MOTE Aquarium

I was like super-duper-duper excited about today, because, we'd be going to MOTE Aquarium!
And if you know me at all, you know that I have so much love for animals,
I mean, I don't care if it's land or aquatic, I love it.
I will literally TALK your ear OFF about animals, and animal facts and things I've learned
and what I know. I feel so bad for people that hang out around me, because like, we'll see a bird, and I'll spew out a bunch of information about birds.

Because I just love them. And we got to places like this - an aquarium - and you just lose me, I am gone.



Leah is no longer, what is present is a three year old with the knowledgeable mind of a learning freak. I will stand there and talk to the animals, "Oh, hello mister sea turtle, how are you today?"

I mean, it's ridiculous. If someone were to take me on a date here they would get no attention from me, nope noppers I'm gone I'm soooo distracted by everything else.





And, to top that off, they had a little show.
Three sea lions were in this big tank, and this lady comes out. And there is music playing
and it's just so much fun.
This lady is just so pumped up with energy, and she's teaching us about the sea lions

and telling us all about them, and then, they come out of their little swimming pool.

Sea lions, just chilling, but the best part is they do all these cool tricks and they dance to the music and seriously I was like in tears??

This was such an emotional moment for me, because it was just sooo awesome to see.
And I mean please forgive me for my jumbled text.
none of this probably makes any sort of sense
but I was just sooo happy. omfg.

I think one of my favorite parts was the manatees, because it was just so exciting to see them!! :)

 

That manatee became my buddie, I loved this fella'!

Also, they had an educational program where you could learn about dolphins and watch them train them, as well, which was pretty cool :)

Downtown Sarasota, FL

We ventured to downtown Sarasota, where the beach was. Also - we discovered a super awesome park! Although Joshua and I are becoming big kids (I'm still denying it) we still played at the playground.



It was suuucchhh a fun day! I loved seeing all the
cool-awesome-interesting birds at the water,

I loved the statues in the park and even the awesome old trees.

Plus, I discovered something interesting. There was these green birds in the trees, like jungle birds or something, the kind of bird that should be in south America right now. It was crazy!


 I've been sad about my aunt being in the hospital, and it made me even sadder to see her in that hospital bed. I honestly can't explain the heartbreak that runs over you, but I know damn well it hurts like lemon juice on a fresh wound. And, it doesn't help I've been battling depression for so many months now. Smiling has become a chore, but today, at this park, it wasn't. I was happy, even if it was just for a little bit.

Lido Beach, FL

I don't have any interesting stories to share from Lido Beach, Fl, but here are some pretty pictures of the ocean, just in case you were missing the salt water waves ;)

driving, driving, driving...

Today we drove down to Sarastoa, Florida which is a good oh heck I don't even know how many hours. Lets just say it was a long time. we got to stay at my aunts condo, which was pretty awesome. Granted it stunk like cigarettes, it smelled like my grandma's house and that made me very happy, it's like I was in her home again. Anyways, another thing I thought was pretty cool was the immense mount' of lizards. like seriously, these dudes were everywhere.

I had fun with the bro' that night, he happened to find my aunts bathrobe and decided to strut around in it. We were also delighted that there was a spare bedroom in the condo with two beds, yippie!

Haircut time!

My last haircut was in November, and I'm getting a little tired of my hair as of now. I feel like I need to get a bunch of it chopped off! So, here are a few before pictures:

Annnnnndddd after!:

ps: I don't know if I like it.

water

So today I was feeling a little bit blue, about the same color as the skies look.
We'd be leaving soon, and I was getting a little torn about that. Also, not to mention, my aunt is currently in the hospital. She lives alone in Sarasota, Florida. My mother called, called, and called her on the phone, but no answer for days. Finally the cops arrived at her house. She's been in the hospital since, and my mom still won't tell me what's wrong. So, we're heading down there soon to go see her.

But as of now, I'm just having fun by the water.

I kind of have this love - hate thing with water. Like I mean I love the water, I love how it looks, how it feels between my fingers, how the wind creates waves and you throw a rock in and there is all these little ripples along the surface. It's awesome, water is cool, but I also fear it.

All my life I'd have nightmares of being trapped under the water, and I don't mean one or two, it's an on-going thing that happened several times in one night. It's not just recently, either, it's been happening since I was very little. This underlying fear of drowning, of not reaching the surface. If I was swimming and the water was above my shoulders, I'd have a panic attack. But I worked up my strength last summer, and my swimming abilities were good enough I was confident of being in the water, until i almost drowned and died. But we won't talk about that now, because, look~! I went from the swamp to the lake and I found an alligator :D