What's so funny!?

I'm not a very private person. Take a look at a few of my previous posts and you'll find that to be an understatement. The last few months have been rather intense in all areas of life, especially emotionally. This has caused me to DREAD writing, which in itself is rather terrifying because I LOVE it. WHO AM I!?! I am a mess. That's what I am. A beautiful, fearfully and wonderfully made mess. I find peace in knowing that this is just another part of my journey - another story to tell later. In the meantime, I have started taking notes on things that bring me much laughter and joy. I thought I'd take the time to share what I highly recommend for getting past the emotional bumps in life.

Take a road trip with coworkers. Most of us have taken road trip with family and many of us have with close friends, but a road trip with coworkers is rather rare. If you're fortunate enough (as I am) to work with amazing people, this can be the highlight of your week for sure! Talk about random things, laugh about having children, not having children, being married, not even dating, spouses' hobbies, your hobbies, life, death, good drivers, horrible drivers, anything and everything you can come up - EXCEPT work. I recently had the opportunity to do this very thing, and I haven't laughed that hard in so long. I think you'll find a renewed appreciation for the people that God has placed around you, and, well, hopefully you'll laugh until your stomach hurts!

Play bunco with your girlfriends (or guyfriends, I'm not picky). I think it's the fast pace that does it, because it can't possibly be the fact that you spend two hours rolling the same 3 dice. But, whatever it is, it's good. Preferably with good finger foods - because food makes my the world go 'round.

Watch AFV! Okay - we have all seen it, but when you REALLY need your spirits lifted, find an episode and laugh. Laugh at the stupid things, the insane things, the oh my goodness I can't watch this things. . . make yourself laugh at the ones that aren't funny. That show is just too much!

If AFV doesn't work for you, look up auto-correct fails. Disclaimer: so many of the "top ##" posts have nothing but nasty stuff. Those aren't funny. But some of them are, and some of them will bring you to tears. My hubby and I sat one afternoon looking through them - both with tears - we laughed so hard.

Finally, videotape (is it still called that? There's no tape; it's a phone!) in slow motion. Hubby's slow motion videos always star our dog, Daisy. My favorites are the ones where she's trying to catch food in the air. My sister-in-law recently posted one of our adorable 2-year-old nephew running. This is good stuff, people. Good stuff!

I hope you take a moment this week (what's left of it) to laugh - on purpose. Find something that makes you laugh and DRINK IT UP! Laughter is, after all, so very good for the soul.

Love you all! XOXO

Snot, sniffles and sneezes, oh my!!

Last week, I told you about my love of Spring and why it's come to mean so much to me. Today, I may be taking back all that I said. Not really - I REALLY do love spring, but the snot, sniffles and sneezes are a bit intense.
I interrupt my usual ooey-gooey grateful post to bring you this (non-solicited, unpaid - no one pays me for my opinion - I give it freely - and often - you're welcome) endorsement for the one, the only. . . Puffs plus lotion.

If I have to blow my nose with another fast-food napkin from my glove box or unrated TP from the office. . .

So today, I am grateful for Puffs plus lotion and, never forgotten, NeilMed sinus rinses!

I think we should find something we're grateful for everyday - even if they do seem ridiculous! What are you grateful for today? Comment below or join me in linking up with ember grey!

Bricks and Peanut Butter

Recently, I've had quite a few enlightening moments. Because I care, I share.

Enlightenment moment #1

Life is too short to not do things that make you happy. True - we shouldn't be selfish and self-fulfilling. . . . but there's nothing wrong with correcting this:

The lack of ANYTHING in front of our home is enough to make a girl cry. But - my sweet hubby and my little man loaded up 840 lbs of retaining wall blocks Sunday night, and together, we hope to correct this!!! I hope to have an after photo for you soon. Fingers crossed that we finish it in the next year - preferably a month!!!

Enlightenment moment #2

If anything ever happened to peanut butter, I'd probably lose my will to live. Maybe not, but I do feel that I would need some serious help. The struggle is real, folks. 

That's about all of the enlightenment I have to share this week, but I can tell you that I'm SO very grateful for peanut butter, bricks, my hubby, my little man (and baby girl) and SUNSHINE!!!

What do you find yourself most grateful for this week? Share below or join me in linking up with ember grey

Get Over Yourself

The last time I wrote, it was to honor a very special man.  During that post, I mentioned that I was really struggling with this blog. Guys, that was an understatement. I wanted nothing to do with it. I was tired of being compared to others and really feeling rather pathetic. I tried the "get over yourself" move with myself, but that didn't work. I tried MAKING myself write about something meaningful - that was a disaster. Then, along comes Mary Keith, whom I've never actually met in person, but feel like I might actually be her stalker sister. And I say "along comes" but that's not really the truth. If you remember, she was gracious enough to allow me to be a guest on her blog late last year. But, she did write something last week that hit home in about 47 different ways. In her hilarious way, she inadvertently said to me "get over yourself" - and this time, I think it worked. It also didn't hurt that I overdosed on Joyce Meyer teachings while driving across the country between campuses this week.

So, towards the end of my drive, I said to myself. . .
"Self, quit being concerned about what others think or say. Self, you know what God told you to do, and you enjoy doing it - regardless of whether or not others take you seriously. Self, others NEED to know they aren't alone; they need to know that life isn't all roses and lollipops like we see so often on the web. Self, remember what you said in the beginning - if you are able to help just one person, you've done what you were supposed to do."

I'd like to say that I don't talk to myself on a regular basis, but I'm sure you know that is definitely not the truth. If I'm shopping alone, it's even worse - I talk down to myself for looking on the wrong aisle for vinegar and laugh at myself when I pick up a poster that I really, really shouldn't get (it's distasteful) but I find amusing. And folks, when I'm driving. . . ugh. I really do need an outlet for all of this talk that I have going on inside of me. So, if you're still reading, thank you. I need you, and I hope I can help you out along the way!

In the interest of full disclosure, I also get very bored in a hotel room by myself. I don't get alone time - ever - like, seriously, never - ever. So I wasn't sure what to do with myself. I wrote this post and knew I need a picture for it. So, you're welcome.

Today, I'm grateful for laughter. I'm grateful for the blogs that I've come to thoroughly enjoy. I'm grateful for friends who won't let me be grumpy; for family who help to set me back into orbit. I'm grateful for the 12-year wedding anniversary I shared with The Overachiever earlier this week. Most of all, I'm grateful for life.

What are you grateful to this week? Comment below or join me as I link up with ember grey!

When the Extrovert Goes Rogue

If you look up the word extrovert in the dictionary, you might find my photo. I'm not exactly the poster-child, but I am most energized when around people and I can't stand to be by myself. That is, until I go rogue. Rogue? You may ask. Yes, I mean skin is crawling at the idea of speaking to a human - feeling as if I might actually combust if someone gets too close or needs too much of my energy. At first, I thought I was losing my mind. Here I am, finally in a home that allows me to have company and, excluding the first full weekend there, I come apart at the seams when I think of having people over.
I shared my concerns with a few close people, explaining that I must be depressed or SOMETHING! Something is wrong with me!!! Then last week, while waiting in the line at school to pick up the kids, it dawned on me. For at least 6 months, I haven't had a moment where I wasn't needed by someone or something. At home, someone is always calling my name; at work, I can't even go to the bathroom without panic striking because "Laura isn't here!!!!". When I do have downtime, there's a game on my phone that beckons my attention. Even my showers lately have been occupied by thoughts of the things that need to be purchased (i.e. shower curtain, etc).

Come to find out, this extrovert DID need company, she did need to visit. . . with ME! Imagine that! Alone time. I didn't recognize the problem, because I didn't even know what alone time was anymore. One would think that after being a mom for almost 11 years that I would understand the importance of this, but no.

So, my amazing husband adjusted his schedule last Monday so he could take the kids to school, and I took a vacation day. A REAL one - that wasn't because the kids were out of school or because someone needed to be at the house awaiting a service man or delivery or something. I removed email from my phone and planned to block all calls except Matt's or the kids' school (although I did I scheduled a day with no agenda (besides picking up the kids - they don't like the idea of spending the night at school, so I'm told). I'd love to tell you that I stayed inside my home where it was nice and quiet, but that would be a lie. I was gone for most of the day, but I did what I wanted when I wanted - all day.

At this point, I'd also like to tell you that it solved all of the world's problems or at least my own, but that, too, would be a lie. However, it was a positive move in the direction of getting my grip back on life. 

So, today, two days after I usually post, I am writing to tell you this. . . 

Don't neglect you. You are one of the most valuable things you have to offer anyone, and without taking time to replenish you, it'll be impossible to do all that you've been called to do. Whether you're a parent, spouse, friend, daughter, employee, or a combination of all of the above (plus many more). . . take time to focus on you, even if only for a day.

This week, I'm extremely grateful for those in my life who support me. From my husband to my family and friends and my boss and colleagues.  Who do you have in your life that supports you? Who lifts you up when you feel like disappearing into the ground?

Comment below or join me and link-up with Ember Grey to share!

Friday Randomness

It's Friday the 13th. I figured it was only appropriate to just go off on rabbit trails in lieu of some clever theme.

1. When we moved from our rental home, I was so excited to be moving into our own home. That being said, the day after we moved, I went back to the rental to clean it up. When I finished, and it came time to leave, I sat in my car sobbing - SNOT-SOBBING - for 15 minutes. FIFTEEN MINUTES!! I swear I thought my heart was going to break in two. This was the home that we found shelter in during the hardest time of our lives. This was the home that protected our children from the harsh realities that come with financial ruin. This house was a huge blessing - and was our HOME - for a long time. Our landlord was a blessing, the house location was why we changed schools which ultimately proved vital for our son. I was a wreck! I remember the day we moved into the house, it was April 1, and there was a single yellow tulip blooming in this:

I knew it had bloomed just for me, so before I left this time, I took a picture of this lovely "well". Then - just as I was pulling myself together to drive, George Strait's "The Cowboy Rides Away" came on and I lost it all over again. I now cry every time I hear that song. It's ridiculous. I'm such a sob, ya'll!! So, to the house that was our home - thank you. I pray for the next occupants often, and I hope they feel as blessed by you as we did.

2. Pardon me while I agonize over first-world problems, problems that I only dreamed of having a couple years ago. . . .  We recently purchased a new mattress. Let's take a moment to join the angels singing - we were SOOOO long overdue. We made the decision to move up to a king-sized bed. This means a new bed, bedding, pillows. . . it's slightly overwhelming. I'll save the bed conversation for later (not THAT kind of bed conversation), but thought I'd share the collection we went with for the bedding.

Home Classics Sarah Jacobean from Kohl's

I wanted something that took me back to my childhood - spending the night at my grandma's house - but didn't want something that looked like it was actually THE bedspread that was on her bed some 25+ years ago. It's a little more color than I had originally planned, but I am in love.  It is just what our bland room needed. I'd take a picture of our actual room, but without a bed - with the mattress on the floor - it just looks frumpy. Trust me on this!

3. I sort of have disdain for Valentine's Day. It seems like just another excuse for us to spend money and feel the need to outdo last year or someone else (you know it's true. . .). But don't think I won't notice if my hubby overlooks it!  ;) 

4. My birthday is coming up, and I have two occasions to pick a restaurant. I have agonized over this for two weeks. I'm not normal. Just thought I'd share. You're welcome.

5. This guy.

HA!

Happy Valentine's Day, Friday the 13th & "Oh So Very Close to Spring" to you!

Friday Finds: Random Notes

Today's :Friday Finds" is actually 5 random notes from me.  It's been a long week!

1. The more I read, the more I fall in love with other writers. Mary-Keith has quickly become one of my new favorites. I love that she is so real, and you can hear her heart in every word that she writes. She is currently doing a series on the Fruits of the Spirit - I highly recommend you follow and read! Side note: she has been kind enough to open one of her series date to me, and I'll be guest-blogging "Gentleness" in early December.  

2. House hunting is absolutely brutal. It's been a long time since we could even think about house hunting, so understand that I also feel overwhelmed by God's grace, mercy, redemption, you name it. Still - it's exhausting, and I'm finding it hard to really enjoy the process of looking for a new home with My Love. Please say a prayer for us.

3. Speaking of My Love, he's currently on a cross-country trek in a plane old enough to be my grandfather, and he's loving every minute of it.  At each stop, I get selfies or beautiful scenery pics. I'm so thankful he was given this opportunity (did you know it was ceremonial to retire a plane? Also, when a new one is acquired, it's christened?), and I'm also ready for him to come home now!

They are flying 2 planes out West.  This is a shot of his plane from the seat of the other plane.

4. Essential oils may be "all the rage" and cause some people to roll their eyes, but they aren't so "new age" in our family. I remember my mom using them when we were younger, and I've recently been reminded of them. I have friends who sell one brand and a sister that sells another, but mostly I'm excited because I'm surrounded by them! It was so nice to swing by my sister's house, on the way home from picking up my daughter from school - sick, and picking up a few remedy samples. I will end this by saying that she's in school today. She's not 100%, but she is doing much better.  Plus - my house smells AMAZING!!!

5. I've recently discovered that I truly am a crier. I can remember a time in my life - not too long ago - that I physically couldn't cry. I would go months without crying, knowing that if I could just have a good cry, the hurt wouldn't hurt so badly.  Still - I couldn't cry. I now cry at least every other day. 99.9% I am moved to tears by a kindness, or a sweet video, or a commercial, or the smile from my children, or my adoration for My Love, or redeeming love, or the writing of this little nugget of truth on a blog post. It's not all-out "bawling", just a tear or two usually, but I find peace in it. I find peace in knowing that I've allowed myself to feel again - to dream again.

I hope your weekend is full of fun and rest!!
XOXO

Random Things I've Learned

Things I've learned about life just recently:

1. I should really work on figuring out a way to always have lunch ready immediately following church.  Something about church makes me hungry.  The struggle is real, and after about 11:50, all I can think of is every horrible thing I could eat in an instant.  I think that if I knew there was something delicious waiting for me at home, I could put this hangry monster to rest!

2. I'm aging.  Don't mishear me, I'm not saying I'm old.  I have at least 50 years before I'm old.  But, some recent events have really shown me that I'm just aging.  I have "squinting" lines around my eyes.  Oddly enough, I actually smiled when I saw them.  There was something comforting about them - as if I'd somehow "arrived".  Then, the other day I was in Tampa (business trip) and had taken a short break on the pool deck.  I was digging pretty deep into the book that I was reading when a group of "kids" (they were at least 18) jumped into the pool to pass a football back & forth.  It was all fun and games until that cute, little, precious, boy said "don't splash the lady".  The lady?!?!?!  I chuckled under my breath, wondering when it was that I became "the lady".  Then there was the time in Chick-fil-a, a couple months ago, another cute, little, precious boy saw me carrying 4 drinks and 3 bags of food and offered, "ma'am, can I help you with those?".  I kindly declined and as I walked off, I heard him tell his cute, little, precious friend "that's a mom, there!".  So, yes, I'm aging.  I'm an aging, lady mom and for whatever reason, I'm perfectly okay with that!

Case in point

3. As I age (ha!), I find myself more and more discouraged by our society's level of waste.  I have a blog obsession, and between that and taking a look at my own lifestyle, I have deduced that wardrobes are completely replaced about every 3-4 months, new home organizers are purchased every 6 month, sinks, toilets, tiles, carpets, wood floors, continually dumped so new and improved ones can take their place.  By all means, let's waste the wallpaper on homes from the 80's (ha!), but because of this new-found awareness, I am trying to be much more diligent in regards to waste in my own life.

4. Gluten-Free Corn Dogs.  Did anyone else's breakfast just attempt an escape?!?! No?!?  Well, yuck.

5. Happiness is. . . a good pair of tights.  I have found them; I have found the perfect pair.  Words can't describe my excitement.  This is coming from someone who technically hates tights as they seem very childish (maybe because my daughter wears tights).  But these days, I find myself dressing for the tights. They're perfectly opaque, soft - not itchy, don't roll, they're supportive, and did I mention, THEY DON'T ROLL!  The only problem is that they only come in black.  Check them out - and then buy every pair you can.  HURRY!!!!

Leap of faith

You are about to witness a leap of faith.  Stay with me. . . I'll explain why it's such a major thing for me.
Anyone who has read my posts knows that I love to write.  I can tell someone just about anything, as long as I'm writing it.  Face-to-face, I'm a blubbering idiot.  Seriously.  And with that truth nugget out of the way, let me take you through the past couple of months.  I'll keep it as short as possible, but I truly believe what comes next won't be worth anything, without you first knowing where I'm coming from.
A few months ago, I started feeling the nudge to write.  Not the fiction book that "Bear" dreams of me writing (which I'm pretty sure I now have to do, just for him!), but about life.  Real life.  I've had this blog for years, never doing much more than sharing what's going on in our lives, but I never wrote about the things that I felt God was leading me to write about - truthfully, I never thought much of it.  Then, came this post, Keeping it Real.  This was probably the hardest thing I've ever written - it took my heart and placed it out in the blogosphere for anyone to read (and possibly trample on).  But I felt such so strongly about do it - almost as if I didn't quite have control over my own fingers. Within an hour of posting it, I had a beautiful friend contact me just to say "thank you" because it was what she needed to hear at that very moment in her life.  It was that experience that has led to the agonizing arguments with God, recently.
I've always heard and known that God never wastes our pain, but let me tell you - people do.  And people will use it against you, and you will get hurt.  That is why, for the past few months, I've been sick to my stomach with fear, avoiding anything even remotely close to "real" by playing games on the iPad or watching TV, hoping to drown out His voice.  Thankfully, God is a gentleman, but He'll lovingly pursue us until we throw our hands up and just give in! :)
He's pursued me through every avenue possible over the past few months.  From something as obvious as our amazing women's conference a few weeks ago, to a heart-to-heart conversation with my boss.
I don't have any clue where this will go.  I've asked and I've gotten "you'll know when we get there".  I am still extremely afraid.  Typing this, I feel the urge to purge my breakfast - and people, I don't throw up - for any reason.  So, why am I so afraid???  Because. this next step will make me vulnerable.  It will cause me to discuss things that are dealt with, but still bring pain.  It will cause me to be a hypocrite over and over, because I will talk about God's grace and mercy and then completely fail to show it to others, because I'm human - and I fail a LOT.  The term that keeps running in my mind is "who does she think she is!?!?!", but the answer to that is this: I am a child of God, a walking testimony to love, grace & mercy, someone who has to repent daily for the selfish things I say and do, someone who isn't "qualified" in the world's eyes, but someone who wants to be obedient - even if her legs are now going numb from the adrenaline rush of this fear.

So - what is "the plan?!" (because you know I HAVE to have a plan).  My plan is to post weekly.  I know, I know, you're "supposed" to do more.  But I also know myself and know that when I dive head first, I usually end up breaking my neck, and let's face it - I am scared senseless of failing at this.  I feel like a commitment of once/week will help keep me from looking like a complete fool - and failing you (whoever you may be) along the way.

I have no desire to have "tons of followers", I just want my life - my pains, fears, joy, and freedom through Christ - to help someone - even if it's only ever ONE person.

And with that, I leave you with my new favorite picture.  In a couple of months, we will celebrate our 15-year dating anniversary and it is only because of God's grace & mercy that we're still dating - and LOVING it!!!

DATE NIGHT!!!!

Graphically funny

I don't know about you, but I love a good ecard.  Sometimes, when I'm feeling extremely overwhelmed about something, I type in the subject + ecard into a google search.  For example, "control freak ecard". However, sometimes flipping through facebook for 5 minutes can totally do the trick!  Here are just a few of the ones that recently made me LOL, literally.

I think I love these because they give me the opportunity to laugh at the reality that I'm living, that sometimes doesn't feel so funny.  It's been an extremely long & hard weekend, and the humor in these was such a relief. Do you have any go-to ecards that help you make it through the insanity?


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The joy of reading

For personal reasons, I recently took a break from school, and I have found that I have more time after the kids go to bed to do what I really enjoy doing - reading - reading books that aren't related to work or school (especially since Matt ISN'T taking a break from school, so he's pretty preoccupied).  It has been really nice; I've done more "choice reading" in the past couple of months than I have in many years combined.  But I have also found that I'm not good at sticking to one thing, and in the past two weeks I've grown restless.

I want to garden, but here in the lovely state of Okla-havenoideawhatseasonitis-homa, those of us who have watched the weather have put off doing much in terms of actual planting, so all I have is this (which looks pretty rough in this photo but is actually quite nice now that it's been fully worked and staked):

On Sunday, it was almost 80 degrees, tornado watches and thunderstorm warnings.  Monday, it snowed.  Granted, unless you looked outside at the perfect time, you didn't know that it snowed.  But it snowed.

Anyway, back to my point - I'm bored of reading books for the time being.  There's nothing worth watching on TV - the excitement of the final episode of HIMYM is over.  Note: we missed the 2 seasons prior to this one because we were bored and ready to just meet her already!  So, this season was fun for us.  Again - off point. . . . SQUIRREL!!!!! Sheesh.

Long, ridiculous story later. . . I decided to start reading blogs.  Not those blogs that make me feel bad about myself - that my house isn't fancy enough at all, I don't do enough "extracurricular" stuff, my kids aren't clean enough, house isn't clean enough - I put enough pressure on myself without all of that.  But I do find it helpful to read blogs that help with dinner preparations, feeding a family healthy food on a budget, real people doing real exercises, and stories from other moms who understand what it feels like to step on a lego in the middle of the night or to sit on the toilet in the dark and realize the last person who used it didn't aim well.  These things speak to me on a level that even the best Nicholas Sparks book can't reach.

Now, if you're like me, finding/reading/following blogs can be a daunting task, but a couple months ago a friend (*her blog is posted below) told me about bloglovin.com  I didn't have time for such nonsense at the time (ha!) so I didn't looked into it.  But this weekend, as I was hunting for menu ideas, etc., I pulled it up.  I have found my new Nicholas Sparks book, my new, beloved reading companion.  And while my fickle self will probably change back to real books in a few weeks, for the time being I will love me some bloglovin!!

Here are just a few of my new (as well as trusty) faves - all of which I can follow and read through my bloglovin app:

The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Wellness Mama
100 Days of Real Food
FitSugar - Healthy, happy you
The Real Arnolds*

Are there any blogs/bloggers that you just can't live without?

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

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!!! 

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.

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.

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

Coming up for air. . .

I decided I'd come up for air this weekend and it was totally worth it!!!

Friday night, I spent the evening with some of my favorite people.  The idea was to accomplish some Christmas task that we had on our list, and I chose Christmas cards.  Between the stories and laughter, I managed to at least get all of the envelopes addressed.  I call this a success.  :)  The amount of cheeseball consumed = not a success.

Yesterday morning, C ran the Jingle Bell Run 5k.  No, I did not run as planned for a myriad of reasons.  I can't say I was broken-hearted about this, but I will say that I missed having some one-on-one time with my little man.  He did great, though.  He came in at 44:13 and felt like such a victor - as he should.  I'm so very proud of him!!!

I love this little man!  :)

Cause everyone wears a dress and heels to a race, right?

Finish Line Video

Last night, we had my sister and her family over for dinner.  It's been 6 months because they live so far away. . . . about 1.6 miles.  I'm ashamed.  We enjoyed the fellowship, the food, and the gifts (Christmas was Aunt Nina was a success!!).

YUM!

The best salsa EVER. I stole the recipe - shhhh!!!

True story: today, for the first time in three months, I actually accomplished a few non-school and non-work tasks!  Some were accomplished an entire week in advance.  I almost forgot what it felt like to have some control over my life.  Tacky sweater outfit for work party, check. Connect gift exchange, check. Angel tree kiddos, check. Secret Santa gifts, check. Jeans without holes for C, check. First attempt at tamales, we'll see - still steaming.  Laundry? HA!  Yeah, right.  Christmas for my own children? Not even on my radar yet.

3 papers & 2 group presentations.  Then, MAYBE we'll have clean clothes to wear and gifts to open on Christmas morning!  ALMOST THERE!!!!!

A special thank you to my most amazing friends - the ones who still love me and check in on me, even when I drop completely off the grid (as Katie would say).  And - my handsome hunk of a husband - you rock my world!!!!! And of course my children, who appear to not completely hate me - I promise the remaining semesters will not be like this. Also to my sister who has come through more than I'd like to admit was necessary. I'm so thankful for you all - more than I could ever say.  I love you guys!!!! :)

Okay - crawling back under my rock now,
Laura

Being real. . .

Forgive me while I preach to myself, and hopefully help someone else.  I think there are few things that hurt worse that feeling completely helpless when someone you love is dealing with something painful - emotional or physical.  If you're anything like me, you have the desire to save the world - no one should feel pain because you ought to be able to say or do something to stop the pain.  The reality is I always come back to "who do I think am I?!?!?" and feeling pretty helpless - and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one.   When all of my words fail, I go to God.  Why I don't do this in reverse order, I'll never really understand. . . . my ridiculous flesh, I'm sure.  But - even though I do it out of order, God always provides an answer in His Word.  He's such a great Dad - he ALWAYS has the answer.  I oftentimes picture Him sitting at a table listening to me and being genuinely concerned about what I'm sharing- just like my Daddy would do.  The difference is - He really DOES have all of the answers (sorry Daddy!).  And now, for those of you who find yourself walking through something similar, I offer the words I've found in His Word in response to my "Father, I need help - I don't know how to help - don't know what to say (or not say) - don't know what to do (or not do) - don't know what YOU want me to do". 

 

 

 

Who, or What, are you listening to???

I've been working on this post for a while. . . . it's been on my heart and I couldn't quite make it make sense.  So - here's hoping it finally makes sense. :)

"The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else's highlight reel." - Steve Furtick


How many of you just yelled "AMEN!"  :) 

What about. . .
"Comparison is the thief of joy." - Theodore Roosevelt

When looking for the author of the last quote, I stumbled upon THIS blog post.  She said exactly what I was going to say - only better. 

We're so overwhelmed by the 1,000,000 images we see daily telling us how we should look, feel, breath, smell and eat. . . . when all we really need to know - and TRULY KNOW - are these few things - all of which can easily be found or made to place around you - to replace the negative and overwhelmingly condemning images:

". . . I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for."  - Jeremiah 29:11 - The Message

"Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand."  - Proverbs 19:21

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. - Matthew 6: 25-34

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.   For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:19

Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise: "Many women have done wonderful things, but you've outclassed them all!"  Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades.
The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God. - Proverbs 31:28-30

Be the best YOU that YOU can be!!!! 

I love you all - thank you for listening. :)

Laura

True love never dies

LONG POST WARNING!So. . I went to a "smallish" school.  If you were within 10 years of age, you knew each other - oftentimes better than they knew themselves.  It was a church-school and many of us went to both the church and the school.  In essence, we saw each other more in our lifetime than we saw our own families.  That said, we often fought like family, but we also loved like family.  I am often reminded of the disadvantages of such a small class size, but more often I am thankful.  For example: during my graduation ceremony, many of our teachers addressed each of us individually and my valedictorian speech mentioned every last one of my fellow graduates.  The graduation was just about as intimate as a wedding - and I LOVED it!
Anyway - the class of 2000 did not do a good job and we did not have a reunion.  Half of us live out of state - many clear across the country - and while we had the best intentions to do so. . . . we just didn't.  The class of 2001, however, has their act together. Two of them, in particular, (from out of state I might add) planned a reunion (thank you, Emily & Bonnie) and they invited ALL of Victory's alumni.  The reunion was yesterday, and it turned out beautifully.  There weren't as many as I had expected; I was totally blown away by the absence of Monica (we missed you) and Bonnie was not able to make it due to an injury (you were missed as well).  However, I was totally blessed by the ones who were there and was pleasantly surprised to see Brandie (who I hadn't seen since my 16th birthday).  I was so happy to see so many of the faces that helped to shape who I am today.  There wasn't an "adult" there who hadn't uniquely touched my life and the opportunity to hug their necks was something I am grateful for.  You see, they weren't just our teachers; many of them had been an essential part of my life outside of school.  And seeing Emily's parents (who helped a TON to put it all together) was super special as they were essentially my "second family" for most of my life. 
Thinking of all of this I realize how truly blessed I was (and am) to have lived my most formidable years with such amazing people.  Not many people remember their school years with such fondness and admiration.
One thing I do wish they had taught me. . . . . "when you take your camera to an event like this, you should stop laughing and talking long enough to get your stupid camera out and use it!!!"  :) :) :)
My husband did take this picture though . . . . .

Jenny, Emily, Laura, Jon

I am hoping others weren't as lame as I was; I'm holding out hope on facebook!!!  :)

In the end - it was perfect.  And I hope we don't wait as long next time!!!!!!

:) :) :) :) :)