25 years!

todays my birthday! YAY! i've had a great day so far. lunch date with Mr. Jones and shopping with my mother in law- where i scored a new pair of shoes. tonight we're going out for dinner to pizza hut. (i chose the same place for my birthday last year- tastes just like pizza hut from home and hits the spot everytime.) i love that birthdays get a little more quiet and simple as you get older, i'm a simple girl. ave's been giving the most wonderful birthday hugs and kisses all day and she made the cutest card while trae and i were out and about and was so proud of it... she drew a circle and a square and colored pictures of our little family amongst scribbles. {random but funny, today while shoe shopping ave was keeping all the employees busy while trying every single shoe her little hands could get ahold. she found the brightest orange shoes with the biggest heel i've ever seen and waltzed around in them til she toppled over. after she fell, she giggled and said "mom, i fell on those carrots. those carrot shoes made me fall." what a goof}

anyways, back to birthdays, i opted for no presents from trae until we get home. i was so not in the mood for brasilian gear and my suitcase has zero extra space for our trip home, make that negative zero space now that i have another pair of high heels, we're in trouble. also, i couldn't come up with one single thing i wanted/needed.  this coming from the girl who usually has a mile long list to choose from.  so what are your favorite things that maybe i've been missing out on since living in brasil the past year, i need suggestions.

but my most favorite part about my birthday is that i share it with meag.  Heavenly Father sure knew what he was doing when he put us together.  He must have known how terribly bad we needed eachother.  That girl can run a half marathon with the best of them, grow a garden like i've never seen, have a bad hair day and still look amazing and is the very best friend I have. I am so glad that after meag was born 25 years ago, much to my parents suprise, that doctor said "i think there's another baby in there," and 7 minutes later i was born. I needed meag and i think she needed me.  25 years with her have been pretty amazing.  I can not wait to live on the same continent as her again, let alone the same state.  Happy Birthday pretty girl.  I love you Meag!!

(i'm at a serious lack of pictures with just meag and i.  we've clearly been away from eachother too long, 

here's one blurry picture with us and the kiddos and one back from college days)