July was an awesome month! Eric & I saw eachother 23 out of 31 days this month!! I couldn't have been happier!! This month was filled with vacations & celebrating my 30th! It was THE best birthday month EVER!
First stop FLOW-RIDA!! Eric left Missouri Thursday evening and drove 1,250 miles to meet me in Tampa Friday afternoon when my flight got in! After he was stuck in nasty traffic and winding roads and sleeping at rest stops....he made it just in time to pick me up and we headed to Sanibel Island to relive our wedding. We stayed at the same place we got married at 5 years ago and relaxed at the pool.
This is the beach where we got married !! There were dolphins, our bestest family & friends & LOTS of rum runners!!
We hung at the resort all day and went to eat that nigh in Ft Myers. We were in bed sleeping by 10! We had to prepare for the rest of the week!
That circular room to the right was where our reception was held! Everyone danced and drank rum runners all night until they shut us down! Then we all went to the bar right below to carry on. That was an amazing weekend!
Of course I made us take 'self timer' portraits on the beach where we got married!
When we were saying our vows here 5 years ago there were dolphins jumping in the ocean for everyone to watch!
We drove around Sanibel & Captiva Island the next day where we enjoyed delicious breakfast, lots of exotic birds, the beach, seashell picking, great music and relaxed.
We barbequed that night after driving to Siesta key to our friends condo. We walked the beach and enjoyed a gorgeous sunset!
Siesta Key beach is GORGEOUS!! The sand is white and soft like baby powder!
We had no idea that our friends were vacationing 15 minutes away from us!!! We met The Ladd's for drinks and karaoke!
FINALLY we got to meet MAI LI!!!!! The Manske's arrived!!!! She was so stinken CUTE!!!
We all went out to dinner on the 4th of July & then went to the beach to watch the BEST fireworks show I've ever seen! It was amazing to hear the ocean and watch the fireworks with great friends!
The Siesta Crew (minus broken ankle Jeff)
The Manske's & Garza's reunited!!
Cooling off in the Gulf
Lovin baby Manske #2
Mai Mai!! She was precious!
We rented a pontoon & cruised the Intercoastal Waterway to PI!! An amazing teeny little island! We saw a dolphin and got the pontoon stuck in seaweed! But we made it back in one piece thanks to sober broken ankle Jeff!
Our night at Le Cresecnt Club! The coolest townie bar in the world! We danced to juke box music and got plain ol silly!!
Cheers to old friends, new friends and an amazing vacation!
After a great week with amazing people Eric dropped me off at the airport and he was then headed back on another 1,250 mile journey home to Missouri. I wasn't really too sad about missing him because I knew I would see him the very next weekend!!
Kim & I drove to Missouri that next weekend to celebrate my 30th with my dad & sister! Yes SEEESTER!! She flew in all the way from NYC and we got to celebrate together for the weekend with Dad like old times.
Eric made us a sealed envelope that we couldn't open until the highway! It was filled with 4 CD's that he personalized and actually wrote us little notes with a little clue or reason for EACH song he chose!! (He has a lot of spare time on his hands these days) We danced and sang for six & a half hours!!!
Here's me & sis like old times going tubing!! And no joke THOSE are our matching life jackets from when we were like single digits!!
It was a rough ride!
Relaxin with poppy just like in our younger years (but we wouldn't have had beers back then...with dad that is, we used to sneak and hide them from him back in the day)
Me & my two FAVORITE men in the world!!
Everyone hanging at the infiniti pool swim up bar! We all look naked!! HA HA!
We needed refills!
KATS!!
CHEERS!! We had our own professional bartender Richard for the weekend!
'It's my birthday' Chillin on the cabana! This was like Mexico in Missouri!! HA HA
Sister looked really thrilled!! HA HA!!
We went to the strip one night and drove bumper cars, played skee ball, water bumper boats and old time photos!!
Poppy & his two girls! Even though it wasn't taken on the front of the boat it will do!
After an amazing weekend I was headed back home again...on the road! But I don't even think I gave Eric a hug or kiss goodbye....cause I would see him in 3 more days for my actual birthday!!! Eric came up, we enjoyed a great evening of sushi, the last HARRY POTTER & driving around Aurora looking for a speed limit 30 sign so I could take my birthday picture!
We enjoyed a relaxing week together between my working and the wonderful SURPRISE girls night he planned for me!! He organized a limo and my BESTEST girlfriends for a night on the town. My husband even sent us to a 'male -- THUNDER from downunder' show where we fell in love with hot australian men! My hubby surely knows how to plan a great birthday!
BESTEST GIRLS from birth - present!!
I wasn't even sad saying good-bye to seeeeester the weekend before in the Ozarks cause I knew I would see her the next weekend!!
Stopped for a visit with the Stewart sisters!! Look at us blondies!!
Mom & Michael took me shopping in the city where I got new dresses and makeup and shoes!! Then they took me for my first brodayway musical "West Side Story" I loved it!!
MY bestie KaT surprised me with SKYDIVING for our 30th's!!! I made us matching t-shirts!
Eric came to watch us -- he was SUPER jealous!! He was ready to do it!! Maybe next time babe -- you're not jumping into your 30's....you've been wading in your 30's for a while!
It was SOOOOOOOOOO awesomely, terrifyingly, adrenaline rushing, mouth drying, craziest experience ever! I don't know anything more dangerous than that.....except riding a moped in Maui!
I crossed this off my bucketlist at 30! Probably won't be doing that one ever again :) I landed hard on my tailbone and it has been 2 weeks and it still hurts to sit down!!!
The last and final weekend of July we had a big 30th birthday with our friends - but for some reason we only took girl pictures!
Needless to say, my 30th month of celebrating was truely amazing! To all my friends, family and my hubby that made everything happen I <3 you! For this is gonna be my last birthday in Illinois for a while -- next year I will be celebrating on the beaches of Maui & you are ALL welcome to come celebrate with us!
SO, after 23 amazing days out of 31 with my lover -- we had to say good bye:(
I had to drop him off at the train station & knew it would be a long 20 days until I saw him again. We had an amazing JULY baby & only a few more months apart we have to go!
I miss him & my doggies every second of the day :(
~I'll see you in August baby~
