A Weekend to End All Weekends!!

Since about Thursday night our family has been going non-stop.  Cindy and Jacob were both at their respective practices that night, and then work and school the next day. Friday night we were the DJs for our stake's Sweetheart Dance for Valentine's Day.  And if you want to know what it is like to be the DJ for one of those, well, here ya go....

I was just beginning the dance as everyone is finishing up the dinner that was provided and I am playing all kinds of music- oldies, new stuff, disco, salsa, swing, etc.  Basically just killing time and just figuring out what might get a good response.  An older woman comes up to me and says, "Unless you play the old, good stuff like Sinatra and Nat King Cole, no one is going to dance."  Ohhhh-kaaaay.  Then, five minutes later, a very young sister comes up to me and says, "Unless you play something new, no one is going to dance."  And THAT my friends, is a day in the life of a DJ. 

Saturday morning was Opening Ceremonies for Cindy's softball club. I volunteered to do the sound in exchange for Cindy's player fees. That started nice and early at 8am and even included a nice 10 minute rainstorm that made me have to take down all my equipment and put it back up again. My favorite! I didn't really take any pictures on account of being a little occupied with the sound system, but I did take this picture of Cindy who agonized and agonized before finally mustering up the courage to go and ask the softball players from Florida Southern College for their autographs. By the end she had collected almost the entire team's signatures.  This one is for you, Maggie!

And as it was President's Day weekend, Jacob was out of town coaching his U11 competitive team in a tournament at the University of Florida and wouldn't be home til at least Sunday night at the earliest. And did I mention that he had to take a set of DJ equipment with him to the tournament just so that he could drive from Gainesville over to Tampa to DJ a Stake Dance Saturday night? We hate doing things the easy way, apparently.

So about that tournament...

Jacob's team has gone three times in a row and has never made it to Monday.  Well, wouldn't you know that this year they won the whole thing?!  I will be honest, I did not see this coming.  Mostly because if they did at least make it to Monday the kids and I would get to drive up on Sunday night and stay at the club provided hotel and that would be just a little too exciting for us.  But it happened!  (Disclaimer:  As this is one of Jacob's paid jobs, he was obligated to coach and travel this Sunday.  He usually delegates the Sunday coaching, but it is not appropriate to expect that of others all year.  Just so you know :)

This was the sign the girls put on his door at the hotel...

We drove up Sunday night and I think all the parent's felt like they were seeing the Loch Ness Monster or some mythical creature because they finally saw Coach's Wife!!!  I seriously hardly ever go to the games. Hey, I got my own kids!

Luke enjoyed eating his breakfast muffin by the hotel fire.

Here is the team of destiny!  Gator Showcase Champions 2014.  Since Jacob gets to keep that gold cup at the bottom, I thought you should know he ate some cereal out of it this morning.  Okay, just kidding.  Jacob hates cereal.

I can't lie. There was another reason I secretly wanted to head up to Gainesville and that was to scratch another item off my Florida bucket list.  I wanted to finally take the kids to the Butterfly Rainforest at the University of Florida.  Thousands of butterflies that might land on you- who could resist?  No one.  Not even Jacob.

And the butterflies couldn't resist him either :)

Cindy was what you would call, "terrified out of her mind" when one landed on her.  Which makes no sense.  Where is the little girl that used to cry because butterflies would not land on her finger when she called to them outside?

They keep thousands of chrysalises inside and you can literally watch butterflies breaking out of them if you want.  It was quite amazing.

And then every day at 2 o'clock they release the newbies into the rainforest.

I got the Blue Morpho butterfly to land on my arm.  They are only blue on the inside...

Jacob is only laughing because I was trying to take this picture to show off his new butterfly "tattoo" (the stamp they give you when you buy a ticket) and on my first attempt he turned his wrist down to the ground at the last minute and I didn't notice it.  

Gee, I wonder where my children get it from?

Still a little scared....

The butterfly rainforest is actually part of the Museum of Natural History. We walked around that part for a while and this was pretty much the highlight. Well, that and the kids talking about how they are never going swimming in the ocean ever again.

And finally, the best photobomb I have ever had.  Cindy was sitting on a chair and I wanted to get a picture but she wasn't really into it.  I decided to take one anyway and guess what I captured? This fluttery guy.  What are the odds!

And if you want to see 39 of the Funniest Animal Photobombs of all time, CLICK HERE. Thanks again, Linnley :)