Our Aweful Beautiful Life

Tuesday, 25 August 2009 Indiana State Fair. One of my fondest memories growing up. It was typically our vacation and I think it all came rushing back to me when I walked into the pig barn this year, and took my first smells of my past....to us, State Fair was always about keeping your pigs cool, having a really cute show outfit, and getting run the grounds for the few days before it actually started. As the years progressed, I've spent my fair share of all 12 days working the State Fair from FFA to the summer I interned with Clear Channel to full time jobs after college. This year, I only had to work three, and I was lucky to spend my last shift on a daddy/daughter date. Dad's as much of a freak about the fairs as I am (which is likely where I get it), so he said he'd ride along with me, and after I got done working my five hour shift, we'd walk around some more. I warned him that he'd be on his own for 4-5 hours, and he was totally cool ...

Tuesday, 25 August 2009 Colton helped me bake a cake this weekend. He was actually really good, and it's pretty cute!! We got him a training toilet a while back. We paid probably $18 for the thing, and it's amazing. How did go from baking a cake to a training toliet you might ask? Hang with me...I promise I've not lost track. So this toliet, has a seat that can be placed on the regular toliet, or used in conjunction with the bottom of the trainer seat, which doubles as a step stool, and in our situation, even a booster seat. So, do you see we got a training toliet, booster seat and step stool, all just for $18! How awesome is that. So, on the day I was baking the cake, he wanted me to hold him, but obviously, I can't hold him and run a mixer, work around a hot oven, etc. So I sent him after his stool, and from that moment forward, he would put the stool down, step up, watch what I was doing, and when I'd go over to the sink, he'd step...

Yes, folks, it's true. My best friend of 27 years finally took the plunge this weekend, and I couldn't be happier for her. Talk about a beautiful bride. And a beautiful wedding. And most of all -- a beautiful family. Ever since I was a little girl who ended up with two brothers for siblings, these girls have adopted me as one of their own sisters, and I couldn't be more thankful for that. What a great group of girls to be associated with, and lucky enough, my brothers adopted them, and them my brothers. I'm not kidding....between New Years' Eve's spent as one big happy family playing cards around the kitchen table, or messing with our Ram Bucky in the pasture....we've had some good times together, all 7 of us! Who could forget rides in the Grape Ape home from basketball/volleyball games with our Dad's critiquing our performance, or getting ready for every formal dance together -- Stacy and I have shared so many memories, and ...