However, I will include a couple of pics that we were considering for our cards. Enjoy! And most of all, we wish you all a very Merry CHRISTmas and a most spectacular 2014! We love you all and miss so many of you. XOXO
Matt, Laura, C & P
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Friday, December 13, 2013
Christmas Cards
You know that moment in life when you have to decide sanity over tradition? No?? Well, I have that moment all too often, and this year it would appear that Christmas cards are the things I'm giving up for this year. I don't plan to do it from this point forward, but feel that at this point - when I finally have a second to breath and think about them - it's silly to stress myself over getting them printed and mailed and, and, and, and. . . . before Christmas Eve! If you're reading this, and you are heartbroken, I'm very sorry. This will be the first year in 17 that I haven't sent them out, so trust me when I say that it was not an easy decision. The rest of you are saying "so what?!?!?" and to you I say "Thank You". :) :) :) :)
However, I will include a couple of pics that we were considering for our cards. Enjoy! And most of all, we wish you all a very Merry CHRISTmas and a most spectacular 2014! We love you all and miss so many of you. XOXO
Matt, Laura, C & P
However, I will include a couple of pics that we were considering for our cards. Enjoy! And most of all, we wish you all a very Merry CHRISTmas and a most spectacular 2014! We love you all and miss so many of you. XOXO
Matt, Laura, C & P
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
We're moving. . . . just kidding
As promised, I will do my best to detail the week FOLLOWING the week described here. Unfortunately, it's been yet another week since and the details are now a bit fuzzy (I need sleep) so please forgive the lack of intricate details.
So. . . . after posting about "the week", we began packing. The kitchen is always my favorite thing to pack because its usually in order and I have complete control over it, so that's where I started. Anyone who knows me knows that I own a RIDICULOUS amount of kitchen gadgets, utensils, call them whatever you want. . . I have too much! But you see - I use them about once every 2 years, so I have to keep them, right?!?!?! Well, you'd be proud of me. For every box I packed, I gave away a box (unpackaged for moving, so really it was like 2 boxes). My friend, Melissa, inherited a TON of my junk and her husband thanks me (muhahaha!). I packed everything except my pots & pans, our plastic dishes, two stones, and the spices and food. We DID plan to eat for the next two weeks.
Then I took on C's room. THANK GOD I went through his room while he was at church camp. It made packing his room SOOOOO much easier. Matt took over C's clothes, and packed everything except 4-5 days worth of clothes that we would use until after the move.
I packed the craft closet (which only took 5 boxes, including the two large totes that I have in there - this is AFTER I went through it all in July and gave about 1/2 of it away).
Then, the kids & I spent the entire day going through movies, video games, cd's making matches (how does this happen, btw?!?!), cleaning behind furniture that hadn't been moved since we moved in (I swear). We stirred up so much dust, none of us could breath. . . BUT we did have a concert set to an old mixed disc that I found. Note: If you've never had a random concert with your kids - you've never lived life. It must be set to songs you haven't heard in a decade (so YOU are absolutely ecstatic) and you have to be deliriously exhausted from a long, hard day of packing (so the kids KNOW you've lost your mind and think it's the funniest thing EVER)!!!
Fortunately, I returned to work for the rest of the week and that pretty much kept me from packing much more. At the time, it frustrated me. . . today I'm so very thankful that I didn't get more accomplished. Because. . . .
On Friday (Aug 23), Matt received an offer from his current employer that really caused us to question our move. We were at a loss; for about 5 minutes, we just sat staring at each other, neither one of us wanting to make a move for fear it would be the wrong one. Another note: when God tells you to trust Him (and He HAS told all of us that - in His Word), if you TRULY trust Him it is absolutely amazing the things He can do for and through you. We had known for months that a change was coming. I had so overwhelmingly felt the love of God as He enveloped me a few weeks ago with "Trust Me", and we were trusting Him. That said, we didn't know if this counter-offer was a distraction to take our eyes off of the path He had laid out of us or if all of this had to happen in order to get the counter-offer. Guys - we were seriously stuck. I found it hard to even move and Matt couldn't even form words. It was one of the scariest, yet most amazing experience I've ever had. Here we were presented with the opportunity to NOT leave our friends, church, co-workers, MY JOB. . . . . . and we were terrified. Our pastor, here, reminded us (the weekend we received the Fayetteville offer) that God is big enough to turn us around and that we shouldn't be scared to make the wrong move, we should TRUST HIM. . . and that is what we did. We prayed and continued to leave this whole situation in His hands. Matt called Fayetteville. He didn't call to "get a better offer"; he called just to hear something along the lines of "I can't promise you that, but we really want you and we're looking forward to you starting next week". Instead, he got a rushed response (phone was dying, understandable) followed by a TEXT a few minutes later saying "let's just move on, it was nice meeting you". Talk about closing doors. . . . . it was slammed shut - and we couldn't have been happier. We never wanted to leave. Sure - I was excited about the larger home we had just put a deposit on (and yes, He is faithful - and we got that $$ back!!) and I can't lie that I was THRILLED about the kids' new school and, honestly. . . a new start, minus the drama of our new start in Tulsa. But allow me to take a little more of your time and share with you the things God has shown me since that day:
1) I'd been praying for more room in our home. I feel like we're about to suffocate and while I know it's temporary until we buy, I had really grown impatient and overwhelmed.
Well, God showed me that with this happening, we are no longer looking at Tulsa as a stepping stone - we want to stay forever. Will Matt stay where he's employed forever? Maybe not, but you can get a jump seat from Tulsa as easily as anywhere else.
And that space I was needing. . . . getting rid of 1/2 of my craft junk means getting rid of a large piece of furniture that was holding so much of it. And ridding myself of the extra set of dishes that I was hanging on to for who knows the reason. . . . and the 6 boxes worth of kitchen stuff. . . . the items I still have are much more organized and I was able to rearrange some things in the kitchen - and ya'll -I LOVE my kitchen! With the armoire (craft junk) gone, we're rearranging the living room/dining area and so far. . . I LOVE IT!!!! With C's insanity made sense of, we were able to move the love seat into his room and he LOVES it. (Note: P's room is still a disaster. . . work. in. progress, but we're getting there and rearranging and getting her more space to breathe as well).
2) I believe that every single bit of this was purposed for our good. Am I exhausted from the past 3 weeks? You better believe it! My whole body aches. Was I emotionally spent from the roller coaster ride? Oh boy was I. . . for 3 days, I felt like I was on the verge of bawling my eyes out, but couldn't shed one single tear. However, I know that we had to trust and be willing to move into His Will in order for His Will to happen - if that makes sense. In short, this was not as much about us moving to Fayetteville as it was about obedience. As much as it pains me, I'm so glad we serve a God who is more concerned about our character than our comfort.
3) I love how He has given multiple reminders of why I shouldn't be too sad about the kids' new school not being their new school. From entering Monday morning to re-enroll the kids - to which they all responded with excitement that the kids weren't leaving after all and just about fell over themselves to get them back into class ASAP and with as little interruption as possible. To parent's night Thursday night when I peeked my head into P's kindergarten teacher (last year) room and she was so excited to see me, called me by name, gave me the biggest hug, and proceeded to catch me up on the new animals in her room and newest pictures of her precious grand baby (born during last school year).
4) I love how Matt & I walked through this together. The talks we had in the midst of it, allowing me the opportunity to encourage and build him up. It's not that I don't try, it's just that sometimes it's hard to fit in things like, "you have so much integrity; that is why people fall over themselves to get to know you - even before they know you". And I love how this whole process wasn't led by either one of us, but by US and God. We did this together; we grew together and my admiration of him. . . while I think it can't possible grow. . . grew even more.
5) I love how my mom and sister got to be a part of the process - anticipating daily what the next bit of news was. I won't go into detail because it's not necessary, but I will say that I love that this happened. :)
I LOVE that we walked this path - as exhausting as this month has been, I am so very thankful for it. And I'm VERY thankful to be staying here - making permanent plans, house shopping (not immediately), etc.
I could go on for days, but reality is. . . I have unpacking and reorganizing to do - and you're probably tired of reading. So, for now. . . . bye!! :) :) :)
So. . . . after posting about "the week", we began packing. The kitchen is always my favorite thing to pack because its usually in order and I have complete control over it, so that's where I started. Anyone who knows me knows that I own a RIDICULOUS amount of kitchen gadgets, utensils, call them whatever you want. . . I have too much! But you see - I use them about once every 2 years, so I have to keep them, right?!?!?! Well, you'd be proud of me. For every box I packed, I gave away a box (unpackaged for moving, so really it was like 2 boxes). My friend, Melissa, inherited a TON of my junk and her husband thanks me (muhahaha!). I packed everything except my pots & pans, our plastic dishes, two stones, and the spices and food. We DID plan to eat for the next two weeks.
Then I took on C's room. THANK GOD I went through his room while he was at church camp. It made packing his room SOOOOO much easier. Matt took over C's clothes, and packed everything except 4-5 days worth of clothes that we would use until after the move.
I packed the craft closet (which only took 5 boxes, including the two large totes that I have in there - this is AFTER I went through it all in July and gave about 1/2 of it away).
Then, the kids & I spent the entire day going through movies, video games, cd's making matches (how does this happen, btw?!?!), cleaning behind furniture that hadn't been moved since we moved in (I swear). We stirred up so much dust, none of us could breath. . . BUT we did have a concert set to an old mixed disc that I found. Note: If you've never had a random concert with your kids - you've never lived life. It must be set to songs you haven't heard in a decade (so YOU are absolutely ecstatic) and you have to be deliriously exhausted from a long, hard day of packing (so the kids KNOW you've lost your mind and think it's the funniest thing EVER)!!!
Fortunately, I returned to work for the rest of the week and that pretty much kept me from packing much more. At the time, it frustrated me. . . today I'm so very thankful that I didn't get more accomplished. Because. . . .
On Friday (Aug 23), Matt received an offer from his current employer that really caused us to question our move. We were at a loss; for about 5 minutes, we just sat staring at each other, neither one of us wanting to make a move for fear it would be the wrong one. Another note: when God tells you to trust Him (and He HAS told all of us that - in His Word), if you TRULY trust Him it is absolutely amazing the things He can do for and through you. We had known for months that a change was coming. I had so overwhelmingly felt the love of God as He enveloped me a few weeks ago with "Trust Me", and we were trusting Him. That said, we didn't know if this counter-offer was a distraction to take our eyes off of the path He had laid out of us or if all of this had to happen in order to get the counter-offer. Guys - we were seriously stuck. I found it hard to even move and Matt couldn't even form words. It was one of the scariest, yet most amazing experience I've ever had. Here we were presented with the opportunity to NOT leave our friends, church, co-workers, MY JOB. . . . . . and we were terrified. Our pastor, here, reminded us (the weekend we received the Fayetteville offer) that God is big enough to turn us around and that we shouldn't be scared to make the wrong move, we should TRUST HIM. . . and that is what we did. We prayed and continued to leave this whole situation in His hands. Matt called Fayetteville. He didn't call to "get a better offer"; he called just to hear something along the lines of "I can't promise you that, but we really want you and we're looking forward to you starting next week". Instead, he got a rushed response (phone was dying, understandable) followed by a TEXT a few minutes later saying "let's just move on, it was nice meeting you". Talk about closing doors. . . . . it was slammed shut - and we couldn't have been happier. We never wanted to leave. Sure - I was excited about the larger home we had just put a deposit on (and yes, He is faithful - and we got that $$ back!!) and I can't lie that I was THRILLED about the kids' new school and, honestly. . . a new start, minus the drama of our new start in Tulsa. But allow me to take a little more of your time and share with you the things God has shown me since that day:
1) I'd been praying for more room in our home. I feel like we're about to suffocate and while I know it's temporary until we buy, I had really grown impatient and overwhelmed.
Well, God showed me that with this happening, we are no longer looking at Tulsa as a stepping stone - we want to stay forever. Will Matt stay where he's employed forever? Maybe not, but you can get a jump seat from Tulsa as easily as anywhere else.
And that space I was needing. . . . getting rid of 1/2 of my craft junk means getting rid of a large piece of furniture that was holding so much of it. And ridding myself of the extra set of dishes that I was hanging on to for who knows the reason. . . . and the 6 boxes worth of kitchen stuff. . . . the items I still have are much more organized and I was able to rearrange some things in the kitchen - and ya'll -I LOVE my kitchen! With the armoire (craft junk) gone, we're rearranging the living room/dining area and so far. . . I LOVE IT!!!! With C's insanity made sense of, we were able to move the love seat into his room and he LOVES it. (Note: P's room is still a disaster. . . work. in. progress, but we're getting there and rearranging and getting her more space to breathe as well).
2) I believe that every single bit of this was purposed for our good. Am I exhausted from the past 3 weeks? You better believe it! My whole body aches. Was I emotionally spent from the roller coaster ride? Oh boy was I. . . for 3 days, I felt like I was on the verge of bawling my eyes out, but couldn't shed one single tear. However, I know that we had to trust and be willing to move into His Will in order for His Will to happen - if that makes sense. In short, this was not as much about us moving to Fayetteville as it was about obedience. As much as it pains me, I'm so glad we serve a God who is more concerned about our character than our comfort.
3) I love how He has given multiple reminders of why I shouldn't be too sad about the kids' new school not being their new school. From entering Monday morning to re-enroll the kids - to which they all responded with excitement that the kids weren't leaving after all and just about fell over themselves to get them back into class ASAP and with as little interruption as possible. To parent's night Thursday night when I peeked my head into P's kindergarten teacher (last year) room and she was so excited to see me, called me by name, gave me the biggest hug, and proceeded to catch me up on the new animals in her room and newest pictures of her precious grand baby (born during last school year).
4) I love how Matt & I walked through this together. The talks we had in the midst of it, allowing me the opportunity to encourage and build him up. It's not that I don't try, it's just that sometimes it's hard to fit in things like, "you have so much integrity; that is why people fall over themselves to get to know you - even before they know you". And I love how this whole process wasn't led by either one of us, but by US and God. We did this together; we grew together and my admiration of him. . . while I think it can't possible grow. . . grew even more.
5) I love how my mom and sister got to be a part of the process - anticipating daily what the next bit of news was. I won't go into detail because it's not necessary, but I will say that I love that this happened. :)
I LOVE that we walked this path - as exhausting as this month has been, I am so very thankful for it. And I'm VERY thankful to be staying here - making permanent plans, house shopping (not immediately), etc.
I could go on for days, but reality is. . . I have unpacking and reorganizing to do - and you're probably tired of reading. So, for now. . . . bye!! :) :) :)
Thursday, August 15, 2013
What's in a week?
Warning: EXTREMELY LONG POST
Hey guys! It's me - the girl who hasn't posted since April! What can I say?!?!? It's been a very exciting and exhausting summer!!!
That said, we're about to go out with a BANG!
How many things can possibly happen in one week, leading to a life-changing decision???
Well. . . . . . . . . . .
Thursday:
Matt does his daily check on jobs - just to see what's out there. He finds two - Foley, Alabama and Baltimore, Maryland. At this point in our journey, I'm pretty much game for anything that doesn't require me to purchase a parka - and wear it 365 days of the year, or causes me to learn a new language. You see, I didn't exactly sign up for all of this when we married, but seeing as I REALLY like this man, and I did agree to this journey about 5 years after marriage, I've decided that I'd follow him just about anywhere!
Friday:
Matt has a phone interview with the job in Maryland, immediately followed by a pretty decent job offer. Okay. . . that's a long way from home, and we don't have ANY family even remotely close to that area, but I can do this, I tell myself. So we do our search on houses, schools, churches, jobs for me. . . then we sleep on it.
Saturday morning:
We both just know this isn't it! But we're still pretty interested in Foley and I've found a great house, etc. {enter my mom, in town to visit and spend time with the kids while they're still out of school}
Saturday afternoon:
Matt's daily search revealed a job MUCH closer to home - Fayetteville, AR. At this point, I have to admit that I hear locations and job descriptions and have almost grown indifferent. So, okay, sounds great, apply. There's a number listed, in lieu of application information, so (without me even knowing he went outside) he dials the number. He comes in to say "that was the owner's cell, sounds pretty good, he wants me to send him my resume".
Sunday:
Church was awesome. Seriously - you need to spend a short period of time and watch this. And, in lieu of the recent job offer and other two options, it could not have been more timely.
Later that afternoon, my brother (and his family), older sister (and her family minus one), and my Uncle Curtis joined us for lunch and a long visit. It was awesome - and somehow euphoric - as if it would be the last time we'd all gather together in our backyard. I couldn't describe it, but I just knew it.
Monday:
"Fayetteville" called; "can we meet on Tuesday?".
Tuesday:
Matt went to Fayetteville. His meeting was four VERY LONG (for me) hours. Thankfully, Amy, was patient with me as I was near vomiting at least 4 different times. I think there was a short time that even she found herself sitting on the same pins & needles I was on. Side note: she is one of the best co-workers I've ever had. So blessed to call her friend - and love her and her heart more than words!!!
Okay - back to "the week". Matt drove home from Fayetteville with a job offer.
Wednesday:
After mulling over the options the night before, we had a short discussion Wed morning about the counter he was going to give - to really make it worth us uprooting from everything we've grown to love. One hour later, "Fayetteville" called HIM and changed the offer - to what we had discussed as a counter, and then some.
Thursday (today):
After finalizing plans to transition from my job (which I'll get to in just a sec), and after watching God take a 1000 piece puzzle and arrange it all right in front of our eyes all week long, we're accepting the job.
I left out a ton of details (I know, you're wondering how, with all this type. . .), but fortunately my mom was here for most of this and can stand as our witness to how God has shown us that He is FULLY CAPABLE OF DOING EXCEEDINGLY, ABUNDANTLY, ABOVE AND BEYOND ANYTHING WE DARE TO ASK.
Notes:
When? We're not 100% sure. We're looking for a new place to live, and working out a few more details, but it will be soon.
My job? To say that I love my job, the people I work with, and the atmosphere in which I work, is the understatement of the century. I could not ask for better bosses. They have loved me, believed in me, and allowed me to grow even when I didn't even love or believe in myself and knew that growing was painful. My co-workers. . . well, I've already shared about one, but they're just amazing. When you spend more waking time in an office with people than you do at your own home, it's imperative that you be happy. I'm not only happy, I absolutely love these people. That said - we're also in a period of transition - overwhelming transition. . . . so here I've thrown them further into transition. If you see my boss, please give her a huge hug. But, thankfully, for all involved, we've worked out a way for me to stay (commuting once/week) through the period of hiring the new staff person (that I was supposed to be there to train) and then replacing me. I'm hoping the drive to/from Tulsa will be just dreadful enough that when the time comes to REALLY say "goodbye", it won't hurt as badly as it does right now.
Our friends? Our family? Our church? I don't even know where to start. Well, I will say that Matt has decided we'll just commute to church too. HA! I don't know how long that'll last, but I won't argue. I figure there'll come a time when we can truly let go, but for now, driving 2 hours to church seems rational, right?!?!?! Please say "right". We've developed some amazing friendships during our time here in Tulsa and I am confident that US-412 will not separate us - we're entirely too glued together!!!!!
I have to stop typing now. I'm supposed to be looking at houses and packing books and movies. Instead, I've brewed coffee and am sitting in front of the computer "talking". That sounds about right!
We love you all and can't wait to share this next leg of our journey with you all.
XOXOXOXOXOXO
~Fayetteville-bound
Hey guys! It's me - the girl who hasn't posted since April! What can I say?!?!? It's been a very exciting and exhausting summer!!!
That said, we're about to go out with a BANG!
How many things can possibly happen in one week, leading to a life-changing decision???
Well. . . . . . . . . . .
Thursday:
Matt does his daily check on jobs - just to see what's out there. He finds two - Foley, Alabama and Baltimore, Maryland. At this point in our journey, I'm pretty much game for anything that doesn't require me to purchase a parka - and wear it 365 days of the year, or causes me to learn a new language. You see, I didn't exactly sign up for all of this when we married, but seeing as I REALLY like this man, and I did agree to this journey about 5 years after marriage, I've decided that I'd follow him just about anywhere!
Friday:
Matt has a phone interview with the job in Maryland, immediately followed by a pretty decent job offer. Okay. . . that's a long way from home, and we don't have ANY family even remotely close to that area, but I can do this, I tell myself. So we do our search on houses, schools, churches, jobs for me. . . then we sleep on it.
Saturday morning:
We both just know this isn't it! But we're still pretty interested in Foley and I've found a great house, etc. {enter my mom, in town to visit and spend time with the kids while they're still out of school}
Saturday afternoon:
Matt's daily search revealed a job MUCH closer to home - Fayetteville, AR. At this point, I have to admit that I hear locations and job descriptions and have almost grown indifferent. So, okay, sounds great, apply. There's a number listed, in lieu of application information, so (without me even knowing he went outside) he dials the number. He comes in to say "that was the owner's cell, sounds pretty good, he wants me to send him my resume".
Sunday:
Church was awesome. Seriously - you need to spend a short period of time and watch this. And, in lieu of the recent job offer and other two options, it could not have been more timely.
Later that afternoon, my brother (and his family), older sister (and her family minus one), and my Uncle Curtis joined us for lunch and a long visit. It was awesome - and somehow euphoric - as if it would be the last time we'd all gather together in our backyard. I couldn't describe it, but I just knew it.
Monday:
"Fayetteville" called; "can we meet on Tuesday?".
Tuesday:
Matt went to Fayetteville. His meeting was four VERY LONG (for me) hours. Thankfully, Amy, was patient with me as I was near vomiting at least 4 different times. I think there was a short time that even she found herself sitting on the same pins & needles I was on. Side note: she is one of the best co-workers I've ever had. So blessed to call her friend - and love her and her heart more than words!!!
Okay - back to "the week". Matt drove home from Fayetteville with a job offer.
Wednesday:
After mulling over the options the night before, we had a short discussion Wed morning about the counter he was going to give - to really make it worth us uprooting from everything we've grown to love. One hour later, "Fayetteville" called HIM and changed the offer - to what we had discussed as a counter, and then some.
Thursday (today):
After finalizing plans to transition from my job (which I'll get to in just a sec), and after watching God take a 1000 piece puzzle and arrange it all right in front of our eyes all week long, we're accepting the job.
I left out a ton of details (I know, you're wondering how, with all this type. . .), but fortunately my mom was here for most of this and can stand as our witness to how God has shown us that He is FULLY CAPABLE OF DOING EXCEEDINGLY, ABUNDANTLY, ABOVE AND BEYOND ANYTHING WE DARE TO ASK.
Notes:
When? We're not 100% sure. We're looking for a new place to live, and working out a few more details, but it will be soon.
My job? To say that I love my job, the people I work with, and the atmosphere in which I work, is the understatement of the century. I could not ask for better bosses. They have loved me, believed in me, and allowed me to grow even when I didn't even love or believe in myself and knew that growing was painful. My co-workers. . . well, I've already shared about one, but they're just amazing. When you spend more waking time in an office with people than you do at your own home, it's imperative that you be happy. I'm not only happy, I absolutely love these people. That said - we're also in a period of transition - overwhelming transition. . . . so here I've thrown them further into transition. If you see my boss, please give her a huge hug. But, thankfully, for all involved, we've worked out a way for me to stay (commuting once/week) through the period of hiring the new staff person (that I was supposed to be there to train) and then replacing me. I'm hoping the drive to/from Tulsa will be just dreadful enough that when the time comes to REALLY say "goodbye", it won't hurt as badly as it does right now.
Our friends? Our family? Our church? I don't even know where to start. Well, I will say that Matt has decided we'll just commute to church too. HA! I don't know how long that'll last, but I won't argue. I figure there'll come a time when we can truly let go, but for now, driving 2 hours to church seems rational, right?!?!?! Please say "right". We've developed some amazing friendships during our time here in Tulsa and I am confident that US-412 will not separate us - we're entirely too glued together!!!!!
I have to stop typing now. I'm supposed to be looking at houses and packing books and movies. Instead, I've brewed coffee and am sitting in front of the computer "talking". That sounds about right!
We love you all and can't wait to share this next leg of our journey with you all.
XOXOXOXOXOXO
~Fayetteville-bound
Monday, April 22, 2013
Monday Ramblings
Random
thoughts for Monday:
1) It's not easy for me to do nothing. Even when I'm lazy, I'm still doing something i.e. putting together a puzzle, sitting outside in the sunshine, etc. I dislike boredom.
2) Hospitals should work on perking up the OR recover area. I know patients are literally only awake in there less than 5 minutes, but waking in an indescribable amount of pain, in a room that looks like a morgue is NOT OKAY!!!
3) You know that saying, "kids say the darndest things". Yes, yes they do. Trust me on this.
4) It's always nice to get an unexpected card in the mail. I'm the worst at sending cards, but sometimes I'm reminded of just how much of a lost art card-writing truly is.
5) I was hesitant to announce to the world what was going on, physically, but I've discovered that I failed to share my news with some very important people in my life and it made me wonder, "why is it a secret?" Well, it's not a secret; it just happened so quickly that I failed to inform a few - it was not intentional. So - for those of you who don't know, I had a hysterectomy on Friday. Now, I WILL save you from the details of "why". :) And in case you're wondering, here are a few notes I have regarding this situation. A) Robotic hysterectomy is THE way to go. B) Even for someone, like me, who believes their family is complete, there will come a moment when the realness of it hits. For me it was Saturday morning, amidst the melee of pain killers, the stress of missing ANOTHER one of C's baseball games, and the darkness of a hospital room. C) The anticipation of life after years of trouble and pain makes me want to jump around (if only I actually could right now).
6) God has blessed me with an army of supporters. I am thankful, daily, for the people in my life - family, church, work, divine appointments. . . . you all know who you are. I am thankful for YOU!
7) I actually had no intention of sharing #5 when I started writing, but felt compelled to do so (considering #2 would've just been mean without explanation).
8) I often feel compelled to write a lot of things. I don't always. You're welcome.
9) Percocet is an awful, nasty, amazing, horrific, comforting drug. Nothing like suddenly feeling no pain followed by the inability to sit still and the feeling that you might, at any moment, combust. But - no pain.
10) As mentioned in #1, I'm bored. SOOOO bored. I could write all night, I have nothing else to do. But, I won't. You're welcome again.
1) It's not easy for me to do nothing. Even when I'm lazy, I'm still doing something i.e. putting together a puzzle, sitting outside in the sunshine, etc. I dislike boredom.
2) Hospitals should work on perking up the OR recover area. I know patients are literally only awake in there less than 5 minutes, but waking in an indescribable amount of pain, in a room that looks like a morgue is NOT OKAY!!!
 |
| I found this picture online. It was take in Saudi Arabia. Make it a little darker and it's pretty much what I woke up to. |
4) It's always nice to get an unexpected card in the mail. I'm the worst at sending cards, but sometimes I'm reminded of just how much of a lost art card-writing truly is.
5) I was hesitant to announce to the world what was going on, physically, but I've discovered that I failed to share my news with some very important people in my life and it made me wonder, "why is it a secret?" Well, it's not a secret; it just happened so quickly that I failed to inform a few - it was not intentional. So - for those of you who don't know, I had a hysterectomy on Friday. Now, I WILL save you from the details of "why". :) And in case you're wondering, here are a few notes I have regarding this situation. A) Robotic hysterectomy is THE way to go. B) Even for someone, like me, who believes their family is complete, there will come a moment when the realness of it hits. For me it was Saturday morning, amidst the melee of pain killers, the stress of missing ANOTHER one of C's baseball games, and the darkness of a hospital room. C) The anticipation of life after years of trouble and pain makes me want to jump around (if only I actually could right now).
6) God has blessed me with an army of supporters. I am thankful, daily, for the people in my life - family, church, work, divine appointments. . . . you all know who you are. I am thankful for YOU!
7) I actually had no intention of sharing #5 when I started writing, but felt compelled to do so (considering #2 would've just been mean without explanation).
8) I often feel compelled to write a lot of things. I don't always. You're welcome.
9) Percocet is an awful, nasty, amazing, horrific, comforting drug. Nothing like suddenly feeling no pain followed by the inability to sit still and the feeling that you might, at any moment, combust. But - no pain.
10) As mentioned in #1, I'm bored. SOOOO bored. I could write all night, I have nothing else to do. But, I won't. You're welcome again.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
What a week!!!
With no news of labor, we made the trek back home. . . . . . .
Less than 24 hours later, Abbie was in labor - Jace was on his way! Already showing the world that he was in charge!!! Momma was in labor for 24 hours and did so with grace and poise - so very proud of her - AND DAD!!
Born 3-19-13, 7:56am; 7lb 8oz; 20.5"
He was well worth the wait. While we wouldn't be able to see him for a few more days, Danny & Abbie kept us fully involved with pics and texts - we were so blessed to be a part, even if we were only there in spirit!!!
The day finally came - we got to love on this sweet little man. He is so precious, and we absolutely loved watching Danny & Abbie in their roles as Daddy & Mommy.
I'm so glad momma didn't take too long to hand him over. ;) I could've held him forever. . . but momma has the good stuff - aka FOOD!
I'm pretty sure their trying to influence his college football decisions early on
Someone call Guinness because he seriously has the longest toes - EVER!!! So stinking cute!!!!
He thinks his Uncle Matt is pretty silly. Uncle Matt thinks Jace is pretty awesome!
"Unkie Ninny" is now "Daddy" - and such an amazing one at that!!!
We ended this adventure with an anniversary dinner last night - celebrating 10 of the most amazing years of my life - and then visiting our "home" church this morning. Yet another opportunity to see people that we've missed so very much since leaving Arkansas.
I'm pooped - but my heart is full. :)
Ready to sleep in my own bed,
Laura
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wherever you are in life. . .
A few months ago, I saw this picture and I think I even "shared" it on fb. . . and then saw it again today and decided to move forward with writing about it.
I love this picture - I see so much truth in it. I'm positive there are a million different ways this can be read along with that many different meanings. For this moment, I'll allow it to touch on a conversation I've had recently with some friends in our Working Mom's connect group. We are often almost attacked for working outside of the home, and its been on my mind a lot lately.
So - going back to the picture, I would like to share some things that have been revealed to me. Maybe you'll find them encouraging - if that's what you're needing.
God calls each of us to do different things; that's why we're called the Body of Christ. If we were all arms, we would not be complete, nor would we be effective. We would have a lot of doers, but no hearts to love, no ears to hear, no eyes to see, no mouths to speak God's Word. Quit comparing yourself to others - and by all means, don't allow others to condemn you because you are different!!!!
I used to say, "I'm a better mom for working" and thought I was completely alone in my thinking. Then - my very good friend said the exact same thing while she was on maternity leave not long ago. We laughed about it at the time, but you see - even the "Proverbs 31 woman" worked.
Proverbs 31:18
See sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
Do I sleep at night? You better believe it! In fact, I'm a champion sleeper!!! But during the day, I go to work. I thoroughly enjoy what I do - could NOT ask for a better job. I believe my Type A personality, mixed with my being a stickler for rule-following, is a strong component of the team I work with. I drive my babies to school each morning; we pray the entire trip-this is my favorite part of the day. When the bell rings - mom is there waiting on them, ready to listen, all the way home, to what exciting things they did that day. Do I think my children are sacrificing because I can't be there for PTA meetings? No, not at all. I believe our time in the evenings is that much more important, and they are learning at a young age the importance of helping out in order to have a nice home.
So - why do I work outside of the home? Here's a tidbit many of you may not know about me (I doubt it, but I'm going to assume that not everyone has heard me ramble on about anything and everything). My husband, the amazing hunk of a man that God placed in my life 13+ years ago and graciously married me almost 10 years ago, has a dream - a gift even. He's wanted to be a pilot for as long as he can remember - I've known this about him as long as I've known him. But, this kind of training is expensive - VERY expensive. Neither of us had the luxury of having school paid for and we knew very early on that if we wanted anything, we'd have to work super hard to get it ourselves (today I thank God for this, BTW). That being said - flight school was WAY out of our range, so we continued on about our lives, getting married and having babies. When P was born, Matt picked up extra hours to allow me to come home and be with the kids. We did this for 18 months and I am forever grateful for that time. However, God never allowed Matt's dreams to die and, saving you from the very long story that led to our decision, we moved to Tulsa to pursue that dream. This meant - Laura goes back to work, full time. It was quite an adjustment, but 4 years later, that hunk of a man of mine graduated from Spartan and is now being paid to do what he loves!
I can't begin to tell you the amount of discouragement we received in this process - but there's something freeing about ignoring others' ignorance and moving forward to create a better life for your family. We did have encouragement along the way too, God was always faithful to send some just when we were being overwhelmed by discouragement!!! He's always SO good to us! God is good. All the time, God is good!
I say ALL of this to say this. . . . wherever you are in life - find comfort in it - some how, some way. If you don't feel you are where you should be, make strides to correct course. But - never do so because its what others think you should do.
Do I think there will come a day that I will be available to help out at school, etc.? Absolutely! You see - this dream was not just for Matt - it was for our family. A career that he loves and will allow him to provide for us - FOREVER breaking the cycle of poverty and need - all the while teaching our kids what it means to work hard for what we have. . . . that's a dream worth chasing!!! And when that day comes, I pray I find myself in situations that allow me to support the efforts of a mom who is working hard to achieve her family's dreams.
I kinda feel like I combined about 3 posts into one. . . a bit off track at times, but I hope that something in this helps you today. I would also recommend the devotionals on Jentezen Franklin's website. In light of some things we're walking through right now, I especially recommend the devotionals starting Feb 20 through present.
Thank you for listening to my ramblings. I love you all! :)
Laura
Laura
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Family Photos
Here are just a few that we've kept under wraps until Christmas cards went out (I just found this draft - it should've gone out two months ago). These family photos are the work of my talented friend, Sarah. She's not new to taking great pictures, but is new to making money doing so. She is due in just 5 weeks - gonna have another baby girl. Afterwards, you should absolutely book with her! :)
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Babies!!!!
Last night was Sarah's baby shower (due in 7 weeks), and I had the distinct privilege of hosting it alongside THE party planner herself! Sarah loves teal & pink, so we took those colors and ran!
Did you know that you can create a secret board on pinterest AND set contributors? It was great for pinning ideas for eachother to see (rather than emailing each one). So much fun!!!
Joy found a punch recipe and altered it just slightly to make it pink - it was DELISH!!!!!!
Joy's mom made the cake - she makes the best cakes, PERIOD!
After doing a google search, I came across this tutorial and turned it into this:
We used tissue paper & coordinating gerber daisies (along with candles, various glass dishes, and candy!!) to make the centerpieces:
And the ever-talented Melissa put together this absolutely ADORABLE diaper cake:
Between Working Moms, Melissa's birthday, church, superbowl, and the shower, it was quite an adventurous weekend!
Now - we switch focus to our nephew. I've been working with his beautiful momma to figure out what Aunt Laura can do to be most helpful. So far, I've only come up with about 4,782,894 ways. . . hoping to settle on something soon. He IS due in only 5 weeks, afterall!!! :) :) :) :) :)
And - Katie is due in just 2 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The excitement is almost too much!!!
(UPDATE: as you can tell, I meant to post this on Tuesday. It only took 2 days for me to remember to get the pictures!) :)
Did you know that you can create a secret board on pinterest AND set contributors? It was great for pinning ideas for eachother to see (rather than emailing each one). So much fun!!!
Joy found a punch recipe and altered it just slightly to make it pink - it was DELISH!!!!!!
Joy's mom made the cake - she makes the best cakes, PERIOD!
After doing a google search, I came across this tutorial and turned it into this:
We used tissue paper & coordinating gerber daisies (along with candles, various glass dishes, and candy!!) to make the centerpieces:
And the ever-talented Melissa put together this absolutely ADORABLE diaper cake:
Between Working Moms, Melissa's birthday, church, superbowl, and the shower, it was quite an adventurous weekend!
Now - we switch focus to our nephew. I've been working with his beautiful momma to figure out what Aunt Laura can do to be most helpful. So far, I've only come up with about 4,782,894 ways. . . hoping to settle on something soon. He IS due in only 5 weeks, afterall!!! :) :) :) :) :)
And - Katie is due in just 2 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The excitement is almost too much!!!
(UPDATE: as you can tell, I meant to post this on Tuesday. It only took 2 days for me to remember to get the pictures!) :)
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