Home Sweet Home

Vacation was a truly great time. It certainly wasn't about the destination (Stockton is not the garden spot it once was), but it was about what went on while we were there. We were greeted with open arms and warmth and a loving family atmosphere that allowed us to really concentrate on the good things that needed to get done.

We stayed with my best friend Matt and his family for the first couple of nights. It was an amazing experience to have such openness and "my house is your house" really mean it. Leah, Matt's wife, simply took us all in and made sure that we were treated better then you ever could be treated in a four star resort. Everything was taken care of and we didn't have to worry about a thing.

The best part was the fact that Adam and Jacob, the eight year old twin boys, took such good care of my kids. They warmed up to Cal and Kylie as if they had been playing together all their lives. It was a special bond, something that simply happens not something that requires any effort. They all just hit it off. They kept each other entertained and out of trouble and out of all the adults hair. Krista and I were able to get some important work done at Grandma's and my parents', and Matt and Leah were able to just 'be' without the constant thought of how do I keep the kids entertained now, feeling.

We left Matt and Leah's on Wednesday night (their 9th anniversary) and moved over to Susan Thomas' (Matt's mom) house. I have always been welcome here, fact is I spent just about every Friday night in high school at this house. Susan did not care that we showed up at 9:00 pm, she didn't care that we were taking off early to get work done, it just didn't matter. She had us set up in the best Bed and Breakfast you could ever imagine. We needed nothing. We asked for nothing. We received the world.

We don't travel a lot. We don't like to travel because we don't like hotels. It just stinks. You get treated like a piece of meat and you never get the opportunity to really be "at home". There is never the opportunity to be at rest because you never really know what is going to happen in your room or while you are out. Our last two experiences have been the only way that I really want to travel any more. Two year ago we were able to rent a house and cook and clean and run it the way we always have. This last time, staying with great friends and family really gave me the perspective on relationships that I haven't really experienced before. It is something that I know is more important then anything else you could imagine.

Nothing is better then being at home, at least in my family. We like to experience new things but we really like to be able to do things our way. This last trip to Stockton was like a trip home. Thanks Matt, Leah, Adam, Jacob, and Susan, we couldn't of done it without you.