Laurie's Life

 Three weeks ago today, Kelly and I left for Kelly's parents house to spend the night and then travel on to Mansfield Missouri to the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum.  I don't remember ever having such a wonderful time.  Everything about the trip was great.  I think I smiled the whole time.  Kelly and I laughed and talked and had so much fun.  The girls loved it too!  I have ALWAYS loved watching Little House on the Prairie.  My girls like it too, but not as much as I do.  I think I could have stayed at the museum two days.  It was so interesting to think about the real Laura and Almanzo.  I ate it up!  Sarah Kate did not want to lose her ticket.  She held it the whole time!  Here is where the Wilders did their banking I want to go back.  In fact, I want to work there! ha!

We celebrated our 11 year anniversary a little early this year.  Our anniversary is not until the 16th, but this was the weekend it worked out for grandparents to come stay with our girls. We spent the weekend in our "go to"our place, Branson!  We enjoyed three great meals at some of our favorite places!  We love Cantina Laredo, Joe's Crab Shack and Landry's.  Cantina Laredo has my favorite steak and salsa! We also saw Everest in the IMAX theater.  It was really good!  I was able to do some good shopping at the Tanger Outlet mall. It was just good and healthy to get away together for a while!  So thankful! ( You know you are staying in a nice hotel when they have robes for you!)

Here is the one picture I took this weekend with my regular camera.  I went with two of my favorite friends to Nashville last week for the Dot.mom Conference.  This was my third time to go!  It did not disappoint.  I learned so many new things about being a mother.  I am so thankful that Lifeway offers this conference. It was good to get away and have girlfriend time!  We had so much fun together.  We had many laughs and really good food!  I need to travel with these girls more often because I came home weighing two pounds less than when I left.  WEIRD!  I ate a LOT of food! Christy Nockels led worship and it was incredible!

I have always had oily skin, but it has gotten better with age.  I have noticed in recent years that my cheeks seem to get a little flakey.  ( I know some people that way too!)  I talked to my dermatologist about it this Summer and she suggested I use Nizoral shampoo on my face about three times a week.  Nizoral is very expensive dandruff shampoo, but it has really helped my complexion.  I am also using Cetaphil and this Clarisonic.  These are doing the trick!

These girls are growing up too fast!  They are now in 2nd and 4th grades.  They wanted to dress alike and I thought that was so fun!  Hoping and praying they will both have their best year of school yet!

 I was in a pharmacy today to pick up a couple of gifts.  I spotted these Jelly Bellies at the checkout.  The pharmacist and the checker were so excited about them and told me all about them.  The trickster/immature side of me could not resist!  I was sold.  In fact, I bought three boxes. One is a good flavor and one is a DISGUSTING FLAVOR.  You don't know which one you will get. I got to the car to dig into my new found beans.  The first flavor was baby wipe.  Tasted just like Baby Fresh wipes.  Not that I have tasted a baby wipe, but just like you think one would taste.  It was tolerable.  Second was canned dog food.  Tasted just like it!  SO GROSS, but I ate it.  THEN.......skunk.  THE WORST THING I HAVE EVER tasted.  I spit it out on the street as I was driving.  That was all I could do.  The taste is still with me. I showed the girls this afternoon and SK dared me to eat the barf one.  I took a nibble.  Let's just say I may never be the same!  My tongue is still num

 Oh how I wish I was at Disney World right now!  Today is a busy day!  I also have a cavity I have to get filled today.  No fun!  We LOVED eating at Coral Reef.  I hate wonderful shrimp and grits and a flourless chocolate cake.  SO GOOD!  In our room at Port Orleans.  I loved the atmosphere at Ohana!  I also enjoyed the chicken, steak, shrimp and bread pudding!  THIS was the only time at DW I got hot.  We stood in the sun for about 30 minutes to meet Pluto. We can't wait to go back!

 Week before last, we went on our second Disney trip!  We had looked forward to it for a LONG time!  Our flights there were good!  I am always thankful for a smooth plane ride!  Flying makes me super nervous!  Always has, always will. They first time we flew to Orlando, SK got sick on the plane.  She did not have any problems this time.  Here we are about to take off.  I think everyone that goes to Disney World, takes a picture right along here.  THIS is the highlight of SK's Trip!   BB Boutique.   We had dinner at the Grand Floridian with Cinderella and Company.  When we did this two years ago, the food was not very good.  This time it was a new menu and so much better!  SHE was so proud of this hair!  Emily looking so beautiful!  The wicked Stepmother said that she pretends she smells something horrible for the pictures.  Ha! We ALL had such a WONDERFUL time!  My favorite rides are the Winnie the Pooh, Soaring and Star Tours.

 When I was teaching school, I ate French Toast Crunch from the cafeteria every morning.  After Emily was born, I stayed at home.  When she was a few weeks old, I began trying to find the cereal in our local grocery stores.  GONE!  Of course, since I loved it SO MUCH they stopped making it!  I saw of some morning show a few weeks ago that French Toast Crunch was coming back.  The company had gotten so many letters requesting they bring it back.  THEY DID!  I bought some this week and I have enjoyed it so much!  But,  my cereal returned but my beloved oyster stew is gone!  I am pretty sure I am the only person who ever bought it.  My sweet girls on Easter!  Sarah Kate got saved a while back, but Easter Sunday she went down front to profess her faith and she will be baptized soon.  We are so happy for her!

I have really missed blogging!  We have had computer troubles that have kept me away from my blog!  I have a ton of pictures that I could post, but I won't. Today is my 43rd Birthday!  It has been a WONDERFUL DAY!!!!!  I have had lots of fun, encouragement some good ole relaxation!  (Along with Chili's chips and salsa!  Enough for 6 grown men!) My sweet girls worked really hard last night in their fairy costumes to create a Birthday party for me.  They spent about an hour and half getting it all set up and decorated.  They did it upstairs and told me could NOT go up there today.  I honored their wishes.  Tonight, they called me up there and had it all decorated.  They had a cake and games.  It was so cute and they were so proud and excited!!!!!!!  They have been SOOOOOO excited about my birthday for the past several weeks.  They had a crown for me! They had homemade cards, prizes, favors, gifts and a treasure box!  We played Bingo!  It was all so cute!  

I am starting to think about Bible studies for our ladies at church in the Fall.  We are finishing up Beth Moore's Children of the Day, James McDonald's Authentic and Priscilla Shirer's Breath.  They are all EXCELLENT!!!! Do you have a study you have done personally or in a group setting that you really liked? Would you mind sharing?

Well, this may be the most boring blog post I have ever done.  I have put up with a very outdated phone for the past five years or so, and really liked it!  In October,  that phone bit the dust.  I tried so hard to get it repaired but two different phone places laughed at me and told me they did not even make parts for that phone anymore. I then got one of Steve's old phones.  It completely died after about 3 weeks. Then I got a Go phone.  It did the job and I liked it, but Steve convinced me I needed a better phone when an update was available. SO...proud to say I am the new owner of this beauty! I HATED it the first two days, but now I LOVE it! Everything I need is on this phone and I LOVE the camera on it! I have not done a blog in a long time because our card reader went out on our laptop. We are back in business today.......so I did a post.

We were so thankful that my parents were able to come celebrate Emily's Birthday on the 29th.  Steve's parents had planned to come but his Dad got the flu.  The girls sure love spending time with their grandparents. We were also able to have a late Christmas celebration with my parents while they were here.