My Top Eight

A couple weeks ago I told you my Top 9 Reasons I love Fall, number two on the list was Fall festivals. Last weekend, the family headed to Apple Butter Makin' Days, which sometimes I say too fast and it comes as Apple Makin' Butter Days. This is one of my most favorite traditions. 

Each year we meet at Chris' Grandma Pearl's house, in Mt. Vernon, and make the short jaunt to the town square to check out what the vendors brought for us to oohhh and ahhh over this year. 

Hurry up guys!! I can already SMELL the fried onions and potatoes!

If you have never been to Apple Butter Makin' Days in Mt. Vernon, here are My Top Eight reasons to convince you it's the BEST Fall Festival ever, and that you must go to next year:

1. They have thought of everything! Mini-carnival? Check. When your kids start whining, you can dump them off with your significant other, then venture to the square alone and uninhibited.

2. Different strokes for different folks. I don't know if it's the crisp Fall air, or the scent of Apple Butter, but people seem to feel free to express their truest self:

 You know you want to know this fabulous lady. I NEED a ride in that car.

 and look at these little hippies....

 

You go, girls! Express yourself with those tie-dye skirts and funky glasses!

3. The proud courthouse that looks on proudly as the square fills up with excited shoppers throughout the day. Even if it's crowded, you're in the Midwest.....people still have manners and say excuse me.

4. Entertainment. This stage has performers singing, and dancing all day, serenading you while you haggle with the booth owners hawking their wares:

This was a particularly delightful blue grass group.

5. Spending time with the ones you love, hinting at possible Christmas presents:

I think Chris' outfit is very Fall appropriate and manly, don't you agree?

6. The WIDE variety of goods to admire or purchase:

This photo doesn't do these justice, but they are mobiles made from branches with with sweet hand sewn colorful birds birds perched on them.

I loved this stuffed owl that asked: "whoooooo tooooted?" 

We could have used this growing up in my house!

Blue is my favorite color, and I bought the PERFECT pair of earrings then found some awesomely creative necklaces:

The incredible car show comes in at 7:

 

I don't remember giving them permission to show my car? 

 Oh well, I can ride home in my other one:

Sure! I'll give you a ride. I'm just heading to the beach!

What's that you ask? What is the very very very best part of Apple Butter Makin' Days?

It's not the fried potatoes, or frozen cheesecake on a stick. It's not the cool stuff, or even spending time with your family.......

The very best part of Apple Butter Makin' Days is....

8. The Wiener dog races:

I've never been more happy in my whole life than I was in this moment....

When Mr. Speckles took home the gold.

See you all there next year!

Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion

Have you ever seen Romy and Michele's High School reunion? It's a totally cheesy/weird movie about two girls, who were unpopular in High School, going back to their 10 year reunion. They lie to make their lives seem better than they are. Hilarity and hi-jinxs ensue and they are caught in their lies, but in the end they do get redemption.

Growing up, this movie gave me unrealistic expectations about my High School Reunion.
They had a huge party, awards were given, the popular mean girls of High School were actually miserable, and they drove off in a limo.

Our High School reunion was scheduled last May over Memorial Day weekend. Everyone ended up fighting over the date, the ticket price, what to eat, where to go and whether or not alcohol should be allowed (how is this a question?). Our poor class President probably lost 5 years of her life trying to plan the stupid thing. Chris and I already had plans for a big Memorial day party at our lake (you can read about it here), and didn't make it. As it turned out, quite a few people couldn't go because of the holiday, so we decided to throw a quick get together this Fall for those who still wanted to get together.

The plan was to grill out at the High School, watch the football game, and possibly go out on the town afterwards. Then the rain came, and rained on our parade (reunion?) plan. I quickly called a local pizza joint that can handle a bigger crowd and made reservations and alerted everyone of the change. The only bummer was a lot of people had kids performing before the game, and had our BBQ plan worked out, they could have come, but alas, the pizza joint was too far away and they couldn't be in two places at once.

We still had a fun crowd show up:

The girls:

I would have got a picture of the boys, but they just aren't as good looking....

and a great many conversations were had:

One thing I have learned from watching movies like Romy and Michele's High School reunion, is there is always some love interest the main character didn't have the guts to say anything to in High School. They are always hoping to magically get together with the object of their affection, or at least see them miserable....

Fortunately, I got to marry the object of my High School affection. I didn't have to come to my class reunion wondering if he'd be there, and if he would be happy to see me, or miserable and fat! I say annoying things to Chris, like: "We aren't like those sad people in High School reunion movies!! We stayed together! Aren't you so lucky!? Let's take a picture to prove that we had a GREAT class reunion with no unanswered questions or unresolved feelings for each other! Yay, for us!" 

Take 1:

Chris and I were ready to have our picture taken again, when my friend's little girl wanted me to hold her. Not minding if she was in the picture, I picked her up only to have her pull my shirt way down. Quickly grabbing my shirt, this picture was taken:

I showed the picture to my High School crush and said: "Hey you married it pal!'

My favorites:

I L-O-V-E these three:

Since I got Betty in 2006, I've never been able to go to the bathroom without an audience.

Every time you are woken up from thunder and lightning, just know I'm awake too....with a freaked out whiny shaking baby named Layla.

aaaand this guy:

I totally would have had a crush on him if he were my teacher. 

Happy Friday!

Ophidiophobia!

Once upon a time, my parents owned a big ugly blue and grey van. The only redeeming quality of this ugly behemoth, was the back seat folded out into a bed so we could sleep on long car rides. One fateful night, when I was 13 years old, we were driving back from Kansas City, when I realized my tooth was hurting.

I'm sorry if accidentally making Christian and Andrew look like clowns has frightened you, I was trying to convey their annoying younger brother-ness.

We made it home, and I was becoming more concerned with the aching tooth.

I made my way to the bathroom to see if I could pinpoint where the pain was coming from....

I carefully looked in my mouth, and leaned closer to the mirror.

It was then, from the corner of my eye, that I saw something small and black, flying at my poor little face. 

For a moment, I thought my dad was throwing a t-shirt to me, and I became very confused.

It took my brain all of 3 seconds to realize.....

A mouse had jumped on my face. 

I immediately ran through the house in hysterics....

screaming at the top of my lungs, for my mom. 

I told my family the tragic tale of a mouse jumping on my face, and was met with sympathy and understanding.....

Just kidding, they laughed hysterically:

The only reasonable explanation we could come up with, was the mouse was already on the sink and used my FACE as a bridge to his tiny mouse hole next to the toilet that nobody had noticed. 

So I'm sure you completely understand when I tell you my biggest, hugest, can't hardly stand them phobia, is:

Snakes.

Are you having a bad day?

Anytime I have a bad day, I just look at this picture of Christian dressed like a 70's rock star and my mood immediately perks up.....

Here we go Lake show!

A few weeks ago we celebrated Chris' birthday with a big, fun, bash at the bowling alley, if you didn't read about it or forgot, click here. So when I asked Christian what he wanted to do he immediately said: "Bowling." We literally did the exact same birthday for Christian as we did for Chris: pizza, beer, bowling. And it was still awesome. There was one difference though......

My family (myself included) are HUGE Los Angeles Laker fans. Being originally from Orange County, California makes that automatic. Being a Laker fan is woven into my genetic code.

Us kids at a game in 2006

Christian and I during the play-offs last year. We were doing our best to help generate a win by wearing our "rally jerseys" to no avail....you just wait until this year though!!

 In the picture below not only can you see my mom and dad doing a weird dance move, but you can see my dad is wearing a Magic Johnson shirt. The date on dad's shirt is 1989 which is a year after Christian was born. I think I can safely say Christian's obsession with the Lakers began in utero. 

I'm not using the term "obsession" lightly here, the guy is a surpremely passionate die-hard fan. He even has exactly what he would say planned out in his head if (when?) he meets Kobe Bryant....although I think he may just fall down and kiss Kobe's feet if he ever does meet him.

We decided to make Christian's copy-cat birthday his own, by giving it a Laker's theme, and wore our Laker gear:

Doesn't Andrew looked thrilled to be taking a picture with me? 

All of Christian's presents were Gold and Laker Blue:

I believe the phrase "best birthday presents ever" was used....

Patrick, Christian's best friend, was unimpressed, but he's a New England Patriots fan, so his opinion doesn't count.

Christian was so excited about his new clothes, that he immediately put on this shirt to wear to the bowling alley:

 

There is one more part of this Laker themed birthday that literally takes the cake... and 

I'm sure you know this, but if not, click here to find out about my love of cake.

Yeah, I totally made this:

I asked Christian: "Soooo....was this the best birthday ever or what!?

"Duh."