1st Birthday Pictures

Birthday Party Prep

Step 1: lots of pine cones and some pretty pink paint

Step 2: Spray till your finger hurtsStep 3: Helium balloonsStep 4: Tie balloons to pine cones

Happy Birthday Laura!

Where has the time gone? I feel a bit cliche saying that, but it is so true.

One year ago today we were in Flowers Hospital holding our precious baby girl, Laura Beall Faulk. 6 lbs 9 oz and 20.5 inches long. She had jet black hair. When she would cry, Laura made funny little snorting noises. Maybe that was God's way of relaxing us because we couldn't stop from laughing at the sound.

And today she's one. Laura has been walking for two months now! She eats dinner with us like a big girl. We put together her new car seat last night - she'll see the world going forward now. Laura will have her birthday party Saturday morning filled with family, cake, bubbles and balloons - just a few of her favorite things.

Looking back I can honestly say we didn't know what we were getting into. But now, I can't imagine life without her. Through all the sleepless nights, bottles, diapers, growth spurts, crawling, walking, running - she truly is a blessing.

Happy Birthday Laura.

Tap, Tap, Tap - Here Little Lizard

I stopped dead in my tracks.

First I thought, is that one of LB's toys? Then I realized, no we don't have any toy lizards.

Up, showered, coffee made, and Grant had just left for work. We had been in and out of the kitchen for about an hour when I first spotted the bright green lizard on our hard wood floors. I couldn't move. We proceeded to have a starring contest for a full minute while I considered my options.

Occasionally we have had them in our sunroom and lounge on the palm tree. But this one was in my kitchen! And somehow I felt a bit more threatened with it in there. I quickly went to Grant's closet to look for a shoebox to catch it in. No luck. If I had been closer to my closet, I would have had plenty of shoeboxes to choose from!

I go back into the kitchen, hoping that the little guy is still there. And he is. In fact, he hasn't moved. Frozen in his tracks also.

My wheels are spinning - what am I going to do??

At my feet is a plastic spoon that LB plays with. I pick it up, thinking I might just scoop him up and carrying him out the door. In preparation for a quick maneuver, I open the back door. I slowly creep toward the lizard and he starts to slowly creep backwards. Hey! Where are you going! Immediately I put the tip of the spoon behind him and he stops. Okay, so I'll just direct him with it.

I felt like I was in the the scene in Parent Trap when the twins tell their dad's girlfriend to hit two sticks together three times to keep the bears away. I kept tapping the spoon on the floor trying to get the lizard to go where I wanted it to go. With an occasional tap on the tail we rounded the corner and the outdoors were in sight. I think the lizard must have sensed it too, because we hit the door step and it leaped and bounded out the door and away from this crazy lady with the tapping spoon.

A good ending.

I can imagine LB running around chasing this lizard in the house! I'm so glad we can save that playtime for the outdoors now.

Back from Atlanta

Back from Atlanta. Yay! It was a great Millionaires Club trip. We had seven managers, three district managers, and five from the office. In three days and two nights we did as much as we could. Braves game in the Coca-Cola box suite, GA Aquarium, World of Coke and awards dinner at the Atlanta Fish Market. All of it a hit.

I haven't been to visit Atlanta in a while. In fact, I can't even remember the last time we were there. It was so good to be back. I think I pointed out my old exit to at least four different people each time we passed it on 85.

It was a great little carriage house in Ansley Park in Midtown. Just a one bedroom apartment behind the home of one of my mom's best friend's from college. I only lived there a year. But I learned so much about Atlanta during that year. I could tell you all the back roads to take - now I'm thankful for directions and a GPS.

Debt Free Reward

Grant and I decided that we need to reward ourselves when we are finally debt free. I say finally, but really the light at the end of the tunnel continues to get brighter and brighter.

Debt free, emergency fund fully funded, and then we'll save for our adventure (we aren't going to go into debt to celebrate).

It must be an adventure! Not somewhere that you can go for the weekend, or that you can drive to.

A few ideas:

Spain and Greece are top on our travel lists anyway

Croatia - I've heard its beautiful

Italy

Throwing a dart at a map - a favorite of ours

Suggestions are welcomed!

Clean Hair Regardless

I was running low on shampoo and with no plans to go to the store that week I just took the bottle out of the guest bathroom. No harm there, it wasn't being used anyway.

Well, times goes by and my newly acquired shampoo bottle starts to run low. So, I pick some up. Great. I'm prepared now when I run out again.

Today Grant decided to shower in my bathroom and I'm in and out unpacking from the weekend so we're catching up. And he asks - are you out of shampoo? Well, no. But its getting close. And then asks - where is it? I tell him. Well, come to find out that I have been washing my hair oh for about a month now with body wash.

Apparently I didn't read the label clearly when I swiped it from the guest bathroom. I hadn't noticed anything different in my hair other than it really has seemed long lately. Maybe washing your hair with body wash is like using that horse shampoo that was so popular when I was in high school.

Completely Satisfied

I love Diet Coke. But not just any Diet Coke, primarily fountain Diet Coke.

I will drink the bottles or the cans, but there isn't anything like a good, cold fountain Diet Coke.

Yesterday I started daydreaming about one. And with the week dragging on and on, work super busy, I could have really used one. But last night at our family date night when the waitress said they were having a Happy Hour, well, other beverages sounded more appealing.

But today. I stopped and got my fountain Diet Coke. And it was like heaven on earth.

Completely satisfied.

Today's Highlights

The day started out a bit rough. I thought the paci was lost. Thirty minutes were spent crawling around the house - trying to look at things from LB's perspective. Turns out it was in the high chair. A very logical place to put something valuable.

Next I found the remote in the washer. Thank you very much.
We took a break from losing and finding things to go to story time at Barnes and Noble. The train table was definitely a highlight. It was so funny watching LB. She LOVES kids. And will walk right up to them - definitely within their personal space - look up and smile. She ran into and knocked over one little girl. With all the moms standing around watching, I held back a snicker and apologized. And lastly, Miss Laura has learned how to get her own kleenex. Now if she only knew how to wipe her nose with it....

Dad's article this week

Here is the link to dad's article from this week.

Sometimes the best stories are from a string of moments in everyday life.

http://www.thepostsearchlight.com/news/2010/aug/03/avenue-stars/


enjoy!

A Well Rounded Meal

LB had the most well rounded meal to date yesterday. For lunch she ate yogurt, toast and butterbeans. Yay for butterbeans! A lady after my own heart.

Ok, so technically the can said Lima Beans. And yes, they came out of a can. But she didn't care that they were microwaved. To LB it was simply delicious.