just a memory

We are home. We arrived back in Seattle just after 11pm. We were wide awake and Mr. W felt he had enough energy to drive home so we just took the shuttle to the hotel and checked out. Bought gas and breezed home on the Interstate 5. Crossed the border without incident and were home by 3am. It rained pretty much then entire drive home. The west coast welcomed us with open arms. It was the most FANTASTIC vacation we have had as a family. Seriously Maui is beautiful. We saw so many great things. We are already conspiring how to get back. Maybe for Christmas one year? Before H and L graduate. The ocean was crazy warm. I have never swam in such warm pacific water. And blue and green and clear. And so full of salt - it was surprisingly salty to me... and we saw turtles and fish and palm trees. Some of the best moments were rising early with my husband and grabbing our coffees and hitting the beach and watching the water and oh - the whales... breaching. Sometimes we would snorkel. Sometimes we just sat for hours and watched the water. Sometimes we read and sometimes we talked. Often we talked about how soon we could negotiate a trip back. We made lists of things we would do differently.

My son surfed for the first time and it was amazing watching him get up on the board and catch his first wave. We have it on camera and are going to make a little stop action movie. With music and everything.

We laughed as a family so often. We shared a very close space. We survived. We were all glad to sleep in our own beds.

Next up: the daughter goes to Miami with her school dance troupe. So, I am off to do laundry and pick up a few incidentals. More photos to come.