Beachin'

Well, after being gone what felt like FOR-EVER we are back from our trip.

Oh my goodness, I don't even know where to begin.

We had such a fantastic time.  I mean A FANTASTIC TIME!!!

Thank you all for praying for a safe trip for us.  I felt your prayers, I really did.  The hurricane stayed completely away from us, we had blue skies and sunshine, just perfect weather.

We did some snorkeling on Grand Turk.

What a beautiful island!

The Dominican Republic was gorgeous!

And the island of Curacao was just breathtaking.  

The beach in Aruba was just gorgeous.

Yep, that's me, with my friend the stingray.  Gibbs Cay, Turks & Caicos

As always, the pictures just don't do it justice.  I know you understand.  Pictures just can't capture the color of the water, the blue of the sky, the smell of the sea breezes.

To say we had a ball is a huge understatement.  I wish I could post all of the pictures I took and really go into detail about all the places we visited.  But it would take waaaay, too long, and you probably wouldn't want to read it anyway!! 

I will say that we had an amazing week of mother/daughter time.  I will also say that we were both ready to be home.  We missed home. 

You should also know that, as beautiful as the islands we visited area, there truly is no place like the good old United States of America.  Our country is blessed beyond what we deserve, and you only have to travel outside of the U.S. to see it.  Yes, this country has its problems, and if I were in charge I'd do an awfully lot of things differently, but we truly are the greatest nation on earth.

So as I pulled down my dusty gravel road, got out of the car and smelled the all too familiar aroma of turkey manure I smiled to myself and said under my breath . . . there's no place like home.