All in the Family

Thanks to the Sheas, McGuires, Colsons, and Cullens for coming out for a little pizza/pool/Hey Lori get-together! The Colsons (Auntie Jo, Uncle Rusty, Jessie and A.J.) were nice enough to offer their lovely home as the venue. The pool looked straight out of a holiday brochure thanks to my Uncle, and my Aunt should really be submitting her photos to National Geographic or something. The photos she took in Ireland, which she blew up and framed above the couch in the living room are spectacular. My cousin Jessie took me up to show me her bedroom - it's all decked out in....butterflies. Good to see my influence happening. Her room looks awesome, I was very impressed. Also must give major kudos to the Colsons for their first floor bathroom. It's the "Golf Bathroom." In every possible way. They have a golf motif like you've never seen before. From a floor mat specially designed by my Aunt to look like a golf course (complete with sandtraps) to photos of famous golfers (and themselves) golfing, framed on the wall, to cabinet handles in the shape of golf balls, golf ball soap, and towel racks made out of actual golf clubs....it's cool yet scary at the same time. I think I mentioned that my parents did our bathroom in full-on butterflies. I was explaining the whole bathroom thing to a friend who just looked at me and was like, "GEEZ! What is with you people? How much time does your family actually spend in the bathroom?" And I started laughing....I said, "Oh, you'd be surprised..." My family is well-known for their weak stomachs....we should be the poster family for an Immodium AD commercial. Just remember, I am pretty much the only weird one who eats spicy food. I usually have an iron stomach...well, except when I get a flu bug, but otherwise, I can eat just about anything.

So, we all sat around and chatted, swam, passed around pictures. I've got a great cute pic of my cousin A.J. - it's his baseball card. And I want a T-shirt saying, "I Survived All 26 Rolls of the McGuires' Trip to Disneyworld." I am not kidding. Well, now I see where I get my compulsive photo taking gene from. I was talking to my Auntie Kate and I said, "I think I went crazy - I took 8 rolls of photos in Paris/Barcelona, 4 of which are 36 exposures." And my Aunt said, "I got you beat. I took 26 rolls of Disneyworld." And we were both on holiday for 2 weeks. Well, needless to say, I felt much better about my 8 rolls after I heard that, so thanks Auntie Kate! There were a lot of good pics and there, and Auntie Kate, if you want to blow up one of Tarzan for me, I won't complain!

Rob & Jamie, I'd like to hang out again before I head back! And when I say hang out, don't worry, I mean separately! :-)

Oh, and kudos also to my cousin Kelsey, who is also doing me proud by collecting cool butterfly stuff. I feel like I've started a cult or something...