Vacation is fabulous...and so is turning 30

Vacation is defined as a period of time devoted to rest, travel, and recreation. I think when my family goes on vacation we go heavy on the recreation, light on the rest and travel! St. Louis kept us close enough to home but too busy to sleep much. The pool took priority over rest at every opportunity. I love being able to do absolutely nothing but enjoy my family. The agenda is simple. Have fun. Rules are off. "Sure we can swim well beyond your bedtime! Why not jump on the bed? Do you want a cookie with that Pepsi? What nap time?" It occurred to me that maybe the reason I enjoy these little trips so much has something to do with the fact that I have lived in Smalltown, USA all of my life. But seriously, we spend so much of our time working at our respective jobs and getting our daily responsibilities taken care of at home that it is rare and precious to have these chances to really focus on nothing but our own amusement. And how much we love one another. Of course I am going to enjoy that!

I love watching the kids react to new experiences and realizing how much they have grown and matured. Jaron is so brave when it comes to feeding and petting animals, and not so brave getting in the pool if it's a little chilly. Madison isn't about to put her hand against a camel's mouth but jumps into the water with reckless abandon. They both had their eyes closed less than I did when we went on a motion simulated log ride where we were falling down waterfalls and being attacked by crocodiles. And they both elected to ride on the top level of a two-story carousel at the Chesterfield Mall. And Kevin is such a big kid. An animal petting, cotton candy eating, "chocolate therapy" ice cream buying big kid. A weekend away was a great way to bring in the new decade of my life. Long story short--along with the zoo, Grant's Farm, The Arch, Bandana Barbecue, shopping malls in general, hotels with pools and free snacks and breakfast--vacation is fabulous. And so is turning 30.