Laurie's Life

My trip to Dallas for Dotmom, happened because of Steve and his parents keeping the girls!  Kay-K brought SK a hidden picture book and she LOVES it! Sarah Kate is always so proud to match Bitty Baby! Loving on Pop. They love their Kay-K! Playing the girls favorite game,  Headbands! Emily's most favorite thing ever....going to Petsmart. Daddy's favorite place,  Cabela's. Experiencing fun art at Crystal Bridges! I love that they had fun while I was having fun!

I serve on the women's council at my church.  I LOVE women's ministry.  One of the ways I serve on this council, is getting speakers for events.  In other words, I am the official "speaker getter." I LOVE my job! In the past few months, we have had Mamie McCullough and Melinda Bunyard.  Both were EXCELLENT!!!!! Mamie McCullough lives in Dallas  and attends Prestonwood Baptist Church.  She is very funny and very personable.  She brings a message of encouragement and motivation to keep pressing on.  She has been through many painful things in her life.  She got her start speaking through Zig Ziglar. Melinda Bunyard lives in NWA and she is a Bible teacher.  She brings God's Word in a very practical way.  She has served as a missionary and is now director of a preschool.  She is very sweet and her Godliness is so evident.  She is a seasoned speaker. In April, we are priviledged to have Debbie Stuart.  She also lives in Dallas and has served many years as the d

I am so thankful that I got to go to Dot.mom this weekend.  It was one of the best conferences I have EVER been to, and I have been to a lot.  Not only was the conference great, but I got to spend lots of time with some of my most favorite people in all the world!!!  It was a delight to meet Sophie, from the Boomama blog.  She is such a sweet person and funny too.  I like funny! Tracy and Aimee.  I am so glad they went.  They are both so sweet.  Tracy's daughter, Sarah Grace, is Emily's best friend.  We had dinner Friday night at a Mexican place and I got some great salsa!!!  I was a happy girl. More of our crew having dinner.  I enjoyed the time we got to spend with Angie Smith.  Selah is my most favorite group ever!!  This is Kelsey, Angie's nanny/friend. I am so blessed to call these girls my friends. We had dinner at Pappadeaux's.  That is my kind of food! I love these girls! I wore that coat the whole time we were in Dallas.  I kno

Saturday afternoon the girls and I went to one of Steve's most favorite stores.  The girls and I enjoyed walking around looking at the wildlife displays.  This big bear greeted us at the door.  Sarah Kate refused to have her picture taken with the bear.  She did not want her back to the bear and she wanted to keep her distance. I feel like that big bear sometimes.  Don't you?  When someone mistreats my children,  I feel the mama bear coming out. Here is the recipe I made for us on Valentine's Day.  We enjoyed it.  I thought the girls would love it, but they ate like two beans and one bite of sausage.  This is one of those recipes that tasted better the next day.  I thought this recipe was a lot of fun to make! Biloxi Red Beans and Rice 1lb. red beans 1 1/2 tsp. salt.  ( I used a LOT more) 1 lg onion, chopped 1/2 lg green pepper, chopped 2 slices of bacon 1 rib celery, chopped 1 lb country type sausage (cut in rounds 1/2 inch thick) Place beans in a lar

I took the girls to visit my parents this past weekend.  We had a wonderful and relaxing time.  The girls love to make Jello with my mother.  We had a wonderful Mom conference at church last weekend.  It was just what I needed!  I left the retreat early on Saturday morning so we could get on the road.  My parents live about five hours away from us. Tonight I am making red beans, rice and sausage for our Valentine's dinner.  I have never made it from scratch before, so this will be a test.  We have learned to stay in on this day so we don't have to fight the crowd. Last night,  I watched Hoarders and then My Strange Addiction.  It made me feel so normal and I felt like my house looked spotless.  There was a lady on my strange addiction that grooms her cat by licking her and then eating her fur.  I laughed so hard!!!!  I DO LOVE Kristen the cat, but I would never in a million years do this.

Thursday morning began really early for us.  I sat my alarm for 5:35 a.m.  It was Emily's class Valentine's Day party and it was early.  The party was to began right when school started.  SK was going with us.  I put Emily in a hot pink dress.  SK and I were wearing our Valentine's best.  We had to leave the house at 6:50 in order to get a good parking space and get Emily there on time.  SK was super fussy and I had Steve helping me get her ready for the party.  Emily had done all her cards the night before and had her box in her backpack. We pull up to school and I was so proud that we had made it early.  It is not very often that I am early.  The girls were super hungry.  We all skipped out on breakfast since the party was breakfast food.  I was just so proud because we got a very close parking place and I was so proud to be one of the first moms there. Walk in the office to check in and get name badges and all that.  I say, "we are here for Emily's Valentine

My mother gave us a terrible scare a couple of weeks ago with a bad report on a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound.  When she asked the diagnostic radiologist if it was cancer, he replied, "I do."  Those were NOT encouraging or comforting words to hear. She had a biopsy Monday and PRAISE the LORD Jesus,  NO CANCER!!!!!!  I don't think we have ever been so relieved! She had many people praying for her.  We are so thankful for the prayers, concern and kind words from so many. While we are so relieved and thrilled, it makes me so mindful of people that are going through terrible sickness.  I am going to pray for the people at the oncology office near my house, everytime I pass by. Thank you Jesus for hearing our prayers!!!!

This picture is for the grandparents.  It is the latest picture of the girls. For those of you that care about cats, Kristen is on the mend.  We need her to eat the Hills Science diet, but she looks at me like, "are you kidding me?"

My favorite feline is sick.  I noticed Wednesday that she was in the litter box about six times.  I don't EVER see her in the litter box, so this caught my attention quickly.  I called the vet first thing Thursday morning and they gave her a Friday morning appointment.  An hour later I noticed that she was peeing blood.  I called back and they gave her an appointment that day.  I dreaded trying to get her in the carrier and the drive to the vet.  It was just as awful as ever.  I was sweating, she was escaping.  I ended up capturing her in a pillow case and slowly lowering her in the carrier. The Vet checked her out and found that she had blood and crystals in her urine. ( I had to take in a sample.)  You can see it was a fun day.  She was given a bag of fluids, pain meds, antibiotic and prescription wet food.  (She hates the food.)  She is continuing to go to the litter box about 10 times a day.  I never thought I would see the day that I was praying for a cat's urinary tract