Wednesday Oui: From Wolfie

I think I've made it abundantly clear that, shamefully, McDonald's Happy Meals (which contain absolutely NO nutritional value with the exception of the apple slices they have added to the box in recent years) is one of my MAJOR pregnancy cravings. I won't lie, I'm really embarrassed to admit it; I feel guilty acknowledging that I'm devouring non-food to support Alien's growth. I've even lowered myself to always carrying $4.14 on my person at all times (the cost of the Happy Meal + tax)

A few weeks ago I received an envelope in the mail from my brother, Wally (A.K.A "Wolfie), I opened it to find this:

Do I have the sweetest big brother, or what? Oui!

Made with Love

I just wanted to take a moment to "publicly" thank the very best mother-in-law in the whole entire world for feeding us almost every day since Monday. Aaron and I have been pretty sick over the past week and even though Linda works full time, she still makes it a point to nurture us back to health. It seems every time one of us even sneezes, she makes up a batch of her amazing "feel better soup." We are so lucky to have the very best people in our life.

Thanks Mom Molloy. You are the best! (and please don't kill me for posting a picture of you!)

Happy Birthday to Alex!

One year ago today, one of my very best friends, Stephani, had a baby girl. It felt so strange to see her pregnant and now hear about her journey parenting a little girl; I always sort of saw her as my little baby.

Happy Birthday to my sweet "niece" (and my youngest blog reader) Alex!

Wednesday, Oui? Shine on, Friends

I am so fortunate; lucky beyond measure. I have a great core group of friends who I consider to be my "family of creation," I have an amazing family of origin, I have a beautiful home, I have everything I need and most things I want, I have a husband who supports and loves me unconditionally, I have a career which allows me to be creative, challenged and accountable. I can do anything I set my mind to.

I have been incredibly busy lately. When I get busy I sometimes put on blinders, or worse, a searchlight. I can't explain what I mean by that but, those who truly know me, know what that means and what it looks like. Sometimes I can't slow down and I end up crashing in one metaphorical way or another.

One of my very best friends recently taught me a valuable lesson, just when I needed it. If I have any one person in my life who challenges me, in every way possible, it's this friend. I both hate her and love her for it. In my honest opinion, I am a better person because of this friend and I would be absolutely lost without her. I am certain of it.

When my hackles rise, most back off. She never does and sometimes it makes me want to crouch down into a ball because her brightness seeks me out and finds me in the darkest hiding places. She doesn't retreat, she engages me even further. Even when I must be completely unapproachable, she wrestles my quills; when I slam my metaphorical door shut with such force that it shakes the walls, she quietly knocks.

Recently, at a moment when I was seeing red, not only did she calm me but, later, left a slip of paper with me. At first, I'm not going to lie, I shoved it in my bag, refusing to budge. Later, I read it and my knees buckled a little bit.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” - Marianne Williamson (A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles)

I can't say I am going to be a beacon of light every day for the rest of my life but, I am going to screw my light bulb all the way in. I'm not going to turn on the dimmer, in fact, I'm installing a switch. I am powerful beyond measure-- not anymore powerful than the next guy but, powerful in a way I grew into, a way I earned, a way I know I am capable of.

At times when I am completely exhausted and resigned to curl up in ball, I need a friend like this one to kick my ass, challenge my thought process and remind me of exactly who I am and how hard I worked to get here. To this friend, you know who you are, thank you for not letting me make my escape and lick my wounds... you're my equivalent to an alternator because you charge my battery. I can't believe you put up with me.

Wednesday, Oui? Hakuna Matata

Sometime last year The Lion King came to Boston for a limited time tour. I REALLY wanted to see it, as I have wanted to see that particular show for a few years now. For one reason or another we missed the opportunity and I was pretty disappointed. So, being the brat I am, I decided we were going to see it in New York City! (As an aside, Mary Poppins is coming to Boston in February- I barely even had to ask Aaron if I could buy tickets- I think he realized how expensive it is to go to NYC as opposed to just sucking up $150 tickets in Boston, hehehe.)

New York City at Christmastime has to be one of the prettiest, most festive places to be in the month of December. From the ice skating and tree at Rockefeller Center, to all the stores decked out for the holidays, any Grinch's heart is guaranteed to grow a few sizes. It really was a great time.

We went with two of our very best friends, Nickie and Jay. We drove, which went better than expected-- probably because I didn't drive, and we were there before we knew it... (the way home was another story!) We arrived pretty late on Friday night; mostly because we had to stop in Boston to drop Bing and Manny off at their Uncle Matt and Uncle Nelson's house (they were babysitting for the weekend.) We were pretty tired from the drive so we managed to find a grocery store to get some snacks but, had to rely on the hotel "gift shop" for beer, which was almost as expensive as the drive up, LOL.

We stayed just outside of the city in NJ because Nickie and I were paranoid about bed bugs. Although I try to avoid hotel chains at all costs (I LOVE B&B's) I usually only stay at Hampton Inn if I have to do a large chain. After a HUGE breakfast we took a bus to the city and began our day of shopping, exploring and navigating through thick crowds.

We tried to eat here because they had coconut shrimp but, the line was over 3 hours!

With how busy I've been lately, this sign totally sums me up!

The TREE! It was much more amazing in person.

We had a DELICIOUS lunch at an Irish (of course) pub.

Central Park, Baby!

I must admit, I am a homebody. As beautiful as Times Square was, it was really overwhelming. Between the people and the lights (it was SO bright) I was a bit over-stimulated and was really looking forward to getting to the Minskoff Theatre to get off my feet and see The Lion King.

But, not without first snagging one perfect picture.

The show was amazing. I'm really glad I held out for NYC. Not only did I see a show I've been dreaming of in one of the most famous theater districts in the world, we went with two of our very best friends. I am completely guilty of bursting into tears the minute the curtain opened!

After a long day of walking the city, we took the bus back to our hotel; arriving close to midnight. We looked over our purchases and then hit the hay- we had a long day of driving ahead of us and we were planning to stop at Ikea in Connecticut........

.....which Nickie and I were excited about. I question how genuine Jay's smile was. If I had to guess, I'd say Ikea wasn't nearly as exciting for Jay and Aaron as it was for Nic and I.

Wednesday, Oui: The Tale of McPepe

My Pepe is, arguably, my favorite person ever. In all seriousness I love him much too much; so much it actually physically hurts sometimes.

When I was a wee-one and even into my late adolescence, I was incensed that there weren't greeting cards for a "Pepe" on the shelves of Hallmark. There existed cards for every "Grampy, Grand-dad, Grandfather, Papa and Pop-pop" out there but, alas, nothing for a "Pepe." It wasn't until later into my 20's I began to appreciate the scarcity of "Pepe." I like to pretend the word belongs to me, to him, and to our family.

I won't go into a whole back story of how much this man means to me, how I partially credit him for the woman I became, how he taught me the importance of hard work, perseverance, and family, or just how much he means to me; I think y'all get the picture.

As I said before, family is very important to me. When I began dating Aaron, before I met his family, I grilled him nonstop about them. What were they like? [Fun, talkative, friendly, and loud.] Would they like me? [Probably (that's comforting).] Would they get my sense of humor? [Probably.] Would they be okay with me not being much of a talker but more of a listener? [That might be hard for them to get used to.] Were they welcoming? [Yes, if they like you.] And on and on and on.

I'm going to write the following in the past tense because that's how their personalities were relayed to me. Aaron described his family as very different from each other, which I found to be accurate.

He said his Mom was "warm, welcoming, generous, beautiful" (which I thought was so sweet) "and funny. But, she won't warm up to you right away." Again, accurate.

His brother, Matt, he assessed as being "a bit stand-off-ish until he gets to know you and then you will absolutely love Matt." (The first time I met Matt his first question for me, and this is no joke, was "Do you have any psychological conditions or take a prescribed medication for one?" Yikes... um, no and no.) I actually loved Matt immediately because I found his protectiveness of his brother endearing, although I pretended to be off put by the question, I was secretly amused with it.

"My Dad is a really hard worker. He works really hard, all the time. He can be kind of quiet. He isn't really warm and fuzzy but he loves his family. He seems distracted a lot. You'll probably have the hardest time bonding with my Dad."

J: "Why? Do you think he won't like me?"

A: "No, he'll like you just fine, I think, but he's not one to show a ton of emotion. But trust me, if anyone in my family doesn't like you, you'll know."

I could go over every detail of why I feel blessed to be a member of this family and the place each person in the Molloy clan holds in my heart but, that would defeat the purpose of this post. I need to discuss the tale of McPepe.

The first time I met Jim, Aaron's Dad, he was nothing like what I expected. He was friendly, warm, and spent the better part of one of our first visits going through a photo-album of a family trip to Italy. I remember him explaining each photo in great detail, "Here, the boys did this", and "Linny and I were ____" and, "You should see the picture Aaron once took. There was a bird that flew in at just the right moment..." Really, I wasn't at all bored and one thing that struck me was his ability to recall the details of each picture. Maybe it was the therapist in me but I began to notice, at every visit, his ability to recall specific details about "a teacher that Aaron hated in elementary school" and "the time his ear almost fell off" and "how Matt lived in France and didn't know about international phone calls and boy was that phone bill a surprise."  What really struck me about these details were the fact that it wasn't simply rote memory. Yes, he did have a knack for remembering things but most of the things he remembered were tender things; memories from a cherished life that he paid attention to. I didn't find him to be at all distracted, I found him to be quite attentive, actually. My experience of him, thus far (and I study people for a living) is that he actually pays a lot of attention to things that are important to him.

About a year ago, a few months before we bought the house, I really just let myself be open with his family. Not in a "pour your heart out and tell the deepest of secrets" type of way (however, if Mom or Matt feeds me a margarita or three they can pretty much bypass the iron clad gate breaching my inner most being.) But when I say "let myself be open," I mean open to letting my guard down. They learned about (some of) my life and a lot about my Pepe.

I remember when we were buying the house Jim and Linda were beyond helpful. There were several times I remember thinking, "this (house purchase/wedding planning) is going by so fast. I feel like I'm not stopping to enjoy it or remember it." Then the other part of me knew Jim would remember every detail and tell us all about it later; ex: "Remember when you thought everything was all ready to go and then they called you and needed that one last paper?" or "Remember how you decided last minute that you wanted cranberry for the wedding colors instead of brown and we had to find cat-a-nine tails for your flowers."

One day, after the raucous of the first 6 months of 2009 blew over (both Aaron & I and Matt & Nelson bought houses within months of each other and us four "kids" were basket cases) I remember having a conversation with Aaron about what we would call his dad.

J: "Do you think he would be called Pepe?"
A: "No."
J: (crushed because the name Pepe, for me, comes with a ton of responsibility and I would never offer that name to just anybody) "Why?"
A: "My Dad has always said he will never be called Pepe. He's Irish. Molloy, in case you didn't know, is an Irish name."
J: (Deep breath- still crushed but putting on sarcasm to mask any possibility that emotion will squeak out) "Oh really? Molloy is Irish? I had no idea."

A month or two after this conversation (and a margarita or three) I asked Jim, out loud at a family function,
J: "So, (hesitant and scared) when Aaron and I have kids... (gulp) will you let them call you 'Pepe'?"
Jim: "If you can promise me you'll have a daughter, she can call me "asshole" for all I care."

I didn't push the conversation much further because I figured he was either fine with it or he was trying not to break my little heart. When we got out to the car that night to head home this conversation ensued.

J: "That was fun. Dinner was good, huh?"
A: "My Dad loves you."
J: "Huh? What...how... why do you say that?"
A: "Because he's going to let you call him Pepe. My whole life he always said he would never be called Pepe."
J: "Well, I don't recall him saying yes to it. Actually, I think he wants to be called Asshole."
A: "No really, I think he's going to let you call him it! I can't believe it! He loves you."
J: "Interesting." (GLOATING)

Nothing more was said of the name Jim would eventually take on. I didn't dare bring it up as I wanted him to mull it over. A few weeks later, however, he brought it up. "So, I was talking to so-and-so and I was telling him about how you want me to be called Pepe. So-and-so said 'Pepe! You're not French- you're Irish' (Do people really need to remind us of this, LOL) so we had a good laugh and I think McPepe is more appropriate."

At first I was indifferent to "McPepe." I didn't know if I felt good about altering a name that was distinguishably held by my favorite person. Then, all that changed one day when I got a phone call from my father-in-law. It was a few days after the McPepe conversation happened, I wasn't home at the time and was in the midst of planning the wedding, searching for cranberries; I couldn't find any cranberries anywhere. I, of course, called Jim (not just because he is the produce extraordinaire but, because I know I can count on him.) I left him a frantic message about how I needed cranberries for the wedding and I wanted real cranberries and I had to have them or basically my life would be ruined (I wasn't a bridezilla. I was actually a really calm bride but I wanted what I wanted.)

He called back, shortly after I made my frantic phone call, and left a message that went something like this
"Hey, it's McPepe. I got the cranberries. I had a few bags at the store. I'll bring em' home tonight. If you need anything else call me. Love ya kid."  Now, I say the message went "something like this" but, let me level with you, I still have the message saved on my phone and I listen to it when I'm having a bad day. We all know deep down I'm a sappy cheeseball so I "paraphrase" but you know I know exactly what the message says. :)

Immediately, after listening to the message, I knew he was to be McPepe. It just felt right. I know he will merit every ounce trust that comes with the name Pepe and even bring something different to the role. I know he'll have the impeccable memory, fierce dependability and gruff tenderness that I love about my very own Pepe but, he'll have endearing sarcasm, and offer the unconditional support and sincere thoughtfulness that puts the Mc in McPepe.

Someday, a grandbaby will break the heart of McPepe-- and he will honor the name and remember, lovingly, every detail.

Photographic Friday: Happy Birthday Hilary

This picture was taken at Target right before Hilary and I went to see Remember Me the day it came out in theaters. We usually stock up on cheap goodies before every movie (don't even ask about the time we snuck a small cake into the theater...)

This day Hilary put on rabbit ears and hopped through the bunny-dollar-trail. I, on the other hand, dropped it like it was hot in a leprechaun hat that left green glitter in my hair for days.

It's Hilary's birthday tomorrow (April 3.) I don't normally blog on Saturday so, today, I wanted to give a shout out to one of my very best friends in the whole world. Hil, you're my 243 and I would be absolutely lost without you (and our one-million text message exchanges per day!) Have a great birthday weekend.

And a Happy Easter to all!

Wednesday, Si?

Our friend, Ben, is currently on a motorcycle trip across America/South America. I am so impressed with the courage he has. I don't know that I could do what he's doing but, what an experience it must be! He has been traveling since just after our wedding in October and is due to return later this spring. We can't wait for him to arrive home safely and hear all about his adventures in person.

Ben was able to attend our wedding although, I'm sure he was anxious; he departed just days after we were married. While opening our cards and gifts, we came across Ben's gift with a card on which he had written a promise that he would send us something from South America. Never did we expect that when he was thousands of miles away, he really would send us something from South America. But, for the short time I've known Ben, (which is since the summer of 2009) he has proven to be one of the most sincere, thoughtful people I've ever met.

Above are the animals he sent to us, and below are the email exchanges sent between Aaron and Ben telling the story of Mickey and Fello (we named them.) I did edit out parts of the email just for the sake of privacy.

Hey Kid,

We are completely stoked with our new friends Mickey (penguin) and Fello (bull). We can't wait to hear the story behind where you found them. As soon as I showed Jessi she was all smiles and said, "I can't wait to hear where Ben got these guys from. He is such a great guy."

So, when you get a minute to relax, drop us a line and let us know the story behind these two. They have a special spot on our bookcase far from the reach of Rocko and Shredda, who so desperately want to play with them.

We know you are enjoying yourself, like you do everywhere you go, keep on having fun, ride safe and we can't wait to see you soon.

Love,
Aaron and Jessi

Ben's response:

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Pickle Smoocher.

I'm really glad you like the presents. They are handmade in Mexico by women from the Zapatista Army of National Liberation. They live in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. Chiapas is the poorest state in Mexico. I certainly got off the trail on this one as I took a small collectivo (local mini-bus) to their village about 1.5 hours outside of San Cristobal. They spoke to each other in their local Mayan language (which I didn't understand). They spoke to us few in Spanish (which I also didn't understand) but fortunately there was a guy from Spain to translate for me.
The Zapatistas have been in a war with the Mexican government for decades. They only want to live their simple lives but they feel the government won't let them. The government won't give them land to live, raise their families, tend to crops. On new years day in 1994 they stormed the cities in protest (among other things) the commencement of NAFTA the North American Free Trade Agreement which they feel doesn't help their people and instead helps big corporations. Many were killed by the military. Since then their war has been mostly political but there is great tension. All around their village is surrounded by Mexican military stations. When we entered we had to show our passports and state our political views. They don't consider this village part of Mexico but instead autonomous. They have very strong beliefs for education and womens equality. They are very talented craftspeople and one of their specialties are these handmade stuffed animals. I bought these directly from the Zapatista woman who made them. I really hope you like them and I thought you would appreciate the culture they represent.

Their war continues today and their future is uncertain. If you're interested in learning more check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zapatista_Army_of_National_Liberation

Merry Chrismas, Feliz Navidad, and Congratulations on your marriage! I can't wait to see you when I get home. Let's get some hiking in!

How cool is that? Ben nailed our personalities when he picked these for us and he supported something big.

Ben, we absolutely love our gifts. You are so thoughtful and we can't wait for you to come home, when you're good and ready, safe and sound.

Now, that is a Wednesday Oui, Si?

If you want to hear more about Ben's travels, visit his blog at: http://afewmoremiles.com/

Wednesday Oui? Blanket of Love

On Saturday evening, after a day of yard work, we went over to Aaron's parent's house for Aaron's birthday celebration. Per usual there were good food and spirits (not "spirits" because I was on-call and couldn't drink and Aaron gave up drinking for lent) but you know what I mean. The point of this post, however, isn't the party; it's one of the gifts Aaron received. About a month ago I found out that Aaron's mom was planning a very special gift for him that, last Saturday, she presented for his birthday.

But first, a little back-story... Aaron was very close to his "Granddad" who passed away a little over two years ago. I hadn't been in the family too long so I only had the opportunity to meet him on a few occasions. It's my understanding, however, that Aaron and he were pretty close, and Fred (Granddad) was notorious for wearing flannel shirts. From what I've heard everyone who knew Granddad loved him. He loved to build things, he loved his family, and he loved astronomy.

Linda, Aaron's mom, is the oldest of three children and she is, according to every psychology book I've ever read, the textbook "oldest child" (a care taker, nurturing, thoughtful, and reliable.) Over the past few months she has been working to make Aaron a quilt using her father's (Aaron's Granddad's) flannel shirts.

The quilt is just beautiful--simply amazing. As Aaron unwrapped it I choked back tears at the thought of just how special this gift really is. Anyone who has ever recieved a quilt knows the amount of work that goes into making one and how nice a quilt really is but this tops it. This quilt is made from shirts Granddad once wore, and the pattern of the quilt is called "The Milky Way" incorporating Fred's (and Aaron's) love of astronomy. Well done, Mom M!

As I was sitting there, watching Aaron inspect his blanket of love, it occurred to me just how difficult it must have been for Mom to make this. I don't mean difficult as in "a challenging quilt to sew" but, for weeks on end, she was handling and cutting up the very shirts her own father once wore; cutting off the tiny buttons that his nimble fingers once fastened, all so she could make a quilt for her youngest son. I don't know how she found the strength to do it but I hope, in some way, she was able to find a measure of comfort in the process.

Now Linda, being highly skilled at many crafts and projects, didn't simply just make a quilt. She also included personal touches-- she sewed a pocket from one of Fred's shirts on the backside of the quilt to hold a remote control and included a note on fabric.

This is one of those gifts from the heart. I know I can speak for Aaron when I say it's the most thoughtful gift and not only will we think of Granddad when we use it but also Mom M, Granddad's oldest daughter, who made sure his love will always keep us warm.

Granddad, Mom M (Linda) and her two pride and joys; Matt & Aaron

Menu Monday: Truvy's Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa

As I enter the planning stages for my sister's baby shower this summer, I have recently been thinking about one of my dear friends, Quinn. The reason Quinn comes to mind is because when I think of planning a shower for my sister, I can't imagine planning it without Quinn's help. She is "our sister from another mister." I write about her because Quinn fits into today's post so, sit tight and her part in this will slowly reveal itself.

It's a widely known fact that, arguably, my favorite movie is Steel Magnolias. There is just something about the sense of family in that movie that appeals to me. If you surveyed my core group of friends, who didn't know I was a closet Steel Magnolia-er, they would probably testify that I much prefer psychological thrillers to a feel-good tear-jerker like Steel. I mean, I still refuse to watch or read The Notebook!

Regardless, I love Steel and I use many of the quotes from this movie on a daily basis so, it felt appropriate to post about a few aspects of the movie today.

First and foremost, a recipe for Menu Monday taken right from the movie:

Truvy's Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa

• 1C Sugar
• 1C Flour
• 1C Fruit Cocktail "with the juice"

Mix together and spread in a greased 8X8 pan and cook at 350 to a "warm bubbly" (approx 35 minutes)

Now, a quick word about this recipe; it's a novelty. If you're looking to impress at a dinner party, don't choose this recipe- it just doesn't cut it. It's sticky sweet and cheap to boot. I really like it but you'd have to try it to be the judge. The fact that the recipe came from my favorite movie may have colored my taste buds a little but, I double dog dare you to take a taste ;) And, if you haven't seen the movie you need to crawl right back under the rock where you live.

Ever since I first saw that movie, years and years ago, I've always said, "someday, I will have an armadillo cake at my wedding," never thinking that I would actually have an armadillo cake at my wedding. In theory, my little heart wanted one so badly but, when it came down to finding someone to make it and reasons why it should be in the budget, I knew it probably wouldn't happen.

Enter Quinn. Quinn has known me for almost 25 years (scary!!) and she wouldn't let my dream die. One day, months before the wedding, I received an email from Quinn stating that not only had she found someone to make my cake, it was going to be her wedding gift to us!

I can't tell you the joy I felt when a nice (and talented) man showed up at my reception site and said, "I'm here to deliver an armadillo to Jessi." Unbelievable.

Quinn, I love you like a sister. Your friendship over the years is something I have always appreciated. You are good to the core and I adore you. Thank you for making this lifelong dream come true.

And yes, it had gray icing and a red-velvet interior. I told the caterer, "cut it up randomly, a section here and a section there, I want it to look like an autopsy." The part Aaron and I saved for our 1-year-anniversary? The ass. Eveyone loves a "good piece of ass" ;)

Wednesday, Oui: Friends

I know I say it almost everyday but I have amazing friends.

January 10th was one of the best days I've had recently. One of my very best friends, Stephani, came to New Hampshire for her baby shower. Now, to understand the relationship I have with Steph, I'd have to go all the way back to high school when she sat behind me in geometry and we used to make fun of the giant hairy mole our teacher had smack-dab in the middle of her face (we were awful, but we had fun.) Anyway, that was about 11 or 12 years ago and to this day we still have not lost touch. She lives in Jersey, (fist-pump) and well, y'all know where I live. You can do the math... it means I don't see her very often.

I've always felt, to some extent, that Steph was my little sister; protective of her, like she was my little baby. But now, my baby is having a baby! A baby girl! I am just so happy for her and her husband, Mark. They are going to be great parents!

Without fail, whenever I see Steph, I cry. I hear the gasps. It's true. I am NOT a "crier" per se. Rarely do I shed a tear, but when I see Steph, I can't help it. She has been such a loyal and dear friend to me that I truly consider her family.

Here are some pictures of Stephani; beautiful and pregnant. I love you Snakie!

Friends for the past decade. Friends forever!

I love this cake. It has an "Anne Geddes feel" and I looovvee Anne Geddes!

Yes, I spoiled her.

But so did everyone else :)

I cannot wait until her little "oui one" arrives ;) She is going to be delicious-- just like her mommy.

Photographic Friday: "Nickel"

This is one of my very best friends, Nickie.

I am not the type of person who keeps a ton of friends around me. I keep most people at arms length, but a few seem to weasel their way into my life and make a home in my heart. As cliché as that sounds, it's the truth.

If you're a friend of mine (one of the one's who has burrowed through the shell) you know that I would do ABSOLUTELY anything for you. Anything. It's the way I work. Everything I do, I do to the best of my ability. I work hard, I play hard, and I love hard. I'll admit, I know I'm a horrible acquaintance, but a great friend. I live my life by it.

On this "Photographic Friday" I wanted to give a shout out to Nickie. I've been having an incredibly stressful month and one constant companion and supporter (aside from Aaron and a couple other friends) has been Nickie.

I cannot imagine my life without her. Seriously. She is my rock most days and, no-matter-what, she's always there for me-- a huge supporter. If I'm having a bad day, or even a good day, seeing her makes everything better. We spend unusual amounts of time together and we do almost everything together. Nickie is a permanent fixture in my home and even has a key. I can't explain, or articulate the love I have for Nickie but, with Nickie, words aren't even necessary. A simple glance will tell all and she knows what I need- and vice-versa. Nickie has been very patient with me- breaking through my shell, and she is even someone I'm willing to hug on a daily basis :) I can tell Nickie anything and she doesn't judge me, nor does she disappoint me.

Aaron absolutely LOVES Nickie too. Who wouldn't? Aaron always says, "Nickie is the sister I never wanted" ;) Or, actually, "Nickel" as he lovingly refers to her. In all reality, I think the reason they get along so well is that Nickie is Aaron in a female body and Aaron in Nickie in a male body- they are exactly the same person in a lot of ways. It's kind of creepy.

I love this picture of Nickie and I. She was the reverend at my wedding. She married us!!!!! I am so honored she performed the ceremony and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Nickie loves me unconditionally. Every girl needs a friend like her. Thankfully, she’s mine.

Princess for the day? Oui!

Saturday July 25th was my bridal shower. It was one of the best days ever. A lot of planning went into that day and it was more than evident by how prepared my girls were. From the decorations, to the food, to the games and the plans- it was truly amazing. I hope everyone knows how appreciative I am. I honestly could not ask for better people in my life. I know I've said it a million times, but the past 3 years have been the best years of my life and I don't know what I did to be so blessed.

Me and my beautiful mother.

My darling sister, AKA "Maid of Honor"

Jaime, Nicki, Alyssa, Hilary (my 'maids') and Nickie- the rev...

My future M.I.L- love her!!!

Lyss- I have known her for 10 years!

Jaime 'Jammers' hosted the party at her home- Thank you, Jaimsss!!

One of my besties, Heather, from Antioch.

My party favors: Celosia flowers (they used to be called cockscomb- LOL-- my favorite annual for summer) and Quinn made chocolate and peanut butter lolly-pops in the shape of maple leafs for my favors. Not pictured is home brewed Chihuahua beer made by Reverend Nickie.

My mom and Lucia- and me (being a freak- I was just so excited)

One of my favorite dishes from The Pampered Chef... I got the trifle bowl as a gift too!

Some of the food- there was so much food there...

My 'maids' Alyssa and Hilary

I was digging in. I wasn't waiting for the crowd. MY FOOD!

Quinn and my sister. I have known Quinn for 23 years!! LOVE THEM!

Happy Birthday Lyssy!

Happy Birthday to one of my "bestest-friends-in-the-whole-wide-world." You know I love you more than life and I am so glad to have you. I'm thankful that you're one of the only people who knows all the dirty little details of my life (less people to kill off when I run for public office *wink*) and probably one of the few friends I have that would make this much of a mess for me at what was practically midnight. You are truly a necessity for me and I adore you!!!! I hope you had a great day!