Another year, another birthday

Not only is today a pretty fun date - 10.11.12 - it's Mr. B's BIRTHDAY!!

Can you please all take a minute and wish him a happy day? He might not ever admit it, but he secretly loves this blog (maybe more than I do?) and I know your comments would make.his.day.

This year, the birthday celebrations around here will be pretty low key compared to previous years. Partially, because I'm beyond pregnant (yep, it's reached that point) and partially because it just the way it goes some years. Tomorrow, we'll (being me, baby and puppies - duh) bake Rich his favorite cake: German Chocolate and celebrate his special day.

In a sign of things to come, Mr. B will be spending this evening at Disney on Ice with his Little Brother, B. (Oh you didn't know? In addition to being an amazing husband, father, friend - he also volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters.) Disney on Ice folks. Love it.

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, so instead of me trying to explain Mr. B's awesomeness in words, I'll just leave you with a few photos of him to celebrate his special day.

This was a huge hit on Facebook:

"That moment when you're watching men's gymnastics and your husband decides "I can do that too".

 

You know someone is going to be a great father when he practices reading bedtime stories to the puppies - and they actually listen.

 

Teaching Clem-kadiddle-hopper to swim this summer in Dallas

 

Happy Birthday love - it's been a fantastic year. Can't wait for the next...

 

Happy Half Birthday!

Clemmie and Dixie are 6 months old today. Can you believe it? I can't. I'm in denial. Our little girls are getting so big! Because I'm a firm believer in half-birthdays (see below), today is all about the pups. Even though these little rascals are rescues, we're lucky enough to know their real birthdays and their "story".

You want proof that these pups are getting so big? Here you go. These are all iPhone pics from the first week we had them. They weighed 20 pounds each, sat together in the front seat on the way home for the first time and shared a dog bed.

And a few from the second week, when I took that solo road trip to Philly with two puppies at 4 months pregnant? Yes, that week.

And nowadays? They both weigh in the mid-50's with plenty of spare skin to grow in to, sleep in separate kennels and beds and get whingey-whiney when they have to share space in the backseat of the car. They still cuddle, still sister play fight and still are afraid of anything with wheels - think bikes, strollers, scooters, wheelchairs, etc. They each have very different personalities - one who is more confident and adventurous but less athletic, and one who will run herself in circles but cowers under the table when the UPS truck stops by. Dixie's a mama's girl and Clemmie's all about dad. Works for us. They're our first babies and we're sort of obsessed with them.

They have no idea what's about to rock their world in a few weeks time when we bring the baby home, but we'll still have lots of love and cuddles for them nonetheless.

Happy half-birthday Clem & Dixie...here's to many more to come.

PS: And the half-birthday obsession? That stems from a most inconvenient birthday in the eyes of the elementary school teachers. Teacher friends, don't underestimate the power of a "missed" birthday. I don't know about your school, but at mine, we celebrated all the summer birthdays on their half-birthdays. Which was all well and good, unless your half-birthday (mine) fell during Christmas break. Double ouch. So, yes, I have a complex.

Happy Birthday America!

I'm baaaaack...

You'll be pleased to know that we're officially settled in WITH internet. Please don't even get me started about that wretched company (rhymes with Rom-Rast) and despite the 2.5 week wait, I'm very grateful to our new company who deliver fast internet and excellent TV without the attitude.

I, of course, have a back log of posts and things to update you on, but since it's America's birthday and all that, I thought I should give her the center stage today. It's a little weird having the holiday in the middle of the week. Last night felt like Friday night, and today feels like Sunday - or is it just me?

It's been hotter than hades here lately so the plan for today is to stay inside until later this afternoon when we're headed over to a friend's house for a cookout and some relaxation. Most of the fireworks around us have been cancelled due to the extreme dryness (and as I write this Mr. B. is outside moving the sprinkler, again, in a desperate attempt to save our lawn from drying out forever and ever) so we'll probably have a low key night in. Plus, puppies and fireworks don't mix.

The 4th of July around these parts means a house divided with Mr. B constantly attempting to reassert his Britishness (read: salvage his pride) that his dear motherland let go of such a wonderful colony 236 years ago. I, of course, use this fine holiday as another weapon in my never-ending arsenal of reasons why America (and therefore, directly, me) is superior. We're a little competitive.

For now, I'll leave you with one of my favorite pictures of Mr. B from several years ago. When we first moved to Philly and my brother came to visit, we duly made our pilgrimage to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell like all good Americans should. I snapped this pic of Rich while we were all "admiring" the beautiful bell. No, it is not staged. And yes, he was that bored with the entire visit. Furthermore, double bonus points if you notice his choice of attire.

Happy Birthday America!

The best Christmas present EVER

Look no further friends. I have discovered the ultimate present for almost any occasion. Wait, let's give credit where credit is due: my DAD discovered the best present. And, he found it in the Wall Street Journal, no less. (So typical of my father.)

For Christmas, he had 15 bottles of various red wines shipped directly to our door. Best.present.ever. They're all from smallish, up-and-coming vineyards around the world (no offense America but other countries have really good wine too. Nothing peeves me more than a restaurant with a wine list comprised entirely of American wines) and it's been fun trying and comparing all the different bottles. And for the record, I'm not a wine-snob! I went through phase of buying cases of Charles Shaw (three-buck Chuck) at Trader Joe's but I also appreciate a really high end bottle of wine. Wine is wine.

Now, I know these wine club deals are all over the place, so perhaps I'm just more impressed with my dad's unbelievably insightful gift giving skills. It was beyond thoughtful of him and every time we open a bottle of wine, we think of him!

And opened bottles of wine we have. I save the corks (someday I'll get around to a crafting cork project!) and we still have plenty of bottles to last us, say, another week or so. Kidding. At least two weeks.

Just a heads up yall that my birthday is in June, so email me for my address to send my next case of wine.

Happy Friday! And don't forget it's five o'clock somewhere!

Happy Birthday Mr. B!!

The secret is out: Mr. B. is another year older today!!

Happy birthday to youuuuuu, happy birthday to youuuuu. Fine. I'll stop there.

(Here's why. Last year we had to meet with our parish priest in order to register for our church. You know the story, here's all the wonderful activities you can get involved with, the priest says to me: we also have a choir. And Mr. B., without missing a beat, and dead serious, says to him: My wife has the voice of an angel...drowning. To which the priest roared with laughter, and I did too, but now only save my singing for when I really want to annoy him.)

35 years ago today, the world was punished graced with an incredibly funny looking (see above), caring and charming man. You never cease to amaze me with your sense of humor, ability to consistently function on 4 or 5 hours sleep, and most of all, your eternal English optimism. (Sometimes to the point of living in la-la-land, but I love you anyways.)

This photo proves just that: laughing your tail off, probably on only a few hours sleep from the celebrations the night before, in full-on English wedding goodness.
Remember 5 years ago when I surprised you at your offices with a singing transvestite Dolly Parton inpersonator? And you wanted to absolutely kill me because your European Board was visiting that day and you thought your career was over? How you underestimated me.... Not only did I clear it with everyone at the office, but they loved the idea so much they chipped in to double the humiliation....

Lucky for you, I don't have anything like that up my sleeve today. Just this post which rekindles those feelings of embarassement - that I've now shared with the entire world.

You're not off the hook that easy though. I've instead gathered four fantastically funny photos of you from over the years. I could have picked 50 - honestly, there are that many - but hopefully you'll smile at these and remember all the fun we've had over the years....

1. Only you would visit Independence Hall in Philadelphia, wearing your Great Britain shirt, and give a thumbs down to the whole America concept.

2. Looking lost (or drunk?) and miserable at Glastonbury, most likely scolding me for eternally wandering off and getting lost. It also appears you're holding my poncho too.

3. Holding a rainbow umbrella and a hot pink Longchamp bag while talking to a goat in rural Kenya. Enough said.

4. The infamous pink boa shot of you just minutes before you were swiftly kicked out of the bar - the weekend of our wedding no less. You decided to attempt to serenade me while standing on a table. You fell off. And I took you home.

Happy Birthday!!

Feeling homesick & belated birthday

It's a weird feeling when you're homesick for a place that's not your home anymore. The place that used to be home several years ago ... the place where all your friends are/were ... the place where your "remember that one time" stories always lead back to ... the place that you know isn't the same when you visit it because in your heart you know times change. Maybe it's not homesickness so much but another phrase I can't put my finger on just yet.

It's even harder when the one girlfriend who's always "remember that one time" accomplice now lives on the other side of the world. The girlfriend who watched you stuff four schnitzels in your face on a boozy night out in Prague. The girlfriend who came to spend Christmas with your family in Dallas one year because she may as well be the long-lost sister with a slightly funny accent. The girlfriend who adopted you for weeks and weeks when you were homeless and your boyfriend had moved to America before you.

She's home. I'm home. Home in that these are our birth countries. But, far, far away from home in the sense that, together, we sort of developed a new home when we left America and Australia and met in London. Because home is where your family and friends are, right? So yes, you can have many "homes" and be "homesick" for many places.

I'm hopelessly inept at any time-zone calculation other than east coast to central and east coast to greenwich mean time. Melbourne is some serious math which not even the iPhone can help me with. (Yes, I use the damn app and no, I still can't figure it out.)

I missed speaking with Julie on her birthday last week. And I missed giving her a special birthday post on the blog because of travels and work. Happy belated birthday love! (To be fair, card and pressie were hopefully in receipt in time for the big day. If not, blame the USPS.)

But it's heartwarming to know that between two long overdue catch up emails, which probably took over an hour each to write, we've hardly missed a beat, still understand each other's joys and troubles, and still have a wicked sense of humor.

Miss you loads Woodsy! Happy Birthday!

Ags xxxx

Glastonbury mudfest - 2007

(I love that you're optimistically holding sunnies when, clearly, it's raining cats and dogs.

At least one of us had our priorities straight.)

The bridesmaid who kept your lipstick in her bra and reapplied when needed - 2008

Justin & Soph's wedding - 2009

Literally saying good-bye in Vegas (the last time until who knows?) - 2010

I'm not sure when we'll see Julie and Paul next. We're overdue for a trip to Australia, but TAH kind of prevents a big blow-out trip these days. Soon enough. In the meantime, I'm thankful for all sorts of fancy technology: emails, skype, facebook, twitter, blogs.... to keep in touch. We're worlds away but not that far really.

PS - Woodsy why do you have all the photos from 2005 & 2006? Am I really that camera-irresponsible? Yes. 

February Birthdays

We're celebrating TWO birthdays this week! 

Happy Birthday to my dad and my brother, aka Senior and Junior. Yes, they have the same name, and yes, we call them Senior and Junior.

I couldn't ask for a more loving, supportive, and frankly, hilarious family. Sorry we can't be there to celebrate together - bingo and lent fish fry anyone? - but we'll save the party for the next time we're together.  

The most dapper father-of-the-bride, EVER.

Love you dad!

Sorry ladies, he's spoken for...

Love you Jr.

My three favorite guys. Go Frogs.

January Birthdays and Theta Founder's Day!

To Mikey B:

If you're not careful I may just tell you (in a highly obscene manner) to blow out the candles on your birthday cake. Wishing we were on the slopes somewhere so we could all be obnoxiously competitive in every game / sport imaginable. Hope you party hard in your lilac jacket. Oh wait. You just have the faker pink striped jacket. You'll have to try harder at the next Kinsale Cup.

+1 million for being an amazing friend
-1 million and one for being you

To Nate:

HAPPY 30TH! You're joining an exclusive club, of which Mr. B is so far the only member. Your missus and I will no doubt continue to let you know that you are now officially "old", but we mean it in the nicest way possible! Here's to 2011 and all the fun adventures it will bring. We're ready for the wedding of the year!

To all my Kappa Alpha Theta favorites:

"Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it."
- Winston Churchill

Happy Founder's Day!

Theta Love,
Mrs. B xxx



Happy Birthday!

The Anniversary Home is celebrating a special 40th birthday today! Happy Birthday Matt!

Sometimes life is so bright Matt, you gotta wear shades...

The birthday boy looking exceptionally dapper with his beautiful bride.

Taking his fatherly duties seriously - a game of Paper, Scissors, Stone!

Happy, happy, happy birthday Matt! Wish we could be there to celebrate (or commiserate??) with you, but you know we'll more than make up for it in a few weeks time. Sending you lots of love and hugs!

Mr. & Mrs. B xxxx