The Count Down, A Baby Shower & My Best Friend Turns 26

I feel eager, excited and impatient. The anticipation is comparable to a young child that makes it their business to count down the minutes to Christmas Day. One guess to what the source of all this excitement stems from:

I know, it looks like I'm stifling a yawn, but this is the best "excited" face I've got.

MY MOM IS COMING THIS FRIDAY! And we're taking her to the beach! We haven't been ourselves , so I think it's about time we pull out the SPF 85 and made our way to Myrtle Beach. The time has quickly passed since booking her airfare with the exception of this past week. As the day to her departure draw near, the ticks of the clock seem to be taking their sweet time.

Thankfully, I've been able to stay occupied with the following events. Rewinding back to last Friday, I hosted a Ladies Night Out in honor of my S.C. BFF, Michelle, and her upcoming arrival. She's expecting her third baby in May! Hoping to impress Queen Craft, I successfully created a diaper cake. Trust me, considering my artistic ability (or lack thereof) you would've been impressed. We transformed the morning room into a nail salon for manicures. My living room hosted the Mary Kay consultant who was busy all evening with demonstrations of her own. There were games and most importantly, an abundance of food. I felt very adult as I played hostess. Trust me, I had (and needed) help from friends and my husband. Thanks to Andrew for taking the kids to the park for the evening.

Speaking of my Andrew, he turned twenty six on Monday!! The kids and I took a field trip up to his office. Again, that was another first. I was totally impressed and surprised by what I saw. The place screamed professionalism. The decor was more 'elegant' (if I dare use that word) than I had imagined. I was surprised by how QUIET it was. It had the feel of an upscale library.

"Now do you understand why I don't like talking on my cell phone while at work?" he kept asking me. Yes, I totally get it. It's a phone call that everyone in the room is in on.

We picked him up for lunch. The choice was his. Keeping his active two (almost three) year old in mind, he chose McDonalds (not his favorite). Ironically, Eliza opted against the play area. The steep steps intimidated her. Nevertheless, it was still a memorable lunch thanks to a spilled cup of ice water that made direct contact with my lap. Considering it was his birthday, it was easy to quickly offer my forgiveness. :)

The evening was low key. After unwrapping the gift to myself that I disguised as being a gift to him, we went to the park and then, after giving Andrew the choice, our family made our way to Lowes. That's right. He wanted to spend his birthday looking at plants, flowers and other gardening tools. So, that's what we did. We came home and put the kids to bed early.

For his birthday, I bought and framed professional stills of Landshut, Germany. Yes, it was somewhat selfish on my end but he does, in fact, love them. He may urge me to delete this upcoming sentence, but it's touching to watch his eyes fill with tears when we speak of our time there.
Last year, in his honor, I wrote 25 reasons why I love him. If I were to mimic that idea today, it would sound very much the same. Instead, I'll add a 26th reason to last year's compilation.

#26. He's a problem solver. He looks at life, wondering how to make something simpler and/or more efficient. As he examined the hanging mechanisms of the frames I purchased, he muttered something about wishing it had come with a hanging wire. Without saying a word, he left the room. Ten seconds later, he returned with a thick piece of blue, electrical tubing. It was filled with wires.

"Where did you get that?" It was 10:00 pm. I had never seen the wire before. Truly, I was perplexed.

"The dumpster." He quickly explained. Of course. He went to the dumpster.

"Did you go outside just now?"

"No." he pauses a moment to dissect the wires. "I took it awhile ago; you know, just in case I ever needed it." Without having to add an, "I told you so" he quietly proved his point that his collection of junk, can in fact, be beneficial. Ten minutes later, the photos were hanging beautifully, thanks to wiring that had been scavenged out of a dumpster.

It's been eight years since I fell in love with Andrew James Flegal. He still fascinates me, challenges me and inspires me to be better. I love him very much. I thank my lucky stars that I took claim on the (excuse the cheese) treasure that he is before someone else discovered him. Thank you for choosing me back and loving me despite my weaknesses.