Celebrating the Big [blank] - 0 !

As August quickly approaches, I was reminded that this August my kid* sister turns 20. TWENTY! How did that happen?!? (*Disclaimer: said 'kid sister' is married with child so it's not as if there wasn't writing on the wall that she was getting older. HOWEVER, I firmly believe that the lack of freshman year experiences including late night phone calls and roommate drama this past year fully disabled me from understanding that she was indeed getting closer to reaching adulthood by the day.)

Once that sunk in, then I quickly remembered that my father will be turning the big 5-0 this December (although, if you go by the card said kid sister sent him last year, 2008 was his big birthday year...). Wow! Half a century! He must feel ancient! (just kidding, pops!)

And then of course, Lawrence and I are both turning 30 next May/June. And while neither of us are the lock-yourself-up-in-your-room-til-the-day-is-over sort of people when it comes to milestone birthdays and getting older in general, it's still a big step for us. It's a whole other checkbox on most forms, it's a higher life insurance premium, it's the cuttoff for some "young people" groups.

Thirty is a big deal.

But so is 20 or 50 (!). So apparently the next 12 months hold big milestones for the Burhans clan (LC isn't a Burhans, but we'll include him with us just this once). Stock up on the candles. (Do they sell those in bulk??? All together we will need ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY! Wow, Pops really throws off the average...) Start practicing the the birthday songs. Break out the balloons and pinatas. (I've never had a pinata at my birthday before, but I feel like I would really enjoy it. Candy, hitting things, what's not to like?) It is time to celebrate!

Just Saying NO to Peer Pressure

It seems like everywhere we look these days, our friends are deciding to take that crazy (albeit, wonderful, I'm sure) leap of faith and have decided to start a family. Both Lawrence and I have college roommates that are currently expecting (super exciting news for them- congrats S&R and B&J!), Lawrence's brother and sister-in-law have finally stepped it up to take the Cunningham grandchild pressure off (to which we are eternally grateful!) and have announced she is pregnant, and our closest DM couple friends have shared they have "pulled the goalie" (a term that I have only recently added to my analogy repertoire) so I'm sure it's only a matter of time for them to join the ever-growing club of parents-to-be.

And that's just great. FOR THEM. But it's still not for us. Not right now. No matter how much people say things won't change post-baby and they'll still have time for (fill in the blank: friends/travelling/dinner out/showering) it doesn't work that way. And while that lifestyle change might work for a lot of other people right now, we're not ready. We like hanging out with friends (although at this rate we will need to start making new non-baby-ready friends soon!), we have just started making room in the schedule and the budget for travelling, and we really LOVE lounging around on Saturday mornings. Heck, we even enjoy showering on a regular basis, which, from what I've heard from my friends with new babies, is quite a feat in itself during the first few months.

So, just wanted to throw that out there that we're still holding strong in the "no kids" column, even though many others have jumped ship. And we're a-okay with that, so hopefully you are too.

Happy 4th Anniversary!

On July 3rd, Lawrence and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary! There we were, just the two of us, off traveling in a far-away city, hold hands, gazing out into the sunset together and listening to the sweet sounds of... Take me out to the Ball Game???

Yes, that's right. Somehow Lawrence convinced me to spend our 4th anniversary at a baseball game. Okay, in his defense it was Fenway Park and we were in Boston, so he didn't need to work very hard to convince me, but it was a baseball game nonetheless. In honor of full disclosure, it was a great night (even though the Red Sox lost) and it was a fabulous way to spend our anniversary together.

However, I have added this to the "one and only time we will spend our anniversary that way" list, just so he doesn't get any future ideas!

The New Kids on the Block

Here's a picture of my new consultants! They are from all around the country including our chapters at UCLA, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of Northern Iowa, Christopher Newport, Clemson, Oklahoma City University, Valparaiso, and University of Oregon. I have definitely been busy all week long in the midst of our summer training, but their positive attitudes and genuine love for our Sorority makes it all worth it (well, a nap would help, too, but...). I think they are going to be a great group!

AND, to top it all off, today I heard news that one of my consultants from last year has decided to call Des Moines home for a while. I'm SUPER excited! Now, if only the others would come and visit...

Reliving the Glory Days

Ho hum...ho hum. Just came across this photo of me in college. I got in a substantial amount of trouble for crowd surfing at this game. Well worth the killer photo-op in my opinion!

Here's another. How fitting is it that I now work for CSP?!

The Back Story of the Screen Door

So yes, Brandy is correct. I've been putting off some of my need-to-do's in favor of some of my want-to-get-it-done's. If you've been to our neighborhood you can appreciate the fact that we have meticulous neighbors who mow their grass two to three times a week. They also clean out their gutters ROUTINELY! And, we can't forget the fact that many of them can be seen hand weeding their front yards or power washing the sidewalks...yes all of this on any given day.

Soooooo you can see why I'm trying to get the roost up to snuff. Our corner lot is not only an intersection but it seems to be the only street in Beaverdale that EVERY SINGLE PERSON uses! I know this because anytime I'm in the front yard neighbors are stopping by to give input on what would "make that house look nice". I mean seriously folks it's a time versus money issue and I've got little of both.

Anyway...the real purpose of this post is to explain the turbulations of the storm door project. For reasons we may choose to share with you sometime in the future, I am quite partial to the Pella brand storm doors. I spent the better part of 60 minutes (a mear 43 simple steps) from carton to install. Not bad considering that's how much time the instructions say it will take. I'm careful not to get false notions of my abilities but I do love the fact that Lowe's makes you feel like you are the second coming of Bob Vila!

Maybe I need to grow a beard. Yes, that would make me more handy.

A beard...and flannel!

Anyway, what Lowe's failed to tell me was that I should plan in advance for a house full of animals and a new screen door. Not two minutes after installation was complete I stepped out front to admire my work and take a picture and what happened? Docker saw me from inside the foyer and came barreling right through my brand new screen! No kidding...pulled the fiberglass right out of the seam and was sitting at my feet lickety-split and happier than a mole in soft dirt (not sure where that analogy just came from but it was a long night so bear with me!).








Thank goodness Lowe's has a don't ask policy because 45 minutes and one little-white-lie later I had a fresh screen back in the door. This time however the Bob Vila in me found a way to position a puppy gate between the foyer and the second brand new screen of the night!

My Husband - Handyman Extrordinaire!

Introducing our new screen door, courtesy of one over-ambitious and loving husband who is agressively tackling our new house to-do list while I'm away. I love it AND I love you, honey!

Isn't it pretty? Can't you just feel the cool cross-breeze now that we have screens on the front and back doors? Ahhhh...

Sorry for the blurry cell phone photos, but also note the awesome new planters and plants (Rex Begonias, in case you are interested) on our front stoop- thanks to Marty and Patti for the birthday money that helped to buy said plans and planters! Now on to tackle the off-center mailbox and that gaudy lit doorbell. What is the purpose of that anyway? In case of complete darkness, vacuum salesmen can still find their way to harass us on our doorstep?!? No, thank you.