Trading Ashes for Beauty

We are back from vacation!  It is always great to be home and, usually, I am anxious to be home and a bit ready for vacation to end…sometimes, I am even needing the proverbial “vacation from the vacation” but – not this time.  What a wonderful week we had!  Yes, it IS nice to sleep in my own bed but we came home relaxed, refreshed, FAT and full of great memories.  Hubbie and I agreed this may have been one of our best vacations. I have plenty of photos to sort through – read that HUNDREDS! thanks to our own personal event photographer….daughter, Erica who sent us home with two cds worth of pictures!  But browsing through all the memories will have to wait – at least until the laundry is done!  Our kids did a great job of holding down the fort while we were gone so not much to do there…but I do have to get my brain out of vacation mode. So just a few photos I pulled off my phone this morning…. We stayed at the Dolphin – I know, doesn’t exactly look like what I think of when I think dolphin but an impressive roof top sculpture, nonetheless!  Too bad these folks did not ask me to write an official review because it would be glowing!  The hotel is beautiful, the grounds gorgeous, and the service was fantastic!  We felt very spoiled! Uh, not spoiled as in brats….but very pampered We spent a lot of time doing this – Uh – nothing!  As in lounging by the pool and summoning the pool boy for more ice tea!!  HA HA  Pizza eaten poolside is just so delicious! We also spent just the right amount of time (not every day!!) at the park – we like Epcot!! and saw a princess a plenty!!  The characters still make me smile We had WAY too many meals like this – as in huge….but, oh so yummy!!  This was breakfast at Cat Cora’s Kussina (oh, I hope I spelled that right!)  Breakfast has always been my favorite meal but breakfast on vacation is the absolute best!  I have to admit we had a hard time finding coffee we really enjoyed.  They said it was Starbucks coffee but it wasn’t like the Starbucks we enjoy at home.  Really, I think what we really want is a cup of the sugary good stuff that they mix into the coffee and call it a latte! And one of my favorite “pastimes” on vacation – trying to take pictures of yourself!!  They are always (ALWAYS) horrible and I have no idea why we keep trying but it’s entertaining somehow! And, of course the real reason we went……. To meet the J-man!!  What fun we had with both the grands!!  and why I don’t have a picture of Riley on my phone is a mystery but there are “grand” pictures a plenty…….just you wait!!