Oh Birthday

SO, I have to say ever since I turned about sixteen I haven't looked too forward to birthdays.

 Birthday sixteen for me was about the year that I realized that birthdays aren't quite as fun because you don't really have parties with piñatas and favors anymore, you don't get  (hopefully) at least 20 beautifully wrapped gifts with bows, and you don't get to parade all of your new adorable embroidered flare jeans around school.

Instead I came to the realization that birthdays were becoming just another year closer to wrinkles and saggy boobs. That parties and presents become small family dinners and cards. Now don't get me wrong, I really do enjoy just small get togethers and cards, because another thing that comes with age is the discovery of the importance of money, and I appreciate that as we get older we expect less money and show and more thought.

So in the whole five years since I was sixteen (I know big number right) birthdays for me have been sweet and enjoyable, but not really the big hubbub that they were when I was younger, in fact I have to periodically remind myself it's my birthday... as I'm, stopped at a stop light I catch myself going.. holy crap, it's my birthday today.

With that said I have to say this year has been truly divine, and even though it sounds silly, turning 21 has kind of been a little tough for me, it means that my childhood is now behind me. I know that really I'm still a baby, but it's a transitioning time for me, and even though it really means nothing, I do feel a little different and that sideways license will take some getting used to. So thank you everyone for taking something that has been a little stressful for me and turning it into a great experience. Let me tell you what made it so special.

Everyone at work remembered and I didn't have to tell them, my father-in-law, whom I work with, was even counting down the days for me.

My co-workers made me a pink and silver crown to wear around, made me a yummy cake and the frosting was even specially made to be my favorite color. They all signed me a card, sang happy birthday to me and the kids I work with gave me hugs and kisses.

My husband made the bed this morning, and brought me lunch at work.

My Husband to me out to a nice restaurant and had sushi!

we went to the store and Jordan got me some cute hair things and he got me a cake, and he bought me Toy Story 3(yeah I'm REAL grown up).

My mom took me out for Ice cream.

My mother in law bought me flowers.

When I got home from ice cream I found a beautiful cake on my kitchen table from my brother and sister in law, and three perfect home made cards from my nieces with a gift card to Michaels, and I love going to Michaels.

My dad emailed me and even gave me a call from Africa and he says he got somethings from Egypt for me.

My mom sang Happy Birthday to my voice mail.

I had a million, I swear, Happy Birthday's on Facebook from all of my friends and family.

People I haven't seen or spoken to in a long time remembered and took the time out of their days to call, text, or message me with Happy Birthday wishes.

Even my friend that is living the dream and exploring Europe made time to let me know she was thinking of me today. Not to forget my extremely nauseous, pregnant, best friend took the time to call.

At the end of the day I came home, and saw all the the beautiful things people had given me, all of the cards, and the messages and I just broke down and cried like a baby. I can't remember the last time I had a more perfect birthday, or felt so loved! I am the luckiest girl in the world to have the friends and family that I have. Someday I plan to, in return, give them the joy they have given me. I think this is the best part of growing up.

One Year (posted a little late)

Jordan and I just celebrated our one year anniversary on 10/10/10 (cool huh) so copying another friend, I decided to tell our story. We both went to the same High School, I'm two years older than he, so we didn't have any classes together but I had seen him around in the halls. I had been noticing him for a little while then one day we FINALLY made eye contact during lunch break, I thought he was really cute, but had no idea who he was, so I smiled at him... and he walked away, apparently that was the end of this random cute boy. Years later when we were married I brought this up to him and he said he didn't think I was smiling at him because he thought I was stuck up and high maintenance... how sweet of him.

Little did we know that we had friends in common. A year or more later, after High School, a boy and I went on a date to see a show at a local coffee house that was being put on by a good friend of mine and his band. I looked behind the drum set and there was that hot kid that I had seen in High School. Lucky for me, my date had to leave before the show was over so our date ended early. I had been chatting a little with a nice older woman that was sitting behind me. After the show the cute drummer boy from school walked in my direction and talked to the woman I had been chatting with, it turned out to be his mother, at least I knew his mom liked me. He, his band, and I all went out together that night. It was a short lived outing since one of the band mates and his brother had to be home, as they walked out the door too head off, I tried to make it clear that I wanted Jordan to kiss me... but I guess he didn't get it, and he left.

Soon after we started texting and I invited him over to a friends house to watch a movie with us. I really liked this guy, and wanted the chance to get to know him. We got there separately and he sat in a chair watching the movie like I didn't exist, I was starting to get mad. So I decided to try and make him jealous. I called one of the boys I had been casually dating lately, and he jumped at the chance to take me out, he picked me up at my friends house and I walked out with him right in front of Jordan. I guess it worked because after that, Jordan and I started texting more, and even hung out again.

We finally had our first date, and our first kiss (about time). We had been hanging out with a group but decided to break off and go to the river together. I drove to the river in my little hand-me-down Honda Civic. We sat and chatted for a while but it was April and the air was still a little chilly. After freezing for a time we decided it was getting late and we needed to go our separate ways. We got into my car so I could take him back to his own... and it wouldn't start, we tried and tried to get it to start with no results. It was late and everyone was asleep so our parents wouldn't pick up when we called. We made the best of it by walking our shivering bodies to Denny's in the cold so Jordan could buy me breakfast. At 5 a.m. My parents answered my calls and rescued us, a week or two later we were officially dating.

We only dated for about a month when we knew we wanted to get married. One day we walked into a jewelry store where a friend of mine worked, he looked down at a ring and I said "Oh that's pretty!" he looked at me and said "...Do you want it?" Of course I wanted to explode, it was a real proposal, not the one I had dreamed about, but it was for me, so we got engaged (classic huh...) We took our time telling people because Jordan knew he wanted to get married in October (we're fall people) but it was June of 2008 and we thought four months was a little close, and so it would have to be October 2009.

Over a year is a long Engagement but I still felt nervous by the time our wedding day came around. I had the perfect dress and veil, we had the best colors, the most amazing cake, we even got his dad to wear a pink vest and tie. The wedding was perfect even though Jordan's great Uncle was our sealer and talked for a VERY long time (almost 2 hours) and I almost passed out in the sealing room because my dress was so tight. The reception was perfect even though we lost Jordan's boutonnière, my bouquet was dead before the reception began, we forgot the slide show dvd, and the lady at the temple had put a hole in my train which was visible if I turned around. I couldn't imagine a better day and still cry thinking about it sometimes. I had my whole family there, even Paul in spirit. I felt like the most beautiful woman in the world, and I felt surrounded with love. I saw my greatest friend, even if I hadn't seen them in years and everyone had a genuine smile when they looked at us.

Now a year later, it's continued to be a dream. Sometimes we argue and I want to poke him in the eyes, he is still my prince charming and makes me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world, no matter what I weigh or how much make up I have on. We live in our own little mansion that we strive to fill with love and one day children. I pray that every year will continue to surprise me, and bring happiness and luck as this one has.

oh. blah.

AH! I'm horrible at this whole blogging thing, because being married has sucked the creativity out of me. who needs to be creative once they caught a man anyway?


WELL, we have been OFFICIALLY moved into our house for a week now, and we are still not even close to done unpacking and having the place totally functional. Laundry got thrown everywhere and I'm a little OCD about the state of cleanliness of my possessions, so I have been doing nothing but laundry and cleaning ALL week and there are still piles of laundry all over the place, but thankfully they are slowly diminishing, and becoming hidden. When it's finally done i will post pictures. 


Can I just say with all that aside, I love my house, I love not having to worry about the neighbors, or getting my deposit back. I love that i can paint and decorate however I want, that I can do laundry and take showers at all hours, I can run, and jump and scream. I can dream about someday getting rid of the carpet and having all wood floors. I have an acre of my own grass to mow, and take care of. My own trees to trim, and flowerbeds to beautify.  I get to park in my own garage, and put my last name on the mailbox.


With all of the love going around about the house, I just wish that all of the stairs in it would help me get off the extra 60 pounds I have gained in the past year, yes you heard it 60! should that even be allowed? Oh well, for now I'm fat and happy(about life, not the weight) and once my own little money pit here is put together i can start getting it off. anyone have some good tips, or exercise equipment they are getting rid of?

Promised prictures

Pensacola Beach, Florida. We stayed in a condo on the beach, we could hear the ocean and watch the waves from our deck, which was three stories high. We were technically only on the second story but since everything in Pensacola Beach is on stilts, it's a long way up. We fished every day. We went to Fort Pickens where Jordan caught a shark, and my mom and I explored the old civil war fort there. We also fished at Casino beach where the Pier, I swear, was at least a mile long. We Visited the Naval Air Museum where we saw more planes in one room than i had seen in my entire life. We went on a simulation ride with the Blue Angels and got to step back in time to a 50's era kitchen, and met Lucky, the Marine War Dog who only drank beer. We Left Jay at the condo to nap, one afternoon and made our way to the Pensacola Lighthouse, which was located on the Navy Base. We walked through the old house and climbed 177 steps all the way to the top, where after our trek to the top, and being soaking wet from sweat and humidity, they gave us a sticker... seriously a sticker thats said "I climbed the 177 stairs. Pensacola Lighthouse." How cheap.  The spiral staircase was wrought iron and was way to small for the traffic going up and down since the only rail was on the outside of the stairs along the wall. We nearly died in the 100 degree heat, with only a small breeze and the suffocating humidity, but the view from the top was worth the trip. (The lighthouse by the way is on an episode of Sci-fi's TAPS, which is like ghost hunters, there's an interesting story there if you're interested.) I never got out of my swimming suit, we sat on the beach all day. I had that beautiful sugary white sand between every toe, inside every article of clothing, and all over in my hair. We ate seafood on the beach, went to Waffle House every day and fell asleep to the sound of the ocean. We never wanted to come home. Luckily enough(I guess) we didn't have to come home as soon as planned. We made the hour flight from Pensacola to Atlanta, then we made the three and a half hour flight from Atlanta to Denver, where in Denver Delta Decided to cancel our flight with no information as to why or what to do, in fact they were very rude. so we marched to the main Delta desk and informed them of the situation and they fix the issues by giving us two rooms free for the night at a nice hotel, dinner vouchers for the night, and breakfast vouchers for the next morning, they then gave us small over night kits since our bags made it to Salt Lake without us, and they booked us on the first flight out in the morning... lovely. So we stayed an unplanned night in Denver before we got into our no-extra-charge first class seats to Salt Lake. (First class isn't much different from coach other than the seats are slightly bigger, and you get your drink and peanuts before everyone else.) Now for the pictures....

THIS WAS OUR HOTEL IN DENVER

VIEW FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE

Summer

So since I haven't updated in MONTHS, I have a great big update for everyone. Well first off on our awesome news, WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!!!! Also we recently got back from an amazing trip to Florid where we fished for a week, swam with sting rays, climbed to the top of a light house, and visited an old civil war fort... and i will let the pictures do the explaining. So expect the pictures within a day or two. Happy summer everyone!