Holy Happy Cookbook Batman!!

I love my dear friend Rebecca.

I love her more than my favorite pair of jeans; more than my sweet, slobbery bulldog; even more than my favorite chocolate fudge ice cream from Baskin Robbins. We're talkin' serious depths of my heart best friend love.

We've helped each other through many tough spots and plotted evil plans against unruly children. She's mothered my children while I was out of town and I've made sure the doctor knew the fentanyl needed to happen immediately regardless of what centimeter they were measuring.

Birthdays are especially fun for us. It's become a personal challenge to top the last years present. Some have been easy; others have required a bit more planning. We've stood front row at a Bryan Adams concert; rocked along to Richard Marx; been manicured, pedicured and pregnancy massaged. We get giddy when we find the perfect thing for the other.

So when Rebecca glided into my house this evening with a grin as wide as she is tall (okay, she's only 4'11", but still--it was BIG grin) I knew she had found "the gift". And she did. Oh, how she did. Did I mention I love her?

I've become a huge fan of Pioneer Woman this past year. If you've never experienced PW, you must go and check out her blog. No, really, go now. The link is over to the right and it's of global importance that you acquaint yourself with her. She's truly amazing and completely hilarious and she's a new hero of mine.

Anyway, back to "the gift". Here is what Rebecca brought with her:



Yep...it's Pioneer Woman's actual cookbook. It's full of amazing recipes, gorgeous pictures and sweet stories from her life on the ranch. I've ogled it at the bookstore and drooled at it online (my computer may never be the same) but I hadn't bought it yet. I was holding out hope that PW might somehow, sometime include Seattle in her book tour and we'd be able to road trip down to meet PW and have her sign our books. So far, Seattle hasn't been added. It was pretty sad.

Rebecca is so good though, she asked her aunt in Arizona if she could attend the signing there and get a copy for me. She couldn't. But my dear, sweet friend didn't give up and was able to arrange a little somethin' with the bookstore. So this is what the inside of my copy looks like:



That's for me! It's a Happy Birthday for me from Pioneer Woman!!

So, to Rebecca and to Ree, I say: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!! You are both amazingly awesome women. And this is a new high for a birthday present. I'd better start planning for Rebecca's present now!!