Work-hard-kinz

September 1, 2007 Laurie12 Comments

Katri posted a hilarious post about “Guilt-kinz“. You’ve got to check it out and be sure to read the comments. Seriously, you guys are too funny! Gramma just sent the boys a box with a Webkinz for each kiddo. The boys are crazy for them!

I’ve been thinking about it for a little while and realized that they represent something completely different to me personally. Since my sister and I have become really close the last couple years we’ve talked a lot about our childhood. Usually I never even think about how I grew up, it just seems like lifetimes ago. Anyway to make this post shorter, I grew up poor but in a middle-class neighborhood. My dad told me later that he made $24,000 when I was in high school. I can’t even imagine raising 5 kids on $24k a year. No wonder he asked my brother and I frequently for money for food for the family.

Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that I feel so grateful that Jason and I have worked really hard, made the tough decisions, and focused on our goal of giving us and our children a financially secure life. So to me a “pop-culture” item like a Webkinz is such a luxury that I feel very blessed to be able to provide for my kiddos. They’re “Work-hard-kinz” for me.

What are Webkinz to you? Work-hard-kinz, Bribe-kinz, Nap-kinz, Guilt-kinz

About Laurie

What Did I do Today?

September 1, 2007 Laurie16 Comments

I babysat a 4 month old and a 2 year old. I was a little worried because I thought Drake would be jealous. Oh no. He loved the baby and was very gentle with him. Good Boy.

He enjoyed the baby’s car seat too.

Here are some fellow bloggers right in my church (above pic)! I knew Jen had a blog but I thought it was a food blog. Y’all know I can’t cook so I haven’t visited much. Now, I’m excited to see what’s been going on in her life. Mandy just moved in today and has been reading my blog. It was so fun to meet her. Yeah!! They completely rock and you’ll have to check out their blogs.

Tonight we had an ice-cream social for church. I had 3 goals. One to finally meet people, two to bring up blogging, and three to introduce a friend who just moved in. I’m proud to say that I did all 3! It was really fun to try to work in blogging into every conversation I had with every person there. FOTFL!! It gave me something to do and I quite enjoyed it.

I got everyone to liven up a bit and give me the ‘Rock On’!

Fun night. Thanks ladies. Life is just more fun with a camera. (btw: I’m not liking my hair down. Any suggestions? I see my hair dresser next week.)

About Laurie

Off to Oklahoma!

August 18, 2007 Laurie13 Comments

Jason has planned a little get away this weekend at a cabin in Oklahoma. I’ll be gone until Monday night to celebrate our 12 year anniversary!

To keep you busy while I’m gone, check out Tip Junkie or Executive Homemaker. I just launched Executive Homemaker in February and would greatly appreciate the love of some word of mouth publicity. 😉

Also, Lisa FINALLY sent me completed pictures of her house. I drove down to College Station and spent last weekend with her to help her unpack and decorate. After 8 grueling hours we had everything unpacked and her entire house completely decorated! Lisa said I should do this for a living 🙂

Here is a BL (before Laurie) picture:

And an AL (after Laurie):

When I was 7 months pregnant with Drake we moved into our home and Lisa & Billy came up and helped completely unpack us in 2 days! I did what I could to help but it was basically me directing them on where things went. I’ll never forget how amazing she was and how good it felt to be unpacked so quickly.

I gave her this clock as a house warming present. I love it in this space!

Lisa let me loose in Walmart and I found this ensemble for a GRAND TOTAL of $31!!

I LOVE JASON’S DELI!!! As reward for good behavior Lisa treated me to a California Club!

Her house looks AMAZING and I had so much fun decorating her house that the several hours of manual labor was worth it 🙂

About Laurie

8 Things About My Marriage

August 14, 2007 Laurie18 Comments

Mique tagged me for 8 things about my marriage. So here goes…

Where did you meet your husband? At a country dance club in Alvin, Texas. A bunch of people from the Singles Ward (young adult church group) met there.

What was the first thing you said to your husband? I don’t remember. I had a long-distance boyfriend I was trying to ditch as well as flirting with a couple other guys at the time. The first conversation I remember having with him happened at a Houston Astro’s Baseball game. I was flirting with this one guy and he wasn’t giving me enough attention. So I left that group and sat next to a mutual friend of ours and Jason was sitting next to him.

Where was the first kiss? First date? Jason asked me out ironically at my “official first date” Adam’s house. I know so funny. No, he wasn’t there he was serving a mission for our church. Anyway, it was the 4th of July, and a bunch of us had spent the day at the beach and then met at Adam’s house. We played softball, ate, etc. Later that evening, my friend was chasing me around threatening to stuff watermelon down my pants (yeah I was really mature) and I grabbed Jason as a shield. He wouldn’t help me but told me he’d make it up to me. When the night calmed down Jason came up to me later and asked me if he could make it up to me by taking me to the George Straight concert. I said “yes” and haven’t stopped since. 😉

As far as our first kiss goes, it was 3 dates later after he took me to the circus. It was awkward and we still laugh about it today. Luckily, we’ve perfected it over the 13 years we been together.

Did you have a long or short courtship/engagement? We dated for 9 months and were engaged for 4 months. Our courtship was a wild ride. Mainly because he found me when I was having the time of my life. I was in complete denial that I would marry young and had a difficult time coming to terms with it. Once I realized he was my soul mate and could not risk living life without him, we got engaged. Looking back I’m really glad that he saw me at my worst and I saw him at his worst. It made being married a lot easier. We didn’t have a hard first year of marriage – I think it’s because we got it all out while we were dating. (ha ha)

Where did you get engaged? Jason took me to a park and proposed. It was lame. We both admit it. Nothing like Mique’s! The thing is that we were both so tired of discussing it, that once I decided I wanted to marry him, why wait.

Where did you get married? We got married at the Dallas temple on August 18, 1995. My 12 year anniversary is this weekend. Turns out that our friends here in Keller (that we met 2 years ago) got married there on that same day. I know, totally crazy. I remember seeing her wedding dress while in the brides room. (I was wishing I had decided on short sleeves like her’s instead of the traditional long sleeves. Boy, it was a hot day.)

How did the reception go? It went fine if you consider my mom insisted on making my dress, the bridesmaid’s dresses, decorating the church, and making both cakes. Even though I gave her 4 months, she procrastinated. She ended up gluing lace onto my dress, not finishing my wedding cake, and showed up 1 1/2 hours late to the reception making my receiving line very late. Other than that, it was the party Jason and I wanted it to be.

How was the honeymoon? Fine. We went to San Antonio and celebrated on the river walk. Jason made it up to me for our 10 year anniversary and took me on an amazing Carribean Cruise.

Sorry for the Novel. I tag: Katri, Rochelle, Chanda, and Lacie. (Man, a lot of you guys are already tagged! I’ve got some reading to do.)

About Laurie

You’re It

August 13, 2007 Laurie6 Comments

1. When was the last time you ran? I don’t run. I like to go on walks with friends and my sister.

2. Do your jeans have rips, tears and holes in them? No.

3. Do you get the full 8 hours of sleep a night? Yes. I have to or I’m cranky.

4. If you had someone “stop by” without you knowing what would your house look like? Well, I would be in my P.J.’s but my house would be picked up. I don’t allow toys downstairs so it’s easy to keep clean. Come on over!

5. Do you eat raw cookie dough? Shoot Yeah!

6. Have you ever kicked a vending machine? no.

7.How do you eat an Oreo? dip it in milk…my favorite are the double-stuffed

8. Have you ever stayed online for a very long time waiting for someone? no.

9. Could you live without a computer? No. I’m too addicted to Microsoft Publisher. I love to make games, activities, gifts, etc. I also scrapbook with Shutterfly.

10. Do you wear shoes in the house? No. I have bins in the laundry room and everyone takes them off when they come in. (I don’t require guests to take off their shoes. I just don’t like tripping over my kids shoes throughout the day.)

11. At what age did you find out Santa wasn’t real? I don’t remember ever believing in Santa. But both my kids still believe (8 and 6). I think it’s so fun.

12. How many phones, (house and cell phones) are in your house? We have 2 phones (land lines) and 3 cel phones.

13. Who would you call first if you won the lottery? My sister, Lisa, and then I’d blog it and tell all of you!

14. Last time you saw your best friend? Just this morning, I live with him! I’m lucky enough to have several girlfriends who I adore and see weekly. I see my sister regularly. Yeah!

15. What jewelry are you wearing right now? Wedding ring, James Avery ring, and ear rings.

16. What is the first thing you do when you get on-line? Check blog comments.

17. Do you watch ‘Grey’s Anatomy’? Yes, love that show!

18. How do most people spell your name? I don’t think people do spell my name but if they do I’m sure they have the correct spelling.

19. When was the last time you left your house? Yesterday at 1:30 pm.

20. Do you return your shopping cart? I try to put it in the “cage” unless my baby’s crying.

21. What noise do you hear right now? Baby panting like a dog playing with Dylan and World of Warcraft.

22. Who is the youngest in your family? Drake, 16 months.

23. Who does the dishes at your house? I do.

24. If all of your friends were going on a road trip, who would be most likely to over pack? All of us would! They’re too cute and love to accessorize!

25.Do your siblings ever pay for stuff for you? Yes, I have the best sister!

26. Do you know anyone with the same name as you? Yes. My SIL had the same name until she got married. I have about 6 close friends with my same first name right now. Crazy!

27. When was the last time you cleaned your toilets? 5 months ago. I have a lady who comes and cleans. She’s awesome and it’s such a stress relief to know they’re clean.

28. Do you watch movies with your parents? No. My parents are divorced.

29. Do you get your hair cut every month? No, every 6 weeks. One of my girlfriends has a mini-salon in her house and I get it done with my friend Julie regularly. When Drake was a baby Julie would hold him while her color was setting and I was getting it cut. She’s the best!

30. What was the last thing you purchased? Cookies, sodas, and chips for a swim party and movie night outside with Julie and her family.

Thanks for Onehm for the list.

About Laurie

Girls Night Out

August 1, 2007 Laurie16 Comments

We had an impromptu girls night out last night. There was an hour wait at the restaurant, so we decided to make a quick trip to JoAnn’s fabric store.

I found some fabric to make some place mats, pictures coming soon.

A quick pose at the buttons…

And finally some yummy food. It was such a needed night out! The food was amazing and the company even better. Thanks girls!

About Laurie

Just For Fun

July 19, 2007 Laurie12 Comments

A blog “list of questions” for fun today! I want to thank Onehm for the list.

1. How old is your blog? I started blogging May 27, 2007. I’m still a newbie.

2. How would you categorize your blog? It’s a place I can go for girl time. Since I have all males in my life, I share home decor, girls nights with friends, tips, organizing, and gift ideas. I share funny stories and cute pics of my kids but it’s mainly girl talk.

3. Are the photos you post Photoshopped or otherwise altered? No. I’m too impatient to photoshop. If I take a picture specifically for my blog, it’s up in minutes. ;-}

4. Do you lie in your blog? No. I’m a terrible lair. It is something that I’m currently working on though. I’ve been trying to give “Lost” answers answers lately. Mainly because I’m too open with people and because I think it’s terribly funny.

5. Are you passive-aggressive in your blog? I don’t think so.

6. Do you ever threaten to quit writing so people will tell you not to stop? No. I’m way too addicted right now. But affirmations are always nice.

7. Have you deleted any of your own posts? Why? Yes. I’ve had to delete a post about talking to your child about sex. I’m reading a new book and was really excited to discuss it with my friends. However, someone put an obscene comment on it and I wasn’t moderating the comments. I had to delete the entire post. I was bummed but it was a good lesson learned.

8. Do you delete mean comments? I haven’t gotten any mean ones, yet. (Besides the one in #7.) I would probably delete it if it was a personal attack. If they disagreed with my opinion, that wouldn’t bother me. I don’t expect everyone to feel the way I do. Plus, I actually enjoy a little friendly banter.

9. If your readers knew you in person, would they like you more or like you less? I’m not sure. That’s a really great question. I would like to think that my true personality is represented in my blog, but I think it’s too early to tell.

10. How many blogs do you follow? A lot. I’ve just discovered this blogging world and love it.

11. Which blogger do you want to meet in real life? I would love to meet C Jane

12. Does your family read your blog? No. They aren’t bloggers. I’m so impressed with people who have a large list of family bloggers. I think it’s an amazing way to keep in touch and really experience each other’s lives.

13. Do you have a hit counter? How often do you check it? Yes, I check it often. Like I said, I’m new and completely obsessed.

14. Is blogging narcissistic? No. I see it as giving myself a voice and journalling my experiences. I go as far as to say that in my own way, I’m doing my genealogy. (ha ha)

15. Do you feel guilty when you don’t post for a long time? Yes.

Bonus: Do you try to look hot when you go to the grocery store just in case someone recognizes you from your blog? I can’t imagine my blog ever getting that popular. I don’t really worry about what I look like day to day and will usually run to the store in flip flops, terrycloth capri’s (which I have in many colors), and a T.

Okay, your turn!! How about your blog?!

About Laurie

My Childhood

July 18, 2007 Laurie10 Comments

I finally got about 200 slides converted onto a CD and am in the process of making a Shutterfly book of my childhood. Here’s one of my favorite pictures of my brother Barry. Naked on the counter! Bro this is for you, hope you’re still enjoying my blog! (ha ha)

I’ve always been a good kisser. I guess it’s because I started out young. ;-}

This is my FAVORITE picture of my childhood. It has all the things I love: my dad, flowers, and a good road trip. My dad looks so young and full of life in this picture.

About Laurie · Home Decorator

Thursday’s The Bomb!

July 13, 2007 Laurie15 Comments

Thursday was such a fun day. Part of me wishes every day could be as perfect as yesterday. Parker came over to watch the kids so Lisa and I could finish my errands. I’m not a shopper and so when I do get out, I like to get everything done in one shot. Anyway, after the notary, lots of returns, and block buster, we had our favorite potato soup at Salt Grass. Yummy!

Afterwards we headed over to Hobby Lobby for some decor brainstorming for her new house. Flower stems where half off so I got everything to finish up a center piece for my kitchen table. (I got the “vase” last week.) I’m not a pro at flower arranging by any stretch of the imagination, but I put my anal symmetry to work and here’s how it turned out.

That night, we went to see the Fray and had a blast! However, I will admit that it’s the first time I’ve ever felt old. When we were walking in I overheard a girl ask this guy if he was a Sophomore. I turned to Lisa and said, “I think she means Sophomore in High School!” It was a really weird experience. My birthday is in September so I’ve always been the youngest for everything. I got married young and my friends as an adult have always been older than me. So I hadn’t felt that yet and I’m excited to announce that it was pretty great! I’m 31 and finally felt my age. Woohoo!

I have such a sweet tooth! That’s why I enjoy the Closer so much on TNT because she’s a sweet eater just like me. 🙂 Here’s me indulging in some cotton candy while rocking out to the Fray.

Lisa got a churro and, as usual, was the life of the party! She rocks! She left this morning and I’m sad. It’ll probably be two weeks before I can guilt trip her into making the 4 hour drive, leave her honey, and stay with me again. (Sigh!)

In the meantime you lucky ducks can check her freakin‘ hilarious blog, click here. Some of it is making fun of me, so enjoy! I’m sure I gave her a lot of material this week – our family is so quirky and crazy. I must say, I love seeing us through her eyes. She makes the tough moments knee slapping.

About Laurie

Four Favorites

July 1, 2007 Laurie12 Comments

Thanks Ashley for the idea!

Four Jobs I’ve held

Stuffed envelopes for casino’s at age 10 for five cents an envelope.
Babysitter
Business Assistant, Crabtree Dental – 7 years
Administrative Assistant, Dr. Gary & Blake Matthews DDS – 2 years

Four Movies I Can Watch Over & Over