when I grow up

ever since I was a little girl, I have always dreamed about a certain time of life.

sure I was excited for high school and driving and boys, and my 20's and jobs and learning how to be an adult, getting married and having babies. and I don't necessary want to skip ahead, because the middle part is going to be so great too.

but I seriously cannot wait for family dinners on sundays, when my kids are grown and they bring their friends and spouses and eventually kids to my house to play games, chat and eat lots of great food.  hopefully I will have nieces and nephews and neighbors and work friends and church friends and so many others that can come over for sunday dinner parties.

I'll bake cookies with the eggs from my own hens, and pies with fruit from my own trees. and salsa from my garden and vegetables and herbs from my own pots, and zucchini bread that I grew and baked from scratch.

and we'll have summer barbecues outside, served on a huge antique wooden table under a hundred year old oak tree, with dishes from my grandma. and the kids will swing and chase ladybugs and play in the grass, and the adults will sip iced tea under umbrellas and in hammocks.

and every christmas eve, we'll make spaghetti, just like my mama does.  that tradition began the way the best traditions always do; necessity.  my mother is the most giving woman, but she has never exactly had it easy.  there was one christmas eve where we didn't really have enough money to get groceries and have a big special dinner.  but we had pasta and sauce in the pantry and some salad in the fridge and a few slices of bread to make garlic toast.  so my mom made spaghetti, and it was delicious. and so un-christmas that I adored it, and I have made spaghetti for christmas eve ever since.

last week, Kris and I went with Lindsey to her Aunt Debbie's house for a Memorial day barbecue.  Aunt Deb had the most beautiful house I have ever seen!  from the front you couldn't tell it was anything particularly special, but the inside was gorgeous.  every inch of that house was draped in richly colored satin and velvet.  it was beautiful.

and the backyard: seriously the most amazing outdoor kitchen I have every seen! a huge grill and stone countertops, a sicilian stone pizza oven, and perfect little creek and pond with flowers and birds everywhere.  and chickens!  I have wanted chickens for so long! And Aunt Deb was beautiful.  I was like

"uhhm excuse me 

but you stole my dream life"

we played apples to apples..  apparently the cards you end up with are supposed to describe you...  miserable, powerful, quiet, violent and spunky. haha nice. PS I won.

bahhhaha this makes me laugh so hard!  LLOYD!!

and a side note: chris got me new Oakley's!  yay!  he's a weirdo, and he can't really dress himself to save his life..  but he has great taste in girl stuff :)