30 reason why...

...i love this gal so much.

1. because she's ridiculously creative.

2. because this is just a day in the life...and i love it.

3. because family is her heart and soul.

4. because she took my most favorite picture EVER of hadley. And it's not creepy dark.

5. because this smile never leaves my face when i'm with her.

6. because its a double tall, non-fat, sugar free hazelnut latte, extra hot.

7. because she's going to be a fabulous mama, whether she believes so or not.

8. because we were the wildest ones at our S.O.'s high school reunion.

9. because i love winkers.

10. because she sees the humor in everything.

11. because she loves her.

12. because she sees the beauty in the simplest things.

13. because she's just plain fun and super sassy.

14. because she's godparent to rudy.

15. because i love that she's a twin.

16. because she went to parties, while looking for boys, with me dressed like this.

17. because we're the redhead & the blonde.

18. because she didn't care that i went to a dance with her ex.

19. because we bought out every store of Ball State paraphernalia when we were 13.

20. because she cowgirls up.

21. because i'm friends with her friends.

22. because she's one of the truest, bluest friends i know to the ones she loves.

23. because i knew her when she had a bob

24. and when she had a haircut shaped like a penis.

25. because she was an 'ape' and i was an 'alien' and i would have died to be on her team...instead i cried for two nights and at every practice.

26. because i've known her forever...and loved her just as long.

27. because she belongs to the Mafia, or at least would love to be married in.

28. because she's not afraid of true love.

29. because she's crazy beautiful.

30. because shes the sister i never had.

Jackie B HAPPY 30th!!! I only put 30 reasons, but i have about a million for the reason why i think you're the cats meow. Maybe it's because you are the first memory i have of a friend, because i vividly remember your red hair and that damn twin I couldn't shake from your side. Because even though we stopped going to school together after kindergarten we stayed friends and knew everything important about the other. Because we reunited in college and lived in the GHETTO without any regrets. Because i know every single side of you and you me....even when i'm embarrassed because i was saving photos to your in-box. Because you are bananas A-mazing i couldn't even imagine another you...or 'I'd DIE'.

Please, no autographs.

Our darling Hadley was a covergirl...right up there with Christie Brinkley and Tyra Banks (but a little less annoying). She was picked out 1,000 kids to be on the cover of the Pacific Northwest Magazine in the last Sunday's edition of the Seattle Times! Okay, not really. We just have an in with the editor...but does it really matter. She's a star!

And here are some of the outtakes. The kid had a blast and I'm hoping the P.I. is willing to pay for the filling she's going to need after an hours worth of eating suckers.

OUCH!

Hadley was walking at the park the other day with two full hands of snacks when she caught her foot on...well her foot...and smacked face first into the pavement. Snacks went flying and blood went spurting. Luckily I was there, as her dad had a near heart attack, turned white, and told me to be careful when holding her or else I was going to ruin my sweatshirt. Um, thanks Ry...

Needless to say, the bean split open her bottom lip and looked like a tough nut scrump the rest of the day. And for the next 22 hours I checked on her constantly to make sure the her head didn't swell to the size of a basketball and that her little cut didn't play host to some sort of necrotizing bacteria. Oh the joys of working in a PICU.

Just made me smile.

No other reason for the post. Digging her red shirt and red cons and the fact that she's eating fruit loops off the ground and thinking it's probably the best thing ever.

First Halloween party.

Auntie Val hosted a fabu Halloween party for Lauren and her friends and luckily Hadley made the invite list.

They played fun games...and got Mardi Gras beads for showing the most skin. This was right after Hads put her shirt back down.



There was a costume contest....

...and Benny won!

THANKS AUNTIE VAL AND UNCLE KEVIN for hosting such a fun night even when your first born was nutso!

From morning till night.

Hadley always has something in both hands. She loves her loot and loves to take it 'bye-bye'. All day long we load up and attempt to head out the door with our new found possessions.

Kind of getting big.

When did our baby get so big?!?!

Oh, the pumkin patch.

I have some of the fondest memories going to the pumpkin patch with my Aunt Laurie and Longinotti cousins. We'd sit in the back of the White Rose and dream up all the faces our Dad's could carve onto our newly 'picked' pumpkins. I even remember that creepy red head kid that always palled along with us (who was he?!), the time Kip cried because his pumpkin's hair fell off (really just the stem), and the time Kate ate the entire pack of Bazooka Joe because we lied to her and told her we did (and I remember even better when Aunt Laurie yelled at us and told us we had to give ALL of our Bazooka Joe to Katie because we tricked her). The memories help make up my childhood, and one day Hadley will thank us...but I don't think it will be this year. She pretty much cried and whined the entire time. But we got beautiful pumpkies!