I stretched myself a little further than I thought I could stretch, overcame a fear of being out and about and did a lot more than I believed I was capable of....and got to enjoy the "thrill of victory!" We did it---and in a small way "I did it!"
It was an "Extreme Makeover" for the building and for me!
...except during the momentary deluges when it didn't!
It was a weekend of memories, as I returned to Kentucky with my sister, Cathy, to reminisce, reunion, reflect and reconnect--and laugh and laugh!
The grass is always greener on the other side....seemed really appropriate for this trip.
It is called "The Bluegrass State" for a reason!
And...no one has a sprinkler system!!
One of our many bonding moments came as Cathy, Kim and I returned to Route 5 and our family home!
The trees lining the road were so much bigger!
Although not the white clapboard of our youth--outside it still looks pretty much the same--including the addition Lucky built on to it!
The kind lady who has owned it since we moved, invited us in and let us look around.
Although much had changed, so much was still the same!
Including this closet that Lucky built to accommodate the wardrobe of five teenage girls!
Mainly, what stayed the same, was the sense of sisterhood of five misplaced girls, who left the Valley of the Sun in Phoenix and grew to love each other on a hill in Eastern Kentucky!
This is the hill that made us all the "women" that we are today--someone had to mow it--everyone of us has a story to tell that revolves around a mower or a sled or a late night trip to the cemetery at the top!
Next stop, Crisp's Dairy Treat--some things just keep getting better with time!
Kim was the expert tour guide as she took us wherever our hearts desired-- to all of our old favorite places.
Starting with Greenbo lake!
And she was patient with our "need" to shoot it all with our cameras!
We ended the day at the Ohio River and then with trying our best to capture the lightening bugs in the trees and the Kentucky Cardinal!
Neither, of which we were really able to do, sometimes you just have to experience it in the moment, soak it in and not try to share!
Mike is still as funny as ever and our first Brother in Law!
And the Pulley family lives up to every standard of Southern Hospitality! Thanks for giving up your bed Jill!
Thank you Cathy for being my travel companion and for making this one "Perfect, Hootenanny--a word I promised to start using again!"
My friend Dotty suggested I find this song...who knew our vacation had already been captured on YouTube!
really needed to stay at the cabin-this time around!!
We headed to the cabin to escape the summer heat (no escaping it anywhere in Utah this week) and to celebrate Trev's birthday...
the buttercups were in full bloom....
the wildlife was abundant....
the skies were picture perfect....
a robin was learning to fly....
with a little "saturation" it was all Disneyesqe....
even without "saturation" at 5:30 a.m.!
We ate, we blew out candles, we celebrated...
Cheyenne fell in love!
And then...the "sh*t hit the fan" or to be more exact--Zac and the basement floor!! Funny how quickly all our friends became "party poopers" just because a little pipe breaks!
After six plumbers in a row refused to come help, Zac took it upon himself to save the family from themselves. After a few phone pictures and a trip to Home Depot, he set about on a 48 hour project that involved hoses, pipes, shop vacuums, showers in Lysol, very loud music, lots of four letter words, and some of the funniest moments I have experienced in a long time. but he "gotter dun!"
It was this picture, on the box of the pool he bought that kept him going...when all was said and done...he was going to party with bikini clad women! It was the vision, it was the reward that was going to make it all worthwhile.
And Sunday, afternoon, his vision came true, clean, pure, mountain water and air! So all you "party poopers, you missed out...it was all worth it and the celebration continued.
Andy laughed harder than he has laughed since I can't remember when...that belly laugh that makes us all laugh!
I even got a shot of the elusive "Great Western Sandhill Crane"!
Andy caught us dinner....
and all's well that ends well!
(Lesson learned: Even amid the crap of life....you can still party on!)
.jpg)
.jpg)
