at home was a new puppy!  Tom and Jen very generously puppy-sat for us. Every night when we returned the hotel, we eagerly searched the internet for new pictures and status updates.

I think the best part about the whole week, though - the vacation, the new puppy, and coming home - was when Matthew crawled into bed with me at two in the morning when he realized we were home.  He snuggled right up to me, and in a tear-filled voice, said, "Oh Mumma, I missed you so much!"  Then he asked both Mark and I to tuck him back in to bed.  Jillian was equally as snuggly and loving when she woke up this morning, yelling "Mumpy!!" (her own pet name that she made up for me - I call her Jumpy in return).

Mark's parents watched the kids while we were gone and his mom said that the kids were excellent (yes, I'm bragging).  They went to bed fine, the cleaned up when she asked them to and she didn't have to "speak to them" once, she said, and she swears she's not lying to me. ;)

As for Bailey, she is even sweeter, cuter, smarter, and even better behaved than I could have ever expected out of an ten week old puppy.  She willingly goes in her crate, didn't make a peep all night, goes to the door when she has to go, and is even responding to the command 'sit' already.  Tom and Jen really made this an amazingly easy transition for us.

It was one of those weeks that I'll always remember as being one of the happiest of my life.