Thank you to everyone that has sent me the most wonderful birthday messages today! I have the most amazing people in my life. I am so blessed. 

I have to say though, the best part of the day so far is that my mom posted the most beautiful picture of her and I twenty-nine years ago today. This picture is so special to me because this is where it all started folks. The mother-daughter relationship can't be beat and I am so incredibly lucky. Not just because she "carried me in her womb for 9  months" (inside mother-daughter joke alert), or because she gave birth to me, but because our relationship is something I treasure everyday. She is the perfect mom for me. So much of who I am, is because of who she is. 

My biggest hope is that I will get to experience something as special as we have, 

with a daughter of my own someday. 

Here's to all the mothers out there that put everything they have into their kids because they know that someday, they won't be so little. Someday, they'll be adults. 

Someday, they'll be your friends.

I love you, Mama!

t minus 3 days

I am going to be 29 on Thursday. 2-9. Totally insignificant, right? Because next year's birthday is the one that really matters, right? No, not right. 2.9. 29. I am not 23 anymore. I am not 25 anymore. I feel like the last three birthdays were insignificant - with the exception of 28, my "Golden Birthday". Which in reality means nothing, it's just a fun thing to say. To be honest, the fact that last year was my "Golden Birthday" actually 100% distracted me from the fact that I was just one year closer to 30. I was so distracted in fact, I didn't realize that I had a piece of spinach in my teeth for most of it.

This year is different. I expected this birthday to mean nothing since next year's birthday is the one that really matters. Nope. For some reason, 29 is freaking me out. Annie just recently did a 30 before 30 List. I loved the idea, so I thought I'd do one too (then I saw that she has about 250 extra days to complete her list, so I already felt super behind and gave up). When I was 18, 30 seemed SO OLD, which would mean I am SO OLD because 29 rounded up is 30. I seriously feel like I went to sleep at 23 and woke up and here I am, about to be 29. All of a sudden, the last several years are a total blur and now I'm wishing I did a whole lot of things differently. For instance:

• I wish I didn't go tanning every day of my junior and senior year of highschool. 
• I wish I didn't put bacon gristle Hawaiian Tropic (SPF Negative1000) all over myself and lay out in the sun every summer between 1998-2006. 
• I wish I would have started moisturizing at 7 years old. 
• I wish I purchased eye cream at 8. 
• I wish I didn't pluck my perfectly bushy eyebrows pencil thin when I was 19, because they've been trying to grow back ever since.
• I wish I wouldn't have started shaving my legs at 10 years old because now my hair actually starts growing back before I even step out of the shower/bath tub. Perhaps I should have waited until it actually mattered. I am pretty sure John Otness didn't notice that in 5th grade. I'd hope not.
• I wish I would have never waxed my upper lip because it's my own fault I will be participating in Movember next month.

There are definitely things I want to accomplish this year and there are definitely wishes to make when I blow out my 29 candles on Thursday. While I can't tell you my wishes, I can guarantee you this: I won't have spinach in my teeth in any of the pictures.

PS - Thanks to the folks that celebrated with me last year - for letting me "smile big" for the camera all night. I thought we were closer than that.

Addiction Alert :: Lychee Martinis

What you'll need: 

A Shaker 

Vodka 

Canned Lychees 

Lychee Juice 

Ice 

Pretty glass 

Yum.

Ty and I often hit up Thai Rhapsody in MCTC and every time we go, I have about 10 of these things. OK, probably only 3, but still. They are so amazing. If they weren't ridiculously priced, I'd probably never leave that place. So, a few weeks back I was on a mission. We were going to figure out how they make them so I could have as many as my heart desired without breaking the bank (or embarrassing  myself in a public place). We knew there was vodka involved. Check. We knew lychees were involved. We finally found them at Central Market. Check. (We killed two birds with one stone when the canned lychees were in the lychee juice. Double check!)

The drinks at TR seem so exotic and hard to make. Not so much. Obviously. (I never said I was that smart.) Now, go on with your bad self. Enjoy! Make yourself one - or 10.

WARNING: The evening we made these for the first time, I passed out at 11pm, only to wake up at 6am realizing that the dogs were still down stairs waiting for me to take them up to bed. Good Mom. (Another reason it's good we're not parents to real life human babies yet.)

Marriage actually is hard... & life is short.

I've recently learned something that people have been telling me for years. Marriage is hard. Up until recently, I understood the words that were coming out of their mouths, but I didn't really get it. I have news for you, folks.

Marriage is hard.

Remember this post? Easiness and breeziness was for year 1. Year 2 is a little harder. I'm just being honest. Ty and I have an incredible relationship. He puts up with me. What more could I ask for? In all seriousness, marriage can also mean some not so good times - tough conversations, hurt feelings, taking care of sick puppies, paying bills, stressful work weeks, etc. There's a book out there called "The Five Languages of Love" that talks to something I can totally relate to. I am a "quality time" kind of gal. I feel most loved by Ty when he spends time with me. Well, time has been tough to find these days. With our busy work schedules and travel schedules, the past 6 weeks have been rough for my QT love needs (and my blog, for that matter -- sorry for the month break).

Saturday was "date night". Gotta love this. We're married, we don't have kids, but we need "date nights"... puh-leeze, right? (Seriously, we need them.) We were heading to dinner when I went there. You know, the place so many of us would prefer to avoid because hurtful conversations are NO FUN but often times needed. I told Ty in a super nice way ("direct, and borderline rude" should replace "super nice" if we're I'm really being honest) that we are WASTING time. I come home, I shut down, I go to bed. Fun for him. He comes home, he goes to the gym, and he goes to bed. Fun for me.

Not working.

We agreed that we need to stop wasting time, and start enjoying each other. Life is short. Even though we may feel like the day is done when we get home from work - it isn't. This is our chance to make the day good, even if our "day at work" wasn't. It's about choices, people.

And we are choosing each other. No more wasting our evenings thinking / talking / eating / breathing work. We are going to think about us, talk about us (and the dogs, duh), eat (obviously), and yes folks, breath...

together.

Kudos to my mama who heard me out last Friday and helped me "own" this as well. 

Love you for all that you are to me, and all the things that you may think go unnoticed. Never forget - you are an amazing woman!