Shape Up!

So part of my new years resolution this year was getting in better shape. Today I started that trek. For my early birthday present Mom got me "Shape-Ups." They are new shoes out by Skechers. They claim to improve posture (which I need), improve blood circulation, strength back muscles along with abs, thighs, calves and buttocks. They also claim to reduce joint stress. When I first put them on, I almost fell over. The sole is rounded as you can see in the picture. Its like learning to walk completely different. They aren't the most attractive shoe but if I can wear them to work everyday and get in shape! Why not!? I had them on in the store for like 10 minutes, I took them off and immediately felt the burn in my calves! : ) We are on our way to a cankle-less Lauren! : )

Also, did some research about whether they work or not for those of you non-believers. Here are some articles I found.

http://www.splendicity.com/hotmamadaily/do-skechers-shape-ups-really-work/

What do yall think???

2010

Wow- can you believe it is 2010!?! I feel like it was just 1999 and everyone was worried about Y2K! haha. I am rather sad this new years though- it is our first new years as a newly-wed in our house and I really wanted to just spend new years with the man I love in our beautiful new house enjoying each others company...however, Justin is out of town for work again. : ( So I will be spending New Years alone (I may go to Kingwood). Anyways, regardless of who I spend it with 2010 is coming fast...so here is the past 10 years in recap:

Past 10 Years:

1. Started Driving
2. Graduated High School
3. Broke my back
4. Went away to College
5. Got MRSA Staph and had to be hospitalized
6. Met my future husband
7. Got my baby boy- Pip
8. Graduated college
9. Got engaged
10. Got married to the man of my dreams
11. Got a job as a Autism Aide
12. Got a job as a 1st grade teacher
13. Got a beautiful house
14. Got a wonderful camera

Those are just a few of the big things that have occurred over the past 10 years....Now for my goals for the next 10 years....

The Next 10 Years:

1. Travel to Las Vegas, New York, Austin, London
2. Go on a cruise
3. Get a new car
4. Have a baby or two
5. Get new bedroom furniture
6 Get in shape (this one will have to come before #4)
7. Grow my photography business
8. Get involved in the Central Childrens Ministry (Once I have babies, I don't want to work anymore (until they go to school) so I feel like working for the church would be a perfect way to still be around children and serve the Lord at the same time)

I am sure there are many more things I will do in the next ten years but those are few of the big things I want to accomplish. Now for my goals for JUST 2010.

This Year: 2010

1. Save money
2. Bring my lunch to school more often (instead of eating cafeteria food)
3. Work out 2x's a week
4. Cook healthy dinners
5. learn to live stress free
6. take more weekend trips- the weekends Justin has off are precious time we could spend together so I want to take full advantage of the time we do have together and do fun things while we are still young without kids
7. Monthly dates for Justin & I- whether it be movie night, out to eat, sitting by the fire pit outside- I just want a date night set aside where it is just Justin and I and we can enjoy each other
8. Get the house organized and keep it that way (that should be more like the end of this week goal)
9. Join a church...Central
10. Join a Sunday school/bible study


Well those are all big goals so I guess I should get busy instead of sitting here writing... : )

I challenge each and every one of you to think back on what you have been blessed with in the past 10 years, what your goals are for the next 10 years and what your specific goals are for this upcoming year!!

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Christmas Dinner!!

The Christmas festivities didn't stop after Christmas morning and Christmas lunch, we headed to Lake Conroe and have Christmas Dinner! It was such a blessing to be able to see both of our families.

Overall, Justin and I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas! We are blessed beyond belief and thank Jesus every day for allowing us to be this blessed!!

You've Gotta Get Up-It's Christmas Morning!

Christmas morning we got up around 8:30, sat at the top of the stairs like we were still 10 and waited for mom and dad to tell us (all 4 of us) that they were ready (fireplace on, camera on, etc.)!!!
It was a perfect Christmas morning- we opened presents, ate cinnamon rolls, drank coffee, and got busy cooking some more for the lunch we were hosting that afternoon! Mom insisted that all 16 of us eat in the dinning room. We normally have the "adult table" and the "kid table" but since none of us are kids anymore we ALL got to eat at the "adult table!"

Love my family!!

Merry Christmas!!!!

Snuggie Anyone?

Pip's Christmas Present is as follows:

I think I need a matching one personally : )

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

This Christmas was our first Christmas as a married couple. We are blessed beyond belief. God has been very good to us and we are very thankful. This Christmas we were able to see both sides of our families and spend time with just each other! I gave Justin his Christmas present on the 23rd since we were leaving for Kingwood on the 24th! I think he liked it! : )Justin and I headed to Kingwood Christmas Eve. We headed to Church for Candle Light Service then over to the Parker's for traditional Christmas Eve dinner. It felt like the first time in so long ALL of us were together for Christmas! It was wonderful!!

After dinner we came home and helped mom cook for a little while before opening our Christmas Eve tradition of matching PJ's! : ) After the cooking was done for the most part, we all gathered in the living room and opened our stocking stuffers- another Christmas Eve tradition!

After stockings we headed to bed to prepare for "Santa's" arrival while we were sleeping : )

Moving

The past week has been INSANE!! We have been moving moving moving!! I tried to do this "Scrapblog" thing- it looks neat...we will see if I am any good at it! : )

Please remember that we are still moving so not everything is where it belongs~ : )

Okay...so my scrapblog didnt work because of the way I published it so here is a before and after photo of the living room. Since then we have changed a few things (like the boxes, mantle, things that don't go).

Our Weekend Getaway

Last weekend Justin and I had the wonderful opportunity to get to go visit the Hameedi family in Virginia!! We had such a good time! It made me realize how much I love traveling and how fun it was just to go! We did so so so much, we were exhausted when we got home!

Friday we arrived and drove around a little bit and stopped at the "exorcist stairs"- no I don't watch scary movies & have never seen it...but it was creepy. The stairs are SUPER steep & go on forever.... (Justin thought my hat was not cute- but I thought it was super cute- I LOVE hats!)

After stopping at the stairs we went and ate at this awesome place that is like a Fugo De Cho- yummmmm so good. After dinner we went back to the house and played with the boys and just chilled together before heading to bed to get some rest before our busy day.

Saturday was AMAZING! We got up and got started and got so so much done! All of us were shocked with how much we were able to do in one day! We headed to Arlington Cemetery first to see the annual "Laying of the Wreaths." It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!! I am so thankful we were able to go. Here a few of my favorite pictures for the cemetery I took. Also, a link to read about the laying of the wreaths. http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/ceremonies/wreath_layings.html

Those are just a few of my favorites- but all of my pictures are posted on Picasa-

After the cemetery, we headed to Washington Monument- we also took some fun pictures there before walking down to the frozen reflection pool & Lincoln memorial. We took A LOT of pictures! They are all on Picasa! After the Lincoln memorial, we headed to the Vietnam Memorial. After that we drove around through Old Town Alexandria- I felt like we were driving through a movie set- it is such a cute little town! After that we drove by Mount Vernon and headed towards George Mason's house. The boys weren't impressed but Cambrey & I loved our horse drawn carriage ride! : ) Again- lots of pictures...on Picasa! We came home and watched G.I. Joe- I just need to say Channing Tatum is BEAUTIFUL! After a long busy day of fun site seeing with family we crashed and burned.

Sunday we got up and headed to the airport. It was a long travel day but so worth it! I had a wonderful weekend! Thank you so much Hameedi's for welcoming us to your home and spending your weekend with us!! I love you all! Tell Adam & Zachary they will have to come stay with Aunt Lauren & Uncle Justin soon!!

Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/LaurenMartha/WashingtonDC#

Almost Cried

So 11:15 came and went...the kids went to lunch, then recess, then specials before they came back to the room for their "holiday" party- (vom- I called it "Christmas")! We made crafts, played Christmas bingo, and ate A LOT of sweets!! As the day came to a close and they were cleaning up to leave they all are giving me hugs telling me they will miss me and then the bell rang. I felt like I was in a movie or something....as they are hustling out of the classroom I yelled "Merry Christmas!" and in unison they all yelled back "Merry Christmas!!!" It was so sweet. I almost cried. As much as I need this Christmas break, I will miss my little babies and can't wait to see what January will bring....

Wound Up 1st Graders

AHHHHH its 10:15...I only have to last until 11:10!!! AHHHHHH the talking, the running, the playing....oh goodness- thank Jesus it is the last day!!

Airplanes & Naps

Just in case you weren't sure HOW MUCH fun we had in DC- this is me on the way home...

really attractive huh? : )

Quote of the Day

So today I gave my kids a "special snack" (fruit snacks) instead of the regular vanilla wafers, animal crackers, etc. and this is the conversation I had with little boy M (description: heavy set little boy, probably weighs more than me)

Me: Today we are going to have "special snack" (they get really excited about this)
M: Mrs. Knight, I don't think I can have that...I don't need the extra calories, plus I might get a cavity!

I about died.

Keep in mind
1. his description
2. he is the same little boy who thought his nose would grow if he lied

Tomorrow is Polar Express day. We get to wear our PJ's, bring our favorite stuffed animal and watch the movie! : ) We are going to read the book & watch the movie! When the kids in the movie get served hot coca we serve our kiddos hot coca- when the kids in the movie get cookies- my kids get cookies and at the end of the day they all get a bell : ) Oh the joy of being a little kid!

So much

Well this weekend was a BLAST! We had so much fun and did so so so much! I will post much much more later this week! Thank you so much Hameedi family! ..more to come later

Today is the big day. Today we sign our life away. This afternoon we close on our house!! Justin and I are super excited. However, no one thing in the apartment is packed. : ) I've got to get busy! Four days of wild 1st graders before freedom but I am so excited that today we will become home owners...husband & wife...home owners. Oh the excitement!sooo excited! : )

Our OH SO exciting weekend

Saturday morning I got up and showered and got busy...for some odd reason I get in these moods to just CLEAN! So I cleaned the apartment and finished just in time for J to get home from work. Justin wanted to go to the gym so I watched a movie (Push- it was good). : ) typical huh? Then Justin came home and Kimberly & I went to the house to show her around (again...more to come later). We got lunch, came home, watched Justin play some PS3, then sat around. Later we watched another movie (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past) and went to bed. I know SO EXCITING!!! Sunday wasn't much more productive. We both slept in and woke up saying to each other... Is it really 10:45!?! We blame the weather. Then we got up, had a wonderful breakfast (french toast) made by both of us! We then piled on the layers and went to see Kason at his last BCS Christmas Parade. (I'll add pictures later) It was nasty outside...cold & rainy. He is lucky we like him. : ) After the parade Justin and I headed to Sears to look around at refrigerators- we found quite the deal! They had a big sale on Black Friday but forgot to take the sign down so they had to honor the price! : ) So we walked away with a beautiful stainless steel Kenmore Elite Trio french door with water & ice dispensing fridge!! It is going to look BEAUTIFUL in our house! Then we came home and have sat around all afternoon. (Me on Photoshop, Justin on PS3) we are SO so EXCITING! : ) I cant believe another Monday begins tomorrow...only 4 days till we board a plane to go to the Hameedi's!! I cant wait! I keep telling Justin I need to go shopping to get some warm clothes...the warmest thing I have is an Aggie Sweatshirt!! : ) Anyways...with that being said, I should shower and get to bed so I will be in the best mood for my little babies (even the ones who make me want to pull out my hair sometimes)! Let the countdowns begin...

4 days till D.C. to see the Hameedi's
9 school days till CHRISTMAS break (10 for everyone else)
18 days till Christmas

Christmas Come Early

UPDATE!!: So I've been playing and figured out how to make my very own COPYRIGHT! : ) I can't wait until I can do this full time, have fun and just create works of art!!!

So with the purchase of our wonderful camera and the upcoming purchase of our new home (more to come on that later) we both decided that with those purchases that would be our Christmas to each other. However, my husband is AMAZING.

Today I had a terrible afternoon. I had to walk out of my class to cool off I was so upset. Who knew ONE 6 year old would cause so much trouble!? Anyways, I cried all afternoon, came home, put on my pj's, lay on the couch, cried some more...it was just one of THOSE afternoons. (not days, because my morning was great) Anyways, Justin texts me to tell me he is going to "stop somewhere" and will be home late. He gets home to me laying on the couch still...still mopping...and tells me he stopped at Best Buy! My thought was come on...what could we need at Best Buy!? Then he tells me it is my Christmas present. He tries to tell me he is going to wait until Christmas to give it to me but we both know better than that....he pulls out the bag and suddenly my day of crying and being miserable turns into joy and wonder as I pull out of the bag...PHOTOSHOP! I have been looking online and talking about it for so long but its expensive and knew I wouldn't get it for awhile!! I have spent the past 3 hours studying how to make it work, playing with different settings, edit options, etc. and I still haven't brushed the surface!! : ) Anyways...I''m off to study some more! : ) Do you know HOW AMAZING my husband is!? So I need some models for a photo shoot ASAP!! Any takers????

Quote of the Day (so far)

"Do you know who God is?" -M

"Yeah..when your 100 he takes you" -D

Quote of the Day

"I don't wanna lie. My nose will grow like Pinocchio!" *in a very concern voice*

Family Photos

Saturday morning we all got up and headed to IHOP for breakfast (I thought of you Carla). After breakfast we headed to the Louisiana Boardwalk for family photos. We are getting better about doing family photos every year. Last we did family photos and sent them out with Justin in them even though we weren't even engaged at the time...haha...no we are married! A lot can happen in a year...sorry got off there...anyways...now that Justin and I have a AMAZING camera we took some photos. We were short on time so we didn't get near as many as I would have liked but they will do. Mom says that if I can photograph my family...I can photograph anyone.