Everything is bigger in Texas

Recently we took a trip to Texas to visit with the fam. It was a very eventful trip. At the first rest stop our golden retriever Linus and pug Inigo took off for parts unknown. Luckily they met up with a brick wall that halted their progress allowing J to catch up. Bad doggies! We finally got there after 11 1/2 grueling hours in the car. Three adults, 1 infant, one toddler, 2 dogs, and a cat.
In case you are wondering, yes we do have a van.

Inigo checks out the scenery. The neighbors donkey scared him to death.

We are not even in my Aunt B's house 2 hours and I kill a huge spider. B-i-g wolf spider. Over the next 24 hours I killed 2 more. Around day 4 I was bitten by a brown recluse. This makes bite numero tres (no.3) for me. To add insult to injury I was bitten on the underside of my left breast. The exact same breast I was bitten on the first time a brown recluse got me. I am spider bait for pervy spiders!

The kittens that live in the backyard. They are camera shy.

it was sooo hot. 104 degrees at eight in the evening with 80% humidity. That is just wrong. Rory and I found a huge weed in my aunt's flower bed that was so tall I just had to get a picture of it. I thought it was corn from a distance!

Rory and I getting to know the giant mutant weed.

I got to eat tons of Mexican food. Hooray! The Midwest is just not the place for Mexican food. I also went to my favorite Japanese Steakhouse and ate yummy sushi with my brother in law. As you can see food is a highlight of travel for me. Well life really. Fun was had by all. It was nice to finally get back home to IL. We were so exhausted and missed our big bed most of all.

Sugar & Spice

This is what having a girl is all about! She really doesn't give a hoot about those pretty bows but her Mama and Grandma l-o-v-e them.









For Rory it was all about the hats. Lorelei looks cute in hats but in bows she is to die for.

Stay outta the water, shark bait!

I have a healthy respect for sharks. The ocean is theirs as far as I am concerned. I am happy to let them have it. Truthfully I am not a fan of any body of water that is not in my shower. I am all about terra firma. If you hear I drowned in a lake/pond/ocean/etc., or was eaten by a shark/alligator/croc, then suspect foul play. I love nature and living by the woods but I am not going hiking. If my house is right up next to said forrest then I won't be surprised when a bear or mountain lion eats me. Since I obviously am of the mind that the only thing guaranteed with animals is that they will follow their instinct you can bet I try to stay out of sight, out of mind. This brings me to a boy named Shannon Ainslie.


Don't know if you have heard of him but he was attacked while surfing by not one but two great white sharks. There have been to more near misses with great whites since that attack. That is four, count hem, four times a great white has tried to dine on him. Does he still surf? Heck yeah! He is a very christian fellow and I admire his faith in God to protect but dancing with trains is never smart. This is not exactly Daniel in the lions den when a christian is being persecuted and thrown to certain death with God's divine intervention to save him. I want to know why this kid is so tasty. Each of the three different attacks was in different locations. Scientist think he might have a higher electromagnetic field than the rest of us. Or it could be that he pees like six times each time he surfs giving the sharks a healthy whiff of dinner.

If I was this kid's Mom I think I would move him to somewhere safer, like Ohio.

23

I missed my BFF's birthday!
So that I am not banished to bad friend purgatory for all eternity I am going to dedicate this post to the greatest lil buddy in the world. Mine!
Here is my attempt at redemption. I present to you...

23 reasons why Sassy is the best friend ever in honor of her 23rd birthday!

1. Never tells me, "Wow that was TMI. No more over sharing please."

2. We laugh so hard we pee on ourselves. (there is that TMI I am famous for)

3. When we can't see or speak to each other we have the DTs

4. Spare dollar bills are hoarded for extra gas money to go out and play together.

5. She listens to me talk about crap she is not interested in.

6. She watches all the chick flicks I detest and tells me about them so I will know what all the other women are talking about.

7. Is the first person I call with great news and is always happy for me.

8. We can be happy when the other is doing great on their diet, even if our respected selves are not. (Does that sentence make sense?)

9. She loves my kids like they were family.

10. Her kids are very special to me too.

11. Our Mom's are just alike.

12. I predicted the first time I met her that she would marry her husband (J's friend)within 6 months. I way overshot!

13. We were pregnant for the first time together. It was so much more fun with her.

14. Loves to do nothing with me. i.e. Walk the mall, sit on the couch and watch TV, sit on the phone and watch TV. Ha! Our hubby's really don't get that one.

15. Comes to events at my house even though with all my pets she has an asthma attack on the way home. (I have a spare inhaler!)

16. Is the only person I would spend a week cleaning my house in advance for so that the pet dander is reduced to minuscule proportions.

17. Bakes awesome goodies and shares!

18. Explains sports to me since J is not any better at it than me.

19. Buys hallmark cards for me for no reason other than "it reminded me of you."

20. Understands J's weird sense of humor and fires right back at him.

21. Thinks I am funny. Which is good cause other wise I would probably annoy her.

22. Is never too busy when I need her.

23. She doesn't chastise belated birthday wishes from people who should know better than to forget!