a birthday. a shower.

saturday was my birthday, and it was my first wedding shower in clarksville.  {that's the only way i could figure out how to get the most birthday presents...that was a joke, by the way if you are thinking "wow, how selfish."  joke people.  laugh.  hahahaha ha  you're laughing, right?} 

it was so fun seeing many of my parents friends that i had not seen in years and also seeing some of their friends that have become my friends that i had not seen in too too long.  just a lovely day.  

although, i am not going to lie --- between turning my camera over to someone else (stress!) and then having to open ampules of presents (ahhh!) in front of 50+ adoring eyes, was a little stress filled.  don't get me wrong, no complaining...but i have never opened that many presents in my entire life.  {i could get used to this...}  i don't even like opening christmas presents in front of my parents...

 brad's aunt and mom drove three and a half hours to come to the shower.  that is love.  and they even went by my parents house to meet my sweet daddy who has been having some bad days.  dad said to brad's mom. "i love brad." in his whispered voice.  i love my daddy.

take a moments now and imagine what brad and my children will look like.  hopefully brad misses this blog, because he likes to convince me that i am a natural blond.  and i tell him, he is crazy.  "i am not a natural blond, brad!"  oops, there's the proof.  darn.

i think if we would have been in the same preschool class i would have conked him in the head with that candycane, probably.  (isn't he the cutest thing you have ever seen???) speaking of candy canes, every year from christmas my grand daddy would give e a candy cane filled with candy and never ever did he spell my name correctly on the card.

 this was one of my three assistants, you think i can do this alone?  yeah, no.  henry was my gift hander and admirer.  he never wimped out on the job like bessie who often got carried away talking and forgetting that that she as suppose to be taking the presents from my hands and putting them on display.  then my other assistant lori, who was writing the gifts down, kept writing 'bowels' down instead of 'bowls' so if you get a thank you note from us that says, "thank you for the incredible bowels. we love them. we love bowels and needed them.  love,  brad and jessica."  don't blame us.

occasionally, i would get a full on embrace from henry if the presents was really above par to his standards, the beatles glasses and the fry daddy (i told him i would make him french fries.) got a huge embrace.  although, he patiently put his ear to each and every card and not one played music.  :-)

mom (in the pink jacket) entertaining the table.  my kindergarten teacher is sitting beside her.  i must have been a good student...

 this was a henry approved present.  look at his smile.  i love that boy.

 my assistants.  when bessie decided to work...

 some presents were more complicated than others...

our moms are friends and we are the best of friends.  and we have never ever had a picture like this taken.  us and our mammas.  and here we are.  the reason our feet are cut off is because i took off my boots so i would be shorter.  which also meant everyone say my leggings and not matching short socks.  

what a wonderful shower and a wonderful day and an awesome way to spend my birthday.  i feel incredibly blessed and we now have a fully stocked kitchen too.  

one card did say "jessica and brian" so i need to find brian and let him know we have a present to share.