Party Animals

It was not the best week for me. End of a(n exhausting work-wise) spring break, daylight savings time, and the mother of all allergy seasons were not kind to me. In addition, every time I eat (even if it is a piece of bread) or drink (even water), I feel like a balloon is inflating inside my ribcage. It turns into a lot of pressure right in the middle of my back, burning in my stomach and stabbing pain at the top of my...liver? Now my shoulders are feeling pressure too. I am not sure what is going on, but I think the allergies are causing the pain that has actually been at a very minimum, to flare up. My hip and knees and especially my feet, are sore 100% of the time too. It is ok though, I am carrying on.

So- there was work- crazy PCR and lab practical week. Viral discovery and "calling genes" and choosing NCAA teams...

Then Friday, we went to a chili cookoff until I thought I might actually have to lay on the floor and rest (so, about 30 minutes after it started), then Leah came home with us and Jen and Michael brought Taylor and we all played till after midnight.

Saturday, we woke up and a leprachaun named Seamus and made a HUGE MESS in our house with glitter and green footprints.  The littles LOVED that.  After we ate breakfast here, Asher went swimming, then we picked up Leah and went to the Safari park.  EVERY ONE OF US had a wonderful time.  So, so blessed.  I kept thinking, "we are so lucky, this is such a wonderful, perfect day." And it was.

Look at this little beauty

My hot date

Love her!

Love HIM!

Michael using the leprachaun dress-up that Seamus left

Matt dressing up too, thanks, Seamus!

Good friends

Green pancakes

Two little monkeys...

TREASURE!

Happy boy in the car

SHAME SHAME, Seamus!

He has cute wee footprints, that Seamus...

On the covered wagon going through the park

Llamas might have the cutest face ever, in all non-human mammalia

Taylor was happy the ENTIRE time

Asher was happy too

He had two good girls taking care of him

Feeding buffalo is seriously, the most-bizzare thing EVER

It was 80 degrees and not a leaf on those trees.  Weird weather...

LOOK!

We were all out of food when this guy came up.  I felt so bad :-(

Best friends~

Pretty, pretty peacock

These monkeys loved us... and our whole grain bread...

Jennifer and Michael kicked Matt and I out and we went to dinner alone- this is the third time.  EVER.  Valerie really did not like us doing anything the entire time we were dating without her, and since that time... there have been lots of reasons, but we do not ever get the luxury that is "date night." But we did last night and that was awesome!  We went to a new local restaurant in town.  The food is truly phenomenal and it is not super pricey.  It is like Outback prices, but the food is incomparable.

When we got back, there was a Just Dance 3 competition that was a lot of fun to watch (I had just eaten, and really could not move well).

This morning, Asher and Taylor played and played and Asher cried when his cousin left.  He prayed for her to come back to visit him soon.  Me too.  I second that.  I love my family.  I wish we had more members within weekend-visiting-once-in-a-while driving distance.  I am so grateful Jennifer and Michael live close enough for a visit once in a while.  I seriously do not know what I would do without them.  They have been such a strength to me time and time again.

I love them all and I am so grateful for them.

This week is running gel week :-) and a little easier in Micro, so that is good.  I am also apparently driving an enormous van to Williamsburg.  God be with me.  Seriously.
I am so grateful for my friends and family.  I am grateful for love and the desire of others to be good, kind people.  To listen to my happy as well as my sad and confused.  It is really hard to feel I must be happy all the time to be accepted.  I have learned so much in this life of mine, but one precious lesson is that I actually do have people who care about me if I am not always happy, content and perfect.  Thank goodness for that.