NO MORE CRACKERS PLEASE!

Sprite and crackers. Sprite and crackers.
Unfortunately that's all I've had to eat today. I haven't really been sick (no throw up or anything...KNOCK ON WOOD!) and I don't even really feel like I'm going to be sick, but something is not right. My stomach has been feeling "weird" all day and NOTHING sounds good to me. I'm getting a little tired of eating this combination (I wonder how this combo has become a "cure" for this type of sickness anyway...I don't get it). Sorry my picture for Day 6 is so NOT exciting, but that's all I can do for you today.
This is the thing that bothers me the most and makes me realize that there really is something just not right...(brace yourself for what I'm about to say...)....THE THOUGHT OF EATING MEXICAN RIGHT NOW MAKES ME WANT TO CRY.
Shocking confession isn't it? I can't believe: 1. that I'm even thinking like that and 2. I admitted it to the public. Please don't call Enrique at Tipico and tell him that I said that...he'll just die.
Anyway, we have state testing at school tomorrow-Thursday (and I'm taking off Friday to go see Heather for her birthday...WOO HOO!!!), so I absolutely cannot be sick. I don't even know if I'm ALLOWED to miss school during testing. PLEASE PLEASE say a little prayer for me that this little tummy ache goes away TONIGHT!

I don't really even like sprite...this is no treat for me.

Photo-a-Day Challenge: Day 5

My mom and I met Heather in Meridian today to visit my grandmother, who, as I've mentioned before, is in a nursing home there. We were able to take her for a little "outing" to one of my cousin's new house. Mamaw is doing well, and it was so nice to see her and everybody else! What a good day!!! :)

Here's my picture(well, pictureS) for day 5:

me and my sweet Mamaw...

Have a great Monday!! :)

cutie patootie

Max loves for me to open the window, and since my windows are close to the floor, he's able to look outside. It's his favorite. It was a beautiful day, so I pretty much left it up while I was doing my Saturday morning cleaning. :)

I snapped this picture of him enjoying a little fresh air. I think I should send it into a puppy magazine (although I'm not sure if there's a such thing).

Here's my Photo-A-Day Challenge: Day 4 ( I told you this wouldn't be difficult for me!)

...now I know my ABCs...

Here I go again.... =)

A-Available or Single? whatever you prefer calling it.
B-Best Friend: I have 7. Really...I have 7 BEST friends.
C-Cake or Pie: Yes, please :)
D-Drink of Choice: Coffee, Diet coke, lemon-water...... margaritas and wine :)
E-Essential Item(s): hair mousse!!
F- Favorite Color(s): green
G- Gummi Bears or Worms? worms...esp. the multi-colored ones
H- Hometown: Starkvegas
I- Indulgence: mexican food - hands down
J- Job: 2nd grade teacher
K- Kids: hopefully someday...right now, my child is Max.
L- Love of my life: Jim Halpert from "The Office"
M- Movies I watch over and over: The Sound of Music, Waiting for Guffman (it's very underrated), Christmas Vacation
N- Number of Siblings: 2 (along with 2 brothers-in-law)
O- Oranges or Apples? Granny Smiths baby...I eat one everyday.
P- Pets: Max (see "K")
Q- Favorite Quote: don't get me started on my movie quotes...way too many favorites.
R- Reasons to smile: my sweet nephew Henry
S- Season: Spring and Fall
T- TV shows I love: The Office, Seinfeld, Desperate Housewives, American Idol
U- Unknown Fact About Me: I've had braces twice.
V– Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals? I could almost do without meat, but I love grilled chicken too much.
W- Worst Habit(s): biting my nails
X– X-rays or Ultrasounds? I don't get it.
Y- Your Favorite Foods: mexican, chocolate, fruit
Z- Zodiac sign: Aries

a fun, unexpected visitor!

Photo-A-Day challenge: Day 3

My long time friend and college roommate, Alexa randomly stopped by today. Don't you love surprises? :) We went to elementary school, high school, and college together. At State, we were also KDs together and we were roommates our freshman year.
She was just passing through town on her way to a wedding in Jackson so she was only in town briefly, but decided to stop in for a small visit. She's a pharmaceutical rep. in Memphis now, so I don't see her as much as I used to, so I was pumped to see her even though it was only for a few minutes.
Thanks for coming to see me and Max, Alexa! We miss you and we promise to visit YOU soon! :)

*And then AFTER Alexa left, Heather (a friend of mine from school..NOT my sister) and I went to dinner and had some great hanging out time. I think Max now has a crush on her puppy (1 year old Yorkie), Reese. It's cute. What a fun night! :)

...and so I bid farewell...

(I saw this somewhere....I'm not a bud light drinker, BUT oh how I love those ads...this is good)

Bud Light presents the facebook addict:

Today we salute you, Facebook addict. You thought you could just log on once, but little did you know it would consume your life. Joining one pointless group was just not enough. Adding every person you never spoke to in high school just to be "virtually" popular. As if IM wasn't enough to feed into your stalker-ish behavior. Ooooh look at you with your 3406593 "friends". So go ahead, crack open an ice cold Bud Light, Compulsive Away Message Checker Turned Facebook Psycho.

Well, I did it.

I got off facebook...deactivated my account... it's over...but is it forever?
It's been 2 years since my beloved Claire went completely behind my back and activated a facebook account for me. I hated it and refused to join until that day (when I was literally FORCED to do it). Then what happened? I became hooked. If you're on facebook, you know of its addictive nature.
I don't really know why I deactivated it today, but it wasn't a spur of the moment decision (both Heather and Claire got off because of a spur of the moment decision and they're both back on now...). I've been thinking about it for a while, so it has been a gradual process for me, and today I did it. I was finally able to wean myself off of it. I can't promise that I'll never return, but it's something I can't really think about right now.

Am I sad now or am I experiencing a sense of relief? It's too soon to tell.
The question still remains: WILL I BE ABLE TO STAY AWAY?


*hopefully most of you know me well enough to understand my sense of humor and know that there's not a whole lot of seriousness to this post. I can ASSURE you that being off facebook will not cause me to become depressed! :) I would be a little embarrassed if somebody really took this seriously. In fact, I' m not really sure WHY I even posted about getting this...ok... Oh well, it's done now. Whatever...

Picture Challenge...DAY 2:

Here's my picture for Day 2:

So, I told you that my parents gave me new bedding from West Elm for my birthday, and I posted pictures of it a few weeks ago. I was "settling" with pillows I already had, but I recently went to Target (a.k.a. HEAVEN) and bought these really great pillows to go on it. Of course, this adds to the reason why I'm living off green beans and Ramen noodles, but it's worth it...aren't they pretty? Other than a white blanket that I'd like to get for the foot of the bed, I'm now completely satisfied with my new room! :)

GLORY!

Guess what came in the mail today (deep sigh)...that's right, MY NEW CAMERA! I feel like my life will now return back to normal...Thank goodness. I have already been to the grocery store to buy 2 months worth of Ramen Noodles, since that's all I'm going to be eating for a while. Yum yum...
Jenny, is it too late for me to join in on the challenge*?? =) I'm a little behind you, but I DO have a new camera, so it will not be difficult at all for me to take a picture a day, although I'll probably just try to take a picture a day for 2 weeks rather than an entire month. In fact, I already have a picture for Day 1( and the first picture taken with my NEW camera...fabulous!)! Now, I don't have a little Crew and Carrington (adorable) to take snaps of, nor do I have cute graphics like you, BUT I do have Max, and I happen to think he's something special. I'm not promising I'll be able to post a picture every single day, but I'm going to try. Here's my little Max, and my photo for DAY 1:
*See Jenny's blog for "photo challenge" details. :)

Isn't he cute? He's doing his chewing on his favorite treat, his dingo bone! I highly recommend them for ALL dog owners. Max is OBSESSED!

Changing the subject:

2 more events from today that I would like to share:
1. I got my picture taken today for my church directory (yes, I did the "one man shot"). A couple of things occurred while I was there: 1. I was told again that I looked just like Minnie Driver (seriously at least the 10th person who has told me that) and 2. The girl was showing me all of my pictures, so she started the "small talk" (I took mental notes for our book, Trey...don't worry). Of course she asked me if I was married or dating anybody and when I responded "no," what do you think she said? "Oh, why not??". Yep. If you've been a loyal reader of my blog, you know how I feel about that question (See post titled "3 Things I'll Never Ask Somebody" from mid-February...you'll understand and most likely agree). Blah.

*I went ahead and ordered a poster-size one man shot of myself to hang in my living room as well as 2 dozen wallets. Let me know if you are interested. =)

2. Did anybody watch American Idol tonight? Don't worry, I'm not about to give a Sanjaya report...this is actually more serious. They had a 2 hour special on tonight called "Idol Gives Back." When callers voted last night, proceeds went to poverty-stricken Americans and people from other countries (mostly children...my passion!). They had guest stars who performed for the benefit (such as Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Celine Dion, etc.), and throughout the entire show, people could continue donating money. I got slightly teary eyed as they showed actual footage and shared actual stories of children from around the world and even some not-so-far away, who have nothing or nobody. Seeing stuff like that REALLY makes me step back and take a look around at what I have been blessed with in my life! Some of the stories were really unbelieveable. I absolutely cannot imagine.

To donate, call 1-866-IDOLS-AID or go to the American Idol website. I don't know how long they'll be accepting donations, but check it out if you're interested. I can't think of a better way to give.

2 peas in a pod...

Britney? Sanjaya? Singing together??!!!COULD IT GET

ANY WORSE??

I know, I know, I said I would never speak of that guy again, but when I read this in the news, immediate attention was necessary. It could NOT go unnoticed.

First of all, need I remind America that Sanjaya can't sing? Period. Sure, he was somewhat entertaining to LOOK at (please see picture above), but as far as his singing goes, there's no talent. (I'm going to stop talking about him right now though...my opinions have been strongly expressed in previous posts).
Secondly, Britney Spears? Come on. She's just trashy. I've never really thought she was all that talented either. She USED to have the looks (well, sort of I guess...I'm scared to look at her now...LOOK AT THAT PICTURE!!) and she can dance (If you're into "that" kind of dancing). Now? I'm pretty sure she's reached an all time low.
I'm now trying to decide if they're wanting to do this in an attempt to help Britney's ratings or vice versa. Who's helping who here? I don't know, nor do I really care, I just know that right now, I can think of nothing worse than hearing that pair sing together. I really would rather eat a fried squirrel (Sorry, Trey, I know you REALLY do like them).

Disclaimer: I'm aware that I used a lot of parenthesis in this post. I felt they were necessary everywhere they were inserted...so if you have a problem with my use of punctuation, you'll just have to get over it! :)

Me? An "Easy Rider"?

So I copied Hillary, Heather, and Claire.
Kinda fun...although I'm not so sure how much I agree with all that it had to say about my personality! What do you think?

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Here's a brief description of what it says about me:

• MOOD: "Easy Rider" -I take life how it comes and live in the moment. I don't get fazed (is "fazed" even a word or should it be "phased"? I'm just copying what it says!) by life. I just breeze on through. I never would have described myself as an "easy rider"...this one's funny to me.

• FUN: "Thriller" - I make the best of situations. I'm fun to be around. I love to laugh and have fun, but I have a naughty side. I'd like to think that I'm fun to be around. I do love to laugh and have fun, but I'm not so sure about that naughty side...maybe I have one that no one knows about. I guess you'll never know! ;)

• HABIT: "Junkie Monkey" - I have no rules and I don't like restrictions. I make my own choices and do as I please. NO. I'm INDECISIVE. I do usually do as I please though. I agree with this 50%.

• LOVE: "Love Bug" - I fall in love 1000 times a day. My feelings snowball quickly and I'm full of passion. True for the most part.

Just curious...

I've only been a member of the blogging world for a few months now, but I was wondering who reads about my exciting life or if you just kinda stumbled across my blog.

Please leave a comment...I'd love to know you stopped by! :)

*And you can refrain from including "LT, you are such a dork" (Heather) to your comment. I am completely aware of this fact. Thanks. :)

Have a great Monday!

so terrible...

How tacky can you be?

Did you hear that terrible voicemail message Alec Baldwin left on his 11-year-old daughter's phone?

I knew he was terrible, but come on. He should be arrested for saying stuff like that to his daughter. He makes me sick.

Does anyone else find this disturbing?

*Mere, if it's ok with you, I'm going to go ahead and add him to our "list."

Enough is enough!

I caved. I couldn't take it anymore.

I was in Birmingham with Claire today and I decided just to go "look" at cameras. Look? Yeah right. 1 hour later I had a new camera....well...sort of...

We went to Best Buy and the nice guy there ("Sam," I'm a big fan of that name) looked at my old camera (may he R.I.P) and said that it couldn't be fixed and that I was better off buying a new one. Bummer. So, I told him what I was kinda looking for and he was able to recommend some really good ones to me. As I mentioned before, I'm extremely indecisive, so this wasn't a quick decision. The one that I really wanted was a little out of my price range (not that I really even have money anyway!), so I actually left the store sad and empty handed.

I went back to Claire's and got online to check out that same camera (Casio Exilim Z75) at various places.

Bingo.

I found the same camera at Circuit City and it was on sale! It was meant to be. I ordered it and it should be here in the next week or 2. I'm pumped. Being camera-less has been an experience I wouldn't wish upon anybody. I'm glad I'm seeing a light at the end of this tunnel.

Sure, I may be eating green beans for dinner for the next couple of months just to pay for this camera, but it's totally worth it.

My blog will be WITH PICTURES soon. Get excited (I'm sure you can hardly stand it!)!

Birthday shout outs...

Yesterday was my uncle Bobby's (my dad's brother) birthday and today is my daddy's birthday! My dad is ___ years old today ( well,I guess I better not fill in the blanks...I don't want him to be mad that his age is revealed on my blog!).
We ate steaks at my grandmother's last night to celebrate their birthdays. It's always very thrilling to watch the 2 of them open presents...white socks, golf balls, blue shirts...the whole bit (and Nana always throws in a box of "Crunch 'n Munch" too!). It's super exciting.

My dad has recently started a new hobby: cooking. In fact, he sometimes calls himself "Emeril". Yep. Sometimes if he's cooking, I hear him yell "BAM!" in the kitchen. It's hilarious! I thought it was only appropriate that I buy him a cookbook for his birthday. The title is "See Dad Cook"...perfect!

Anyway, Happy Birthday Daddy and Bobby!

Oh, you're wondering why I have no pictures of this exciting event???? That's right. STILL NO CAMERA!!!!! It's getting very old.

SEE YA!!!

Yes.
Finally.

If you watched AI tonight, then hopefully you're experiencing the same excitement as I am right now.

SANJAYA IS GOING HOME!

IT'S ABOUT TIME AMERICA!!!

Lakisha and Sanjaya were in the bottom 2, and I must say that if Lakisha had gone home instead of Sanjaya, I was going to be livid. I'm not sure I could have continued watching. Comparing their talent to each other would be like comparing Faith Hill to Uncle Kracker (or "Uncle K" as I prefer). It's impossible to compare. How has UK even made it with a singing career? I'll never understand that one.

Anyway, I hope to never have to speak of that person again. Done. Over. Finished. THANK GOODNESS.

My vote: Jordin Sparks vs. Melinda Doolittle

Another one...surprised?? I doubt it.

Yes, another one of my lists. I like to snoop around at other people's blogs, and I came across 3 other bloggers who had a post titled "100 things" (original huh?)...basically it's just 100 random facts about myself. I know it looks like I have way too much time on my hands, but I started the list a while back, so it has taken a while. But I finished, so, here are my 100: :)

1. I am a middle child. My older sister, Kristen, is 2 years and 2 months older than me. My younger sister, Heather, is 2 years and 2 months younger than me. Pretty neat huh? It was totally unplanned. I am very close to both of them, but we are all EXTREMELY different.

2. I have lived in Starkville for 24 years. I'm 26.

3. I was 6 weeks premature.

4. Kristen saved my life when I was 2. I fell in a fire ant bed and was completely covered. She (only being 4 years old) alerted my parents that there was a slight problem. Doctors said I would have died had I been allergic to them and I still have beautiful scars all over my legs to show for them. Ironically, I don't have a fear of ants today. Kristen is now a doctor and is saving more lives than just mine.

5. I hated getting in trouble as a child (it very rarely happened though).

6. I attended the same private school K-12 grade.

7. I was NOT a cheerleader in high school nor did I desire to be one. I did, however, enjoy making fun of them.

8. I had more guy friends than girl friends in high school. Ironically I never had a boyfriend in high school.

9. I was 22 when I had my first kiss. Yep. I was also 22 before I ever tasted alcohol. Crazy year for me. :)

10. I wish I could dance.

11. I was in a sorority in college but I'm not your typical "sorority girl" at all.

12. I could eat mexican food every single day. It's not even a joke.

13. I have seen George Strait in concert 5 times. He gets better each time.

14. I ran into Jerry Seinfeld at Saks in Birmingham on March 12, 2005. I walked up to him (like I'm a crazed fan or something) and shook his hand. He was probably really annoyed, but he was nice.

15. I have seen every single Seinfeld episode numerous times and can quote most of them. Don't challenge me to Seinfeld trivia. I'll win.

16. I enjoy sports but I never enjoyed playing competitively. Ironically, I AM a very competitive person and I do not like my team to lose.

17. I despise Ole Miss.

18. I like guys who have big dogs.

19. I love children.

20. I was named after both of my grandmothers. My mom's mom's middle name is Laura and my dad's mom's middle name is Ladell. I'm proud of my name.

21. I have been called "LT" nearly my whole life. I like it.

22. I have never smoked a cigarette and never plan to. I strongly dislike the smell of it. I also refuse to kiss a boy who smokes.

23. I never enjoyed being a student, but I LOVE being a teacher.

24. I am terrible at pretending to be happy when I'm really sad.

25. I'm almost finished with my 4th year of teaching. 2nd graders are my favorite.

26. I have trust issues although my friends and family are the most trustworthy people I know.

27. I went to summer camps when I was younger. I pretended to enjoy going, but I got really homesick.

28. I have very few secrets about myself. There are a few people who know almost everything there is to know about me.

29. It's hard losing a best friend. Really hard. Trust me.

30. I have never been out of the country, but I would like to one day.

31. My faith in God is very important to me.

32. I'm a people pleaser and I have a hard time saying "no."

33. I have only had 2 pets in my life. I had a poodle, Abby, growing up. When she died, I was devastated and said I would NEVER get another pet. 5 years later I got my maltipoo Max. He's the best thing I ever did for myself.

34. I have no brothers, but I have 2 brothers-in-law and I'm very close to both of them.

35. I love candy. I can eat a pound of hot tamales in one sitting and think nothing of it.

36. I have never enjoyed being the center of attention. Both sisters EAT IT UP.

37. I love the color green.

38. I have been a bridesmaid 6 times.

39. I do not have text messaging.

40. I enjoy being by myself, but I also long for companionship a lot too.

41. I have never met anybody as versatile as my mom. She's amazing and by far the NICEST person I know. You need to meet her if you haven't already.

42. My dad knows more people than I can possibly fathom. When someone says "your dad is awesome," I find it hard to say "thank you." I usually just reply with "I KNOW." He's great.

43. My hair is naturally curly.

44. People often tell me I look like Minnie Driver, but I don't see it.

45. I would rather drive than ride as a passenger in a car.

46. I'm obsessed with taking pictures. I have hundreds of my nephew and he's only 4 months old. I will be out of control if I have kids one day.

47. Desserts are NEVER too rich for me.

48. If I could afford it, I would have weekly manicures, pedicures, facials, and massages.

49. I can say the alphabet backwards.

50. I'm very clumsy. I run into things and fall down all of the time.

51. I enjoy running, but I don't run at a fast pace at all. I have also fallen down numerous times while running (see #50).

52. I make great salads.

53. I am generally attracted to dark haired males.

54. I enjoy movies, but I have a hard time paying $8.00 to see one. I would rather use that money on Mexican food.

55. I am a gigantic MSU fan. Hopefully I will marry someone who loves it as much as I do.

56. I have never broken a bone (I'm knocking on wood right now).

57. I believe in the power of prayer.

58. I have wanted a lot of things in my life, but I never got some of them. I look back now and I'm glad I DIDN'T get them.

59. I wish I enjoyed reading more.

60. I eat a Granny Smith apple every day.

61. I don't have a very good memory on most things, but I am SO good at remembering people's birthdays.

62. I hate any kind of tension. I avoid it whenever possible.

63. There are 7 people (besides my sisters) who I consider to be best friends. I think that's something to brag about.

64. I don't like change of any kind. I always have a hard time dealing with it.

65. I don't function well without caffeine.

66. I love Bobbi Brown make up. I have spent a lot of money on it, but it's worth it to me.

67. I want to be the girl in the Rembrandt commercial who gets to kiss that really hot guy.

68. I used to eat peanut butter ALL of the time. I had to stop buying it because I couldn't quit eating it.

69. I want to get married either in the month of April or October. They are my favorite months.

70. I HATE clowns. They scare me.

71. I am not a fan of the "f" word. Please try to refrain from saying it around me.

72. My closet is color-coordinated. I can't imagine otherwise.

73. I ENJOY cleaning. I've been known to voluntarily clean my friend's houses. It's true.

74. I could live without red meat altogether except for the occasional grilled hamburger that I love to eat.

75. I have never learned how to do a cartwheel.

76. I don't know how to dive.

77. I love for it to rain while I'm sleeping.

78. I never want to move out of the south.

79. I am borderline OCD about a lot of things.

80. I do GREAT "Heather" impersonations. If you were at her rehearsal dinner last summer, you know what I'm talking about. :)

81. I never rolled houses in high school because I was afraid I'd get caught.

82. I had mono my sophomore year of college (and it WASN'T from kissing...see #9). It was kind of a joke.

83. I am a southerner and I'm very proud of it, but I get mad when people refer to me as "country" or a "redneck." There is a big difference and I do not fall under the redneck category.

84. I graduated college with a 3.2. It's nothing to brag about, but I was quite proud of it.

85. I am not allergic to anything (that I know of anyway).

86. I wish I could wear red lipstick. I love how Gwyneth Paltrow looks when she wears it. MSKS pulls it off well too.

87. I am very self conscious in a swimsuit. I can't tell you the last time I bought one and I'll only wear one if I'm not around a lot of people.

88. I make some mean chocolate-chip-peanut butter-oatmeal cookies. The dough tastes even better than the actual cookies.

89. I can't wait to own a home.

90. I could totally max out a credit card at Target. Maybe it's a good thing that there's not one here.

91. I love decorating my house for Christmas. Sometimes I even put up decorations before Thanksgiving (don't judge me).

92. I am emotional...sometimes a little TOO emotional.

93. I have been out on 2 blind dates in my life. Neither of them went well.

94. I freak out if I miss an episode of "The Office" or "Desperate Housewives".

95. I plan on starting season 1 of "Grey's Anatomy" this summer when I have more time. I think I'm the only person who doesn't watch it and I find myself with a group of people who are discussing it and I have nothing to contribute to the conversation. I guess basically what I'm saying is that I'm going to start watching it so other people won't frown upon me (maybe we will soon be able to discuss it, MK!).

96. I can tell a lot about a person just by their grammar. It's very important to me.

97. I am a little scared of only a few things. There's only one thing that really scares me.

98. I think sleeping is way underrated, but I can't take naps.

99. I have a serious problem with hypocrites.

100. I can't believe I just compiled a list of 100 things about myself. Is it weird that I kinda thought it was fun? hmmmm.... I like reading them too...humor me and come up with a list of 100 things about yourself...it really is harder than you think.

Now, THAT'S what I'm talking about!

Sanjaya sang "Something To Talk About" on American Idol tonight... it was completely ridiculous.

Simon described it as "Utterly horrendous". Perfect. Beautifully worded. I couldn't have said it better myself.

GO HOME!!!!!!!!

still in shock...

I just can't get over it.
I can't believe something that horrific really happened. It seems so surreal doesn't it?

I always watch Fox News when I'm getting ready in the mornings and then again at night (sorry, all of you anti-Fox News friends!), and since yesterday afternoon, I've been glued to it. I can't stop watching it although it's totally depressing. I was literally walking out the door to go for a jog this afternoon, but I started watching the latest developments of the massacre and it was at least 30 minutes later before I actually left my house.

How anybody could do something like that is really beyond me. It's sick.

I'm so thankful that Claire's brother, Sam, who happens to be a graduate student there was actually in MS at the time of the shooting. Claire told me today that he did have a few friends who were among those who were shot though.

My sympathy goes out to EVERYONE at Virginia Tech, especially those who lost loved ones. I simply can't imagine. God bless.

"Sip and See"....(yes, it's true)...

Yep. There is a such thing called a "Sip and See" in which friends are invited (yes, invitations WERE sent out) to come over, eat cake, drink coffee and LOOK at the baby. It may sound silly, but if you know my sweet mom, you understand. :) What's wrong with being proud of your grandbaby and wanting to show him off??? :) I, like Heather, am wondering if this is just a "Starkville thing," because I've definitely never heard of it anywhere else. Still, it was an excuse to spend more time with my little nephew and it was fun.
My brother-in-law Trey referred to such an event as a "Cook 'n Look"...he just doesn't get it. I can't wait until THEY have kids.
Here are yet some MORE pictures of my sweet nephew. Don't get excited...these pictures were not taken from my camera. I am indeed still camera-less. These are from my mom and her friend, Ms. Debbie.

Oh, and just so you know, Heather and I do NOT exaggerrate. He really is as precious as we say. :)

*It was good to see you there, Kendy!

Cool Slideshows

*re: Heather's post: 1. Heather, don't act like you don't care what high schoolers think about you. You know it bothers you that they think you're a nerd...come on and 2. the tornado thing would only happen to YOU. I bet you were totally freaking out.

Ode to Shan...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHANNON!!!

Today is the 25th birthday of one of my favorite people on earth. We’ve been friends for as long as I can remember (15 years or so?), and she is one of my oldest and very dearest friends. We went to elementary school together only for a couple of years until she and her family moved to Nashville. Why anyone wanted to be friends with me at that phase in my life I’ll never understand. I had massive eyebrows and extremely frizzy hair. She is one very special girl for sure. :)

We have lived in different states ever since then, but we talk often and have remained the best of friends. She’s currently working on a Master’s Degree in Virginia, which I think is way too far away from me (apparently she wasn’t think about ME when she decided to move there...).

Often, when referring to friends, you hear people say "Oh, she would do anything for me," and in some rare cases that rings entirely true. Shannon really IS that kind of friend though. There was a point last summer when I desperately needed her. Shannon sensed it, got in her car the next morning and drove 12 hours to be here. Seriously. How many friends would actually do that?? She was also here for my high school and college graduations, she was with me the day I just ran into Jerry Seinfeld (true story), and she actually convinced me to ride on a motorcycle (see picture below). She's unbelievable and these really are only a few examples of her loyalty. Now, she is also completely out of control and totally insane, but that's an entirely different blog post...I won't go there today. :)

Here are only few of the most recent pictures of Shannon and me.

*Of course, I could have included pictures from way back when (we're talking like 4th and 5th grade), but I decided that they would probably be more embarrassing for me than for her, so I refrained (you can thank me later Shan).

Shannon...Happy Birthday to you! I miss you so very much and hope that you have the most fantastic birthday! I WISH I WAS THERE!!!! Love you!

Just call me "GRACE"!!!

Setting: hallway at school around 10:00 am this morning
I (known as "Miss T." at school) was walking with my class down the hall. We were simply walking from the bathroom to the classroom, which is quite a short distance I might add.
I was in the middle of complimenting my class on such a nice job walking so quietly, but midsentence...

BAM!!!!

The next thing I knew, I was on the floor. Yep, I just FELL down. On the floor. Splat. My kids were the only people who saw it (fortunately I guess) and at first they were just kinda shocked. Once they realized I was OK, they had a little fun with it. I'm sure they won't let me forget it. :)

I honestly don't even know how I fell. Wet floor? nope. Shoelaces? none. Was there something in my way? no. I have no idea what caused the tumble.

Now, if you know me well, you probably don't find this very surprising. After all, I have busted it a time or 2 (or 7) while running. I've tripped on uneven pavement, shoelaces, pinecones, etc. Sometimes I've been alone, other times it has been witnessed by others (I don't know which is worse). So I've definitely had my share of scrapes and bruises (much like the one I have now), but isn't it easier to fall when you're running instead of simply walking down the hall at school? Geez.

What's wrong with me??

I...

Note: Before reading, please know that there is no rhyme or reason for this. It is strictly for a little entertainment (and I have no camera right now, so I can't post pictures!!) Try it...it's kinda fun! :)

1. I am: 26 years old; sensitive; honest; single; always on time; a worrier; a good driver; a teacher; a sister; a daughter; a friend; an aunt :)

2. I am not: spontaneous; married; a partier; a night owl

3. I want: to be asleep right now; to be content; to be more selfless; more money; to be a wife; to be a mom; to run a half-marathon; some mexican and a margarita :)

4. I wish: summer would hurry up and get here; my sisters still lived here; Starkville had a Target

5. I love: my family; Max; my friends; summer; my car; caffeine; running; "The Office"; weekends; chocolate; my job; the color green; GOD IS GOOD!!! :)

6. I strongly dislike: hypocrites; beer; mustangs; being the center of attention; the smell of cigarette smoke

7. I miss: my Dada; my sweet nephew :) ; watching new Seinfeld episodes

8. I fear: that Sanjaya is going to win American Idol

9. I hear: children talking (yes, I'm at school...it's pouring down rain, so we're having "inside recess" now)

10. I wonder: IF I will get married and WHO I will marry; where I'll be in 5 years;

11. I regret: more things I didn't do rather than things I did do. Does that make sense?

12. I dance: terribly. It's pathetic.

13. I sing: on key, but not really well; loudly in the car

14. I cry: often; when I see someone else crying

15. I am not always: quiet, although a lot of people think I am; patient (I thought I was a lot more patient until I started teaching!)

16. I write: because blogging is therapeutic to me (why else would I be doing this while in the same room as 22 kids "playing" inside??? see #9 ); in my journal randomly, but not often enough

17. I confuse: Heather easily :)

18. I need: more confidence; A NEW CAMERA

19. I should: judge less; read more; write more letters

please help!

Does anyone have a camera that you would recommend?
The past couple of cameras I've had have been Kodak Easy Share cameras, and I've been fairly satisfied with them, but I'm willing to try anything.
I can't get one now, because I'm broke, but I am starting to shop around. The not-having-a-camera thing isn't going to work for me for too long. Buying one may mean going without food for a few weeks, but it's worth it. :)
I want one that has really good quality, somewhat small, and NOT TOO EXPENSIVE.

Any suggestions??? HELP!!!!

Thank goodness...

I'm still recovering from the initial shock of being camera-less for a while.

I just couldn't go without posting some pictures from Easter though. Luckily, my mom and Heather both took great pictures, so I've stolen some of theirs to share with you.

Kris and Henry at church. Look at that adorable outfit!

The fam...

My cute mom and dad

Henry with his aunts

Little sister and her husband. Aren't they cute?

Big sister and her little family. Cute again.

I love my sisters

This is Henry laughing in his swing. Can you see those dimples? This is a favorite so I had to post it.

BUMMER!!!

Happy Easter friends!

I hope all of you had a fantastic Easter weekend. Mine was wonderful. My mom, dad, and I went to Clinton yesterday and spent the night with Kris, Rob, and sweet Henry. This morning, Heather and Trey were able to join us at church and then for lunch. It's been a while since we were all together (since Christmas I think!), so it was good hanging out time.

OK, now for bad news.

I guess by now you're probably wondering 2 things:

• 
  
  Why is the title of this post "BUMMER!"?



• 
  
  Why are there no Easter pictures? You know it's very UNLIKE me to visit my nephew (or anyone for that matter) and have NO pictures to share.

Well, I'm going to let you put 2 and 2 together. Yep, yesterday, just as I was taking out the camera to start the insanely ridiculous picture-taking of Henry, MY CAMERA DECIDED TO STOP WORKING! (Yes, MSKS, I used bold letters and ALL CAPS here...it was completely necessary.).

Most of you know that me without a camera is almost like being without air. I'm not sure how I'll make it. Unfortunately, the camera only had a 1 year warranty. I looked back, and it's been 13 months since I got it. 13!! Dang. I can't exactly afford to buy another one right now, so I don't know what I'm going to do about it. I'm totally stressed. I'm going to leave the camera alone for a couple of days and hope for a miracle.

Fortunately, my mom took lots of really good pictures this weekend, so hopefully I can steal some from her and post them so you can see adorable Henry in his Easter outfit. :)

I hope you have a great week. I don't have to go back to work until Tuesday, so I'm looking forward to having tomorrow off too! YAY!!!!

He knows he's cute...

Max got his hair cut yesterday. It was his second hair cut, and the first time he was there, they said he totally FREAKED OUT! So, I wasn't looking forward to this one. He actually did MUCH better this time though, so I was proud of him. :) Isn't he so cute?
I do love his fluffy hair, but he was in desperate need of a "summer cut." Not to mention the fact that it is so much easier to wash, brush, etc.
Oh, and don't worry, I kept a lock of hair to put in his baby book. You'll have to see it sometime! (Of course, I hope you know that was a joke...I did NOT keep a lock of his hair and I do NOT have a baby book for him. What do you think I am? Some kind of psycho? I was afraid people would take me seriously, so I had to clear it up.)


HAPPY EASTER!

If you're needing a smile...

A friend of mine at school sent this to me.

Let's just say it's the end of the day before a nice 4 day weekend (just a little crazy around here) and the smile definitely came in handy.

Thanks Heather (aka "Mrs. Simmonds)! :)

I hope you all enjoy Good Friday tomorrow if you're fortunate enough to be off work!

MY list...

Thanks for the inspiration, Lacey.

I, like probably almost anyone else, find myself thinking about my goals in life, but I've never written them down. BUT, after a little help from this site that Lacey introduced me to, I made my list (a very tentative one, I might add), and it was actually kind of fun. You definitely need to check it out.

So....(drumroll)....here's my list of 43 "life goals" (in NO particular order):

1. Stop feeling guilty about EVERYthing. This is a huge problem for me. HUGE (just ask my mom).

2. Learn to cook. Really cook. I don't think I'm a bad cook, it's just hard cooking for one.

3. Be more social. I tend to clam up in a crowd.

4. Be less sensitive. I let things get to me too easily.

5. Marry the love of my life, stay married, and live happily ever after. (No explanation needed).

6. Be more confident. I think most females deal with this.

7. Run a half-marathon. I've never run more than about 7 miles at one time, but I think I could do it. (?????)

8. Go on a road trip with no predetermined destination. I'm not exactly the most spontaneous person you've ever met...right Claire?

9. Own a home. That would be a huge accomplishment for me.

10. Quit biting my fingernails. It's a disgusting habit I've had nearly all my life.

11. Drink more water daily. I find it very hard to drink a lot of water unless it contains like 47 lemons in it.

12. Meet Tom Hanks. He's the best actor of all time. Period.

13. Have kids. I can't wait.

14. Find the perfect bra. Oprah says it's life-changing. If you're a female, you KNOW how difficult bra-shopping can be. ugh.

15. Have a flat tummy. I've never had one, and I may never have one, but it's a nice thought anyway.

16. Learn about wine. I've recently acquired a taste for some wine, and it's all very fascinating to me.

17. Kiss John Krasinski. Yes, I'm completely in love with Jim Halpert from "The Office."

18. Be happy without being in love. Why is this one so hard?

19. Worry less. I'm a worrier. I can't help it, Tommy Tomlinson is my dad.

20. Make a list of books I want to read, and then actually read them. I get on "reading kicks," but they usually don't last very long. I wish I enjoyed it more (sorry, Mom!)

21. Find the perfect pair of jeans. Once again, if you're a female, you understand.

22. Learn more about politics. I've been watching more Fox News these days to help me with this one.

23. Give blood. I've never done it...it scares me to death.

24. Learn how to drive a stick-shift. My dad always told me that I should learn how in case of an emergency. I still haven't learned.

25. Make an impact on someone's life. How awesome would that be?

26. Play tennis more. It's fun, even though I'm not good at it.

27. Drink margaritas in Mexico. I love margaritas, so why NOT go to Mexico and drink some?

28. Accept change and learn to deal with it a little better. Enough said.

29. Read my Bible more. Does anybody else find it hard just to pick up your Bible and start reading it, or is it just me?

30. Learn to trust others more. I seriously struggle with this one.

31. Always have fresh flowers. This is something else Oprah recommends, and having fresh flowers in my house always makes me feel better.

32.Become a better teacher. I love to teach, but I always feel like I should be doing MORE.

33. Visit all 50 states. I wish I could afford to travel more.

34. Smile at strangers. I enjoy it when strangers smile at me, so why don't I learn to smile first?

35. Say "no" every time I feel like it and NOT feel guilty. Oh, this one's hard.

36. Improve my vocabulary. I'm surrounded by people with really good vocabulary, and I want to be able to sound smart around them. :)

37. Take a chance. Well, let's just say, I'm not much of a risk-taker.

38. Become better at small talk. My brother-in-law, Trey, and I are actually going to be co-authors of a book titled "Small Talk." It will be strictly about the awkwardness of small talk. (It will be a best seller).

39. Stop being so indecisive.

Friend: "So, LT, where do you want to eat tonight?"

Me: "Gosh, I don't know. Man. Ummm.. The Deli? Mexican? Sushi? City Bagel? Gosh, I don'tcare, YOU decide."

This really gets old.

40. Learn to dance. Kristen and Heather are both fantastic dancers. What happened to me?

41. Stop living in the past. This is something I tell myself EVERY SINGLE DAY.

42. Stop depending on others for my happiness. This is something else I tell myself EVERY SINGLE DAY.

43. Get more massages. I think every teacher should be required to get a massage at least once a month .

Now it's YOUR turn! Visit 43 things and create your OWN list. :)

I LOVE this place!

I love Mississippi State. Love it.

It's been nearly 4 years since I was a student, but I still live in Starkville, so I'm still able to appreciate the beautiful MSU campus (and if you've been here lately, you would most likely agree that it's prettier than it has ever been). I run on campus almost daily, I attend MSU sporting events as much as possible, and whenever I'm on campus I find myself thinking, "I should drive around campus one pretty day and take pictures of it." It's something I've actually wanted to do for over a year, but I haven't found the perfect time to do it. I wanted it to be a really pretty afternoon (preferrably spring...my favorite season).
Today was the perfect day. I probably looked odd stopping in the middle of the road to snap a picture (but, am I REALLY concerned what 18 year olds think of me?? Not hardly...). I found it very therapeutic and I must say, I'm quite impressed with my photography skills. Enjoy.

I sure will miss this place when it is my time to move on.

I've got worms...

Claire has a new blog and YES the title of it is "I've Got Worms"...yes, you read it correctly, "I'VE GOT WORMS."

If you have known Claire at any point of her life, this clever little title will not surprise you at all. It's so very fitting for her. You see, for over a decade now (maybe even going on 15 years), Claire has had quite an obsession with those little plastic fishing worms (see picture) that are used for FISHING (hence the name fishing worms). No, she doesn't fish. She just likes to play with the worms, and twirl them in her hand anytime, anywhere. It's weird, I know, but that's Claire, and I love her for it.

Anyway, as I mentioned above, my worm-loving friend has started a new blog, and since I have thousands of blog fans who read mine daily (haha!), I thought it be a great way to advertise for her.

She's a funny girl. You should definitely add it to your daily readings.