HAPPY 17, MICHELLE

my "little" sister, best friend, and champion segway rider turns seventeen today. seventeen. considering i sometimes feel like i'm still seventeen, i can hardly wrap my mind around this number and its significance.

for the last three years, michelle's birthday has always fallen on the same weekend as my university's family weekend, so bless her and her thoughtful, understanding, selfless soul, she's spent half of her teendomhood birthdays in lil' ole pella, iowa at my silly family weekend and never once complained or made it about herself, even though she had every right to. but that's just the kind of young woman she is, and i admire her oh so much for it. this year, with me not participating in my school's homecoming or family weekend due to geographical circumstances, michelle has the entire week to herself - the world is her oyster! she gets to do whatever she pleases in celebration of her big day. and would you guess what she's got planned? spending the weekend in pella, iowa, so she can attend the central college homecoming football game. that's what. i kid you not. i'm only slightly jealous she's going to be there without me.

oh michelle, i so badly wish i could be there to ring in your seventeenth year with you. if i could teleport you here i would do it in a heartbeat just so i could spend the day spoiling you with my granada favorites, and it would look something like this...

we'd start the day by stopping at my favorite little bakery to see my favorite little baker, where we'd pick up a yummy birthday breakfast pastry. i'd get my ever-trustworthy ever-moist blueberry muffin and recommend to you the neapolitan croissant, with "secret" underlying intentions of doing splitsies and sharing a bit of both. hey, it wouldn't be a family meal if we didn't!

we'd carry our fresh pastries up this little alleyway to my hidden, secret plaza...

which seems to be occupied by an overabundance of hobos (and honestly i now realize doesn't look very visually appealing; it's cozy, i promise!), so we'll backtrack...

...to plaza trinidad, where we would eat and talk and enjoy the fresh air and natural company.

after breakfast, i'd lead you back towards the main drag via the posh mini shopping district. we'd window shop, try on over-priced garb that we'd never be caught dead wearing, and find you a futbol jersey.

"woofta!" we'd say. "all that shopping's made us hungry!" i'd weave you through the backstreets of granada until we found the perfect, hole-in-the-wall, authentic spanish restaurant and we'd stuff ourselves silly with paella and churros con chocolate.

time to walk off that big lunch of ours! i'd lead you on an afternoon "intense walk" (the word "hike" is too serious) up to the ahlambra, for a more informative, historical experience and the most breathtaking view of the city.

don't let me forget to pack our selfie sticks!

we'd grab an evening treat of tea and crepes at a moroccan teteria in an attempt to hold off our hunger until night rolls around and the tapas bars open up. come 10:00 PM, we'd set out to roam the awakened, lively streets, stopping every few blocks to grab a fanta or coca cola and the free tapa that comes with.

as the drowsiness sets in after such an eventful day, we'd pop a squat on a bench near this fountain, and i'd use this opportunity to tell you how proud i am to be your big sister. you radiate beauty, always know how to put a smile on my face, and have the kindest heart and the most infectious smile of anyone i've ever met. i love you, midge the beast! happy birthday!

HEY BIRTHDAY GIRL

happy birthday to my beautiful, kindhearted, thoughtful, intelligent, hilarious, lovely, flexible, mature, witty, ginger, shining, supportive, musical, calm, "super," modelicious, sweet sweet fifteen-year-old sister! each of these qualities of yours is so admirable and inspiring. oh how i can't wait to see where life takes you. i am so proud to be your big hermana. i love you so much it hurts.

birthday bonus! on  this day both 12 and 7 years ago...

mini jennas! WASN'T SHE THE CUTEST? those freckly cheeks!

it looks like june 21 was a really good day because today is also my best friend alyssa's golden TWENTY-FIRST BIRTHDAY. happy birthday, chick! thanks for taking on the world with me. oh how i wish i could be there to help you celebrate, but i know you will have the best day. i promise to grace you with my presence soon... after all, i do owe you a birthday drink... at starbucks! ;) 

a rachel-alyssa photo is not complete if it doesn't contain food. love ya friend! 

thanks june 21 for providing me with two of my very best friends ever! you really rock. and so do you, jenna and alyssa! happy birthday!

MY SUCC-Y BABY

i am tickled pink to announce that my little family of one has grown!

this is fern. she is not a fern. just fern.

isn't she beautiful? i am such a proud plant momma. i came to class gushing after retrieving her and bored my friends with the adoption story accompanied by a slideshow of photos i had just taken (i wish i was kidding. i'm gonna be one of those human-baby mommas).

speaking of me being a proud plant momma, i texted both of my parents this cutesy announcement of a photo of fern with the caption "congratulations grandma/grandpa!" as in, surprise! look at my sweet new succulent! and my father thought i was making some sort of awkward tacky earth-y pregnancy announcement and began shooting back panicked text messages saying, "what are we congratulating!?" "wait, what??" "are you telling me i am going to be a grandpa...?" COINCIDENTALLY in this exact moment my phone went berserk and decided to stop receiving text messages for a couple hours, so when my dad never heard back from me he started calling/texting/e-mailing/skyping/carrier pigeoning my mom. he was absolutely convinced i was purposefully ignoring him -- i must have been completely ashamed after announcing my big "news" -- he was going to have to leave work early for he was "given quite a start!!" all the while i was clueless, frolicking on through life in a love-struck daze of happiness. (he did finally catch on, responding with "is that my grandplant? OMG he's beautiful!!!" good answer pops. and he is a she). so that was awkwardly distressing and i learned to never make references to my parents about having a grand-anything until it's the real deal for fear of giving them an unwarranted aneurysm.

our first family photos taken immediately after the adoption was finalized.

fern and i took our monumental first-photo-as-a-family-of-two photo and then marched our way over to walmart to pick up a snazzy new coming-home pot for her.

because i am an impatient ida i changed her right over the sink immediately upon returning to my housing quarters. and even though she made a huge sprinkly dirty mess everywhere, i didn't even mind. i am blinded by my infatuation with little ferny! 

a few frames from fern's newborn photo shoot.

i can't wait to watch little fern grow and blossom in time and hopefully someday give her a little baby brother or sister succulent! i love you fern! 

this post brought to you in part by: my occasional absolute quirkiness.

HOME IS WHERE YOUR MOM IS

i realized on a recent visit with my mom that she isn't just my mom or my best friend. she is my safe place. nothing, no one makes me feel more at peace - with myself, with life - than she does. no matter how worried or wrapped up i get in my own little world, my mom is the one who reassures me that everything will work out. everything will be okay. she knows me better than i know myself sometimes and i don't have to put up a front with her. i can be honest, happy, sad, excited, annoyed, or obnoxiously passionate about spanish and know that she genuinely cares and sympathizes with me by enduring each of these emotions as if they were her own. when my heart aches, i know hers does for mine. she shares my small but mighty victories. we feel each other's feels. she pushes me to be my best self. my mom is my home. it doesn't matter whether we're in our actual house, in pella, meeting up somewhere in between or somewhere far off the beaten path, as long as i'm with her my heart feels whole. 

my mom is an incredible woman and i'm thankful for a day that allows me to openly brag about her magicalness without looking like a chump. she's my best friend, superhero, partner-in-crime. sometimes i even think she might be my twin (my fraternal, michelle's identical. we have the same tastes, they have the same face. dna is weird). i admire her an insane amount (like so much but it's so much more than so much) and try to learn from her every day. "all that i am or hope to be, i owe to my mother" (- abraham lincoln, apparently. eyebrow raise). if i'm even half the mom she is some day my kids will be pretty darn well off. but then they'll get to have her for a grandma! if there's one thing i think my mom would be better at than mothering it's grandmothering. 

happy mother's day, mom. and happy mother's day to my grandma, too! i'm sorry i can't be there to love up on you in person but know i'm celebrating from afar. i might even have to take myself out for coffee in your honor. ;) i love you i love you i LOVE YOU.

DEAR JENNA

dearest jen shmen,

i thought i'd write you a little "old fashion" love note to keep you up to date on the ins and outs of our sadly predictable and less-than-exciting week while you're away. this was obviously initially intended for your sake, for you to read all snuggled up in your summer camp dorm with your summer camp friends, to look over again and again and get caught up and know we're thinking of you while you're away.. but from the lack of texts/calls/updates we've received from you, it appears as though you're busy having the most wonderful time (which makes me happy as can be) and in turn, this little message might just be for my sake after all. cuz we miss ya we miss ya we MISS YAAA.
ehem. so! here's the update:
mom somehow brainwashed michelle into helping her clean out the garage yesterday afternoon. michelle  somehow brainwashed mom into thinking blaring one direction from the car stereo for all of our 78+ year old neighbors to shake their fists at. i'm sure little ole A across the street is getting a kick out of today's show.
i borrowed a shirt from mom's closet yesterday. i was initially a little skeptical (for obvious reasons! in my defense i'd never seen it before and it was old navy, safe waters if i do say so myself), so i took it for a test run and wore it out to lunch. in that 2 hours we were out and about, i saw like eight old ladies rocking the same style shirt. i changed when we got home and vowed never to rummage through mom's closet again.
mom ate a whole entire toblerone bar by herself. she didn't even buy it. i did. 
we watched PLL and twisted tuesday night (will re-watch to get you caught up) and got confused by the never-ending twists and turns/made fun of bad acting and plastic rubber flubber lips.
bruiser is looking as cute as ever (duh).
i made oatmeal for breakfast this morning. it overflowed.
and with that! i'm off to work!

so there's our last few days in a blogshell! we can't wait to swap stories and hear about your week at camp. miss you lots and love you more.
xo
rach, mom, shell, and bruce
but mostly rach.

TO THE CENTRO WE GO

hola mis amigos! my family made it in safely last evening, and we spent the night walking the streets near our hotel, giggling, catching up on four month's worth of gossip and juicy story-swapping, foot rubs and back rubs, and gorging ourselves on sweet bread, caramel + cheddar popcorn, poptarts, cheez-its, and chex mix - all of my favorite snacks from home! we're off today to explore the centro, the central house, the mall, mega, and all of my frequently-visited local joints.

i'm so excited and feel so blessed to be able to introduce my best friends to the city that will forever be my home away from home.

adios!

thirteen thoughts for thursday

1. i pass by this vehicle every day on my way home for lunch - such a nice little reminder that seems to find me when i need it the most. and in spanish! how fun is that?
2. my family arrives in merida one month from today! one month. 30 days. 4 weeks. no matter how you put it, it's sounding pretty darn good right about now. {i also worry that this may be the longest 1 month/30 days/4 weeks of my life?}
3. there was a couple camped outside of starbucks this morning {and i know this because the central house is (oh so inconveniently) located right next to starbucks, not because i made a pit stop there this morning for breakfast. i mean... ;)} in a giant VW van. literally camped. as in every window and ventilation mechanism was propped open, resembling a large pop-up camper, and i observed the pair roll out of bed (vehicle?), straighten their clothes, fix their hair in the window reflection, and be on their way. classy.
4. the temperatures are peaking to about 100 degrees on a daily basis, and therefore i will have spent my thursday at two different coffee shops before the day is done, because i learned the hard way that once it hits about 92 degrees i turn into a big worthless lump of all sorts of dysfunctional.
5. i went on a 12 mile bike ride last night and holymamajama i am s o r e.
6. with the recent news that i have been rehired as an RA for the 2013-2014 school year {and in my building of choice - double squeal} my brain has shifted into full-on dorm room/hall theme/program idea mode. decorations! team bonding! i live for this stuff!
7. negative energy is exhausting. i'm learning that intentionally surrounding myself with those that only and always make me smile is important.
8. i often find myself day dreaming about my future. about mommyhood and wifehood and jobhood. and how, while i'm anxious to arrive in those "hoods," i know i need to cherish the here and now. it's tricky sometimes.
9. have i mentioned that i found my wedding dress here in merida? ;) yes, yes, it's simply propped in the window of a dress shop in my neighborhood, calling out to me in a desperate, you-know-i'm-your-soul-dress-just-stop-in-and-take-a-gander! sort of tune. but i can't. i mustn't! because i know i'll fall in love! and i figure i should prooobably find myself a groom to fall in love with, first... maybe just slightly important? hrmph. details shmetails. but that dress is mine.
10. my toes need a-sprucin'. mani-pedi party, anyone?
11. pencils, batteries, shampoo & conditioner {they ran out at the same time this time! this never happens! i am thrilled!} -- today's shopping list.
12. i may or may not be double-posting today. depends on how big of a procrastinator i turn into. :) ...and in that case, knowing me, you could probably expect like 4 or 5. but i'll spare you!
13. i can't help but smile every time i look at this picture:

that face! i die! one more month until i can attack that furball with cuddles and kisses.

feliz cumpleaños, mi mama

january 31st marks the day in which i get to obnoxiously celebrate the most special of ladies. [of course i do this in my head on a daily basis but it's not every day i get to shout it out to the world! i have to take advantage of my 24 hour window of opportunity that only comes around every 365 days].

so here it is, world, soak up this load of mush and gush about my best friend, my biggest hero, she who doth inspireth me the most, the woman who so generously supplied me with half of my entire dna [good job on that, by the way], the one and only, my momma.

when i was four years old, just a wee lassie, [and an only child, my those were the times! wink] my mom and i would swing by the grocery store for glazed donuts every morning on our way to school [this was before the times of casey's general store and their cake donuts, you see. also, i feel very sophisticated yet extremely frumpy using the phrase "before the times." that's enough of that]. we would settle down in her classroom [i miss that janky old trailer!], secluded from the rest of the world, and as we prepared for our days [her organizing teacher-ly lesson plans, me mentally preparing for the trials and tribulations that accompany play time and coloring; the serious stuff] we talked. and talked and chatted and laughed. she and i had big girl conversations - the kinds of conversations that four-year-olds and their mothers don't typically have. we took this secret "us" time to share our feelings and thoughts and wonders about the big world before us.

and it was in those early four-year-old moments that i knew that this woman - this woman that i was so beyond blessed to have had placed in my life - and i had a special love and friendship that only comes around often, if at all. 

how did i get so lucky? 

fast forward 15 years, and oh boy, i was so right about her and our bond. this mother of mine is so wonderful. she's my best. friend. she's the first person i turn to always, about anything and is the master at responding in the perfect way and saying exactly the right things. she taught me how to be strong and fearless; how to laugh at myself [and laugh in general] and make light of the darkest and dreariest situations. my mom showed me that when you stand up for what you believe is right, you will always prevail, and to never give up or lose faith when you begin to feel defeated. she helped me learn to find the beauty in myself and in others, even when the universe is screaming otherwise. she proved to me that family loves unconditionally and will always, always, always be there for one another, no matter what. and that's all we need.

and if i can grow to be even half of the woman she is when i'm her age, i will be so darn lucky.

so thanks for being born, mom.  i hope you have the happiest of birthdays! i love you mucho.