Triple Gasp

1.whhhaaa?- this is my second post in one week?
2. huh? -- i opened a cover to a book (you know, the paper kind) for the first time in over a year?
3. shwaat? -- this post will not be about piper?

Gasp, i know. Which one surprises you the most? To me, one stands out significantly...kind of like when my sister and I got lost in downtown ghetto-fied KC in a navy blue Ford Aerostar van. Needless to say, we were a bit out of place. If you haven’t guessed yet, it is gasp #2. If you know me at all, you know I LOVE books. Not only do I enjoy reading them, but I also love to collect them. My dream --one of my dreams-- is to one day have a study with walls lined in bookcases, filled with glorious leather-bound books! Maybe even a ladder with wheels that i can dance and frolick around on (are you picturing Belle from ‘Beauty and the Beast’ yet?).
There was a time in my life where I read a book a week, sometimes on top of all my assigned reading. On a summer trip to the lake, I was known to all the vacationers as the “Harry Potter girl.” I had my nose so far in that book I couldn’t tell where it began and I ended, or something like that. This was especially true when I moved to San Angelo,TX to be with Ian while he was in tech-school. In the beginning I knew NO ONE, so I filled my hours and days with reading. This was exactly opposite of what I was used to as I have been extremely blessed in my life to have an abundance of wonderful, caring, and close friends. Moving away from all those friends was strange and difficult albeit one of the best decisions I have ever made. It gave Ian and I the chance to grow our love (gross and sappy...) and I digress...
Books! Yes, I was talking about books. I am proud to say I have once again ignited my passion for reading. Although it is a repeat book, it has inspired me to remember myself. I have felt intellectually empty for sometime. Getting up, going to work, playing with Piper (my favorite part of the day), making dinner (ahem, lately this consists of cooking a frozen pizza or heating up green beans), and finishing up the night zombie-ing through Facebook while watching Netflix just isn’t cutting it. Instead of falling deeper into my darkening black abyss of a brain, I decided to simply flip a page. I’m starting with one of my favorite books, “Great Expectations,” by Charles Dickens. Honestly, I do not know why I love this book so. Perhaps it is the classic, unseemingly tragic, yet touching love present in this book. It could also be my affinity towards endearing underdogs who win your heart with their meekness (and I mean that without the negative connotations the word “meek” can often invoke). Whatever the reasons may be, this book makes me feel good. And so I will read it. Again. For the fourth time.

****WARNING: Please be advised that the movie with Gwenyth Paltrow and that guy who used to be in movies but has since been absent and whose name escapes me is NOT, and I repeat, NOT a substitute for the book. It may or may not be the worst adaptation of book-to-movie I have ever witnessed.****

And so I leave you, now go and BOOK IT. Maybe I’ll even send you a pin and a gold star every time you finish a book. I hope you know what comes after 10 gold stars...a personal pan pizza, covered in melty, delicious cheese! If that doesn’t make you want to read, you are weird.

my bent, but not broken, copy of "Great Expectations."

CAKE!

I have realized I have to be extremely focused and motivated to start a blog-post. And I mean that exactly, START a blog-post. I have started many posts in my --short-- blogging history, and then realized five hours later after returning to my computer that I never finished it. What is the solution...complete it, right? Nope. My solution is "click the red 'x' in the upper right corner and maybe do it another day." I should have known this when I began the task of blogging with my history of concentration issues.

Every time I began a paper in college, I had to first arrange my desk. Ahh, but first, I had to find THE perfect desk in the library. Then I organized all by books or research, found the "perfect" pen to take notes, and got my ruler out to make sure my computer was equal distance from all sides of the desk (o.k., that one was a stretch). O.C.D., you may ask? More like avoidance. Trying to do anything but dive into some research and concentrate on a paper that would never be done! Well, after all my weird pre-paper rituals, I would eventually begin that paper and read, research, and write like nobodies business and FINISH a damn good paper. So, now I will take that confidence into my blogging ventures and perhaps inspire some readers like I did all my professors...hahaha, right...

So now as my house is silent, (besides the Nickel Creek softly playing in the background-- if you haven't heard of them, please do so immediately.) I will begin a post of a huge monument, Piper's First Birthday!

Piper's 1st Birthday

I can not believe how fast a year goes by these days. I frankly can not tell you what we even did this past year. I do know one thing, we were able to enjoy it with the sweetest child ever made (partiality is one thing parents acquire and can use at will). Piper is so many things; loving, cuddly, friendly, independent, but also timid. She makes me smile constantly and sometimes I miss her when she takes naps. Do I ever wake her up, H-no. At the same time, I cherish nap times (so i can BLOG!, riight...). Anyways, back to Piper. We decided to celebrate her 1st birthday with a quaint bar-be-que in our "backyard." We live in a townhouse and our yard consists of rocks, but we made it work and enjoyed having many of our friends and family in attendance! I find that when in doubt, just make sure there is a lot of food to entertain people, it works on me!

rob and janet came all the way from kansas! (a cute little red-headed kid may have inspired them as well...)

happy birthday song! notice, piper's WTF face.

she was being very dainty with her cake...

so mommy stepped in and showed her how it's done.

result: cake fists.

re-blog

I have failed miserably at this whole blogging experience. I'm not sure if it didn't peak my interest or if it was my hesitance to post our family online. I mean, come on, what does our family have to share with this information over-loaded world we live in. It makes me think why I really wanted to start a blog in the first place. Was it for me, was it for others, was it to "stay in the game" with all the other moms out there? Well, what ever the case is, I know this blog will help to chronicle our family and our precious memories, something else I am horrible at....so here I go...

what better way to start re-blogging?

Piper's 1st Birthday! (coming soon)