Blessings

Blessings: Laura Story

We pray for blessings

We pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep

We pray for healing, for prosperity

We pray for Your almighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need,

Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops

What if your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom

Your voice to hear

We cry in anger, when we cannot feel You near

We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love

As if every promise from Your word is not enough

All the while, You hear each desperate plea

And long that we'd have faith to believe

When friends betray us

When darkness seems to win

We know that pain reminds this heart

That this is not our home

What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy

What if trails of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are Your mercies in disguise

Cake Balls

I know this recipe is all over the Internet but I just wanted to post mine so that I will have it for future reference and will be able to put it in my blog book for this year.

**Cake Balls**

1 box yellow cake mix

1 can cream cheese frosting

Bakers chocolate for melting

Make cake as box calls. Let cake cool completely and then break it into pieces (I leave bigger chunks so it doesn’t get too mushy). I made my cake in two round pans. I broke one cake up into bowl, added can of frosting then broke second cake up. I feel it made it easier to mix everything together.

After mixing put in fridge to get hard. Once you are ready/cake mixture hard, make them into balls. I made 4 plates full. Put in freezer and let freeze.

After balls are frozen dip them into chocolate and put back in fridge/freezer for chocolate to dry and harden.

I didn't have near enough chocolate to coat all my cake balls. I put the leftover balls in the freezer for safe keeping until this weekend when I will go get some more chocolate and dip the rest! : ) 

Waiting

I have been put in God's waiting room for one reason or another but I must hold onto the fact that though the waiting room sucks God's timing is never wrong.

Mid Week Random

1. Last night I made us Lasagna Soup. It was good and super easy. Basically all it is is pound of ground beef, onion, garlic, green pepper, Italian seasoning, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, some beef broth, water and broken up lasagna noodles. It was good and different. Not the same ol' same ol'.

2. Keep praying. For my daddy bear and for me. 

3. Tonight I am going to make Cake Balls. A teacher at school made them today and they were heavenly so I decided  I would try them and bring some to school, let J take some when he leaves and give some to our neighbors. I'll let you know how they turn out.

4. Speaking of sugar- J had a dentist appt today and mine is next week. I am in a panic. I HATE the dentist. My teeth are super sensitive and it freaks me out. 

5. More sugar. I tried to make royal icing last week. FAIL. I think I might stick to powdered sugar and water until I can get good. I did make a cute oil rig cookie for J though. I had a lot of fun it was super time consuming though. I am pretty sure it was because I am new and not quite sure what I am doing. I started at 4 and had only iced 6 cookies by 8:30!!! Oops! 

6. Word Walking...in preparing for my classroom that God will provide (be it this year, next year, 5 years from now) I cut out 100 feet. I am now in the process of writing the top 100 sight words on each foot (one word per foot). Then the kids will get the feet, make a path and have to say the sight word and use it in a sentence along their "word walk." 

7. Presents. Working here has been wonderful. Next Friday is our last day of school which also means my last day of having a job. However, the teachers here are so sweet. They all have been so supportive in me finding a permanent teaching job. And this reaches beyond my 2nd grade team. The speech teacher gave me boxes and boxes of math materials she no longer uses (from when she was a 1st grade teacher) and one of the first grade teachers gave me a giant pile of books! I feel very loved.

8. Summer. As much as it sucks that next Friday will be my last day I am still super stoked about having summer time!! One of the many reasons I love my profession is that we get summers off. (kinda) If I get a job I would love to have the summer to prepare and get organized. I can pray but more than likely that won't be happening in this economy. Anyways, I can't wait for weekend getaways, vacations, crafting, photography, lounging around, etc.

9. Photography. I have been doing photography for some time now but this school year has been rough and haven't really done very much with it. However, before school is out I am going to post a flyer for my photography on our district classifieds. EEK! I think now that I know I won't have a job I really will push myself and my work so that I can make a little income. I have been working on my website. 

10. I am thinking Chili's for dinner (gift card from Easter) followed by some homemade cake balls all while snuggling on the couch with my hunny while we watch a movie. Sounds good? Yes I think so. 

My Dancing Niece & Confirmed Nephew

I am sorry I have been so bad. I feel like I have only been blogging what we have done during the weekend. There has been a lot going on- just not ready to blog about it yet. Time will tell...
We have had a wonderfully packed weekend. Friday night J was still out of town so I had a lovely evening with my next door neighbor chatting and catching up while our puppies played. We ended up chatting until past my bedtime! I came home and watched some tv in hopes that I could wait up until bubby got home. I only lasted till a little past 12 before passing out. J got home around 2 and passed out.

Saturday we had a fairly normal day. Justin tried to sleep as much as possible seeing that he was only gonna be home for the day.  Once we both had gotten up we had the same as last Saturday. Chores, laundry, lawn, vacuuming car, etc. Around 2ish, Kason & Carla arrived here so the boys went hat shopping and Carla & I got ready (well I showered while Carla did her hair). By the time the boys got back with Laynes we ate and were on our way to Ella's Dance Recital. 

She did wonderfully!! She was adorable dancing to Route 66 and another song I can't remember. She was so cute and got so into it. You could tell she was in heaven on the stage. I am so glad I got to be a part of her special day.

Ella with Mommy & Daddy

Ella with her two Aunts

Ella with her Aunts & Uncles that came to see her perform- plus Emily who didn't get in the photo

Uncle Justin loving up on his sweet niece

 Today was my nephew, Cannons confirmation. I was also able to be a part of this special occasion in his life. I went and ate lunch with everyone and then came home for a little while before heading up to the church to be a part of Cannon's confirmation. I didn't bring my camera but will have to get some pictures from Taylor. It was a good service focusing on 1st Timothy 4: 12-16
12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Cannon- I am blessed to be able to be your Aunt and I pray and look forward to what God has in store for you. I can already see how he is using you and what a wonderful man he plans on making you. I am so very proud of you and am even more excited that we will be together in paradise one day...

Happy Mothers Day!!!

Friday

We had a wonderful weekend. Friday we were busy bees. Justin took my new car into the shop because apparently Ford was trying to rush the new Explorers off the line and the MyFord Touch & Mircosoft Sync have some glitches- and well my whole home screen turned black. Yeah...no radio, no phone, no backup camera, etc. Thankfully the air conditioner can be controlled from my steering wheel. Talk about a pain in the neck. Justin took my car in and had to sit  forever so I left work early to go and pick him up. They ended up calling us at 4:30 to tell us to pick up the car because the part they needed to fix it wouldnt be in until late next week. HMPH! So I continue on with no radio and no phone and no directions, etc.

Anyways, after that we went to HEB and picked up some stuff because for Justins birthday we got him a new grill and he wanted to try it out. So we invited the Cokers (J's sister & family) over for fajitas!! We had a such a good time. We played in the backyard, our neighbors backyard (with her puppy), did cartwheels, talked about life and just enjoyed each other's company.

Saturday

Saturday we slept in before getting up and doing normal Saturday things- ya know...laundry, cleaning, the yard, etc. When the evening came we headed to The Woodlands to surprise my mom for Mother's Day. My mom's mom (my Granny) passed away in January and so this was mom's first Mother's Day without her momma and she is still recovering from her knee surgery and just a bunch of other things. I wanted to be able to be there for her since I knew this would be a tough weekend. I had arranged with Dad for us to surprise her at one of her favorite places, Cafe Express. We got lost and there was an accident so by the time we got there Dad had texted and called me. Trying his hardest to put off eating. When we finally got there- Dad was inside and Mom was on the patio so we snuck in the side door and then we went outside and I wrapped my arms around mom and gave her a kiss. She said she almost slapped me because she thought I was either Dad or someone mistaking her for someone else. It was neat. She was speechless. (which is rare...hehe) We ate dinner then walked around Market Street for a little while, grabbing a cupcake from The Cupcakery before heading back home. I hope Justin and I were able to give her a little cheer and show her how much we love and appreciate her. It was fun Saturday night. Here are some pictures from the night.

Sunday

Sunday morning we got up and went to church. Our pastor is still working his way through Psalms. He is on Psalms 53. It was another good one. I love how Chris tells us the history surrounding each Psalm and what was going on in Davids life that made him write each one. But then also relates it all back to present day and how it relates to our lives. After church we had left overs and spent the entire day relaxing and enjoying being with each other before the rush of work made our weeks begin. 

And so another week begins...3 more Mondays before the end of the year!! Yippie!!

Mis. Monday

1. What I did...
So Friday night I woke up in the middle of the night and wrote a note in my phone so I would remember what I wanted to blog about.

2. Why is it that...

• You wake up early when you can sleep in and sleep late when you are supposed to get up?

• when I am laying in bed I can write the best blogs, emails, letters, etc. but when I get up to actually write my awesome thoughts- they are gone. so frustrating.

 3. Get In Your Bed Pip
Every night Pip is told "Get in your bed" and he runs happily into the laundry room, plops himself down in his bed and waits for his treat for being a good boy. Well the other night Justin and I kept telling him come on Pip get in your bed yet he would not emerge from anywhere. Normally, I keep all the doors to the other rooms closed so that he can't get into trouble- on this specific night the extra bedroom door was open. So I went in there to get Pip (mothers intuition that he was hiding in there). I said one more time, "Pppppiiiiiippppp....get in your bed" No response. Not even a jingle of his collar. I pull up the bed skirt to see Pip laying there IN his old dog bed. He hadn't come to get in his bed because he was "in his bed" the whole time. Justin and I couldnt help but laugh. He just lay there like DUH mom and dad, I AM in my bed. So Justin pulled out the old bed and put it in our room. Ever since Pip has slept in his "old" dog bed from when he was a puppy. He loves it. He hasn't even wanted to get in the bed with us. The other night we put him in  the bed with us and he jumped down and got in his puppy bed. So sweet.  


4. Lauren & Her Chocolate Factory
Last week I administered the TAKS test on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday I had to be a sub in one of the second grade rooms. They had been talking about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (read the novel, watched the movie, comparing, connecting, etc.) So while the children were writing their story about their connection to Charlie & the Chocolate Factory- I wrote my own. It is as follows:

When I was a little girl I used to dream about scary places and monsters. I would wake up in a cold sweat scared to close my eyes again. I was worried I would go back to the terrible world of my nightmares. But I also loved to read and the world I would escape to when I read became the world I would call upon to save me from my nightmares.


A particular book and theme I loved was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I was amazed by a place you could escape too that was completely made of my favorite thing- sugar. A fairy tale world where you could eat the grass, drink the chocolate river and have gummy bear trees. Where the streets were graham cracker and your job was to have fun and indulge in the ooey-gooeyness of sugar and candy.

So when I would awaken in fright the world I would call upon was the world of Willy Wonka. I would close my eyes and imagine I was in a car made of cheesecake where you could nibble on the seats and they would magically grow back. I would drive the car through the nightmarish figures and arrive in the world filled with lollipops and gum drops. I would tell myself the only thing I could see when I closed my eyes would be every type of candy invented and I could eat ALL of it and never feel sick or get full. The world of Willy Wonka saved me from my nightmares and instilled in me a forever love of candy.

5. "Chunky Daycare?"
The next two weeks I am AIM testing kiddos. Really me and three other ladies are testing the entire school. Oh the fun! : ) Anyways today they had some funny quotes. They were reading and it said, "They had gone to the same church, daycare and preschool." However, two kids said....
         "They had gone to the same chunky daycare and preschools." &
         "They had gone to the same church, daycare and preach school"
Love it! Couldn't help but laugh when they went back to class.

6. Wall Art = Bible Verse
Also today a little girl came in my room, sat down at the desk and began reading my wall. On my wall I have colorful banners that say, "whats up super kids?", our newspaper engagement, some art worship I did in college, a giant fork and spoon and a bible verse that is important to remember when you work with a lot of women (ya know...the gossip wheel). It is Ephesians 4: 29-32

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.


So anyways- normally the kids come in my room and freak out over the giant fork and spoon- however, this little girl came in my room sat down and started reading this bible verse. I about melted. To hear a 7 year old reading the word of the Lord in my public education classroom I loved it. I just let her keep on reading till she was done. : ) Made my day.
7. Prayer Request
I also have a lot of stuff going on right now and ask you be in prayer for me. I might be able to share in a few weeks but possibly not. Just wanted to ask for your prayers. Also, my father is going through some stuff right now as well so if you could keep him on your prayer list as well that would be wonderful.

8. Random
Think this is as about Random as can be! : )