We interrupt this blog...

I know I said that for the month of February I was going to do a "love" a day; and yes, I've had to double up a couple of times, but we now have a full blown interruption. Beeeeeeeeeep.


My last post was about my parents and my in-laws and why I love them so much. (I must preface this post with the fact that I love them all no matter what. Not because of "certain AWESOME things" that they do for us, but because they raised us surrounded by love!)

So, I must interrupt my blog because John and I are headed to Costa Rica! Come 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, we'll be flying the friendly skies to Central America! This place holds a special spot with us. We've been here twice before with John's company; but this time it's all us and we can't wait! Eventually, we will make it a family trip. We can't wait to let the kids see this unbelievable land...but for now, it's us!

So, to make up for the seven days that I will be unavailable to update my blog, I will post seven things about Costa Rica that I love!!!

Waterfalls:
Beaches:
Rainforest:
Volcanoes:
The Resort:
The unique wildlife -- Sloths and Monkeys:

Couple time!!!!
So, thank you to our parents and to all of our friends who are acting as personal chauffeurs for our kids while we are away! We owe you all BIG TIME!

Pura Vida~
Laurie

I love these "peeps"!

Have I mentioned that I'm pretty darn lucky in the "parental" department?!?! Well, I am! Not only do I have doting, supportive parents, but I have some awesome in-laws, as well!

I was lucky to grow up in a close knit family with parents who supported me in my many stages of "dreams"! Then I got married; and when a lot of people are kinda given their wings to fend for themselves, I still had their support and -bonus- I got an addition of another set of supportive parents!

Example:
When I came home from the hospital with both Sam and Lily Clare, my mom and mother-in-law became a tag-team of incredible care givers/teachers/extra set of hands...they were like a team of professional wrestlers who specialized in pampering me and the precious newborns!

**This kinda resembles them, but different hair, for sure!

Anywho...

These four people are special and I know that I'm a lucky girl having them in my life!


Oh, and another reason I love them sooooo much is because they are about to do an incredible favor for John and me. Which will lead to my next post.............

To be continued~
Laurie

I love the thrill of the hunt...

Maybe you remember last summer when I mentioned that the kids and I were going to take on "geocaching" as a new hobby. Well we did and we got stumped on one of them and kinda let that new found hobby go to the wayside.

So on this three day weekend, we decided to start it up again; and with the help of our fearless leader (father/ husband/ John), we conquered the puzzle! Third time's a charm, right?!?!?

See anything at the bottom of the crack in the tree?!?


Ta daaaaa!

And guess what...we uncovered three others as well!





What a fun, adventurous day!

On the hunt~
Laurie

Fresh Air

Oh my goodness, I sure hope where ever you are right now that you've had the day that we've have! This weather is just beautiful! (And I know that we are very fortunate to get his little reprieve in the middle of February!)

I love fresh air and I've been waiting for a day like this to breathe it in, let it in, soak it in for a looonnnng time!

Today was an incredible 70 degrees with scrumptious sunshine! Have I used the word "beautiful" yet?!?! (I know I did, just wanted to reiterate it!)


First thing this morning, I opened the doors and windows and let the stale air of my house flow out and allowed the fresh air in....my house smells like nature right now and I love that! (Also, smells like the ribs that John is cooking - an added bonus for my nose!)

Looking forward to another day like this tomorrow...

Fingers crossed~
Laurie

Nuts for peanuts!

I have a very endearing relationship with peanuts! God knew what he was doing when he gave me allergy-free kids, because I don't know if I could give them up ...seriously! Sam and Lily would have to sport a hazmat suit because I would definitely still be eating my spoonful of peanut butter!


I like them in any shape or form:


And don't forget the Southern delicacy....


Throw in some chocolate and you've won me over forever!


Goober~
Laurie

"I Love"

I love how little Miss Lily Clare, at the ripe age of 5, can spell "I Love You" without any help!

She asks no one how to spell it! She may ask how to spell a name, she may not place the "To" or "From" exactly right, but the "I Love You" is always perfect!

**"SSam" was this lucky recipient!

"I love" my girl~
Laurie

Oops

O.K., so my blogging mind got a little blurry yesterday and I totally forgot to update ye old blog. So, once again, I'll cover two topics...

Friends:

I consider myself very lucky in the friend department! First of all, I'm one of those people who likes to be around others; I like to talk to others (even strangers) and I like to make new friends! I need some quiet time once in a while, but the majority of the time I'm around other people...talking.

My friends are girls that I can truly depend on. We're not all alike, we're not always in agreement with what everyone else is doing, but we're close and we'll do anything for one another. And that's a good feeling!

I love my friends!







Compliments:

I love compliments! Giving them and receiving them! No, I'm not shallow -- be honest, how do you feel when you are complimented about something? Your hair, a job well done, the way your children behave (whew)...it makes you feel good! Now, think about when you compliment others. It always puts a smile on the other person's face. And doing that for someone, makes me feel good!

So, here's the latest compliment I received....

I was in charge of Sam's Valentine Party on Monday. It was a blast and everything went according to plan. (Which is a lot to say of a 3rd grade party.) Well, during the party about 4 children came up and hugged me and told me that it had been the best party ever!!! (blushing) And then this little note came home with Sam:


I Rock...so I'm told~
Laurie

P.S. Thanks Grace!

I love my valentines!

My life revolves around these precious people and I love that!


My heart:

My soul:


My loves~
Laurie

Quotes!

Oh, how I love quotes and poems! If you've noticed, I use a lot of quotes on my blog and on my Facebook page. I love being able to sum up a feeling in a sentence or brief statement.

Here are some of my current favorites (they change frequently)....

The Best Things in Life Are Free ~Author Unknown

When we count our many blessings;
It isn't hard to see
that life's most valued treasures are the treasures that are free.
For it isn't what we own or buy
that signifies our wealth.
It's the special gifts that have no price:
our family, friends and health.

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. ~Desmond Tutu

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. ~Mahatma Gandhi

May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country! ~Daniel Webster

Inspired~
Laurie

Coffee Talk

I love my morning news programs!


Both Good Morning America and NBC's Today Show! I love coming back from the bus stop in the mornings (yes, I'm standing at the curb at 6:50 a.m., before Matt Lauer or George Stephanopoulos have graced the tube) and sitting down to hear about the world's happenings.
I like to sit down with my coffee and have 45 minutes to catch up on what's going on. Now, at points, I could care less -- ie: Lindsey Lohan's latest escapade or Nancy Grace's psycho-babble, but otherwise, I'm interested.

And one of my favorite segments is GMA's "Your Three Words". This little segment is very heartwarming and shows the creativity of others. Oh yeah, another reason why I love this segment is that I submitted a clip and it was featured on air!!! Here's what aired on GMA (We're the last segment of the video, Back to School--do you see Sam?)



Up to date~
Laurie

I love "Mr. Romance"

Who, you ask, is Mr. Romance? Well, it's this beautiful, blonde haired boy whom I call Sam!

As I've mentioned in previous posts, Sam is quite popular with the ladies. He seems to always have a girlfriend - or two. Is it his good looks, his sense of humor, his suave personality? I'd say a combination of them all.

Well, we all know what Monday is, right?!?! Valentine's Day - the day of love! So we spent this afternoon doing valentines for the kids to exchange at school. When we were at the store purchasing said valentines, Sam asked if he could buy a special gift for Grace. Grace is his friend that happens to be a girl. (Dare I say girlfriend?!?) He informed me last week that she had given him a heart shaped note that said, "I hate you". Wow, how things can change in a mere 7 days!

So here is Mr. Romance's valentine for Grace.
All ready to be delivered on Monday!

The lucky girl will receive a candy necklace, a heart shaped tattoo, a Lego card and a Fun Dip pack.

Watching Cupid at work~
Laurie

Bootscootin'

No, not line dancing...boots! You know that I sometimes use this blog as a little bit of therapy, so I'll admit here that I have a little love affair with shoes. But today, I'll focus on my boot addiction.

Boots are fun! Dressy, casual, pants tucked in, pants outside, cold weather, rainy weather....no matter what, no matter where, they are cute!

I'll say that each pair gets a lot of attention and none are pushed to the side or ignored. At least it's a functional addiction, right?!?!

And, you know, as I look at this picture, it reminds me that I do not have any "Ugg" type boots. I've really been wanting some of the mid calf boots with shearling accents. I guess I'll check some end of season sales!

Toasty toes~
Laurie

P.S. Just wait until you get to see my flip-flop collection!

I'm in love with a 119 year old man!

Now before you call John and get him all out of sorts, let me explain. This gray haired man is none other than...

Bear!

Yep, he's 17 years old (we think). Multiply that by the 7 yr dog to human conversion = 119. Bear followed me home while I was jogging waaaayyyy back in 1996. After a hunt for his owner, him disappearing for a few days and then reappearing after being hit by a car (again, we think) he made his way into our lives permanently! And what a love he is!

This dog has never growled, nipped, bit or rolled his eyes (ha) at us in the 15 years we've had him. You know what he does? He loves. He loves, loves, loves and all he asks for is some scratches behind the ears or a pat on his head. What does his life look like? Well....

He knows a good relaxing spot when he sees it!

He is very good at "hide and go seek"!

He's always in on the action!

And yes, I know what is to be expected from a 17 year old dog, but that sadness is for another post that I hope I don't have to write for a while!

Love my furry senior citizen~
Laurie

I love this preciousness!

John and Lily Clare went to their first Father - Daughter Dance on Saturday night and look how beautiful they both looked!

Surely you know by now that Lily is definitely a Daddy's girl! I've learned not to take it personal, but I can usually guess who she will ask to sit by or to do something for her and honestly, I find it so cute! So, needless to say, Lily was so excited all week! Every morning she had her countdown until the big day. And when Sat finally arrived, we headed to the hair salon for a hair cut and then came home to prepare for the big date. This included the painting of the nails, the applying (very lightly) of the make-up and the donning of the fancy dress. She was beside herself when it finally came time to leave.

John said the evening was full of dancing, crafts, dinner and even a surprise visit from "Ariel"; Lily's favorite princess! She came home with a goody bag, a huge smile on her face and this picture, which is a new treasure being added to my memory bank! I sure hope this bonds lasts forever...even if that means I play second fiddle. It's still beautiful music!

Love my Daddy's Girl~
Laurie

Two loves

Well, Super Bowl Sunday threw me off and I didn't get a chance to post...so, I'll cover two of my loves today.

#1 -- Trader Joe's

(That is not a UFO in the background. It is a water tower. Don't be alarmed!)

If you don't have a Trader Joe's grocery store near you, let me say "I'm sorry!" And I'll try not to rub it in too much that we have one right around the corner! But, these little markets are awesome! I don't do 100% of my weekly shopping here, but I definitely make a weekly trip to get my T.J. faves!

Their stores are smaller than most, their prices are great, they carry a wonderful variety of all nature products and guarantee everything they sell! Not to mention, everyone that works there is always happy and eager to help...maybe it's the Hawaiian shirts they wear! They also have a sample station where they have some dish ready to sample. I've discovered so many new items, because I was able to taste them.

They have an awesome floral department with great prices!


Their stores are very organized and the perfect size, so you don't feel overwhelmed!


The kids love to go with me for two reasons. First, they have those small carts that they can push around (watch your heels!) and, second, they have a stuffed bear, "Teddy Joe" that they hide throughout the store. If you find it, you tell an associate and get a treat, like a cookie or a piece of candy. So the kids definitely get bummed if I don't include them in my trip.


Here are some of my favorites that I picked up today:

Coconut Curry Chicken Tenders
Wild Rice Pilaf
Chocolate Chip Dunkers (YUMMM)
Sundried Tomato and Basil Sausage
Mini Beef Tacos

So, if you're ever near a store, I highly recommend you drop in! And keep your eyes open for the bear!

#2 -- The slow emergence of Spring!


I noticed these on my way to the mailbox on Saturday. I sure hope this is a sign that the warmer weather and the beautiful season of Spring is around the corner!

Happy heart~
Laurie