We're a Real Animal Kingdom around Here

So apparently, my child has developed an imagination and is starting to use it. At some point today, Lauren was being chased by a rogue "turtle" that found its way into the house. She came to the kitchen to tell Jeremy and me about being chased by the turtle and then turned around and yelled into the living room "no turtle, go away!" Clearly amused, Jeremy and Lauren went on a turtle-hunting mission through the house to rid us of the nuisance. This involved much running and yelling, because this particular turtle was of the extremely fast-moving variety. The turtle was finally apprehended, and Jeremy threw the turtle out the back door with an admonition to not come back. Sure enough, the turtle listened and didn't come back. However, not two minutes later, Lauren came running back into the living room from her bedroom with her little hands high in the air..."Daddy, help me get rid of these two chipmunks, please." Clearly, it is a jungle around here y'all.

Friends Are Friends Forever

Admit it, you're now humming the song in your head and thinking back to high school - when this song was sung how many times your senior year?

I had a wonderful time last night with some of my friends celebrating a birthday, and it started me thinking about the friendships I've had in my life. So I thought today would be a good day to blog about them.

I have one particular friend who has known me longer than anyone else in the world (except my family of course). 21 and 1/2 years ago (are we really that old LP2?!?), a sweet red-head introduced herself to me in Mrs. Carrouth's Science Class. I was 10 years old and starting 5th grade in a brand new town. Only God could have known how scared and anxious I was, and only He could have known exactly how much LP2 would mean to me through the years and how many things we would share - boyfriends in Michigan, playing hooky to visit with them when they actually came to visit (seriously, what WERE our parents thinking?), a lifesize James Dean cutout scaring us to death, more crushes than I can remember or count, broken hearts, lots of tears, but even more laughter, and most importantly, our density - that brought us together! We added other friends throughout our middle/junior/and high school years, but I always knew LP2 was in my corner, and thru the awkward and crazy teenage years, that made all the difference. That friendship continues even now - when we can go ages without talking, and then pick up like we've never been apart when we're together. Now, we're sharing pregnancies and stories about our toddlers and asking ourselves every time we're together how it's possible that time goes as quickly as it does.

In junior high and high school, I branched out a little bit and made friends with a group of great guys from our youth group. Most weekends in high school were spent driving around our small town getting kicked out of Wal-Mart for trying to film our youth group announcements, or seeing if a guy in a rooster suit could get a hug from a stranger. Those guys protected me and loved me like I was their sister, and I'm sure I avoided a TON of trouble because I had them to keep me on the straight and narrow.

I went to college in the town I grew up in, and quite a few of my friends went with me. My best friend left for ACU, and I was sure she would find other friends to replace me. However, the funny thing about life-long friends is that they seem to leave a particular shaped hole in your life that only they can fill, and even though we grew up and matured, and to some extent, grew apart, I always knew if I ever needed her, she would be there in a heartbeat. And to this day, I know without a doubt she'll always be just a phone call or email away.

I got married after my sophomore year in college, so most of the friendships I had then kind of centered around the friends you have as a newlywed. And while I still keep in touch with some of them, there are only a few that I see or talk to on a regular basis. Jeremy and I lived in Searcy for awhile and kind of floated from circle to circle trying to find the people we related with the most after we graduated. And, we had a few friends, but we also spent a couple of years watching some of our friends' marriages dissolve - which puts friendships in a strange spot when you feel like you have to take sides.

When we moved to our current town 4 years ago, we were blessed to find a church that had a very active group our age. We immediately found our niche and fit right in, and that group accepted us like we'd been there forever. As that group has grown and changed, couples have moved away, and other couples have moved in, but the group continues and grows, and I look forward to every other Friday night to spend time with this group and just hang out.

Throughout my entire adult life, I have never had a close group of girlfriends. For some reason, except for my few girlfriends in high school, I have always related better and been friends with guys. And you know, once you get married, that really isn't appropriate. So, for many years, I kind of floundered trying to make friends with girls that I really didn't have a whole lot in common with. Until a couple of years ago, when a certain group of girls came together and ended up staying together. It's almost like the stars aligned, and God smiled on us - which brings me to the group I ate dinner with last night.

We are in various stages of our lives: one of us is finishing up PT school, one of us is pregnant with her first child, one of us is planning on being pregnant soon (yippee!), four of us have children ranging in age from almost 3 to almost 6 months, and one of us has two children who are 8 and 10 (and who is also the only other mother of girls right now). We have distinct personalities that sometimes are polar opposites, but you put us together in a room, and you'd never really know how different we all are. We have laughed together and cried together, and the longer we're friends, the more I realize how unique what we have truly is. We spend time together on a weekly basis and miss each other tremendously when we're not around each other, and we see that same attitude developing in our children now. We eat breakfast together every Friday morning and spend a good majority of weekends together too, and thankfully, our husbands get along! Of course, they seem to know they have no other choice :)

Sitting around the dinner table at the restaurant last night, sharing crazy family stories, celebrating another year together and another birthday, my heart was full, and I was content. Content being at a table where there's no judgement, where I'm free to speak my mind and share what's going on in my life, and content in the fact that aside from my blood family, there are no other people in the world that I'd rather sit around a table and share my life with then the family that was at that table last night. God willing, I plan on growing old with these girls, raising our families together, and I can only imagine the things in store for us. So, if you were at that table last night (or are one of the ones that is usually at that table), and happen to be reading this today, know that I am thankful everyday for you and for what God has blessed us with, and I can't imagine being anywhere else. You girls really are my BFF's :)

These are My Peeps

For Easter this year, the only thing Lauren asked the Easter Bunny for was a Peep - which she later changed to 2 Peeps. This video is her telling me how the Easter Bunny was going to find her at Mimi and Pappaw's house. She got way more than the one Peep by the way. Apparently, the Easter Bunny rewards such humble requests.

Diligently decorating Easter eggs.

Teddy Grahams - can you believe it!?

Success!

Easter Morning Innocence

Y'all don't think he loves her do you?

Pretty fly for a white girl!

I love this kid! (my brother)

These are my peeps!

Something Else to Celebrate

“Despite our efforts to keep Him out, God intrudes. This
life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities; a virgin’s
womb and an empty tomb. Jesus entered our world through
a door marked ‘No Entrance’ and left through a door marked
‘No Exit.’
God breaks into our world even when unexpected and
unwelcome. God joins us in our weakest and worst moments.
God longs to be a part of our lives and while He will never
force His way into our hearts, that is exactly the place
where God wants most to be!
God came into this world and all the power of evil could
not stop His entrance – His intrusion. And everywhere that
God is, good blessings and joy will be. Yet too many persist
in attempting to keep God “out.”
God wants to be in each heart, not just in moments when
we are righteous and good, but even in the moments when
we stumble and fall. What humans miss when they refuse to
allow God to enter and be a part of their lives!
Whatever one’s life story may be, God longs to be
included. He never rejects an invitation to enter in and begin
to make us holy and fulfilled. Would you make room in your
heart and your life for God to dwell?”
– Peter Larson, Prism (Jan/Feb 2001)


After celebrating the Razorbacks win tonight over Indiana, and while surfing the web in the wee, small hours of the morning, I came across this article in the College Church bulletin in Searcy. And I couldn't help but think as I read it about the celebration that must have taken place 2,000 years ago when the tomb was discovered empty. I love the phrase "this life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities" because really, when you get right down to it, our God is a God of impossibilities. What we as feeble humans think should be impossible is absolutely possible with God. And even in those moments where things that are so tragic and unexplainable happen, I have to put my complete trust in God, knowing that there are some things in this life that I will not understand, but God does, and God is still in control, and at the end of the day, isn't that really all we need to know?

As Lauren grows up and learns more about the God who made her and knew her before we did, who knows the number of hairs on her head, and who knows exactly what He has in store for her, it's important for me to make sure that she is also prepared for the pain and heartaches of this world-which all parents know is no small task. But, I fully believe and have every intention of stressing to her as she grows up, that pain happens, hurts will come, but it's all temporary, and it's all serving (at least in a small part) to create a longing in her for the world to come. A place where there will be no tears, there will be no sadness, or pain, or grief, or heartache. A place where, quite frankly, I find it hard to imagine sometimes because the stresses of this world so easily cloud that vision.

During this Easter weekend, may you feel God's presence, and enjoy the celebration that we have knowing that the "God of impossibilities" loved us enough that he came to earth, suffered and died, and then rose again and wants more than anything to have a relationship with us. An empty tomb, and a God who wants me, warts and all...a God who went to Hell and back for me so that I could be in Heaven with him someday ~ now that's really something to celebrate!


Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” (NLT) Matthew 19:26

A Task Bigger than the Hoosiers

Apparently, the Hogs have another, more pressing task than defeating the Hoosiers tonight. I wonder if they know about it?





Here's hoping someone finds the baby elephant they should be saving, and they can get it done before tip-off.

Also, I did that to her bangs. She knows better than to touch scissors - unfortunately, her mother hasn't learned that lesson yet. Oh well, thankfully her hair grows quickly!

This Child, She's All Mine

For those of you who know me, you know my love of all things sports - especially college basketball, and most especially, March Madness. I've filled out brackets for more years than I can remember, and before Lauren was born, I was glued to my desk watching or listening to the games online and contributing to the overall inefficiency of the American work force in March. And in some of my not-so-fine moments of weakness, there have even been times in March that I have called in "sick" to work - usually with a March Madness fever. If you've ever watched a game with me, then you know self-restraint is not my strong suit when watching sports (a fact met with much head-shaking by my husband, although after almost 11 years, he's at least stopped trying to convince me that the players on TV can't hear me). Thankfully, now that I'm home, self-restraint is no longer a problem. As I sit here, I'm yelling at Georgia to hang on to their lead for just a few more minutes.

I tell you all of this to give you some insight and background for what happened just a few minutes ago. Apparently, my excitement for the upcoming tournament has been noticable to the 2 year old that lives with us. In the 2 and 1/2 years Lauren has been on this earth, I have managed to already instill in her the importance of this time of year. Sitting down to lunch today at her little table in the living room, she looked up at me and said, "Mama, let's watch some basketball." Words that melted my heart and made me swell with pride. So y'all, that's exactly what we're doing - and I couldn't be happier.

Where We've Been Since September

Since I have not been keeping up with blogging on a regular basis, I thought I'd share a few of the highlights of the last 6 months - of course, that means I have to remember them, but for the sake of my 2 readers, I'll try really, really hard.

In September, we headed north for a visit with Jeremy's family. We stayed with some friends in St. Louis and spent a wonderful day at the St. Louis Zoo introducing Lauren to all types of animals. We headed up to Iowa from there and spent a great long weekend with the family.
We celebrated birthdays, Fall, Halloween, our first Razorback football game, Thanksgiving, a wonderful cruise, our first Razorbacks basketball game, Christmas, Winter snows, and a Daffodil Festival. I think that's all. Please feel free to enjoy the slideshow recapping everything - it's more interesting than anything I have to say :)

Is there anybody going to listen to my story?

My writer's strike is over! After I'm not sure how many months, I'm back blogging again. So, if there's anyone still out there, greetings. Although, after so many months away, I've probably alienated all 3 of my readers. However, if you're reading this, thanks for sticking by me. I've been tossing around the idea of starting this again and then over the past couple of nights, I've gone to sleep thinking of things I should put on here. Since I'm thinking I have things to write about now, I guess it's time to start putting them down again. So, here goes.

I'll work on getting some new pictures of Lauren on here because I know that the 3 of you here are only looking for updated pictures of her - and I'm ok with that...really I am.

So, in the next few days, look for new pics of Lauren, and some great stories from a 2 and 1/2 year old that makes every day a little bit better just because she's in it.

It's good to be back!