God provides. ALWAYS.

First of all, I want to say that I totally do not think money is everything and it certainly doesn't determine one's happiness. While I may not have the highest paying job in America, I love what I do and I'm beyond thankful to have a job.

With that being said, let me just say that as teachers, we get paid once a month--the very last work day of the month. It's challenging, but I'm able to make it from pay check to pay check (even if it's by the skin on my teeth!). Since we got out of school May 24th-ish, that was the last day I received a paycheck, and there's not another paycheck coming my way until Wednesday. Do the math--that's nearly 6 weeks, people. Needless to say, this month has been a financial struggle. I hate that money can cause such stress among people, but it does, and I've been stressed. Since it's the summer, I've traveled more, therefore obviously spending more money on gas. And there have been lots of other unplanned expenses (ex....forking over $100 for a stupid new car battery! UGH!).

As the end of the month is finally approaching, I started to realize that some of the things I had originally planned (going to visit Claire next week) were just not going to happen. I barely have enough money in my account to pay for gas to Birmingham, muchless do anything fun once I'm there! I haven't visited Claire in forever and this is something we've planned for weeks! I was not looking forward to calling her to tell her I couldn't make it.

I spent this week in Gulfport with my sister Heather (luckily, I spent a very little amount of money while I was there!), and I had my friend Heather pick up my mail for me while I was away. She called one day to tell me that I'd gotten something in the mail that looked suspiciously like a tax return check. I didn't get too excited, as I told her that I owed money in taxes this year so I wasn't expecting any kind of return. She convinced me that it was a check and I asked her to open it (thinking to myself how fantastic it would be to even get a $40 surprise check--just enough to tie me over til payday!). She opened it and excitedly informed me that the check was a tax return to me for $400!!! I honestly had to see it to believe it, but was ecstatic to realize that it was legit! There was a letter attached saying that my taxes were reviewed and the tax people (??) noticed that I was eligible for some sort of claim (I really didn't care about the reasoning for the money!).

This couldn't have come at a better time.

Again, money is not everything in life. I know this. But this was proof to me that God is watching over and taking care of me!

I'm now looking forward to my trip to Bham!!!

I LOVE the tax people.

and 5 years later...

My dear friend Heather and her husband Tom are celebrating their 5th Anniversary tomorrow and on top of THAT, they're expecting their first child in December (I'm finding out the gender tomorrow! YAY!). Because of both of these exciting events, they decided to have their vows renewed today. I was honored to be asked to be their witness/"Maid of Honor" at the event. It was very intimate--only 4 of us in attendance (Tom, Heather, me and their priest!). I didn't know them when they got married, so I was excited to be a part of it the 2nd time around! :) Happy Anniversary friends! Thanks for inviting me to be a special part of an important day!

Shaggy's!

I'm not at all complaining about the fact that I hardly even left Heather's house while visiting her in Gulfport this week, but was so glad to get out one night for a little while to hang out with some friends who also live on the coast!

We enjoyed dinner on the water at Shaggy's and had the best time!

Elizabeth (far left) was a KD friend of Kristen's and Kelli (between heather and me) was one of MY dearest KD college friends!

So fun to connect with these fun girls!

my week...

So, I've spent my week looking at this face:(and I'm actually the proud photographer of this perfect picture!)

I've loved every second of my week in Gulfport with Trey, Heather, and Jones this week, and I'm so very sad about leaving tomorrow.

I also want to give my hats off to you stay at home moms out there. Of course I know and I've heard that staying at home with your children is no simple task, but I've witnessed Heather doing it, and wow---I'm worn out from it and I'm not even the mom here!

Bravo, S.A.H.Ms. Bravo.

my daddy...

Happy Father's Day to my daddy, my main man in life!

...and to all you daddies out there--a very happy Father's Day to you too!

"Any man can be a Father but it takes someone special to be a dad." -- Anne Geddes

she's like NO OTHER!

If you're a blog follower, you hear me speak of my big sister Kristen often (she's the mother of my sweet nephew, Henry!). My sisters are my best friends, so a majority of my blogging includes those girls!

Anyway, maybe you recall me blogging a little about her journey through medical school and then through residency. Well, friends, I'm happy to say that those days for her have come to an end! Last night I was fortunate to be able to attend a "Residency Graduation??" dinner for her and her (obviously brilliant) classmates.

There's no way I could be any more proud of this girl. She not only managed to complete her OBGYN residency, but she somehow found a way to balance school and her family (while spending time with her friends whenever she had a free second. These past 8 years have been anything but easy for her, but she DID IT.

Did I mention how proud I am of her?

I know, without a doubt in my mind, that I could've never done what she's done. EVER.

I'm also beyond thrilled about the fact that she, Rob, and Henry will be moving to Starkville in just a couple of weeks! YAY! Kristen will soon begin work at the Women's Clinic here, and Rob will join me in the Starkville School District, where he'll be teaching high school science. I just can't wait!

Back to last night... here are a few pictures.

Kristen looked gorgeous-and can you tell how happy she is?Kris and Rob

Nana, Mom, Kris, Daddy, and me. We missed you, Skaggs family!

Kris and some of her smart friends! Isn't Kristen's dress STUNNING?

Mom, Dad, and Kris!

Nana and Kris--obviously.

I realize we look nothing alike, but I promise we really are sisters! :) I'm her biggest fan.

Aren't they pretty?Some very brave guys in her class who have put up with her all these years!

Making her speech. Again--I was proud.
Congratulations, Dr. Fyke!

Happy birthday, Candi!

Candi, a teacher friend of mine (sitting in the middle below), celebrated her birthday last week! Some other teacher friends I helped her celebrate by eating at UMI.

YUM!!!!!

Happy birthday, Candi!

29 things I love about her...

Happy Birthday Mary Straton!

So, MSKS is not new to my blog. She was my first friend (we were 2 when we "met"!) and even still, she's one of my very dearest friends in life. I am blessed to know this girl and I'm grateful for our friendship!

This picture has appeared on my blog before, but I'm posting it again. It's from our kindergarten play. MSKS was Little Bo Peep and I was Little Miss Muffet. We're pretty cute huh? I have this picture framed in my house. It serves as a reminder of our long friendship and the innocence that we both used to possess! :) ...followed by the most recent pic of us--from Kate's wedding last weekend...Last year, I compiled an A-Z list about why I love this girl. This year, as she's turning the big 2-9, I've created a list of 29 more reasons why I love her--in no particular order, of course.

1. As I mentioned, she was my very first friend. We've been best friends now for 27 years. That's A LONG time!

"It takes a long time to grow an old friend." ~John Leonard

2. She's probably my most honest friend. She says exactly what she's thinking, which is usually a good thing! :)

"A friend can tell you things you don't want to tell yourself." ~Frances Ward Weller

3. She's very straightforward about everything. She doesn't sugar coat.

"Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty." ~Sicilian Proverb

4. She lets me tag along with her and Kell.

ex. Me last year: "MSKS, I'm thinking about not going to our class reunion. I mean, I don't really want to go date-less!"

MSKS: "Oh, you don't have a choice with this one. You ARE going with me and Kell, even if we have to come to your house and drag you out kicking and screaming!"

Did I go with them? Yep. Am I glad I did? Absolutely!

5. She's very fashionable. She always looks cute. Always.

6. She's very smart--a whole lot smarter than me!

7. She's a loyal weight-watcher, but she's not scared to save up her WW points for a piece (or 2!) of wedding cake!

8. She invited me to go to Destin with her family every single summer when we were younger.

9. Her family is my second family. Not only have when been BFF for so many years, but her mom was my first grade teacher, and she's still my 2nd mom!

10. She's extremely talented and very creative. I've always been just sorta, kinda, a little jealous of her for this.

11. And while we're talking about my jealousy, she's got THE coolest job ever. She gets to travel all over the world. Again--jealous.

12. We have the same sense of humor. We both love "The Office" and "Waiting for Guffman".

13. For the most part, MSKS and I are as different as night and day. Those who know us best can attest to this. I think it makes our friendship more fun though.

14. We can go weeks without talking, but it doesn't change anything. We're able to pick right back up where we left off!

"Silences make the real conversations between friends. Not the saying but the never needing to say is what counts." ~Margaret Lee Runbeck

15. She's has a cool taste in music (except for the whole "I think George Strait is an old redneck" thing...).

16. We pretty much know everything about each other. I'm pretty sure I was one of the first people she told after she got her first kiss and vice versa. I also remember getting the phone call from her right after she got engaged! Good times... We've also been through some pretty tough times together. Those times made me appreciate her even more!

"We have been friends together in sunshine and in shade."~Caroline Sheridan Norton

17. She's a blogger!

18. She didn't make me wear an ugly bridesmaids dress in her wedding. :)

19. She has a bazillion friends.

20. She married a pretty great guy, which is a good thing, because I'm not sure I would've allowed her to marry anything less than the best!

21. She's an animal lover, like myself! We both love our dogs!

22. She always makes me laugh. Her sarcastic sense of humor is one of her best traits!

23. She hates to exercise, but still manages to somehow stay fit and look fabulous. (I hate her for this, really).

24. She's one of my most dependable friends. I can count on her for ANYTHING.

25. She's definitely any easy person to like (see #19).

26. As a child, I used to fall asleep by, NOT holding a baby doll or blanket, but by holding somebody's hair. She hated it when we used to spend the night together, but she still usually allowed me to hold her hair at night! :)

27. She's got fabulous hair.

28. I know that, no matter what, she's that friend who'll remain friends with me for the rest of my life. I love her.

29. Because of each of these things, she's -hands down- one of my favorite people on this earth. Period.

"Friendship isn't a big thing-it's a million little things." -Author Unknown

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

serious pressure and an important philosophy...

So...after feeling slightly pressured from MSKS, I've joined the tweetering tweeting twitting (WHATEVER!) world! I basically have no idea how to really use it, but I've decided that it's somehow going to connect me with Lee Dewyze, and then eventually I will be able to thank MSKS for introducing me to the love of my life. Until then, though, let me know if you have an account and I'll add you to those I'm following! Oh, and add me too---LLTomlinson.

Yay. This is going to be fun. I guess.

On another topic, a friend emailed this clip to me earlier, and I found it to be a wonderful philosophy by which to live. Watch it and really soak in the content.

Seriously, I've seen that particular episode numerous times, but can't help but laugh EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.

I love Michael Scott.

it's all in the bag!!

Heather posted this on her blog the other day and tagged me to do the same..thought it looked like fun. Plus, I figured it would be a great time to show off my new fantastic red purse! (I think Oprah says every woman should have a red purse--or-- maybe I just made that up...).

I got this at a cute boutique when I was at the beach a few weeks ago. I thought I "needed" it as a summer gift to myself and I justified it by saying that my previous purse was purchased at the beach a year earlier.

So you see? I really did need it, right?

ANYWAY, here's what you'll find in my cute bag!

1. Wallet--obviously. And if there's anybody out there who wants to rob somebody, don't choose me. You'll be highly disappointed by what you won't find in there (and I carry mace).

2. Hand sanitizer--it's my bff. And until you work with children everyday, don't criticize me for my obsessive use of this great product!

3. Gum--I always have at least one pack of Orbit! I'm an obsessive gum-chewer!

4. Green sharpie--there's really no explanation for this one. I love sharpies and green is my favorite color, so I guess I feel like I just need it in my purse. I don't know.

5. Keys. Duh.

6. Lotion--it's from Bath and Body Works too. I love it.

7. My lanyard, keys, and school ID badge--hmmm...I won't be needed that for several more weeks. I suppose I could keep that somewhere else until then.

8. My worn out, embarrassingly ugly Bobbi Brown make up bag which contains approximately 50 different lipsticks, glosses and chapstick. I'm kinda into summery pinks right now. (Side note: Bobbi Brown is really good about sending free lipstick/lipgloss samples when you order other products from them! Just saying!).

9. Camera--I always have it with me. I have to be prepared for any mullet that may come my way.

10. Bobby Pins--couldn't live without them!

Ok....Katey, Katy, Candy, Hope, MSKS (who was also tagged by my sis), Claire, and whoever else wants to join in on the fun ...it's your turn now!

something to see...

I recently stumbled across yet another great blog.
Need a great, encouraging read? Allow me to suggest this one for you.
Take a look at this to see a little of what it's about.

weekend wedding!

My dear college roommate and friend, Kate got married yesterday. The wedding was beautiful! I got to see so many old college friends that I haven't seen in YEARS! Good times!The happy couple, Jay and Kate!

me with the pretty bride! :)

some of my dear KD friends!

...and more friends!

me and MSKS!

Jenny, Hollie, and me...

me, Jenny, and Mims...

I love Jennie!!!

sweet Lauren.

Kelli, Jenny, and me...These 2 girls are seriously 2 of the sweetest girls EVER.

sweet Beth!

Congrats, Mr. and Mrs. Shaw

So...I had a date to the movies...

...and he was the best date ever.

Although I'm fortunate to see my sweet nephew Henry often, he and I have really never had time to spend together--just the 2 of us--until today!

I took him to the pool (thanks, Mrs. Bonnie!), and then after lunch and a nap, we went to see Shrek in 3D (hence the glasses seen below).

He had a blast..and well...so did his LaLa.

I know...these pics are cute, but want to know my favorite part about my day with him? That would be when he randomly looked at me today and just said, "I love you 'yaya'".

Life doesn't get better than this.

STRIKE!

So...a few of my teacher friends and I went bowling last night. I'd love to blame my poor bowling on a broken toe (which really did hinder my performance), but I think in all honesty, I'm just a really really bad bowler.

But alas, we had fun anyway.

Angie "you can play your best, but I'm still going to beat you" Boutwell

Bambi "I look like a champ when I bowl" Bagwell

...and Toby "I'm not going to bowl because I might break a nail" Remy.

Oh...and please don't ask you didn't win. It's "just a game," right?

sweet smile!

I was so happy to capture this moment on camera! Look at his precious little face! I think he's a great mix of both his mommy and daddy, but to me, he looks identical to Heather here.

Love this little man!

Hi. My name is Laura and I'm KLUTZ. Nice to meet you.

So, last night, I ran into this:

...and now my toe FOOT looks like this!

I'm going to need your help here. When people ask "So, how did you break your toe?" I'm going to need to come up with something better than "Oh, I just ran into A CHAIR IN MY LIVING ROOM!"

Got any good stories I could tell them that might make them believe I was actually doing something somewhat constructive?

Thanks for your help.

I guess I'm going to not run today.

Bah humbug.

Frogs and snails and puppy dogs' tails...

My current facebook status simply reads "being an aunt is my favorite thing in life". I suppose I should just leave that as my permanent status.

Do these precious faces help you better understand my love of "aunthood"??