I. Am. Awesome.

You know those days when you just feel on top of the world and you start thinking non-stop of all the wonderfulness you are?  ...Yeah, me either!

Just kidding!  ...Well, sort of.

This week's Monday Listicles was suggested to us by Ms. M from The Bonny Bard.  In an effort to keep the holiday spirit and positivity alive, she had us write of 10 REASONS WHY I'M GREAT.

Well seeing as how I have always had confidence issues and have the tendency to be modest...this was hard.  But sometimes you(I) just need reminding of all of the goodness you are, of the reasons why people love you, why YOU love you.  So here it goes.


1.  I am a kid at heart.  I don't blow bubbles in my chocolate milk or anything but I still love everything I did as a kid.  I still have stuffed animals and some treasure trolls.  I get super excited when I see the Fraggles, Muppets or ALF on TV.  And I'll still break into any Disney song and sing it almost word for word while dancing around my house.

2.  I can cook.  I wouldn't say that I am a cook, but I can cook.  I am more of a recipe follower and then will add a few things differently sometimes.  I haven't made anything yet that was inedible and I've only burnt/not cooked something long enough a few times.  So that's pretty good, right? :)

3.  I am funny.  I can usually make people laugh, even a little giggle.  If I can't succeed then I just assume that they have no soul.  (hehe)

4.  I am tidy (for the most part).  I guess I am somewhat of a perfectionist, but I like things where I like them.  This helps the utter frustration of going to look for something where it's supposed to be and not finding it there, but somewhere else...or not at all.

5.  I am caring.  If you manage to make your way into my heart, you ain't leavin!  I will bend over backwards and forwards again for anyone I care about.  I'd offer you my shoes, my coat and my couch in a heartbeat.

6.  I am strong.  Every life has a story and what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.  I'm months from turning 30, that's gotta count for something.

7.  I am smart.  Some of my friends come to me for advice on life, others for computer tips, others for phone tips, and some for cooking tips.  I guess that says a lot.

8.  I am truthful.  As a teenager, trying to lie to my parents was hard.  I've always sucked at it!  As an adult, I gave up trying and realized the truth is always better no matter what.  Plus I still suck at lying, even when I'm trying to pull a prank!  Ex: April Fools Day

9.  I am crafty.  Did I really just say that?  I may not have ideas flowing all the time, but when I really sit down and put my mind to it, I can come up with some pretty good ideas for handmade things.  And thanks to Pinterest my crafty brain works better now.

10.  Last but not least, I am a good mom.  I'm not perfect in any way, but I know that my child is loved and that I try my very best to make sure she feels that every day.

Go ahead and toot your own horn a little!  It feels good and it's self healing.  Why are you awesome?

Friendly Photo Dump

This week's Monday Listicles is 10 Photos in Your Phone.  Yes I am taking this opportunity to have a "free day" in doing NaBloPoMo and will be sharing with you 10 pictures from my phone.  I am also considering this my "Friendly Photo Dump" too! :)

1. Annaliese and Daddy at a skating rink birthday party

2. Tippy Toes

3.  Annaliese checking out the doctors office when Mommy was sick

4.  Annaliese doing her baby yoga - "Downward Puppy"  

5.  Annaliese and a walk on a warm fall day

6. "You're a Winner in The Game Of Life" - game night

7.  My iPhone case from Shutterfly

8.  Big Pretty eyes

9.  Annaliese and Mommy at a Chuck E. Cheese birthday party

10.  Daddy reading a bedtime story to Annaliese

You can also find all of these pictures and more by following me on Instagram.

What random pictures do you find on your phone?

Lessons of 2012

I know, I know, it's been a long while since I have linked up with Stasha and joined her Monday Listicles.  I am ashamed I've gone this long without linking up, but sometimes there just isn't enough time for everything I want to do. (Okay, more than just sometimes) But today is a new day!

Today's topic is Lesson's I've Learned in 2012.

There are way more than 10 lessons I have learned in this past year, but for your sake, I'll limit my list to only 10.

1.  Setting a limit of eating out is a MUST
2.  Teaching a young'n the meaning of the word "no" is harder than I thought
3.  Blogging is good for me.  Good for my soul.
4.  How to make stuffed grape leaves (thanks, dad!)
5.  Beginner HTML code (that's right, future geek alert- thanks, hubby)
6.  How to balance a feeding baby in one hand and feed myself with the other
7.  How to smile through tough times because life is short
8.  The Gangnum Style Dance
9.  Sticking to a diet and exercise plan is HARD work
10.  My allergies have somehow gotten worse since I got pregnant

Pet Peeves In My House

Hey all!  I know it's not Monday, so I'm already behind, but I wasn't going to let another Monday Listicles go by without participating!  I enjoy these lists!

This week's Monday Listicles was chosen again by Stasha at The Good Life, and she has decided to have us write Ten Things In My Home.  Since the whole fiasco with our washing machine being broken 2 weeks ago, it was repaired and working again only to break again 4 days after.  So now it's irreparable and needed to be replaced.  Now sits our brand new washing machine (with a 5 year warranty, I might add) and it works like a charm!  *sigh of relief*
In this midst of all of this, I came to realize my list topic.

My 10 Pet Peeves About My Home

1.  Flooded basement.  Our basement likes to flood and fairly often.  Every time it rains, you can guarantee there's water down there.  (and our weird cat loves to play in it!  Ahh!!)

2.  Crumbs on the floor.  I cannot stand stepping on a floor with no shoes or socks on and feeling crumbs or particles of mystery stuff under my feet.

3.  Pet hair.  I love our cat dearly but he's a huge fluff ball and leaves bits of fur everywhere.  I usually have to vacuum at least once a day, sometimes twice.

4.  Oil heat.  Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful we HAVE heat but the amount of money we spend on heating oil a fall/winter season is ridiculous!

5.  Overlapping cabinets.  We have those weird "jokester" cabinets where you ALWAYS have to shut the left before you can shut the right.  And of course even after living here for almost 4 1/2 years, I still get it wrong on the first attempt.

6.  Creaky floors.  We have old hardwood floors and I can pretty much pin point every place in the floor that will creak if you step on it..except in the baby's room.  I'm always tiptoeing around her room, in her room, anything to make sure I don't wake her up.  I'm still trying to master this skill after almost a year.

7.  Sticky counters.  Sometimes, ok more often than not...there are random coffee spills (thanks to the only other person in this house that drinks coffee...and it's not the baby) around the coffee pot.  Our counters are an ugly yellow-ish tint and sugar and coffee is sometimes are to find on them.  But I always happen to run my hand over it, when I least expect it.

8.  Lack of a dishwasher.  This has become such a pet peeve of mine.  I've never had a dish washer "of my own" and I'm so tired of hand washing dishes it's not even funny.  Sometimes I have to spend an hour talking myself into cooking just because I know there will be a ton of dishes to wash afterwards.  Bleh!

9.  Random clutter.  I'm sure every house acquires a random pile of "stuff" in one particular area every now and then.  We're lucky to have a few places where this happens.  The dining room table, the area by the front door, and the office desk.  If only every thing did have their own place to be put away.

10.  Flat mailbox.  This house has one of those mailboxes that you nail to a wall.  Well ours is not-so-nicely nailed to a brick wall and every once in awhile it falls off when we go to get our mail out.  I hope the mailman hasn't run into this problem.  I'd definitely be putting a pack of Band Aids in his Christmas card.  :)

What are some of your pet peeves that you find in your own home from time to time?

Now head over to Stasha's blog and link up your lovely list of the week!

These 10 Songs Remind Me Of...

Good Morning and Happy Monday!  I was blessed to be chosen by Stasha to pick this week's Monday Listicle topic of 10 SongsI (Thank You,  Stasha)  I was excited when many of you said it was a fun topic, so I am anxious to see what you chose to write!

Before I'm off spending the week reading about your 10 songs...I'll share with you mine.  And believe me, I know how hard this is to only choose 10!

10 Memorable Songs (in no particular order)

1)  For The Longest Time - Billy Joel - This song reminds me of being a kid.  This was the first a capella song I was introduced to (that I recall, anyway).  My parents are big Billy Joel and a capella fans and both sing.  My brother and I followed suit.  His music and lyrics are well known in our houses.

2)  In Repair - John Mayer - This song reminds me of my early 20's, when I felt lost more than found.  I must have listened to this song on repeat at least 1,000 times as it gave me comfort.  The chorus lyrics are "I'm in repair.  I'm not together but I'm getting there."  It explained me.

3)  Angel From Montgomery - Bonnie Raitt/John Prine - This song reminds me of my dad.  This is the song we would sing almost every evening in the basement.  We each grabbed a microphone and practiced, practiced, practiced.  For what?  I don't know, but we got it perfected enough for us to "perform" it at one of his company picnics one year.  That was fun :)

4)  Jersey Girl - Bruce Springsteen - This song reminds me of being a young child and dancing with my dad.  He would pick me up and hold me on his hip and spin me around and dance while I held onto his neck.  I guess I have always been a "Daddy's Girl".  And because of this particular memory, when I was planning my wedding, I knew what song I would be dancing the "Father and Daughter Dance" to.

5)  My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder - This song will always remind me of the wonderful night I met my soul mate.  I will never forget him nervously practicing the beginning chords of this song, while I helped the rest of the bridal party set up tables and centerpieces for the wedding that was taking place the next day.  You can read more about how Justin and I met here.

6)  You Were Mine - Dixie Chicks - This song reminds me of my best friend for 15 years, Takia, who also sings.  We were in high school when this song came out and decided to record it at one of those little recording studios that you see at amusement parks.  We originally wanted to record Whitney Houston's Heartbreak Hotel, so we rehearsed that once.  We changed our mind to this song and the employees of the studio wouldn't let us rehearse (since we rehearsed another song already).  Well we thought we knew this song well enough to do without rehearsing and although we knew the words...we totally failed the notes!  HAHA!  I still have that cassette tape too, although Takia wanted me to throw it away!

7)  Country Roads - John Denver - This song reminds me of camping with my family as a kid, and also reminds me of my mom.  My mom is a huge John Denver fan and loves the outdoors.  My family and I would always go camping every summer and would sing around the campfire and make s'mores.  It's a fond memory that's close to my heart.  :)

8)  Her Perfect Dream - Justin Skidmore -  <-- Yes, that is my husband and yes he wrote me a song.  Aren't I lucky?  It's an instrumental song, as Jazz is his favorite type of music.  I remember the first time he presented this song to me.  He told me the title and said that it's about me and how I watch "A Baby Story" on TLC every morning because I was obsessed with learning the reality of having and delivering a baby.  I never understood how composers who write instrumental music can give songs such a deep title and meaning, with no lyrics involved... but I took his word for it.  :)

9)  Black Velvet - Alannah Myles - This song reminds me of a bachelorette party in 2009 for my friend, Allison's, wedding I was in.  Allison loves to sing and Karaoke for her bachelorette party was a must.  I always have intentions to sing, but never have the guts to put my name down for the DJ to announce.  Well my good ol' BFF, Takia (mentioned above) put my name in for me and chose this song for me to sing.  Well about 10 seconds into the song I felt like I was a born singer.  I seriously nailed it!  And it was probably one of the proudest moments in my life.  :)

10)  Will You Be There - Michael Jackson - Not your typical favorite MJ song, but this song reminds me of the first time I ever saw the movie Free Willy.  Living on the California coast, I grew to have a great love for any sea life.  When Free Willy came out, I was very inspired by the story and decided to adopt an orca whale.  :)  Later that year we got a little grey and white kitten (I know it's not like a black and white orca, but still), I decided to name her Keiko, after the whale that played Willy in the movie :)


Now click the badge below and head over to Stasha's blog to link up a list of your 10 songs! :)

Back To School

Good Morning and Happy Labor Day Monday!  Hope you enjoyed your weekend, or perhaps are still enjoying your weekend!

I'm SUPER excited to have been chosen to pick the new Monday Listicles topic for next week!  (Thanks, Stasha!)  Every year when September comes around, for at least the first week, I always get a certain favorite song stuck in my head.  It reminds me of the day I met my husband (September 1, 2006) and the beginning of fall.  :)

You may have heard of it...  "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire.  (If you haven't heard of it, here it is!)



For next week, I'd like to invite you to make a list of 10 Songs.  Favorites?  One's that make you want to scream?  Dance?  Tell us why.  A funny lyric?  A fond memory?  Remind you of a movie?  So catchy but you just can't get it out of your head?  An ex?  I can't wait to hear what your songs are!  :)

Until then...
This week's Monday Listicles topic was chosen again by Stasha, herself.  List of 10 - The School Edition.  Although my daughter is not yet an age where she can attend school and I am not a teacher, the mad "Back To School" rush still affects me.



10 Ways "Back to School" Affects My Life

1)  Since I currently live on the same street and about 100 yards from one of the two Middle Schools in my local area, there is NO escaping the school bus traffic in the morning or afternoon.

2)  School ends at the beginning of June here.  By the 4th of July, companies are already advertising "Back To School" sales.

3)  Speaking of Back to School sales, they can really be helpful for new clothes and household items...even though I'm not away at college.  Now is a good time to get that new toaster!

4)  Watching the kids walk by my house on the way to and from school, I have the pleasure of seeing what's "in style" now a days.  Let's just say I hope that by the time my daughter is in middle school, I hope Muu-muus are the new fad!

5)  Lucky for me, Pinterest has given me plenty of ideas for when my daughter (and future children) do attend school.  I have some pretty cool organization ideas and healthy ideas for lunches.

6)  This time of year means another year has passed and I don't yet have a college degree.  This in a way depresses me, but I can assure you this will change!

7)  This new school year is the first year I'm a mom and I can totally predict how my emotions will be when Annaliese has her first day of school.  I'm stocking up on tissues already!

8)  I love seeing my friends blog, tweet or post on Facebook of their adorable kids' outfits on their first day of school in a new grade!  It's definitely something I look forward to every year...probably until I need to take my own pictures.

9)  This school year, the graduating class of high school (or college) will be 2013.  My first born will be in the high school graduating class of 2029-2030.  That doesn't even seem fathomable!  Flying cars by then?

10)  Reminiscing that it's been 11 years since I graduated high school and although me and my class of 630+ people had our ups and downs, it was some of the greatest years of my life and I hope the kids in high school now realize that!    

Now head over to Stasha's blog and link up for Monday Listicles and tell us of your School Edition list!  Then don't forget to come back next week with your list of 10 Songs!

Party Like It's 2012

Ironically, Justin and I were watching the Back To The Future movies this weekend.  Seeing as how the movies were made in the 80's it was fun to watch the "special effects" that was used to indicate time travel.  Things definitely aren't like they used to be!

Well today for the weekly Monday Listicles we bring to you 10 Clues You're Living in 2012.


1.  Every home has at least 2 flat screen TVs in them.

2.  People don't have a land line telephone, and use their cell phones as their primary phones.

3.  You can go months without actually speaking to someone but still email, text and Facebook them.

4.  There is no more Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, or Dick Clark.

5.  Kids as young as age 6 or 7 have their own cell phones.

6.  I'm willing to bet that MOST people do not print every digital picture they take and don't actually put pictures in photo albums anymore.  I know I don't.

7.  Most of what you see on television are reality shows...stupid reality shows.

8.  Newspapers hardly exist.  People use the internet to learn of current events.  A tornado hits and we check Twitter!

9.  A whole family can be famous and have their own reality show just from being rich.  (The Kardashians)

10.  You can be on unemployment for over 2 years.

10 Things About My Car

Good Monday Morning!

It's Monday Listicles time again!  I believe this weeks topic was chosen by Stasha herself in memory of her minivan that recently left to go to minivan heaven.  Don't worry...she's since bought a nice replacement.

So today's topic is: 10 Things About My Car.  Well my husband and I collectively have 2 vehicles, but the car that is referred to as ahem...mine is what I'll be talking about ;)

1. My car is new to us as of August 2011.  It's a 2012 Ford Explorer Eco boost.
2. I've always wanted an SUV, but used to want a Jeep Cherokee or Jeep Wrangler.
3. It's white and can hold 7 passengers, which I've needed to do twice so far.
4. Both rows of the backseats can lay down flat and makes it great for towing around all the baby stuff that we need to travel out of town for a few days.  Even with just the very back row laying down there's a lot of space. (of course because we need room for the baby seat)
5. I love the mommy-friendly automatic lift gate.
6. It averages about 28 mpg in the city and 33 on the hwy, which isn't too bad for a full sized SUV.
7. I was 8 months pregnant when we bought this and getting in and out with a huge belly wasn't easy.
8. It has a rear view camera, which is AWESOME for me because I suck at parallel parking and this makes it so much easier!
9. It also has a touch screen interface with My Ford Touch.  I'm able to speak and tell my car to change the thermostat to 73 degrees and also use the built in navigation.  I love that!  *Geek Alert*
10. It always smells good thanks to my small addiction to air fresheners.  Thank you Yankee Candle

And there you have it!  I liked this week's topic because I don't really take time to think about my car much anymore because the new-ness has worn off.  But we still love this car and are so glad we bought it!

Happy Monday to you!  Toodles!

Dinner Party Guests

Happy Monday everyone!

Linking up again with Stasha and her Monday Listicles for this week's topic of 10 People Living OR Dead You Would Invite To A Dinner Party.  There are SO MANY people I would love to meet and host a dinner party for, but these are just 10.

I always get nervous when I have people over for dinner!  I'm worried I'll ruin the food I cook, that it will be late getting to the table, that there won't be enough food to eat and I always worry about space to eat.  So 10 people (plus me) would be a pretty hefty dinner party.  But here it goes!  Tonight I'm serving salad and spinach stuffed chicken breasts with wild rice and sweet corn.  Oh and blueberry cheesecake for dessert.   Yummm!

Preheating oven to 350 


By the way THIS time I have plenty of space for people, made plenty of food, and everything came out perfectly and on time.  

1.   My Husband.  He's my "forever date" 

2.   My late Yiayia (grandmother), Angelina

3.   My late Father-In-Law, Ron

4.   Ellen Degeneres

5.   Celine Dion

6.   Will Smith

7.   Billy Joel

8.   Jennifer Aniston 

9.   Walt Disney

   

10.   Nicholas Sparks

Who would you invite to a dinner party?

Your Friendly Mama,

When It Comes To Birthdays

I love birthdays!  Mine, others...all!  Linking up with Stasha again this week to tell you all why.

1)  It's an annual celebration of the day I was born!  How awesome is that?!

2)  I've made it another year!  Aging may not be your typical idea of fun...but as my husband always says, it's better than the alternative.  I like the way he thinks!

3)  It's my special day.  It's a day that I can call my own and feel like the day was made all for me.  Any other day or circumstance I'm not greedy at all, but my birthday is my day.

4)  I get "Happy Birthday" phone calls, text messages and Facebook posts from my friends and family.  Some of them I only talk to on birthdays and holidays, but it's just another excuse to chat and feel loved by them. :)

5)  CAKE!  Hellooo!?  Does this even need explaining?  It's very rare that I'll have the opportunity to have any cake any other time.  Weddings and birthdays are a must for cake!  And it's usually MMMMMMM delicious!

6)  Birthday cards!  I could go without a gift on my birthday, but my close friends and family know that I'm a card person.  Even if it's a card that says nothing except "happy birthday!  love, me" in it, I'll keep it in my card box and save it to read on a rainy day.

7)  "Oh you shouldn't have!"  Even though I could go without a gift on my birthday, I still love getting presents!  I can't lie!  I love that I'm thought of enough to make something with your own two hands that I'd like or could use OR (from my less handy gift givers) to think about something I would like to have or could use, purchase it for me and wrap it in pretty paper.  It makes me smile. :)

8)  Kid's birthday parties are fun too!  I love watching them play games, break pinatas, enjoy their yummy cake (while I'm enjoying some myself) and watching their faces as they play with their cool new toys!  I'm looking forward to hosting my first born's first birthday in October!

9)  Pictures!  Any picture that is taken at a cute-themed kid's party or an "Over the Hill" adult's party is gonna be good!  Gotta capture those awesome moments of the special birthday person and their loved ones who gathered there to celebrate them!

10)  It's an excuse to splurge a little on myself.  Only on my birthday does digging a little deeper in my wallet make me feel less guilty.





Your Friendly Mama,

Ten Things of Thanks

This may get a little mushy at first, because I'm very thankful for everything in my life.  I say it often because it's true.  And when I think I could use a new shirt, or a new purse, or new shoes, or a new phone, or a new laptop....ok you get the idea, I remind myself that those are all wants and not needs.  I already have everything I need and for that I'm forever thankful.

This weeks Monday Listicles is to list "10 Thanks".

1)  Thank You God- for blessing me with life and the 5 senses to use every day with my daughter.

The sense of touch- to feel her tiny embrace when she gives me a hug or when she's sleepy.

The sense of sight- to watch her light up and smile when daddy comes home from work.

The sense of sound- to hear those wonderful giggles that make every day "the best day" just hearing her laugh.

The sense of smell- to take in that wonderful scent of her lavender baby shampoo all over her little body after she's taken a bath and gets ready for bedtime cuddles.

The sense of taste- to taste her sweet kisses as she completely opens her mouth to return my approaching kiss on her lips.

2)  Thank You Husband- for blessing me with your presence every day.  Thank you for being the most wonderful husband, father and friend I could ever as for.  Thank you for working hard everyday to care for our family.  Thank you for being my rock, my inspiration, and my sanity through the last 6 years, and the next 100 years.

3)  Thank You Parents- for teaching me how to take care of myself, how to manage money, how to be proud of who I am and where I came from and for teaching me that family is a bond like no other.

4)  Thank You Brother- for forgiving me when I picked on you as a kid, for being a goofball and making me laugh through our many inside jokes, and for being proud to call me your sister.

5)  Thank You Friends- for giving me a break when I need a girls night out, for being my shopping buddies, for giving me advice when I as for it and a kick in the ass when I need it, and for always being there for me.  Always.

Now the not so sappy stuff...

6)  Thank you music- for without you I wouldn't have found my singing voice, every day would be so boring if we didn't hear you at all at any part of the day, and I would've never met my husband.

7)  Thank you internet- for without you I wouldn't be able to research ANYTHING on a whim and keep in contact with friends and family who are not near me.

8) Thank you money- for without you I wouldn't have the clothes on my back, the roof over my head, the food I eat, the vehicle in my driveway or the laptop in my hands... ya know, the necessities ;)

9)  Thank you nature- for without you I wouldn't have beautiful scenery in every day life, a fresh flower to pick on a spring day and a fresh breath of air outside.

10)  Thank you chocolate-  for existing...period. :)

Your Friendly Mama,

Things I Will and Won't Miss

Writing another Monday Listicle inspired by Nora Ephron’s list THINGS SHE WILL MISS AND WHAT SHE WON’T.  Nora was diagnosed with Leukemia quite a few years back and in her final book, she chose to make a list of what she would and wouldn't miss if tomorrow never came.


Here are mine, in no particular order.    


Things I Will Miss

My family

Making my daughter smile

Laughing with my husband

Fresh and clean bed sheets

Dancing

Singing

Coffee

Shopping with my friends

Christmas dinners with my family

Watching animals play in my backyard

The sound of the ocean

Watching a good movie

Greek food

Hugs and kisses

Chocolate

Collecting sea shells

My iPhone

Burning candles and drinking hot tea under a cozy blanket in the fall

The Ellen DeGeneres show

Bonfires

Camping

Babies

Weddings

Taking a bath

Smelling flowers

Going for family walks after dinner

Taking pictures

Cooking


Things I Won't Miss


Traffic

Annual gyno appointments

Laundry

Rude people

Getting my monthly "friend"

Headaches

Stubbing my toe on furniture

Bad customer service

Hand washing dishes

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Dusting the house

Bills

Bathing suit shopping

Paper cuts

Shaving my legs

Stains on my shirts

Hangovers (the rare ones I do get)

Error messages


Whether I would or wouldn't miss any particular thing if tomorrow never came, I am thankful TODAY and everyday for everything that I have, every one I have, everything I am able to do, and everything I am able to feel.

What would you miss if tomorrow never came?  What wouldn't you miss?


Your Friendly Mama,

Monday Listicles- 10 Memories

Thought I would try linking up with another blogger I've come across.  Every week Stasha from www.northwestmommy.com provides a post with a list of 10 things to write about (she chooses the subject or reaches out to other bloggers for their ideas) and you write, link up to her site and share your list (on or around Monday) while reading other posts.  Nothing like writing a blog post when you don't anything of your own content to write about. It works for me!  Plus it's a lot of fun!

June 25- 10 Memories
This week's Monday Listicles is to write a list about 10 memories of a special man in your life.  I am choosing my best friend, who also happens to be a terrific husband and a wonderful father.  He is more than just special in my eyes.

1. I remember going to visit him when he worked 3rd shift at the hotel when we first stated talking, just so we could get to know each other; talk about ourselves and ask questions to each other.  Who knew a beautiful relationship would blossom from there.
2. I remember my first embarrassment with him.  Again, right after meeting him and had just started talking, I had added some pictures of him playing his guitar on my MySpace account (wow, that was so 2005).  I wanted to add a caption to one of his pictures and instead of typing "such a hottie" my fingers did a good ol' type-o and I typed "suck a hottie".  Of course HE caught it before I did.  Totally embarrassing.  It's his given "Indian name" now.  Haha!
3. I remember when we took the big step and moved in together, knowing that we would soon be engaged and married when the time was right.  I finally convinced him to but his mattress and box spring on a bed frame.   
4. I remember when he proposed to me the morning of Valentine's Day 2009, with the most sweet and perfect proposal in the privacy of our own home.
5. I remember walking down the aisle on that beautiful August day and seeing him smiling the biggest smile ever, because our wedding day had finally came after the (what seemed long) countdown of 400+ days.
6. I remember traveling to Jamaica for our honeymoon and spending a full week in our own little paradise.  Then at the airport in Miami on the way back, we realized that we were flying back to Dulles airport when we left our car in BWI.  The flight itinerary had changed and we apparently overlooked that memo! 
7. I remember telling him to come in the bathroom and see this glorious "+" sign on the morning of February 16, 2011.  I remember the looks we exchanged when we realized that this could be in fact the truth...that we were pregnant after 5 months of trying.
8. I remember the first time he felt the baby kick in my tummy and said "Woah!  That was her?!", with this look of utmost shock and awe in his eyes.  I think it became real for him in that moment.  The proof that his child was growing and tumbling inside of me.
9. I remember the afternoon of October 11, 2011 that we went to the doctors because I wasn't feeling well the night before and found out that I was in labor.  I fell in love with him all over again that day.  He was more than supportive and encouraging of me through the whole labor and delivery process.  And the way he looked at our newborn baby girl, just melted my heart.
10. And lastly, I remember that terrible day, on December 15, 2011 when I got his phone call saying that his dad had left us to go to Heaven.  I was home alone with our 2 month old and he was at the hospital alone with his frail and peaceful father.  I had never been so scared, so upset, so shaken, so strong and so weak in my life...and all at once.  I had never wanted to make someone stop hurting so badly.  I wanted to take his pain and make it my own.  I did the best I could in being a supportive wife, daughter- in-law and sister-in-law for his family.

We have shared so many great times and not so good times together in the last 6 years.  I am so thankful that this man came into my life and that we're able to share all of these memories together.  I look forward to creating many more memories together...for the rest of our lives.  I love you, Justin.

Your Friendly Mama,