Birthday Weekend

Almost 3 weeks late, but it was a wonderful weekend filled with s'mores, road trippin', museums, zoo visits, city loving, mixed drinks & fancy hotels.

Here's to my twenty-fourth year!

A New City To Love

I'm sure I had a blast at all my kid-aged birthday parties, but as far as what I can remember as an adult--this birthday takes the cake. The birthday cake. I still need to upload pictures of all our fun, Miles surprised me with tickets to White Christmas on Thursday, threw a little surprise party/bonfire for me on Friday, and whisked me away to St. Louis for the weekend!

Can I confess that I fell in love with St. Louis during the 24 hours that we were there? I've already found dreamy old homes that we can buy (as in, actually afford) and searched for jobs in the area. I do recognize that I get like this after I visit certain places, ahem, Chicago...and I have a whole list of reasons why its different this time. Not that we're packing up any time soon, but I do love dreaming. 

image via

Finally!

I don't know that I've ever been so excited for any birthday, ever. Everything awesome went on sale the week before (or the day of) Miles' birthday. So of course I snatched all that awesomeness up. His  eyes and mouth only grew wider with each new gift. I don't think I've ever taken such delight in someone else's elation. And now we get to watch all our tv shows, and get excited about road trips and Ryman nights together! 

A little explanation, only for thangs that need explainin': 

Boo is kind of a geek for planes and trains, so I decided to feed that geekness with twenty-one hours of documentary footage. Snoozefest. The poorly spray painted canvas was inspired by a late night in which I entered our bedroom where Miles was already fast asleep. As I approached the bed, Miles reached out, still dead asleep, and said, "Come here baby, everyone deserves a guitar solo". You better believe I had a silent laughing fit for a good 30 minutes after that. Thus the canvas for our new house, to be hung in his guitar room. And the zoo day is something Miles' has been bugging me for for ages now. I think everything else is kind of explanatory? 

Also, please excuse the half packed, messy apartment. Have I mentioned we're moving? 

We ate at PM with Miles' momma, and a precious little succulent. I'm real obsessed. I can't wait to have tons in our new house! I speak to them in baby voice. As if it wasn't bad enough that I feel compelled to speak to a plant, it has to be in baby voice. Come on, Bethany... The weather was incredible, and I loved sitting out on the patio. I ate way too many fries. We wondered why we try to eat sushi anywhere else. It was such a relaxing evening, a perfect way to end Boo's birthday. I'm excited to continue celebrations on Saturday! Even if its at the zoo and everything smells like poop.

Birthday Boy

I know I gush about Miles more than anything else, but you'll have to bear with me today. 

26 years ago, a precious little boy came into this world--maybe a little too early for his little lungs' liking. After 3 weeks, his wee body had grown strong enough to come home. He grew up to play his toy guitar with his dad, love little league and pop warner football, saxophone it up in the band, give his mother grief with his dirt bike racing (and his wife, in retrospect), not walk at his high school graduation, be forced to walk at his college graduation, play his real guitar, buy more guitars, build guitars, marry a girl he met in Bible class, and become the most wonderful husband she could have ever wanted.

Boo, I love you so much. Like, so much. I know you don't like big deals made over your birthday, but I can't help how much I want to celebrate your life and who you are. And I also can't keep my birthday gift secrets very much longer, you better not have snooped--even in your mind (aka, no wondering). You are so amazing and I am so happy that our completely opposite lives came together and are now now together forevvaaaaa.

I also asked Miles' mom to write a little something for his birthday. Since she was there and all...and loved him first:

 We all have heard the saying, "a child is a gift from heaven".  Well, I truly do believe that small phrase is so true.  Miles was not only a gift but a miracle from heaven.      As I look back over the last 26 years, I am so thankful and blessed that the Lord entrusted this wonderful child, now man, to Frank and I.   He brought us both so much joy and laughter.  His dad was so proud when Miles decided to play in the band at school.  A chip off the ole' block!  Miles brought strength to me at a time when no 18 year old should have to shoulder such a burden. But he put his own feelings aside to be strong for his sister and I.  Proud yes, but more blessed everyday as I see him grow into the Godly man and husband he is called to be.

I hope you feel extra loved today, Miles. I've been walking around all morning with the dumbest grin on my face because I'm so happy you were born.

Exciteedddd

Y'all, I am so excited for Miles' birthday. I have the best (within reason) gift ever. I say within reason, because Boo always wants some expensive guitar or amp--and that ain't happenin'. Actually, it already did. He already got his new guitar. So there! Early birthday presents are good and then...not so good when your real bday rolls around and you don't get something amazing. EXCEPT FOR THIS YEAR. 

Now that I've said all this, I will die if he figures it out before Tuesday. So Miles, please don't figure it out. Don't look at anything, anywhere. Not the bank account, not on my computer,  or email, or phone. Don't snoop in the apartment, don't look in my car, don't check the mail. Nothing. I feel like these should be the new birthday/Christmas rules for our family. So now they are. Love youuuu!

Blog Birthday

Today is my blog's first birthday! This time last year, I was snowed in at Miles' house. Snowed in! (by southern state standards) Sure, its been cold a few days this month, but not one flurry of snow has fallen in Nashy. Either way, we're crossing our fingers for even a lightly whitened Christmas. 

I'm pretty sure this little blog isn't on many people's reading list, but I have really loved blogging this past year and being able to look back and remember all the wonderful things that have happened. I think the mixture of somewhat coherent sentences and stories along with all the photos helps transport me back to whatever moment I blogged about and remember it so much better than any regular journal entry would. I hope that I keep this blog up and have it to see how our lives change and grow in the coming months and years! 

(image via pintrest)

Birthday!

My birthday was so wonderful! We celebrated all weekend and let me say, I got used to being spoiled. Miles planned a surprise dinner on my birthday with some of my most loved friends and family in Nashville. He had been acting weird most of the week before my birthday (making me decide on a restaurant 3 days early, making reservations, snatching my phone away from me and deleting text messages from friends who didn't realize they had been invited to a surprise dinner). But I was going to totally act surprised for him, until he told me about the surprise two minutes before we left the apartment. Silly boy. Silly boy! I'm sure I've mentioned before that I don't do well with last minute plan changes..so that was his reasoning behind telling me. But even if I hadn't suspected his plans, birthday surprises don't count as last minute plan changes. Just for clarification (and future reference, boo). But dinner was so wonderful, we all had our fill of delicious mexican food and margaritas and I felt so loved by all who came. Of course we all forgot to take any pictures...

So we just finished birthday celebrations this weekend, and tomorrow I get to pick up my brother and sister at the airport for thanksgiving festivities! Honestly, I am more excited about the rest of this week than I ever could be about my birthday. I can't wait to be with my siblings, my aunt and uncle and cousins, and have Miles off work for four whole days! SO EXCITED!

Also, I loved that my birthday started off with this StoryCorps story. It was a follow up of one of my favorite of the animated shorts from previous StoryCorps stories found here.

Honestly, I love all StoryCorps stories.

I Like These Things (Ahem, Miles)

I am never stumped when it comes to getting Miles a gift--at least I haven't been yet (knock on wood). Get something to do with guitars, or amps, or vinyl, or a western button up, or anything denim. The real gift with denim, is letting him wear every piece at once. As in jeans, button up & jacket. Those days are rare and therefore "special". But I like to believe that he enjoys them that much more because of it. 

But gift buying for me...I can see how it would be a teensy bit hard. So now that it is the month before my birthday (a fact that is blowing my mind), I will begin compiling a list of things to make birthday & Christmas shopping just a 'lil easier. Miles, I was about to type "take notes", but you don't really have to since you can just have this as your reference. 

1. A go-kart date 

2. A Smiling Elephant dinner

3. Sun Garden Riesling

4. A Christmas tree

5. A Christmas tree decorating evening, complete with eggnog, Elf and paper snowflakes

6. Finish the Hunger Games trilogy and quit pretending that you don't like it

7. A night at a fancy Chicago hotel for our February trip

8. A strawberry shortcake cupcake from Gigi's

9. General fuss-making over my 23rd.

10. This print, along with several others from this Etsy shop.

Birthday Weekend!

It is Miles' 25th birthday today! He's not super big on birthday celebrations, but lucky for him I love them. We both happened to have the whole weekend off (I honestly cannot remember the last time that happened) and decided to make the most of it! Which really means just eating a lot of food and watching a ton of Redbox and Netflix movies. Livin larrrge!

On Friday I woke up a little before 4am for no durn good reason and couldn't go back to sleep for the life of me! So I went to work on about 4 hours of sleep then came home and c-r-a-s-h-e-d. Most intense, deep, nap I have ever had and when I woke up to go have dinner with Miles my body simply couldn't deal with not still being cozied up in my bed (even at 6 on a Friday night). So I felt completely miserable at the mexican place we ate. I took about two bites of food and asked for a to-go box, we came back to the apartment and I had to lay back down. Determined to not ruin this birthday weekend, I rallied thanks to a pb&j sandwich Miles made me..with smooshed smiley faced jelly.

Then after Miles' whined about wanting Sonic's hot fudge cake sundae (that has retired from their menu) we decided Krispy Kreme would suffice. And apparently this drive thru is the location of the Nashville cicada night club because that place was hoppin.

Then there was a lot of wedding errand running on Saturday morning followed by lunch at Elliston Place Soda Shop and a visit to Guitar Center. Half birthday concession and half reward for Miles' being so helpful and patient during all the wedding errands. 

Today we went to church, had a sushi roll at our fave PM, browsed (and bought) at Phonoluxe Records, went back to Guitar Center (where Miles sneakily purchased something on his bday so I couldn't get upset at him) and ate a late lunch (kind of) with Jack White at Burger Up.

 Then I attempted to hastily bake a cake for my boo and failed when I reached the part where I had to smoothly detach the cake from the pan. So I improvised. With cupcakes.

I think (/absolutely know) I went wrong in not allowing the cake to cool...like at all before I removed it from the pan and proceeded to put icing on it. That explains why this cake guy's eye is a little on the droopy side. 

Also, my baby brother graduated from high school yesterday!! I am so proud of him and wish I could have been there. But I cannot wait to see him when he comes for the wedding! He will be joining my sister in Chicago for school and I am already planning a trip up there for their birthdays (a day apart from each other). Aaaand look how adorable (and gorgeous) this photo of my bro and his girlfriend is:

p.s. Miles' birthday and Caleb's graduation were the last big things on my calendar before the wedding. Just sayin'.