Laurie's Life

This has been a very good week for me. But, I have been a little too busy for my taste. I have had something EVERY night except for Tuesday night. I am soooooo happy to be able to relax tonight with my family! We all need it! Thursday night we had our Sunday school girls night at Rachel's house. We laughed and had so much fun. I am sooooooo thankful for my church friends. Rachel has the cutest/neatest house. Her house is FULL of personality. Our Sunday school class is filled with personality too! I think everyone feels like they can be themselves in our group. We are so blessed to have each other!!!!!! I always ask group questions and we have lots of fun and laughs with the questions. This first picture is Amy, Kacy and Kelly. Silly poses with Berkli, Vonda, Rachel and Ashley Amber, Jessica, me, Beth,(I took Beth as my guest) Jennifer. Julie, Ginger, Bethany and Elizabeth We had the honor of having Angie Smith speak to our Women's group this morning. She was wonderf...

Last night I went to Kelly's surprise baby shower. I loved seeing the surprise on her face! We had a lot of fun! Steve went deer hunting with Scott this past weekend in South Arkansas. He killed a deer with his bow. I was very happy for him, but very sad for the deer and it's family!!! While Steve hunted, I went with my parents to a dog show that my hometown hosts. It was a really nice show. I had never been to one before. They had over 600 dogs participate. This was my favorite kind of dog. At the dog show with Meme. We also went to a cupcake shop that is new in town. Yummy Cupcakes is the name! Gotta LOVE the little cell phone on top. Sarah Kate had her first dentist appointment last Thursday. She did great and she got a very good check-up. They were explaining x-rays to her. Sarah Kate was making an imaginary phone call before going in the dentist's office. The girls LOVE to watch the Wizard of Oz. My parents bought the movie for them and they love watching it...

On Valentine's day, Sarah Kate and I went to Belk's with the intention of getting Steve some pants. He had a Christmas gift card from there and I had a really good coupon to use. As we were approaching Belk's door, a rather large bird came speeding right in front of us. Sarah Kate said, "Oh NO!" The bird looked REALLY stressed out. I was really stressed out at the sight of him. I thought to myself, "that is a road runner." He was trying to get in Belk's. There was a man sitting on the bench right in the entry way and I said, "what kind of bird is that?" He replied,"that's a road runner, can't imagine what it is doing here." There was a couple right behind us talking about the bird also, The bird said, "beep, beep" as it crossed their path. No, I am just kidding, but it makes for a great story. I don't think I have EVER entered a store so quickly!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't even know you could see a...

Happy Valentine's Day! Steve and I were able to have a nice Valentine's date on Saturday night! I was like a new woman after being cooped up in the house for four days. Tonight Steve is cooking dinner for me and we are having crab legs. I LOVE crab legs and all seafood! I am so thrilled to see sunshine and be back on our normal routine! For all you singles girls, here is my advice: Wear your favorite outfit, have your favorite food and rent your favorite movie! I used to always do this on Valentine's day!

Yesterday morning it was 17 degrees BELOW zero here. Everything was so beautiful and quiet outside. I loved seeing the frozen ice on all the trees. I have not been out, but I am not going too crazy this time around with being cooped up. I have actually gotten a lot done and the girls have been pretty good. BUT.....I am ready for Spring!!!!!!!!!!! My little "pick me up" this week has been burning candles I LOVE! These candles remind me of Spring and Summer. Several years ago I found these Circle E candles at a Hallmark Store in Shreveport. They are WONDERFUL candles. This scent is my favorite. I have never found anyone that does not like this scent. Bird of Paradise is their number one seller. It is a great fragrance for anytime of the year. There is only one store in NWA, to my knowledge, that sells these candles. They are high quality candles with a strong scent. Last Summer I got hooked on Island Nectar from Bath and Body Works. I burned this one all day yester...

I don't remember EVER seeing this much snow. It is sooo beautiful!!!!!!!!!! Reminds me of when Mr. Ingalls opened up the window and climbed out onto the snow in his snow shoes. I am happy to be snowed in with the ones I love so much! Steve is home today and that NEVER happens!!!!! I am looking forward to watching American Idol tonight and not having to worry about going anywhere. Emily has been working hard on her Valentine cards and Sarah Kate has been pretending she is Clara from the Nutcracker. I have worked my way through a pile of clean laundry that was deeper than the snow. BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love to wash clothes, I just hate putting them away.

I am the proud owner of a new pair of Gap Long and Lean jeans!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got out today and went to the mall. I was on a mission for jeans. THANK YOU to all my readers that recommended these jeans to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The girl that waited on me in the store was sooo nice and friendly. She asked very enthusiastically, "DO YOU WANT TO TRY THOSE JEANS ON?" I am sure she was really thinking," sweetie, you are mooning us all, let's get those on you quickly." I put them on and almost sang the Hallelujah Chorus in the dressing room. I bent over and squatted down and everything else I could think of and THEY STAYED UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I came of of the dressing smiling so big that my teeth were showing. People probably thought I was NUTS! Just happy to be comfortable and NOT exposing myself!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks again for all the help!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Day 447 of captivity..............oh , no, excuse me, it is only day 4 but it seems like 400. I have had a very content attitude about being snowed in until last night and I nearly snapped. It has been snowing again today. But, I have been able to get a lot of things done, like laundry. On Tuesday night, we smelled a strong natural gas smell coming from our bedroom/bathroom. We went to bed, like idiots. We had our carbon monoxide detector in there and it showed nothing. At 8:00 a.m. Wednesday morning, I called the gas company. The nice lady asked me several question and needed my verbal agreement that we would leave the house promptly and wait on the man to come check on the problem. I told her that we would leave, BUT I had a two year old, a five year old and my husband had taken my car to work. She told me we HAD to get out of the house. I was thinking "well, we slept in it all night." She had me terrified. She gave me a list of instruction before we got off ...

We are snowed in today and I have loved every minute of it! Steve came home at noon. I am cooking the wonderful "Mississippi Roast." The sad part is that Steve and I cannot keep out of the roast. There will not be much left by the time supper gets here. Sarah Kate had her tutu and tights on by 8:00 this morning. She said she was ready to go see her friend Neely. I told her that we could not go to Neely's house because we could not drive on the ice and snow. She said, "It's okay mama, I will just walk." She stood by the door half the morning crying about wanting to go to Neely's house. Emily wore her glasses to church on Sunday and some friends told her they looked weird. She has not had them on since. I caught Sarah Kate in them this morning. I know that Steve truly loves me! I am the ONLY one in the family that likes Kristen. Last night I was convinced that Kristen had gotten out of the house. I was panic stricken. Steve got out of bed at 1...

Well, Emily and I made a little trip to Claire's today so she could pick out some glasses. She had never been in Claire's and there was lots of very dramatic gasping coming from the child. It was really funny. It was as if she had never been out before. She had a wonderful time. She picked at least 20 items that she said she wanted for Christmas.....she is thinking ahead. I actually think she likes the glasses holder better than the glasses. We shall see how long these glasses last. I think the new may wear off very quickly! I began wearing glasses right when I turned four. My mother said I never tried to take them off and I never complained about them. Children at school often asked me if I had to sleep in my glasses. Funny!

Last Friday I took Emily to the Pediatric Dentist to get her cavity filled. She behaved WONDERFULLY!!!!!! I had really been anxious about how the appointment would go. I was completely miserable after they gave her a shot in her mouth because they put a cotton stick in her mouth for her to bite on. The reason I was miserable was because I was afraid she would choke on it. I call it a cotton stick, but I know there is a real name for it. It was about an inch long and about the size of a thick pencil. At first, she just bit down on it and I was not too worried. As her mouth got numb, she began chewing on it like a cow chewing a cud. She was lying flat on her back. I could just see the cotton going down her throat and choking her to death. The nurse told me they give them to kids so that they will not bite their tongue or mouth once it becomes numb. I thought to myself,"what would be better for her to choke or to bite her tongue or mouth?" I asked the nurse if anyo...

I got this recipe several years ago from my friend Melinda. We were helping with a baby shower and several of us were asked to bring this recipe for enchiladas. I made them and I was hooked. I love to make this for dinner guest. I make this recipe using chicken most of the time, but I have also done it with hamburger meat and with boiled shrimp. They are all good. My favorite is the shrimp. You could just fill them with shredded cheese and use no meat at all. 3 chicken breasts-boil and shred or chop them. Then mix the following ingredients in a large sauce pan: 1 lb sharp cheddar cheese shredded 1 can cream of mushroom soup 3 cans cream of chicken soup 8 oz. sour cream 3 Tbs salsa 1 can chopped green chilis garlic salt and pepper to taste Just warm all this. DO NOT let it boil. Use a large baking dish (9x13) sprayed with cooking spray. Fill about 8 flour tortillas with chicken first and then sauce mixture. You will have LOTS of sauce left over. Pour all of this over the torti...

I had a wonderful, relaxing and fun weekend with a college friend of mine. I met Kim at Ouachita Baptist University during my sophomore year. We got to know each other when she saw me struggling to get into a tiny parking place at the dorm after a tennis class and she parked the car for me. We got to know each other better after that day. Kim is soooooo sooooooo funny. I tell her all the time that she should be a comedian. She is one of those people that everything that comes out of her mouth is funny. She gives me a hard time and I love every minute of it! Kim is a therapist and my personal, free counselor. She also has taken care of foster children for the past two and half years. I worked really hard last week to get the house looking nice for Kim and her foster baby to come visit. I worked hard to pick up the toys and get the floor clean and shining. On Thursday night, Emily was upstairs with me in the room Kim was going to sleep in. Emily peed on the floor outside the b...

I know Kelly already featured Kim as one of her single friends and everybody that looks at my blog comes here from Kelly's Korner. But, I had to share my friend Kim with you!!!!!!!! I have said before that it is the 8th Wonder of the World why Kim has never been married. I DON'T KNOW! But, God knows and He always has a perfect plan with perfect timing. I met Kim probably 10 years ago or more when I was involved in a college Bible study. I just clicked with her! Kim is SOOOO funny and easy to be around. She is very down to earth. She teaches high school and her kids LOVE her! I see this when we go out to eat and kids always come to the table to talk to her! Kim loves her job! She truly cares about her students! My girls LOVE Kim too. She is always so good with them. Kim is from a wonderful, loving Christian family. She loves God and she seeks to know Him better. She is always studying God's Word. Kim has her priorities straight! Kim would be a wonderful wife and mother. ...

We went out early this morning to play in the beautiful snow. We had spaghetti for lunch. Check out the ballet outfit and the face. She also ate blueberries for dessert. Thank goodness for Oxyclean. Sarah Kate fixed ice water for herself and Emily at lunch. I heard Sarah Kate say, " I don't wanna use that cup, it's angry!" Thank You Thank You Thank You to all of you who took the time to read my blog and tell me about jeans that might work for me! You have given me great direction! I am glad to know I don't have to go around like this forever. We have beautiful snow at our house today! I put the girls in mismatched WARM clothes and we went out. I wore my pink robe with a ski jacket over it. YES I DID! I could have stayed for hours because I was so warm. I am sure that no one saw me because we stayed in the backyard.

Well, Sarah Kate has moved from being addicted to the moneky shirt to this ballet costume. She has not mentioned the monkey shirt since Saturday. I am thinking this ballet attire could be much worse. She could actually wear the monkey shirt out, but not so much this ballet costume, especially when it is 32 degrees outside. My grandmother made this for me when I was three years old for a preschool performance. Sarah Kate loves watching her Barbie Nutcracker movie. She wants it on ALL THE TIME (the movie and the costume). She calls herself Clara. The shoes were Emily's when she took dance. This is the outfit of the week and it is a struggle to get her to wear anything else. I took this picture of her around 6:45 this morning. She put it on the second I got her out of bed. I need some help on something................ I am tired of low-rise jeans. I can't seem to get away from them. I bought a pair of jeans Sunday at T.J. Maxx and I was sooooo happy because I thought ...

I have told you before that I am not much into texting. I average getting about two text a week. On a good day, I text people back. My phone is VERY basic and does not do anything fancy at all. Yesterday afternoon I had my phone sitting on the end table in the living room. Kristen was sleeping on the arm of the couch next to the phone. I was in the bedroom when I heard a "BEEP BEEP." I was so excited, I had gotten a text. Kristen nearly had a heart attack because she was so scared by the sound of my phone. I leaped into the living room to see who the text was from. It was from Steve. His number appeared on the top of the screen. This is what it read: "Spending the night with the Stamps, I will talk to you tomorrow" I was thinking...WHAT IN THE WORLD????????????? Steve has NEVER even sent me a text and he is very very serious when he is at work. He is all business there and does not call me from work all that often. I was stumped at why he would be sen...

See this shirt. I call it the monkey shirt. This monkey shirt might be the death of me. Sarah Kate has gone bananas over this shirt. She wants to wear it every day! It has caused much screaming and crying in this house. I got these shirts for both girls in September. I don't know what happened, but on New Year's day, Sarah Kate decided it was the only article of clothing she could wear. I can't and I don't let her wear it everyday and it has caused us to be late to every place we go because Sarah Kate is having fits over wanting to wear the monkey shirt. I am about ready to throw both shirts in the trash. ha! Happy as a lark! Pink gum in her mouth and wearing the monkey shirt! These robes may be the death of Steve. About four years ago his mom gave me this pink robe. I LOVE IT! I wear it night and day, Summer and Winter. Steve has always hated it!!!!! He says that it reminds him of an old woman smoking a cigarette. This robe makes him cringe. His robe n...

Frogmore Stew. I know that is not a very appetizing name for a recipe, but I did not come up with the name. You may make Frogmore Stew at your house every week. This recipe may be old news to many of you, but I want to share a dish that Steve and I have often at our house. I found this recipe in Southern Living magazine about 12 years ago and I fell in love with it. 1 lb raw shrimp 1 small bag of small red potatoes 6 small ears of corn 2 links of smoked sausage, sliced Old Bay seasoning Boil the potatoes until tender. Add sausage and corn. Lastly, add the raw shrimp. Then add as much Old Bay as you want. I put a lot. It give it such a wonderful flavor! Steve likes me to add butter, but I usually don't. Here is another favorite treat of mine. Don't make fun till you try it! I LOVE to microwave my M and M's. I pour a small bag on a plate or in a bowl and microwave them for 3o seconds. They are soooooooo delicious. The candy shell pops in your mouth and that melte...

I have said before that I am terrified of birds. But, I have kinda gotten over being afraid of most birds EXCEPT blackbirds. I am terrified of them. I am more scared of them than I am snakes or rats or anything like that. It is my phobia. I am sure you have heard about the 4ooo birds that fell from the sky on New Years Eve. I am sure you have heard that 1000 of those birds were in Beebe, Arkansas. I can't imagine anything worse. If I lived in Beebe, I would have had to leave town for several days and maybe even sell my house and move. I am that scared of blackbirds. When I watch the story on the news, I have an increased heart rate, my body goes numb and my hands get ice cold. I read an article on the internet about it this morning and it made me shudder. I am even more scared of dead blackbirds than I am living ones. I know...I am very weird. I guess I need to see a therapist. When I was in Jr high, a BIG dead blackbird was on our youth group parking lot. My youth min...