Home Sweet Home

What I would give to have a red pair of shoes that, when tapped together and repeated there's no place like home, would take us straight back to Florida...not Kansas. Paul and I were lucky enough to be able to spend 10 days down in Florida recently. We sort of had four mini vacation (so that's how I'll set it up in the post) so it made it feel like a really long stay! Which we were very thankful for since we LOVED being there!

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!!!

Hi everyone! Auntie Jen and Uncle came to visit me again!!! We had so much fun together!!! So much fun that I thought I'd share some of the things we did with you! That way you can see how big I am getting AND we can always look back at how much fun we had together!!!

I had tons of fun playing with my Uncle Paul in the pool! I only wear that ring when I'm swimming...it's magical! It keeps me safe in the water!!! However...grandpa almost had a heart attack when I stayed under the water too long. I don't think he really believes in the ring.

I also showed them how much I love to play the piano!!! Grandma's been playing with me ever since I was a little girl.

They thought it was SO CUTE how much I already loved my baby brother Tyler!

and my Grandpa and Grandma!




I had SO much fun with both my Uncles!!!

I also couldn't wait to show them how I scrapbook!!! I've learned a lot from watching my Mommy! I like to cut up paper really small and tape them all to another piece of paper. I am getting SO GOOD. I can actually cut out shapes! And Auntie Jen and Uncle LOVE when I make them something! (even though it takes them 20 min. to open thanks to all the tape I use!!!)

I also LOVE to go on walks with Auntie Jen and Uncle when they come! However, they never seem to end very well. This night I fell really hard (I was running with that very heavy flashlight and tripped) Uncle carried me all the way home while I cried Mommy, Daddy, Mommy, Daddy. (I was on a walk with Grandma and Grandpa, Auntie and Uncle while Mommy and Daddy were out getting coffee.) I was very happy when they finally came home! They made everything all better!!! P.S. In the picture where Mommy is holding the phone up to my ear, I was telling my friend (who is imaginary) that I had to call her back later!

The next day I was feeling SO MUCH BETTER and Grandpa let me drive the boat! He's been taking me on the boat since I've been very little...but this time I got to drive!!!

I also showed them how I can ride my bike now! They've never seen me do this before so I had to try to impress them with no hands! I did very well. When it started to get dark out Auntie Jen said we had to turn around and go home...that's when I decided to jump off my bike and "push" my friend Bobby (also imaginary) all the way home. Auntie Jen caught onto my stalling tactics very quickly!

SARASOTA WITH UNCLE!!!!
Auntie Jen and Uncle took a couple days to themselves and went to Sarasota where they met and got married!!! I was so sad to see them leave but I had to go to school anyway so it was OK!!!

On their first night there Uncle surprised Auntie Jen with a birthday cake! This is not just any birthday cake...this was made by the same guy that made their wedding cake. And as you can see in their wedding video, Auntie Jen LOVED her wedding cake. (she was caught on camera shoving it down her throat) Auntie was SO SURPRISED and thanked Uncle for being the best thing that has ever happen to her all day long!

They went out to dinner and had a lot of fun making silly faces and playing with their shadows!

And spent time together watching the sunset every night!

On their way back to Tampa (to surprise my Mommy at her baby shower for Tyler) they drove by the Church they got married at!

Auntie Jen was laughing SO hard at this picture!!! She couldn't figure out how Uncle managed to get just her hair and absolutely nothing else! hahahahahaha!!!!

SURPRISE BABY SHOWER!!!!

When Auntie Jen and Uncle got back from Sarasota they were SO excited to surprise Mommy at her shower. Little did they both know the surprise was on them and Grandma and Mommy had been planning their shower for a long time!!! Mommy let me stay home from school...and all Auntie Jen's friends that she was supposed to meet in Sarasota later that day were all at my house waiting to surprise them! WE HAD SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!! Auntie Jen still thanks Mommy and Grandma and all her friends for such a nice surprise!!! (even though she was sad she couldn't really make Tyler's shower)

After opening gifts we played lots of games. A puzzle game that spelled ThirdDowns, suck the baby out of the ice cube game, and a game Auntie Jen came up with even though she didn't know Grandma was going to make it into a game for her shower! It was a racehorse game and was a lot of fun!!! We also made sculptures out of clay so Auntie Jen and Uncle can always remember their shower!!!

Afterwards we all got together (besides Uncle Paul...he had to work) and went to Mama's Pizza for some birthday dinner. It's tradition...every birthday since a VERY LONG TIME AGO we always come to Mamas to celebrate. We had lots of fun and walked out with very full bellies afterwards!!!

That night we sang Happy Birthday to her and her friends. This candle was the very first candle in the family. It's as old as my Mommy. 32. And every year...for every birthday since Mommy was born...we make a wish on him. (His hat used to be MUCH taller!!!)

The next morning Auntie Jen and Uncle went off to Sarasota again so Auntie Jen could spend time with her college roommates to celebrate them all turning 30. (Uncle stayed in a hotel room by himself and did some writing on the beach) Everyone was very sad to see them leave again!

SARASOTA WITH THE GIRLS!!!

Auntie Jen had SO much fun with her college girls celebrating their 30th!!! They all wish that they could go back there today!!!! They spend hours on the beach telling stories of college days, looking for shells, almost getting stung by a sting ray...ANDREA...and laughing!!!!

(Uncle made Auntie Jen put this picture in)






They also had a lot of fun watching the sunset every night! Even though they did more joking around than watching!


And had so much fun at dinner! Just like old times!!!

And NO WAY can you have a reunion without KILWINS!!!!


or FIRST WATCH!!!

On their last day there they went and visited their old school Ringling. This is an old picture of them from Freshman year of college. (1996-1997) Yes...Auntie Jen had that horrible hair cut!!!

They took pictures in front of the cube before it's no longer there. They are changing the name from Ringling School of Art and Design...to Ringling College of Art and Design! BOO!

And they snuck into their old apartment. They haven't been back here in approx. 8 years so the were VERY happy that they got to go in!!! (that burn on the counter was from Jessi! hehe)

As always they had SO MUCH FUN spending time with everyone!!! As we had SO much fun spending time with them. I miss them SO much and call them all the time and have made them SO many scrapbook pages since they've been gone. I can't wait for them to come back again!!! Hope you've enjoyed seeing everything we did!!!!!

Love
Lauren!