we gonna party like it's your birthday

Today is

Mr. Fiance's

26th

Birthday!

Sadly this is the first ever and better be the LAST birthday

I don't get to celebrate with him.

It is not ideal, but he is doing big things for us

in MN so I guess he will get away with it this time.

I know 26 will be amazing because...
{but not limited to}

you get to marry me ;)

you will start your new job and kick booty and take some names

you can finally tailgate and not have to WORK
you will be in KS every.single.weekend once again {thank goodness}

you are healthy

and pretty dang good looking I must add

&

because we get one more year to do what we do best....
love & have a blasty doing it.

I love you to the moon & back.
and someone better take you out to dinner and

give you the biggest baddest bowl of ice cream to
fill in for me!


Happy Birthday !!!
Babaaay

Truthful Tuesday {Momma J's Bday Style}

Truth is....
It's Momma J's Birthday TODAY.


Happy Birthday

to the best momma {grandma & wife} in the world !!!!

I wish I were there with you to celebrate with you on

the big day, but I will be there in 5 days to have some

late birthday fun.

Since I cannot be there you have to do these things:

-Make Dad & Patrick make you an Angel Food Cake

-Let them sing happy birthday to you

-Treat yourself to something nice
-Enjoy your small vacation with Dad {even tho I don't get to come}

-And smile because you have given so much love & joy

to everyone around you, especially to me.

Give this Momma some love!

She deserves it :)

ps. she is 50. dont tell.

Love you Mom
& Happy Birthday!

A Wedding and Sun-Filled Weekend

It's funny how in Kansas the weather goes from -20 to 90 smoking hot degrees in like two seconds.

I would recommend to carry a rain coat, umbrella, parka, and swim trunks at all times because

you never know what the weather is going to be.

Seriously, Kansas weather is bipolar.

It's okay though, I love it dearly.

Kansas..not the craZy weather.

However, I got to enjoy a wedding and sunshine this weekend that ended up being

perfect Kansas weather.

It was a smokin' hot 90 degrees but with a nice cool breeze.

The wedding was outdoors, which I LOVED.

Makes me really want an outdoor wedding.

But, October is a bit risky in these parts.

It would either be beautiful or snowing.

Don't wanna chance that one.

The wedding was perfect and simple...just like the bride and groom.

It was funny going to my first wedding after

being engaged and taking note on every.single.little.detail they had.

Definitely has changed my views on weddings!

Anyway,

it was a wonderful weekend at home filled with lots of

family, food, and sunshine...straight summer style.

And I finally got some color on (one half of) my legs!

Have I mentiond I love home?

Ya, well I do.

Nothing like it.

I would also like to say a big

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY

to my beautiful baby niece.

One year ago today my brother became a dad,

my sister-in-law became a mother, I became an aunt, my brother an uncle,

 my mom a grandma, and my dad a grandpa.

I will never forget the magic the day she was born.

And the anxiety of waiting at the hospital, sleeping on the hard as a rock couches,

waiting for her pretty little self to be born.

"It's a giiiirl, Katherine Marie" my brother said as tears of joy filled his eyes.

Truly magical.

Thank you baby (now toddler) Kate...for coming into this world.

You are such an incredible blessing.

Hope you all had a good weekend!!

P.S. Just for fun I wanna say congrats

to my handsome fiance  for leading his baseball boys to a championship victory.

Whoop Whoop.



Big 2-2

I'll keep this short and sweet because

I'm still enjoying my short vacation in MN.

But.

22 years ago TODAY.

I came into this lovely world.

I am not fond of 22, because it isn't half as cool

or exciting as 21...but I'll take it.

Another year healthy and alive is always a wonderful and blessed one.

Some things that happened in the past year:

Well,

I became LEGAL. 

I finally got to drink at a restaurant like I had always wanted.

It really wasn't as cool and exciting as I thought it would be.

Very convenient though I must say.

I became an AUNT.

To a beautiful and sweet baby girl named Kate.

I love her to pieces.

I got ENGAGED.

Whoa.

I kind of can't believe that was this year.

Time flies.

Way too dang fast.

So blessed to have that boy in my life though.

I GOT A BLOG.

And met you wonderful people.

And finally have a way to keep my thoughts straight.

As well as to hold memories we all know my brain would forget otherwise.

Now I can't even imagine life without this bloggeroo.

I must have been on Facebook.

Way too much.

Thanks for going though the journeys and life experiences with me.

:)

I graduated COLLEGE.

Which you've heard about.

A lot.

So I'll shut up on that one.

And now I'm in Minnesota with the three people I love the very most.

Perfect birthday.

Love this life.

Feeling so stinking blessed.

It's been one hell of a year and I cannot to see what the next one holds.

Welcome 22.

Let's take down another year together.

(And live like we are still 21.)

I wish you would stop growing

Dear Little Brother,

HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY!

I cannot even believe you are old enough to buy lotto tickets,cigs (but you better NOT), and go to some casinos.

That is not even cool, you are making me feel OLD.

I just remember yesterday I was telling you to get me drinks, playing in the sandbox, jumping on the neighbors tramp for hours, and finding strey cats with eaten tails (that was actually pretty traumatic I must say).

You have grown into such a handsome and wonderful young man

 (I'll call you a man because your 18, your welcome.)

You have the biggest heart I've ever seen.

You got out of your way to help others and make them smile.

I've always loved that about you.

We argue a lot, but mostly because we are both stubborn and always

think we are right.

Well, you know I am always right so if you could just

 get that through your little head then we would get along just fine. ;)

You scare me. A lot.

Everytime you go out with friends, parties, or even for a drive out of town.

I want to protect you from this crazy world and the harm it can cause.

I know you are too  much like me for that to happen though.

You have the most beautiful voice in the world.

I want it, and I am pissed that you got a good voice and I got totally jipped.

You are such a great friend to everyone around you.

I am so thankful you are mine.

Sometimes you don't give yourself enough credit, but you should.

You are blessed with so many awesome gifts and talents.

Lastly, stop growing.

Would you like me to sit on  your head?

Because I will. I'm not scared.

I don't like that you are growing up.

You need to stay little forever.

But brother...I really want you to know,

I love ya and wish you the best in everything you do.

Even when you get frustated with me :)

 And YES you get your own blog post because you are that cool and I love you lots.
Even though you are making me feel old, which I do not enjoy. :)

XOXO

The Best Surprise EVER

Alright so as you know I seem to forget things easily.

Very easily.

After about 30 days... kapeesh. GONE.

My brain can only store so much knowledge you know.

And it is growing daily, about to burst.

Anyway,

I want to spend today to talk about a day in my life that was one of the best surprises..EVER.

{One of them}

This one was probably takes the cakerooni.

I wanted to share it with you today so I clearly do not forget it.

We don't want that. And my brain is only going to age, so why wait.

It happened about two years ago and the details are slipping away.

Waaaaah.

So, I am going to get it in here pronto before my brain knocks it out of wherever it is.

You can listen, or you don't have to.

It's whatever.

I'm going to tell it anyways :).

SO let's begin.

You see at one point in time I was 19 years old.

Stayed up until 3 most nights, naive, probably trying to be a rebble, and a lot of other things you do at 19.

Well as usual, I had my birthday on May 30.

Sorry I have to give you the details.

Remember, I forget them.
{I hope I can remember my birthday though. Fingers crossed}

ALRIGHTY.

For my 19th birthday I didn't really know what I wanted to do.

20 sucks.

Really, there is nothing cool about it.

It's just a TEASE before 21.

Jeff talked about going to the Royals baseball game and just enjoying life in the sun, eating seeds, probably some hot dogs, and of course nice cold BL.
I thought this sounded like a heck of a plan.
Where better than all of those things in the sweet summertime?

I talked to my parents and they had plans for the weekend so I was just going to stay in Lawrence and spend my birthday with my main squeeze.
I was a little upset I wouldn't get to see them all on my birthday,  but you can't help when you are busy!
Except I really couldn't picture a birthday without them.
That would be really weird now that I think about it.
Actually I might be mad. But I suppose that is not fair.
It was what it was.
This was actually  Jeff and I's first "birthday" together.

No idea what he was capable of.
Well, kinda because Valentines Day was pretty legit.

So I get to his house and he is ready to go,
cooler packed,
 shades on,
looking fine and we load up the car to go.

We get done packing up the car and he asks me to go get his GPS in his room.

Err? GPS.

Why do ya need that?

I said ok and headed back inside because I guess his poor legs were broke and couldn't go get it himself.

So I go back inside to get the GPS and open his bedroom door to find well....not exactly a GPS.

My jar dropped, my hands instantly flew to my face, and tears welled in my eyes.

All I remember is "SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!"

There they were....

all the people I love the very most.

All standing in front of me in Jeff's little bedroom screaming surprise.
For me.
Which scared the living poo out of me, btw.
Shock face was in full force.

"You really thought we wouldn't come see you on your birthday?"

Jeff had arranged for them all to come to go to the Royals game with us.

As a family.

Because he knows they make me the happinest in the world.

He knew there would be nothing more I wanted for my birthday.

{Expect for that beast of a Guess watch he also gave me that day}
He knew that I wanted to spend time with ALL of them on my birthday.

He knew me, so....well.

My parents had brought a cooler of beer, food to grill, and even a birthday cake.

 OH and how could I forget the birthday card of a disney princess that was singing to me. 

It was really somethin' special.

Jeff & I even got on the kiss cam at the game.

Funny though...Jeff got BOO'd.

I was like uhhh why are they booing us about to kiss? That's rude.

Royals fans really aren't fond of Yankee hats.

And I do not blame them one bit.

This story is greatly shortened for your convienance and loss of details but I can honestly say....

it was one of the best birthdays of my entire life.

I will never forget it.

Yes, maybe the little details.

But I will never forget the way it felt.
For someone I had only known for six months, to know me well enough to invite and organize for my WHOLE family to come up for my birthday.
Because he knew that family is #1 in my life.

I think that was the day I just knew.

Something just hit me out of nowhere.

That that boy was going to be by my side the rest of my life.

And I thank God every day for putting him in it. Through the good days and the bad.

Family. Over. Everything.

Now I'm crying.

KEWL. Koo-ul.Cool.
I think I'm just emotional these days.

HAPPY MONDAY.

xoxo

{Oh, and if any of you guys (Mom, Dad, Patrick, Jacob, Ashley, or Jeff remember more details about the day that I forgot or left out. Let me knowso I can change it. But thank you for spending that very special day with me:)) One for the books! Fo sho.}



For some reason I look high. Sorry. And Jacob's hat looked really weird on my head. What can ya do.