take your babies with you...please.

you might find me posting a little bit more often....maybe. we'll see.

I just want to encourage you to stop just for a minute & take a peek at this blog post from my brother-in-law's sister.....I love reading this blog, but this particular post makes me so proud to read. What a good and quick reaction and way to be a protective mom for someone else!

stop what you're doing. stop. and read this real quick. www.sparklesnsports.blogspot.com

It's really getting hot outside, especially in texas, and everyone needs to be careful. It's a perfect example proving that we need to pay attention.

blog neglectfulness

talk about neglect. for real. I'm sorry. Alot has happened in the last few weeks and every time I sit down with my computer I end up not having time to type out my thoughts. Well here we go, I'm sitting on the couch, wet hair (don't ask), and watching a little tori & dean on the side. I'm ready to blab my life away to you now.

let's go back a tad, shall we.

three weeks ago I graduated from Texas Tech with a degree. An actual degree. The entire family, except for the bros-in-law, came to Lubbock from Dallas the DAY OF, through rain and windy-ness, and then packed most of my belongings for me. Then I avoided all ways to not pack up the rest of my things in hopes to stay, somehow. Who knows, I was very emotional off and on.

then, I moved all the way back home. I do not live in lubbock anymore yall. I absolutely love being at home with the family. I've been wanting to be closer for so long, but for some reason, I miss that little windy town. It has all of my sweet friends there. It has all of my memories, it has my apartment and my roommates. But now, its time to transition. oh I am so tired of transitioning. stop it!

After we drove home, I took a trip. A trip with just a good, sweet friend of mine, lauren. We went here......

Maui.

An 8.5 hour flight. For someone who cannot sleep on a plane. A place that has a five hour time difference. A place of innumerable rainbows. The cleanest air. The brightest sun. A place with an ocean. Mountains. A bit of rain here and there. Gorgeous gorgeous plant-age. It's completely easy on the eyes. AKA bliss.

Our first full day there, it actually rained for most of the morning and since we woke up at around 6am we did what anyone else would do while waiting for it to clear up. A little bit of coffee, food, uno, jumping on our beds, food, more uno, food....then all the days after that were wonderful and perfect.

It was the most wonderful trip. So relaxing. And perfect timing. These few days were a huge blessing and I am so thankful that I was able to go.

Now, I am home. Ready for what the summer may bring. Ready to see where God leads me. Ready to pursue what I need to and not pursue what I don't need to....make sense? i hope so.

hide & seek

This afternoon I played a huge game of hide & seek. My fellow players are stealth. They can fit into all the nook and crannies of each room, so it is a tough role to play with them. Now, me being twice...okay maybe three times their size, makes it really hard to find a decent hiding place. The past few times we have ever played it, I proved myself to be a horrible hide and seeker.

But today, I dominated. I was behind doors, behind barbie houses, behind rocking chairs. I probably looked a fool. But then they both pulled a fast one on me. I couldn't find them to save my life. They had climbed up into the linen closet and covered themselves with blankets. It was the most difficult and sneaky of places! What makes this game funny though, is the point in which they feel they've been hiding too long for you so they'll yell out because they're tired of waiting. Oh well.

If you actually read all of that, thanks.

Today I did something else that I have been putting off for weeks. Its been dust storm season here in lubbock and if anyone has been around during that time, you know exactly what that entails. A brown sky, gusty winds, dirt in your ears, teeth, and nose. Perfect to walk to class in. But even though it is supposed to rain in the next few days, and my car is an outside car (as opposed to an inside one) I just couldn't handle it any longer. I got my car washed. I payed money to wash it. I mean, really, on top of general dirtiness there were little hand prints thickened with dirt all over my windows and after it was clean, I swear I could hear my poor little car say 'gosh loren finally, thank you, uggghhhh.'

That was today.

More packing. More needed tissues.

Have a blessed night!

Negotiations

Today I negotiated. Well today someone, my five year old friend, who reallly needed a drink negotiated with me. Let's set the stage...we had just got a special snack at sonic, dropped a brother off for practice, ran a quick errand and stopped to get gas. Apparently the large drink someone got at sonic wasn't enough.

Here was the judgement call I was given, 'I need to save my sonic drink for dinner tonight and I am just really thirsty right now and even though we have diet dp at home and we're about to be there, I really need one right now.'

me - 'uhhh........okay.' followed by a long talk in the car about how that won't happen again because it's wasteful and we just can't buy two drinks in the same car ride.

Now after that, it is time to continue packing up my college undergrad life......accompanied by a box of tissues.

family - cannot wait to see you on Friday!!!!!!

my stern voice

The other day at work I had to use my stern voice. My very stern voice.

And if anyone knows a tiny piece of my self, you probably didn't know that I had one. Well I do. And it broke my heart. We had some issues, I won't go into detail, but I had to be the adult. Developmentally appropriate, appropriate discipline of course. And my five-year-old friend replied, 'I know you're my best friend, but my feelings are just hurt and I'm upset'. I gave her a few minutes to have by herself, under her bed, and walked out shaking. I felt so bad. Basically thats just hard for me to do but there were no hurt feelings later on, and the next day she was the charming, sweet girl she always is.

Because of that day, I'd like to share just a few hilarious moments I've experienced the past couple weeks....to lighten the mood. Here you go.

The other day I wanted to wipe the counters. Here was our conversation:

me - 'hey would you like to help me wipe the counters so when your mom gets home she'll be so happy?'

her - 'Okay....um, can I sing the cleaning song?'

me - 'Sure' (proceeding to grab my phone and write down what she sings because she is constantly making up songs that are so funny, creative and such and I never remember them. Don't judge).

her - 'Ooh oh oh. cleaning is right. cleaning is my businneeesss. oh yeah a a a. get my wiggles out, get my wiggles out. yeah. we do this cleaning business. Is so much fun to do. did you know you know you dress up in different clothes (to do cleaning?) oh ha ha ho ho ho yeah. La la la la la.'

If that doesn't make you smile, here's one more:

We were driving home from school the other day. It was quiet. I think everyone was tired. Then, from the back seat, I hear, 'I just really like basements. It kind of feels like going to the roof. You know that feeling. That's why I like them.' [pause] 'And I like stairs too. A lot.'

every weekday. love it.

radio sermons. what....

Well. To anyone who reads this, college years are winding down. Here in the next month I'll be taking my last finals, graduating, moving home, going on a little trip, then celebrating one of my best friends getting married to my other sweet friend. So to say this transition will go by quickly is an understatement. But no fear, I'm sure my own feminine emotions will take a bit longer to transition.

As for now, I'm sitting and enjoying watching three of my loved ones sleep in the living room. Some are on the floor, yes, but they enjoy it. I think.

I've come to a small revelation these past couple of months. Pastors on the radio. I love them. Well, most of them. Growing up, my dad always seemed to turn the radio to the sermons. I usually didn't enjoy them. At all. Because being younger you don't usually feel like hearing a pastor's sermon fill every nook of you car. But as I got older, I've learned to just let my dad have that time and enjoy it with him. But I noticed something a couple months ago. Everyday, during the exact time I drive to work, Charles Stanley is on the radio. And over the past while I have absolutely cherished my time in the car listening to him. Maybe its because it reminds me of the moments I got to listen to those voices with my dad. I love my dad. And I miss him. So maybe that's it.

There's something about being alone in a vehicle, listening to some wisdom, and soaking it in. Dr. Stanley, thanks so much.

I know this is short but its time to go prepare for something I hope and pray and know God will take charge of.

enjoy the rest of this day today.

Holla.