Baby Shower

Chelsea did a fabulous job throwing Baby Riley a shower. She thought of every little detail and meticulously searched for the perfect linens, flowers and favors. My lovely mother and grandmothers also helped with the food, and my sweet friends Holly and Angelica brought yummy treats. My step mom Wendy made Riley that amazing butterfly mobile, that looks better than the original I found on Etsy.

I just want to pinch myself thinking about all of the amazing things people have done for Riley and me. I do not feel worthy of all of the wonderful, generous and loving family and friends that I have. I keep finding myself feeling guilty about it. It just makes me want to be a better daughter, sister, granddaughter, aunt, niece, cousin, and friend.

To all of my friends who have yet to get married and have babies, I really owe you ; ) I promise when you get around to it, I will spoil you just as you have spoiled me!

Quick Trip

The Graduate. My beautiful cousin Victoria graduated from high school. She is heading off to NAU in the fall and I am so proud of her!

Sleepy baby

He looks like he is telling jokes!

Grandma takes him for his first swim. He loved it!

Everyone comments on his crazy hair! It is awesome.

Relaxing by the pool, can't remember if this was at Wildhorse Pass or the JW Marriott at Desert Ridge. Both were amazing, thank you Mom and Scott for putting me up for the weekend!

My last minute trip to Arizona was too short.

I love my family. They all pitched in and bought me a ticket so I could be a part of the graduation festivities for my cousin Vic. Thank You All, I Love You!

My heart hurts when I think about how much I love and miss my family. It is probably the hormones, but life just seems to be flying by so fast and I feel on the verge of a break down when I think about how much I miss being a kid and being surrounded by family.

And, as if leaving behind my family wasn't enough to throw me over the edge, my sister had to create the most perfect human being in the world and missing out on his first year is really hard. Now I understand why she sometimes considers ditching school to hang with him full time.

Stay tuned: in less than 12 hours we find out if Baby is a boy or a girl!

My Favorite Little Man

I am so lucky to be the Aunt of this little guy. Thank you Chelsea for creating this perfect creature, who I have full intentions of spoiling once he is old enough to enjoy it.

Owyn met me at the airport with his Mama and smiled as soon as I said hello. I'd like to think we have a special connection, although he might just be drawn to my big eyes and glasses, because lord knows babies love glasses. All I know is that he is the sweetest baby, and I would love on him all day long if I could. The fact that I am living 2000 miles away from my favorite little man is quite depressing. But I rest assured, knowing that no matter how far I am, I am his one and only Aunt Whitney. Oh how lucky I am!

I am thankful for...My Siblings

Homesickness

Great Grandma, me, Mom, Grandma

Homesickness has finally hit, and boy has it hit hard. I know, you are probably thinking "but Whitney, you bashed on Arizona for years... claiming you would never return once you left the desert." It is true. I did. I am ashamed. I caught myself talking to two different people within the span of about 30 minutes about how much I miss home. When the first victim of my bantering passed by while I was carrying on the same conversation we had shortly before with someone else, I was embarrassed and hoped she didn't hear me. She was probably thinking, jeez girl, get over it. Well I am not over it!

It might be that I have completely lost the memory of the intense heat (weird how quickly it fades). Or maybe the fact that the holidays are slowly creeping up. Whatever it is, I want to go home. I want to see my freakin nephew, who doesn't even know me and wouldn't recognize my big bulging eyeballs if they were popped out in front of him! Sigh...

I also miss things like Sunflower Market, highways that have exits every mile or so and also have on ramps at the same place as the exit, streets that either take you north-south-east or west, and the light rail. I really got used to her convenience last year.

It has only been 3 months. I need to suck it up and stop thinking about it! But, I will tell you, it definitely makes you appreciate your family and friends. And at least I will know what it is like to live somewhere else...cause everyone wants to know that, right?

Happy Halloween Birthday!

Yesterday was Josh's birthday! What was he for Halloween you ask? Drunk.

This is the 7th Halloween birthday we have celebrated together. And if he starts to eat more vegetables, there will be at least 50 more!

More pictures from this weekend coming soon.

I should have left the house already!

Some of the newly planted trees at our place are hot red! I will take pictures of campus this weekend. Vandy is a national arboretum and the changing leaves look amazing.

Off to the airport to pick up Josh's parents. Our very first Nashville visitors!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

I am bald and dad has a fro. Lovely.

Me Chelsea and Dad at Grandma's (patio piled high as usual). Love You, Dad!

Happy Birthday Mom and Sean!

My Mom's sr picture! Love it!

Me and Sean, and Full House in the background! My Mom, Sean, Me, Aladdin and Chelsea at Disneyland!

My little brother turned 18 today! I can't believe it. I feel old, and sad. I wish we were still kids!

My Mom had a BIG birthday yesterday, although you couldn't tell she looks so young!

I wish I was in Colorado so I could celebrate their big birthdays with them.

Of coarse I ate some Rainbow Chip cake today in their honor.

Opposites Attract

Josh is watching the Def Jam 25th Anniversary right now, and he is seriously like a kid in a candy store. He keeps telling me to look at this person and listen to this song and did you know blah blah blah. I can still remember hopping into his old, beat up '74 Chevy truck when we first started dating and being mortified while he blasted rap music ... but smiling and sittin pretty because he was soooo cute.

Josh and I are total opposites in so many ways, I can't even name all of them. But, then again he is eating a bowl of raspberry sherbet while watching the show. Maybe we aren't so different.

Picture from March 2004. Josh's brother Anthony, me, Josh and my sister Chels. Don't you love Anthony's face!

*Edit: Apparently I have selective memory. Josh has informed me the truck was actually a 72 and according to him had no stereo. Really? Ok, maybe the loud rap music was in his other truck, but I could have sworn! Ugh, details...whatever.

Dear Tempe,

I can't stop thinking about you on this exceptionally dreary day. Nashville is grey grey grey today. My skin misses the warmth of the sun and my hair misses the dry air. (Who knew I had wavy/frizzy hair?) When I return to your beauty, I will do just as I had done before. I will focus my gaze on your clear blue sky and let the sunshine wash all over me.

I miss my family and friends a lot today. I want to go home, go through my sister's closet (her clothes always smell good) and then grab dinner at LGO with Dad and Wendy. I want to watch a football game at my Mom's house with my brother just for the amusement of his loud emotional outbursts. I want to drive down the street to my Grandma's house when I am having a bad day and lay on her couch for an entire afternoon. I want to gather with my family at the "Fall Birthdays" party and play with my cousins, before they are too old and decide that I am really not all that cool.

And to my friends, I miss you like crazy too. I am learning how rare it is to find people you always have something to talk about with. Please don't forget about me, even though I am not on Facebook, I still exist!

Pic: Mill Ave bridge, via Flickr; Palm walk at ASU, via Wikipedia