My Mini "Vacation and a Hysterical Vacation

  Yesterday I took my own little mini "vacation"~~about 3 hours in my own backyard.  We've had a busy few days, at the church every night, and although it was a wonderful time, we were all tired by yesterday.  James, Marissa, Daniella, and I went out to have lunch on the deck.  James and I watched the girls ride around on the deck on the scooter, then swing.  I got the book I was reading and curled up on the deck swing while James played badminton with the girls.  Ashley and Briana got home from sharing praise dances with their group at the assisted living center and came out for a while, too.  I read for a little while, but as the activity outside died down, I curled up in a light blanket and laid down on the swing.  The sun was warm, the wind was a little chilly, and I was the perfect temperature wrapped from head to toe in the blanket.  As you can imagine, it wasn't long before I dozed.  I have no idea how long I dozed off and on out there, but it was heavenly.  When I woke, I stayed there just looking at the crystal blue sky and watching the trees sway in the wind, and all was quiet and peaceful.   I spent some time praying and thinking before I finally managed to bring my little vacation to an end.  
Heidi asked her readers to share their crazy vacation memories, so I decided to add that here, as long as I was talking about my vacation.  Crazy memories seem to follow us wherever we go, but the craziest by far was in the summer of 1999 at Panama City Beach, FL.  The five of us at the time, and our 15 year old poodle left for a week of fun.  On the way down, Midnite started acting strange, so we stopped at the vet when we got there.  Long story short, day one of our trip, Midnite died!  Oh, I cried and cried and cried.  We went on to our condo and hoped to make the most of our trip, even though everyone was so sad.  The next day, Ashley came down with a head cold, and while she was swimming, a fish cut her ankle with a fin.  She was starting, and I do mean just starting, to get discouraged with this trip.  I think it was the very next day, we were out in the water~Ashley and Briana were walking around in about knee deep water (which was a good little way out from the shore), I was about hip deep holding Marissa playing in the waves, and James was a little further out snorkling.  All of a sudden, Ashley starts screaming at the top of her lungs, hysterically, "It's got me!  It's got me!", and just generally screaming.  Of course, I visualize a shark swimming off with half her leg, and I'm screaming at her to get out of the water, and she's screaming, "I can't move!  It's got me!"  I'm also yelling at Briana to get out of the water and trying to figure out what to do with Marissa.  All the while James is oblivious to everything because he's under water.  Ashley finally gets out of the water (leg still intact).  It turns out that she stepped on a sting ray, and it's barb hit her heel.  Thankfully, the entire barb pulled out, so we avoided surgery, but she had to go the emergency clinic for a tetnus shot, and had to soak it in epson salts for several days.  It was extremely painful for days.  She was quite finished for the week, and in fact has not cared for the beach a whole lot since then.  It took several more trips back before she would step into the water again.  I can't blame her.  Anyway, it comes time to go home, and our little poodle is still at the vet.  I absolutely could not bring myself to leave him there.  (I really am a sane person, but you will soon doubt that.)  My poor husband found a place that sold dry ice, and the vet packed little Midnite in a styrofoam cooler!!!!  We went to WalMart, bought one of those really big Rubbermaid boxes, put the cooler inside of it, and strapped it onto the roof of the van.  Are you visualizing this yet?  Having a little one, we stopped numerous times on the way home, and every time I'd get out of the van, there would be this coffin strapped to the van, and I'd start bawling all over again.   It was a long day.
Sometimes it's better just to stay in your own backyard and take a nap on the swing!  : ) 
I hope we don't ever top that one as the craziest!  Do you have a crazy vacation memory to share?  Tell me here, or let me know if you blog about it.

Letitia