FLO-Rida..

They say go big or go home..

 (ps never understood that phrase.. even if you go big you will eventually go home..)

..anyways i didn't feel like going home at that exact moment in time so i decided to go to

FLO-Rida!

Ps.. realize this is a BIG damn deal..

cause to travel cross-country it generally involves a plane ride.. 

which generally means leaving the safety of mother earth..

in this case it did..

BUT 

it was OLYVIA'S SWEET SIXTEEN BIRTHDAY 

weekend.. so i being ever the good big sister i am make the journey to b-e-a-utiful

Sarasota Florida 

also known as the best locale that, that great peninsula of a state has to offer..

SERIOUSLY

the sand feels like a mixture of 

POWDERED SUGAR & HEAVEN!

& the water in the gulf???

feels like BATHWATER... or like a peespot in a public swimming pool..

anyways point being

I had a  fabulous time!!

Uncle Chuck & Aunt Sara are bomb.com

even if their cats are anti-social..(someday we'll be BFF's.. it's inevitable)

While i consider myself a

WORD NINJA!

able to paint pictures using mere phrases

I decided it'd be more fun to just show actual pictures to chronicle our JOURNEY!!

ENJOY Y'ALL:)

   It all started with Mom, Burke, Coley & Gabe

(still in utero)

attending the Brigham City Temple Open House..

(me, Lyvie, Aunt Sara, Uncle Chuck, Sophie (cat), & Bandit (cat)

are already in Florida at this moment)

 so..

on Saturday we decided to go to the beach..

ps. Sarasota has the NUMBER ONE BEACHES IN AMERICA!!

true story folks..

anyways walking through the beach club to get down to the beach a cement volleyball stand pops out of

NO WHERE!!

& i kick it

with stank mind you & i completely rape my toe..

i'm talking blood, gore, the whole 9 yards..

& if that didn't bust it the fact Olyvia kneeled on it directly prior to this picture being taken

ensured the fate of my poor little broken piggy..



Here is Aunt Sara, Lyvie, & Brooke prior to wave jumping!
SO MUCH FUN!!




Burke & Coley playing in the waves..
LOOK OUT! IT'S JAWS!!




Coley & Burkey walking into the water.. Bomo looks like a giant..



 Aunt Sara, Lyvie, & I sunbathing on the beach..

 It's a PIRATE PARAPALEGIC ALLIGATOR!!

 Me & mom made Lyvie into a masterpiss sand sculpture..

 Night swims are fun!! Sexual assault is bad..

 Olyvia's birthday breakfast..

it was in bed but we coaxed her out..

it consisted of:

oreo ice cream cake, funions, skittles, & strawberry milk in a champagne glass

 For Oly's actual birthday we went to the Tampa Zoo!

here we are in front of the manatee statue..

ps..

coley ordered me to hide her belly.. i think i did pretty well

 Brooke getting a little close for comfort to nasty vulture/dodo bird thing..

Coley looks concerned..

 Lyv feeds the birds nectar!

 Brookes turn.. they really liked her!

 And here go MahooMoo

 Moo even had to make sure she showed the Rooster love

 :)

 Burkey really makes the Giraffe work hard for that lettuce..

 Coley is getting braver..

 I lied!

 Our theory with this animal is that God just threw a bunch of spare parts in a bag.. shook it up.. & this is what happened..

 Coley showcasing the goods..

 Brooke doesn't believe in personal bubbles..

also she wants to rear Cole's child..

 This is a REAL sign in Florida!!

it says you shouldn't MOLEST the alligators..

see it says it right there..

 Feeding the Sting-Rays..

GROSS!!

i did not participate.. partly because i'm camera girl.. mostly outta respect for Steve Irwin

 This basty tried to jump out &

KILL

me.. truth..

 Coley had to wait to feed the smallest stingray in the pool.. she's pretty picky

  a DISGUSTING monkey in a shirt..

doesn't matter if you dress it up..

if you put a cute shirt on a muffin top it doesn't make it a cupcake

 so..

here is the story..

 we're walking around the exhibits.. this is the last one we went to..

& there is this seemingly homeless cat walking around..

naturally my 'save all cats' instincts kick in & my sole mission is to save this animal before a gator gets it

 so i grab the feline & all seems to be going well

..rescue mission seemingly successful..

when all the sudden the ingrate starts to use me as a

SCRATCHING POST..

he uses all sorts of acrobatic & escape methods to evade my firm grasp..

unfortunately for puddy tat

this WASN'T my first rodeo..

so i manage to roll with the punches

& hold onto him for a solid couple minutes

& then we look up & zoo staff is looking at me with queer expressions

so i then inform them i found this poor helpless soul & it needed rescue

I was then informed that the cat's name is Apollo & he wasn't in any danger..

NOR was he homeless..

he was in fact the zoo's cat..

so fellow crazy cat ladies

GET ON MY LEVEL!

i almost unintentionally almost stole/(mostly halfway saved) a zoo cat..

 top that..

 Loopy & Aunt Sara & her gourmet cake!!

SERIOUSLY

chocolate fudge & coconut creme

with BUTTERCREAM frosting!!

 Aunt Sara & Uncle Chuck bought Lyvie the new sequined

UGG boots

for her birthday..loved?? ya just a wee bit!

 ps..

by brushing the sequins UP or DOWN you can make them

DIFFERENT

colors..

brooke was amused :)

 Oly decked out in her birthday gear..

ps..

i love that dress.. super cute..

 The Blonde Squad

 on the way back

we HAD to stop by Ivie's

to say hi!

& he had just adopted this cute little gem!

she is the

CUTEST LITTLE MEATBALL EVER!

Daddy Daughter Moment!

PRESH!