Mom's First Margarita!

So one thing I've definitely missed since I've been home is Margarita Martes (and sometimes Miércoles) with the girls. But, while visiting my older sister in North Carolina, we decided to take my mom out for mexican and margaritas! And since she's not much of a drinker, this was her first Margarita!!! 

outside Charlsey and Scott's new house :)

At Plaza Azteca.

Charlsey's Texas Tornado; muy fuerteeee.

 So, she ended up getting a Strawberry Daiquiri instead of a margarita; she thought rum would be much easier for her first drink than tequila (and if she's anything like me, that's a pretty valid assumption.)

First sip!

margarita de durazno (peach)

Trying the Texas Tornado! she wasn't a fan.

ALL DONE!

Mom had a blast! As did my sister and I, and hopefully, girls' nights like these can become a new ritual :)

4th Street Live's Hot Country Nights

HOT COUNTRY NIGHTS

4th Street Live. Louisville, Kentucky. Hot, down-home country boys. Tight blue jeans. Cowboy boots. Cold beer and good ol' country music. That's my kind of summer.

Me and Stace in our adorable cowboy boots.

the crowd at 4th Street was HUGEEEE!

What more proof do you need that here in Kentucky we love our country music??

In position to see Justin Moore!

OMG too much hotness!

There is just something about a hot, southern boy in tight blue jeans. Definitely DID NOT find this in Buenos Aires. 

Just taking in the AMAZING crowd.

Seriously, I love being abroad, but I love being home. Good times, good music and good friends. I hope to see as much of this world as I can in the short time that I am given, but I also hope that I will always be able to come home to all the blessings I find there :)

My old Kentucky Home :)

Finally back in the USofA! I cannot describe the feeling of touching down at Louisville International Airport and walking out in to hot, kentucky summer air. Naturally, the first sight to greet me would be this lovely man in a cutoff tee, proudly displaying his belly for the world to see. Oh, kentucky.

Only in the great state of Kentucky...

Landed at Louisville International Airport.

 I want nothing more than to sit on my front porch swing and look out at the beautiful rolling hills and sip on a glass of sweet ice tea. The wineberries are ripe in the patch and our gardens are overflowing with fresh veggies. I couldn't have asked for a better time to come home. 

The view from my front porch. Go ahead, be jealous.

 It's like America itself is welcoming me home. The Fourth of July, the beautiful kentucky landscapes and sweet, sweet summertime. I'm feeling spoiled with all the AMAZING meals my parents have been preparing; homemade burgers with all the fixins my first night back, steaks and garden-fresh grilled veggies for the 4th, and delish barbeque ribs, baked beans and ranch potato salad tonight. It hasn't really sunk in yet that I can't just walk outside and be on a bustling street in Buenos Aires. 

My home sweet home :)

first sight of the house after 5 long months. breathtaking.

 But with a view like this ever day, I don't care to leave those bustling streets behind. Argentina was a AMAZING experience, one I wouldn't trade for anything. I met beautiful, great people, sampled some great food, and lived some amazing, wild, unforgettable experiences. But there's absolutely, unquestionably, no place like home. :)

nothing like an after-dinner walk to truly feel like I'm home.

World Wonders - Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu, the city of the Incas.

Ever since I was little, I can remember my older sister, Charlsey, talking about the wonder and mystery of the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu. Visiting Machu Picchu has been on her bucket list for as long as I can remember, and as a result, has been on mine. As of June 30th, 2011, we can officially mark Machu Picchu off our lists. 

The whole fam atop Machu Picchu. 

 Our tour guide, Jaquelin, lead us to the top of Machu Picchu and through all the breathtaking ruins that are left. Parts of the ruins have been reconstructed, but it's very clear which parts. I can't even begin to understand it, but the original pieces are of such a high quality, our modern technology can't even come close to that level of craftsmanship. It's mind-blowing.

"and in that moment, I swear we were infinite."

 We spent hours just roaming through the ruins, taking pictures and reveling in the beauty and overwhelming sense of history. We got rained on a little bit, but it didn't dampen our spirits in the slightest. Just being there, standing where the Incas stood and built these amazing constructions that have stood the test of time, there are no words. I have seen one of the wonders of the world and am awed by the power and amazingness of this world and its people.

in our lovely ponchos.

P.S. dad said we can use this photo for all the christmas cards we're going to send out this year just to brag about going to Machu Picchu. haha, so nice of him.