Weekend Wrap-Up: Are We There Yet?

Driving to Indiana from New York is always an adventure. Over the course of 12 hours, you cruise through New Jersey (where you can't pump your own gas), Pennsylvania (where the scenery doesn't change a lick for the 5 hours it takes to get across it AND there's absolutely no food in sight), Ohio (a much needed sign of civilization after PA) and finally Indiana (where cornfields suddenly spot the horizon, along with front porches and tractors). Usually, the drive is a breeze. Well, mainly a breeze for me since I have no trouble falling asleep in the car, snoozing the hours away while Adam drives.

But this trip... this trip was cursed from the start. Our rental car stunk of dead squirrel, though there were no dead squirrels (or dead bodies in the trunk, we checked!), and unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, we weren't able to swap it out. Thank God for Febreeze! Next up was the "purse incident". We stopped at a gas station in Pennsylvania and somehow my purse managed to end up in the toilet... face down and open. Oh...and the bathroom sink wasn't working so I was unable to lather up after diving in for my valuables. Thank God for hand sanitizer! Then there was the torrential downpour in the middle of the night while driving through miles of construction and concrete barriers that IF they had been any closer, would have been inside the car. Oh, and let's not forget the 16-hour drive on the way back due to construction, with 2 hours spent basically parked on the interstate and running out of gas.

But though the black cloud traveled with us this time, it was worth every minute! I got to spend lots of time with Adam's family and his beautiful nieces outside under the big, blue skies. I went on a booze cruise with a band who shared my appreciation for Stevie Wonder, ZZ Top and Southern Rock. I found my wedding dress! And I ate like a queen! These people know how to cook!

And now, the long weekend in pictures...

The lovely Zuri (who now calls me Aunt Lauren, I melt)...

...and her equally beautiful older sister Arianna...

...and one of the two twins (is it bad I had no idea which one I was holding?).

The "big kids" rigging our fireworks display in a beer bottle.

Zuri took it upon herself to kiss the pain away after Uncle Adam got hurt (by the way, I called that one).

But he lived to see another day...

 

...and another sunset.

And then mustered up the determination to grill some corn on the cob (along with a snapping turtle... after all, we were in Indiana, y'all).

Dinner was delish - grilled shrimp, sauteed kale, corn on the cob and grilled turtle (guess which one I didn't try?).

And then there were sparklers!

The next day, the "fun girls" hit the streets.

And I was having so much fun that Nurse Zuri felt it necessary to take my blood pressure, just to be sure I wasn't overexerting myself.

Then we practiced a little soccer with the soon-to-be all-world pro, Ari...

...and tried to wear out Adam's dog, Tucker (to which we failed miserably). He never tires.

Saturday night, we booze-cruised down Lake Freeman on the Madam Carroll with the band Swim Skinny. Those hot pants say it all.

And can I just say that this is the most awesome 92-year old woman ever? She was the singer's grandmother and quite possibly his biggest groupie.

You know you've had too much fun when somebody's face ends up Sharpie'd.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday! This week, we continue our series on GMOs, so get ready for another mind-blowing post from Shanna!