...BEING A QUEEN, NOT A DRAG...

If you follow me on Twitter or even Facebook, you probably know I have had one CRAZY summer with a birthdays/bachelorettes/baby showers/weddings/etc. Literally, I have had something going on nearly every single weekend for the last 3 months. My only answer to this crazyness is that Ryan and I are finally to the age where people our age start doing these types of things (weddings, babies) hence all the invites. BUT--if it seems I am complaining--rest assured, I am not. I love having things to do on the weekends and getting to spend time with the people I love most is definitely what makes me happy!!

On that note, a few weeks ago my cousin Kelli turned 22. If you have been reading my posts for awhile now, you might remember last year after our family pictures we celebrated her 21st birthday!! Of course, turning 22 is not the same as turning 21, but the way I look at it, it’s kind of like turning 21 for the second year in a row..right? I’m 24 and tell people I’ve turned 21 for 4 years in a row now! :)

So what did we do this year for her birthday? We went out on HER turf this year and didn’t drag her to the scummy bars in this neck of the woods  Kelli asked me a few weeks prior to come up to Des Moines and help her celebrate her birthday so of course I would go. She also knows me so well, that she knows that Jena and I are a package deal (wherever she goes…I go, and vice versa) and invited her to come up as well. They had met a couple times prior to this so it worked out perfectly.

That Saturday, Jena and I rolled out of bed before 3pm and got ready to head to Des Moines. We decided we would pick up Kelli and Kari (her sister) at their house, that way we weren’t taking multiple cars downtown and so we did just that. For dinner, Kelli decided she wanted to go to Hu Hot. I, nor Jena, had ever actually been there. Yes, there was one at college and yes, it was very popular but I never really had the guts to try it out. I knew there was grilling involved and some of the stuff you had to do on your own, so that seems like an accident with my name written all over it. Luckily though, Kelli and Kari had been there several times so they knew allllll about it and basically held Jena and I’s hand as we went through the line trying to figure out what was what.

We both, however, managed to royally mess up our first order. I asked the server to explain to me how to do it and he did about as well as Bella would explaining something. So we head up to the line *thinking* we know what sauce we want and get our bowls all ready and smother it in our sauce. After Kelli and Kari see what we are doing they started laughing and tell us we REALLY messed it up. Apparently you are supposed to mix several sauces, not drown your noodles in oil like I do my skin at the pool! Whoops! So after going back a couple times, we kind of figured out what we liked and at least got our bellys full for the evening. It was worth the laugh regardless :)

After dinner we all headed downtown. Kelli had heard about this……..bar. Apparently they have drag shows every weekend at certain times and she wanted to go. Although we were all VERY hesitant, we figured it was HER birthday and she wanted to go, so we were just along for the ride. Oh my, was it an experience. It was super dead when we got there but started to really liven up shortly. We all took pictures in the picture booth (Jena and I, fitting the theme of the night, even managed to mess that up!) and goofed around until the show started; we even managed to make friends with the regulars. The show finally started, (late) and was exactly what you would expect, nothing less than fabulous :)

After the excitement of the drag show, we headed over to a couple other places that were super packed and definitely more in my comfort zone—basically just the whole “downtown” area. These were just good ol’ regular “going out” type of places and somewhere where I could actually hear some boom-slap and get my butt on the dance floor :) Here, we met up with a couple of Kari’s friends and then hopped between places for the rest of the night before calling it quits.

Jena and I had to come home that night still so we dropped Kelli and Kari back off at their house and headed back to home sweet home. We didn’t end up getting home until really late but it was definitely worth it. We had a fun dinner, a new experience, and a good time downtown. AND-Jena was initiated as one of the Paris cousins because she spends so much time with us :)

The birthday girl and I!!

Drag show

Jena and Kelli

Jena and Kelli again...

Somebody's hand..I'm not even sure whose..I just know it's not mine!

The Birthday Girl and the huuuge beer

Kari and the HUGE beer Kelli got for her birthday. I'm just texting away in the corner :) oblivious to the whole thing!

Kel getting her birthday beads

more drag show


Jena and "the beer" Jena doesn't drink beer so I think she was intimidated by this thing!! :) We all were though, actually! :)

Kari and "the beer". This thing was actually REALLY hard to drink from because it was sooo hard to balance. I literally spilt probably a gallon on myself, my dress, and my purse on accident!!

Leave it up to me to actually call this guy..no answer. Boooo

Kari and her friend Ashley

"the beer"

Jena dougie-ing..what else is new :)

I hope you had a good birthday Kel!! Love you!!

...ENGAGED!!! (PART 2)

This is what was waiting for me…





The entire entry way (the exact same spot where he had asked me to be his girlfriend 6 years ago to that date) was literally blocked off with streamers and filled with balloons and roses and lights. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen! It literally took my breath away and stopped me dead in my tracks.

Ryan walked in right behind me, grabbed the ring box sitting there, and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him in that moment. He said a few sentences before actually asking “the question”, but my heart and brain were so melted at that point, I honestly don’t even remember what was said. I was shocked/shaking/choking/soaking wet/all of the above, it was THE craziest and the best feeling of my life up to this point. It was amazing.

I said “yes”as I leaned down and picked him up off the ground and we stood there for a moment just taking it all in. I couldn’t do anything but shake and wipe my face and hug and kiss him. I kept telling myself to breathe because I felt like I could have passed out! VERY overwhelming.

The girls were barking and going crazy (because we had been gone all day and they were still in the kitchen) and we finally both let out a laugh about how typical it seemed for them to be clueless and how life doesn’t stop—not even for an engagement :)

As Ryan took the girls outside, I sat on the couch crying and called my mom first. It was the middle of the night obviously and she was sleeping and out of it when I got her on the phone. Her first words were “what’s wrong?!” (I’ve put her through a lot in my 24 years) but she was VERY excited to hear the news and was more than glad I woke her up with good news for once . She told Rob, my stepfather, and we talked for a bit before we got off the phone. They were so happy, excited, and supportive. Ryan didn’t tell me that night and neither did my parents, but he had gone out there a few weeks previous and asked them if he could ask me to be his wife. So, I guess they kind of knew it was coming either way but they let me have my moment.

After texting and calling a few more people (family and my closest friends) Ryan and I sat on the couch together in silence and listened to the thunderstorm while I tried to quit crying and get my breath back. After awhile, we finally decided to shower and get ready for bed and call it a night. It had a been a long day but THE BEST day of my life. I could not have asked for a better date, anniversary, or engagement. It WAS all it’s hyped up to be—something magical.

Please forgive my appearance in these next few pictures--it was late at night AND we had just walked through a small hurricane getting into the house!