casting my cares: July in Review

I'm gonna try to stay rolling with these monthly recaps so I can get current again,so here's July!

July 4th Week:

We visited Brandon's folks for 4th of July. I attended my very first C-ville 4th of July Parade, which is a big deal there. It was everything I thought it would be and more.

The downtown area is set up with vendors along the streets and the parade goes right down the middle of them.

Brandon's mom, Bev, Brandon and I walked from his parents place to downtown to watch.

Even Senator Mitch McConnell was part of the parade!

There were lots of tractors....

4-wheelers.....

A Dump Truck.....

And even a Tow-Truck (and we actually knew the guy driving it - Brandon's cousin)....

Even random SUV's that didn't seem to be sponsoring anything, with tiny dog-passengers....

And of course, those crazy Kosair Shriner Guys....what KY parade is complete without them?

However, my favorite part of the parade was the lone cow (who we named "Meatball") poking his head out of the semi-pulled cattle trailer! You just don't see stuff like that in your average parade.

Finally, the horses marked the end of the parade.

Like I said, this parade was everything I thought it would be and more!

On July 5th, we traveled to O-boro to visit my college roomie, Alisha, her hubby, Scott, and their little man, L. It's been a tradition that each year, we get together around 4th of July. We've done so for at least 6 or 7 years (none of us can remember exactly when we started it).

I don't have a ton of pictures from visiting them....mainly because we just spend some good quality time together playing games, talking and laughing and rarely get out of our pajamas! (Oh, and I eat my weight in icing there).

Here's a few pics of everybody playing Mario Cart.

And Little Man watching...

Week of July 15-21

Wednesday, July 18: Jenn's Shower

It was back to the Ville for me for my good friend Jenn's Bridal Shower (she's in the middle in pink)

Shannon and the other bridesmaids had creatively decorated everything with hearts!

After eating, and Jenn opening her gifts, we had some Photo Booth fun!!!

Saturday, July 21: Bennifer's Wedding

A few days after Jenn's Bridal Shower, Brandon and I both headed to the Ville for her wedding. She was to marry a sweet guy named Ben , o we lovingly refer to them as a unit called "Bennifer." You may remember them from the blog - we had a fun weekend with them here.

Here's the lovely Bride....

All the girls

Shannon was giving Jenn her "Something Borrowed." It was Shannon's "Something Old" that I gave to her for her wedding and my "Something Borrowed" from Shannon at my wedding.

Gina Bug rarely gets quite this gussied up - doesn't she looked bee-utiful?

Myself and the Bride

Time for the ceremony

(I may or may not have "borrowed" these pics from facebook)

Mr. & Mrs. Bennifer!!

Entering the Reception

The Happy Couple

The Wedding Cake

And the Groom's Cake

Isn't she gorgeous?

The Fab Four - LOVE these gals!!

Weekend of July 27-29:

Brandon and I and my parents spent the weekend with my brother's family.

My Dad's birthday was the next weekend, so we celebrated this particular weekend since we were together.

Pawpaw opening presents - the kids had made homemade cards - so cute!

Dads a huge Red Sox fan and Mom found him a Red Sox steering wheel cover.

Then it was time for baseball-decorated cupcakes!

And what birthday celebration is complete without a dance party???

Not only did we celebrate my Dad's birthday that weekend, but my brother's kiddos had several events going on that we got to see as well.

The Tank was involved in a little league tournament - my brother is the coach.

In the dugot

Batting!

Catching!

My sis-in-law put down a blanket for the kids at the game, which was like a magnet for all the other kids at the park to come and play on - it was great.

The Chief was the only one who wouldn't sit still (but, he is a toddler, so I expect nothing less).

My mom says I used to to this same thing - take off running while I was looking behind cause I knew I wasn't supposed to be running off.

I could eat him with a spoon he's so sweet!

Little Miss Boo

Amid all the baseball games, we attended a play that Goose was in. They did a reproduction of Cinderella and Goose was one of the mice.

She's been in a few other plays, but this was the first time I had gotten to come to one - she did great!

In the "Receving Line" after the play - The Chief was all hugs for his big sis.

Back at my bro's house, Boo showed us her "Balance Beam" routine (she was big into watching the Olympic Gymnasts. and my bro and sis-in-law put tape on the floor for her as a beam - so cool!).