a Permanent Change. Forever.

For much of my life the number two has been my lucky number, so it would go to say that the second item on my list of 30 things to do before I'm 30 would be the one I was most looking forward to... and it was! I never figured it would be the one that made me the most anxious (and my guess is the half marathon or climbing a 14er will eventually exceed it at some point) but currently it's the winner.

I got a tattoo. It's still surreal saying it - in part because I haven't really seen it since I got it so the reality hasn't quite sunk in. Justin had a good point too referring to my hesitance about my tattoodole - it usually takes a couple weeks just to like a new haircut so of course this one is going to take a minute to adjust to. I went with one of my best friends so we could get inked on her 30th birthday... I met Tora in my days with the Cavaliers and by far and away has been my closest confidant in Ohio since I moved here. She already had two tattoos and for years we've talked about going together to get one. We've also talked about trips to New York, Chicago and Las Vegas but up until a couple weeks ago, none of it ever happened. We were determined to see at least one of our ideas through!

I've had a plan in my head to get a tattoo behind my ear ever since I saw Rihanna sporting one years ago - it's an awesome combination of badass and sexy and I immediately knew that was where I was going to do it. Until I thought about how I just signed up to get a tattoo basically straight on the bone. no bueno.

If I was going to have something permanently inked on me I obviously wanted it to have significance. There's an old gospel song I've always loved His Eye is on the Sparrow from the verse in Matthew 10:29 "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care." I love the reminder of my significance from Christ in Christ - as always, there's more behind it but that's a longer story for a different day. Originally I hoped to have three sparrows to represent my three Littles, but clearly there's not a lot of space behind your ear so I was only able to get one. Justin wasn't left out from my tattoo experience, he drew it for me and seriously makes me love it even more.

I can't even explain how anxious I was when we walked in and Mr. Tattoo started getting the ink gun ready - I was just hoping I'd be able to find that happy place and remain there since I wasn't about to go against the big grizzly man when he told me I could in fact NOT have a little liquid encouragement at the bar next door. At first it really wasn't that bad, other than the horrible buzz right in my ear, I was even able to relax a little and shockingly breathe - but that only lasted for a little bit. a small tiny little bit - and then it began to hurt a lot more, and that of course lasted a lot longer. I grinned and bared it (read: clenched teeth and white knuckles) and I survived! Like I said, I'm anxious about it still, but I think that's because I've only seen it twice. I certainly love the idea of it and was super stoked to get it and knock something else off the list. YAY!

Bella doesn't quite get it yet - nor am I in any hurry to explain it since she's obviously never allowed to get one - because the other day she was brushing my hair and asked if she could color the pretty picture on my head. haha! NO.

HeartStopper

Wordless Wednesday

I know I need a real post soon, but I came across this picture and it made my heart happy. 

Crime Fighters Beware

Wordless Wednesday

boys will be boys.

Originally this was supposed to be a Worldess Wednesday post - but this is what I get for leaving the room when the three of them are together. really, it was my fault. I know better.

I'm pretty sure my husband and his best friends are really best lovers. They spend way too much time hanging out and hiding in back rooms together and then act very secretive every time one of us women folk enter the room. I do credit his s...

Wordless Wednesday

The Nutcracker

One of the big events planned for the holiday season was a girls trip to see the Nutcracker ballet with my mom, sisters and two women that I've considered second moms since I was in fifth grade. These ladies and their families have had a hand in help shaping me into the woman I've become and it's such a blessing to have the opportunity to pull qualities and characteristics from them that I hope to emulate as a mom. The fact that they were able to join us made the day that much better.

At three and a half I wanted to make sure that Bella had the best chance possible of making it through the ballet without any meltdowns so about a week before Thanksgiving we started reading the book every couple nights and I borrowed Barbie and the Nutcracker from the library (the Barbie movie, while keeping true to the Nutcracker story, was brutal). Prior to the ballet she was able to recite the parts of the story she was looking forward to seeing so I was confident we'd make it through.

While the whole ballet was amazing, nothing was better than Bella's awe watching it. When the curtains raised and the orchestra was loudly playing, her head looked like a typewriter scanning left to right and back again trying to soak it all in. Not to say she wasn't a little confused though - about twenty minutes into the performance she asked me when the ballerinas were coming out. Apparently if you're not wearing a tutu, you're just not that serious. She also lost interest pretty quickly into the second act when al the different dancers in the Land of Sweets were performing. She wanted to dance in front of her seat, and as long as she was quiet I didn't have a problem with it. -until I turned to get her some fruit snacks to buy time and by the time I turned back around she was standing on her tiptoes hands raised above her head dancing her own ballet down the aisle... fortunately when the Sugar Plum Fairy and Prince (?) came out for their performance Bean was completely captivated once again.

When the final curtain fell and we were herded out of the auditorium the dancers were in the lobby to greet everyone for pictures, which was a really nice surprise because Bella was stoicly excited to see them up close and immediately followed her cousin Lili's lead to ask for autographs and pose pretty for a picture. I'm pretty sure we either got a picture or an autograph from 90% of the performers and were definitely among the last ones to leave. If she chooses to be a ballet roadie I suppose I should count my blessings...

a holiday girls night to the Nutcracker - makes my heart happy

for every cute picture there were about five goofy ones... come on, just. say. cheese.