still just me

I guess now that I'm 23, I'm supposed to be another year older and another year wiser...but mostly, I'm just another year of being me. Still trying to figure out whether I'm a bid kid or little adult. Most days I feel like a good mix of the two, thankfully. I'm just grateful for all those who made yesterday special for me. Birthdays are always wonderful when you have such awesome friends and family like I do. I'm really looking forward to Saturday: a great cookout, cupcakes, time with my our girls and a bonfire to seal the deal!

{23}

bathtime

Sometimes the most mundane tasks can be the most magical moments. 

{FQF: Feat. Just Add Glitter & Stir}

ED: Sorry for the FQF delay - apparently, me and my blog editor don't always see eye to eye on things! I say "schedule post" and he says "bite me, woman"  - what's a girl to do? 

Another Friday, another FQF post! Here is the lovely Maggi from Just Add Glitter & Stir - Maggi and I have a lot in common and I love to read her blog. Seeing her girls always reminds me of my girls, so it's impossible not to love her! She's insanely crafty and has this immense light of love surrounding her. Make sure you swing by her blog, Just Add Glitter & Stir, and tell her I sent you! 


Take it away, Maggi! 


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{What has been your favorite moment of 2011 so far?}
Definitely the birth of my second daughter, Zippy in May.  I was worried since her big sister took her time getting here but Zippy earned her nickname for a reason! lol  She's been a joy to us and her big sister Toot adores her.  That's my favorite moment of 2011 so far...that and Starbucks bringing back their pumpkin spice latte...

{Name your biggest pet peeve.}
Other drivers...they "drive" me nuts. harhar  Seriously, use your signal, turn right in less than 5 minutes and get out of my way...I of course, am a perfect driver. :P


{What holiday is your favorite? Least favorite?}
My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.  I cook dinner over at my house, been doing it for years now.  I love having everyone come over, relax, be with each other and eat until we're sick.  lol  There's just something about Thanksgiving that gets me.  Christmas is definitely a close second however.  I don't really have a least favorite holiday.  Holidays are so fun, you always have something to look forward to!  But if I have to choose, I guess I'll say Arbor Day.  What have trees ever done for me, I ask you? :P


{Do you believe in ghosts?}
If by "ghosts" you mean like Ebenezer Scrooge then...no.  If you mean "ghosts" like Casper the Friendly then...no.  But if you mean "ghosts" as in "I ain't afraid of no ghosts" then...yes.



{Name five living people (famous or not) you would like to meet.}
Hmmmm...I've met so many awesome bloggers online, I would love to meet them all in person one day!  
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Thank you, Maggi! Be sure to check out Maggi at her site, Just Add Glitter & Stir

officially unofficially not very but oh so close to being cool

My awesome husband got me the most awesome anniversary present ever Sunday. I have a slight obsession with sunglasses, especially Wayfarer-esque sunglasses. I have about a dozen or more knock-off pairs. But my baby? My man? He got the real deal.

Rayban Wayfarers. And if that wasn't awesome enough? He got me the fold-up kind.

I devote myself to them him.

I'm feeling very Tom Cruise - Risky Business meets Don Henley - Boys of Summer, all kinds of glorious awesome cool up in here. Thank you, dear husband!

Breaking It Down: Hold My Hand

With a little love and some tenderness

Okay we're off to a good start here, although I'd prefer a lot of love and more tenderness.

We'll walk upon the water, we'll rise above the mess

Wait, you mean like Jesus? Cool, I'm down with that. I'd rather walk above this mess than clean it any day.

With a little peace and some harmony

This is feeling very religious right about now. Are you preaching to me?

We'll take the world together, we'll take them by the hand

Who are we taking by the hand? I thought this was just supposed to be me and you. I'm not down for more than some one-on-one action.

'Cause I've got a hand for you

Well now I'm wondering what it is exactly you want me to do with that hand.

'Cause I wanna run with you

Now where are we going? All of this world travel is making me very tired. Making me tired isn't going to inspire me to do anything with that hand of yours.

Yesterday, I saw you standing there.

Okay, creeper. Do you do this sort of thing often?

Your head was down, your eyes were red, no comb had touched your hair

Well, excuse me, asshole. It's called a hangover. I had just woken up and had to be at McDonald's in ten minutes or else I'd never get my Egg McMuffin and this bitch can't live without her morning McMuffin. Next time, I'll remember your creeping eyes are watching me and I'll brush my hair, okay?

I said, "Get up and let me see you smile"

Again, there's no need for to be so damn pushy. I'm waiting on my McMuffin and I'll get up when I feel like it.

"We'll take a walk together, walk the road awhile"

The last thing I want to do right now is go for a walk around the world with you and your hand. Didn't you hear me? I'm hungover as hell right now.

'Cause I've got a hand for you

Listen mister, you can take your hand and shove it where the sun doesn't shine. Wait, hold that thought-

'Cause I wanna run with you

I'm not running anywhere, dude. I'm fat and hungry and too tired to think at this point.

Won't you let me run with you?

Hell to the no.

Hold my hand.

.....

Hold my hand

Just because you keep asking, doesn't mean I'm going to say yes

Hold my hand

Okay, if I hold your hand will you shut the hell up?

See I was wasted and I was wasting time

Why didn't you tell me you were wasted, too? We could've saved a lot of time with the stupid conversation if you'd admitted it up front.

'Til I thought about your problems, I thought about your crimes

What crimes? The only problem I have right now is your stalking ass getting in between me and my Egg McMuffin

Then I stood up and then I screamed aloud

Great, now everyone is looking.

"I don't want be part of your problems, don't want to be part of your crowd"

Back off, mister, you're the one who came here begging to hold my hand and shit.

'Cause I've got a hand for you

And I'm about to slap you across the mouth with my left hand, bro

'Cause I want to run with you

I'm about to run over you if you don't leave me the hell alone

Hold my hand

No

Hold my hand

Eat me

Hold my hand

Really, dude?

I want to love you the best that, the best that I can

I think you might be bi-polar. Maybe I should take you to the doctor or something. Wait, here's my Egg McMuffin. I think I'll just leave now, if that's okay with you.

Hold my hand

Dear mother of g-d, go away.

Hold my hand

I'm leaving now.



{Hootie & the Blowfish -- Hold My Hand}

{5 blogging tips from a non-expert}

You would think that as I approach the 3-year anniversary of this blog, I would have things all figured out by now. But you'd be wrong. You'd be so incredibly wrong.

Blogging is an evolutionary process, one that can be hard to figure out sometimes. I definitely wouldn't say I'm a pro or that I've even managed to work out all the kinks of blogging. But I feel really confident in saying I've learned A LOT. And I feel it's my blogging duty to share what I've learned with the class. So pay attention, kiddies.

#1 - Your blog should be 100% you.
What I mean is this: when people read your blog, are they reading about the real you or the "you" you want them to see? Are you a genuine blogger? Are you honest? Are you real? This is not my endorsement to be an open book 24/7 with your blog; I'm merely saying, be yourself. If you want people to really relate and connect with you, you have to open enough to let others in. Don't hide the pictures you think aren't perfectly perfect. Don't not tell the embarassing story about farting during dinner (or worse, sex, gasp!) Don't lie about who you are and what you believe in. Dr. Suess said, "Today you are you, that is truer than true, there is no one alive who is youer than you" - LIVE IT.

#2 - Read your words before you hit "publish".
This is a big problem I have with blogging. I'm such an instant gratification kind of person, it kills me to write a blog post, read back over it, edit it and then publish it. I write at the speed of lightening and hit publish before I can blink. Then a few weeks or months later when I'm mulling over old posts I start noticing a million typos or sentences that don't make sense. Read your blog to yourself after you write it (or as you write it, as I've started to do recently) - take the time to edit your posts and make sure what you're trying to say is coming across loud and clear. So much is open for interpretation when we deal with black and white text; the things we mean don't always come out the way we mean for them to. Be a little blog editor and make sure the quality of your writing is in the details, too.

#3 - Get out there and network!
I've said it a hundred times before and I'll say it again. Social networking is all about the actual "networking". You can't expect people to follow your blog and feel inclined to comment if you aren't out there doing the exact same thing. I encourage you to go through your blogroll, delete the blogs that are stale to you or that you don't feel connected to anymore, and get out there to find some new blogs. A really great way to get linked up with other bloggers (in my opinion) is to check out the sponsors on your favorite blog (it doesn't have to be a popular blogger, a lot of really great but not-so-well-known bloggers have sponsors, too!) A lot of times, these are people who really care about their blogs (they care enough to pay for an ad for people to see) and they have really great blogs in the making. Search your friends on Twitter, go through your followers list and read about their lives, DO THE LEG WORK! It makes this entire process that much more enjoyable.

#4 - Post pictures and keep posts to the point.
This is my opinion, again, so if you disagree - it's all good. I think pictures make a post 10x better. Maybe it's because I'm such a visual learner, but I love to read a story and have pictures to go along with that. Some people feel uncomfortable posting their life photos online, and I completely understand. There are some really cute pictures of my girls that I would love to share with the world, but because there are total creeps out there I refuse to show my little naked babies (although every once in awhile a picture is just too cute not to share!) If you have a photo to include in your post, I say go for it! Or find one that ties into your post from Flickr or WeHeartIt or Pinterest. Spice up the text a little! And speaking of text, keep your posts on track as much as possible. I get off topic a lot. I mean, A LOT. It's hard not to go down bunny trails and stay on subject. Believe me, I know. But this is where editing really comes into play again. You have to "hear" your blog through another person's ears. If you were to read your posts out loud sometimes, it would absolutely mortify you to think you sound that way. Sometimes, it doesn't even make sense! Try to focus each post on the point you're making and make it as easy as possible for everyone to follow along with you.

#5 - Enjoy yourself.
If you're not having any fun blogging, how can you expect others to have fun reading your blog? Life is hard, and it's really easy to blog about all the nastiness and ugly and hurt. It's absolutely, 100% okay to use your blog as a healing place, a place to sort your thoughts and get the input of others. I do that here on my blog all the time. But I try not to focus on that constantly; I try to look for the good surrounding me and blog about that. Have fun with your blog, share funny stories and silly photos. Everyone will enjoy themselves more if you keep things more on the positive side rather than focusing on the negative all the time, believe me.

So there you go*, five little tips to better blogging from a blogging expert. Who's not really an expert. Yet.


*See? I mess up on my posts even when I'm giving you all advice! That's the beauty of blogging, it's an imperfect journey. That part, I am an expert at.

lately

Watching "The Big Chill" with my little lady -- and yes, I watch movies with the captions on!

The weather these past few days has been AMAZING!

Just a little bit of shadow fun...

Sidney and her BFF/BF Logan :D

My bright-eyed girl

Class on the weekends sucks...I can't wait to see Nov. 30th get here!

Y'all know what time it is!!

RJ in profile. Love those little hands.

I'm telling you, AMAZING weather. It's been glorious. I hate to see winter come.

Yes, I'm counting down 'til my birthday. Not too much longer!

Pizza birthday lunches with a new *friend* of the family :D

My sweet darling and me!

{happy anniversary}

I was looking through old photos of me and Justin trying to find one I liked enough to include in this post. At first I kept looking through the sweet ones and the "kissing" ones -- but I quickly realized that's not the everyday reality of us. We're goofy, odd -- people openly tell us how we're not a normal couple (whatever normal is). It would feel weird to include a picture-perfect, lovey-dovey picture in this post. Because 98% of the time, that's just not us.

We're more like this:

{2008}

 

And this:

{2008}

 

I think those that know us would say this is an accurate description of us:

{2008}

 

 

 

 

Apparently he has a closed-eye problem:

{2009}

 

I'm fairly certain we couldn't take a good picture if our lives depended upon it:

{2009}

 

There's a million and one more pictures I could show you. It's amazing how much we've changed since 2003. We were just sophomores when we started dating on Sept. 19th, 2003 -- then six years later we tied the knot, Sept. 19th, 2009. And now here we are, two years married and eight years together, Sept. 19th, 2011. Sometimes I can't believe we've made it this far; g-d knows there were plenty of ups and downs along the way. But here we are.

Two years. Two beautiful daughters. Two crazy kids still in love.

{2011}

 

And sometimes we even get the "sweet" parts right.

Tomorrow is our anniversay. Two years married, eight years together. It's been an incredible journey -- one I'll write about a little more tommorrow.

Today, we spent an amazing day together -- lunch and shopping and Starbucks and an afternoon filled with playtime with the girls. I couldn't imagine a better day with a better man by my side.

I got my first pair of Rayban Wayfarers today!!

Such a good husband.

it's been a good Saturday

Me and the girls and a little "team spirit" -- they spent most of the day with their Papa, so I worked extra hard to get in the cuddles with them this evening!!

{FQF: Feat. You Are My Fave}

I'm sorry I missed last Friday's FQF post -- with the wedding, it was bonkers and I barely had time to think! We're back to your regular scheduled programming now.

Today our lovely guest blogger is Melanie from You Are My Fave. I have been following Melanie's blog since I first started mine two years ago. She's the absolute sweetest lady and can help you plan any party with style and ease. She's got an amazing cardigan collection and loves confetti. Who could resist such a peach?

Be sure to stop by You Are My Fave and tell her I sent you!

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{What is the last movie you saw in theaters? Thumbs up or down?}

Crazy Stupid Love - I give it a thumbs up (except for one story line that made me cringe). I loved the ensemble and there were plenty of moments I was chuckling about (my husband too!). If you see it, be prepared to hear women hollering at the screen and to walk away with a major crush on Ryan Gosling.

{What is your best childhood memory?}

My memory is not great. I seem to remember these really insignificant moments (like being yelled at because my new socks were dirty) more than the ones that should count. I do remember summers of wearing my swimsuit everyday and riding my bike around fondly. 

{Who is your style icon?}

I love how classy Kate Middleton always looks and she dresses modestly too! No wonder she's the princess.

{Do you collect anything? What is it?}

It's hard for me to resist party supplies. When I first stumbled upon Martha Stewart's party line at Joanns I camped out in the isle for hours. 

{As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?}

A professional chocolate taster. A make-up artist. A breakfast restaurant owner. A mom.

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Melanie can be found over at her blog You Are My Fave. 

{If you would like to be a featured guest blogger, send me an email -> maryruthcan(at)hotmail(dot)com}

don't let the blogging blues get you down

There have been many times over the past few years where I feel myself losing steam with this whole blogging scenario. I start having all these unimportant and irrational thoughts.

"No one reads my blog - why bother keeping it?"
"Do people really care about this sort of thing?"
"I'm so boring."
"I'm not as good as other, bigger, better bloggers."

It's an endless, mind-chattering cycle of useless self-conversations. Who cares if no one reads my blog? Who cares if I'm not very funny or entertaining? Who cares if I have a small following - or no following at all? Why am I basing my happiness and success rate on the interaction I have with others? Shouldn't this blog be about me and what I want and how I feel?

And the answer is, DUH! YES!

There have been so many times I've gone back through my archives just to read up on the daily life stuff that happened two years ago. There's a 101 little moments I forget about in the day-to-day shuffle of life; this blog helps me remember. It makes me smile. It documents all these magical moments in my life, with my husband, with my children, with my friends - moments I never want to forget. And I don't have to, all thanks to this little blog of mine.

I can assure the feeling I get inside, all warm and fuzzy and wonderful, is 100x better than any feeling I get when a post receives a bunch of hits or comments. Don't get me wrong, I love my readers and those who feel inclined enough to comment on my posts (I honestly try to respond to every single comment, promise!) -- thank you, to those who come here and read and feel a connection to me. I feel very connected to all of you. But I can't rely on you to make me want this blog, to make me appreciate this space. I have to do that all on my own, with or without readers.

My advice to you: don't let the hoopla and hustle of the ever-changing blog world get you down. Write down your little moments, no matter how boring or mundane they seem at the time. I promise you, some things you will forget. And as long as you put them out there, you'll always have a virtual reminder of a time "way back when". You'll never regret those moments; and if you do regret them, you'll always have a way of reminding yourself not to get to that place again.

Thank you blog, for being my little recorded slice of life.

A thank-you note to my HHR

You and I have shared nearly 123,000 miles together over these last five years. You're always filthy, trash piled up in every nook and cranny. You get great gas mileage but I keep having to replace the brake pads; maybe that's my fault, not yours.

You listen to me sing as loud as I want to any music that I want. You never complain. You've been with me through wrecks and heartbreaks, happiness and fights. You've taken me down roads I've never been before, been there with me when I was lost and had no cell service. You've picked up friends, drove across states to see familiar faces with me. You've let me cry and lean on you when I couldn't break down in front of anyone else.

You always remind me I'm running late but somehow get me where I need to be. You're neglected but still you push on. You hold my babies, my most precious cargo, their toys and blankets and dreams laid out on your backseat. You hold so much to be so little.

You never let me down, except for when you can't help yourself. You've been backed into things, slammed into guardrails, driven under fences and left in the snow. You watch me ride around with the windows down pondering the beauty of life and nature and you always play what I need to hear on your radio when I need to hear it most.

You are the best, and even though I look forward to moving on to something bigger and better, you've been my companion, my constant for almost six years. I can't imagine moving on, letting you go. There's no one quite like you. And for that I think you. Thanks for being there for me. You see me at my most vulnerable, the real me. The one who sings at stoplights and unbuckles her pants when they're too tight. The one who's not afraid to fart or burp in (if no one is riding with us); the one who can't not tear up at Darius Rucker songs and Lady Gaga songs. You see me every day and you accept me completely. Why can't the rest of the world be like that?

Thanks little Chevy -- if I lived near a levy, I'd totally drive you there, too.

graciously rubbing it in...

My kids are golden.

I am so lucky, sometimes it's hard for Justin and me to grasp just how lucky we got! Our girls are the biggest joys in our lives, obviously, and they're both so awesome 24/7 (or at least 23/7, everyone is allowed a little bummer time)...

Sidney has been putting herself to bed lately...she just up and announces it's time for bed around 8:30 or 9:00 and off she goes. One of us will tuck her in and let her "blow out" the light (just like my mom and dad used to do with me, I love passing down traditions!) and she's usually asleep in less than 10 seconds. There's no whining, no arguing, nothing. When she's ready, she's ready. And in the morning when I wake her up for school she usually will say, "Do I have to go to school today?" and I have learned to say "Nope, you can stay home if you want." She then follows that up with "BUT I HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL TODAY! WHO WILL SIT IN MY SEAT? THEY NEED ME!"

So, yeah, she's never cried once about having to go to school. She eats her food, uses the toilet like a grown-up, plays extremely well by herself with that incredible imagination of hers, gets along with others, refuses to let other kids get her in trouble at school, loves to hang out with everyone in our family, takes such good care of her baby sissy, and manages to not act like a diva most of the time. Of course she has her moments, and when they happen oh dear g-d are they awful, but luckily they're few and far in between.

And then there's Rhealen...sweet little RJ. Y'all may think you have a good baby - you haven't seen a good baby until you've seen our little one. She is perfection, rolled into a blue-eyed girl with blonde/brown/red hair. She's the best. She sleeps like a champion, eats even better than that, has no worries in the world and never fusses (unless you lay her horizontal, dear g-d, don't lay that child flat down whatever you do).

She's been sleeping through the night since the first of August, and when I say "sleeping through the night", I mean she goes to bed around 10PM and I have to wake her up to get ready in the morning at 7AM. She always wakes up smiling and cooing, it's the sweetest way to start the morning. Who could ever be mad when you see that sweet face? Rhealen will even wake up to smile and talk to her Daddy while he's getting ready and then go right back to sleep when he leaves. SHE'S AMAZING, that child of mine. Everyone who keeps her says she's the best baby, and she really is. I would say bragging on her might jinx us, but she's too damn good not to brag about.

Justin and I got so damned lucky. We must've been martyrs in our past lives or something.

9.10.11

My oldest cousin got married Saturday (on the coolest and easiest wedding date to remember, ever!) so everyone in our family was busy as bees this weekend. No time to think, much less blog! I hate I didn't write an eloquent or heartfelt 9/11 post, but I think those fallen know my heart and I said a special little prayer for all those still serving (especially the favorite "boyfriend" in my family, Matt) and those who were lost. I meant well.

But back to the wedding! It was perfect: great weather, amazing food, lots of good family and friends, cupcakes, the Cupid Shuffle, all the wonderful cheesy things that make a wedding feel so blissfully perfect (without the horrible price tag, may I point out).

Here are some of my favorite shots from Saturday. Congrats Tab & Victor!

Tab wore her mom's wedding gown...super sweet!

Mr. & Mrs. Byrd

To be so goofy, they really can be sweet somtimes...

...but most of the time they're just goofy!

Who doesn't love a cupcake bar?

Dobby & Rhealen Jo - two of my favorite girls :)

SidMo & Coco (and baby Quincy!)

Highlight of the night: Tab & Victor's "Dirty Dancing" scene, minus the lift. Tab just couldn't hold Victor up :)

climbing on my wedding-related soapbox.

{Pardon the rant.}

I saw a billboard today that made me want to pull over to the side of the road and burn the thing down - I was that enraged (and I'm still not sure why I got so mad in the first place, but I digress). A local bank has a new ad out for their personal loans depicting three "everyday" scenarios in which you might need to get a loan: buying a house, buying a car, and a wedding. A WEDDING.

Since when did someone need to take out a loan to pay for a wedding?! I realize in this day and age of reality TV shows like Platinum Weddings and Four Weddings and Bridezilla engaged women are exposed to one wedding after the other, day in and day out. But seriously? There is no need to take out a second mortgage on your house to get hitched. There's no need to outdo everyone within a 50-mile radius of your house with the grandest, most expensive wedding. There's no need!

If couples (I'll say couples, because some grooms-to-be might be in on this insane trend) spent half of their time focused on the marriage as opposed to the wedding, our national divorce rate might drop significantly. Why do people feel like they have to have top-of-the-line weddings, no matter what that means for their bank accounts?

I don't get it. Justin and I had a low-key wedding that didn't cost an arm and a leg. Mom and I did a lot of DIY projects and used local family and friends to make our wedding feel "homey" and special. His Mom (and sister and Aunt) catered, a friend of ours made our cakes, a friend of the family was our DJ, we had our reception in my Mamaw's backyard and my bridesmaid made all of our favors (you can read more about our wedding HERE). It was wonderful, to be supported and surrounded by people who loved us and made our day possible.

All I'm trying to say is focus on the person you're marrying - put your energy and time into having a great marriage, not just a great wedding. There's no need for you to drain all your hard-earned cash on some lavish party that's over before you can blink. Have a good wedding - have a wedding that represents who you are and how you feel. Make it as wonderful as you want, but don't buy into the notion that you have to pay big bucks to make that happen! It's all about the person you love and the road that lies before you. No dress or cake or venue can outshine the love you (should) feel for your fiance. So don't even try to let it.

I can't believe I'm so heated about this topic, but here I am - mad at our society for feeling like this. I think I'll just boycott WE TV for awhile so I don't have to think about it.

3 months.

I'm definitely not one of those awesome mom-bloggers who can keep up with monthly posts about their kids -- my life is so crazy at the moment, it took me all day to remember that Rhealen is three months old today! And at first, I thought she was only 2 months! Time really does get away from you fast sometimes, especially when you're not paying close attention...

 

{one month}

{two months}

{three months}

I keep having to count on my fingers starting from June to remind myself it's really been three months? Really? Really.

Rhealen is pretty much the perfect little kid -- everyone who keeps her says she's an easy baby. She sleeps a ton (all night long, THANKYOUGOD) and eats a ton and talks and smiles and loves ceiling fans. She's your typical good kid, just blends into the fabric of everyone's lives and goes right along with the flow.

Ain't no doubt about it, we were doubly blessed.

All this talk about big and old my girls are getting makes me smile and weep - I'm grateful for two healthy babes and the chance to be their "momma". There's nothing in the world I'd rather do!

the ultimate labor day of love.

Yesterday was Sidney's 4th birthday!

We had her party Saturday evening (even though it felt like an all-day party!) and it was a huge success, despite the downpour we had at the beginning of her party. There were cupcakes (that got gobbled up quickly) and a huge bouncy house with dual slides (that got played on all day long) and tons of sweet presents (Sidney's been in 7th heaven playing all weekend) and lots of friends and family to surround us. We grilled out, passed around the babies in the family and spent lots of time patting our full bellies. Justin and I always feel so tired but so blissfully happy after Sidney's birthday parties. She just makes us feel warm and fuzzy :)

It's hard to believe four years ago, I was spending the day "laboring" away to bring our big girl into the world. I don't think I've ever shared Sidney's birth story (something I need to do soon before all the little details go fuzzy, I'm already losing bits and pieces as it is!) so I'm going to do that in the near future. She was an easy girl to get here, didn't take too long and didn't require too much of me at the time.

I'll never forget them laying her up on my chest and my heart just splitting wide open. I had never loved anyone like that before she came along. I was so worried that I wouldn't feel like that with Rhealen, and in all honesty, I didn't at first (but now I totally do!). It's the most amazing thing in the world to meet our children for the first time, and I feel so lucky to have been able to be a part of this miracle twice in four years.

Happy Birthday, my sweet sweet girl. You're amazing beyond words.

{Five Question Friday: Feat. You Don't Know}

Today's guest blogger is the wonderful, always-funny Brandy from You Don't Know - she's as real as they get people! Super hilarous, she's been a good "blogging buddy" of mine since I started out. She's always supportive, a great commentor and is known to have a slight Edward Cullen obsession (just like yours truly)!

She's someone I always recommend to those just starting out with a blog - she'll show you how it's done! So, take it away, Brandy!

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{What is your favorite thing to do with your husband?}

The movies – I love a grown up date at the movies. I can also tell you my least favorite thing- HA!

{What would your perfect vacation be like?}

A GIRLS-ONLY trip to an all-inclusive resort with a beach and pool and spa and hot guys and places to dance. NO husbands – NO kids – NO drama. Dance – laugh – drink – look at the eye candy – dance – fall down – drink more. It sounds like heaven. Who’s in?

{What’s one thing you miss about being a kid?}

No F’n bills. Money is soooo dumb.

{What is your worst dating experience?}

I can’t remember. I’ve been married for 11 years. I was a huge slut in high school though. It wasn’t so much dating as it was parking. I did go on a date with a High School friend that was a little “off” He ended up going to prison for touching little boys.

{If you choose, how would you want to die?}

Hmmm. I wanna say peacefully in my sleep but that’s SOOOO boring. Maybe something super weird where I would get my own “I didn’t know I was gonna die” TLC TV special

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Be sure to visit Brandy at You Don't Know (and let's try to get her to join Twitter, too!)

{If you would like to be a featured guest-blogger, send me an email -> maryruthcan(at)hotmail(dot)com}

the first.

September is THE month, the best of months, the most wonderful time of the year! My love for September runs deep.

First up, Sidney turns 4 on the 5th! My sweet little pork chop is turning four, how in the world did time go by so fast? I thought three was crazy, but four? It's so hard to believe. She's such the big kid now, it's breaking my heart.

Second, Justin and I will celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary on the 19th. Two years married, eight years together! We've grown up together and still have many more years ahead of us. Married life feels right, although it can be a rocky road at times. Being with anyone for that long can get tiring, but we love each other and pull through everything together. He's my best friend, and I love him more every day.

Lastly, my 23rd birthday falls on the 28th! I've learned so much in my short twenty-three years of living, I can't imagine how smart I'll be by the time I hit 30 ;) Twenty-two has been fun, but I'm ready for another year of living and loving and doing what I (try to) do best: being me. I'm definitely not one of these people who worry about getting older. I look forward to gray hair and grand-kids and "senior moments". I aim to live an Advanced Style life! Even when I find myself feeling overwhelmed and down, I try to remind myself to be happy and count my lucky stars!

So as you can see, September is the greatest month of the year to me - so much happiness and joy and presents and food and family and friends. It's already feeling officially like fall these days, I can't stop myself from smiling every time I step outside.

I will definitely be dancing in September.