Not that I have anything against Costco or their cake

The baby shower is looming. There is so, SO much to do for this. Per usual, I am making it a lot harder than it needs to be because of my “vision.” I have so many decorations to make and I still need to test out a bunch of recipes for the food I will be making. I am both excited and nervous. My family has been giving me quite a hard time because I can’t just do what they have always done with baby showers and bring some cake from Costco, throw down some paper plates, and have a few members of the family come over to sit and chat for a while. I’m sorry, but no. Not going to happen.

I have been told that it is just a generational thing, that people in this neck of the woods just do things easy peasy lemon squeezey and don’t need their parties and gatherings to quote “look like a magazine.” That younger people like me must do things like quote “Paris Hilton.” Now this particular explanation both offended and confused me because quite frankly, I do not appreciate Paris Hilton or her work, nor do I see what she has to do with my wanting to throw a pretty baby shower. And if she did throw a baby shower, I can guarantee it would not be my brand of pretty.

I asked my sister what she meant by this and she said she was really just trying to come up with someone “hip and cool” to use as an example. I informed her that I didn’t agree with her idea of who we young people think is cool.

Aimee: I don’t know who you people like. Hanna Montana? iCarly? Justin Beiber?

Me: Are you aware that I’m not 12? I think when you are trying to find someone "cool" for me to relate to, you shouldn’t use your new found love of the Disney Channel as your frame of reference.

Aimee: I apologize that I like iCarly! iCarly is funny!

Riiight.

And she meant it. Haha. Oh Aimee, you are my little gentleman gentlewoman. ?.

I do understand that different people choose to use their time in different ways. I am a person who enjoys doing things all the way, and making them the way I see it in my head. Not to toot my own horn, but this is how my brain works. It thinks up beautiful pictures and I have the ability to make them come to life. I think that this was a gift that I was blessed with, and I should use it, not hide it under a bushel, whatever that is.

So what is so wrong with wanting to throw this shindig properly?? And this is not a rhetorical question, please; if you can see why I should be condemned for such a thing as wanting an aesthetically pleasing spread with cohesive serve-ware, please enlighten me. Things CAN, despite what I have been told, be made to look like “a magazine” with very little money. Or at least close. I have done it many times and I will continue to do so whether people agree or not. I have not asked for anyone’s help, I am doing this myself, so who am I hurting?

All I am asking is that the awesomeness that I am creating is appreciated. Just a little. Is that really so hard? No, I submit that it is not.

My Computer Blew Up

Hello, there. I have been wanting to post so many things but a few months ago my laptop took its last breath. She was getting old and it was bound to happen, but I had no idea it would be such a final death. Cody was working on it and it started to make funny noises and smell like something was burning. The next time I tried using it, it literally began to smoke. I could still use it but it would randomly shut off, and shoot blue sparks when I tried to adjust the power cord. But now it won’t even entertain the idea of turning on. Very sad. And saving up for a new one is proving to be a lot harder than we thought.

Cody does have a computer, but it may as well be a plank of wood with a mouse plugged into it because that’s about as useful as it is.

So that is why I have been absent. I do not like posting anything without photos, and I obviously have no way of getting pictures off of my camera anymore. But I finally gave in and decided to post a picture-less post.

My favorite time of year is almost here! My pumpkins are growing big and orange and the decorating fever has pretty much completely taken over my mind. My poor husband has been recruited for many projects that he doesn’t particularly want to do and I have committed myself to making a ridiculous amount of autumn-themed throw pillows. As in about 15 pillows. Who even does that? That is a lot of pillows for one little person to make.

I have been working full time which is such a blessing. I have so much less time now, though! I am getting a little overwhelmed with everything I want to get done over the next couple months. Sewing enough throw pillows to build a very large and impressive pillow fort, decorating for fall (a very daunting task at my house) and the big one, planning out the baby shower I am throwing for my sister-in-law. And usually by this time of year, I have a pretty good list of the Christmas gifts I want to get for everyone. Haven't even started. I feel like such a failure!

We are also trying to go to Disneyland in October and we have just been putting off paying for it over and over again. I am getting bigger pay checks but have just as little money as before. How does that happen? But we have to go! We have put it off for 2 years and I have already prepared a California themed playlist to listen to on the way there. So it's really not even a choice at this point.

Good Morning, Garden!

My backyard in the morning.

Here is a pumpkin that looks more like a watermelon.

Here is the pumpkin that grew first. He is the biggest. Still about the size of a large onion.
I don't remember what kinds these are, as they grew all over each other, but I have about 10 different species in here.

I was so worried that the bee's wouldn't find my pumpkins (if they didn't, that would mean the fruit would wither up and die) so I went to the nursery and bought a plant that attracts bees. When I got home and went to plant it, the bees were already there. They love these big flowers.

There is a whole world under the big leaves full of green light.

There's a baby pumpkin! The thing hanging off of it is a female flower.

These little curly vines grab onto everything they can find, even the weeds.

Goodnight, Garden

Shots from my backyard, taken at dusk.

My monstrous pumpkins, enjoying the break from the sun that makes their leaves wither in its heat.

The flowers on the pumpkins curl up at night.

The creeping vines are beginning to take over the lawn. They grow so fast, it seems like they are half a foot farther along every day. I could probably see them moving if I watched long enough. See the tiny pumpkin under the vines? This little dude makes me happy.

Funnel Spider







Goodnight, garden.

The Anniversary

It has been 3 whole years since the Mr. and I got hitched. We have been together for almost 8 years, and the other day I realized I have known him for TEN years! This is just unreal to me. It has been 10 whole years since I spotted him sitting in the front row of science class, with his red high top shoes. Ten years since I sat next to him and tried to dazzle him with my amazing taste in music, {Slipknot and Weezer} 10 years since we wrote notes to one other, admitting very shyly our crushes we had on each other.

And it really doesn't seem like it's been that long since we were 16, just driving around in his van, eating lunch together at Taco Bell every day, laying on the grass at the park, SO in love, so sure we would get married, have babies, and grow old together and we just could not wait for those things to happen.

8 years later, I am still just as in love with Cody Black, I still miss him when he leaves my side, I still get so happy when he gets home from work and I can find my place in his arms again. I hope this never changes. I hope we only fall more in love with each other and are always able to laugh and play and cuddle, and show our appropriate pda, until we are old and wrinkly and using walkers with tennis balls on the feet. We will still call each other sweetheart and hold hands and take slow walks in the park. Then I will write a book about our love and Cody can read it to me and we can die in our sleep together. That's the goal I have in mind, anyway. :)

Anyway, we had such an amazing, happy anniversary. I decorated our gazebo with rose petals, candles, and twinkle lights. We got all dressed up in separate rooms and then met each other outside with our wrapped gifts. We ate nachos (the food we had every single day on our honeymoon) and cream soda in glass bottles (we used to drink that back in middle/high school at lunch time) and watched a slide show I made of pictures of our wedding accompanied by music playing from our reception. It was dreamy.

We didn't talk any business, nothing about chores that needed to get done, or bills or anything too marriagey. It was just like we were on a date, on our best behavior. It was lovely.

Then we opened presents!

Cody got new hiking boots made of some type of fancy water proof leather (I am still sticking to the traditional anniversary gifts and 3 years is leather) and guitar pick necklace that says "So Happy I Picked You" on one side and "Happy 3 years Cody" on the other side. He also got a card that says "If I had a big enough needle, I would sew us together while you were sleeping so that when you woke up, we would be like one person. One big happy deformed person." I'm not lying, that's what it said. I bought it like that. I thought it was pretty awesome but Cody seemed oddly disturbed.

I got an absolutely adorable purse that I had told Cody about a couple weeks prior, not thinking he was even listening, and inside was an awesome handmade card and TICKETS to see my very favoritest band ever DEFTONES the next weekend!! I was so flipping excited.

Afterwards we cuddled in the hammock and just talked until it got dark. Cody told me all about the plans he made for us for the next weekend. It was such a happy night. That's the best word I can think of to describe what I felt that night. Happy. I don't think I've had a more happy night for quite a while.

Memorial Weekend

My cute brother, his cute wifey, and cute son came to visit us this weekend. We had crazy fun and many inside jokes were created. Saturday we had a pirate day and went to the pirate pizza place, then saw Pirates 4. Sunday we went to Zion's as they had never been, and that night we had a BBQ and some backyard fire pit time.

We had a park ranger take a photo of us. He counted to 3 and right on 3 we made this overwhelmingly attractive face. We think we're funny.

My 23rd Birthday Adventure

Last, last Friday was my birthday and cute Cody took me camping up in Zion Canyon. We went on a hike, ate at my favorite Springdale restaurant, Oscar's, survived the rapture, and got to sleep in our cozy new tent for reals this time (not just in our back yard).

This trail was pretty awesome, and we definitely felt it the next day.

Lots of yummy camping food!

Of course I took this opportunity to take some night photos.

These were all taken right outside our tent with varying long exposures.

We had a great time! Oh yes, and Cody got me lots of cute gifts like bear rug coasters, cookbooks, the Pioneer Woman novel, and other lovely little goodies. He also built me a beautiful coffee table which I LOVE. Points for Cody!