Happy Birthday!

PB,

Today is the day that marks 27 years that you have been a part of the world's population. Those years haven't all been easy, but they have all been chock full of experiences that made you into the man I love today. I'm so thankful for each every moment of those 27 years. Today brings you one step closer to the dreaded 30. And it blows my mind that we are this old. Seems like just yesterday you were turning 17. You've grown up in so many ways. The man I know today is obviously more mature by leaps and bounds. However, you're also caring, hardworking, charming, loyal, trustworthy, and brutally honest and accepting. You're my best friend. You're the only man I've ever met who cared enough about me to really listen. You're amazing in so many ways. Your words alone make my heart beat double time. You can fix any problem I have even from miles away. Your honesty floors me. Your acceptance of others intrigues me. Your kickbutt attitude and backwoods way of life entrance me. You're the toughest guy I know and the sweetest. And I love you more than words can say. I hope your birthday is beautiful.

Love always and forever,
Babygirl

Day 8: Love Myself

So, after being a slacker for DAYS on end, I decided to hop back on the horse and post a picture today. So I flitted over to Unexplained X2 to see what today's topic was ... only to realize that today is "Jeans I Love". To which I basically said, "Well, Crap!" I have a pair of jeans I love. They came from Target. I don't know where they are ... Nor do I want to be bothered to take a picture of them. So maybe my slacker tendencies will wane tomorrow. Until then, I'm linking up for Day 8 of the ....




  Go join up because today's topic is LOVE MYSELF 

 Before I tell you the things I love about myself, I feel as though you should be warned that I tend to be on the cocky side, and I admit to having narcissistic tendencies.

I love my blue eyes. It took me years to fall in love with them, but once I did there was no going back. I spent a lot of time around people like the nerd and Mr. PB, so in comparison to their Caribbean Sea blue eyes mine seemed unexciting. But before PB & I found each other again, I dated a string of guys who all complimented my pretty blue eyes. So one day I looked in the mirror and really SAW my eyes. And I was smitten.

My hair has always been my crowning glory. It's the one thing that will ALWAYS merit a compliment from a stranger. While my curls aren't this long anymore, they are still little miracles to most people. And those constant compliments make me love my hair and myself even on days when my hair and I are not on speaking terms. [which may or may not be VERY often ...]

The fact that I have more male tendencies than female. That's most commonly known as being a tomboy. And I love the fact that my attitude is about as far removed from being a girl as one can get. But I still love shoes and all things girly. I love where I fall on the gender scale. 

I love my quirky sense of humor. It's lost on most people, but it makes me happy. And I figure if I can make myself smile then who cares what those other slackers think.

I love my pale white skin. Actually, this one is still hard for me. My pale white skin and dark hair are an awful combination. And dating a man like PB makes me struggle with my paleness even more. PB is a suntanned demigod. And his whole family is OBSESSED with tanning. Tan, blond, blue-eyed beauties. I realize the world values dark skin and that I stick out like a sore thumb in contrast, but I'm learning to love myself anyways. My health is more important than dark skin, so I'll just be proud of my pale skin.

I love the fact that I look like a teenager. Seriously, this one has taken me YEARS to overcome, but I can honestly say now that I do love this. I love that my little round face and curly curls make me look years younger than I actually am! And yes I know that this is something I will love more later in life :)

I love my ankles, wrists, and hands. I realize that sounds strange, but they are honestly some of my favorite body parts. I have abnormally skinny fingers and (in my mind at least) perfectly shaped ankles. And a cute little freckle on my left wrist that helped me learn my right from my left. I love the scars on my hands from countless numbers of things. I love the way my right ankle pops every time I roll it for a reason unbeknownst to me. 

I love my boobs. I'm not gonna lie. They rock! And I'm super proud of them. I try not to think about how one day gravity and time will take away their perkiness ... But the thought of the changes they will go through in my lifetime makes me love them all the more in the here and now.

While admittedly, I love my physical attributes. I love my inner self more. I love that God provided me with Christian parents who instilled morals and values in me. I love my bossiness. I love my silly fears. I love my need to plan out every thing. I love my freak outs. I love my rollercoaster emotions. I love my inner strength. The guts that get me through the tough times. I love my ability to love others. I love my crazy dance moves. I love that I'm not married. I love that I don't want children. I love my silly antics. I love being a girl. I love my life, and I love who I am. 

 
What do you love about yourself?!?!

Day 3: Person You Love to Hate

Back for Day 3 of the photo challenge over at Unexplained X2!

Today's challenge is Person You Love to Hate.

Courtney from The Bachelor. I mean how can anyone SERIOUSLY like her?!?!

Source

Day 5: Love My Girlfriends

Welcome back to Day 5 of the

   Today is all about Le Girlfriends.You know those crazy girls who put up with you no matter what?I'll be honest. My personality limits the number of girlfriends I have. My closest friends are male. So I struggle to maintain female friendships. Regardless, I have a handful of amazing ladies who I'm proud to call my friends.

^^^ CP and I met via the internet. We've never met in person, but she rocks my world. She is one of the best friends a girl could possibly have. The two of us have been through all kinds of ups and downs: marriage, new boyfriends, cheaters, ex's, divorce, preteens, Love, deadbeats, assholes, and happiness! She puts up with my crappy friendship skills and still loves me unconditionally!

^^^ June is my sister and also my very best friend. We're two years apart, and there was a time when we were not close at all. But for the past 7-8 years we've been inseparable. She loves me even when I do the stupidest things. And she's always willing to listen to me drone on and on about feelings and such even though she hates all things mush related. She shares my sense of humor which makes life with her always fun.

^^^ Wifey (pictured in the cap and gown) has been one of my very best girlfriends since high school. We now live two states apart, but we still try to keep up with each other as much as possible. And when we do get together it's like we never left. We laugh and joke and swap stories like nobody's business!

^^^ I was lucky enough to work with K. She and PB have a long history (No, that's not PB above. That's K's son.) And her son and I grew up together. She's always around to lend an ear. She's like a second mother to me. Curious about all things and always eager to offer advice. The once a week lunch we spend together is always a delight!

And I searched and searched my computer for a picture of Boss Lady, but she's sneaky. Apparently, she managed to avoid EVERY picture I've ever taken. Boss Lady was at one point my boss, but she is no longer. However, in the three years we worked together, we became inseparable. Boss Lady is the best friend I have. She listens, judges, and tells me like it is. She keeps me laughing with her daily antics. Her daily life is a soap opera, but she handles it all with a smile. And when push comes to shove I know she's always there for me!

What about you? Is it easy for you to amass girlfriends? Who's your best friend? And why? (oooh I love "any why?" questions!!!)

Day 4: Weddings!

   Today is all about WEDDINGS!!!And you should all know that my Pinterest is devoted to weddings.So, here we go :)

Source: lemonandlavenderblog.com via Babygirl on Pinterest

^^^ Save the Date

Source: fishinthesky.com via Babygirl on Pinterest

^^^^ My Dress (maybe ... I'm leaning towards a halter top now.)

Source: greatweddingshoes.info via Babygirl on Pinterest

^^ Awesome shoes. And something blue!

Source: stylemepretty.com via Babygirl on Pinterest

^^^ Flowers? Maybe.

Source: emmalinebride.com via Babygirl on Pinterest

^^^ Love this idea.

Source: sears.com via Babygirl on Pinterest

^^^ I have a heart locket given to me by my Grandaddy. In it is a photo from my grandparents wedding day. I plan to add a photo from my Grandma/Grandpa's wedding day and then wear it when I walk down the aisle.

Source: caketopcity.com via Babygirl on Pinterest

^^^ I have kissing angels that are similar to this. They belonged to both sides of my family at some point and were used on my Mom and Dad's wedding cake. I want them to be my cake topper too.

Source: marthastewartweddings.com via Babygirl on Pinterest

^^^^ I think this idea is super appropriate since PB and I have sent so many letters back and forth.

Source: rusticweddingchic.com via Babygirl on Pinterest

^^^ Since we plan on having a simple small ceremony, we'd like to have a great big reception. The theme is backyard bash. Think a giant cookout with your closest friends. And I think this would be a great addition. My dad LOVES cornhole!

Source: stylemepretty.com via Babygirl on Pinterest

^^^ I think this is just super sweet. I couldn't have said it better myself.


So, now it's your turn. Jump on the bandwagon. Tell me about your wedding. Or tell me your ideas for your future wedding :)

Day 2: First Love

I'm joining up with Unexplained X2 for Day 2 of the photo challenge.

Our challenge today is First Love.

^^ This is Airman. He was the first man I truly lost my heart to. I loved him with my whole being and was downright convinced that he was the man I was supposed to marry and spend forever with. 

Boy, how times have changed!

Day 3: Valentine Outfit Ideas

  Valentine's Outfit Ideas!! Since Valentines for me will be spent at work ... And since my better half won't be here to celebrate.All my outfit ideas are festive but work appropriate! I love the colors in this one!   

Source: polyvore.com via Susan on Pinterest

Is that a bracelet or a necklace?!? Either way I love it!

Source: polyvore.com via Cara on Pinterest

I love this dress and the cotton candy pink accents!

Source: polyvore.com via Dawn on Pinterest

I think this one is my favorite! What an awesome color combination!

Source: polyvore.com via Christina on Pinterest

Now, if PB were home. I would definitely be rocking this. Isn't this the hottest "business attire" you've ever seen?!?!

Source: polyvore.com via Christa on Pinterest

Go join Amber, Neely & Casey to show off your outfit ideas!!

Day 1: Celebrity You Love

Today is the first day of February!!!

And in celebration of this month of love, I'm joining up with Unexplained X2 for a little photo challenge.

Today's challenge is a Celebrity You Love.

Taye Diggs! Which is a wee bit shocking to my friends. Because honestly he's about as far from my normal type as you can get, but good gracious he's HOT! 

Sadly this picture was not taken by me. It is courtesy of Google Images.

*** Will insert my awesome new Valentine siggy here (as soon as I get it uploaded ...) ***

Day 2: Worst Date Ever?

Welcome back for Day 2 of the 

  Today's topic is Love Telling this Bad Date Story AKA WORST DATE EVER.  And I admit that this one really wasn't easy for me. I've dated some super crummy guys ... but dates are in general positive experiences in my past. Very recently though I did go out on my first ever bad date. The problem with it was that it wasn't a great story. He just wasn't my type of guy, and I was just counting the seconds until I could leave. So, I'm changing the rules a bit and telling you random stories about the WORST BOYFRIENDS EVER!! 
WBE (worst boyfriend ever) Candidate #1: The Super Gentleman. Now see that doesn't sound like a bad thing at all does it?!!? But trust me it was awful. This guy was a bit TOO chivalrous. And no I didn't think that was possible, but it IS! We were both enrolled in our undergrad programs at a local college. After classes or when I got off work, he would gallantly show up wherever I was to walk me to my car. Which admittedly was really nice, however, once at my car he would open my door for me and then proceed to buckle me into my seat. Like I was a child. To say I didn't appreciate this would have been an understatement. One day SG brought some cherry cheesecake to me at work. Now I'm a nice girl so I didn't even tell him that I loathe cherries. I just ate the cheesecake and oohed and ahhed over it. I know that you were all a bit concerned about me eating cheesecake at work. You were probably thinking,"Oh my gosh, Babygirl, cheesecake is SOOO messy when you eat it with a fork. How did you manage?!!?" Well, not to worry, SG was kind enough to stand ready with a napkin and when I finished he proceeded to wipe my mouth ....Shortly after that, I proceeded to break up with him ....
WBE Candidate #2: The Jobless Dropout. I mean doesn't he sound like marriage material already. I know you're all just dying to get with him. (And if you seriously are then hmu because he's single as they get!). JD is a lazy bum whose spelling ability is worse than a third graders. However, even with my love of words/grammar/spelling, I wasn't offended by his meager vocabulary, by the constant synonym hunts, or by the decoding of text messages/letters/any written communication. I was offended by his lack of motivation. Mr. JD was quite the catch. You see he had dropped out of HS before ever making the varsity football team. He hadn't played in an organized sports league since then but was convinced that any day a NFL scout would knock on his door and BEG him to come play football. Goodhearted as he was, he promised that when that happened he would open a home for kids. After a few months of me paying for everything, working 40 hours a week, him doing a whole shitton of nothing, and I was fed up. Crazy dreams or not, I was out ...
WBE Candidate #3: The Wannabe Daddy. WD should have been the dream guy. I mean isn't "wants to have kids" on every girl's must have list. And WD definitely wanted kids. However, it quickly became apparent that he wasn't looking for a real relationship. He just wanted a baby. I thought I was off the hook when early in our relationship WD was informed by the local gov't that he was the baby daddy of some girl's kid. Unfortunately, the fact that she wasn't ready to admit that he was indeed the dad led him to beg for kids. It got to the point that I was no longer sure if he liked ME or if he liked my uterus. So maybe he wasn't the worst boyfriend ever! But it's a good possibility that he would have been the worst dad ever. So thankfully I hightailed it right on out of that relationship ... 

And while I have TONS of other candidates, I'll leave you with those three :)

Day 1: Best Date Ever!

Today, I'm joining up with Amber, Neely, & Casey to bring you the ...

   Today is all about the BEST DATE EVER!!! PB and I haven't had the most traditional of relationships which means that we haven't really gone on a lot of "dates". And before PB, my love track record was pretty grim. So, this topic is super difficult for me. Bad dates? Oh, I have PLENTY of stories about those. But the best date ever? Well, as much as I have loved every moment spent with PB ... my best date ever would have to be with my ex [BH]. In our 7 month relationship (that's a LONG time for me), he did this one thing right. And then proceeded to remind me for the next 7 months how awesome it was .... But regardless of that point it was awesome. And I will forever be grateful that he cared enough to make me feel SUPER special. Ok, ok, I'll get to the story.
To understand why this was special, you need to know a little about me.  FACT #1: My favorite holiday is my birthday. And yes, that's probably selfish. I love birthdays! Especially my own. I believe it is the best day of the year hands down. FACT #2: Until BH, I never seemed to be in a relationship ON my birthday. I always dated guys through their birthdays but never my own.FACT #3: If I did date a guy through my birthday, he would forget it was my birthday. Which is hard to do around me because I remind EVERYBODY for days on end ...FACT #4: I love milestone birthdays the most. I turned 13 in 2000 (the beginning of a new millennium) on Easter! I had a heck of a plan for my sweet 16 but ended up in the hospital for an appendectomy instead.FACT #5:I started dating BH the February before I turned 21 ...

I learned through the grapevine in early April that BH was planning a surprise party for my birthday. I didn't get my hopes up, but I didn't mind pitching in a few ideas ... While the night didn't turn out quite the way he planned, it was a fantastic evening. BH got together a great big group of my greatest friends and off we went to Olive Garden. BH was a baker so he brought in a cake. Our awesome waiter was a total flirt and SOOOO much fun! It was the perfect way to mark a milestone for a girl who doesn't drink.
After dinner, my bestie, my sister, BH, & I headed to WalMart because around here it's not an outing if you don't hit the WM. So there are TONS of silly photos from our Wal-Mart run .... here are a few.

Overall, it was one of the greatest nights EVER. And definitely the BEST date I've been on.Thanks, BH!! Of course (on a birthday not date note), I hope big 2-5 will be even more awesome!!!

Don't Care Attitude

Last week: The sick disease took over my body.

And I spent the week not caring about anything but sleep.

 But now I'm finally better and BACK!

My caring heart hasn't recovered yet.

Part of me is very saddened by this.

Valentine's is quickly approaching.

And I'm struggling to find the desire to want to continue in this backwards situation.

I miss PB. Dearly.

But today I just don't want to put in the effort.

I know that every relationship takes effort and work.

But today I just don't want to bother.

Does anyone else have days like this? Or is it just me?

It's Ok.

   In the days since my last post, I have reached the summit of the rollercoaster hill and have plummeted to the bottom. However, it is a new day, and I am on the upward climb once again.
And on that note, let's get down to it :)Go link up with Amber & Neely to join the fun!
IT'S OK ...
to hope and pray that my boss' printer gets fixed soon so that she will stay holed up in her office.
to dread the reality of needing a second job.
to postpone the job hunt for another week (or two).
to be in the market for a sushi buddy.
to find a long lost love for sci-fi and action movies.
to dearly miss my newly single friendboy ...
to be frustrated by the spirit of apathy in our youth group.
to eat pizza that you accidentally left sitting on the table over night.
to be informed by your boyfriend that your wedding colors MUST include blue.
to live for the weekends.
to check the weather before pulling on my suede boots (they're apparently NOT rainproof)
to seriously enjoy life.

Possum?!?! Really?!?!

5QF Guest Hosted By Kate's Life This Week

1. What's the last thing you bought for yourself? Lingerie. I'm addicted. It's insane. My bf is miles away, but I just can't stop buying these pretty little things.
2. What is your favorite meal on a cold winter day? Tomato Basil Soup and Grilled Cheese. Preferably from Five Star Day Cafe in downtown Athens.
3. Have you started looking at swimsuits for this year, and do you buy a new one every year? As much as I love lingerie, I absolutely abhor swimsuits. I don't want to think about these evil things for a few more months. Then I might break down and actually buy one. Or maybe I won't ...
4. If you could be any candy what would you be and why? Fudge. Because I could live in the mountains and everyone would love me. LOL at least that's my opinion on fudge ... because I only allow myself to buy it in the mountains. And who can resist that stuff .... yum!
5. What are you most passionate about? Life. The crew of teenagers that I've been blessed enough to lead this year. I'm passionate about their lives and their journey in the faith.


BONUS: What is your favorite thing to "pin" on Pinterest? Pretty words and wedding things. I know that my wedding is still a long, long way away ... but, hey, a girl can dream, right?!?!

1.   The last thing I ate was     a Baby Ruth candy bar   .

2.   The last song I listened to was    "Tater Fed" by Livewire thanks to Twelve who sent me a text that I HAD to listen to it. I can't say that I was overly impressed     .

3.  Using the letters in my name I can spell    {Babygirl} gab, gay, lay, ray, bay, bab, rabbi, baby, girl, rag, bag, lag, libby, glib, rig, big, blab     .

4.  If I had to dress in one color for the rest of my life I would pick     black. I could totally go goth if need be. My closet is FULL of black pieces .

5.  If you were to look in my bag right now you'd find    flashlight, receipts, keys, a pack of gum, bills, camera, umbrella, coupons, and  tons of other crap.  .

6.  When I finish filling in the blanks I'm going to    go get the mail  .

7.  My all time favorite song to dance to is  well I finally got to see the new Footloose last night so "Footloose" is still jamming in my head. But I love to dance to anything with a good dancing beat. Sexy and I Know It has been my jam for the past few weeks though I have to admit.

 
1. I have never eaten possum, shark, or bear meat.
2. I like to believe in the impossible.
3. If I could go back and change one thing, it would be my ignorance as a young teenager.
4. My greatest fear for my future is that I will spend life unhappy because I am out of God's will.

 

Letter Miracles

A miracle happened this week.

Tuesday, I got a letter.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the kind of letter that leaves me so giddy that I'm dancing around the house.

It left me irritated and disappointed after reading it.

Business was taken care of, but no reassurance was given.

No over the top declarations of love were made.

That was not a miracle.

I spent Wednesday in a funk ...

until I got home and opened the mail box 

to find ANOTHER letter.

In the entirety of this long distance chapter of our lives I have NEVER gotten two letters in one week!

I danced around the house just because it was amazing to get a new letter.

Then, I got worried as I opened it.

What if it was just like the last one? What if I was disappointed again?

Would I be able to handle that? Would I want to continue if all our communication left me upset?

I slowly opened the envelope and pulled out 3 sheets of lined notebook paper.

And after reading through the first page, I was smiling.

When I finished the letter, I did a little happy dance.

And then tucked it away to read again.

Or maybe it will find it's way into a post soon ....

whose to say.