On the highway and across the state, to Aunt Kate's we go!

Tomorrow my niece and nephew, Teagan and Kemper, are coming to stay with me and Jordan for the whole weekend!!! Yipeeee!!!! We're all stocked up on fruit snacks, M&M's, chicken strips, milk, nesquik, chocolate chip waffles and doritos and lots of Disney movies so I think we're ready!!! My brother and his wife are getting ready to put their house on the market so we get the kids for the weekend so they can finish up some house projects and get it market ready--win win for all of us! Can't wait to spoil my two favorite kiddos all weekend long!! Hurry up 6pm Friday and get here!

He's home!

Yipeeee he's homeeee!!!! I stayed up until 1:15am last night to wait until Jordan walked through our door and I've never been happier! I'm not sure how people do the whole long-distance thing where they don't see each other for weeks, months or even years but I would NOT be good at that! I need the personal touch and contact in real life... skype and facebook can only hold me over for so long and talking on the phone isn't the same! And now that Jordan is home, I no longer will live off of ramen noodles, donuts and sour gummy worms. And I can start sleeping like a normal person again....go to bed before midnight, wake up by 9am.....not toss and turn all night or sleep with a light on and weapon in my nightstand! Clearly I'm just a wreck without Jordan. I guess the saying is true, "you don't marry someone you can live with, you marry someone you can't live without." Guilty. Jordan, thanks for keeping me sane (most days) and loving me even when I'm acting like a crazy person.

Vegas Baby, Vegas!!

Well Jordan left today for LA to spend a few days with his best man, Justin before they head out to Vegas for a weekend with all the guys for Jordan's bachelor party!! His friends are pretty awesome and are actually treating him to the whole trip....bought his plane ticket and paid for his share of the hotel room. Oh make that the pent house sweet of the Bellagio that is! Yeah they must think that they are high rollers are something! I'm sure he'll have a great time and I'm sure I won't hear half the stories about what happens while they're out there and that is ok with me.....probably safer that I don't hear it all anyway! Paisley and I plan on sleeping with the nightstand light on and with a knife in the drawer. I'm not even making this up. I am the most paranoid person I know so while Jordan is having the time of his life, I'll be watching chick flicks non stop and jumping at every little noise I hear. I already can't wait for him to come back home but it makes me that much more excited for my bachelorette party in a few weeks! We're lucky to both have such great friends in our lives! Here's to hoping we both survive the next 5 days!

The Land of Lincoln

cute little well...but no fresh cold water.

A Weekend With Good Ol' Honest Abe

Outside Salem Village 

rubbing Abe's nose for good luck, health and fortune!

Jordan and I made a trip to Springfield, IL this past weekend with his whole family. It was cramped and hot to say the least but hey, what family vacation isn't? We went to the recreation of Salem Village and it was interesting and kind of a let down that nothing was authentic. And clearly they hadn't sprayed for any bugs or insects yet because it was definitely infested with wasps and hornets. Ummm no thanks!! And did I mention it was 100+ degrees outside?! Yeahhhh. Thankfully the next few stops we made were inside at the Lincoln Museum and touring the Lincoln House in Springfield. Ahhh thank god for modern day amenities like A/C on days like we've been having! It was a long roadtrip but at least we got to spend a few hours pool side at Haylee's building before we made the trek back home......definitely happy to be back home and sleeping in our own bed tonight! Really looking forward to this weekend with the kiddos coming to stay with us!

It's raining gifts up in here!

Holy amazing, awesome, successful, and all around wonderful weekend!!! Friday night, Janelle, Monica, my friend Lisa, and myself went around small town Iowa in style. Monica's dad bought an old tailgating bus that will be used later this summer for Ragbrai and we thought we would break it in. We turned it into a party bus and then crashed a nearby street dance and stole the show. It was awesome.

The shower on Saturday was equally as awesome. It was so fun seeing family and also some of our closest friends and my parents friends that have watched all of us kids grow up over the years. It really meant a lot to me that they could all stop by and give us well wishes for the wedding along with some kick ass gifts! We really hit the jackpot this weekend! We got practically every small appliance that anyone could ever ask for along with all of our plates and bowls we registered for....lots of unique homemade gifts and knick knack things for our home and kitchen that we needed! I think the shower is when it really started to hit me that this is happening and has since turned me into a very emotional sap about EVERYTHING!!

Saturday night my brother surprised us and showed up with his wife and kids so that was perfect having all of us together. We again rode around town on the party bus and had dinner at Pickle's Pub. They have the most amazing fried pickles...yummm!!! Scott and the kids left to head back to Des Moines so naturally the only thing left for all of us to do was go "downtown" Webster City aka to the 3 bars we have in town. We tore it up and somehow managed to get pretty crazy. Once we got back to Monica's house after bar close, her mom was waiting up and said she could hear us from 3 blocks away and that we probably woke up the whole neighborhood with all of our laughing and screaming. Hey, I never said we were the quietest group of girls! I'm so thankful to have the family and friends that I have because this weekend was exactly what I needed to get a little relaxation in, some spoiling and a whole lot of love and laughing. It was so weird saying good bye to my parents in the morning though and realizing I won't see them again until the week of the wedding...good thing it's only 7 weeks away!!

my maid of honor & bridesmaid are the best ever
& such great hosts of my shower!

my mom & Aunt Mary are two of the
most important women in my life!

appliance overload!
I guess I better get busy in the kitchen!

Almost time for round two....

well this week is already half over and that means it's almost time for round two of wedding showers!!! My parents are on their way up from Texas as I'm tying this and I get to see them in two days....I also get to see my sister and my best friend since we were in diapers, Monica and her whole family! I can't wait to be surrounded by all of my family and closest friends for the whole weekend! Only one more day of work then it's shaping up to be another fantastic 3 day weekend for me! Happy Hump Day everyone! :)

Successful Shower

Well yesterday's bridal shower was definitely a success. Jordan and I spent all morning and early afternoon organizing, cleaning out, and reorganizing our entire kitchen, living room and bathroom to make room for the stuff we got at the shower. We got the old stuff out and gladly welcomed in the new stuff! It was fun to catch up with some of the women that Jordan's family knows and who I actually know and the shower was a good time. I felt very spoiled but also slightly awkward......I mean, everyone was watching me THE WHOLE TIME as I opened gift after gift after gift. And for someone who doesn't like surprises and doesn't like not knowing what I'm about to open, it was kind of nerve wracking. But I survived and Jordan and I ended up getting lots of awesome stuff! We got a much needed silverware and knife set, new glasses, and new towels just to name a few things! All in all, it made for a great weekend and I'm so thankful that people took time out of their day to spend with me at the shower and for all of the cool things they showered us with! And a big shout out thank you to my two future sister-in-laws, Ashlee and Haylee, for throwing me the shower and planning it!

All Of The "Easton" Women