Kentucky!

We spent the past several days in Kentucky, visiting Juanito's family. He was able to see everyone except his sister, who lives in England. The rest of us only got to see his parents and one brother. But it was a lovely visit.

On Sunday, we got to go out for dinner with Lauren, who is still "family" even though she's not technically family anymore, and who we all just adore. Katrina, especially of the kids, loves Lauren and has a not-regular-but-definitely-occasional pen-pal relationship with her. And she's just one of those people with whom i really don't want to fall out of contact.

Juanito's mother had all of her friends over for a campfire in the evening, which ended up being a not-campfire because it was just plain too hot outside for anyone to want to sit around a fire. Katrina made a little fake fire to put in the middle of the table, and that suited us all just fine. Less mosquitoes that way too!

On Monday, we went into town, because it's just part of our tradition. We took pictures in all of the usual spots - with the caboose museum that has never once been open when we've been there, with the sign that says, "Wilmore, KY," and in the grocery store that awesomely has a TARDIS and this year had added 221B Baker St. as well! (My kids went to the owner and suggested that, as long as they're adding awesome British icons, they should add Platform 9 3/4 as well, especially since they already have the shopping carts. The owner, who is a little old man who has very obviously never read Harry Potter, said that his sons-in-law are actually the ones responsible for building those things, and he had us write it down so that he could pass the suggestion along. My kids are now all very hopeful that the next time we got, there will be a Platform 9 3/4 for them.) We also got ice cream at the drug store, because it's the only place i know that still has a drug store with an ice cream counter, and so obviously we need to go there while we have the opportunity!

On Monday evening, we went out to the farm where Juanito's dad and brother live. They have chickens (so Houston is happy) and kittens (so Katrina is happy) and lots of random wood piles to climb on (so Zane is happy). They also have a goat, who Juanito's dad insists is friendly and is trying to lovingly nuzzle us, but i am here to tell you that he is wrong, and that that goat is kind of a jerk. He kept headbutting us and trying to stab us with his horns and would run at us if he saw us across the yard, and there was nothing loving about it.

On Tuesday, we went to High Bridge Park, because none of my kids knew what i was talking about when i mentioned High Bridge. They were all like, "What? That isn't somewhere i've been...." until we were actually there, and then they were all, "OH! Yes! This is where i brought Puppy one time and almost threw him off the cliff!" Emma came with us to the park, and she loved it, but she nearly gave me a heart attack when Katrina was walking her toward the bridge and she jumped up onto the wall that lines the road, and if she'd gone over she would have fallen a million feet and died. And then, after i had stopped freaking out about that, Houston casually remarked, "Well, and if she'd gone over, she'd probably have pulled Katrina over as well, because she had the leash around her wrist."

And then we left and drove home and got here at around midnight. The end.