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  I don't usually buy many souveniers.  This blog is really my way of remembering my trip.  I printed the first five years of it a while ago so that it can't disappear into cyber space.   This is the first time I have written it completely on my IPad.  I appreciate your tolerance of the typos.  I have a much harder time with the tiny keyboard.  I love to go back and read about our trips long after we are home.  I regret that I didn't journal some epic earlier ones.  Thanks again to Arik for telling me how to star a blog and encouraging me to keep with it.  Thanks to all of you for making this a conversation with your many comments.

   I learn so much when we travel.  This trip I saw and identified eleven new birds.  I learned that Spanish Moss is neither Spanish nor moss, but it makes the huge live oaks look even more majestic.    We learned a bunch about the Key West and the Cuban Missile Crisis.  We learned about fishing in the shallow water off Coral Gables.  We tasted alligator - didn't we Kellen?!    Kellen found put that he likes  to ride a bike and on Sunday, at home, he took off on a solo ride.  Stella discovered that a swimming pool is much more fun than a bathtub.  Carter learned about sea shells and that many of them have creature still living in them.  Bennett found out that he likes to swim in the ocean and that he is quite a good fisherman.  Rick had the experience of steering a 105' sail boat!

     I missed my camper.  I am tired of hauling my luggage in and out of motels and sleeping in a different bed every night.  I like my own clean bathroom, my lawn chair outside after a long day in the car, and I like not worrying that I have left something behind.  But, driving 2000 miles home would have taken more than four days towing our car, so it all balances.

     I started planning this trip more than a year ago.  I thought of it often during my surgery and recovery.  I am so grateful that it all came together.  We had fun at various times with sixteen members of our family, had no injuries or illnesses, no fender benders or tickets, no time lost to bad weather, just fun.  But I'm happy to be home.  For now....