Why did I have to come home?

Well....the beach trip I look forward to EVERY YEAR has officially come to an end. Sad. Fear not, though, for I have captured quite a few pics that will help me remember the fun that was had.

I'm assuming, of course, that you want to see these pictures, so here you go!

Girl trip to Orange Beach 2010.

(me, HEGS, Laura Courtenay, and Candi Cockroft)

Lovely view from the balcony. The weather was beautiful...

GTHOM. That's right.
Our first outing...

...and the next night (do I look a LITTLE more tan?)...
and here you have cute, pregnant Heather in her element. (She may quite possibly kill me for this one. Haha).


I'm already ready for NEXT YEAR'S beach trip!!

Here's to the start of summer 2010...one of the many reasons why I love being a teacher!

And this is for you, Katey...

Dear Katey,

Remember when you did this to me?

Well, HERE'S what I have to say about THAT.

Love, LT:)

He won. And I love him.

I love Lee.

all new!

So...how do you like the new look? Thanks to leelou for her professional help! I started feeling a little guilty for paying someone to design my blog, but I justified it by remembering that blogging is a hobby of mine, and in comparison to lots of other hobbies (ex. hunting, scrapbooking, etc), it's a very CHEAP hobby, right?
Other than a few things I want to rearrange, this blog look is here to stay for a while! Want a change to yours? I highly recommend leelou!

Now.... if you'll allow me to get back to my beach trip...:)

sweet, sweet Mom.

Happy birthday to my beautiful, kind, selfless, wonderful mom!

I love birthdays. I love celebrating birthdays with people I love and giving them as much attention as I can on their special day! I could sit here and make a list of a million reasons why I love my mom and why I think she's THE.BEST, but I'm going to actually do something a little different. Instead of ME writing reasons why I love her, I want YOU to leave me a comment telling me why YOU love her. Got it?

Mom reads my blog daily (except for weekends), so on Monday morning she she'll be so excited to see just how much she's loved!

Happy weekend and happy birthday MOM!

700

(This is my 700th blog post. WOW.)

ANYWAY...
No more school for me!

If you need me next week, you'll find me here:

HAPPY SUMMER!

and we have a winner!

Thanks for entering the drawing for the devotional! I had 11 entries (10 people, one of which was entered twice). In past give-a-ways, I've used this site to generate a winner, but today, I decided to do it the old fashioned way. I selected a student to choose a strip of paper out of my hand. The strips looked like this:

1. Tracy

2. Joy

3. Nancy

4. Trish

5. Mims

6. Nikki

7. Katey

8. Julie

9. Bailey

10. Bailey

11. Alison

And the name chosen was:

BAILEY!

Congrats to you! Please email me at LLTomlinson@hotmail.com and give me your address. I'll get it sent to you as soon as possible!

You're going to love the book!

he's gonna win.

Umm. Yeah. I pretty much love him.

This was amazing.

Tomorrow!

I'm drawing a name for my give-a-way tomorrow! If you haven't already entered to win, be sure to go back to this post and leave me a comment!

a "shower" and a birthday!

For a few months now, I've been so looking forward to a weekend with my dear friends Claire and Meredith. As you probably remember, Claire is currently living in Birmingham, and Meredith and her husband are in Texas. Needless to say, it's very rare to actually spend time with these girls at the same time. Claire and I (along with several others) planned to have a baby shower for Meredith, who's expecting little Madeleine in August! She was expected to fly in from Texas last night, the shower was going to be this morning, and then the 3 of us were going hang out tonight. I've just been so so excited about this weekend I could hardly wait!

Imagine the disappointment we felt when we heard that because of bad weather in the area, Meredith was unable to get a flight out of Texas. She called me from the airport last night IN TEARS because after all of the excitement, she wasn't going to be able to come to her very own baby shower afterall! My heart broke for her as I imagined my sweet, pregnant friend crying alone in an airport. (STUPID WEATHER!!!)

Even though Meredith couldn't technically be at her baby shower, we still wanted to do something for her. A few of the hostesses, along with some of Meredith's sweet family members, were able to get on Skype with her this morning and we got to open some of her presents for her to see. I must say, it was bittersweet because I wanted her THERE, but it really was the next best thing.

Here's a picture of dear Meredith at her "shower" this morning.

..and here's a picture of the 3 of us...
We missed you, Mere!!

On another note, my favorite buddy Max turned 4 today! In case I haven't told you lately, I.LOVE.THIS.DOG. He's such a big boy now!
Happy birthday, dear Max!

Give-a-way time!

I've got another goody to give away! I have a nice, unused copy of Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost for his Highest"! If you haven't read it, it's a WONDERFUL read and makes a great daily devotional for anyone. (The copy I have, however, is purple leather, so it looks a little feminine--it may not be the best gift for a male!). It comes in the original box, and as I mentioned before, it's never been used!

Want it for yourself OR to give away to someone for a gift?

All you have to do is leave a comment letting me know that you'd like to be entered in the drawing, and like my other give-a-way, if you give me a shoutout on YOUR blog, you'll be entered twice! (In your comment, let me know that you've mentioned it on your blog, so I'll be sure to enter you twice!). I'll announce the winner next WEDNESDAY, MAY 19!

So what are you waiting for??

TGIF!

what's not to love?

I have had to rewind this last night because I loved it so much. How in the world is America going to choose?

I know I can't!

BRING IT.

Well, folks. I've almost made it. I'm in the middle of the 11th week of P90X. Doesn't seem like 11 weeks ago when I was beginning the torture, does it? It's a 12 week program, so if you do the math, you'll see that I have only about 1 1/2 weeks remaining.I'm guessing you may have some questions for me, so allow me share the answers of questions you probably want to ask me:

1. Have you enjoyed it?

YES. I wanted to quit the first couple of weeks (as you probably remember), but I stuck with it and glad I did!

2. Would you recommend it?

Yep! I would recommend going into it with goals in mind though. For example--I think the main reason I wanted to do the program is because I was wanting a challenge and wanted to get "fit". I definitely could've handled losing a couple of pounds during the process, but I'd be lying if I said I stuck with the diet that went along with the program-- come to think of it, I never even looked at the diet that goes along with the program. Perhaps I should've eaten less mexican food and more lettuce, but I love me some chips and salsa and that's not something I'm willing to give up. Lack of will power? Maybe, but I would rather consider myself "a fun girl who likes to go out to eat and have fun with her fun friends." Doesn't that sound better?

So, the lbs may not have come off, but I can definitely tell in my muscle tone. In fact, call me crazy, but I may actually start the program over and do it again. I now know what to expect and I think I'll enjoy it more the 2nd time around. (Not to mention the fact that I'm saving $$ on a gym membership!).
3. How do you feel?

Fantastic! For the most part, I've had more energy and just feel better all around.

4. Do you still want to punch Tony in the face?

I sure do! He's a pretty smart guy though, I guess.

5. Did you take before and after pictures?

Yikes. No way. Who wants to take a picture of themselves in a bikini? Not me.

So... are you on the fence about whether or not to take on the challenge?

BRING IT.

sweet Mamaw and a high school grad!

One of the most important things I've learned in my "adulthood" is how important grandparents are. I was blessed to have 4 wonderful grandparents. Only my grandmothers are living now, but I have wonderful memories of my Dada, who passed away only 3 1/2 years ago, and I hear stories about my Papaw, who unfortunately passed away when I was a very small child.

My Mamaw (Mom's mom) lives in assisted living in Meridian. Though I'm not able to see her nearly as much as I like, I think of her daily and I love the times I AM able to see her. I drove to visit her yesterday, and was so glad to see her. She has Alzheimer's (which is what ultimately took my Dad's dad's life), so this horrific disease is not new to me, but I was so glad to find her having a good day yesterday. We had a great visit. There really wasn't anybody around to take a picture of me, but I managed to snap one myself. :)

She's probably already forgotten that I was even there, but it doesn't matter to me. I try not to take for granted any of the time I'm able to spend with her and was glad to be there to wish her a happy Mother's Day!

Another reason I was in Meridian was to attend a graduation party for my cousin's (Lisa's) daughter, Tiffany. I remember the day I found out Lisa was expecting Tiffany, so it makes me feel slightly old to think that she's now graduating high school. I'm proud of this girl, and I was glad to be with her yesterday!In just another year, I'll be helping Lisa's sister Monica's daughter, Brooklee (get it?) celebrate HER high school graduation!

Yeah. I'm old now.Brooklee and Tiffany, the 2 girls responsible for making me feel really, really old right now.

Only 2 more weeks of school for me! And not only that, but this weekend I get to see Claire and Meredith!!! YEP! I'm helping to host a baby shower for Meredith this weekend, so she's coming all the way from Texas!!!

Excited? YES.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

...to my fabulous mother, 2 wonderful grandmothers, 2 amazing sisters, and all of my friends who have babies of their own...

This is your day! Enjoy it and know that you are loved!

...and then there were 4...

I'm not trying to be mean, but I was ready for Aaron to go home on Idol. Talented? Sure. Cute? As a bug! But NOT American Idol material. I personally think he's too young and needs a little maturing. So there's my opinion on that, whether you wanted it or not.

We're down to 4 now, and I couldn't agree more with the final 4:

1. Casey James.

Cutie patootie, but I predict he'll go home next.

2. Michael Lynche.

Sometimes I love him, sometimes I don't. He's the wishy-washy contestant.

3. Crystal Bowersox.

My favorite performer. I predict that she's going to win.
4. Lee DeWyze (aka the love of my life).

LOVE.HIM. I think we're soulmates. I already tried to befriend him on facebook, but he already had too many friends. Dang it. Any other suggestions on how I can let him know that we're meant to be together? I want to come across as stalkerless as possible.

Even if he doesn't win, he's going to be successful; so once we're married, I'll probably never have to work again.

Glory.

Opinions?

Let me know by voting on my poll to the right.

Happy Happy Friday--almost!

a new blog look is in the works!

So, I went here and then selected one of these that I liked.

After that, I visited this site and found some illustrations I wanted to include on my blog.

It's somewhat of a financial splurge for me (slightly more than I'd hoped!), but I think when I see what she can create for me, it'll be worth it!

Stay tuned!

Cinco de Mayo, aka, Heather's birthday!

Happy 27th birthday, baby sister Heather!Heather's had a lot happen in the past year. She and Trey have moved to a new city AND they became parents! I think Heather would agree that her 26th year of life was a fun one, but here's to hoping that her 27th will even better!

You probably already feel like you know Heather personally, but I can't go without posting something special about her today, right?

So here you go, Heather, here are 27 reasons you're loved!:

1. You're a brat---but the cute kind of brat!

2. You'll always be my "baby sister" I don't care how many babies you have of your own!

3. You're smart, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. ;)

4. You married a pretty cool guy.

5. You can still perform high school cheers. (The "cool guy" mentioned in #4 isn't such a fan of this).

6. While you may not know how to add, subtract and perform other simple math tasks, you can design a web page like nobody's business.

7. You call me no less than 249 times a day.

8. You're the most indecisive person I've ever met. Sure it can be annoying at times, but it makes you who you are!

9. You remind me of Mom and that's a good thing.

10. You still sleep with "Baby"--(at least when Trey's out of town!).

11. You're a good friend. You have friends all over this country!

12. You have become such a "housewife"! You cook yummy meals for Trey (even though you once left the poppyseed out of Poppyseed Chicken!)

13. You love Mississippi State.

14. You are a "Starkvillian" at heart!

15. You live near the beach.

16. You share my love for dogs.

17. You let me invite myself to visit.

18. You enjoy a margarita as much as your older sisters!

19. You're easy to shop for.

20. You're cute. Even after giving birth.

21. You're so artistic!

22. You're one of the funniest people I've ever known.

23. You have great hair.

24. You can't tell time on an analog clock. You always make me read it for you.

25. You love old people.

26. You blog and everyone knows how much I love a blogger!

27. You're such a natural mommy. I love seeing you with Jones! Thank you for blessing me with a new nephew!

You're a blessing to me and I hope you have the best birthday today!

babies EVERYWHERE!

SHE'S HAVING A BABY!!!That's right! My sweet friend (also fellow teacher and beach-goer!) HEGS is preggo!

Never have I seen a greater example of faith, hope, and patience than what this girl and her husband have exemplified.

What an amazing encouragement to me and so many others!

This baby is already loved more than he/she (my vote is a "she", but I'm wrong approximately 99.9% of the time!) can even imagine.

I absolutely can not wait to stand by this dear friend during the next several months of this exciting time. And don't worry, when that baby is born later this year, I already have a personalized t-shirt to wear in my first picture with him/her (thanks, HEGS!). :)

Congrats to the Simmonds'!
Love, "LaLa T."

design help!

I love making blog headers, but I'm kinda ready to have something done a little more professionally! Several of you have used certain designers to create a web page just for you. Does anybody have a recommendation of who I should get to create a "look" just for me? I've done a little browsing, and some of the places I've looked have like 3 month waiting lists--by the time 3 months is over, I might be over the whole idea! Anybody know where I can get one designed fairly soon? Obviously, these "design packages" cost money, but any suggestions on where to find somewhat inexpensive ones?

Thanks!

little baby boy on the way!

One of my dearest friends from high school is having a baby boy very SOON and I was so thrilled to be able to help host a shower for her today! I absolutely can't wait to meet little Barrett Thomas Jones (cute name, huh?).

Here's the cake I had someone make for her shower. Isn't it ADORABLE? I would like to tell everyone that I made it myself, but that would in fact, be a very big lie.

I have had several people ask about the talented cake-maker, and with her permission, I'm going to tell you a little about her so maybe you can contact her the next time you need a cake made! Her name is Melanie Owens. She doesn't have a website, but she is on facebook and she created an album with LOTS of different cakes she's made. She's SO TALENTED! If you live in the area and you're in need of a cake, I would HIGHLY recommend her! She was super easy to work with and very reasonably priced. I will definitely use her again! Let me know if you need more information.

And back to the shower....

I hosted it with Lorin Chancellor and Mary Straton (who was unable to attend but was missed greatly!). It was so great to see Ashley and her cute little pregnant self. Nothing like old friends, right?

Congrats to Ashley and Darren!

My little college graduate!

Congrats to my not-so-little cousin Jake! I'm so proud of this guy and was so proud to be a part of his day yesterday.

Enjoy the pictures! (oh--and GTHOM!)(I was so proud of his cap!)

Bobby and Stephanie hosted a graduation party last night. Good times (although we all missed Heather, Trey, and Jones!).

Happy May!