Twenty-Five.

I missed my birthday on my blog.  It was one month ago today actually.  I love birthdays and I want to remember this one; I want to remember them all.  This year I can say that I do feel older, and wiser.  I feel more comfortable.  I'm happy.  I feel like this may be my best year yet.

I had a great birthday.  I received beautiful flowers (real ones and $2-bill ones), I received Bare Minerals make-up, some awesome Puma Faas 350 running shoes, pink light-up knocks for my arrows, and some other great gifts.  Thank you for them all!  And thank you to my man for baking his first cake ever for my birthday!  He also took me out to a really fancy (and delicious) restaurant, CC's City Broiler -- the kind of restaurant that drinking a bottled-beer rather than wine felt a little out-of-place and I had to learn to face my fork down on my plate to represent that I was finished eating.  We then hustled to the movie theaters to watch Lawless after dinner.  Great, great movie by the way!  One of my favorites of all times to be honest.

I wanted to list 25 fun facts about me.  Truth be told, this was a harder task than I anticipated and hence the reason I have yet to post this.  So you have 14 things to read about me and a few photos to enjoy. 

Until next year... I will be here, enjoying being 25 years old!

1. I recently started a small business named Rustic Co. selling painted antlers and soon will be selling other rustic items!  Check it out at: www.etsy.com/shop/rusticco

2. This year I've decided autumn is my favorite.  I am loving the cooler weather, lit candles in the house, the cooking and baking, football, the colors of orange and browns, and the upcoming holidays.

3. I have been working at my current job for one year.  In one year, I've learned a lot about the legal system and basically how to do anything my job throws at me...okay, not always. 

4. I am unsure where I hope to be one year from now, though.

5. I've always been a bit indecisive...and I still am.  When Kylie asks me what my favorite color is...I still cannot decide between deep purple, sage green, turquoise, or orange.  It depends on the day, and what item I picture in my head.

6. I'd say 50% of my closet's items are hand-me-downs from my sister.  Whoever put a negative connotation on hand-me-downs obviously didn't receive any from her.  I love them!

7. I google at least 10 words a day to check the spelling or meaning -- I maybe just googled "connotation."

8. My lifetime goal is to write a book, a successful and meaning one.

9. I like airplanes -- probably because my dad does.

10. I unfortunately do not have a green thumb like my mother -- can that still be taught?

11. I purchased my very own vehicle this year.  I drove my 1998 Ford Escort ZX2 (or the "blue blur" as Keane called it) since I was 16 until I traded it in February for my white 2009 Chevy Equinox Sport.

12. I like country and alternative music, and singer-songwriters.  Also, on some mornings I like to listen to the Christian station to start my day off right.

13. Taco Bell is my favorite fast food.  Keane and I ate at Five Guys once though, and it was as good as it could get -- or I was really hungry that day.

14. I found it really hard coming up with 25 random things to write about myself.

 

Mini Roses from Keane

 

New Puma running shoes from Keane 

 

 

$2-bill Roses, Mums, & Rolos from Mom and Dad

 

 

 Birthday Notes

 

Lenox checking out my full-length mirror, hangers, MU scrunchy, MU shotglass, and light-up knocks

 

First birthday cake Keane has ever made

 

Kaden's "happy b-day Kristi" note in his school assignment book

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Anniversary Love

Four years ago today, I met the man of my dreams, the man I dreamed about as a little girl.  I vividly remember the way he looked at me when he spoke to me that first night.  We both got caught up in each of the moments from that evening.  He was funny and made me laugh.  I wasn’t sure what to think laughing so much with someone that I hardly knew, but I could not help it.  He kept my thoughts lingering on the discussions we had.  He gave me reason to think about him long after our initial talk was over.

I have never loved him any less since that day.  I grew to respect him and the things he represented about himself.  I really fell for his charm, and then got to know his heart, and I liked that even more.  I knew his two children as I cared for them at the daycare facility they attended.  We could talk about their habits and interests as that was a commonplace for us.  It was endearing to me to see him father small children.  I was greatly interested in his personality and, of course, his interest in me.  In short, we really hit it off.

Today, I am so thankful for the life that I have and for the love he provides to me.  This man loves me inside and out.  He loves me when I talk through his TV shows at which time he has to pause, rewind, and wait until I finish.  He can turn his head if food falls to the kitchen floor and I pick it up, dust it off, and store it for tomorrow.  He is always encouraging of the many ideas I ponder up and of my crazy life plans. 

 

 

He has patiently taught and given me the chance to hunt, which is his passion, sacrificing perfect shots he could have taken for himself.  He okayed me getting an inside cat although he swore he’d never have pets in the house…and he plays with that cat every single day.  He plays and sings me my favorite songs on his guitar. 

 

 

There are some people that love you because they are supposed to, there are people that try to love you the best that they can, there are people that stick with you because you’ve been through so much together…but this guy loves me because of who I am.  He adores me, appreciates me, and truly wants me in his life.  At least he makes me feel that way and that’s what matters.

 

 

I love his sense of humor, his intelligence, his damn good looks, and the fact that he approached me four years ago and stuck with me through everything.  I believe we’ve found our place in life – and it’s right where I want to be.

 

 

Happy four year anniversary, dear.  I love you.

 

A year later

I posted about the Montgomery County Fair in 2011 here and made sure to take another photo again this year.  Kaden and Keane were at a ball game of Kaden's again this year and this time my mother was able to attend but my dad stayed home to be lazy rest.  So below is a photo of me, Kollin, and Kylie, first from last year and then from this year, watching the Montgomery County Fair Parage, in the exact same location. 

Here, also, is a photo of me and my lovely momma!

It was a fine parade, with warm weather and candy.  I told Keane that the only thing he missed was the Mizzou dancers.  Truman the Tiger did wave at Kylie though, special girl right there. 

I guess I could add that Kollin was trying to pop the rear hatch of Mom's van after the parade and instead popped the hood of the van unknowingly.  Mom went to Domino's Pizza to pick up a "sausage and pepperoni pizza" she ordered only to get home and find a sausage and pepper pizza to great disappointment from Kollin.  But in the meantime, while she was trying to get through traffic with her hood unlatched, a nice feller noticed it and closed it for her.  It again came unlatched once at Domino's but luckily not while she driving down the blacktop.  Oh, Kollin, how we adore thee, child.

School Begins

The first day of school. The end of summer vacation. The beginning of so much more.

That day you're able to wear your new clothes with a new backpack and unused supplies. You get a new desk and a new teacher, a new class, and a year ahead of you full of learning, new friends, and lasting memories. It's always exciting to feel the atmosphere of school again, to smell the cafeteria food, and to see the classmates you didn't get to catch up with during the summer. 

It's a sweet time in children's lives. This morning I thought about this being only Kylie's second year of school (third including preschool) and about how much time she has ahead of her and how much she will experience and grow through her school years. I thought about how Kaden is now in the 3rd grade and that at that age, you're feeling bigger and older than ever. And as my sister and I conference called my brother, we told him to make sure he gets a picture on his first day of 6th grade because he doesn't have too many first days of school left.

I reflected on all the different stages of life and growing up. I remember going into the 1st grade - hoping that my best friend I made in Kindergarten would be in my class and seeing all the books in the classroom that I would soon learn to read on my own. I remember the 3rd grade - we weren't such little kids anymore, we were the oldest in that wing of the school, we were treated as older children, and the lessons ahead were those of astronomy and learning to write in cursive. I remember the 6th grade like it was yesterday - being between elementary and junior high, we had our own lockers (which was a huge deal), and we got to eat in the high school cafeteria and walk through the halls of the junior high.

I realized that I am still going through steps in life: experiencing a first day at a new job, the first vehicle I purchased on my own, the first time being an aunt. I am still learning and have so much to look forward to but at the same time, there are so many passing memories that I need to hold on to and remember, and I need to cherish the time and place that is now because before long, it will be a new first and a new experience to embrace.

But what I hope for today is that all the kids enjoy their first day of school this year and also realize that soon enough, it will be the last day of school.

Fishing

We went fishing this weekend. 

This time I caught the most fish.  My little white with pink tip lures did the trick.  Usually this never happens.  Sometimes I'm the first to give up fishing. 

This time we all caught at least one fish. 

 

Kaden strung the fish onto the stringer for me, each and every time, bless his little heart.

Keane had to break my fishing line due to a caught lure in the brush, untie a knot at the reel for Kaden, and wake a little girl from a nap to catch a fish.

We enjoyed time outside, in the beautiful Missouri weather.

And we had fish for supper.

This weekend we also camped, we invited my little brother and some friends out, the kids went swimming, we went on four-wheeler rides, we ate BBQ burgers and hotdogs, and we had breakfast over the campfire.  We watched it rain and waited for the sun to come back out.

We simply spent time this weekend.  And it was time well spent.

Everything got checked off our weekend to-do list.  We were able to do all of the things that we wanted to do.  Add to that, the dryer got fixed, thanks babe!
 

Lenox is One

Happy first year to our kitty cat.

We celebrated with cake, a cat toy and treats, and party favors for us. Kylie helped decorate with post-it notes and we blew party poppers on the front porch at Lenox through the glass door (easier clean-up this way).

These days, Lenox comes cuddling and purring before we wake up, then plays rough while still purring with Keane as we get ready. He runs after Kylie up and down the hallway and hides behind corners to jump at our feet.

He chatters and jumps high after bugs and loves laundry--to hide under it, to crawl into Keane's shorts and pant legs, and to jump from one pile of clean laundry to another.

To many more years and fun times, little leopard.