Happy 30th Birthday!

Happy 30th Birthday to my wonderful Husband!

I am so happy that I get to spend this special day with you. I hope you get everything you want because you deserve it! Looking forward to opening presents with you later tonight, and having dinner and drinks! You are my best friend and the love of my life. I look forward to celebrating many, many more birthdays with you. I love you!!!

P.S. You are looking darn good for "Dirty Thirty!"

7 Quick Takes

— 1 — I've been in a writing slump lately, but I'm still around snooping out your blogs. I finally got off my butt (or on my butt, actually, since I sit down to type) and finished posting about my travels in Arkansas. Just in time for my travels in Oregon at the end of this month with my mom!
— 2 —My husband is turning 30 - THIRTY - on Monday. So glad I am still 24, he likes to call me his young wife. Thirty is a pretty big birthday, and I hope I am able to make it fun! He's got lots of presents, and we are going out to lunch tomorrow with his family, dinner with friends that night, and then hopefully my family on Sunday. If nothing else, he will be well fed.
— 3 —I was about to write about how much I love having my cup of coffee when it's nice and cold outside, but then I took a sip of it...and my mind said "Soap?" because that was kind of the flavor I got. Hmmm. Pretty sure I used Gingerbread.
 — 4 —I tried to go jogging about 2 weeks ago. By tried, I mean I did actually go with my husband and I did jog between bouts of walking. And I've pretty much been in bed ever since then. Apparently UC and jogging do not mix. Lesson (painfully) learned. — 5 — I only take photos at the Zoo. It's better than no photos, right?
— 6 —I am officially planning the Bachelorette Party for my friend Jennifer - we are headed to Las Vegas June 1-3. World, you have been warned.
 — 7 —It's rained here the last 2 days - this morning we were woken up by lightning flashes and the sounds of thunder shaking our bedroom window. It is currently blowing like a tempest outside, and is 46 degrees. Did I mention this apartment has no insulation? I think I need another pair of socks. 

The Arkansas Traveler: Part II

Mimi and Papa's house, built out of the sandstone local to the area.

The storm cellar. Mimi says of it, "I'd rather die in my house, thank you very much."

Papa's room. It's a serious man cave.

Arkansas Bonfire. That would be a 30ft tree on fire that we roasted weenies (hot dogs for you non Southern folk) on. And no one calls the fire department when you do this.

Cows obstructing traffic. Never seen this in Southern California.

Went to investigate the history of my Cherokee ancestors!

Apparently the population is now 1,600. It's big time!

Shelli's horse is named Turtle.

Hannah (second cousin), me, Christian, Raigan (Tra's wife), Tra (second cousin), Logan (second cousin), and Brittany (Logan's fiancee).

And now, I present to you, a very large cannon. It's very loud so check your speakers. At the end though, if you turn it up, you can hear the men talking concernedly that it did not fire correctly. That was when I went into the building, thank-you-very-much.

The Arkansas Traveler: Part I

My first glimpse of Arkansas. "There's a lotta trees. And it's kinda flat."

Uncle Jim's bird dogs. All they do is hunt - these are not pets. Hard for a city girl to understand!

Cousin Shelli's log cabin.

Deer box. I guess you shoot the deer from up there.

Walking in the woods, dressed like Californians.

Uncle Jim's Mexican cows.

Christian learning to rope at sunset on the mechanical bull, aka "Robo Steer"

Street named after my family.

Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa - my Dad's Mimi & Papa

The only store in Decatur pretty much. You buy everything here, from guns to diapers.