Bitter Sweet Vacation

*Sigh*, So after a fun filled full week of vacationing I am back to Jacksonville and continuing on with real life, boo!! Vacations are something that you count down for as soon as the date is set, and once it has come and gone, it is disappointing, nothing left to count down for.

Let me tell you a little bit about our family reunion, we spent 9 hours getting there, and once we got there it was pure chaos. My Aunt Debbie, sends all 26 to the grocery to pick up 1000$ worth of groceries for the week, considering that is the closest thing to civilization and it is still 45 min away. Every night a family was assigned to a different DELICIOUS meal, and during the days we would take out the 2 speed boats so people could, ski, knee board, or tube and the platoon bloat, for the people who just wanted to relax and float in the water. I did a lot of both, tubing has always been my all time favorite, the rush and unexpectedness of the whole thing. Well anyways everyday, we would wake up have coffee and go out on the boats till around 3-4 come back in for lunch go back out around 5-6 and stay out till 8-9 when we would BEGIN to make dinner. So, needless to say every night was a long night, where we were close to eating each other due to starvation. After dinner, we would all sit around and shit chat and play the occasional drinking game. On Thurs however, big bad Dad, decided he was going to drive the speed boat while my mom and I tubed, (we should have known he was going to try to kill us), we held on for a good long time with an occasional light fall here and there. AND THEN... we hit what seemed to be a TSUNAMI, the biggest of all big waves, we both flew in the air like super hero's, banging into each other and trying to reach the top of the water to breath again. I landed on my back, causing loss of breath not to mention whip lash that I am still paying for to this minute, and my mom practically broke her poor ring finger, that her ring is still jammed on. So my Thur and Fri were extreme headaches and neck aches. But.. that still didn't damper my mood and still come Sat morning when it was time to say goodbye, I still teared up and wanted to start the week over so bad.

My moms family, consists of her 3 brothers, Steve and Debbie who have 3 daughters, Lindsey 25, Lauren 23 (whose wedding I am in) and Hillary 18. Then Brian and Lyn who have Casey 26 and Morgan 22. Finally Gary and Dianne who just have Elisabeth who is 8 and my all time little mini-me through the whole trip. All of the older cousins brought there significant others making it a BIG party. I have grown up, VERY, close to all of my cousins and as we get older we only seem to get closer and closer, so making a yearly trip to all come together is a definite must. Not to mention this year we celebrated Zach's 21st birthday with a Fiesta, My cousins Casey's Wife's Baby shower, and Hillary's Boyfriend Se ans 19Th birthday, So lots and lots to celebrate.

Now you are probably wondering what the "bitter" is about in my title, well let me tell you that I have intense separation anxiety (self diagnosed, of course), whenever I have to say goodbye, I start crying hysterically, and when I have to say goodbye after fun vacations these tears can last up to days (i.e. after Aruba, a full week of crying that it was over). The one person that I really get upset with saying goodbye is my mom, now let me explain its not just a little tear when EVER I say goodbye to her, it is sobbing the whole way home. My mom and I have a great relationship, like I have said many times she is my best friend. I have had so many "best friends" disappoint me but with my mom it is different, she lectures me/nags me/ complains to me/ yells at me, yet she loves me unconditionally. She is like the big sister I never had, we could be fighting one minute and laughing the next. I have always said that my mom is my best friend and if she could she would be my maid of honor. So it is VERY bitter saying goodbye to her, and to all of my family, spending any time away from people you love is sad, let alone long periods of time, when you don't know when it will be again. Not to mention, when I come back to Jacksonville it is just Zach and I, so we have spent a week constantly around people to being alone, especially cause Zach works so much, so eating lunch alone, really stinks.

So now I am home, peeling/with a neck ache and some sort of sun poisoning or something (long story) and SAD!!
Not to mention, I have a grocery list as long as toilet paper role, and 1000 errands to be ran! boo. pity party for Katie!

BUT FOR MORE PICTURES OF OUR VACATION GO TO::::
http://picasaweb.google.com/kzeppen