future athlete? comedian?

Mom, Dad, Nana, and I made a quick trip to Clinton to see Kris, Rob, and Henry today. Our time together was short, but I'm so glad I went. I go through withdrawal when I go more than a few weeks without seeing that sweet boy!

He enjoyed playing indoor TBall (it was raining outside) with my dad, and I must say, he's already quite an athlete! Look at the intense looks he has on his face! The pictures of me and him? Well...I have an explanation. He loves looking at pictures of himself on my camera, so he kept saying "I see Henry and LaLa," meaning that he wanted to look at my camera to see pictures of the 2 of us. So, I took my camera and started snapping away! You can tell by the expressions on his face that he was totally getting into it. I thought some of them turned out pretty cute, so I thought I needed to share. I particularly like the one in the very middle and the one of him kissing my cheek. He loved it and insisted on looking at every single picture a million times. Have I ever told you how much I love that child?

overachieving or ANNOYING? You decide.

I ALREADY have my bulletin board ready for August. Does this mean I'm wanting August to hurry up and get here? Absolutely not. I figured the more I get down NOW, the less time I'll spend at school this summer. At the rate I'm going, I won't be spending any time at school until August!

So, you tell me. Does this make me an overachiever or an annoying teacher that other teachers talk about?

Max is 3!!!!

My best buddy turns 3 today! I'm going to refrain from posting an A-Z list about this little guy, because I don't want any one to call me names (you know, like "psycho," "crazy dog lady," etc). BUT, if you're a loyal reader to my blog, you know that Max has been through a lot with me. I look at him everyday and think about how happy he makes me! If you have a pet, you probably understand. This is the picture I always use when talking about Max. In fact, I think it's the only decent picture I have of me holding him. This was taken the day I got him. He was only a few weeks old. I fell in love with him immediately. :)

And all of you single people out there who live by yourselves: GET A DOG. I've preached this several times on the blog, but I'm serious. It's life changing.

He's 21 in people years. That means he's legal. Think I should put a little something in his water bowl? ;) I don't know; maybe that would make me a bad mom.

Happy birthday little guy!

I.LOVE.MINT.

So, not only does MINT have a clothing consignment store, but now Emily has opened a MINT home store! It's amazing!

I have a tiny kitchen. I have a nice sized kitchen table that I've used since I moved into my house, but as you can see by the picture, I had very little room in my kitchen for it! I emailed a pic to Emily in need of her assistance. In less than a day, she'd found the perfect table for me! It's ideal to use as my kitchen table for now, allowing MUCH more open space in the room. Then, when I DO move, it can be used as a side table for any room in my house! Thanks Emily! I love it!

old table

new table

The small one is just perfect for me right now. The bigger table and 2 of the chairs will be taken to MINT where hopefully they will sell! So... if you're looking for a basic brown kitchen table, be sure to stop by and check it out!

Oh, what to wear?

So...my entire family (parents, both sisters, brothers-in-law, Henry, and I) are heading to Seaside in a few weeks. I'm thrilled about it. For as long as my sisters have been married, I don't think we've ever been able to ALL coordinate our schedules to go on a vacation like this. Since we know these times are rare, we're planning on having a photographer come and take our pictures on the beach while we're there--you know, the whole "white shirt" thing. There are a couple of different options that can be taken when taking these pictures, though: should we wear white shirts and jeans? Khakis? All white? So many decisions. We all know that whatever Kristen tells us to do is what we'll ultimately do, but when Mom asked MY opinion, I simply told her that I just somehow want our picture to just turn out HALF as good as this one (they're all just so nicely coordinated here):

Are you about to wet your pants from laughter? Because I was when I found this website. I just spent the last 30 minutes looking at these pictures and laughing hysterically. BY MYSELF. Take a break from the busyness of your day and have a laugh!

Perfect thing to do on a slow, rainy day...

Hmmm...one I haven't seen before...

1. First thing you wash in the shower? Face

2. What color is your favorite hoodie? Grey

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? most definitely

4. Do you plan outfits? oh yeah. I generally lay out my clothes the night before as I did when I was 10.

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? tired, burned out, but PUMPED as I'm seeing the school year coming to an end!

6. Whats the closest thing to you that's red? cherry jolly rancher

7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? i dreamed that Heather and I had babies the very same day. It was very odd.

8. Did you meet anybody new today? nope, but I do like meeting people!

9. What are you craving right now? mexican food. I'm always craving mexican food.

10. Do you floss? Yes, but not nearly as much as I should.

11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? nothing comes to my mind. It's blank.

12. Are you emotional? Oh yeah.

13. Have you ever counted to 1,000? No. I choose not to count when I'm bored.

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? I suppose I lick. YUM.

15. Do you like your hair? sometimes. I like that it's versatile-I can go straight or curly. Of course I always wish I had different hair, but who doesn't?

16. Do you like yourself? usually

17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? Absolutely. I love W.

18. What are you listening to right now?nothing. It's completely silent and I love it!

19. Are your parents strict? Totally. Especially dad.

20. Would you go sky diving? NO WAY. I could never be talked into it. My mom wants to though.

21. Do you like cottage cheese? Yes, especially with pineapple!

22. Have you ever met a celebrity? Yes--Jerry Seinfeld and Mr. Belding just to name a few!

23. Do you rent movies often? not usually.

24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in? I suppose I have sparkly jewelry.

25. How many countries have you visited? Well...I cruised to Mexico when I was in high school. I've also been to Canada.

26. Have you made a prank phone call? I'm sure I was around people who prank called, but I was always scared to do it myself. I didn't want to get in trouble.

27. Ever been on a train? hmm....you know? I can't say that I have!

28. Brown or white eggs? white I guess.

29. Do you have a cell-phone? Oh, absolutely!

30. Do you use chap stick? yes--every night

31. Do you own a gun? No way. Mace is the closest thing I have to a gun.

32. Can you use chop sticks? Yes. I love sushi.

33. Who are you going to be with tonight? Teacher friends. Celebrating a friend's retirement!

34. Are you too forgiving? most of the time, although I've learned that it can be the hardest thing to do.

35. Ever been in love? yes

36. What is your best friend(s) doing tomorrow? most of them are working. I have one friend who's in Spain right now. Fun huh?

37. Ever have cream puffs? I don't think I know what that is. Am I missing out?

38. Last time you cried? Last week

39. What was the last question you asked? "What are you wearing tonight?"

40. Favorite time of the year? I like all seasons for different reasons. Winter: Christmas. Spring: beautiful weather. Summer: NO SCHOOl. Fall: MSU football

41. Do you have any tattoos? No.

42. Are you sarcastic? Yes.

43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? I did, but wasn't a fan. I found it hard to follow.

44. Ever walked into a wall? Oh yeah. I also run into tables and doors, and I fall down regularly.

45. Favorite color? green

46. Have you ever slapped someone? No, but I'd be lying if I said I haven't wanted to.

47. Is your hair curly? Yes. Quite curly.

48. What was the last CD you bought? I don't buy CDs. I'm a downloader.

49. Do looks matter? Well, yes, but that's not ALL that matters.

50. Could you ever forgive a cheater? I hope I never have to decide.

51. Is your phone bill sky high? No. It stays about the same each month.

52. Do you like your life right now? Most of the time.

53. Do you sleep with the TV on? No.

54. Can you handle the truth? I always want to truth.

55. Do you have good vision? Fairly. I do wear contacts though.

56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? No

57. How often do you talk on the phone? Often. I am also a texter and an emailer. I just like being able to keep up with my friends!

58. Who was the last person you held hands with? I'm choosing not to write a name here. Not sure he would appreciate it. :)

59. What are you wearing? summer dress/denim jacket

60. What is your favorite animal? DOG.

61. Where was your default picture taken at? basketball game.

62. Can you hula hoop? Maybe.

63. Do you have a job? Oh yeah. I tend to 24 second graders everyday! I was born to teach...what can I say?

64. What was the most recent thing you bought? flowers

65. Have you ever crawled through a window? Yes.

celebrating Mom (sweet grandmothers, too!)

"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." -Proverbs 31:28-29

Happy Mother's Day! I feel blessed to have such an amazing mom and 2 wonderful grandmothers, all of which have played important roles in my life. Allow to introduce each of them to you by sharing a couple of my favorite things about each:

Sweet Mom. I chose this picture because there's nothing that makes my mom happier than when she's able to spend time with her grandson (my nephew, Henry). I love this candid picture of the 2 of them. Oh how Henry loves his "Lita."

Mom is smart. Brilliant, really. When she watches Jeopardy, she knows every single answer (or I guess I should say question) before the contestants do. If I were ever on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire", she would most definitely be my lifeline. She knows every word of every hymn in the hymnal, and sings beautifully. She's beautiful and kind, and I'm proud to call her Mom!

Then there's Nana (dad's mom)--a grandmother like no other. She's special to me in so many ways. We share the same middle name (Ladell), and I'm very proud of that. Click here to read more about this lady! Here's how I would briefly sum up my dear Nana: She's hip, known by EVERYONE, wears metallic pants (and pulls them off!), and owns a hot pink High School Musical umbrella. Yep. That's my Nana!

My Mamaw (mom's mom)--known by all as a wonderful Christian woman. She's the reason my first name is Laura (it is her middle name)! She lives in assisted living in Meridian, which has been an absolute blessing to our entire family. I don't get to see her as often as I'd like, but knowing she's happy and being taken care of thrills my soul. Need proof that she's an incredible mother? Look at how well my mom turned out!

Happy Mother's Day to moms everywhere! This day is all about YOU.

LOVE IT.

I can't get enough of this song. Seeing the video made me love it even more! I think these 3 are so cute and sound fabulous together. The lyrics are great and the video has a wonderful message. See for yourself!

SERIOUSLY..how can you NOT like country music?

HAPPY (early) MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

Click here!

Daddy's little girls.

I included this picture in Heather's birthday post from yesterday, but for some reason I just can't stop looking at it. In fact, it's set as my desktop background right now.

It was taken on my first day of kindergarten and Kristen's first day of 2nd grade.

I love this picture.

Here are a few of my favorite things about it:

1. Although you can't really see our dresses, we're wearing similarly smocked dresses made by my talented mom. I remember loving that dress and I think little girls should still wear smocked dresses to school. I'm pretty sure Mom also painted on both of our school bags, which Kristen is proudly showing off here. I'm convinced that Mom can do anything. Looking at this picture makes me realize how much TIME she put into making sure her girls were taken care of.

2. Heather is absolutely hilarious to me here. She's of course pouting because she isn't going to school and we are. I can see it now--Kristen and I were probably getting all of the attention as we were about to head to our first day of school. I'M SURE Heather (about 3 years old) was feeling left out, which explains the pouty face. PRECIOUS and very typical of her.

3. Look closely and you'll see that Heather is holding "Baby" very tightly. Yes, friends. This is the infamous Baby that still remains with her now. (Note: Trey won't allow her to sleep with Baby anymore, so she keeps her in her bedside table. She does, however, take Baby out of the drawer when Trey is out of town!).

4. My daddy! Look at him. My guess is that he's barely over 30 years old here (SO.YOUNG.). I don't think he looks much older now though!

I love my daddy.

I'm grateful everyday for being brought up by 2 wonderful people who taught us the important things in life and set an amazing example for the 3 of us.

There was a recent tragedy in our community. A senior in high school (only weeks away from graduation) was killed in a car accident this past weekend. I didn't know her personally, but I know of her and saw her often around town. For reasons I can't explain, I feel affected by this loss. I can't stop thinking about her family and friends, not even being able to FATHOM what they're going through right now. I couldn't even go to sleep the other night because I was so upset thinking about it.

I just don't understand why it had to happen.

I do know that it made me stop and realize that if, God forbid, this were to happen to anybody close to me, I wouldn't want there to be any question about my love for them.

I encourage you to take time and say "I love you" to those close to you. Sadly, you never really know when it will be their last day.

Perhaps that's why I've put so much thought into the picture above. I'm thankful for my Dad, knowing how much he has done for me; my Mom, whose love is demonstrated in that picture even though she can't be seen; and my sisters-to me, there are no 2 greater friends.

I apologize for the tone of this post. I was going to simply post the picture, but then, for some reason, I felt led to encourage YOU to stop what you're doing tell those around you how much they mean to you.

I'm doing the same thing right now.

my life changed 26 years ago today!

Not only is today a day to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, but it's also my baby sister's 26th birthday! Heather is the subject of many of my blog posts, and chances are, if you read my blog, you're a reader of hers too.

I have compiled a list of reasons-A to Z- why it's so easy to love this girl. Much of what you'll read may not be new to you, but allow me to simply remind you of what a special person Heather is!

Aunt! We have a pretty dang cute nephew too!

Best friend to many. This isn't even half of them.

Creative! She made these for Henry's nursery soon after he was born.

Die hard Mississippi State fan! And don't try to convert her. It won't work.

Effortlessly beautifuly. Yep..she's one of those people we all hate--the one who can go without make up and STILL turn heads. So not fair.

FUN. In fact, she's one of the most fun people I know.

GORGEOUS future child. See what I mean? ;)

Happy child (who happened to LOVE our Dada!)

INDECISIVE. Unlike anything I've ever seen. Click here to catch a glimpse of this.

Joy. Her middle name that fits her to a "t". She has the ability make others HAPPY without even trying.

Kreativ. Not only is Heather a truly CREATIVE blogger, but I also chose this for "k" because she CAN'T STAND it when things are misspelled. Click here to read more about this. She's so funny.

Little sister (to a couple of pretty great big sisters, I might add!)

MAINE! Where Trey and Heather both consider their 2nd home.

Nicknamed "brat child" (the picture says it all here).

One amazing husband! It makes me happy to see how much Trey loves my sister (he pulls off bowties well, too!)
Picture poser! No explanation needed.
Quesadilla lover (or any Mexican food for that matter!)--just like me! Resembles our sweet mom. That's a good thing. Oh, she was named after my mom, too (they share the same middle name, Joy).
Sophie. Her child of course!
Two-piece prom dresses (Sorry you had to be included here, Tricia!).


Unintimidated by security men

Video created...just for her a couple of years ago! Click here to see!

Wears camo...well, only when forced to!


eXtraodinary singer!
(CLICK HERE!)

Years old: 26! Zoos! I wasn't just searching for a "z" here! This girl loves zoos more than most children.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY LITTLE SISTER!
You're loved by so so many!

recommendations, anyone?

As you can see from my beach ticker, I'll be laying in the sun in a little over 3 weeks! I can't wait!

Here's where I need your help! I need to take a good book or 2 with me to the beach. I'm looking for a light read--nothing too deep or hard to follow (please think about that before you recommend something, Claire and MSKS!). My goal is to not have to think too much while I'm there. :)

Note: 24 days until beach time means 21 days left until SCHOOL IS OUT! (14 school days to be exact! WOO HOO!).

Thanks, Dave.

I love pay day. While my small paycheck isn't much and doesn't last a long time, I must say, I AM grateful to be receiving one during our country's economic crisis.

At the beginning of every month I tell myself, "this month is going to be different! I'm going to be really good with my money!" I know I'm not telling you something you don't already know, but IT'S.SO.HARD. I'm not a huge spender, and I've tried budgeting a little, but nothing really seems to work. I still normally struggle to make it to the next paycheck. Where does my money go?

We've all heard of Dave Ramsey. He's a financial genius who seems to have all of the answers. I've read a little about him before, but to be honest, I get annoyed when he (or anybody else for that matter) says something I don't want to hear. Like it or not, though, I've decided that this is the month I'm really going to listen to what he has to say (or read what he has to write). Claire, a fellow teacher and friend, and I were discussing this topic recently, and she found a fantastic tool on his website. It's pretty self-explanatory. He basically breaks down your finances and helps you create a budget that really seems do-able! I entered all of my numbers in the appropriate blanks and I was amazed by how much money I SHOULD be able to save each month, while still being able to use money for some fun things!

So, starting tomorrow, I'm turning over a new leaf. I'm going to use the "envelope system," and hopefully, by the end of this month, I will start seeing results!

If you're just getting by like so many of us, give it a try! I may be needing some accountability partners here!

(Emily, I know you and Reed are so proud of me for spreading the word! I'll let you know how it goes!).

Let me brag ONE MORE TIME, and I promise I'll stop.

Here are a few more pictures taken of me by the photographers at the half marathon. They were emailed to me earlier today, and thought I'd share!

(please take note that I'm in front of 3 males here!) :)

(by the look on my face, I'm guessing this one was taken around mile 10!)

(that's me with my arm up on the left! ohh... and NO it didn't take me 3:20 to run the half! That's the time the very first runner began. There was quite a lot of dead time in the beginning before I even started!)

sweet, sweet Paxton.

I got to spend the evening watching AI with the Overstreets tonight! Most of my time was spent holding a sleeping baby and I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.

Look how much he loves his LT!

(I decided to let Katey join us for a picture or 2!) :)

I like the number 8.

I like these things and I like the number 8, so this should be fun. It was stolen from this blog friend (even though I added a few!). Enjoy and feel free to do it yourself!

8 Nicknames I have:

1. LT. More people call me this than Laura

2. LaLa (Henry)

3. YaYa (high school friends. Thanks, Alexa!)

4. Laura T. (HEGS)

5. Miss T. (students!)

6. LouLou (dad...not sure where that came from!)

7. "Kristen's sister"

8. "Heather's sister"

8 of my favorite things in the world: (this one is hard)

1.* spending time with my family AND friends*

2. Mexican food

3. Max

4. Sleeping

5. Rain

6. Mexican food

7. Red wine

8. blogging. Duh.

8 Things I'm Looking Forward To:

1. S U M M E R

2. Going to the beach! I'm going to Orange Beach with my friend Heather, and then after that I'm heading straight to Seaside to meet my family! I can't wait. HEGS and I have been counting down since our beach trip LAST year!

3. Starting a family one day.

4. Getting out of debt.

5. Working at MINT this summer! Come see me!

6. Retiring (HA! 20 more years???) :)

7. Friday.

8. Did I mention that summer is almost here?

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1. Went to work.

2. Took Max for a walk (NO RUNNING WAS INVOLVED)

3. Ate Mexican food with Mandy

4. Talked on the phone

5. Drank a diet coke.

6. Changed a light bulb (wow...could my life get any more exciting?)

7. Watched House Hunters

8. Took a bubble bath.

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

1. Sing

2. Dance

3. Make more money :)

4. Find a cure for childhood cancer

5. See the future!

6. See Henry every day.

7. Shop at Anthropologie regularly

8. Buy a house.

8 Shows I Watch:

1. Desperate Housewives

2. Seinfeld

3. The Office

4. American Idol

5. House Hunters

6. Jon and Kate

7. Oprah

8. Fox and Friends

Who's next?

I DID IT!

If you've been reading my blog from the beginning, you may recall this post I made about goals I wanted to one day accomplish. Number 7 on that list was to run a half marathon, and after this weekend, that one was checked off my list! :)

The half marathon was GREAT. As I crossed the finish line I realized that all of my training had really paid off! My goal was to not only finish the race, but do it without stopping a single time. Even during water breaks and such, my feet kept on moving! I didn't stop one single time.My mom was a real trooper throughout the entire weekend. I couldn't have done it without her!....and Shannon! She was there to cheer me on, too! I had the best time hanging out with her and was so glad to have her there.

Now, it's questionable if I'll run another half-marathon, but if I do, I've already compiled a list of things I want to do differently next time. Perhaps this will help you if you're hoping to run one sometime in the future!:

1. wear a sports watch! I HATED not knowing the time while I was running.

2. wear my ipod! There were bands playing throughout a good bit of the race, but there were also periods of "quiet time," when I needed a little pump up music to keep me going! I listened to my ipod all throughout my training and although I enjoyed all that went on during the race, I missed having it.

3. wear my NAME on my shirt! So many people had their names written on their shirts, so people watching could cheer them on! Somehow I think if I'd heard random people saying "GO LT!" throughout the race, it would have been a huge encouragement to me while I was running! :)

4. run with somebody! Although I generally prefer running by myself and I trained entirely by myself, there was a good bit of down time before the race when it would have been nice to have somebody to talk to. I arrived at the race around 5:45 am, rode a shuttle to the starting line, and had to wait for over an hour before the race actually started. It got a little boring being by myself.

5. have more specific plans about WHERE to meet friends/family after the race! Even though I knew there would be 30,000+ people running in the race, I had NO IDEA how many people would be there just watching it and supporting their friends! The crowd was a little intimidating. It literally took me 45 minutes to find Mom and Shannon after I was finished running!

Now I know.

Finally, I leave you with a picture of the newest addition in Shannon's family. She got this adorable little guy the day before I got there, and he's only 7 weeks old. His name is Titan and he's a boxer. I wanted to take him home with me, but Shannon wouldn't let me. Look at that face!

Thanks for keeping up with my running journey these past 4 months! I'm here to tell you that even though my training was very regimented and tough at times, it was totally worth it to say that my goal was accomplished! Today I feel a little like I've been pushed off a cliff, so I'm looking forward to NOT running for a few days!

I hope YOU have a wonderful week!