Day 23 - What life has taught me.

While I've totally let this 'blog every day in May' challenge go out the window but I'm back for day 23...

Things I've learned that school won't teach me.

Where should I start. I could probably go on for days and days...

I'll highlight the more important few today.

~ Love yourself. When you have no one to turn to, you should be able to turn inside and feel comforted, feel confident with the person you are.

~ Don’t be so hard on yourself, we all make mistakes, fail, fall and get back up time and time again.

That's part of living life and the beauty in tomorrow’s.

~ You’re a good Mom. Regardless of the bad day, the yelling, the time-outs, poor manners, frustrations, you're still a good Mom. That love you feel inside for your child is like nothing else in the world.

It's surreal.

~ You can do hard things. Challenge yourself Laura, really. Push yourself to be great, to go outside of your comfort zone, to try new things. Just do it.

~ It's ok to not have the last word in an argument. It's ok to be the one to walk away and bow out of a fight. You’re actually the stronger person when you’re the one to swallow your pride and apologize first. Pride is ugly.

ps - next week I have a guest post planned by a really great friend of mine discussing a very real and raw topic about motherhood. You don’t want to miss her story.

Day 7 - My biggest FEAR.

I can already tell, this is going to be a tough one for me to write.  Something about feeling it and then putting this down, pen to paper, is a lot to take in.    Today's prompt - my biggest fear.    My biggest fear.   As a mother I have so many worries, fears and concerns but this is supposed to just be about the biggest one, so here goes.  

  My biggest fear is dying.    Now, I dont mean dying after living a long fulfilled life at the ripe old age of 99, I mean dying young.  Leaving my husband without a wife and even more importantly my daughter without a mother.    Just typing that makes me tear up.  Thinking about my daughter having to go through this life, in such a scary place without security and love from me, her mother, makes my stomach turn.    I just can't let my mind go there for very long.    I can't imagine someone else taking my place.  I can't imagine my husband marrying someone else.  I can't imagine not being the one to teach my daughter all the important life lessons.  Teaching her how to be a good girl, a respectable woman, a Godly woman.    Teaching her about love, life, faith.   I can't imagine missing her first day of school, the father/daughter dances, seeing her off on her first date, helping her choose a wedding dress, just being there for everything.   I can't imagine missing out on the late night talks about life where I share with her about me and my life, my experiences, my mistakes.  I can't imagine her learning about me from someone else - as just a memory.   No one would ever do as good of a job raising her, teaching her, loving her as I will.   I can't imagine the sense of loss she would feel if I weren't around.  

I can't imagine missing all the good stuff that's to come.  I even can't imagine missing the bad stuff.      

Day 6: If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question, "what do you do?"

I Mom.

  The greatest gift and "job" all rolled into one.  I've been so blessed to become a mother and it's my number 1 priority day in and day out.  Since Olivia was born our lives have changed.  I parent constantly.  Teaching her about the world, manners, love, Jesus, everything. There's no down time.  Every single decision I make revolves around Olivia and her best interest.     

  Since becoming a mother, the world has become both a more beautiful and scarier place.  I see things new through the eyes of a child.  The wonder and excitement she exudes at the simple pleasures that we tend to take for granted - a singing bird, a train going by, an airplane taking off, bugs, singing "super higher"... the list goes on and on.  

    On the contrary, the tragedy and evil in the world seems to weigh so heavily on my shoulders.  Mama Bear has to protect her child.  The desire to keep her close at all times but give her independence and teach her who to trust.  The fear of having to slowly let go and let her be exposed to this world.  It's all so overwhelming.   So, what do I do?  I Mom.  I take care of the greatest gift God has ever given me.  I provide, teach, play with, love, love, love, discipline, pray for, pray with and raise my baby girl.  

Day 2 - Educate on something you know a lot about.

Today's prompt - Educate us on something you know a lot about or are good at. Take any approach you'd like (serious and educational or funny and sarcastic).

This one threw me for a loop.  Hmm, there's a lot of things I know a little bit about but for some reason why couldn't pinpoint something I know a lot about.  I really don't give myself much credit I guess.

One thing, er, person I know a lot about is myself.  Over this past year alone I've learned more about me than ever before and I'm pretty sure it has to do with the Big Guy upstairs.  He makes me think. 

So, here's my list of things I know about me. 

Quirks, likes, dislikes, frustrations - you name it.

~ I'm terrible at saying "I'm sorry".  My husband can attest to that.  I'm working on it.

~ I'm a good mom.  I try my very best all the time.  Nowhere near perfect, but definitely good.

~ I'm great at making excuses for myself.

~ I could be a better wife.  My husband is awesome and we definitely are still learning how to do this marriage thing 3 years in so being a better wife is always something I'll strive towards.

~ I'm a good friend.  I love my friends so much and always try to be there for them.

~ I'm a good cook.  I make a mean lasagna, chicken and baked fish.

~ The sun shining makes me happy.  Automatic mood enhancer.

~ Praying makes me humbled.

~ Hearing my daughter pray makes me cry.

~ I drive too fast sometimes.  I've gotten better though.

~ I look best with dark hair.  I've tried to go lighter with highlights many times and it never, ever works.

~ I don’t do bangs well.  Also not a good hair idea.

~ I have big feet and I hate them.

~ I'm trying to be better about taking pictures and learning how to use my Nikon.

~ I have to wear mascara every day, specifically 2 kinds.  It gets the best results.

~ I feel prettiest when I wear black.

~ I always have and always will struggle with my weight.

~ Poor grammar makes me cringe.

~ I'll always consider myself "in progress".

~ I love my family more than anything.

~ I'm a proud child of God.

So - there you have it.  A bunch of tid-bits on information about myself.  Growing up and getting wiser to me means really taking the time to learn more about yourself.  This past year has definitely been a huge learning experience for me.  I've dug deep and remained thoughtful.  If you have any questions feel free to ask, I love sharing about myself. 

Now go link up!

 

Day 3: Things that make me uncomfortable.

This little blog challenge has really gotten my wheels turning.  Today's topic is things that make me uncomfortable.... I could talk about this for days, weeks even.  So, let's jump right in, shall we? ~ Being home alone.  Don't like it, never have and never will.  Not to be confused with alone time, that I enjoy, I just rather there be someone home and in another room. ~ Empty public bathroom, you pick a stall and then someone comes in and chooses the stall right next to me when there are 8 other options.  Why? ~ Car problems.  ugh.  My husbands car started making this mysterious noise literally a week ago and what do you know, $4,000.00 worth of repairs on a 2002 isn't happening. ~ Medical problems.  Enough said. ~ When you lend someone money with the promise to be paid back and they never pay you back.  It's awkward to ask and frustrating to be owed.  Not good. ~ Having a conversation with someone who has a different political/religious view than I do and knowing it's going the wrong way and fast.  I'm all for a friendly debate but when the person is a butthead and can't ever see another side to the story those conversations make me want to run for the nearest exit. ~ The gynocologist, cuz that's always fun. ~ The blow test at the eye doctors.  I'm an eye doctors worst nightmare.  I hate having anything close to my eyes so I pretty much freak out the entire time and refuse all the tests.

...well I'm thinking this is enough for today! Apparently lots of little things grind my gears! Hah!

   

Day 1 - Story of my life

Day 1, Wednesday: The story of your life in 250 words or less   I was born on August 19, 1983 and am an only child.  I grew up in Rhode Island and lived with my parents with family always close by.  As a child I was always overweight and it's still a struggle today.  When I was 19 years old I met the man I'd marry 7 years later.  May 29, 2010 we married and on October 7, 2010 we had Olivia.  The past 3 years have been amazing, tough, exciting and scary all at the same time.  I've never known a love richer than having your own family unit.   I have a few close friends that are sisters I never had.  We've been through a lot over the years and I love them dearly.     In 2012 my husband and I accepted Jesus as our savior and our lives have changed for the better.  Our main focus is to honor Him every day and raise our daughter according to His will.  We're still sinners and we struggle all the time but we're forgiven and it's beautiful.        

Getting Personal (Answering The Tough Questions)

Today I'm touching on some deep questions and linking up with Erin from Living in Yellow. (http://www.livinginyellow.com/2013/04/getting-personal-answering-tough.html).   One thing I need to work on personally is getting to know myself better.  For me it's easy to just go about the day to day activities and not really dig deep because as a mother others always tend to take precedense.  So today, I'm answering 10 questions that Erin posted and I'm focusing on me.   1. If you could do one thing differently in your life, what would it be? I would have pursued a career in college and stuck with it.  I went to a local 2 year school but then fell into a good job and dropped out of college.  Granted I'm still with the same company and make a decent salary but I wish I'd pursued a passion and got into a field that I love.   2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Living in Florida.  We have a 5 year plan and the ball is already rolling.  Olivia will be 7 years old and I'd love to have another child by then.  I'll most likely still be working.  I pray that my faith grows and I am still active in church.  We'll see what God has in store.   3. Do you honestly want kids? Of course.  I never saw my life without them.  Olivia is honestly the best thing that's ever happened to me.  My days are brighter because of her.  I hope to have another child someday too.   4. What has been the best moment of your life so far? By far - giving birth.  Those moments of anticipation right before your baby is born and the first time you get to meet them and hold them outside of your body, it's all just so surreal and amazing and emotional.

  5. What is your life theme song? This is a tough one for me.  I'm not really sure what my life theme song would be since my life is constantly changing but my "life right now" theme song would be Come to the River by The Rhett Walker Band.  It's a Christian band and the song is just so moving.  It's so applicable to my life right now.  Being a fairly new Christian I'm still learning how to rely on God and not myself.  This song talks about going to God all the time, for everything instead of trying to make your own way.  It's really a life lesson that I need to work on.  It also helps that Olivia loves this song and jams out when we have it on in the car!   6. What is one thing you have yet to accomplish that you want to do before you die? Lose weight and keep it off.  My lifelong struggle so far has been my weight and although I'm working on it right now it's still an everyday battle.  I've learned that it will always be an everyday battle for me, it's just my cross to bear.  I want to be successful.  I want to not give up when I have a bad week.  I want to be healthy and be around for my family for a long, long time.   7. If you could choose one thing to be known for, what would it be? I want my legacy to be that I was a great mother.  I love my family more than anything in this entire world and I always want them to know that.  I pray every day for God to guide me down this journey of motherhood.  It's the most important "job" I'll ever have.  Olivia's well being is my top priority.

  8. If you could do anything you wanted right in this very moment (no consequences, no fear, etc) what would it be? As long as this came with an unending amount of money, I'd probably pack up my family and our most important belongings and move somewhere beautiful.  Somewhere that I could relax and raise my daughter without fear of the real world hurting her.  Keep us all safe and make our own little world away from the world.   9. What has been the most challenging moment of your life? When my Grandmother died.  It was just awful.  I miss her all the time and think about her every day.  I remember every moment like it just happened yesterday.   10. Summarize yourself in one word? This is a tough one for me since I wear so many hats.  I'd have to say "growing".  I'm constantly growing in different areas of my life.  I'm growing in my faith, parenting, learning about myself...and the list goes on and on.    

More of my story - NSV

Looking within can be so difficult.  It makes you feel vulnerable and raw and emotional on so many levels.  Learning about who you are as a person is something that is essential for success in all areas of life.  Dedicating time to myself is something that I've always struggled with, especially now as a mother.    I'm linking up with KTJ to celebrate the non-scale victories.  I consider it a huge victory that I'm doing more than just eating right and exercising this time around.  I'm actually taking time for myself to figure things out.    I've discussed before that I had gastric bypass at 24 years old. I was young and immature and really didn't prepare myself mentally for what was to come.   For all the changes that would take place. For how I'd feel. How I'd have to feel because I couldn't eat. I eat to avoid feeling things.   Now, while this doesn't sound deep or complex it was. At 24 I was living for the moment. I was impulsive. You can include 'weight loss surgery' to the 'impulsive' list.

I wanted a quick fix. I wanted to have the surgery, lose weight and be normal. Little did I know what normal really meant.

Within a matter of 6 months I attended a seminar, learned about the surgery, completed all the required doctor visits and medical check-ups and then I was deemed ready for the surgery. I lost over 200 lbs in one year. It was successful. Or so they said.

Within that year I was super restricted on the amount of food I could eat. I made good choices because I had to. There was no room for more food to go and most things made me sick.

In August 2009 my grandmother passed away and I was devastated. This one event caused me to completely backpedal on my weight loss. I was making poor choices all around. Eating the wrong things, drinking too much alcohol, spending time with the wrong people and I was quickly spiraling out of control. I quickly stopped myself from drinking and seeing the wrong crowd but the poor eating habits still stuck around.   Between August 2009 and January 2010 I was slowly gaining weight here and there.    January 19, 2010 I found out I was pregnant.    I used the excuse "eating for 2" all the time and eventually ended up where I am today.  The bad eating habits went from once in a while to my normal routine.  Constantly making poor choices.  Foolishly thinking the weight would just fall off after I had Olivia and now look where I am.  2 1/2 years later and I'm even heavier.    Lately I've been really focused on thinking about my past.  Events that have led me to where I am in life, things that have happened or not happened that make me who I am today.  Some people say that I'm over-analyzing.  That I need to just get over the past and do it this time, exercise, lose weight and not worry about the past.    I feel differently.    Figuring out the what and why and how is essential for me.  I need to know these things in order to prevent the back pedaling from happening again.  

Say Hello!

Today I'm linking up with Laura from The Everyday Joys to get to know some different bloggers and add some new blogs to my reader.  This is a one day link up aimed at connecting you with new friends.  All you have to do is answer the questions below, grab the button and go link up on Laura's blog.    1. What blogs do you visit daily? Please list 1-3 of your favorites. I read so many blogs but my favorites are definitely Katie from Loves of Life, Jess from Wrangling Chaos, Ruthie from The Chronicles of Ruthie Hart, and Meg from Better Late Than Never.  Sorry, couldn't choose just 3!   2. Are you on Instagram? If so, what is your user name?   Sure am.  Username is Camarogirl819 3. Can we find you on Pinterest? What's your Pinterest address, and what can we expect to see you pinning most? (recipes, DIY projects, home decor, etc.)
Definitely on Pinterest.  I pin so so many things!  Lately it's been a mix of photography tips for using my new DSLR, bedroom ideas for Olivia's new big girl bedroom, healthy recipes to help me eat right and lose weight plus the occasional holiday craft that I can do with Olivia.  You can find me under username laurabeau819.   4. What are your favorite blog link-ups to participate in? (weekly link-ups other bloggers have...any number will do...please link us to them!)
Fab Friday's is always a must.  I really enjoy ending my week reflecting on the positive. Celebrating the non-scale victories with KTJ.  KTJ is a new blogger on a weight loss journey, much like myself.  Her linkup is focused on celebrating victories involving getting fit and healthy even when the number on the scale doesn't move.  Weigh in Wednesday with Alex and Erin is helping me stay motivated and motivate others on their weight loss journey.    5. Why do you blog? Originally I started blogging way back in the day when I had gastric bypass surgery which you can read about here.  I only blogged for a short time but eventually came back to it after Olivia was born.  Since then it's morphed into me writing for memories sake and most recently to share my weight loss journey and journey to finding the Lord.  I've met so many amazing, supportive people through blogging and I really enjoy the friendships I've made.  These women have been so encouraging, uplifting and fun!   6. Tell us one random fact about yourself.

I'm deathly afraid of masks!  Halloween makes my anxiety go through the roof.  I get really nervous when I can't see someone's face.    This has been a fun link up.  If you're a new reader, please say hi and link me back to your blog so I can read along with you too!  Happy Monday loves.    

I'm not the same me.....

I hear these people asking me How do I know what I believe? Well I'm not the same me And that's all the proof I need All This Time (Britt Nicole)  

This song has been on my heart for some time now and this part perfectly describes where I am in life at the moment. 

 

I'm not the same Me anymore, because I'm His.  I'm adjusting to life as a Christian. 

 

My husband and I made a decision to follow Jesus and raise my daughter to do the same.  We have been saved and accepted the Lord into our hearts and are learning to live by His word.  It's been quite the adjustment and we've received our fair share of judgment from friends and family who don't believe the same things we do, but, we are confident in our decision.  Funny how it really wasn't our decision but part of God's plan.  We know we are doing the best thing for our family.  Our lives have changed. 

 

Life looks different when you're walking with Jesus.  

 

I'm still new at this.  I'm learning how and praying for guidance to be a better Christian, wife, mother, daughter etc.  I still make mistakes and I still sin.  I'm nowhere near perfect, but I know that I'm loved and He died for me and my sins and I have forgiveness.  All of these things make me so humbled.  

 

I will share more about my journey to being saved and accepting Jesus.  I sit back and wonder how I got here and really, I dont know.  .  

 

 

 

Feelings

Yesterday was a tough day.   I blogged about my friendship issue in the past and I'm sad to say that it hasn't gotten any better or really changed at all. I tried to reach out to this person again 2 days ago and still got no response.  I'm at a loss as to what to do next.   So, while I'm figuring it all out, I went through a slew of emotions...  Sometimes you just need to sit and think, have a good cry, hug a puppy or go for a walk.  Send me some good vibes and prayers that this turns out the way it should.  It's really heartbreaking to lose a friendship that you've had for such a long time and not even know why.   

Tag, You're It!

Callie Nicole from Through Clouded Glass tagged me in her "about me" post

yesterday and included 11 about me questions to answer along with a cute little bloggy award! 

I'm excited about this... seriously. 

I'm trying really hard to have an interesting blog, write consistently

and have followers that I can connect with and talk to so
hopefully this helps you learn a little more about me!

[the rules]

1. Post 11 fun facts about yourself on the blog post.

2. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post,

then pass those 11 questions to the people you've tagged.

3. Tag 11 people and link them on your post.

4. Let them know you've tagged them!

11 Fun Facts About Yours Truly

 ~ When my husband and I got married in May 2010, he took MY last name. 
We didn't really tell anyone before the wedding except our parents so the entire reception,
everyone thought that the DJ was calling us by the wrong last name by saying
"Mr. & Mrs. B." instead of "Mr. & Mrs. D." - we had to a lot of explaining to do!



~ On my first day of work at my current job, 8 years ago, I went to the restroom and somehow
got my underwear caught on the toilet seat and the ripped straight down the left hip seam. 
I was mortified. 
I had to take my underwear off, throw them out and go commando the rest of the day....



~  I absolutely HATE it when I'm in a public bathroom that's completely empty,
choose a stall and someone else comes in and goes into the one directly next to me. 
Why cant they skip one and use the next one over? 

~  I'm still really close friends with my high school math teacher. 
We kept in touch after I graduated and her and her husband are actually Olivia's Godparents.



~  I'm a Quality Analyst by day and my job directly affects the associates incentive. 
If I issue an error, they don't get that months incentive. 
I've been in this position for 2+ years and every time I issue an error, it still makes me upset.


~  I'm an only child.  I used to love it since I had the "I'm an only child so I get what I want" mentality. 
But now that I'm older and know better, I wish I had a sister or brother to grow up with. 
I get scared and sad that after my parents are gone (not for a LONG time) that I'll be all alone.



~   I'm the youngest of the cousins on both sides of my family.



~ I love to travel.  My family loves to vacation in Maine and I've been to
Virginia and Arizona for work purposes. 
I cant wait to show Olivia the world.

~  My favorite outfit is super duper plain. 
White t-shirt, jeans and Chucks.  I just really love the simplicity of it. 
I don't have much time to invest in getting all dolled up on a daily basis so this is my go to outfit. 
If I have to dress it up, I can add some jewelry, change my shoes and I'm done.

~ I have one tattoo and I'm planning on getting a second one THIS WEEKEND! 
Stay tuned for some pics next week.

~  I bite my nails.  I've stopped so many times in the past and it's just what I do to relieve stress. 
It's such an awful habit and I hate it... I need to figure out something to make me stop forever!


I hope you enjoyed learning more about Moi! 
I'm going to split this "tag" post into 2 separate posts
because this one has been sitting half finished since Monday
and... ya know, I should probably do some work since that's where I am right now.  SHHH!

 

Struggling

As this past new year approached I had some things in mind for myself to change.  One being my eating habits.  It is more of a need than anything.  I've been headed towards a place with my weight that I'd rather not venture to again.   A little background for you (we're about to get very real here....)  In 2007 I had Gastric Bypass surgery to help me lose weight.  I was at a place in my life that it was medically necessary.  I was over 400 lbs and had tried every single diet and failed miserably.  I'd lose and gain, lose and gain.  Nothing was working, so my doctor recommended it, I had a trillion medical tests done to make sure I was physically and mentally ready for the surgery and in October of 2007 it was done.  I spent the next 2 years of my life losing a ridiculous amount of weight, in excess of 200 lbs and I finally felt GOOD!   Fast forward to December of 2009, I got pregnant.  During my pregnancy I gained an astronomical amount of weight and was sure it was just because of the pregnancy and I'd easily lose it after Olivia was born.   I was WRONG.  Today, 15 months after Olivia was born, I weigh more than I did when I was 9 months pregnant.  I feel awful.  I feel like a failure.  I feel disgusting.  I feel like a bad mother. So, with the start of 2012, I promised myself and my family that I'd do something about my weight issue, again.   I officially started watching every.single.thing I put in my mouth a week ago and it's working.   I've lost 5.4 lbs in 7 days.   Now, the beginning is easy.  I get it.  It's when you plateau that you need to dig in your heels, grit your teeth and keep pushing forward.  I've been there. Today though, when I weight myself I felt a mix of emotions.  I am grateful for the 5.4 lbs lost, but looking forward, I want to lose at least 100 lbs.  That's a LONG way to go.  I felt overwhelmed and defeated. I started doubting myself.  Can I really do this?  Why bother when it's such a huge mountain to climb?   Those thoughts of doubt could certainly derail my efforts in a second.   So, this is why I'm posting here.  I need to be accountable.  I need to document this and be able to look back and reflect on these very real feelings in order to move forward and continue with this journey.  For myself, for my daughter and my family.  I need to do this if I want to be around to watch my child grow.   I hope that you wont judge me for where I've been, where I am or where I'm headed.  This is sure to be an interesting journey as I try to lose the weight I've lost before.   I really hope and pray that I can stick with it for life this time.  One of my biggest fears is that Olivia will have to endure the same weight problems I have.  I'll do anything in my power to prevent that and I think it starts now.    

Sometimes & Always 2012

Linking up with Megan at Mackey Madness today for the 1st Sometimes & Always of 2012!

Sometimes - I wish that I could just shut off the alarm clock and stay in bed super late.

Always - I get up on time because let's face it, money needs to be made.

Sometimes - I wish my dog wasnt such a bed hog...

Always - I wish my dog wasnt such a bed hog!!!!!

Sometimes - I have grand plans to clean out my closet and donate clothes that I NEVER wear.

Always - I procrastinate because... "what if I need that shirt someday?!?"

Sometimes - I think to myself "self, you havent had a cold in a long time..."

Always - I wake up feeling horrible the next day (I need to remember to knock on wood)

Thats it for today's link up.  Like I said, I'm feeling under the weather today

because just this weekend I commented on how I havent been sick in forever... go me!

Happy Tuesday.

~Laura

Sometimes & Always

Linking up with Megan over at Mackey Madness today for her Sometimes & Always series.

Go visit her page, you'll love her!

Sometimes - I wish Olivia slept through the night,

especially on weeknights because I'm too tired in the morning to get up on time for work!

Always - I'm grateful for my healthy little girl in the next room over

who's here to wake me up 5 times a night!

Sometimes - I tell myself that I'm going to stop biting my nails.  (I know, horrible habit)

Always - I keep doing it because it's just such a bad habit!

Sometimes - I wish I was thinner, smarter, prettier...etc.

Always - I try to remember that God made me just the way I am for a reason...

Sometimes - I wish the Christmas season away because of the hussle and bustle.

Always - when Christmas is half over, I'm wishing it would slow down so I can enjoy the time more.

Sometimes - I wish I could call out of work sick on Mondays,

especially on "Tuesday Monday's" after a 3 day weekend.

Always - I get my butt out of bed and go to work.

Happy "Tuesday Monday"!

Fun Fact Friday

Here are a few fun facts for Fun Fact Friday!!!!!!!

~Olivia is named after both of my grandmothers -

my maternal Grandmother is Olivia and my paternal Grandmother is Yvette. 

We love her name because it means so much.

 

My favorite picture of Olivia.

~my husband took my last name when we got married - yup, that's right...

~my husband and I met when we were 19 (where did the time go???) and have been together a total of 8 years and married for almost a year and a half.



~we have a dog named Penny, before Olivia, this pup was my baby. 

She has taken a backseat but she's certainly loved!

~I love Fritos.  I mean I love Fritos.  I crave them and always have to have some in the house.

~same with Reese's peanut butter cups...OMGahhh they are delish!

Last fun fact, I wrote this post on Thursday... wishful thinking that it was Friday... FAIL!

~Laura

You know when....

...you know when you're in a public restroom and there are 5 other stalls

open and someone comes in and goes in the stall right next to you... awkward. 

I hate that. 

Cant you go do your business at least one stall over?

...you know when you're about to give a present that you thought was a good idea

and right before you hand it to the person

you second guess it and feel like it's the dumbest gift ever?

I hate that feeling!

...you know when you're in bumper to bumper traffic

and you've been waiting in this line of traffic forever and then

some jerk comes up from the next lane and cuts the whole line off?

I hate that!

~Laura

Sometimes & Always

Linking up with Megan over at Mackey Madness today for her Sometimes and Always post! 

She's such a sweet blogger girl - go check her out!

Sometimes - I plan on finishing Christmas shopping early to beat the crowds and be prepared.

Always - I'm shopping on Christmas Eve.

Sometimes - I feel wide awake before bed so I read.

Always - I fall asleep with the book open in my lap.

Sometimes - I get an early start in the morning to make sure I get to work super early.

Always - I find a million extra things to do with my time and I dont make it to work any earlier than normal.

Sometimes - Olivia says "what's that" to her singing Elmo stocking a million times.

Always - I press the button a million times to see her smile and dance to Elmo's song!

Now, go over and check out Megan's blog, Mackey Madness! 

~Laura

Blog Makeover!

I bought myself an early Christmas present...

my little corner of the internet got a makeover! 

I love it!  Katie from Loves of Life created it and she did an amazing job and was super easy to work with.

In other news... I made a little progress on Christmas projects last night. 

Did I take any pictures to share?  Nope... fail.

So, what do you think about the new blog set up?  How do you like having my smiling face over there staring at you reading???  Is my little Olivia not the cutest thing ever? 

Love, Laura

Sometimes & Always Link Up

Linking up with Megan from Mackey Madness today for Sometimes & Always!

Sometimes - I feel like the most inadequate mother.  Olivia bumped her head last night because I didnt catch her in time.

Always - I try to remember I'm doing my best and love her more than life itself!

Sometimes - I plan on sleeping in and relaxing in bed until Olivia wakes up.

Always - I wake up at 7am the latest, even on weekends.

Sometimes - I think it's going to be easier to go to shopping without Olivia.

Always - I end up wandering around the store when I'm alone because I feel like a part of me is missing.

Sometimes - I wonder what people really think of me.

Always - I try to be true to who I am no matter what people will think of me.

Thanks for reading!  I love these link ups!

~Laura