It just didn't feel right to be reading this . . .

on the beach, in a short sleeved shirt, wearing flip flops, with kids playing in the ocean, in sunny 75-degree weather. I had started this book before I left on vacation for Southern California, but absolutely found I couldn't even unpack it.

Our "holiday" (as the Europeans refer to it) was the right prescription for the January blahs. Our trip took us to Sea World, the Mira Mesa 1st ward where at least 4 different people introduced themselves to us and asked if we were new (smile, smile) or just visiting (smiles quickly evaporating), the beach, the San Diego temple, Discovery Science Center, and Disneyland. Our vacation blessings began on departure.

Blessing #1: At 2 o'clock in the morning, on the day we were leaving, with all 6 of us buckled in our van . . . the garage door wouldn't open. No time was lost as we pulled the emergency string and lifted it manually. For a slight moment we all sat there a little stunned to think we couldn't even back out of our driveway.

Blessing #2: As we breakfasted in Vegas, I discovered that I had inadvertently left my Palm Pilot at home along with the case that houses my driver's license and credit cards. I was ID-less for the remainder of our trip. When we purchased our advance tickets online for Sea World, the instructions clearly stated I would have to show ID since we were buying a year pass (this is to insure that I don't hand my pass over to someone else to use). I was pretty sure I would be buying another ticket to get in. But upon arrival at Sea World, they issued our cards and took a scan of my fingerprint. The blessing is that my fingerprint worked the second day and they didn't ask for my ID.

Blessing #3: Kiersten's reappearing watch. The first time she left it at the bus stop in Disneyland. On our way out of the park the next night we decided to stop by the lost and found to see if Ty's hat had been recovered from Splash Mountain. It wasn't there (that will be Blessing #5 if it actually comes in the mail), but Kiersten's watch had been turned in. Oh, the joy of reunification. However, that was short-lived. On our way home, the tradition has been to stop at the Cache Valley Cheese Factory in Beaver. There she took it off and left it on the counter but was nice enough to tell us 20 miles down the road while we could still turn around. However, none of us were too pleased about the extra 40 minutes tacked on to our already long drive, and I was more than happy to just leave it there and let her buy a new one with her own money. But Ty remembered the joy on her face when it was found the first time and didn't want to let her down. I guess it pays to be a daddy's girl.

Blessing #4: Nobody got sick until we got home. The entire month before we left our prayers always included asking that no one get sick before our trip. Outside of Beaver Nate started to complain of a headache. I chalked it up to too many hours in the car and sent him to school the next day. I ended up checking him out early and he's been sick for 2 days now but it on the mend.

I had an incredible amount of fun planning this vacation. I even got a little giddy over the packet I put together which included maps of all our destinations, maps of the theme parks, coupons, hotel confirmations. Vacationing is fun. I even started thinking about where we should go next. But it's also nice to be home . . . with a garage door that now opens.