Say Cheese!

One of the great things about going to High School with Chris is being able to share memories, "Hey, I remember when that happened" or actually get to the bottom of a story, "Explain to me in detail why you guys decided to drive by the police station for hours then prank call them saying a mysterious vehicle was circling the police station?"
Chris' doesn't really ask me anything about High School, other than to say: "What the hell did you see in that guy?"

We found our old year books in his parent's garage, which is always fun. Fortunately, I am not one to be humiliated, but I did notice some interesting things: 

Hello friends, what strange memory are you going to bring up that I buried long ago? Oh,  just that we're still rockin' it and  totally living like bosses? Duh.

Freshman Year:

Clearly this was before Chi irons were invented...and invisalign. That is mouth FULL of metal.

Awwww! Honey, your weird haircut, odd head position and non-smile makes you look like a sweet lost little muffin! I wuv you! That's ok, you'll always have next year's photo to really show off your baby blue eyes, cute smile, great lips and...

WHAT?! 

You let them give you ANOTHER mohawk hair-cut?! I guess that's ok, maybe you didn't remember it was picture day. And you know I'm nothing but a picture-perfect fashionista:

Classy!

Ok it's now Junior year, let's kick it up a notch:

Not too bad...what are you working with Chris? 

I know you probably took this year's picture very seriously, smiled your best,  and you most definitely....

*Sigh.

I'm beginning to see a pattern here. Maybe all boys don't take their yearbook photo seriously? Let's not forget my smooshy faced brother, Andrew, senior yearbook picture.

Speaking of senior photos, let's see if we can get it right:

Have I told you I was voted "most photogenic" my senior year? That means "most pretty"...not really, but that's what I tell myself anyways when I feel fat.

OK CHRIS. This is your last chance to make your momma proud....

There he is!  What a GREAT picture, honey!

 Although I gotta say, now that I'm thinking about it, those first three weren't so bad. Yearbook photos are silly anyways...both of us should have really smiled like this:

Now THIS is a framer...

I'll never be too old for this:

 Remember how I told you about the busy chaotic times Spring brings because of baseball? Remember how I told you that I am a converted baseball fan now? I'm definitely ready for the sound of the crack of the bat now. Let me tell you about my weekend. Better yet, let me show you....

Date: Friday, February 10th 2012
Location: The Motherland, Missouri.
Activity: Dinner
We eat dinner with my parents most Friday nights; and usually, we stare at each other for 40 minutes saying: "I dunno where do YOU want to eat?" but Friday we had a plan: SUSHI. So there I was minding my own business watching my dad tell a crazy story......

I've totally forgotten what this story was about...He might even be saying: "So I lifted it up....

....pushed down, watched it swirl around...

....called my mom...

.....and that's the first time I used the toilet!" 

My mom obviously enjoyed whatever this story was.

So, my dear reader, I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when I was playing the BEST game ever, Apples to Apples, and Chris said: "I think I want to go."

This happened right as my mom was saying: "Stop taking pictures and pick a card already!!!"

Chris was talking about a banquet honoring past and present baseball players for a team called "Midwest Nationals." He was on the very first team and he waaaasss pretty awesome! We THOUGHT it was just a simple dinner, nope. There were about 600 people there and Chris was even asked to sign autographs.

Date: February 11th, 2012
Location: Springfield, MO
Activity: Autograph signing/banquet.

This little boy walked up with his ball and said: "Can I please have your autograph?" and Chris said: "Really? You don't want my autograph" at that point I put down the camera and yelled: "HE DOES TO WANT YOUR AUTOGRAPH!"

Here is Chris, getting in the autograph flow with our friend, Matt:

It was at this point Chris and Matt, the seasoned autograph giving pros, realized the newbies at the start of the line were signing the ball incorrectly. After Matt explained to the novices how to properly sign a baseball, things went smoothly.

And they even served us dinner:

But all Matt really cared about was cake (you know I wouldn't give him mine!), he was resourceful and used his name plate to get the server's attention:

Don't worry, he was successful! He might even like cake as much as me...Nah..

You may think that the cake signaled the end of the night. You thought wrong.

Date: Later that night

Location: Hammons Field (more specifically the indoor batting cages)
Activity: "Meet the Bears" fundraiser and Silent Auction.

This was a lot of fun. It's cool because the indoor batting cage facility is HUGE and has artificial turf, so I totally felt like we were at a picnic!

Looks real, right?! It's not. But those feet are and they belong to some of our favorite people:

Oh look! Here's one now!

Hi Brayden! You are also our neighbor back in The Motherland; and I love your wife!

Going to the "Meet the Bears" fundraiser was really cool because we saw a lot of our old friends and made a ton of new friends:

Tyler played for Chris last year, and might be the best pitcher...EVER. Hi Tyler! And the guy on the right is one of Chris' college coaches: hi Lump! Your hair is feathered and lethal, good sir!

 This is Pat. He was a freshman when Chris was a senior, he's all grown up now.

Hi Pat! Good luck this season!

I took this picture because I thought it was cute, all the boys sitting together looking so young, we didn't look that young when we were that age; did we!?

 HEY! Wait just a second! I see something in this picture... Is that? Could it be? It is! Someone is wearing Chris' old number:

If you know me, you know it wasn't out of character for me to say: "Hey you! That is my husband's number! Let me take a picture of you wearing it!" You would know it wouldn't be out of character for me follow that by saying: "You've got some big shoes to fill wearing that number....don't mess it up!" 

Looks like fun, huh!?

You would THINK our night would be over after all this excitement, you would be wrong- again.

Date: Later Later that night....

Location: Local restaurant
Activity: catching up

This was a fun part of the night because we all got to hang out, swap stories and throw a few cold ones back:

This is the head athletic trainer at Missouri State, and one of Chris' favorites. He actually helped Chris come up with the idea of how to propose! Hi Jim!

You can't write a blog about Missouri State baseball without mentioning Curt:

Sorry for the blurry photo, you know about my iphone photo skills....

And here's one of my favorite people of all time, Stefanie:

Hi Stef! You sure are pretty!

You would think that after all that reminiscing our night would be over- you would finally be right!


Even though we were tired from our exciting weekend. We still had one more celebration on Sunday: our niece's 7th birthday party!

Date: February 12, 2012
Location: Party Central, Motherland USA
Activity: Birthday extravaganza....

"I said: Oh no...I don't need any cake, I already had some yesterday, it is beautiful though!" 

That's a lie, I really said: "uhh the piece with the most frosting please!"

My birthday is in May, I'm thinking a Barbie theme is where it's at:

If Barbie is so popular, why do we have to buy all her friends!?

Even though we had a whirl-wind weekend, I can say this: 

I still know how to party!

WHAT?! There is no way--Hey look at that!

We were at a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game when I was about 8, Christian was 5 and Andrew wasn't even thought of yet. My dad was holding my brother on his lap, trying to explain the game to him. Here is how the conversation went:

Dad: Ok, bub. See the guy with the bat? He's going to hit the ball. When he hits it, he is going to run as fast as he can to that white thing called the base. Then the guy already on the base is going to run to the next base. They score when they touch all the bases and end up where they started, at home plate. Do you kind of under-
Christian (interrupting): Look dad! A baby!

Obviously he had more important things on his mind, like perfecting his Elvis impersonation.

Circa. 1992

I tell you this story because I got some interesting news news today, and I'm hoping this will help illustrate how my family is a little random and bored easily,  not ADHD.

I took three on-line quizzes, and answered them as truthfully as possible with the results being the same each time. Each time I took a quiz,  this picture showed up at the end: 

I should mention that I stopped and started each quiz like 5 times because I just didn't like the tone of them. I guess I really shouldn't be that surprised because my brain does operate at a rate of 1,000,000 miles a minute, and I'm guilty of interrupting others (even myself) during conversations a lot.

My whole entire life, my mom would constantly say: "Why can't you just go from A to B? A to B? A to B? If you start something FINISH it, it's not that hard!"

Yeah, well you know what mom? You can take your A to B and- OH! I forgot to get the mail today!

I mean really, does this look like someone with ADD/ADHD?
You know what, don't answer that.

Shhhhh.....

I am going to my friend's surprise birthday party tonight! I LOVE surprise parties-well, I love surprise anything, really;  I would say "if you have chance to throw a surprise party for someone DO IT!" but I recently found out someone in my family would "rather die than have a surprise party." So that throws 80% of my ideas out the window!

In honor of surprise parties, here are some pictures of my surprise 22nd birthday thrown for me by Chris and my best friends (P.S. Please ignore my terrible haircut/outfit. Being as this was a surprise I was NOT warned to wash my hair and/or look my very best! I blame Chris):

SURPRISE!

Backyard Surprise parties are the best! 

Yep, that is my smooshy face back when he really was a little smooshy faced boy!

Every party needs a pinata, especially one representing Pirates of the Caribbean!

CANDY! 

Chris, giving me a birthday toast:

I just realized that for all these years I thought it was a 22nd birthday party that was thrown....it was not, it was a 23rd birthday party....What else have I been getting wrong all these years?!

He must really like cake.

Our huge smiles say: YAY for surprise parties! 

Since my surprise party was such a success, maybe I should throw one for that reluctant family member? Is it possible to throw one for myself? Well, either way.....

HAPPY SATURDAY!

In honor of Puxatawny Phil.....

One of my favorite movies of all time is "Groundhog Day," I love it. Maybe because it has elements of Time Travel? You know how I feel about the awesomeness that is Time Travel....

I watch this movie EVERY time it comes on T.V.  Anyways, we went to dinner with our good friend Jordan tonight (post coming later) and came home to this cinematic perfection on T.V. If you haven't seen it, stop reading this and go rent it RIGHT NOW!

 In case you have no idea what I'm talking about: Rude weatherman, Phil Connors, is stuck in his own personal hell re-living the same day (groundhog's day) over and over and over. Thus, getting into all kinds of shenanigans, finding true-love and learning about himself. 

 We were watching this and reveling in ALL the things he gets to do while re-living the same day over and over. Pretty soon curiosity got the best of Jordan, and this conversation happened: 

Jordan: "How long was he actually living the same day over and over?!"
Chris (thoughtful): "Man I don't know. It had to be a few years....
Me: "Yeah he DID master the piano."
Chris: "....AND saved that kid from falling out the tree everyday, OH! and save that guy from choking...."
Me: "And he mastered French! And knew everything about all the people in the town..."
Chris: "AND he learned how to carve ice with a chainsaw....and remember he became an expert  throwing cards in a hat!..."
Jordan (REALLY wanting to know how long he was there): SO he was there a LONG time then!!
Me (after looking it up quickly and shocked): 10 YEARS! He was there 10 YEARS!!
Chris (not suprised): "Yeah I figured something like that."
Jordan (angry and NOT liking this movie anymore): WHAT!? 10 YEARS? THAT IS TERRIBLE!  THIS MOVIE SUCKS!!
Chris(angry as well): "Yeah! Poor guy! He was probably miserable, I feel bad for him now!"

 So that being said,.....

...... HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY FROM THESE TWO:

Decorating 101

In the fall of 2010 I felt inspired and created my very own "picture wall" in our living room. Here is a picture of the famous wall: 

 -sorry for the blurriness my skills are a bit lacking in the professional iphone photography department, but you get the idea.

I really LOVE decorating/re-decorating my house. It must be some kind of  'control issue' thing, because anytime I'm having a bad week or am sad, I come home and immediately start re-arranging.

-This trend started when I was in jr. high, my parents would try to come in my room only to find the door blocked by my half-moved bed and me trapped in the corner by my huge half-moved dresser saying: "I don't know how this happened!?"

I recently decided to our walls were tired of being "davenport brown", and they definitely wanted to be "atmospheric blue"-so I took all the pictures down, and painted the walls a beautiful shade of blue that made me sing.

And boy, let me tell ya, Chris just jumped at the chance to help me re-hang all the pictures:

Hey you! You're not sleeping! Can you please help me? Please? Please?*bats eyelashes*

There really isn't that many....honest! Why won't you help me!?

That is a lie by the way, these poor pictures were laying on the floor, moved to the table, moved to the counter, and moved back to the floor for MONTHS, waiting for me to put them in their proper place: gloriously displayed on the wall.

Chris, finally fed-up, said: "I'm sick of these pictures being everywhere, do you want me to help you hang them?" I could tell you that was my plan all along, but I don't want to lie to you twice in one post.

So Chris got to work hanging pictures, and I got to work telling him the exact location (longitude and latitude) of where they belong, he was a very good sport:

"You really think this needs to be moved up a centimeter more? OK crazy lady!"

After a few tears, one fight, many 'have you lost your mind?' looks, and hundreds of holes in the wall later, we finished.

Are you ready for the GRAND unveiling!? 

TA-DA!!

You know, now that I'm looking at this, I think the walls are telling me they really want to be "heather blonde"......

We can work it out....

If you remember, I told you in this post  about my love of basketball (and my whistle). I bring this up to tell you: I'm no a stranger to the gym/working out. However, the past few years, I slowly started to become a stranger to the treadmill....the weights..... running on the roads...... crunches.....tai bo...yoga...(you get the picture) and it was starting to show. SO I decided enough was enough and have started working out consistently with my dad.

Hey little lady!

Today, my mom told me she read somewhere that if you buy cute workout gear you're more likely to workout consistently because you look and feel good, and want to continue to fit in your fancy clothes. I thought about this, and realized she may be onto to something. Most workout pictures I see, show girls wearing clothes like these:

Her Patriotic 'Red, White and Blue' outfit totally gave her those arms...

Her pose says: I like nature, and sassy yoga outfits.

and finally,

If you wear that top and those shorts, you instantly get those abs....

I looked down at my outfit (that I'm still wearing) and realized I was NOT following the "wear the clothes that make you feel good so you workout hard" rule. Even my dad knew this:

Excellent color-coordinating, dad!

Then I caught my reflection in a mirror, and realized nothing I was wearing even MATCHED:

Please note my gunmetal gray shoes with hot pink laces, my maroon-pink sweats from Disneyland, my gray and red baseball shirt, and my red hoodie.....

.....Ummm, guys? I'll be right back, I've got some shopping to do....
Wait a second!
Who am I kidding? 

You know I don't care! That's good because I really hate going to the mall....
See you at the gym, I'll be the one wearing whatever I picked up off my floor.