"Show Your Teeth" (that means smile)

This post is just gonna be all over the place, cuz it's what I've been feeling like lately.  I just need to be here, to write and say stuff (most likely too much).  You've been warned.

Recently my brother, Josh, and his wife, Nicoleta, came for a visit.  We spent a lot of time together as a big ol' family and as always, had the good time.  It's the first time I met The Wife and I flipping love her.  She's totally IN.  She's a hugger and if you're a hugger, it's a good chance we're gonna be friends.  And she went shopping with me (no one will ever go shopping with me) and I like her cuz she's not afraid to clap her hands over high heels and boyfriend jeans.  This, I like.

Josh and Nicole have been married a little over a year now, but haven't had the wedding yet.  They've been in Italy all this time.  She's from Romania, so they are going to have the wedding in Romania, and then a reception here in Oregon, in October.  She gets to wear her wedding dress TWICE.  Jealous.

So while they were here, we did a lot of wedding planning--they found the reception venue, invitations, caterer, and wedding dress.  I got to go along for the wedding dress (claps hands).  I am totally living vicariously through Nicoleta and all this wedding stuff, cuz it's fancy.  She's all fancy pants--in a good way. We didn't go that route when we got married. I didn't make an appointment to try on wedding dresses (I went to Mall 205, and bought a $300 dress off the rack, *gasp*), our reception didn't have a view of any kind (it was in the church gym, so you know, no windows), and we didn't have waiters that served hors d'oeuvres (but the rotary club ladies served our Costco taquitos like champs).  Which is FINE.  Really, it's what we wanted at the time.  The Hubbs and I were like BABIES (very, very young) and we weren't fancy (in fact all the attention made me so uncomfortable; Bridezilla I wasn't).  Our wedding was a family and friend effort (we went through a lot of glue sticks) and it was fantastic.  I'm actually proud that the DJ was our most expensive thang. 

But this wedding and reception is gonna be pretty spiffy. Nicoleta's has great vision and taste and I am thrilled...THRILLED, I tell you, that I get to be part of it and not have to diet or decide or book or order or pay for anything. I just get to ooooh and aaaaaaahhh a lot and show up.  And...And, I'm excited that my girls and I get to shop for new dresses, shoes and get our hair all did.

So that was some of what we did over Spring Break. We also played. We had one of the best times at the beach we've ever had.  Just incredible, warm weather, no wind--really unheard of for the coast this time of year.  The girls swam in the outside pool for hours, we actually put on our bathing suits, got sunburned (we have lines!), and sent my brother back numerous times for "a refill".  In March. At the Oregon Coast.  Incredible! Plus it was just nothing but being around people (and a bunny) we love, that make us laugh and we got to eat and drink, like PROFESSIONALS, cuz we were on vacation.

On the flip side, our trip to Mountain Home, Idaho was, oh, what's the word?  Boring.  I'm sorry, but it was. Don't tell The Hubbs, cuz it's totally not his fault. I tried, I really tried to make the best of it.  We did all the birthday stuff for Liv and I had a lot of one on one time with my girls (which I pretty much have an excess of anyway), but there's just so much a girl can do. It wasn't so much a vacation as it was sitting in a hotel for 4 days, while The Hubbs worked. It was just very typical of what it's like on most military bases (that you are visiting and not living on), out in the middle of absolutely nothing except a couple sad looking mobile homes, a broken down church and a cow. You go to the BX, and the playground and you're done. I suggested taking my girls to the library and they turned it down, for goodness sakes! Listen, I don't need to be entertained all the time, but you gotta give me something.  I need color and changes in scenery and people and mochas and Target. I knew it was gonna be bad around my eighth episode of Wife Swap.

I hate being negative.  I even hate typing the word "hate" out, but sometimes a girl just has to complain.  In front of everyone.  My dad told me when I was 15 that I look so much prettier when I smile.  So I smile...a lot. I really try to avoid the negativity.  On my FB, Twitter statuses, and when you're sitting across the table from me I like to talk about the good, cuz who wants to hear the bad?  I avoid it (I love that "hide" button on FB). I try to keep things light and fluffy and you're only allowed so many words on your Twitter and FB updates anyway.

But there are tiiiiiimes that I just want to say this--SOMETIMES PEOPLE SUCK.  I know! So negative. It's gonna leave a lot of you going, "WHAT THE?", but no worries, I'm totally not talking about you.  I'm just sayin'...cuz sometimes I have to say things other than sunshine and rainbows. I've been wanting to say that for a while.  I think I'm good now. And that's all I want to say about that, cuz I'm so much prettier when I smile.

P.S. On the next episode of So, What Was I Saying--Sunshine talks about her boyfriend, Michael Buble, wine bars and girlfriends and possibly, a firetruck.