Jumping the shark

After years of threatening to throw Spencer the World's Most Awkward Surprise Party with only people he sorta-kinda knows on the invite list, he went behind my back and actually threw me a real one.
What a jerk.

The only 2 items on the night's agenda were to (1) eat crusty food then (2) sit around and ridicule me,
with everyone I love in attendance, plus a special surprise guest flown in all the way from Midwest, USA.
I may have cried, but I can't be certain. 

It was one of the best, most overwhelming feelings ever. Which feels like a gross understatement, but there's really no other words for suddenly being faced with the reality that all of the people you love most, not only kinda-sorta like you back, but really know and understand who you are - right down to your quirky eating habits and favorite trashy television shows.

It was perfect,

perfect in every possible way that matters.

Now a week later, reading the party planning emails and I'm feeling just as touched by them as I did at the Roast itself. - I've summarized the highlights of the correspondence below for posterity's sake (no, that's funny. I just did it for me).

S: ok girls. i need some help planning a 30th birthday for kayleen.

this much i know: she enjoys a crowd, likes loud and inappropriate conversation, and i'm pretty sure she'd want to be wearing a tiara on her special night. actually i'm positive. who can get us a tiara???  

S: a roast of some sort would be fun... what awkward stories personality quirks/flaws/etc. can we all ridicule her for? ... don't be shy. 

Aft: I know Kay's would love a good roasting... I've heard her make the comment that she would love a reason for people to get together and talk about her. 

Ty: This looks promising. 

Sar: i think you need to celebrate what kays loves...

a theme party where everyone dresses up like one of the real housewives and she has to guess who's who, she likes uncomfortable things, any game that encourages lying, cocktails (monster+lemonade), and friends. 

M: crusty food she likes... beef jerky, gummy bears, Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids, soft pretzels, monster/Mtn dew cocktail, taco bell tacos.  

C: a giant game of mafia - and we all agree to get super into it,
or we just set up a table with a giant puzzle and let her have at it,
or a really uncomfortable game of "would you rather ... ?"

D: housewives playing in the background, abernethy on skype, a birthday song solo from me complete with an interpretive dance to go along with it... a mean game of mafia (or any other game that makes people squirm in their seats) 

S: ...who can we get a tiara from?! 

J: i'll spare you my witty rhetoric and just offer a resounding "here, here" to all the afore mentioned replies. 

S: ...she's been joking about a surprise party for years. But, no worries. She doesn't suspect a thing. She's so duuuuummmbbb!!!

That's love, friends. Real love.

   

Now we're here and now is fine

Sometime around the end of last month Spencer and I celebrated a whole nine years of he and I, me and him, togethery usness over a plate of chicken and waffles.
It was as grand as we'd prefer it.

I'm forever intrigued by the unique dynamic a relationship develops over time; how a couple fights, what their daily ebb and flow is like. It's a balancing act proven difficult to fine tune. That interests me.
There's also this sort of whimsical allure I feel at the idea of two very distinct personalities finding a way to mold pieces of themselves together into a seemingly third singular identity. A pair.

So in regards to us, he and I, the ideal would to always be much more of a pair now than the year past, but not ever as much of a pair we hope to be by the year next.

I like the thought of that.
You are one in a million (I love you so), 
let's watch the flowers grow.

Happy Christmas Face

from the Reeds

  

hey you summertime

in stripes and 110 degree heat.


i don't need to explain to any mother how long summer days are.
they just are.
and it was by the end of this one that our house wasn't near big enough for myself and all three of them at once so the unruly little chicks were politely booted out back.
i later glanced up through the kitchen window to find them standing there together, huddled around the wooden swing that hangs from our pecan tree while all three busily chased the pink ice cream running over the tops of their cones to their fingers and hands.
small graces.

the sun only held them a few moments more before our summer ended and i called them back in.

pizzas off the grill with guilt-free drinks and spinning hooray for earth - true loves

  

i'm still, i'm still an animal

months ago my cousin likened her to a kewpie doll.
i was offended until this picture. and now, well...okay.

war is over

picking up the camera was second thought this holiday, which was nice not to really mess with it.
we loved being with each other, sorely missed some, gave thanks for the many blessings in our lives, and really did give those mario&luigi matching pajama sets to the boys - but in my defense, we had a theme.
let there be peace on earth,
and let it begin with me.

happy christmas face 2010

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and here


happy christmas face to you, friends, from all of us.

love like a sunset

day 50

i came down with something nasty last night and haven't left my bed since.
sometime early this morning, amidst a high fever and my i-swear'i've-never-felt-this-sick-in-my-entire-life dramatics, we decided s would have to miss all of his church duties for the day to stay home with the kids.

i woke up hours later - claiming i was for sure going to die soon - to a spotless house, reorganized kitchen&pantry, and a fridge so clean i'm no longer embarrassed to tell friends where to get a drink from.

then later i overheard him say under his breath how much he still loves our (way too tiny thousand sq ft) house,
and how this has been the best day ever.

ha! 

this just further proves what i've always known (1) he would make a way better housewife than i ever could and (2) i married so right.

  

today is a good day

day 48

there's nothing extra in life i'll ever think i need.
i know that,
but then there's the moments where i actually feel that. - when everything around me feels completely complete.

today was a really good day.

falling leaves

day 47

i let him pick out anything he wanted,
and he chose an umbrella.
then he sat under our tree for close to half an hour waiting for it to rain leaves.
i love him so much.

life is

day 46

i missed you for twenty nine years

day 92

text from little sister: the next time you see mom please have her tell you the story of how she went down to the tea party rally today in downtown phoenix. dropped off. by herself. then walked 16 blocks down jefferson to ride the lightrail home. you'll die.

she had my father drop her off on a whim when they happened to drive by the rally.
and apparently she made friends all along the way with people most of us would veer away from.
none of this surprises me about my mother. she's got heart.
and is about as good a person as they come.

  

now he can finally wear those teeny tiny running shorts with some actual ownership

Day 89

One of my favorite memories is looking over to see bjork standing next to me wearing the same all grey new balances as I was wearing - circa 2000, in the nyc.


This memory tops that one.

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swimming in november

day 87

arizona, my love...(post here)

  

o: if life moved backwards it would be tomorrow.

day 84/83 (life moving forward/backward)

me: you mean yesterday?
o: yeah, that's it. yesterday.

that's deep, brother.

  

kehl springs - 2010

day 83. let us run where we want to run.

happy is

day 77

this is our genesis

day 76

spencer and i recently spent some time in the pacific northwest. and in spite of our bank account seeing red a mere 2 days in, it was a wonderful trip.
even the 24+ hrs we spent either fighting or grossly flirting with each other all in front of his little sister and co. was still a real good time. - for us. not a good time for chelsea and her family obviously.
as a couple, we make people uncomfortable. don't invite us to vacation with you.

   

i read bad poetry into your machine

day 74

happy first birthday, jonah girl.

you've only ever been easy to love.

i'm sure this video has brought up some burning questions:
yes. we're usually this homeless.
yes. even on special occasions.
no. gift giving is nowhere near our love language radar. yes, sarcasm apparently is.

  

standing at the punch table swallowing punch

day 71

baby c-dub.


our baby girl will be a year old in 3 weeks.
i really wish i didn't love newborns as much as i do, but there's just nothing better than those first 2 months.
swaddled, immobile and lingering remnants of that new car smell.
i'm realizing that being around them right now could pose a potential threat to my sanity later. please remind me of that. - they grow up, kayleen. they always grow up.
funny how we allow ourselves to forget.