vacation roundup!

so i've been back for four days, and did promise stories of my vacation...

but i'm not really into writing right now. so we'll have the "show" part of our show and tell.

here are allison and i shortly after arriving in new jersey. our tradition is a hefty breakfast at the Sand Dollar Pancake House. I had an omlette, and it was awesome.

we used to go down to the shore the first or second week in august. then a couple of years ago (6) my uncle got sick and we upped our trip from late summer, to early summer. the result was a fourth of july like none of us had ever seen. local beach residents (and tourists) spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on all sorts of fireworks, and set them off right on the beach. the result is a good hour and a half of fireworks that beat the stupid garucci family or grucci or whatever they are by a mile.

my contribution to this year's fourth of july bbq/beach party? star spangled cupcakes! made in star shaped foil tins, topped with vanilla icing and colorful spray.

another tradition we have is riding a giant stuffed fish. actually, the tradition is a 'ladies night' at the crabs claw inn and bar, where most of the ladies (and some brave men from our family) get together, drink massive amounts of alcohol, and "sing" karaoke. this year was no different, with my uncle billy and his brother in law pat picking up our giant tab (thanks guys), my aunts and me singing Journey to a greatful Jersey crowd, and an afterparty that was less "party" and more "watch kristin ride the giant stuffed nemo that my cousin wes' friend mark won at seaside heights."

the rest of the week we sang, "try to catch me ridin' nemo" to the tune of chamillionaire's "Ridin Dirty."

my aunt and uncle rented a house on the beach that had a SWEET roofdeck. no one really hung up out there, as the seating was poor, but the view was awesome. check out the giant peach house...just last year it was a tiny shack. and just two years ago my family rented it. the house we stayed in this year is directly across the street from the peach gigantor.

and of course, last but not least...rompe. megan, my cousin (middle) has deemed the reggaeton song "Rompe" our official theme song, and we yell it at each other sometimes. what i wouldn't do to live with or at least next door to this 16 year old wonder. she keeps me in stitches, acts years beyond her age, and knows that her family will love her no matter what. above is one picture in a series of about a million. i think it captures the essence of the trip. relaxing, love-filled and completely wild (also, can we note how awesome my skin looks here, and i'm not wearing makeup! yay for me!)