I hope you don't mind me stealing the above picture Alla.
I am thankful for the Parker family. You guys rock! They are just like family and just fit right in with our crazy family. I remember when I first met them--it was a YW activity where we did a marriage board and the Parkers were pretty new to our ward. I just thought they were fun and just enjoyed life. Chad was telling us about how he seems to attract gay guys and how hott Alla looked and about shooting their squirrels to eat and I loved their openness to everything. They stood out to me because the other couples seemed to be more serious or "proper" and the Parkers were just awesome. During that time I didn't know their names and referred to them as the "Russian couple." They would come into Dairy Queen while I was working and Alla always got her dilly bar and they were always friendly. They came to dinner with our family and learned that there were too many strange similarities haha. We have kind of adopted them as another aunt and uncle and they seem to accept us as well. You guys have helped me out many many times and I appreciate all you have done, especially on the legal aspect. I love your sense of humor and your fun personalities! I am very grateful to get to know you guys and to really spend time with you guys and I appreciate all you do! P.S. Congrats to Alla for her U.S. citizenship!!!!!!
I posted a picture of these flowers before. These were some of the flowers Jake gave me. I dipped them in that stuff that made them look like glass, but I still didn't want them exposed to all the dust that could find a home on their petals, nor did I want them to get broken. I found this frame and I cut off all the heads of my flowers and arranged them. i am happy with the way it turned out. I am also going to add some vinyl lettering to it and when I do I will post the finished product. Thanks Jake for all my beautiful flowers. Unfortunately I will have to throw some of the others away due to the dust collection--Blah! Some fun memories in my flowers:
Center rose--Jake knew I always dried my flowers and he decided to freeze dry it by putting it in the freezer. Somehow the rose survived, but it dried in such a unique shape.
Two big yellow ones in bottom right corner--Jake called me up one day and said, "Hey guess what!" I responded, "OMG you are pregnant and it is a girl!!" Well after a long day at work I found these roses in my truck with the note attached "IT'S A GIRL!"
Dark spray roses--heading to Holter I was getting pretty crabby. Jake told me we needed to stop at this store on the way. I did and waited in the car. He came back out with a big bouquet of spray roses.
Light spray roses--our two year anniversary bouquet
Big dark one in top left corner--That was my surprise rose listed below. Unfortunately I squished it.
Pink carnations--birthday All the others are just because flowers. I am glad they are now protected from dust and damage.
Being it is Valentine's I have to say that I am very thankful for Jake. He has been such an awesome boyfriend to me the past two years and has really become one of my best friends. I have to laugh to think of this little punk that I met a little over two years ago who was going to be a "one date thing." Haha. He has definitely had an impact on my life. I am constantly learning new things with and about Jake and I love his curiosity. I also love his attentiveness and willingness to help me out. He has come a long way from when we first started dating and boy has it ever been a LONG journey haha. He is somebody that can always brighten my day and make me laugh and I am grateful for that. I posted some of my favorite pictures from over our time together. We have definitely shared many memories together and some of them have made us laugh until we cried and some have made us stronger together as well as individually. I appreciate all his patience and strength and for his tolerance with me. I was going to post reasons why I appreciate him, but he already knows so I am not going to. Jake you are such a blessing to me, sometimes a blessing in disguise, but all the same a blessing. I love you and appreciate everything! Muah! Pioneer Trek 2008 State Fair 2007 State fair 2008 June 2007 after church June 2008 Spencer's wedding reception
Valentine’s Day was pretty good.We celebrated Valentine’s Day on Friday instead of Saturday because I had to work.Jake and I went to Cattlemen’s Cut with Mom, Dad, Holly, and Barrett.We had a good time. I enjoyed the ride out there and back--Jake and I just were laughing and talking. Our pictures really didn’t turn out real good which was a disappointment, but I had a great time with them none the less.The posted pictures were the only ones that were not really blurry. Thank you Mom and Dad for a lovely Valentine’s Day dinner.
I got a steak that was very good. I got a prime rib--cowgirls cut medium rare with a side of steamed asparagus. They also served it with a sauce and it was very yummy!
I got a beautiful set of earrings from Jake.I had fun putting together his gift.I looked for a Katie stuffed animal, but had no luck. Well I came across this cute catepillar and decided that was going to be my theme--LOVE BUGS.I wanted to decorate Jake’s room, but he wasn’t leaving his house, or so I thought.Oh well.
I got him this LOVE BUG!He just laughed at me.
Jake doesn’t like chocolate, so for him to crave something chocolate is very rare. He loves these rocherro chocolates though.
Grandma insisted that I get him some strawberry milk--his fav to add to my pink collection.
Several months ago I asked him if he would ever wear a pink tie.He was sarcastic and made fun of me saying, “Only if it has polka dots.” He was making fun of me because I love pink things with polka dots! Guess what—I found one!
I just thought this card was so cute.I love the nostalgic pictures like these.
Okay if any of you have seen Horton Hears a who would know who Katie is.Jake and I watched Horton Hears a Who with my parents and I have to say that it was pretty cute.Anyway when we were introduced to Katie, this airheaded cute fluff ball, Jake started laughing saying that she reminded him of me.The next scene we saw was Katie running back and forth into a log.Anyway she is so cute, but Jake printed off a picture of her for me.I just think she is cute!
Another birthday surprise.I wanted a Close to My Heart Stamp set called Heartthrob.It was a stamp of the month and I thought I had missed it, well I had because I learned that I couldn’t get it after last December.Thankfully Katie thought it looked like me and so she gave it to me for my birthday!Yay!She also gave me some cute embellishments and accents.Thank you Katie!
So I was pretty skeptical about Close to My Heart's chipboard box thing but I figured I would go a head and try it out. I made this one for Barrett's girlfriend Holly. Luckily Barrett told me her favorite color is pink--same as mine! So of course I had to combine it with black. I enjoyed making it and I hope she likes it! Here is the finished product.
So while I was looking through pictures to get pictures of Barrett and me I found these ones and had to laugh. The above is me being a witch and my witch's hat is a spaghetti strainer. Haha. Mom said I loved to do dishes and as I flipped through photos I found several with my elbows in the water. This was an afghan I had when I was little. If I remember right Grandma DiAnn made it for us. I still missit. I think it is so pretty it was a creamy yellow with purples and pinks. Me holding the bouquet at my uncle's wedding. This picture had the caption of "Medusa" written on the back. Haha Thanks MOm. Mom said I loved my "babies" and I took such good care of them. Mom bought several little frilly dresses even when I was a baby. They are something I have asked to inherit for my little girls. There are some from when I were a baby and if you shake the dress you hear the little bells that are hidden in the layers of the dresses. One last one of Barrett and me.
It really was a lot of fun this year to be able to reflect a little more about my birthday. I was pretty bummed because this year and last year are the first couple years Barrett and I haven't been able to celebrate our birthday together. I had several people ask me this year what I thought about sharing a birthday and to answer that question I would have to say that I absolutely love it! I love being a twin! I have had a companion with me my entire life. In school I knew I always would know somebody in my school and if we had to be teamed up I knew who was already going to be my partner. It meant I had somebody watching out for me and I knew that if I wasn't good he would hear about it. I always had somebody I could count on. It always brightened my day at school to see Barrett in the hall and senior year I loved having vocab together and being known as the VTs (Vaughan Twins). We have had terrible fights but we have also shared many many laughs and tears and tons of memories. I always loved having him hop into my room and at the foot of my bed or on the floor which meant he wanted to talk. I love him inviting me to go to the store with him or running errands with him just so we can catch up and have a good time. He has been my support when I needed him most and when I needed a shoulder to cry on he was there. We are also very straight forward with eachother and I think in many cases we understand and know eachother better than anybody else in the world does. Haha when the radio in the jetta didn't work Barrett became the radio so we would have music. We worked together and became really good friends during that time. I look up to him. He is my big brother and I love him very much. Barrett I am so proud to have you as my brother and one of my best friends but especially to have you as my awesome twin! Love you! I would also suck on his nose. Barrett used to use that picture and claim that I "sucked his brains out" and that is why he had me help him with school work.
I hope you don't mind me stealing the above picture Alla.
I am thankful for the Parker family. You guys rock! They are just like family and just fit right in with our crazy family. I remember when I first met them--it was a YW activity where we did a marriage board and the Parkers were pretty new to our ward. I just thought they were fun and just enjoyed life. Chad was telling us about how he seems to attract gay guys and how hott Alla looked and about shooting their squirrels to eat and I loved their openness to everything. They stood out to me because the other couples seemed to be more serious or "proper" and the Parkers were just awesome. During that time I didn't know their names and referred to them as the "Russian couple." They would come into Dairy Queen while I was working and Alla always got her dilly bar and they were always friendly. They came to dinner with our family and learned that there were too many strange similarities haha. We have kind of adopted them as another aunt and uncle and they seem to accept us as well. You guys have helped me out many many times and I appreciate all you have done, especially on the legal aspect. I love your sense of humor and your fun personalities! I am very grateful to get to know you guys and to really spend time with you guys and I appreciate all you do! P.S. Congrats to Alla for her U.S. citizenship!!!!!!
