Dear Monday

Where did the weekend go?  Another Monday is here and it's time to write some letters with Megan.

Dear Monday, You weren't so bad.  Chocolate makes any Monday better.  Or, any day.

Dear Monday Night Dinners, I cannot help but dread you.  The last thing I want to do after work and in the middle of watching class is prepare a meal for us.  Frozen pizzas are my favorite go-to.

Dear Blog, I feel like I have been neglecting you lately.  I haven't had much to say, which I guess isn't a bad thing.  We'll see if I can change that this week.

Dear Mom, Thanks for having us over for a lovely Oscar party last night.  I loved kicking patooty on the Oscar ballots and the prizes were a wonderful bonus!

Dear Heat (or lack thereof), In an effort to keep our energy bill low and Brock's skin irritation at bay, Ryan and I are keep you between 62 and 65 degrees.  Let me just say that this makes it that much harder to get out of bed in the morning.

Dear Pastor Wes, Thank for you reminding us about arrogance, hypocrisy, and humbling ourselves on Sunday.

Dear Caffeine, I miss you.

Dear Ryan Joseph, I can't believe you are going to be 28 on Friday.  I like to remind you of that every chance I get... Old man.

Take Luck,
LP

Lent

Ahh, Ash Wednesday is here again.

This year for Lent, Ryan and I are walking down the same path as last year and giving up alcohol and caffeine, respectively.

We started attending our church, newlife, around this time last year.  The sermon on the Sunday before Lent really resonated with us and what we should "give up."

I honestly don't remember exactly what our pastor said that really clicked with us, but it was something along the lines of: give up the thing(s) that you might run to in a moment of weakness or when things get hard.

Bingo.

For me, caffeine was easy.  And by easy, I mean it was easy to settle on giving up on caffeine.  The actual giving up of the caffeine was not so easy.  But caffeine (foo-foo coffee drinks and Sugarfree Red Bulls!) is something that I generally want, even when I don't need it.  There's nothing better than a hot cup of vanilla latte on a Saturday and Sunday morning. 

After some thought, Ryan decided to give up alcohol.  When I said that our pastor encouraged us to give up something that we use/need in a time of weakness or hardship, I certainly don't want everyone to think that Ryan's life in consumed by alcohol... Because it most certainly is not.  However, he (like most men, I'm sure!) comes home from work and says, "I need a beer."  Enough said.

So, Tuesday morning I told my favorite barista that she wouldn't be seeing my sleepy eyes for 40 days or so.  She understood.

Wish us luck on this endeavor.  I know that we can get it done through support of each other and a little self-reflection.

Are you giving up anything for Lent?

Take Luck,

LP

Dear Monday

It's Monday, people!  That means it's time for writing some letters with Megan!

Dear Monday, Today is President's Day!  I thoroughly enjoy any holiday/reason to get a day off of work.

Dear Dole Pineapple-Orange-Banana Juice, You caught my eye at the grocery store yesterday, and I am so happy you did!  I forgot just how delicious you taste.

Dear Puppies, Your Daddy sent you in the bedroom this morning to wake me up.  Little did he know that after you nuzzled me and I pat your little/big heads, you would curl up right next to me and fall asleep too.

Dear Jetted Tub, It is amazing that after 2+ years of being in our house, and wondering why you didn't work - all Ryan had to do was reset the outlet in which you were plugged into.  Hallelujah for massaging jets, bubble baths, and not calling upon a professional electrician to come investigate.

Dear Granite Countertops, I cannot be 100% certain, but I am pretty sure you will become a reality in the very near future.

Dear RSVPs, I think putting on a wedding made me overly obsessive when it comes to you... But how hard is it for people to RSVP?!  Gah!

 Dear Hubby, You have been the house-project-Superman of Supermans!  You fixed the jetted tub; dismantled the dishwasher, cleaned it, and put it back together; tore out the ugly shelving above the fireplace; and made some serious improvements to the storage in our laundry room.  You are amazingly awesome, and I love you. 

Take Luck,

LP

Fill in the Blank Friday

Another Friday, here at last. It's time to fill in some love-themed blanks with Lauren.

[1] The love of my life is my honey bunches of oats, Ryan.

[2] Falling in love is something that I don't think happens just one time in a relationship.  You fall in love in the beginning, and then again, again, and again with new things in that relationship.

[3] Marriage is an adventure.  A mighty fine one.  It's an adventure in learning, listening, compromising, trusting, and being reminded of why you both said, "I do."

[4] The longest relationship I've ever had was is this one!

[5]  The key to a good relationship is forgiveness, trust, listening, and knowing when to keep quiet.

[6] I feel loved when Ryan does something unexpected.  Even if he's leaving the room and gives me a top-of-the-head or forehead kiss.  OK, let's be honest.  Especially when he does that.

[7] My favorite quote about love is, "Love is friendship set on fire."

Take Luck,

LP

Thursday Thoughts

Whattdya know?  I was able to spit out some thoughts on this lovely Thursday.

Linking up with my dearest Sar for Thursday Thoughts.

[1] I find it oddly coincidental (and not funny) that Sports Illustrated sends out their swimsuit edition the day after Valentine's Day.  That's like saying, "OK, boys!  Love your women today so you can fantasize about other, sexier women tomorrow!"

[2] Today, my co-worker Peggy said her ear was ringing.  I said, "Answer it, then!"

[3] There is something special about eating a warm bowl of oatmeal with a hot cup of tea after a brisk walk during a cold and windy lunch break.

[4] Is is just me or do everyone's co-workers' tempers and patience run shorter and lower as we get closer to the weekend.

[5] When I Zumba, I feel like Ben Stiller's character Ruben from Along Came Polly when he's learning how to salsa from Polly's salsa partner, Javier.

[6] Today is my Friday, and that makes me a very happy girl!

Take Luck,

LP

Dear Monday

Hellooooo, Monday.  Here again, already!

Time to write some letters for the week with Megan.

Dear Monday, I found myself wishing and willing you to move faster a few too many times today.  I don't like starting our weeks out like that!

Dear Grey's Anatomy, Your episode on Thursday night was more that a little heart wrenching.  The whole eight-year-relationship girl who thought her boyfriend wasn't proposing... Gah!  That's all I can say.

Dear Shaving Nick on Leg, Ouch.  I don't even think you are still classified as a nick - but rather a gash.  You'd think I had just started shaving my legs yesterday.  Luckily, my Hubby rescued me from the tub with a wad of paper towels and a big 'ol bandaid.

Dear Tiff, So happy you are joining the Dear Monday link-up!  Hooray!

Dear Sar, Please pick me to win your MyTies giveaway.  Thank you.  PS. Does this count as an entry?!

Dear Ridgetop Girls Basketball Team, Looks like we're going to be spending more quality time together.  Saturday morning was fun, and although my arms and thighs are still burning a bit - I think we will have great times together.

Dear Hubby, We laughed a lot together this weekend.  A lot, a lot.  My particular favorite may have been when you sang the words of Blake Shelton's "God Gave Me You" as "God Gave You Me."  Sheesh.  You are somethin' else!

Wishing everyone a great week!

Take Luck,

LP

10 on 10: February 2012

10 on 10: 10 pictures on the 10th day of the month!

Document a snapshot of your life & find beauty among the ordinary things in your day!

I can't help but feel a little bit of pride in myself that I made the connection between the date and this link-up.  It's one of my favorites! 

Morning Tunes - At this hour, I need all the pumping and motivation I can get!  Flo to the rescue.

Morning Walk - Nothing like a walk down a wet and slippery hill to start off your day.

Left or Right - I have grown to appreciate black and white decisions.  You go left, or you go right.

Proud - Ryan would be so proud to see that I parked extra far away from any other cars in the parking lot.

Inner Kardashian - Channeling my inner Kardashian at Target this afternoon.  I don't think I could hang.

Gunning - Helping Jess decide what baby items to register for with her wicked red gun.

Baby Stuff Galore - So much cute baby stuff.  I think everything is cute when its this little.

A Gift - A gift from my sweet Hubby to remind me of where he spends all of his time when he's not at home.

Little Lady - I love my Sonny Bear.  Even though she insists on not looking at the camera.

High Pitch - Torturing Brock by singing in a really high pitch.  He doesn't like it, but she looks cute with his head tilted like that.

Hooray! Another 10 on 10, complete!

Take Luck,

LP

Fill in the Blank Friday

Friday, here at last!  Time to fill in some blanks with Lauren!

[1] I started my blog because I enjoy writing, and it allows me to look back on our life and experience stories all over again.

[2] One thing I love seeing on other blogs is honesty in stories.  Life isn't always clean, pretty, and fields of daisies.  I like to read stories that are real.

[3] Something I love about blogging is being able to be me, say what I think and feel (no matter how drenched in sarcasm), and just put it all out there.  I also love that I can share stories about my funny Hubby that can be used for blackmail someday.

[4] A favorite blog post of mine is probably Hopeful from Sar's 15 day challenge, stuff my three-year old niece says , a look back at 2011, that time a bird flew into our house, and stuff my dad says.

[5] Something my friends in real life know about me what I've never before mentioned on my blog is I moved 2,500 miles away from home to play softball at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.  I know I've said that I went to school and played ball there, but I don't think I explicitly said how far away from home I moved. 

[6] My new favorite blogs to read are  Pregnant Chicken, Tiny Twig Goes Out on a Limb, and Bleubird Vintage.

[7] Some things I tend to avoid doing on my blogs are being overly negative, rambling, and complaining.  Sometimes that doesn't work out so well.

Happy weekend everyone!

Take Luck,

LP

Dear Monday

What better way to start off the week than letters with Megan!

Well, I started writing this post on Monday (yesterday), but our internet totally crapped out on me.

So here goes nothing - Dear Monday letters on Tuesday!!

Dear Monday, It amazed me how you were smooth and calm until I got off work.  Then the craziness began.

Dear Camo-Jacket-Wearing-5am-Walker, You are an idiot.  If I had hit you, I think I would have had a perfectly good explanation.

Dear Super Bowl Commercials, I wasn't overly impressed with you but I did enjoy Honda's Ferris Bueller spoof, Fiat's Abarth and the Sketcher's French Bulldog.

Dear Internet, Of all nights, you chose last night to crap out.  I wasn't trying to watch class or anything.  Only thinking of yourself.  Sheesh.

Dear System Engineering Professor, I find it crazy to think what Washington State University is paying you to sit and read to a bunch of graduate students for two and a half hours.  Maybe that's why our tuition prices went up so high.


Dear Pregnant Chicken, You just may be my new favorite blog/website.  You make me laugh.  Hard.

Dear Ryan, The other night while I was watching a DVR'd Glee episode, I swear you came down with a case of Turrets.  "He sounds like a girl." "This is awful." "Oh, sorry." "I love Michael Jackson's music." "She's really good." "Do they sing the entire episode?" "This is lame." "Ok, I'll be quiet."  Geesh.  Either Turrets set in or you reverted back to being 4-years old.  I'm not quite sure.


Even though it's now Tuesday, wishing everyone a great week!!

Take Luck,

LP

Blogoversary

One year and 240 posts later, here I am.

It is hard to believe that it was a year ago that I sat down and started typing away the stories of my day-to-day.  I remember going back and forth with my inner self, wondering what the heck I would blog about and wondered if anyone would read it.

Some days I still wonder what the heck to blog about, and have realized that it doesn't really matter if anyone reads (although, I love to hear that people do).  Blogging is something that I enjoy, and has proved to be a creative outlet in more ways than one.

It has been a really fun experience so far, and I have really enjoyed being able to look back and read what we were doing (or what I was thinking) at various points of last year.

I have been able to connect with friends, re-connect with old ones, and just share our life in a way that is different and more personal than say, facebook.

Along the way I have stumbled upon some great blogs, authored by all kinds of wonderful people, that inspire me in all things blogging, photography, family, and life in general.

This past year has really gone by in a flash.

I can't wait to see what the next year holds for us.

Take Luck,

LP

Fill in the Blank Friday

Hooray for Friday!

Time to fill in some blanks with Lauren!

[1] If money wasn't an issue, the first thing I would cross off my list is redoing our kitchen, bathrooms, and roof.  Oh, the joy of being a homeowner.

[2] Picking apart my Subway sandwiches and eating everything individually is something I like that other people think is weird.

[3] If my life were a movie right now, the title would be "The Busy Lady Diaries."

[4] Three things I am looking forward to this month are Valentine's Day, an extra day off of work (President's Day), and getting closer to the end of this semester.

[5] My favorite song to sing in the shower is "Forever" by the Beach Boys.

[6] If I found out that the production of Sobe Fuji Apple Pear Lifewater was ending this month, I would go out and buy as much as I could tomorrow.

[7] One thing I'll never grow tired of is enjoying the little things with Ryan.

Wishing everyone a great weekend!!

Take Luck,

LP

Help a Sista!

I have officially offered to throw our friend a baby shower.  Mat and Jess will be welcoming a baby boy in mid-April.

Source

Help a sista out!

I swear that while we were at dinner, I was thinking of all these cute little ideas and was up-to-the-task-super-excited.  And now, the ideas are gone.  The super-excited-ness is now mixed with  small bits of what-the-heck-did-I-just-do-ness.

Shit.

I immediately came home and went onto Pinterest, but was shocked to see how little was pinned for "Baby Boy Baby Shower."

Gah!

Shit, again!

I would love (and I mean, love!) any and all ideas you might have for a theme, games, decorations, and anything else baby shower-ish.

Give me everything you got!

Thank you, friends!

Take Luck,

LP