Laurie's Life

 Last night we had our Sunday School Christmas party.  Despite sickness and calendar conflicts, we had a good turn out.  I am so thankful for our class.  God has blessed it so much.  We have a very special group.  We are so close and look at each other as being family. Last year two wonderful, faithful couples moved.  It was very sad for our class.  But, God is so good,  He brought us FOUR new couples who are very faithful and involved!  Elizabeth, Mindy and Lenette Shelley and Kacy Jessica and Kelly Me and Vonda The food last night was so good!  I had two plates of it! If you do not attend a Sunday School class,  I want to encourage you to be a part of one. (I met Steve in Sunday School.)  You will benefit from it.  God wants you to always be learning more about Him.  The Bible tells about the importance of being with other believers.  If you have children, they need to...

Well,  Steve had held out on being sick with the stomach virus until Saturday night.  It hit him.  I am happy and thankful to report that we are all better now.  Except I have an ear infection.  My terrible sore throat turned into a bunch of drainage and resulted in an ear infection.  I did not feel well at all over the weekend and my balance has been very off.  I was still running fever Monday morning, so I went to the doctor.  I am now taking an antibiotic.  My ear does not hurt anymore, but it is stopped up and driving me crazy!!!!  I just want to sit in a comfortable chair and just stare. We are hosting our Sunday School Christmas party this weekend, so I am trying to get ready for that. I have heard so many sad things in the past few weeks that I hate to complain about my health at all.  Next post, I hope to be doing better. Just something to think about...... GOD loves you soooooooo MUCH!  Always has, always will....

Life does not always go as we plan. Last weekend, Emily got a stomach virus.  Monday she was fine and we had a good day.  Tuesday, despite a terrible sore throat, I packed our bags to go to my parents for Thanksgiving.  We were so excited to see them, be with family and Steve had plans to hunt.  The girls were so excited to play with friends and their cousin. Wednesday morning we loaded up and headed for South Arkansas.  We had been on the road for two hours when Sarah Kate told us she did not feel well.  Within one minute she threw up all over the truck.  It was just awful.  We were in the middle of nowhere.  We made it to the next town and stopped at a Walmart for Steve to get us towels, wipes, bowls and trash bags. I called my parents and asked them what we should do.  Should we keep driving or turn around and go back home?  We still had about three and a half hours to go. We just did not know what to do...

Several weeks ago,  I found a Thanksgiving themed cupcake set.  The girls have been so excited to make the cupcakes.  Saturday morning, we made them together.  The girls love to cook with me!  We made carrot cake with cream cheese icing.  I thought they turned out really cute! Today our family got to eat with Sarah Kate at her class Thanksgiving feast.  It was wonderful!  We ate the best chicken and noodles EVER! Ms.  Beth is SK's teacher this year and she also taught Emily.  WE are so thankful for her.  SK's class had made butter to go on their bread.  So fun.  The children also made the noodles in class.  We love our pre-school.

Steve left last Friday to go hunting in South Arkansas.  My parents came last weekend and were of tremendous help to me.  We have missed Steve so much and were so surprised yesterday when he came home a day early.  It was a wonderful surprise! He did not see many deer.  I think he only saw one and that is the one he shot.  He took the deer to a meat processing place, so we should be good on meat for the next year. The girls have wanted Steve to get home and put up our Christmas tree and other Christmas decor.  They got a start on it last night.  Steve told them that we had to put out the nativity sets first.  He explained that Jesus is the only reason we have Christmas. Some of you have asked about the stray cat, Graycee that we had this Summer.  She was with us for 7 weeks.  I ended up giving her to a local family.  I heard from them a couple of weeks ago and they love her and she is doing well.  They sa...

 Frankie, our Elf on the Shelf arrived last weekend.  The girls are thrilled.  Do you do Elf on the Shelf at your house?  Emily and Sarah Kate wrote up a Christmas list over the weekend.  Emily asked for a baby sister and SK asked for a real pet unicorn for our backyard.  Sorry, but Santa will NOT be delivering on these two items.  SK is in her bedtime get up.  Check out the four barretts in her hair.  Emily is writing her nightly note to the fairy about a kitten. Kristen the cat is recovering nicely from her tooth extraction.  She still holds her lip like Elvis from time to time.

I had the lovely honor of taking Miss Kristen to the vet yesterday.  She went in for a routine exam, shots and to have her teeth cleaned.  I get so stressed out about capturing her and getting her in the carrier.  Yesterday proved to be no better then before.  She is determined NOT to get in the carrier!  After 15 minutes of attempting to get her in , I resorted to the pillow case capture.  I entice her in the pillow case and then bag her up like  Santa and his bag of toys.  I lower her in the carrier and she is meowing and hopping around in the bag the whole time.  I am stressed, she is stressed. About and hour after I dropped her off, the vet called me and said Kristen had a fractured and infected tooth.  It needed to be extracted.  When we went to pick her up at the end of the day, I realized it was her main front fang tooth, as I call it.  She is taking pain meds for the next few days and is only eating wet...

Saturday was a wonderful day for our family!  Steve was invited by his friend Matt to go deer hunting.  Steve LOVES hunting.  Later that afternoon we all went back to Matt and Kerry's cabin for dinner.  Matt and Kerry are super nice and so easy to be around.  It was so so fun.  We love to go driving through the country on beautiful Fall days.  The cabin was so beautiful and in a gorgeous location!!!!!  It was the perfect evening.  Kerry had brisket (love),  twice baked potatoes, green beans, rolls and blackberry cobbler and ice cream for dessert.  The guys made S'mores for us!   Our friends Nathan and Elizabeth were there too.  They are people persons and so much fun!  I love holding Elijah! Matt and Kerry have Will, 2 and Grayson, 4 mos.  They are so cute and I got to do some cuddling with sweet Grayson.  My girls LOVE Will.  You would think he was there age. I am so thankful for our ...

Sarah Kate dressed as Dorothy this year.  She has planned to be Dorothy for about 6 months.  So glad I was able to find her the costume! As for Emily....she was  girl named CiCi from Disney's show, Shake it Up.  I have never seen the show and I did not think Emily had either, but she said she watched it with a babysitter.  Oh well, she was proud of her costume.  I don't let Emily watch those pre-teen shows yet.  There is nothing wrong with that show, but I just try to keep her shows age appropriate.  I have noticed that a lot of those shows have a lot of smarty kids and subject matters that Emily is not mature enough for right now. We had some adorable little bumble bees stop by our house.  We all went Trick or Treating together and it was SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It was a magical/memory making time for the girls. I think Harper had the best time of her life.  She wanted to hold my hand all night and she woul...

Last weekend Emily's school had their Costume Carnival.  Emily loved going around to the different booths with her best friend, Sarah Grace. Before church on Sunday. For those of you who have read my blog for a while, you may have picked up on my crazy fear of birds.  Those of you who know me well, have seen me act a fool because of a bird.  People often ask where the bird fear came from.  I really don't know, but I have three ideas. 1.  When I was little, around 3, I remember stepping on some baby bird eggs as I was walking home from our next door neighbor's house.  A tree had been cut down that day,  the eggs had fallen and I accidently stepped on one of them.  I remember I was wearing sandals and I remember being upset about what had happened. 2.  I had a cat for nearly twenty years.  She would often kill birds and bring them to our door to show us her prize.  GROSS. 3.  Last week,  I was reading Sing a Son...

Here is what I found when I went in to check on Sarah Kate before I went to bed.  She took her socks off and made them into these fancy white gloves.  She looks like a tired princess.

We had playgroup this morning.  The children wore their costumes. After I put on my jeans this morning, I decided I would go and just drink a glass of ice water.  BUT,  Caryn went all out and had my favorite pizza-Mazzio's.  I could not resist.  It was so good!  Then I topped it off with a Reese's cup and some m&ms and some Whoppers and some Hershey bars.  I enjoyed every bite! I also enjoyed being with my wonderful friends!  I LOVE being with my Sunday School class girls!!!!

Emily went to her best friend's sister's birthday party about three weeks ago.  She had a wonderful time at the party! The party was fairy themed and it was all just darling. The children were read a story about a glitter fairy named Camilla that would make your wishes come true!  Just sprinkle some special glitter dust on your head and the fairy would come grant your wish. Well, Emily put and entire vile of glitter on her head.  (That was fun getting out!)  She wished for a kitten.  She was convinced she would have a kitten by morning. Next morning came and there was no kitten. Emily has not given up.  Most every night right before she goes to bed, she writes a note for the fairy and puts it under her pillow. Each note gets a little more desperate.   Emily has convinced Sarah Kate to start wishing.   I noticed a note in Emily's window Saturday morning.   I love this one.  I laughed so hard as I w...