A Weekend of Birthdays!

Happy Birthday to 2 very important women in my life!! One of my best friends in the world, Stacy, celebrated her 21st birthday this sunday; my mom turned 44 on monday!

Stace, me and Mom 

 Friday, me and Stace went to the Lil Wayne 'I Am Still Music' tour in Cincinnati, OH for a little pre-birthday celebration. And can I just say, Lloyd is AMAZING. I have a huge celeb-crush on him. And Keri Hilson and Rick Ross were fabulous. 

Pre-3+ hour drive to Cincy. 

weezyyyy :) 

He changed outfits seriously 4+ times. 

Lil Wayne and my man, Lloyd! 

Then Monday, me, Michaela and Tanner took Mom and Stacy out to El Jimador for a joint birthday dinner (and drinks). 

Mom and her Strawberry Daiquiri 

Me and Stace split a pitcher of Peach Margaritas

And after dinner, me and Michaela surprised mom with a homemade (South Beach Diet Approved) Apple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Icing and presents! We snuck back into the kitchen after midnight on Sunday to make this cake after mom went to bed and put it in the basement fridge so mom wouldn't stumble across it. 

Mom and her 2 fabulous bakers :) 

Cake and Presents!!

I think mom was really pleased with everything she got for her birthday, but I think she was more pleased just to spend the day with all of us. 

A surprising turn of events

So I'm not sure if I ever mentioned it on here (and scanning back through some recent posts, I don't think I have) but I've made some pretty big life decisions lately. I've always known that I wanted to see as much of this world with the time I have, soaking up different cultures; through food, language, dance and most of all, through people. And maybe taking a semester to study abroad in Argentina gave me a push or I've gotten some sort of travel bug, but...I've decided to take a year off from Western Kentucky University (yes, my senior year). 

I'm going to Spain to teach English! 

 I actually found out about this AMAZING opportunity while I was in Argentina, and for some reason, I just couldn't shake the feeling that I had to do this. And can I just say, getting everything together in Argentina (which has inefficient services at best) and trying to mail it all to the Spanish Consulate in NY was MUY DIFICIL. And the wait was the worst part. I  came thisclose to talking myself out of it. I starting thinking about missing my senior year - not graduating with my friends, missing my last year in my sorority, all the theme parties and frat parties I'd miss out on, and, oh gosh, I'd miss Homecoming!

But then when you put it all out there like that, it all kind of pales in comparison, doesn't it? I mean, this is SPAIN! ESPAÑA! How could I say no?? Especially since everything would still be here when I come back? But then I started to psych myself out. What if I don't get accepted now that I know I really, really want it? Yes, I know I tend to over-think things.

But I did get accepted. And after formally accepting the position, that was that. I'm really going to Spain. I'm going to be living (and teaching) in Madrid, Spain for 9+ months. As things are set right now, I should be leaving the last week in September. 6 short weeks from now. And then when I come back next year (wow, it feels weird to say that) I can start right back at WKU like nothing changed. Or not. There's always the possibility that I might wanna return to Spain. In fact, most applicants go for more than 1 year. Or, I can just wait and see what happens. Because for now, who knows what life has in store for me...or where it's gonna take me?

Lauren's Bridal Shower

Happy news, y'all!! My cousin, Lauren, is getting married! Okay, so it's not exactly news...but this past weekend was her bridal shower in Man, WV, so me and mom drove in to help set up and attend.

pink and green :)

And look at what a good job we did! Lauren's bridesmaids, Nicole, Whitney, Janelle and Erin wanted to throw the first of Lauren's 3 (yes, 3) bridal showers, so we spent most of friday night getting all this ready. 

white chocolate flower centerpieces.

 Nicole, who swears she doesn't have a crafty bone in her body, made these adorable centerpieces out of white chocolate. First of all, look how cute these turned out, and second of all, she was Lauren's sorority sister. There's just no way she doesn't know how to craft. 

each guest received heart-shaped cookie cutters.

mom and her door prize!

 The girls did such a great job! There were bridal games, like "famous couples" and "how well do you know the bride" and TONS of food. And Lauren made bank on her gifts. Here's hoping she does just as well at her other parties!

soooo manyyyy gifts!

The Bride-to-Be!

The wedding is in just 6 short weeks, so me and the fam will be making another trip to WV here soon. It's at Daniel's Vineyard, which I think is just the cutest idea since Lauren and Gary (her fiancee) met on a trip to Italy. And seriously, I love weddings! I can't wait til all my close friends start getting hitched. And my wedding...I can only imagine! 

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.