This is our first full summer in our house, and consequently, Memorial Day weekend was our first real summer holiday as our own little family. A lot of our friends and neighbors were having family cookouts, and I have to admit, it made me a little sad that we did not have anything like that to do. My family lives in Ohio, which is only a couple of hours away, but we usually only make it down there once every four to six weeks. Hubby's family is not real big on those types of family get togethers, so it was just me and him really. We decided that we wanted to do something a little different.
We went to Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh. This was our second trip to Phipps; the first was in the fall of 2008 not long after we began dating. While that trip was fun, I enjoyed this one even more, for many reasons. The Spring/Summer flower show had a wonderful theme of Gargoyles in the Garden. I loved the theme, and there were so many great things to see. The flowers were in full bloom in all areas, especially the Discovery Garden, which is barren in the fall. We also got to enjoy the Butterfly Forrest, with tons of butterflies floating around us.
It was a warm day, and we were more than a little bit sticky and sweaty from walking through greenhouses for a couple of hours, so on the way home, we stopped at Sonic and I got a huge Bubble Gum Slushie.
It was just about the perfect day. It allowed me time to think of some loved ones who have passed on, and be thankful for the beauty of the life I have. I also got to take some fantastic pictures. Here is a sampling, enjoy!
