Golden Birthday Breakfast

Not only was yesterday Joey's birthday, but it was also his Golden Birthday! I always thought a Golden Birthday was a fun idea and a wonderful way to shower someone with a little extra birthday love, so I was very excited to add some oomph to Joey's 25th. 

  Since his birthday fell on a Sunday and we had church in the afternoon I decided to make Joey a golden birthday breakfast. The weeks before, I spent Curran's naps making gold and glitter birthday signs and a tissue paper garland, stashing supplies in various forgotten corners around the house, and the week of his birthday I blew up a couple dozen balloons, strung them on some yarn and hid them in our spare bathroom with a sign forbidding Joey from entering. Then the morning of his birthday I snuck down stairs after feeding Curran his 5:30am bottle to hang the decorations and fix up Joey's special breakfast.

  As I planned his birthday surprise I looked for anything gold to use, including gold cupcake liners for mini mushroom and spinach quiches. I also decided that since a golden birthday only happens once in a lifetime, it was ok if we had some treats for breakfast, like gold-wrapped candies (25 of each, of course), golden cream soda, and donuts jazzed up with gold food paint. 

[More on that blue piano later!]

Curran loved looking at the sparkly decorations and playing with the balloons, and I loved surprising the greatest guy I know. Ya only get one Golden Birthday and I'm so glad I got to celebrate it with Joey and give him a special, gold and glitter filled day. Hooray for Golden Birthdays!

Happy Birthday, Joey!

HIP HIP HOORAY

ITS JOEY'S BIRTHDAY!

One of my favorite days of the year is here and I'm so excited to celebrate this guy today.

There is so much I could say about Joey, and I'm usually not shy about bragging on him round these parts, but if I could only say one thing, it would be this: Joey is truly a dream come true. He's kind, patient, quick to forgive. He encourages me when I'm not feeling very capable of cooking, parenting, painting, sewing, managing a home, and generally staying on top of life. He tries his hardest and never does things half way. He loves me even when I know I'm being difficult to love. He adores Curran and is a natural with him. He makes me laugh harder than I thought possible. He thinks the best of me. He's smart and intuitive. He helps me be a better person.

In short, he's everything I could've hoped for. I have these moments sometimes when I look around and realize so much of my life is exactly as I hoped it would be, from big things like the family I have and having the gospel in our home, to seemingly insignificant but enjoyable details like having a spouse who will try the different foods I want to cook or go on weekend road trips. And it really has all happened because I met him. I don't believe everyone has a soulmate, as in we're assigned to certain people. But I do believe that people become our soulmates, and that's exactly who Joey has become. I could be happy in a multitude of situations and life courses, but I know that the life I have with him is the greatest happiness I've felt, and I love it, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

So today, my darling, I'm so glad that you were born and have become the person you are. 

Happy 25th birthday Joey, and here's to another 25.

Curran is 8 Months!

The one time I actually get some photos together before the next month marker, our internet goes out over the weekend! Our little ray of sunshine turned 8 months old last Saturday and I can hardly believe it.

Curran is still a happy guy and is always eager to make new friends. He's really started to notice the pets lately and loves when he gets a chance to pet them (aka grab a fistful of fur) as they walk by. Watching Remy sneeze sends him into fits of laughter and Marley sitting on the table (really, thats it) is the funniest thing he's ever seen. Marley has come up to him to nuzzle his hand and purr, and Remy still checks on him sometimes when we bring him in the house--and of course, she's always ready and willing to give him lots of puppy kisses. And the pets have both been very patient and gentle with him when he pulls a little too hard. I always loved having pets as a kid and I'm glad Curran is already developing that bond with them.

Books are still one of his favorites but he's also taken a liking to our green silicone funnel so that's a go-to un-cranky-fier. He definitely has some busy hands these days and will grab anything and everything he can reach--and f he can't reach it he'll try to dive out of your arms until he can. What's  more, he gets upset now if he isn't able to have or see the object he wants. A little annoying, but hey, object permanence and all that. I've also got lots of little pinch marks on my arms and chest as he's tries to climb over me to get to the button on my sweater or my bangs or the couch cushion behind me. Its awesome to see him exploring and finding new things that interest him though. 

[We're still teething like mad over here, but no sign of those itty bitty pearly whites yet. His hair sure is growing though!]

[this happiness was because he saw Marley sitting on the coffee table]

Love you, little man!

Curran's First Christmas.

What a special Christmas we had this year! 

Our first Christmas as a married couple we drove 2,000 miles in 10 days to see both families, and last year Joey was working---and since we had spent the whole summer traveling, we decided not to really do Christmas. So not only was this our first official Christmas at home as the Joseph Fleshman family, it was also our first Christmas with our sweet, seven month old Curran. 

Since the little guy has been waking up early after getting over a cold, we got a pretty good start on presents on Christmas morning. Curran was very interested in pulling off the wrapping paper....annnnd putting it straight in to his mouth. But once we were able to pry the soggy paper from his drool-covered hands he was quite attracted to his new toys his grandparents, aunties, and uncles sent him (thank you!).

[Watching him sit up on his own is the cutest. And Remy was such a help (hardy-har-har) with presents]

[This is Joey's attempt at his favorite Megan Conrad face. If you're not familiar, see here again]

[And yet even with his new toys he still wants his trusty Sophie]

For the past several months we've trying to come up with what our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals will be as we create our own family traditions. We weren't sold on the turkey spread because really, its just Thanksgiving a month later. So this year we did braised lamb and saffron rice with homemade flatbread for Christmas Eve, and for Christmas day, a lasagna bolognese with fresh pasta and a homemade bolognese sauce so good we even ate it on just steamed broccoli a couple days before. And to top it all off we made an out-of-this-world chocolate croissant bread pudding with raspberry truffle ice cream as a nod to one of our favorite desserts from our trip to Boston. All of our celebratory food was certainly a labor of love, but that labor was well rewarded and we think we've found our Fleshman family Christmas meals.

But as wonderful as watching Curran open presents and our Christmas meals were, the best part was having Joey home with us to celebrate Christmas and spend time as a family. I'm so grateful for the time he and Curran have had to bond and get to know each other. Honestly, Curran laughs more for Joey than he ever has for me. He loves Joey and Joey loves him, and its absolutely heart melting to watch the two of them interact. I love my boys!