Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Naked.

Did the title of this post catch your attention?
Don't worry--this blog is rated "G" so you most definitely won't find anything risque here. ;)
I just wanted to share one of my new favorite things--NAKED JUICE! Granted, I've only tried one flavor, but I LOOVED it. It was a smoothie, actually, and it was full of vitamins, minerals, protein, etc. (LOW carbs!). It was also filling, so I'm wondering if it can suffice as a meal.
While I'm a somewhat healthy eater, I'm always looking for ways to "sneak in" extra fruits and veggies (and vitamins!), so I'm pretty excited that my friend Meo shared one with me.
Anybody drink these? Any recommended flavors? I'm planning on going to the grocery store (hopefully I'll find them there!) and get some more today!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Lots in one day!

Scroll down to see pics from a fun weekend! 3 posts in one day! Go me!

just a few of Jones' favorite people!

Jones loves:
His mommyHis daddyHis Lita and Grandaddy(...and OBVIOUSLY his big cousin Henry)His great uncle Bobby
and OF COURSE his two aunts...

my boys.

While yesterday was MINT'S biggest sale ever, Emily (see previous post!) so very kindly allowed me to miss the sale so I could get my hands on Jones for the first time and spend a little time with my family this weekend. Heather didn't know I was coming, so it was a fun little surprise! Now, if you think that I've gone crazy over blogging about Henry, get ready, because now I've got TWO adorable nephews to show off! I was excited to capture some great pictures of their first meeting. Thank you, God, for another sweet boy for me to love!

I'm gonna miss her!

So...my friend Emily (aka my MINT "boss") is moving to South Carolina this summer. I'm thrilled for her and her sweet family, but I'm not happy about her leaving. Maybe that makes me selfish....but I don't care.
She and I have known each other since we were kids and I've been so happy to "reconnect" with her these past few years as one of her employees! Anybody who knows Emily would probably agree that she was born to be a boss! I lovingly tell her that often. In all seriousness, MINT was only possible because of this girl, and whoever takes over the store when she leaves has some major shoes to fill! I definitely couldn't do what she's done.
The "MINT girls" (minus Catherine and Heidie!) all went to eat the other night. Good times.
WE'RE GOING TO MISS YOU, EMILY!
(oh...and her birthday is tomorrow, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY, too!).

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Oh.my.goodness.

I can't believe I'm missing out on seeing this face.I oh so desperately need to hold this child!
It's crazy how much I love this boy after only spending maybe 10 minutes with him.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

beautiful boy.

I'm so very much in love with this sweet baby already.
I want to hold him so badly that I could cry right now.
These pictures were taken on Saturday, April 17, the day God blessed my sister and brother-in-law (and our entire family!) with this little miracle.
I took this first picture the first time I laid my eyes on him.
He's probably 30 minutes old here. Love at first sight.
Waiting patiently in the waiting room! (Henry?--waiting not-so-patiently!)
My first love!
Jones' 2 aunts!
The family just hearing about Jones' arrival! Trey is proudly showing off Jones' first pictures.
Uncle Adam (Trey's brother) and Aunt La La just hearing the news!
First picture as a family of 3.

My baby sister has a baby!

Henry meeting Jones for the first time. I love this picture so much. You can see Henry's curiosity and instant love and Jones' pure innocence!

My first glimpse of that sweet boy with his eyes open. He already reminds me of his mommy.

Me with 4 of my favorite people...my 2 sisters and 2 nephews! I love how Henry is still looking at Jones. He was in AWE.



"A wee bit of heaven drifted down from above-A handful of happiness, a heart full of love. The mystery of life, so sacred and sweet-The giver of joy so deep and complete. Precious and priceless, so lovable, too-The world's sweetest miracle, baby, is you."
-Helen Steiner Rice

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

sweet daddy.

Happy birthday to my sweet daddy!He's a pretty great man, and if you don't believe me, ask this entire town. He was, afterall, recently voted "Friendliest Man in Starkville"-- for the 3rd time.
No---that's not a joke.
Here he is holding one of his 2 favorite little boys. In dad's opinion, there's nothing better than being a grandfather.
Oh how I love this man.
I tell others (somewhat jokingly, but not really) that the reason I haven't married is because I've yet to meet a man like my daddy!

Monday, April 19, 2010

HE'S HERE! HE'S HERE!

My first blog post was written over 3 years ago and was titled "I'm an Aunt!" . I posted it after my older sister Kristen gave birth to sweet Henry, (who, I'm guessing you're familiar with by now). Anyone who has nieces or nephews, but not children of their own, understand what I mean when I say that I truly can't imagine loving another child the way I love these precious ones. I just can't describe it.
Anyway, I'm so excited to say that my NEWEST nephew, Jones Edward Skaggs was born Saturday, April 17! I've seen him only once and I already completely love that child. I'm so excited about seeing my little sister as a mom.

I have so many pictures to share from the glorious day of his birth, but tonight I'm only sharing my favorite of them all.

Does it get any sweeter than this?

More pictures to come!

-Aunt "La La"

Monday, April 12, 2010

waiting.

While I am a blogger and you do know quite a lot about my life, I actually do refrain from sharing too much. Obviously not all things were meant to be shared with the world, plus, do you honestly want to know every little thing about my life? I didn't think so.
Forgive me just for tonight, though, as I'm going to get a little more personal with you than normal. I'm a little blue and I think "getting it out" might help a little.
I know we all go through waiting periods in our lives....who doesn't, right?
I have been in a very hard place in my life for the past several years. When I pray about certain things, or ask God certain questions, God's often response is, "wait."
I've reached a point where waiting on the next step in my life has become so difficult, that it hurts, almost to the point where it's unbearable. The desires that I have had in my heart for as long as I can remember aren't being fulfilled as I dreamed they would. I see others living out my dreams while I sit back and watch with a smile on my face, but a deep hurt in my heart, selfishly wanting what I don't have. I spend a lot of time praying about this and I know God hears my cries.
I'm going to share a poem with you that I'm pretty sure I've posted before. I read it several times today, and find that it provides encouragement. I also need a reminder that GOD makes my plans, not me.
Maybe you're in the midst of waiting on something from God and it can provide some encouragement to you, too.
Wait
Desperately, helplessly,
longingly, I cried:
Quietly, patiently, lovingly,
God replied.
I plead and I wept
for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said,
“Child, you must wait.”
“Wait? You say, wait!”
my indignant reply.
“Lord, I need answers,
I need to know why!
Is Your hand shortened?
Or have You not heart?
By faith, I have asked,
and am claiming Your Word.”
My future and all
to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance,
and YOU tell me to WAIT?
I’m needing a “Yes”,
a go-ahead sign,
Or even a “No”
to which I can resign.
And Lord, You promised
that if we believe
We need but to ask,
and we shall receive.
And Lord, I’ve been asking,
and this is my cry:
“I’m weary of asking!
I need a reply!”
Then quietly, softly,
I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again,
“You must wait.”
So, I slumped in my chair,
defeated and taught
And grumbled to God,
“So, I’m waiting … for what?”
He seemed, then, to kneel
And His eyes wept with mine,
And He tenderly said,
“I could give you a sign.”
I could shake the heavens,
and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead
and cause mountains to run.
All you seek, I could give,
and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want~
But, you wouldn’t know Me.
You’d not know the depth
of My love for each saint;
You’d not know the power
I give to the faint;
You’d not learn to see
through the clouds of despair;
You’d not learn to trust
just by knowing I’m there;
You’d not know the joy
of resting in Me;
When darkness and silence
were all you could see.
You’d never experience
that fullness of love
As the peace of My Spirit
descends like a dove;
You’d know that I give and save,
for a start,
But you’d not know the depth
of the beat of My heart.
The glow of My comfort
late into the night,
The faith that I give
when you walk without sight,
The depth that’s beyond
getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God,
who makes what you have last.
You’d never know,
should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that,
“My grace is sufficient for thee.”
Yes, your dreams for your loved one
Overnight would come true,
But, Oh, the Loss!
If I lost what I’m doing in you!
So, be silent, My child,
and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts
is to get to know Me.
And though oft’ may My answers
seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all
is still, “Wait.”
I want to ask you to pray for me tonight. I'm lonely and my heart is heavy. Thank you, dear friends, and please forgive the cheerlessness of this post.
"I am waiting for the Lord, my soul is waiting for Him, and my hope is in His Word." Psalms 130:5

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Wordless Wednesday (well...not COMPLETELY wordless)

Setting: Target. About a month or so ago.
Kristen: "Heather, you are not walking around today. We (aka Laura) are going to push you around in a wheel chair all day long."
Heather: "What?! I'm still like 9 weeks away from my due date, Kristen! I'm completely capable of walking around a store! You're crazy."
(Clearly, you see who won that battle, right?)
Heather: "Laura, you know if you had told me to get in the wheelchair, I never would've listened, right?"
And there you have it, people--the story of my life.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

a prayer, a recipe, and Idol...

First of all, there was yet another horrible apartment fire in Starkville this afternoon (click here for more info). To my understanding, at least 32 apartments were destroyed. Mandy and I drove to take a look when we heard about it, and it was a devastating sight to say the least. When I saw dozens of firemen risking their lives and people crying because they just lost their home or couldn't find their pets, all I could do was stop and pray. I did hear that there were no fatalities. Praise God. I can't imagine losing my home and all of my belongings. When saying your prayers tonight, please remember any victims involved.
Secondly (and on a slightly more cheerful note!), I have a recipe to share! Anybody looking for a good meal for summer? This is one of my favorites, and it's SO EASY. Forgive me if I've posted this recipe in the past. Even if I did, there's probably a good chance that you didn't copy it down the first time. My suggestion is that you do it now. You'll be glad you did!
I fixed this just tonight. For some reason, I always start craving this when it gets warm outside. I dunno.
Anyway, here you go...
Tomato-Basil-Asparagus Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
1 16 oz. pkg. bow tie pasta
1 lb. asparagus, cut into 2 " pieces
1 c lemon vinaigrette (I always have trouble finding this. I usually just use Fat Free Italian Salad Dressing! It gives the salad a great taste without the extra calories!)
I pkg. fresh basil, chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
salt and pepper to taste (I also love lemon pepper!)
sliced grilled chicken (it's optional really, but I prefer it!)
Directions:
Cook pasta according to directions, adding asparagus last 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cool water. Stir together vinaigrette and chopped basil. Pour 3/4 c. over pasta mixture. Stir in tomatoes, salt and pepper (don't forget the lemon pepper!), and chicken. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Toss with remainder of dressing.
How easy is that?
This recipe makes A LOT of servings, and in my opinion, it tastes better the day after it's made! I like it because I live alone and I can eat on it for several days! Perfection.
MSKS, do some research and check on the WW points for this meal. I mean, it can't be THAT many points, right?
And finally, (before I crash for the night), my report on tonight's performances on AI: BEST NIGHT SO FAR THIS SEASON. Last week, I thought I had decided my favorites, but after tonight's performances, I have no idea what to think. I LOVED Crystal (as always), Katie (fell in love with her after tonight's performance) and Lee (I may be in love with him actually). We'll see what happens tomorrow night!
Goodnight, dear friends!

Sunday, April 4, 2010

HAPPY HAPPY EASTER!

Happy Easter, friends! I hope your day was spent with those you love!

Mom, Dad, and I spent the weekend with R, K, and H in Clinton. We missed Heather and Trey, but since Heather is going to be giving birth soon (yay!!!), it probably isn't a good idea for her to travel much these days.

Here are some pictures (mostly Henry, of course) from the weekend! He LOVED dying Easter eggs. When he finished dying and decorating them, he said "Can I eat one of the 'dead' eggs?" Hahaha.

I love this face.

This was his idea of smiling at me while he was riding his 4 wheeler. It makes me laugh. :)

For those of you who, like me, are fortunate enough to get the day off tomorrow, ENJOY! For the rest of you....well....have a great Monday at work!