Home again!

For some reason, blogger isn't letting me post pictures tonight! I took 700 pictures on the trip but only posted the best 300! Feel free to look at them until you are bored to tears! Most of the things I talk about in this post can be seen in the pictures to the right of the screen.
I am happy to report that we are home and almost unpacked!

We really had a great week and I was sad to see our vacation end so quickly. Here are a few of my favorite highlights:

*Driving over the Sagamore Bridge which located at the beginning of the Cape. It is a beautiful sight. Thomas's first remark? "I wonder if they have a Taco Bueno here."

*Touching down in St. Louis and seeing the excitement on Matthew's face because he added another state to his "been there" list!

*Going back to Plimouth Plantation. It reminded me of several of our trips there growing up. What a privilege to get to take my own kids!

*Watching Matthew dive off the pier at my uncle's boat house which I was terrified of even in college! It is about a 7 foot drop into a river that leads to the Atlantic Ocean. I put a life saver out for Matthew as a marker to not go past. The current in strong and can pull you out fast if you aren't careful. I have a few pics of Matthew jumping in, then me jumping with him. What a brave little guy!

*My cousin in law and I taking the four boys to the fish pier. Blood, guts, stinky dead fish. A boy's paradise!

*Taking in the beauty of my surroundings. Cape Cod is know for their gorgeous blue hydrangeas. What a sight to see!

*Watching the second cousins bond. Just for clarity, I will explain the "Matthew thing". I have a cousin on both side of the family named Matthew. The first second cousin to be named this was the one we call "Matty". He is 18 months older than my Matthew. Matty got his name from his mother's brother, my first cousin, Matt. Next was my Matthew. I needed an "M" name and always loved the name Matthew. I never see my cousin much so I figured it was OK to have a child with the same name as his second cousin. The next Matthew born was Matty's first cousin. His father is Matt and wanted a Jr. My grandmother's first three great grandchildren were all named Matthew! It only gets confusing once a year!

*My kids loved seafood. Matthew ate swordfish, scallops, and steamers. ME ate scallops and lobster. They are such adventurous eaters!

*Getting to eat oysters and steamers myself!

*Wearing sweatshirts. The weather was overcast for half of the week. My aunt and uncle apologized for this but I enjoyed it. I am a gloomy weather fan and I don't get much this time of year!

*Getting to read two fabulous books. The Scarlet Thread by one of my favorite authors, Francine Rivers, and In the Heart of the Sea, an account of the sinking of the whaleship Essex. I couldn't put either one of them down!

*Just being home again. Friday was a grueling day. 13 hours of travel. The boys were beyond perfect. ME? Hmmmmm.....words that come to mind.....maniac...hell on wheels.....whirling dervish......nonstop movement for the 4 hours in the plane. Yes, we were happy to be on solid ground again!

I am ready for a simple, nothing going on week. I hope it turns out this way!