Why My Family is A-1 Sauce Awesome

So last Summer, 3rd big brother Zach and his wife Jamie went on an RV adventure. They kept us up-to-date on their adventures via postcards. It was a way fun way to hear/see what they were doing.I am a total fan of the postcard paper trail idea (Incidentally, I've found they make fabulous bookmarks - a great picture and note to open a good book up to).

They got back from their RV adventure sometime in August last year. The postcard adventure I was riding had come to an end.

Fast forward 6 months, to last Tuesday. To set the scene, I'm in DC, just arriving home from work, later than anticipated. 3rd big brother Zach is in town for work, and he's coming over to my house to go to dinner. Luckily, he's running a little late as well, he tells me over the phone as I walk through my door. I've got an extra 15 minutes or so to get myself ready.

I check my mail slot on my way to my room and lo, behold - a fresh postcard sits waiting for me. Postcards generally bring large smiles to my face, I really like getting them. This one is extra cute:

I giggle a little because the picture is SO CUTE!!!!! It's a little mountain lion cub, oh how CUTE!

I'm pretty sure I know who it's from, and I think, "what good timing that this postcard came when it did - 20 minutes before I see Zach. That would've been unfortunate if I hadn't seen it until after dinner..."

Then I finally turn it over and read the message (it was such an adorable picture, it took me some time to tear my eyes from it and wipe the sappy smile off my mouth):

And then I read it again...and once more, just to make sure I got it.

WHAT?!

Z&J are having a baby!

And I found out by a postcard - how AWESOME and completely fitting to find out this way!

And THANK GOODNESS I got this 20 minutes before 3rd big brother Zach came over! How awkward would that dinner have been if I hadn't seen it yet? Yikes.

Props to Z&J for having the most original way of telling me I'm going to be fun Aunt Kate for another little one so far. I love happy news and I LOVE mail, and I LOVE LOVE having mail telling me good news, followed by the mailer following up in person! Needless to say, that was a pretty good night.

I have complete confidence that Baby Barlow the 12th will be even cuter than that mountain lion cub - though sometimes I pull out that postcard and look at the picture when I need a little pick-me-up during the day. It's just so freaking cute!

P.S. CONGRATULATIONS Z&J!!!! I'm beyond super stoked for you both! You both are A-1 to me!


p.p.s. the irony is not lost to me that I'm using A-1 steak/bbq sauce to explain how great these two particular people are, when these two particular people are the only vegetarians I currently know...and yet I stand by my ranking.