Fat Tuesday Reflections

Are you ready for a somewhat sad and pitiful story?

No? Well, I'm going to tell it anyway! (Feel free to skip :)

I am on the steering team for our Magnificat Mom's group at church and I absolutely love it -- I have made some wonderful friends who I meet with for play dates, coffee/wine drinking, etc., and have learned so much about myself and our Catholic faith along the way! Anyway, I signed up to bring an egg dish to our meeting last Thursday, which I COMPLETELY forgot about until Wednesday evening. I ended up opting to make this last minute and had it all prepared Wednesday night and ready to pop in the oven for Thursday morning. 

So I get up early...

Bake my casserole...

Make myself look somewhat presentable...

Wake up Jax/get him ready...

Take casserole out of oven...

Make coffee/prepare Jackson's milk cup...

Fasten "handy" plastic top (with handle!) to my casserole dish...

Grab casserole dish by handle + coffee + milk + purse + diaper bag...

Watch casserole fall in slow motion...

Stand there like an idiot for 10 seconds and pray that it miraculously stuck to the pan.

"SON OF A...." I started to yell, quickly stopping myself as I saw my fast-learning toddler round the corner. Brandon heard the thud/near cursing, came running downstairs, witnessed the mess, and began to nervously laugh... which in turn made me laugh (which was probably better than crying). My initial thoughts were to say "screw it," go back to bed, and skip the meeting, but I knew it wouldn't be fair of me to back out of my commitment... So, I did the logical thing and rolled into the McDonald's drive-thru, ordered one-dozen burritos and Sausage McMuffins, and headed to our meeting. 

The morning may have started off on the wrong foot, but it quickly turned around when I started visiting with the other moms and listening to the fabulous Jessica's insight on Sacramental Preparation. While Jessica spoke to our group about her favorite resources and how to approach each Sacrament with your child, it dawned on me that the Lenten season is upon us -- HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?! 

I know I talked last year about how Lent is my favorite time of the liturgical year, but I think it's worth repeating since it is a time of hope, peace, and renewal in both the Church as well as ourselves. To be completely honest, it never really clicked with me just how powerful and special this time of year is until I had a son of my own. (Side Note: Some kids at the library weren't letting Jackson play with them a few weeks ago and my first instinct was to run to his side, scold them, and protect him, but I knew I needed to just stand back and let him handle it -- it obviously phased me a lot more than it did him, because he just shrugged it off and found another new friend to play with while I went home and cried, pondering how Mary was able to be so perfect and full of grace while watching her Son die on the cross not just those who loved him, but for those who spat at him, threw rocks, and inserted nails into His hands and feet.) 

It wasn't until after I had Jackson that I realized Lent isn't about giving up things for Christ; it's about becoming closer to Him. When this realization came to be, I decided it was time to stop giving up things for petty reasons ("Ooh, if I give up candy, I can lose some weight!") and start taking up things to better my relationship with Him. Over the last few years, I have done this by reading the daily Scriptures and reflections on my Laudate app, as well as reading through/studying Fr. Robert Barron's daily reflection emails (which I highly, highly recommend). 

I have decided to continue doing these things this Lenten season, but will also be adding something new: During Jessica's talk on Thursday, she mentioned having weekly adoration "dates" with her son, which is probably the coolest thing I have ever heard. So, Jackson and I will start having these dates AT LEAST once a week as well and I cannot be more excited! 

I pray that you all have a peaceful and fulfilling Lenten season. Here's to a wonderful 40 days!

  

Big Announcements, Big Trips, and Big Blog Post

My blog game has been super weak lately...

..I'm always telling myself I need to log in and just write a quick update, but then something happens that takes up all my time and energy... ugh! Anyway, I figured that since the Jackster is asleep, I would write a quick catch up post of everything happening -- hopefully I'll be back to a more consistent posting schedule (whatever that means!) by the end of the month.

One of the big things happening right now is the launch of MammaTech, a fun technology/parenting website that I am proud to be part of! A little background of how I became involved: A few months ago, a good friend of ours contacted me and asked if I would be interested in doing a little writing/video blogging/editing for a website he was working on -- I agreed, not realizing the magnitude of this website and its parent company, PCMech. Long story short, I was fortunate enough to actually have a hand in launching the site with Timo and Tyler, and am looking forward to watching it grow over the next few months! It's still in its starting phase (press releases/promotions are coming in the next month), but we would love to have you follow along! I plan to post links to my new posts on Annie One Can Cook, so stay tuned! In the meantime, you should probably go follow MT on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Nana (Brandon's mom) came to visit a few weeks ago and we had such a fun time visiting, touring Denver, and overeating! I've been meaning to write about her time here for awhile now and am hoping to get some time to do it later this week -- stay tuned! 

Our big trip to Disney is coming and I am pleased to report that the darling Thumper outfit we purchased Jax months ago fits PERFECTLY!!! We have been watching a lot of Disney movies in preparation for the big vacation and I cannot wait to share one of my favorite things in the whole entire world with our son! Eek! I'm sure I'll be posting lots and lots of pictures, so make sure to follow along on Instagram. 

Vegas in T-minus one month!!! 

I am on the anchor team for this year's mom's group at our church and am so excited for our first meeting this week! God has brought so many amazing women into my life through this program and I cannot wait to see His plans for us in the coming year. I am also excited to see Jackson making some new friends through this group -- we have a play day at the park with one of the little boys on Wednesday. 

Don't ask me what triggered it, but as of today I am in full blown Christmas mode! I absolutely adore Christmas and long for it all year around, but this year I have been able to take a step back and actually enjoy each season as it comes (maybe it's because I'm a mom and hate seeing the time go by so quickly?). Anyway, I started doing a little gift shopping this morning and plan to do more tomorrow with my brother. 

I have made this stupidly simple apple cobbler twice in the last week and can't get enough -- it's so delish with a scoop a sea salt caramel ice cream on top! 

~Well, I think I have pretty much caught you up on everything happening in our lives! Like I said earlier, I hope to post a little more this week, but wanted to at least stop by once to say hi. Have a great week!~

Life Randoms

I haven't done a rambling post in awhile now, so I figured I would do one today and fill everyone in on our happenings (and to have it recorded for me, since I do plan to one day have my posts turned into a scrapbook)!

~We are T-Minus 2 MONTHS until we head to Disney World! Brandon and I haven't been back since we got engaged and can't wait to take Jackson for his first time (his Grammy, Grandpa, & Uncle Joe are coming too). It was also confirmed yesterday that my awesome, awesome bosses are sending all of their writers/our significant others to Vegas in October for a fun weekend (CAN'T WAIT). It's been a great year for vacations -- and 2016 should be too, as Brandon and I will be kicking off the year on a beach in Mexico for our anniversary! 

~I am kind of obsessed with my new "Love is Patient; Love is Kind" shirt from Pinks in Denver. This shirt is so stinking soft and the verse holds a special place in my heart (it was read at our wedding). 

~Jackson = the King of Selfies.

~We're pretty much IN LOVE with Cassie (Jax's Monday afternoon babysitter) -- he just adores her and I love the fact that he's in good hands while I write for 3 hours straight.

~Jackson's "big boy room" is just about finished and I am dying to share pictures!! Hopefully next week I'll have them taken and posted :)

~Family park days are fun -- even when you decide to walk the mile each way in scorching hot temps! 

~My cousins from Kansas were in Colorado last week and we had such a fun time seeing them at my parents, eating lots of food, and playing lots of cards.

~I don't have a picture, BUT.. Brandon and I were volunteered to Chalet dance at my hometown Heritage Festival last weekend -- we weren't sure what to expect, but we both had a lot of fun and got  in an AWESOME workout!

Have you had enough randomness for one day? Me too. Have a great Tuesday!

Dating Your Spouse

Wanna know a secret?

Parenting is hard work!

I know that all of you parents and caretakers out there are thinking, "Umm, Duh!" -- but just bear with me a sec. I knew that motherhood was going to change me forever, but I never realized just how much of a toll it'd take on my body (I'll tell you guys ALL about the joys of weaning soon), marriage, and just overall perspective on life.

If there's one thing that I wish I would have done differently over the last year and a half, it's that I would have made an effort to spend more time alone with my husband. Between my constant need to be with Jax, bed sharing, and just overall hectic-ness of 2014, I barely spent anytime alone with just Brandon (I can count on one hand the number of times we went out without Jax last year). 

I'm thrilled to announce that things have been SO much better this year and that I'm a happier, more confident wife and mamma! How did things change so drastically in such a short amount of time? Well..

We've discovered babysitters.

We have made couple friends who we can hang out with before and after Jax goes to sleep (meaning we normally play games and hang out at our house, but that's okay because we have a blast!).

We have taken my parents up on offers to watch Jax overnight for us so we can take little one night vacations out-of-state. 

We moved Jax out of our bed and into his crib.

We made a new nightly ritual of sitting in bed, watching a movie (or TV show -- currently OITNB, which is awful this season), and eating ice cream.

We have started to actually date again.. so much so, in fact, that I think we're doing more now than we did before we got engaged! It's amazing what a huge change it's made in our relationship and in my overall attitude.

What is your favorite way to date your spouse?

We actually got a babysitter and went to see "Jurassic World" on Friday afternoon -- soooooo good!!

The Five Stages of Getting a New Job

A few weeks ago, I got a new job.

Finding a job I could do at home with Jax (in addition to my marketing) is something I prayed about, searched high and low, and constantly scoured for on Craigslist.

I finally found it.

I'm currently writing daily entertainment articles for a national site and couldn't be happier -- my bosses/co-workers are awesome, the work itself is a blast, I get to keep working while staying home with my little tyke, AND I'm learning a ton about my home state! It's a win/win/win/win.

Anyway, from the time I was offered the job to the time I started writing/setting up posts, I experienced 5 all too familiar feelings. I've worked several different industries in my 25 years (retail, hospitality, journalism, and food to name a few) and have felt these varying emotions every single time -- and this time around, it finally occurred to me what was happening.

You know how there's the 5 stages of grief? Well there's also the 5 stages of getting a new job. Don't believe me? Read on..

Ladies and gentlemen: I present to you the Annie Sandmeier Model (or the 5 Stages of Getting a New Job).

1.) Shock - One of the first reactions is shock, wherein the applicant cannot believe they were the (supposed) most qualified candidate out of all the (assumed) people who applied.

2.) Excitement - When the applicant recognizes that they did indeed get the job and that shock cannot continue, it becomes excited, possibly a little cocky. Certain psychological responses of a person undergoing this phase would be: "Eff yeah! I got the freaking job!"; "Hey *insert significant other's name here*, I got the job so you need to take me out and give me a back rub to celebrate!"; "I need to go out and spend all the money on new work clothes (which, in my case would be yoga pants and pajamas, since I work from home)!" 

3.) Pure, Unadulterated Panic - The third phase involves recipient realizing that the cockiness may have been a bit premature. Usually, the job recipient is given a swift kick in the ego and begins to negotiate with a higher power in exchange for a reformed lifestyle: "Hi God; it's Annie again.. I'm sorry I got so ahead of myself with this new job.. Again.. I pray that this first week goes smoothly and that I can quickly learn everything I need to do.. If it does, I promise to limit my Netflix binging. Amen."

4.) Self Doubt - "I can't do this job! Why did I think I could handle this?!" "Why did I apply for a writing job.. I can't even write!" 

5.) Acceptance - "Okay, okay.. so maybe I CAN do this." "You got this, girl! Just remember to breathe." In this last stage, individuals embrace the new job, figure out their new schedule, and overall just get their shi stuff together. 

I think that the hardest part for me was getting used to the writing, deadlines, etc., but once I found a good balance and made myself a little schedule, I realized that everything would be just fine! I try to do most of my work either very early in the morning (before Jackson is awake) or wait to do it after dinner (when Brandon is home and can watch him for a bit). I'm loving my new job and feel extremely blessed to be doing what I'm doing from home! 

Just another afternoon at the office.

If you're interested in following my posts, the address is http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/category/colorado/ (or you can just click on the "OIYS" tab at the top of this page). 

Thoughts on Turning 25

Tomorrow is my birthday and I turn a quarter of a century old..

..I know that isn't very old at all but it feels like it to me.

I'm in my mid-twenties now! Where has the time gone?!

The other day, I started thinking about my life and how it is basically the exact opposite of anything I'd ever expected.

If you'd asked me 10 years ago what I'd be doing at 25, my answer would be simple: I'd be a single working girl living in a loft (above a coffee shop) in some trendy city -- since I wouldn't be tied down and would have all kinds of money from my well paying job, I'd go see the world with friends and settle down sometime in my 30s.

That was it. That was the plan. Thank God for unanswered prayers!

Here I am at 25 -- I'm a happily married mother (and homeowner) living in the suburbs with a cat and work from home job.

You wanna know something?

I wouldn't change it for the world.

I absolutely love my life and thank God every day for giving it to me.

I'm married to my soul mate (as corny as it sounds, it's true!), have a healthy little boy, roof over my head, education, and sometimes even get to travel -- it doesn't get any better than this!

This last quarter century has been amazing and I want to thank everyone who has been part of it. I really do have the best family and friends in the world and can't thank you all enough for making this life so special.

Here's to the next 25!

Yep; I'll take this over any other job any day! 

Vegas Must Haves

My hubby and I leave for our fabulous Vegas vacation in a few short days and I am so, so, so excited! Eek!!

This will be the first baby less vacation we've taken since becoming parents so it's definitely going to be an adventure but I know everyone will have a great time (especially Jackson, who will be getting spoiled by his Grammy & Grandpa). I will definitely be sharing pictures and stories next week so stay tuned!

Anyway, as soon as I booked our flight and hotel last month, I began to mentally prepare a list of all the things I wanted to take to Vegas with me. I've been to Vegas several times over the last few years so I've become somewhat of an self proclaimed expert on what to pack/wear/do/etc.

Here's a list of my Top 4 Vegas must haves for this trip:

 

1.) White Jeans -- Don't ask me why but as soon as we booked our trip to Vegas, I decided that I HAD to wear my thrifted black top from The Loft with white jeans. The problem? I've never owned white jeans. I ended up picking up a pair from the juniors section at Walmart for $14 (side note: what is the cutoff age for shopping the juniors dept.?) and am excited to wear them! Also, I'm a complete rule breaker and don't buy into the whole "no white after Labor Day" thing. 

2.) Next Issue -- Why did nobody tell me that owning a tablet would change my life?! It's seriously my new favorite thing and I use it for work, FB stalking, blogging, and reading. Speaking of reading, the Next Issue app is seriously the jam. I decided to try the free 30 day trial (with every intention of canceling) but became hooked and kept it. My big thing these days are DIY and home decor magazines and this app has them all! I can't wait to indulge myself on the plane with my mags and a yummy bev from Starbucks. 

3.) Selfie Stick -- Brandon gifted me one as a joke for our anniversary. Well, the jokes on him because I love it and plan to snap a ton of selfies while we're in Vegas.

4.) Blue Nail Polish -- I feel like I need a dark and pretty color on our nails during vacation and this color is dreamy!

These are my Vegas must haves (believe me, my list would have been much, much longer if Jax was joining us)! What's on our vacation must have list?

I leave you today with pictures from Brandon's & my first (and last) trip to Vegas; March 2012:

 ^^ Babies. We were babies. ^^

Rookie Mistake

**Alternative Title: When I Dip, You Dip, We Dip**

My sister-in-law told me not to do it.

My mother warned me.

I didn't listen.

It started out innocently enough (but then again, doesn't it always?).. just dabbling a bit, so to speak.

But it changed quickly and now my son is a dipping fiend.

I remember it like it was last week (because it was).. Jackson and I were sitting down to our regular lunch of soup, peanut butter crackers, and veggie sticks when I had the grand idea to dip my veggie sticks into Ranch dressing.

This intrigued my son.

I smiled.

"Want to try?" I kindly asked as I passed the bowl of Ranch his direction.

A look of confusion and excitement spread across his little face as he delicately dipped his sweet potato chip into the bowl.

"It's yummy, bubby!" I reassured him as he slowly brought the salty snack to his mouth.

After tasting the cold and creamy deliciousness that is Ranch dressing, he more assertively went in for another dip.. and then another.. and another.

As I cleaned up my messy toddler and table, I beamed with pride; my genius one-year-old was grasping the concept of dipping things (first time mom here, can ya tell?)!

It wasn't until the next morning at breakfast when I fully realized what I had done.

Every morning, Jackson and I have basically the same breakfast: coffee, Belvita Breakfast Biscuits, and oatmeal for mom; Belvita Breakfast Biscuits, Greek Yogurt w/Chia Seeds, and peanut butter crackers for Jackson. As I began my usual routine of dipping my biscuit into my coffee, I noticed my son reaching toward me while grasping onto one of his biscuits.

"What do you need, bud?" I asked, still naive to the situation at hand.

He began to point to my coffee with his biscuit.

"No no, Jax; you wouldn't like coffee!"

That's when his face began to turn bright red and he began to fuss.

"What's wrong bud?" I stupidly asked.

He threw his cracker down in a fit of (bratty) toddler rage.

That's when it occurred to me.

I pushed his Greek yogurt toward him to get his mind off dipping while I lectured him about not throwing food and being nice (or we wouldn't be eating again until lunch), and that's when something clicked in that little 95th percentile head of his. He grabbed another piece of cracker and began to dip it into his Greek yogurt.

I looked on in disgust.

"Whatever floats your boat, kid." I thought to myself as I took another sip of my coffee.

There isn't enough coffee in this world to fix what I have done. Here's a picture from Thursday that shows just how bad this has become:

I ate leftover Chinese food for lunch and he was insistent on dipping his veggie sticks into the left over soy sauce (gross). Not pictured: Jackson dipping his veggie stick into the bowl of mac and cheese minutes beforehand.

If you have children and have yet to make the same mistake I did, I implore you to take my advice and keep your kids far, far away from any type of dip. They already grow up too quickly--there's no sense in speeding up the process by turning them into persistent little dipping monsters.

Monday, Monday

Since becoming a stay-at-home mom 6 1/2 months ago, I've noticed that my days run together.. after all, I never really get to leave my job.

I live with my boss.

My boss is extremely demanding and insists I work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

There is no such thing as a weekend in my bosses big, bright eyes.

With all of that being said, you'd think Mondays wouldn't effect me, right (because in the world of motherhood, isn't every day a Monday)?

Wrong.

Monday means that my hottie co-worker has to leave for 8+ hours a day to go to his other job.

Monday means that it's just me and the (adorable, precious, and sweet) boss.

I used to make it a point to stay home and work around the house on Mondays--since I have my marketing job that I do from home, I have a 5pm newspaper deadline to meet, social media posts to schedule, stories to research, etc. In addition to my paid work, I also have the dishes to do, laundry to fold, cat hair to vacuum up, dinner to prepare, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Staying in (except for our daily afternoon walk) just seemed easiest.

Over the last couple of weeks, things have changed.

Monday mornings are now Jax's and my time to get out and socialize a bit.

Jax and I now have a new Monday morning tradition: We leave our apartment when Brandon leaves for work, get out the stroller, walk over to Barnes & Noble, and enjoy story time.

One of the (very) few good things about living in an apartment is that we live close to several of our favorite stores and restaurants, including B&N--Jax enjoys watching all of the little kids and listening to the story; I enjoy getting some fresh air and walking around my favorite store. It's a win/win!

My big boy sitting up all by himself at story time!

After story time is over, Jax and I walk over to the park to watch the kids play in the splash pad (Jackson is my little people watcher), head home to do dishes & laundry (he loves "helping me" by chewing on tupper wear lids or playing with a stray sock), eat whatever pureed veggie I have thawed for him, and then he naps on me while I do my newspaper writing.

I love Mondays with my little guy!

We've also started going to a baby music class at the library--more on that another time!

 Do you have any weekly traditions you do with your kids?

Working Mom (& Mother's Day Recap)

I have a big announcement:

I got a job!

More on that in a sec.. here's pics and a quick recap of our Mother's Day weekend.

Grandma gifts from Jackson!

I attended a Mom's Night Out Canvas & Cocktails party and brought my signature mini fruit pizzas--they were a hit!

My (unfinished) canvas.. and cocktail.

On Saturday we went to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory with my family, Aunt Nancy, Uncle Rolf, and dear friend Diane. Below are a few failed food/cheesecake shots (we shared 3 different kinds--so good!).

My handsome boy before Mother's Day mass.

My parents surprised me with the beautiful calla lilies (my favorite!) for my first Mother's Day!

Mother's Day lunch at my parents.

Jax, Dad & Papa Tony watching the Rockies game.

Lunch! Mom made a spiral ham, salad, & twice baked potatoes and I brought my favorite pineapple stuffing.

Brandon and I also brought a cake from our favorite cakery, Nothing Bundt Cakes.

My mom (center) and her BFFs.

I thank God every minute of every day for giving me this little boy.

We had a perfect Mother's Day weekend and I pray that you and all of the special women in your life had one too! 

Onto my big news..

..I got a job! 

I was offered a job doing the marketing and writing for my hometown museum and I couldn't be more excited! I worked many a summer at the museum so it (and all the people associated with it) holds a special place in my heart. My job title entails social media marketing & management, promotions, and writing for weekly newspaper articles; the hours are great (I choose my own), I get to wear pajamas to work (since I work from home) and, most importantly, I get to stay home and raise my son.

Dream job?

Umm, yeah.

God is good!!

With all of that being said, my posts on here are going to be even more sporadic than usual as I get into the groove of work so please bear with me for a couple of weeks.. I'm also working on another business venture that I will share with you *hopefully* this summer.

Stay tuned!

Kindness (& a Major Case of the Mondays)

Yesterday was definitely a Monday.. did you feel that way too?

I usually make it a point to not go out on Mondays--I have designated it as a day to just clean, do laundry & dishes, go for walk, and cuddle with Jax. However, with lots of errands to run and places to go, staying home yesterday wasn't an option. Shortly after Brandon left for work, Jax and I hopped in the car and headed out.

Our first stop was the bank.

Nothing bad happened there--in fact, the people I stood in line with were all very friendly and wanted to talk about Jax (which happens to be my favorite subject!).

Next stop was Target.

Again, nothing too eventful--my cousin sent a gift card for Jackson so we picked up a few Easter related items  for him and some all-natural teething tabs his doctor recommended. We were in and out in about 15 minutes and all was well.. until I couldn't find our car. I kid you not, I carried our bag and Jax (in his heavy car seat) around that entire parking lot because I could not remember where I parked.

After about 8 minutes, I finally spotted our car and we were off to Conoco to get gas. $56 later, it was time to head over to King Soopers to pick up a few groceries and mail some packages. 

Okay Colorado people, don't laugh at me.. at Dillons (which is King Soopers with a different name) you can mail packages, letters, and buy stamps, so I figured I'd be able to do that here, too. Not the case. I asked one of the very nice ladies working if there was a post office nearby and she gave me directions and sent us on our way. As we shopped around for a few groceries, a woman who wasn't paying any attention to where she was going nearly hit our cart.

"Oh, excuse me!" I said (politely, I honestly wasn't being sarcastic).

This woman looked at me and then at Jax and rolled her eyes.

Now it's one thing if you roll your eyes at me.. but when you roll your eyes at my child, it's a whole different ball park. I had to make a split second choice: do I make a scene and ask her what her problem is or do I take the high road and just keep walking.

I chose the high road--but I did mumble a few expletives as we walked away.

Once we had our groceries, it was time to head to the post office.. and that's when all hell broke loose.

At first, Jax was just fussing a little bit in the back of the car so I started talking to him and telling him we were almost finished and he calmed down.. but once we got out of the car and into the post office, he let loose and screamed. I tried to calm him in his car seat by rocking him but that wasn't working so I took him out and started bouncing with him (while I'm addressing/stuffing giant envelopes) but that just made him scream even louder--the entire line was staring at us by this point and I just wanted to climb in a hole and hide. Between the mean stares, the rude lady in the grocery store, and an inconsolable baby, I felt sad and defeated.. I was ready to curl up and start crying with Jax.

It was then I had three different people come up to me and offer to help--they were kind, understanding, and knew exactly what my heart needed. An extremely sweet, older woman ended up holding and rocking Jax for me as I addressed, filled, and mailed my packages--she was even able to get him to sleep! I wanted to hug this woman (actually, I did hug her) and invite her over for dinner; I don't think she realized that such a seemingly small gesture could mean so much to one tired mama. Her kind gesture turned my day around and I prayed for her and thanked God for bringing her into my life when I needed somebody the most.

The moral of this story is to be kind to everyone you meet--you never know what kind of a day a stranger is having and how something as simple as a smile can turn their day around. I'm going to remember that the next time somebody rolls their eyes at me or seems completely overwhelmed at the post office and I hope you do too.

Here's a picture of Jax and Bitsy napping last week (because why not?).

Parties
Stone Gable
Daddy Space
Kathe with an E
Pint Sized Baker  
Glamorous, Affordable Life 

Birthday Post: 24 on 24

Today is my birthday!

I am now 24-years-old young!

Since 23 has been such a crazy, wonderful, emotional, and surprising year, I thought it'd be fun to go back and cover a few of the highlights--so in semi-chronological order, I now present to you 24 of my favorite moments from March 26, 2013-Today.

1.) Adopted Bitsy (side note: it was actually one year ago today when we first met Bits!)

2.) Moved into our duplex

3.) Hosted Easter for our families

4.) Won the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Award for News Anchor Performance

5.) Fractured my back

6.) Discovered we were pregnant!

7.) Met & Interviewed Governor Sam Brownback, Love & Theft, and the LoCash Cowboys

8.) Finished college

9.) Brandon's family visits from Tennessee & North Dakota

10.) Interviewed Olympic gold medalists (and even got to wear a gold medal!)

11.) First credit card

12.) Weekend trip to Kansas City for friends wedding

13.) Attended 2 Rockies games

14.) Numerous summer weekend trips

15.) Brandon buys a new car

16.) Began new job at Divine Mercy Radio

17.) Girls trip (with my mom) to Las Vegas/FINALLY saw Jersey Boys

18.) Surprise baby shower (thrown by my sister-in-law), shower with my best friends from high school, and surprise shower by the Catholic Moms

19.) Babymoon/friends' wedding in Wichita

20.) Birth of Jackson Lee

21.) Celebrated our one year wedding anniversary (with sushi and American Hustle)

22.) Brandon receives job offer in Denver

23.) Big family move to Denver

24.) Jax is baptized at my hometown church

I met Brandon when I was 20, we were engaged when I was 21, married at 22, and welcomed our son at 23.. I can't wait to see what 24 has in store (I'm praying it's our first house..)! Anyway, I'll have a birthday/birthday weekend recap on Monday--Brandon and I are going to lunch and a movie on Saturday while Jax's Mimi Carol and Great Aunt Nancy watch him :) I can't wait!

Annie: Then and Now

Disclaimer: The following post may contain images disturbing to some readers. If images of awkward adolescents makes you uncomfortable, causes nightmares and/or a loss of appetite, please leave this page now. Annie One Can Cook will not claim responsibility for direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages resulting from reading this post.

You've been warned. 

It's weird for me to think that I'm old enough to be a mom--I feel like I should only be an 8th grader, still living at home with my parents! But alas, I'm now an adult and have several important stay-at-home mamma responsibilities such as keeping house, paying bills, and keeping an adorable little tyke fed and happy--it just doesn't feel real sometimes!

Anyway, while I was making my blogging rounds the other day, I stumbled upon a "then and now" post from Alexis at We Like to Learn as We Go and thought it would be fun to do (especially since the "then" is as old I currently feel).

Let's do it!

Then: 2004 - Age 14

Now: 2014 - Age 24 (next month.. I'm still 23)

Please note the braces, hair, & Bush/Cheney shirt.

Crushing On

Then: Drake Bell

Now:  This hot soldier I met who is a computer whiz, amazing cook, and makes beautiful babies.

My taste got better with age.

Attitude

Then: Moody, grumpy, paranoid.. pretty much your typical teen.

Now: Laid back, happy, and grateful!

Family vacation to Washington D.C. & Williamsburg, VA - Summer 2004

Hair

Then: Rats nest (I would occasionally brush it and that was the extent of my hair routine).

Now: Short, staticky mess.. but at least I make an effort now, right?

My Aunt Nancy & Me at the infamous chicken coop B&B - Fall 2004

Style

Then: Lots of jackets (I hated my arms), jeans (I hated my legs), shoes (I hated my feet), and loose fitting blouses/dresses (to hide my hips, thighs, and butt).

Now:  Yoga pants, t-shirts, blazers, and dresses (whenever I can!).

"Favorite Era Day" at school - Fall 2004

Watching

Then: Drake & Josh, Friends, & whatever was on MTV at the time.

Now: The news (& news magazine shows like Dateline and 20/20), Curb Your Enthusiasm, Family Tree, Shark Tank, Duck Dynasty, & Breaking Bad.

Apparently not going to class.. - Fall 2004

Listening

Then: Sheryl Crow & Top 40

Now: 90s Alternative & Grunge

My photogenic family - Christmas 2004

Reading

Then: Teen Romcoms & Romeo & Juliet (9th grade English)

Now: My current read is One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories by B.J. Novak (which I will be doing a review on soon).

8th grade dance - Spring 2004

Leisure

Then: Hanging out with friends, shopping, talking on the phone, & dancing in my room.

Now: Blogging, reading, going for walks, & traveling.

8th Grade Cotillion - Spring 2004

Dreams

Then: Move to Hollywood, become a famous actress/singer, marry Drake Bell, and introduce my best friend, Jen, to Ricky Ullman (which I actually referenced in my MOH speech at her wedding).

Now: Being the best wife and mother I can possibly be and raising my children to be good, contributing members of society.. and going to New York City. 

Better than being a famous actress--being mommy to this little guy and wife to handsome Brandon!