Two

"I avoid looking back. I prefer good memories to regrets." -- Grace Kelly

Two feels like 22, but we somehow came out alive.

Here's to three, and making it through the terrible twos.

Happy anniversary to my personal George Clooney.

Getting Cutesy with Erin Condren: March

I knew April was going to be a little, shall we say nuts for me, but I don't think I actually let it sink in that March AND April were going to be completely nuts for me. I'm still blaming Leap Day for throwing me off the month of March. And pneumonia. I can get away with that, right?

I'm back with my second (super, duper, probably slightly embarrassingly late) Erin Condren Life Planner month review. To recap: I absolutely love my planner but have been, previously, terrible at using the month view and am trying to get cutesy with stickers. As part of my non-resolutions for the New Year, I am trying to take time at the beginning of every month to plan out what goes where. I'm also taking the opportunity to look back at the month I just finished—hoping this helps me reach and set attainable goals.

It was a busy March. Not as busy as I thought it was going to be from the start, but busy all the same. I fell off the sticker wagon. This was the month of the flu and pneumonia so the fact that I even wrote ish down makes me feel like I accomplished something. AND I did use the cute little do-it-all dot for my dentist appointment #winning

April, which I am going to pretend like it isn't Apr. 25th and act like I have the whole month ahead of me here, is going to be an absolute blur with a weeklong trip to Atlanta for a conference my company produces, plus some charity meetings and exciting things like a Magic Moments reveal and a baby shower. Maybe this week I will really give it my all and start stickering the hell out of my planner.

Right. There's always the idea you can start fresh when summer comes.

Getting Cutesy With Erin Condren: February

Leap Day is throwing me off, majorly. I conceptually knew Super Tuesday was March 1st, but in my mind I kept thinking it was already the middle of March. Then, I completely spaced on March entirely and wrote a check with Feb. 27th as the date. I swear if I'm not late, I'm early. I'm never on time.

I wish I could blame that on my current "season of life" but I've never been a particularly punctual person.

I've had an Erin Condren Life Planner for a few years now and I love them. I hate the nearly obscene turnaround time (and the accompanying nearly obscene cost) but they work really well for my schedule and me.

What I haven't been good about with the planner is using the full month view, or getting cutesy with stickers—mainly because I have giant handwriting and nothing ever fits in the damn squares. Plus, I have a lot of stuff going on during a given day/week/month that I don’t always stop to write everything down. Or find some cute sticker to tell me I need to get my brows waxed in three weeks at 3:30.

As part of my non-resolutions for the New Year, I am trying to take time at the beginning of every month to plan out what goes where. I'm also taking the opportunity to look back at the month I just finished. I've got some lofty goals for 2016 (500 Pure Barre classes being one) so hopefully this new system will help me attain them. 

Previously, when a month was finished I would rip out all the pages and recycle them responsibly—toting around a year's worth of paper when you already had that meeting six months ago got annoying. Now I am getting rid of just the weekly pages, and hanging on to my month view. Hoping this will also help me track goals better and have a realistic look at my year come December 31st. Paper clips on the front side of the monthly view help me keep little notes and invites I want to save to remember how fun and special things were.

I also keep a copy of Dr. Jonathan Meisel's card as well as Alex's hospital bracelet on the inside front cover to remind me that no matter what fills these pages, there's something a few someones much more important. Because life is all about perspective.

 

I set a goal of 20 PB classes for February and that went out the dang window. I had a week long trip to Memphis and Atlanta I wasn't planning on, plus a stomach bug. Despite writing my niece's birthday in my calendar (and purchasing the gift) I still mailed it late. It was a busy February and that's exactly how I like it!!

March looks to be just as ridiculous with three work trips to three different states in three weeks—plus St. Patrick's Day events and Easter. Can't forget the 20 Pure Barre classes in 31 days challenge I stupidly signed up for, in addition to three full length feature stories to write and one complete magazine to put together. Good thing we get more daylight, I sure could use more time…

Fourth of July 2015

How has July 4th already come and gone? I have no idea what happened to my summer. Last summer was a blackout blur because I was just so pregnant and so hot. And so pregnant. 

I really wanted to have a great summer. I had grand designs of reading a ton of books and enjoying the weather and grilling out constantly and you get the picture. Instead, it's been a slower, yet still faster somehow, summer. The babies are getting into everything and life is starting to change so much.

I was thrilled when Mark said he wanted to go to Atlanta for the Fourth and hang out with my family. Okay, wanted is a stretch. He said he would go to Atlanta…anyway; we all loaded into the car on Friday morning and headed to my mom's. 

We hung out with my momma and stepdad for a day and a half and then headed to my dad and stepmom's for a day and a half.

We went to the huge annual blowout bbq at St. Ives on the evening of the Fourth (both my parents and Kristen & Charles are members there) and enjoyed a delicious buffet, carnival games and the fireworks show.

I was really apprehensive about taking Fitz & Alex to fireworks at three days shy of 9 months, but like they been doing since birth, they surprised me.

Fitz absolutely LOVED the bright colors in the sky and staying up late. He didn't mind anything a bit and sacked out almost immediately once we got home. I don’t think his big cousin Anna Carolina sharing her hot dog bun with him hurt his mood either!

Alex was a different story. He really liked the fireworks at first, snuggling with his Aunt Kristen, but then the booms starting getting louder and he definitely got scared. He didn't appreciate staying up past his bedtime either and had a helluva time falling asleep when we got back and proceeded to wake up at 3am needing a little more momma lovin'.

 After a long night, we hit the pool on Sunday before heading home. The little plastic pool I got for our front yard wasn't a huge success, so I didn't know how the babies would do in an actual pool.

No, that rash guard isn't a baby crop top... who knew Squeaks would get a big ole belly?!

At first they both hated it. Then the sun started to shine aggressively and suddenly the pool water wasn't quite so cold.

By the time we left, they were two happy little clams, loving when their big cousins swam up to them and when they got to kick their little legs and pretend like they were swimming.

 I, of course, was the only one to get sunburned.

One

via Pinterest

365 days have been a helluva adventure. Becoming Mrs. Walter Mark Anderson, IV on a tiny island in the southern Caribbean, just us two, was magical. I couldn't have imagined a better partner for everything we've gone through this last year. Lord knows we've gone through it all. And while I still get pangs of jealousy over friends' beautiful weddings, I know this was perfect for us and exactly what we needed, exactly who we are.

I promise not to cry today like I did on this day last year, stinky pot husband, if you promise not to sweat to death. No trespassing to fish either!!

I'm glad we've survived this year, because we've got so many more to go.

The #johnsonandersonadventures are still only just beginning. I've even started remembering to introduce myself as "Jessica Anderson"! #progress

So, here's to year two and year twenty-two and the ones in-between I have a feeling we'll still be battling over the temperature in the house and whether or not we have enough pets.

Officially MidTwenties

Texted to me by my college BFF Riley, before she surprised me at my birthday dinner!

Has it really been over a month since my birthday? Wow, time sure does fly when you're on the wrong side of mid-twenties. Ew.

I'm writing this more for my own documentation than anything, because this might have been one of my best birthdays yet. I got to cuddle with my munchkins and celebrate with a killer pure barre class. I can't deem it best because I'm campaigning super hard for a pink princess casino party, WALTER MARK ANDERSON IV.

Three of my favorite people and champagne. Lots of champagne.

When Mark and I talked about a small birthday dinner, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. We're pretty involved in the local food scene, thanks to a blog and facebook community Mark runs. I originally wanted to go to Central, but as we starting thinking about whom to invite, the list grew and grew…and grew some more to nearly 50 people!

Central didn't quite have the options we wanted, so we made the change of venue to neighborhood favorite True. It was one of the first meals Chef Miguel made for many of us (including myself) and I'm excited to see what he's going to be doing to the restaurant. They will be rebranding later this spring, focusing more on Italian options, but I have to say…after this meal, I'm confident I'll try anything he makes.

Birthday girl dinner: Pimento cheeseburger with cheese grits. Excellent!

Will's "stupid good" roasted chicken with greens, mashed potatoes, and a garlic cream sauce.

Mark's "delightful" schnitzel with greens.

I was so incredibly honored to see people from every facet of my Montgomery life. It was truly an honor everyone made it out.

As per my usual style, I was over top with my champagne drinking and loud kissing, in my mink coat. A night to remember for everyone!

15 for 2015

via

I recently saw a post on a blog that got me thinking…what exactly are my goals for the new year?

I've never been a huge resolutions/goals person. Maybe that's because I'm lazy? But I always seem to get the things done I want to get done…eventually. So this year I'm going to try something different, you know since I'm someone's mother now I should maybe be more of an adult am going to hold myself accountable for things?

Maybe I should add take pictures with my DSLR camera instead of my old, crappy iPhone to my list?

On January 2, 2014 I had no idea what the year ahead would hold. It's been a helluva ride to say the least. This year I plan to be a little more intentional with my time, enjoy my babies, enjoy my husband and really be present in the moments. I'm usually pretty good about that last one but damn, these days I am TIRED.

"What do you mean your tired? Sleep is for the birds"--My child, probably

So, here goes...

15 for 2015 

Hit the Pure Barre Montgomery 250 Tuck Club…I’m so close! 

Spend another long weekend in Curacao 

Show Fitz and Alex the beach 

Read 15 books 

Take an entire month and not buy a single piece of clothing (or accessory) for myself 

Finally re-decorate our living room 

Update my phone software...my phone's pictures are horrible!

Visit Kimber, Gentry and Saylor at the farm in Pennsylvania 

Go home for Alabama Homecoming 

Write my Nanny once a month 

Try 15 new recipes 

Completely clean out my closet 

Take about a zillion more pictures 

Clean out the storage unit and sell the furniture we are never going to use 

Show Mark Philadelphia and the Porecca family 

Christmas 2014

Well, we've officially survived our first Christmas as a family with four children!

It was a perfect few days. Until of course I got the stomach flu, because I have to get sick every Christmas or it just wouldn't be Christmas.

The babies really had no idea what was going on, but hey, I did it all for the pictures—and then of course forgot to take pictures!

Literally the only picture I've got of the two of them together on Christmas. #momfail

We enjoyed some lovely meals with family, opened some presents, shuffled to Atlanta, and shuffled back to Montgomery. It was eventful and uneventful all at the same time.

I've dropped the ball on keeping this online record of our daily disasters, but am going to make it a goal in 2015 to at least write down their monthly updates. (We're going to pretend I did a two month update and just skip right on over to three on January 7th. When did my children turn three months? Was I not just like the biggest pregnant person ever five minutes ago?)

Thanksgiving 2014

Before I get this started I should say one thing: I absolutely hate Thanksgiving. Between the food, I'm really not a fan of most casseroles or root vegetables, and the general do nothing but eat all day thing, it's never been my holiday.

Since I can let Mark talk me into pretty much anything, this year we celebrated Thanksgiving at our house and then headed to Atlanta to watch the Iron Bowl and visit with family. I might hate the food and the whole idea of Thanksgiving; I loved spending time with my family.

For Thursday night, it was a very Chew dinner. Everything except dessert was one of their recipes. I think the turkey turned out "okay," Mark said the dressing was incredible and the mac and cheese I've made a zillion times and is always a hit. Dessert was pronounced the best thing I've ever made. I am going to call this whole adventure a win. Though apparently it is damn near impossible to get a good picture of my children together.

Friday was low key with the drive and spending time with my Momma and Papa. Momma and I scooted out and, of course, did a little shopping while all the boys bonded.

Saturday was the big game and well, we all know how it ended. Watching the Iron Bowl with the biggest Alabama fan I know, my Daddy, is one of my favorite traditions of the Fall. I couldn't picture a more perfect day with all the people I love. Having all the cousins together for the first time was really fun!

I can't wait until F&A are a little older and they can all say "ROLL TIDE!"

Apparently Johnson kids never wear shoes! Melt my heart all these babies together.

A New Normal

October was a pretty big month for me. I had some babies.

Homeward bound!

That's so weird to actually say. On one hand, it feels like it was just the middle of the summer and I was a hot pregnant girl dreaming of October. Now it's November: Fitz and Alex are nearly a month old! WOAH. I also lost nearly 60 pounds in eight days. WOAH.

I won't go into too many gruesome birth details, because who really wants to know that the first words out of my mouth after seeing Fitzy was “What the F are we going to do with a baby?”, but I will say I'm really glad I'm not going through that ordeal again anytime soon! If ever.

Though, I would think that losing three liters of blood, and subsequent blood transfusion, would turn ANYONE off of an activity...

The hospital was a blur after their birth but look at how awesomely cute they were.

Oh look my husband is super cute too!

They've already changed so much. They've already grown so much. They are just so awesome. 

I'm not going to even pretend like I remotely know what the hell I'm doing. But I do feel pretty lucky to be their Momma. Though maybe not at the 3am feeding time. 

It's almost time for me to go back to work, five weeks sure did fly by, and while I'm excited to get some adult interaction again, I am going to miss mid-morning snuggles and long afternoon walks to the park.

Finding a “new normal” has never intimidated me, and over the next few weeks hopefully we will quickly fall into our new normal. If not, well, there's always gin. 

That's not even half the bottles we go through in a day...

I've been keeping a secret...

It's a big one. And I've been terrible about keeping it. Because I have never been one to live my life in the slow lane, the #johnsonandersonadventures are about to change in a big way.

The Anderson fraternal twin boys, yes fraternal twin boys, will be making their way into the world smack in the heart of Alabama football season, in the middle of September.

Twin! Boys! Holy! Shit! Nothing to do but laugh at this point.

After the initial shock wore off for some, if it will ever wear off for me I do not know, the entire Johnson/Rubin/Anderson family has fully embraced this new normal.

I'm definitely excited, and I definitely had fun messing with my Momma doing a little "gender reveal."  

Her twin boys oh-shit! face

There are still so many uncertainties, so many things I have no flipping clue about. I find new things to worry about every single day. Like the babies aren't even here yet and I'm worried about buying them each a car for their 16^th birthday, might be an example.

Don’t even get me started on the whole mess of actually being pregnant. So many things about the miracle of life really, really suck. I had a really rough time for the first four months or so, but now I think I’m cruising along, relatively speaking. I still hurt pretty much all over, all the time. And I still struggle with the wearing elastic waist pants on a daily basis thing—but my god! Those things are like manna from heaven on my widening body.

I don't know what the future will hold. I don't know what it's going to be like tomorrow, next week or next year. But I do know that I am surrounded by love and that's all I can ask for.

I have a feeling these twins are going to love the people twins.

Well, that and a few more hours in the day to more adequately adjust my pure barre to cookie eating ratio. Yes, I'm still keeping up with my daily pure barre routine, because I really need the exercise AND the cookies to keep me sane. 

 ____________________________

Special thanks goes out to my sweet friend Shelby for taking these fun pictures of me and hue studio for having some floaty preggo friendly tops in their massive sale last week. 

Mountain Weekend (Blue Ridge, Ga.)

This past weekend Mark turned ninety, so to celebrate we went for an early bird special dinner. Just kidding! Though, Saturday was actually his birthday and me being the traveler and reveler I am, decided we needed to have a little getaway for his birthday! 

After doing a little digging around, I settled on Blue Ridge, Ga. for a little two day, one night adventure. Before I get too into the details I should explain a few things. One: Mark is a very avid fly fisherman. Like avid as in we have former record holding stuffed fish in our hallway. Two: I love to tool around in a bathing suit reading a book. Meaning, we have quickly realized that “going fishing” is a fun activity for us both.

I also enjoy all the little friends I make while fishing, like these gorgeous iridescent blue butterflies.

The drive was easy, about fourish hours each way. On the way up Friday night we stopped off in Atlanta and hung out with my parents for dinner and spent the night in the same bed under my parents’ roof, which was really weird for me. Saturday we continued on, enjoying the drive.

Apparently, and I say apparently because I have absolutely no clue about fly fishing, fish or rivers, the Toccoa River in Blue Ridge is one of the best places to trout fish in the South. Mark had a blast. We fished in a few different areas over the two days and he was able to catch quite a few. He even got some new flies at the fly fishing store. And of course there were a few fishing related wrapped gifts from home. I'm such a sucker for a theme. 

We stayed at an in-town B&B, which was perfect for us. We were able to walk to dinner Saturday night at a fabulous outdoor restaurant, enjoy some good food and good music. It was a really relaxed and fun birthday.

 Sunday we woke up to the best muffins ever and fished some more before a quick walk around town and lunch. Sadly, after we ate we were on our way home. It wasn’t nearly a long enough weekend. Blue Ridge definitely had a lot to offer, if you like being outside. The water was a little too cold for my tastes, but lots of folks enjoyed tubing down.

 

The shops in town had some very cute pieces, and we came VERYCLOSE to buying a new side table for our bedroom, but in the end decided against it. Side note: one of my biggest pet peeves is all these new “restorers” and “furniture savers.” I too can go to a yard sale, buy a table, some chalk paint and sandpaper. Doesn’t make your table worth $70 or vintage. 

For the price, distance and enjoyment we had, I see lots of quick trips to Blue Ridge in our future. Plus, you really can’t beat this view.

We Eloped!

On May 9, 2014 after about two weeks of talking and about one solid week of planning, Mark and I entered All Saints Church in Curacao and exchanged vows. We became husband and wife with only four people in attendance. It was perfect and it was miserable.

As a little girl I had always dreamed about my wedding. Hell, I had probably planned it 40 times over in my head. Thanks to Pinterest you’d think I was a wedding planner. But all of that went out the window when Mark proposed to me.

Mark and I are in a unique situation and our love story is quite different than most. And that’s okay—it’s ours. It’s no less filled with love than others.

When Mark proposed to me I knew a big wedding was out of the question, and I was fine about it. A “destination wedding” seemed like the perfect solution. Small, just very close family and friends that might as well be family. But instead in the days after I said “umm, okay” to the all important, down on one knee “Will you marry me?” I realized I didn’t want to wait any longer. It was time. I wanted to be Mark’s actual wife. Not just his common-law PermanentRoommate.

When the chance to go on our “summer vacation” to Curacao presented itself, I nearly immediately told my Momma and Daddy that this would be it. And while I love them more than I will ever fully express, they were not invited.

That stung. A lot. It especially hurt my Dad. But they both knew this was what was right for me, and because they are so supportive of all the crazy antics their favorite child partakes in, said okay.

In the days leading up to the wedding, as Momma and I shopped for my dress and I emailed back and forth with my wedding planner, I never really noticed that no one was involved besides me. In fact, while a lot of friends guessed it might be happening, we never actually told anyone that we were getting married in Curacao.

I sent my very best friend in the entire world Mallory a very cryptic message on the day of my wedding that left me in a puddle of tears. {Poor Mark! Me crying, sad tears, a couple hours before saying “I do.”} I sent messages to both my parents as well, thanking them for everything. But that was it. That was the only interaction I really had with my family before getting married.

I was emotional. I cried the night before the wedding, again poor Mark!, and as my new friend/hair/makeup man worked on my wedding look. Thankfully he was used to upset brides and we had a mini dance party that made it better. I missed my family. My heart hurt that they weren’t there. But then, once I got my dress on and looked in the mirror, all of that faded away.

After years of wondering what it would be like, days of planning, and hours of stressing, I was a bride. A bride!

Everything fell into place when I put the dress on. I entered the chapel and big, strong, handsome Mark was standing there looking all nervous and hot. {Bless our hearts I really should have rethought the whole church without an air conditioning 40 miles north of the equator thing, but whatevs.}

The ceremony is sort of a blur. It was really hot in there but I signed on the dotted line at the end! So did Mark! We were officially “The Andersons."

When I really think about it, it is all a blur. We spent about an hour and a half taking pictures around the island with our photographer, laughing, walking around and goofing off. It was some of the most fun I think I’ve ever had. As the sun starting setting it came time for the “reception.”

Our table was set up on the beach and we enjoyed a private waiter with a five-course meal. I couldn’t tell you what we ate or what we talked about while we ate. But it was delicious and we laughed. That’s all that I care to remember and all that I wanted for our “reception.”

We cut the cake and in true Mark fashion he made some sort of smart-ass comment that resulted in me smashing half the cake in his face. #grownups

That’s how we started our married lives together: smashed cake, just the two of us. And while I would have loved to watch all my friends get a little too drunk and hoist sparklers in the air as we ran out, the walk up to our room overlooking the southern Caribbean Sea was just as romantic, just as perfect. Our wedding might not have been Pinterest perfect but that’s okay. Because in reality, I hate peonies and gold chairs…our wedding was Jessica perfect. It was bright, fun and all about Mark and me. The way a wedding should be.