Summertime in DeSoto

Hello everyone~ I am writing this post from my in-laws front porch on their porch swing. Aaahhh... I love porch swings. Someday I will have one. I will. Let Luke know.

Since our last post, we have begun to experience what it's like to be with on another 24hours 7days a week. And so far, so good! It's gonna be awfully quiet come August. I am enjoying Luke's company and I hope he feels the same...

Also since my last post, we went to Florida with my family. Can I just start off by saying that our parent's generosity blows my mind. To say we are blessed is an understatement. My parents took us (Luke, myself, my sister and her husband, Sam) to Florida. They rented a house and we were all able to stay together for a week. It was SO much fun! We laid on the beach, swam, shopped, got a piercing, ate yummy food.... So much fun! (And yes, mom and dad, I got yet another piercing while in Key West. You didn't even notice it so you're fine. For God's sake I'm almost 30...) I think one of the highlights of the trip was playing the game....how do I say this? The game rhymes with "pull spit". I'll abbreviate it to help. Anyway, yes we were just sitting around a table playing a card game but there is nothing funnier or more satisfying than to hear my mother yell "BS!" across a table. It didn't even matter to who. At one point, we gave her a hard time about swearing and she said "I know. I think I'm going to say B.S. instead. It just feels uncomfortable." (FYI, that little moment of guilt lasted about as long as it took her to say the sentence. The next person she accused of lying, she exclaimed loudly and exuberantly, BULLS**T! Much to our satisfaction.)
 Speaking of my mother... Luke, Dad and my sister Danielle, went scuba diving the Tuesday we were there while Mom and I amused ourselves with the Keys. And boy were we amused. We visited the "Sandal Outlet" (which, and you're welcome for the tidbit, but the "Sandal Outlet" is not actually an outlet. Unless you consider paying $50 for a pair of rubber flip flops outlet prices. Right? Talk about false advertizing. Well I've now gotten back at them by telling the world that the Sandal Outlet is a big fat tourist trap. And now I feel better.) While we were shopping at said Sandal Outlet, Luke, Dad and Danielle were taking different level training courses to dive. Since Dad is a certified diver he took a refresher course, Danielle, who is also somewhat certified, retook the  basic course and Luke took the basic course as well having never dove before. And would you believe it??? Luke's first trip and they see a SHARK! An actual shark! Ok, not a great white, but a reef shark! How cool is that??? Dad said in his 30 years of diving he'd never seen a shark before this dive and Luke sees it on his first! So now he's all excited to take more diving lessons and become certified himself.
We met up with the others for lunch then went on our way again as they went off to dive and we went off to amuse ourselves. This is where the "Bird Sanctuary" comes into play....

Oh. My. God. Let me tell you about the bird sanctuary. First of all, I'd like to point out that the bird sanctuary was NOT my idea. Let me further point out that it was  a cool 106 degrees out. (Ok, I'm being slightly dramatic. But it WAS in the 90s and with the heat index? Whatever that is? It was hot.)  So we pull into this place, get out of the car and start walking along the path. Although there were come cool birds there, none of them looked healthy or particularly happy. And the smell..... geezus the smell was bad. But we ran into this nice lady who worked (owned?) the place and she was feeding them. I'll give her credit, she walked right into an enclosure with hawks and scary looking owls to feed them, but the whole place was just...I don't even know how to describe it. And to have her talking to us while holding a bowl of dead baby chicks and mice.... yeah.... We saw some cool birds following this lady around. And a malnourished cat. And that was cool (sans the sad cat), but it was when we went off on our own to the back end of this sanctuary that we saw the pelicans. They were free to roam and roam they did. And the smell got worse and worse as we got further and further back. Then it happened. We were REALLY trying to keep an open mind and learn something from the experience and IT happened. There was a large pelican flying above just in front of us when it took the BIGGEST, SPLASHIEST POOP we have ever seen. Just FEET ahead of us. And that was it. We looked at each other, our faces speaking for us, and bolted for the car. Holy hell I have never been happier to see a minivan in my LIFE.
All throughout the day we met some interesting people (the hot dog/ice cream place owner who talked to us about how we should vote for Obama because the republicans were going to ruin America) (Yes, this was in Florida), to the little chocolate place that was cuter than cute and super yummy on top of it. (They had salted caramel chocolate candies. Yes, I did ask if I could move in.) And we ended our day at Seashell World. Now I must defend Seashell world. We'd driven past it a few times that day in our quest to find something to do and kinda chuckled to ourselves about tourist traps and how ridiculous the store must be. But we had an hour left and we'd pretty much exhausted the area. Not to mention we were still recovering from the bird sanctuary and at least this place had air conditioning. And wouldn't you know it, it was a really cute store! I found myself a super cute coverup and it wasn't expensive at all! (Unlike the previously mentioned "outlet".) Success at the Seashell World!

And of course the rest of the trip was nice. It's so good to see my family. We miss our families a lot. Saying goodbye at the end of the trip was emotional to say the least. (Also because my husband and I had contracted what we assume was food poisoning somewhere between Miami, Newark and O'Hare... but that's a story for a different time....) What I'd rather take away from the trip was the fun, yummy food, family and of course, the bird sanctuary. Thanks, Mom and Dad. We love you guys.

Now on to present. As I mentioned earlier, both our parents are beyond generous to us as we are currently staying with my in-laws for a couple weeks while Luke works with his dad some. I have to say this, and I am not just saying this because I'm here, but really, I could not ask for better in-laws. I know not everyone can say this, but I am blessed enough to say that I can. In fact, my mother-in-law just left me to go back to work from coming home just to have lunch with me. :) 
 So as of right now since everyone is at work and I'm the only one home right now, I am sitting on the porch swing, watching my idiot dog eat everything she's not supposed to in the yard and ignore me when I yell at her to stop, and blogging. What a great day. :) To both our families, we love you. Thank you.

I believe that is all I have to blog about today. Oh. The boys just pulled in from installing a counter top. Perfect timing. Now Luke can take turns yelling at the dog to stop eating the landscaping. :)

Pictures! Lots. And slightly out of order.

Dad was ready to go! This was the packing before we left. He tried on those shorts and I made some smart-ass comment about all he needs now is a Hawaiian shirt, socks with sandals and a fanny pack. He giggled and said "Hang on!" He was also VERY concerned I was going to post this on Facebook. Nope. Blog. (And for the record, he did NOT take any of these items on the trip with us.)

It is very difficult to take a good picture with the sun directly in your eyes, FYI. But you get the beachy idea.

Dive class. Mom and I stayed for a bit to take pictures then left. This is them filling out the paperwork that says they can't sue if they die. I think. Or it's for their certification...I don't remember.

See? Out of order. This is us leaving for the airport from my parents house. We flew from St Louis to O'Hare, stayed one night then flew out the next day.

I didn't lie when I said we were finding ways to amuse ourselves. Mom's got a thing for roosters...

Found a manatee at Seashell World. It was pretty cool. (And side note, it took, like, 6 tries to get this picture. First it was on video, then it was too dark, then there was a refrigerator with drinks behind me... Whatever we got it.)

I sent this little beauty to my sister while she was diving so when she came back, she had a little love text from me. If you can't read it, the sheep says (yes, that's a sheep) it says "Sisters are friends for life" Because why wouldn't a sheep hold this kind of sentiment. My thoughts exactly. And I'm pretty sure my face says it all. I love you too, little sister.

This was a restaurant that we ended up leaving because the kids (we were pretty sure they were not 21) sitting at the table behind us were drunk and obnoxious. My mother gave them a good old fashioned what's for. Haha! Thankfully, this all happened after we ate.Which is good because it was probably my favorite meal of the trip.

Danielle and Sam our last night. There aren't many pictures of Sam because he joined us a few days later. His dad and sister live in Miami so he stayed the first half of the week with them and his sister, Mariela, drove him to us and stayed with us a day. So much fun!!

Mom and Dad. Very pretty picture AND mom's legs are in it! She was very concerned about that...

Oh. And for those of you who are not on facebook, I cut all my hair off. You've been updated.

Numb nuts hurt her back leg. Not sure how, but she licked it to infected so she got a cone. She's fine. But I don't think she could look any goofier if she tried.

And well, there you go. I stand corrected.