Lauren, Seth & Hailey adventures

My BFF and her "hobby".

2009-09-22T06:33:00.000-07:00

My awesome friend Melissa is having a gift certificate giveaway! One of my favorite gifts to give someone that's having a baby is a KozyPal gift certificate! I think every mom and baby should own a KozyPal cart cover! Melissa started sewing her cart covers in her dining room 6 years ago. I can even remember going over to her house and 'helping' her measure and cut fabric once or twice. Melissa's 'hobby' has grown out of her tiny dining room and into a booming business. She has since moved the company into a huge design studio and things have only taken off from there! I am SO proud of Melissa and how successful she has become! So, go check her out and buy a KozyPal today!

Happy Birthday KozyPal!!!

My Friend Jeff

2009-01-28T08:26:00.000-08:00

I'd known Jeff all my life. Our parents were friends, I think even before we were born. Our families got together often and everyone had a good time. Jeff and I were the same age and his sister was just a year older than my older sister so they were friends as well. But more than a friend, Jeff was like a brother to me. He dated my best friend in high school and I dated his best friend before that. I remember watching him, cheering for him as he played football and baseball, pole-vaulted on the Track team in high school and rode bulls at Rodeos. I remember driving over 6 hours to visit him in college, and then driving to the border of Mexico and walking over so we could drink 'legally'. I don't quite remember the walk back though... ; ) I remember dancing with him at his sister's wedding, as seen in the above photo. I loved to dance with Jeff, whether it was a slow dance or one where we spinned around the floor, he always made it fun and special. Jeff put his heart and soul into everything he did, whether it was sports, school, friends or family. When he walked into a room, the room was instantly lit up. His smile and laugh were contagious and when he was talking to someone, he made them feel like they were the only person in the room.

We lost Jeff on October 21, 2006 and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about and miss him. Tomorrow would have been Jeff's 28th birthday. Instead of celebrating with him, his family will be visiting his grave at the cemetery where he's buried. Friday night his sister and I and some other friends will have a sleepover at her house to celebrate Jeff's life. We will eat, laugh and cry together and try to remember all of the happy times we had with him, while still knowing that with Jeff gone, life will never be the same.

Jeff will live on through his family and friends and never die……..for nothing loved is ever lost.

100 things

2009-01-21T09:57:00.000-08:00

My friend, Melissa at Mama Loco, posted this over on her blog today and I thought it would be fun to do too. Feel free to copy it and post it to yours as well.

Bold whatever you have done.
1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you're not sick.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagra Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen and Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to truly be satisfied.
38. Seen the leaning tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo's David.
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.- with Seth
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served in a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.- for Sean's sister
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp.
67. Bounced a check.- ha ha ha ha, me?
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the changing of the guards in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Been to the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the paper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had Chicken pox.
89. Saved someone's life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day.

Thursday Random Thoughts

2008-12-18T09:25:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted anything in awhile, sorry. I'm boring. : )

- The move went great - thanks to Mom, Ron, Dad and those 2 guys Dad hired for helping! Everything is NOT unpacked, but I'll get to it when I can. We love love love it out here!

- This is totally random, but I'm going with it. I think I'm the only person left on earth without an Ipod. I'm just not a music person. I listen to the radio (if the kids aren't drowing it out) in the car and I'm pretty sure I only have 2 cd's - Reba Duets (thanks Mom) and Amy Grant Christmas. If someone wants to get me one, along with a giftcard to upload the songs, be my guest, otherwise I think I'll keep my title as "Last person on Earth without an Ipod".

- Christmas is 1 week away and things are going to be a little different for the kids and I this year. Since they were born, we always did Christmas morning with my mom, sisters, brother, etc and then Sean's family in the afternoon. This year is Sean's 'year' to have them for Christmas, but we are changing it a bit. He'll have them from this Friday through Christmas morning. I'll get to take them out to lunch with family on Sunday, for my sister's birthday and then take them back to Sean. And I'll get to have them on Christmas Eve to spend with my dad. After that the kids and I are spending the night at Sean's parent's and doing Christmas morning there. As soon as they're done opening presents and eating breakfast we are hitting the road to head to my mom's to spend the rest of the day there. So, it's a little different, but sometimes change is good. I'm sure all the kids care about is getting to open more and more and more presents and there will be plenty for them!!

- What will I do with so much time 'off' from the kids? Well, let's see... First, I will only have to pay half of their daycare tuition so that's a HUGE plus right there! My friend Megan is coming to town on business Friday so she is spending the night at my house. We're planning Mexican food and Margaritas! Saturday I'm having lunch with friends and then heading to Mom's to wrap all the Christmas presents that I'm hiding there and then back home for pizza and a movie alone! Sunday I'll go to church and then bring the kids to eat lunch for my sister's birthday. Monday I have a hair appointment after work that I can-NOT wait for (and neither can my friend Sara, who commented on my roots at Emily's baby shower a few weeks ago, ha ha). The rest of the holiday week will be spent "working" and counting down until Christmas!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Elf Yourself

2008-11-26T09:43:00.000-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Let me tell you about my friends...

2008-11-18T08:46:00.000-08:00

We'll start at the beginning...

About 6 1/2 years ago I logged onto a wedding planning website called The Knot and joined the message boards there. I stayed on those boards until a few months after my wedding, when we decided to start trying for a baby. There were many of us headed in that direction so we went over to an MSN board for mommies/pregnant ladies/etc. A smaller group of us then moved on to a different board on MSN and this is where I met some of the most incredible women I'll ever know.

We are from all over the country and even a few in Canada and one military wife over in Europe. We've been together for about 5 years now and consider each other best friends. All 100 or so of us! Many of us have met up once or twice a year for what we call a GTG (get together). Our GTG in Boston was honestly one of the best times of my life. This year I met up with a few of the girls for a smaller GTG at the New Jersey shore, which was a fun and relaxing weekend. One person I've become very close to and consider one of my very best friends is Melissa. She lives here in the Houston area and we get together often and talk off the board nearly everyday. All of these women have been there for me through some of the most difficult times in my life. They have been there for me emotionally and even financially. When you come home one day to find a card with money and gift cards from a group of "internet strangers", you know they are more than that. We have developed a sisterhood. We have been through marriages, pregnancies, miscarriages, still-births, divorces, post-partum depression, poopy diapers, terrible 2's, starting kindergarten and more, all together.

This past weekend, something happened to one of our dear and beloved friends that has shaken us all to the core. Our sweet friend Andrea lost her husband and father to her 2 young children, to a tragic and untimely work accident. We are all so heartbroken and sad for Andrea, Jacob & Sydney. These are the times we wish we all lived near each other because at that time, we all wanted to run to Andrea and be with her. We were and still are hurting for her...to lose your spouse so young, to have to explain to your children that their daddy isn't coming back, it's just not fair at all. Several of the girls on the board immediately started making plans to drive...even 5 hours or more, or fly to Buffalo to be there for the funeral and to be there for Andrea. They are all on their way, as I type. To drop what you're doing, sacrifice time with your family, children and at work, to be with a friend across the country in a time of need...that is true friendship. A friendship I am blessed to be a part of.

May God bless Andrea, Jacob & Sydney. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Moving Plans

2008-11-13T14:34:00.001-08:00

As I'm sure most of you know by now, the kids and I have plans to move out closer to my office. I've been driving out to Katy from Magnolia 5 days a week, for 11 months now and I am so tired of it. There are so many wonderful things to come from this move - from saving on gas (or not having to charge it to Mom or Dad ha ha) to spending more time with the kids instead of in the car. We'll be moving into a house about 3 minutes from my office AND there is a daycare right on the way! It doesn't get any better than that. Our unofficial move date is November 29th, the weekend after Thanksgiving. I've been spending my evenings at home cleaning, organizing and eventually plan to start packing. Sounds like fun, eh? Oh and the BEST part about moving? My little sister Caitlin (or aunt KayKay) is also moving in to the house since we work together...for my uncle, who owns the house we're moving to. We like to keep it in the family, apparently. I sure hope we don't have a falling out (j/k)!!

So, today I toured the daycare I plan to enroll the kids in and I was very impressed. I thought my daycare now was pretty good. But wow, this place is awesome. It's a chain, but I don't know if they're national. Their website is http://www.childtime.com/. The place I toured, the kids will only go to temporarily, maybe a week or two because the location right by the new house is being renovated. But they're all the same layout.
- All the rooms are big - like twice the size than my kids' classrooms now.
- They have all wood furniture, shelves, etc. I saw almost no plastic.
- They provide these cool nap cots - they have like a base around the bottom edge and then a sort of sturdy mesh middle, you bring a crib sheet to put over it.
- Awesome playround - all my kids have now is a few outside toys and a huge sand box, no play structure or anything.
- The director was SO nice and professional, but down to earth at the same time. My daycare now is sort of a mom and pop type place where it now seems like they make up their own rules, procedures, etc. The new place is so much more structured and organized and professional.

I love it and really think my kids will too!!

So that's our exciting news for now...

Dewberry Farm and Birthday!

2008-11-11T07:03:00.001-08:00

I have such creative titles, don't I?

We've had such a busy couple of weeks with birthdays, Halloween, family gatherings, etc. It's been fun, but I'm ready to have some time at home. A few weeks ago my sister Erin and brother-in-law Steven, and I took the kids to Dewberry Farm for the day. The kids ran around the playground, did the Duck races, visited some animals and we all went on a hayride to the pumpkin patch. Lots of fun!

We also had Seth and Hailey's joint birthday party at Monkey Bizness this year. We love this place - had Seth's 3rd birthday party there as well. I love that we get our own play room, the kids run wild for an hour and then we go into the party room for snacks, drinks and cake. I don't have to do anything except show up!

Halloween Fun!

2008-11-05T06:58:00.000-08:00

We'll start with the Halloween costume fiasco... Hailey, of course, wanted to be Cinderella so that was no problem. Seth wanted to be either Spiderman or Batman. My good friend Ohio Kelly (that's not really her name...but since I have another good friend Kelly that lives in New York, it's how I tell them apart. And yes I call the other one NY Kelly) was so awesome and sent us a Spiderman costume her son had worn before. Seth was so excited...except it was a little short on him and kinda gave him a wedgie. I was worried he would be uncomfortable in it so we decided to order a Batman costume just in case. That costume came in and it fit great, except the straps on the mask were too short. Ugh! So then I turned to my good friend and expert seamstress, Melissa to help with that. She put new, longer straps on the mask and shipped it to me 2 days before Halloween. UPS dropped it off to me at work and when I opened the package, inside was a broken mask. It had a crack down almost the entire side of it, thanks to UPS. I was so bummed. We tried super gluing it here at work and that didn't hold. So when I picked the kids up from Sean that evening, his mom got out her model glue and went to work on it. She glued it and held it together for probably a good 30 minutes and it seemed to be working. I let it dry overnight and it was almost perfect by Halloween night!

However, that was not the last of our costume problems. The kids were allowed to wear their costumes to daycare on Friday and I was very worried that something would happen to them, especially since they were having a party complete with cupcakes, candy, juice, etc. I decided to just bite the bullet and let them wear them. Seth decided he wanted to wear the Spiderman costume to school and Batman that night so that was easy enough. I got Hailey all dolled up in her Cinderella costume and told her teacher to please make sure she put a napkin on her front if she was eating anything messy. All was well and the kids looked adorable, of course. Until, I got a call from Sean's mom when she picked the kids up in the afternoon. Hailey's costume had ripped on the front. I swear I almost started crying, but she promised she'd get out her needle and thread and attempt to fix it. And fix it she did. When I got there to pick them up, you couldn't even tell it had been ripped. God Bless You Pam! So I got the kids re-costumed and out the door to our church's Fall Festival. The kids had a blast going to the different booths and playing the games, going down the big inflatable slide and doing the tricycle race.

Spiderman and Cinderella outside school

Fall Festival

My First Time

2008-10-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

So...this is my blog. I'm obviously new at this and not even sure it's for me. What do other people care about me, my kids and our lives? Ok, well I know they care about us, but enough to read about us on a regular basis (that is, if I keep this up)? I guess we'll see.

So, a little info on what's going on with the kids and me:

Hailey turned 3 last week. I can't believe my baby is 3 years old. Time flies for sure. She's at a really fun age (most of the time) and definitely a mama's girl. I have a permanent indention in my hip from her butt. I did tell her that once she turned 3, I wouldn't be carrying her around anymore. Uh..yeah I haven't exactly stuck to that threat. She's just so sweet and doesn't even weigh 30 pounds, so no big deal...for now. She's getting to be very independent and is really good about playing by herself with her dollhouse, the play kitchen, her baby dolls or pretty much anything. She is a bossy little thing too...she must get that from her Aunt Erin.

Seth, my sweet, sensitive yet tough little boy, will turn 5...yes 5 next month. Now that just blows my mind. How am I old enough to have a 5 year old? Holy crap. Wasn't high school like last week? Seth is smart and energetic, loves to learn and enjoys sleeping in my bed because as he says "it's prettier than my bed, Mom". LOL! He loves to give me hugs and kisses in an effort to put off going to sleep. He's my little night owl, he can outlast me any night of the week, while his sister is more like me and will fall asleep wherever she is at 8:30 on the dot.

This coming Sunday is their birthday party at Monkey Bizness. I'm being cheap, um I mean frugal, this year and doing 2 parties in one. So far there are over 40 people coming. Yikes. Should be fun though. I cleaned out the playroom last night in preparation for the party and for Christmas. Filled up 3 trash bags full of stuffed animals, 1 trash bag full of small toys, 1 laundry basket overflowing with bigger toys and 1 trash bag full of throw away, cheap or broken toys. I donated all of it (except the throw away bag) to Goodwill today. Yay me.

So, yeah I thought I wouldn't have anything to blog about, but apparently I was wrong. So, I hope you enjoyed this installment of Lauren, Seth & Hailey adventures. It was fun for me at least.

Stay tuned for more exciting news...

Oh and here is the most recent picture I have of my kiddos and me, yeah it's from Mother's Day:

And the kids on Picture Day at school: