SNL

Spencer and Lila

=

Little Katie and Little Sara

(Circa 1996)

 

How did they (and we) grow up so fast?

The Black Hole

I was looking at the camera roll on my phone tonight when I discovered these gems that I'd never seen before.  I found quite a few, all just like the ones below.  (There were about 30)  Before I get to the next part- I need to preface this- Spencer has broken every single cell phone I've had since she was born.  Every.  Single.  One.  (Plus two computers and many other electronics)  Okay, so when I got my new phone two weeks ago, I became the meanest mommy on the planet and said she couldn't play with it.  I didn't even download Angry Birds because I knew if she saw it, or saw me playing it, I would never be able to keep my phone out of her hands.

Which brings me to tonight when I found on it an extensive photo-docudrama of me hunting through my purse, aka, the black hole, for who-knows-what.

The search begins...  I look relatively calm.

                                                                    Still can't find it. Starting to look annoyed.

                                                         

 And, I still can't find it.  I'm looking quite determined now.

 

 At last, I found the coveted object!  

I know it looks like I'm looking at the camera, or at least that I should have been aware that "someone" was taking a picture(s) of me, but I really didn't.  I have absolutely no recollection of this entire episode of events.  Which is actually kinda frightening... so I won't think about that part.

So when I got to this picture of me on the camera roll, I stopped for a minute and laughed and tried to figure out when it was and what I was searching for.  Then I swiped my finger across the phone's screen to see what picture was going to pop up next.  To my "surprise," the very next photo was a self-portrait of the guilty party! 

And who do you think should appear?  

The culprit:

Miss Spencer.

I'm not sure how she got my phone and I'm not sure how I didn't notice her taking a zillion pictures of me.  When I asked her about it, she said "Huh?  What did you say?" and then she repeated it each time I asked her, all the while laughing harder and harder.  It was ridiculously cute.  Clearly, I need to watch either my phone or Spencer more carefully.  (Kidding!) 

All of this brings me to my final thought:  Apple needs to make a kid-friendly, indestructible, unbreakable, waterproof iPhone/iTouch/iPad.  It would be a best seller, I guarantee it!

Thirty, Flirty and Thriving

(Above title is a quote from one of my favorite movies- anyone else a fan like me?)

So my 30th birthday has come and gone and I have to say it was one of the best birthday/birthday weekends I can remember.

 On Saturday morning I got 30 roses from parents.

Saturday evening a friend took me out for dinner, drinks and a little dancing.  At the restaurant they brought out different desserts with candles on them and champagne- it was very nice!  I didn't take a picture of that though, which I can't believe... but I'll still remember it.

Sunday afternoon I celebrated with my family.  My dad made my favorite meal and we all went over to my aunt's house to eat. Spencer got a little cranky when she found out mac n' cheese wasn't on the birthday menu!

 

Yes, that's 30 candles!

 And yes, I did blow out every single one of them!  I haven't missed a year yet :)  Isn't that just the cutest picture of me, ever? ha!

My mom ordered me cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake- of TLC's DC Cupcake- and they were SO good.  Definitely the best cupcake I've ever had, so all the hype is must be true because they were amazing.

I couldn't have asked for a better birthday and I'm just so grateful for everything.  I really am a lucky, lucky girl

Twenty-Something Pictures

One picture each year 

20

21

22

 

23

24

                                   25                                                                      26

27

28

29

30 Twenty-Something Things

Thirty things that happened in my twenties. 

(in chronological order, starting at age 20)

1.  Became a sister in Kappa Kappa Gamma
2.  My Papa died
3.  Studied abroad in Italy
4.  Worked as a Bev Cart Girl at a snobby country club
5.  Had my heart broken
6.  Cruised the Caribbean
7.  Fell madly in love
8.  Studied endlessly for the LSAT
9.  Graduated from William & Mary
10.  Got my first real adult job
11.  Was accepted into law school
12.  Went to Miami with my Kappas and pretended I was British
13.  Started my first year of law school
14.  My Mema died
15.  My died was diagnosed with cancer
16.  Became very depressed
17.  Got pregnant
18.  Dropped out of law school
19.  Had a crisis of faith
20.  My other two Grandparents died
21.  Survived
22.  Had a baby
23.  Became Spencer's mama
24.  Shifted ideologies
25.  Went back to school
26.  Found my way back to an evolved faith
27.  Got into nursing school
28.  Went to Mexico
29.  Started nursing school
30.  Became complete

Not to be trite, but it really was the best of times and the worst of times. But here is what I know- in my twenties I became me. Everything that happened, good, bad and terrible, helped me to get to this place I am now. And while my life isn't perfect, I'm truly happy with the person I've become.  I'm happy with how life is turning out in ways I didn't expect or plan on.

Of course the defining moment of the last decade was my Spencer and I give her all the credit for shaping me into someone better than what I was.

I am me because of her.

A New Decade

I turn 30 tomorrow.  The whole decade of being in my 20's is about to be over and I'm just so shocked at how fast it all went by.  How could I have turned 20 a decade ago?

This is me on my 20th birthday.  I remember the party my friends had for me like it was yesterday.  (how old-timer does that sound?!)

So one decade later... I thought I needed to take one last picture on the last day of my 29th year. Um, yes, I know I'm being just a little dramatic.

I kinda can't believe how much of a baby I looked liked when I turned twenty.  So that's a decade worth of change... I don't think I'm looking forward to seeing the difference between 30 and 40 though, ha! 

I Heart Faces- the Eyes

This week's photo challenge on I Heart Faces is beautiful eyes.  I know I'm her mom, but I really do think Spencer has the most beautiful eyes in the world and picking just one picture was really difficult, but this photo was the first one that came to my mind so I decided to go with it.  I took this right before her third birthday.

I love those baby blues.

This Never Happens

  I'm Irish.  

And we don't tan, we burn.

Yet, here I am: ridiculously tan!

Well, I'm ridiculously tan for me.  I realize that to most everyone else, this might still be considered pale, but I'm fairly certain this is the tannest I've ever been in my entire life.

When you have skin that's as fair as mine, with half a million freckles, this is almost like a miracle.

That Face

I think this is definitely one of those pictures that I'm going to show to Spencer's future husband, haha

Please note that container of Haagen-Dazs in her lap!

If She's Four, That Means I'm How Old?

Spencer insisted on having a red cake with colored flowers and fairies.  I have no clue where she got the idea for it, a dream perhaps, but she'd been talking about this cake for a good two months before her birthday.  What's a mom to do?  A friend of mine from high school made it for her and even though it was probably the strangest cake request she's ever had, she did an amazing job and it was super delicious. 

I can't believe my little baby is four years old already.  I also can't believe that I was only 25 when I birthed her, especially now I'm just a few short months from turning really, really old.  Spencer grows up more and more every day, she's definitely four going on 14 and I'm feeling the need to press the pause button again.

Easy Crunchy Asian Salad

During the warm weather months I have a serious aversion to eating warm or hot food. If I could afford it, I would go to our local grocery store every day and make myself a nice big salad from their amazing salad bar- but that ends up costing between $6 and $8 depending on how much fruit I add.  I've tried buying all the necessary ingredients to my make my salad at home, but for some reason it just never tastes as good as the one from the grocery store!

I tried to find other salad options and there just didn't seem to be anything I really loved- that is, until a few weeks ago at a potluck dinner at our church.  One of the ladies made a most delicious Asian crunchy salad and I thought it was maybe something that would be a good easy, healthy and cheaper salad for me to make at home.  I tend to screw things up when I make them and nothing ever tastes as good when I make it as it does when someone else makes it, but with the recipe she gave me, it was almost impossible to mess up.  And it tasted just as good!

This recipe makes for a great meal in the hot summer because it's easy and light, but still very filling.

Asian Crunchy Salad

*  1 envelope packet of Good Seasons Italian Dressing and Recipe Mix
*  2 Tablespoons of soy sauce  (use Kikkoman, it's the best soy around!)
*  1/2 Cup of sugar
*  2 packages of any ramen noodle soup (you will just be using the noodles)
*  2 (16oz) packages of coleslaw blend or you can shred your own lettuce and carrots
*  4 sliced green onions
*  1/2 Cup of sliced almonds
*  1/2 Cup of sunflower kernels (optional)

(You can add other ingredients, like a meat and/or fruits, to suit your tastes- I sometimes like to add cold chicken and craisins)


Directions

*  You are first going to make the salad dressing in a separate bowl
*  Follow the instructions on the back of the packet of the Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix
*  Whisk in the soy sauce and sugar
*  Once you've done that, put it in the refrigerator to get in nice and cold.
*  Break the ramen noodles apart in another larger bowl. I think it's easier to do the majority of the breaking up while it's still in the package and then put in the bowl.  That way it doesn't make a big mess.  You won't be using the seasoning packet.
*  Add the coleslaw/lettuce and carrot blend, onion, almonds, and sunflower kernels into the bowl with the ramen noodles and gently toss together
*  Once the salad dressing is at the temperature you'd like, add the salad dressing and toss to coat.
*  I prefer to put my lettuce mix into a bowl that has a lid or a Ziplock freezer bag, add the dressing, put on the lid or seal the bag, and then shake it until everything is nice and well coated. Do whatever works best for you.
*  After you've thoroughly mixed the salad, serve immediately.
*  And that's it!  It's seriously the easiest thing to make and it's delicious!

You can read about another one of my favorite, easy to make, main course dishes here.