I Don't Know About You...I'm Feeling 22

Well hey there friends. It's been 22 months of waiting for us. What? You didn't think I meant 22 years old right? Because: reality check. I turned 30 this month. Yup. And frankly, I don't think anyone thinks I am 22. Mostly because of my genius wisdom and wit. But seriously, I went to get a glass of wine for my birthday dinner with my BFF. They carded her. They carded the couple next to us. Me? Not so much.

I am SO not 22.

And also this: I went to the Mumford & Sons concert the day after my birthday (shout out to my dear friend for the courtesy tickets) and I was seriously ready to fall asleep before the headliner even came on.  NOT KIDDING. Like full on "I wonder if anyone will notice if I fall asleep here in the grass and take a 15 minute nap before the band comes on." Alas, the scents wafting back from the actual 22 year olds in front of us kept my stomach rolling and my eyes open (and rolling if I do say so!).

Me and Man Friend, trying not to fall asleep at Mumford & Sons. So this is 30.

Birthday presents when you turn 30? Ones you actually get excited about?

A toaster. That works. Because the one you've been using for about a year has no middle heat element. Check out this new beauty:

Guys. It's red. Booyah, that's what I say.

Yeah, aside from toasters, apparently the theme of my 30th birthday was, more wine please!

My mom and dad got me a super cute wine glass. See?



And they took us all to the winery for the lunch. I should have gotten a picture of all of us together. Did I? No. Apparently the glass of wine took precedence. I don't know. I'm too old to remember things like "take pictures of your family at your birthday celebration."

Just pretend this is a picture of the 5 of us instead of a lovely glass of Norton.

So yes. I had a great birthday. Not a 22nd birthday.

All that to say. This is not about my age.

AND...don't speak a word about my blog title. I'm pretending it's fine. Worry about yourself. I'll let you know when I have a solution. Mkay?

So, 22.

Months waiting, that is.  Yes, last week was my 30th birthday and my 22nd month of waiting. We have not moved in any direction since our big change in request. I will say that's just fine but reality is it's the kind of fine you say when your mom says go to your room when you're ten.

"Fine!"

But not really. It's a bit of a bummer.  Still, the wait cultivates a heart like his, yes? I know the answer without asking the question.

Yesterday I was having a particularly hard day. I messaged a friend who had been there. She told me to grab a bible and read Psalm 40 ASAP. Which was a little awesome because my bible reading the day before was Psalm 40. He knew I needed a double dose reminder that waiting on him is part of the plan.  God has already redeemed me. He set my feet on a rock. But? I must wait patiently and he will draw me out of this pit as well.

And also, thank you to THAT friend who commiserated for one second before sending me straight to my Bible. Amen.

And so, my verse for month 22:

Psalm 40:1 "I waited patiently for the Lord. He turned to me and heard my cry."

Funny how God always has the right words.

Oh God, set our feet on the rock. Keep us focused on your path when all we can see is what we don't have.

That chain is lovely and lonely. And still. God is faithful in the wait. He's called us here.  No matter when and how the outcome.

22? I'm feeling it.

Surprise for Mom (and Me!)

Alternately titled: How I Accidentally Spent Another Spring Break in Chicago

My mom had her birthday two Mondays ago. I planned to surprise my mom by heading her direction last Saturday, taking her to coffee, getting pedicures, and finishing the afternoon with a late lunch. It was sure to be lovely. I was excited.

But then.

On Friday, my coworker had a situation arise and she was unable to take a work trip to Chicago. I was told it would be great if I could go but no pressure. And I mean, who turns down a work trip to Chicago? Who? Not me, I say!!

Except.

Well, you know, I had this big surprise for my mom's birthday. I'll will just admit I am not too great at birthdays. In my head, I am fantastic. But in real life, well, my plans don't always work out.  So I was determined to have this fabulous pampering day for my mom.  So, I said I couldn't go. Ugh. I wanted to go! But no! 

At which point, the department in charge of the trip let me know that the room they had reserved for me had two beds and why don't I just take my mom?

Why don't I just take my mom? What? To Chicago? With 16 hours notice? Really?

Really.

I texted my mom and asked if she wanted to do it and after a few texts back and forth, it was decided: we would drive to Chicago on Saturday, stay Saturday and Sunday, and drive home Monday.

So much for the pedicure--she was about to get a whole weekend!

Mom rolled into town at 9 am and, around 10, we were off! I drove the whole way and it may or may not have been one of those "officially feel like an adult" moments.  I drove and my mom navigated.  We listened to a lot of hits radio on satellite. We did not ever get lost. And at about 6, we arrived at the hotel.  

Lucky for me, one of my nearest and dearest lives in Chicago and was already planning a girls' evening out.  She invited us to tag along and we obliged. After checking in, eating a chocolate chip cookie at the hotel, and applying quick makeup touch up, we were off.

To the big city. WHERE I DROVE.

People, I have never, ever driven in the city before. And somehow I navigated with ease. Well, I should say my mom navigated and I drove with serious purpose.  We arrived on time, no problem. I got to see Miss Melissa's new home. I should have taken pictures but I was a little focused on getting us to dinner. So, please trust me: it is lovely. I can't wait to stay there.

We went to dinner, five ladies, out on the town.  The host tried to tell us he gave away our table but his grin said otherwise. We ate stir fry at a place called Flat Top until I thought I was going to burst.  I did not burst. Do not fear.  Then, we bid goodbye to two of our ladies and somehow I didn't grab a pic.  Sad day! So, we headed, just the three of us, to Rise for drinks.  And we DID manage to get a picture there:

We don't look half bad for being in the car for seven hours, eh?? And yes, I look like my momma. And my dad. I got great genes from both.  But that's another post. 

We hugged Mel, thanked her for a great evening in the city, and headed back to our hotel in the burbs at relatively decent hour. We were both asleep before midnight. I'd call it a win.

Sunday, my mother convinced me to get up and go running. Because she is not only cooler than me, she's also more motivated.  So we ran, had coffee, and before you knew it, it was time for me to work.

Because you know, I was actually there to work.  We had hundreds of students and their families interested in Mizzou. And lots of them wanted to be nurses. So, I was busy. It was delightful. And as the event was ending a few hours later, I looked over at a familiar looking family, only to realize it was my cousins!!

Yes. My mom's cousin Judy and her daughter Amy popped in from Wisconsin for the evening.  It was absolutely fabulous.  Judy is kind of like mom's pseudo-sister, so I feel pretty lucky that God saw to it she was able to attend the impromptu birthday celebration.

I changed clothes and we did what ladies do best: we hit. the. mall.  Oh yes we did.  I may have made some purchases. And I may have been pretty happy about said purchases. I may have even made a purchase for my man. Plus, I needed a swim suit so we could go hot tubbin (a favorite pass time for both my mom and me). And I may have even found a new swimsuit for summer that I love--and I didn't even try it on. We managed to fit a LOT of shopping into about an hour.  

Which, of course, meant it was time to eat. I had never been to Maggiano's Little Italy but let me tell you, I will be going back. The portions are huge. We ate until literally all I could say, over and over again, was "I hurt."  That was in between the laughter and tears, because, let's be real: when four women together, there are almost always laughter and tears. And we got a lovely pic. Our waitress had done this a few times, as evidenced by how nicely she arranged the table for us:

Yeah. We're not related at all. Oh yes. Yes we are.  It was such a neat surprise to have them come play with us for the evening.  We bid them adieu back to Wisconsin and the mama and I did what everyone loves to do when you feel so stuffed it hurts.

We put on swim suits.

Well, really though, there is almost no time I will turn down a hot tub. We relaxed. We laughed some more. I would say we cried some more but I am not my  mother's daughter in that way-- the woman rarely cries. Like ever.  Whereas this girl? If you haven't seen me cry, well, we probably haven't met in person.  It's a daily activity. Happy, sad, annoyed, I bring the tears. So after tubbin it for a while, we headed back to the room. Mom crashed. I put on real clothes and went to hang out with some co-workers.  Here they are:

                        

Aren't they cute? It was Katherine's birthday. Katherine is 4th from the left. And she turned 23 so we're not even going to talk about what a young one she is.  We did a count down and yelled for her. And then the hotel manager may have come and asked us to be quiet.

Or maybe he didn't.

But he probably did.

On to Monday...I woke up right at 8 and the blessing of being able to sleep til 8 on a Monday was a great gift in and of itself. We ran again, because my mom is a workout slave driver. We grabbed coffee, and we headed out for more shopping.

Oh did we shop. Crate and Barrel was just a delight. I got a hand towel that can only be described as made specifically for our family. It is apple green and black and brown and has pictures of coffee beans and french presses.  Eeee!!

We went to the Container Store and left overwhelmed, as always.  We decided we needed to make one more stop because there was one place neither of us had ever been that we'd both been dying to go:

 

That's right. We went to IKEA. If you don't hear the heavenly chorus at hearing the name, you clearly haven't been there.

IKEA can be a little overwhelming but luckily for us, we looked completely overwhelmed and a lovely sales associate came over and gave us a ton of tips. Armed with our new knowledge, we trekked through the store, stopping to ponder at its magnificence.

I tried to figure out how to get this couch into my Camry:

 

It stayed in the store but I may be back with a vengeance. I haven't forgotten about you, couch!!

I also purchased a ton of this material to use for curtains for our French doors so the neighbors will stop complaining. We have received no actual complaints but E is convinced they are staring at us. Eh, who cares?  We should also have some left over material for pillows for the new couch. You heard me.

So, 2 1/2 hours later, we ate lunch at their cafe and lamented our departure.  We arrived home way later than we thought we would but our new love for IKEA was totally worth it.

So the best part? Had I planned for weeks and months, I wouldn't have been able to pull this off. Our schedules are nuts.  It just never would have happened. And God knew that. So he just busted a move and rocked our worlds with a surprise trip to Chicago.

I couldn't have been more surprised. Or more pleased.  Or more thankful.

Happy birthday, Mom!! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

The Birthday Recap

I know you've all been waiting on pins and needles to read exactly what TV shows we watched for my big day.  Because, you know, everyone gets so excited for the big 2-8 celebration.  Well, you will be happy to know we changed our tune a little and we actually went out to dinner.  Seriously.  I know.  But it was a special day and E had a great day at work, too, so we enjoyed Thai food and happy hour beverages at our favorite Thai restaurant.  And then. AND THEN.  We got "The King's Speech" from Redbox. People, it was epic. Except for the fact that my administrative assistant told me the kids say epic means totally horrible. I tried to protest but he promises this is the new slang.  If this is true, it was not epic. It was the opposite of epic.

Speaking of work, I am in the middle of a big time in our office. That big said, my portion of the big time includes putting together multiple page, giant spreadsheets.  So really, the most exciting part of my big work project is deciding on my cutest shoes for the day (which no one else will see) and listening to Zero 7 on Pandora.  And yet, somehow, I am making great progress and truly like what I am doing.

In other news, Gabby went to the vet today. She is 28 pounds at 4 months old.  She is the cutest puppy I have ever owned.  And this is not a dis to Rigo--we adopted him at a year old.  Newest photo of Gabs...

Yes, she is a beaut. And she loves socks. And underpants. As evidenced by the pairs I keep finding her frolicking in the yard with.

And friends, I know this has nothing to do with anything and it's not the highest quality but I have to show you anyway.  How great is this photo!?

Have a great midweek! I'll be watching new TV shows and eating tuna casserole.  It's no King's Speech and Thai food but it will do.

Twenty-Eight

In a mere matter of hours, the clock will strike 12:01 and it will officially be September 19--the day of my birth.  What am I doing for my birthday? Well I firmly believe in the Dave Barry quote, "There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age 11." So yes, Hubs and I plan to have a lovely night at home watching whatever TV sounds good.  And my best friend and I will do dinner Tuesday, just to celebrate another year of our friendship.


The lovely thing about parents (or at least my parents) is that it doesn't matter how old you get, they still celebrate like you're five.  The difference is, when I was five, I asked for Barbies. No, I don't remember but if I were a guessing woman, I would say I asked for Barbies. I do remember my fifth birthday. I had just gotten my pink plastic frame glasses and was wearing them as I held up a full hand, proudly displaying all five fingers, to show I was officially one hand old.  I was so old.  Anyway, I am not five any more.  I am out of fingers. And toes.  And thus, my birthday request from my parents have gotten a little more practical.  I requested a new laundry separating tote. One with lift out baskets, four dividers, and caster wheels.  Kind of like this.

Well, actually, it's exactly like that. From Target.  I couldn't be happier. Or older.  But seriously, I can lift out my laundry, one load at a time. and I can WASH the baskets. It's amazing.

My parents didn't stop there, though. They knew my love of organization. So, when they came up for the football game yesterday, they also brought more organizational hoopla.  I am now the proud owner of plastic stackable recycling bins. They have a new home in my garage and make everything sharper and more sorted.  Seriously, for a girl who loves organization, nothing says "I'm 28!" more than a laundry sorter and recycling sorters.

Because they spoil me so, I also got some Pampered Chef display dishes. And some great earrings.  And a kick-tail tailgate (see what I did there!).  The joy of all of it really was seeing them and celebrating with the family I've loved and had from the very beginning.  I am blessed. Blessed beyond imagine. I am getting closer and closer to my blog title being obsolete.  And yet, I march on, each year better than the one before it.

So tomorrow, I will open my eyes (God-willing) and celebrate one more day in one more year of blessings, knowing that whatever happens, it's because God thinks it's best for me.

Thank you to Mom and Dad for a fabulous beginning, a foundation in Jesus Christ, and for loving and supporting me each and every moment to this day.

Thank you to my dear, dear husband for making me feel special, loved, and grounded each year we spend together.

And thank you to God for letting me have each day.

I'm off to watch the rest of the Emmys.

Happy Birthday to My Little Brother

Happy Birthday to Marky Thomas. He is 21 today. From the day he was born, he was MY baby. And today, he is my grown up friend. I love you, Mark! Have a great birthday and I will see you on Friday!

Maryville is... Maryville

I am currently in Maryville, MO. What is in Maryville, you ask? A nice Italian restaurant, a hotel room in the Comfort Inn that is the largest I have ever seen, a TV that has weird green and blue disruptions in the picture, a high school, about a dozen other college reps, and ME! So, nothing. I am on the road once again. I had a college fair today in St. Joe, did a little shopping, and now I am in the room. There is nothing on TV. I believe I will be going to online TV soon. On a side note, I got some GREAT deals at Old Navy. Eric, I am certain you do not read this. However, you have a new shirt waiting for you. So cute!

So, it was my birthday this week. I had the best birthday. Possibly the best ever. I had my presentation group unexpectedly sing me happy birthday on the actual day. Ashley also made me some great cupcakes. I left at one and went on a winery picnic with Eric. I always forget how beautiful that view is. Then Mom and Dad got to Columbia, and Mom and I had pedicures. I have adorable pink polish on my toes. Eric got me a completely unexpected gift. It is awesome! I got a framed replica of the Missourian cover when Mizzou was ranked #1. Eric said he chose that specific one because, not only was Missouri #1, but it was our first year married and our first year in Columbia. He is so cute! Pete also went in on it, and it will be hanging in our home soon. Eric also got me a diploma frame. My diploma has been hiding in a closet for too long. The frame has a picture of Jesse Hall at night, completely appropriate for me. He was just so thoughtful!
Mom and Dad took us all out to Olive Garden (well, not Pete; he went to hunt) and we just had the best time. They also gave me my gift: a new camera! So I will officially have photo blogs now! Hooray!

Thanks to everyone who wrote me messages, sent me emails, and called. It really was the best birthday!

Here's a picture of me and Eric at dinner at Olive Garden!

Here's my mom and dad showing how cool they are at Olive Garden. Yes, they are simultaneously talking on their matching phones. Cool guys, really cool.

Here's my darling husband with the adorable (and TASTY!) cupcake he baked especially for my bithday!

And finally, Here is a pic from the gorgeous game on Saturday. It was after the win! We are going to call a win a win on this one, pretty or not. No surprise that we were bumped down one this week in the poll--but I have high hopes for two weeks from now. We just love being tiger fans!

Tune in soon, as I have a whole blog worth of pet photos. I know you wish I was kidding, but alas, I am not!

Here's to birthdays and family!