100 Truths

1. Real name: Laura Renee

2. Nickname(s) LJ, Lauri Loo Hoo, Loo Hoo, Binks, Rett

3. Zodiac sign: Leo

4. Male or female: Female

5. Elementary School: Meadow Lake Elementary

6. Middle School: TLC (Technology Learning Campus)

7. College: University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

8. Hair color: Natural color - light brown, Dyed color - dark brown

9. Tall or Short: Tall

11. Sweats or Jeans: In a utopia world - pajama pants ALWAYS, but in public, jeans

12. Phone or Camera: BOTH - but since my phone has a pretty sweet camera, I'll say phone

13. Health freak: In some areas - I wish I was a health freak in the exercise area!

14. Orange or Apple: Apple (Honeycrisp!)

15. Do you have a crush on someone: Not right now.......

17. Piercings: Double ear piercings, ear cartilage

18. Pepsi or Coke: Neither - Diet Mountain Dew or Diet Dr. Pepper!

HAVE YOU EVER?

19. Been in an airplane: many times

20. Been in a relationship: Ummmm....YES!

21. Been in a car accident: yes - NOT cool.

22. Been in a fist fight: with my sister when we were little - we used to punch each other in the stomach and pull hair

23. First piercing: ears

24. First best friend(s): Carie Bosch, Becky Aaker

25. First award: no idea - probably a penny for going potty in the big girl potty! lol

26. First crush: first real one was Joel in junior high

27. First word: no idea

29. Last person you talked to in person: Joe at church

30. Last person you texted: April

31. Last person you watched a movie with: Doug

32. Last food you ate: a Christmas cookie (get them out of my house!!!!)

33. Last movie you watched: Rebel Without a Cause

34. Last song you listened to: All Summer Long - Kid Rock (I freaking LOVE that song)

35. Last thing you bought: filled up my gas tank at Racetrac

36. Last person you hugged: Cindy

FAVE:

37. Food: dill pickles!

38. Drinks:Diet Mountain Dew, water, frozen strawberry margaritas

39. Bottoms: ummm....stupid question. Pajama pants

40. Flower: red gerbera daisies

41. Animal: wiener dogs, of course!

42. Colors: red and silver

43. Movies: dramas, ones set in Europe, period films, independent films, ones that can make me think and/or make me cry

44. Subjects: history, math, Europe

HAVE YOU EVER:

(Put an X in the brackets if yes)

45. [x] fallen in love with someone.

46. [x] celebrated Halloween.

47. [x] had your heart broken...

48. [ x] went over the minutes/texts on your cell phone.

49. [x] had someone like me

51. [ ] got pregnant.

52. [ ] had an abortion.

53. [X] did something I regret.

54. [x] broke a promise.

55. [X] hid a secret.

56. [X] pretended to be happy.

57. [X] met someone who changed your life

58. [x] pretended to be sick.

59. [x] left the country.

60. [X] tried something you normally wouldn't try and liked it.

61. [x] cried over the silliest thing.

62. [X] ran a mile.

63. [X] went to the beach with your best friend.

64. [X] got into an argument with your friends.

65. [X] hated someone.

66. [ ] stayed single for 2 years.

CURRENTLY:

67. Eating: nothing

68. Drinking: Diet Root Beer

69. Listening: sleeping dog on my lap

70. Sitting/Laying: Sitting

71. Plans for today: (tonight) – blogging, then vacuuming

72. Waiting: for God to give me a mate

YOUR FUTURE:

73. Want kids: maybe - not sure

74. Want to get married: yes

75. Career: mine's good, but I don't think I have found my life's calling yet......

76. Lips or eyes: eye contact is key, but a great kiss is wonderful too...

77. Shorter or Taller: I wish I was just a couple inches shorter.

78. Romantic or spontaneous: Romantic, hands down

81. Hook-up or relationship: Relationship

82. Looks or personality: Personality

HAVE YOU EVER:

83. Lost glasses/contacts: never lost my glasses, but I've torn a few contacts.

84. Snuck out of a house: nope

85. Held a gun/knife for self defense: no, but I'm trying to earn my 'Texan card' by getting a gun in the near future. I'll be packin' soon! lol

86. Killed somebody: nope

87. Broken someone's heart: Yes - an awful feeling

88. Been in love: Yes - it's amazing

89. Cried when someone died: Of course

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:

90. Yourself: Absolutely

91. Miracles: Yep - sure do

92. Love at first sight: It's lust at first sight...then when you get to know the person you fall in love

93. Heaven: Yes - can't wait to see Dad again

94. Santa Clause: Um, negatory

95. Aliens: Don't think so

96. Ghosts: Yes

TRUTHFULLY:

97. Is there one person you want to be with right now: Yes - but I don't know who it is yet. But I know there's someone specific for me.

98. Do you know who your real friends are: Yes

99. Do you believe in God: Yes

100. Post as 100 truths: sure, why not.

Owen Update

I thought I would dedicate today's post to an update on Owen (and his new amazing technicolor sweater). Here he is in a puppy bed, pimpin' out...

I am loving the sweater the more I look at him in it.....plus it helps me tell who's who when I'm looking at them from across a room or down the hall!

He definitely is turning out to be a lover. He LOVES to be held, cuddled, scratched, kissed, hugged, rubbed, etc. On the contrary, Maggie is becoming a little bit more distant - just watching the craziness.

I haven't been taking many pictures lately because whenever I get the camera out, they are going a mile a minute chasing each other or wrestling or fighting over toys that I can't get any that don't come out blurry! So when Owen fell asleep on my lap, I had to catch the opportunity!

My sweet little baby boy!

And here's Maggie, standing guard while Owen dozes....

And here comes Miss Instigator - ready to pounce!

And then once she riles up Owen, she looks at me like I'm supposed to make him stop being crazy. Sorry, Miss Maggie, that's not how it works!

Ah! A second where he's sitting still AND he's awake!

Here they are, wrestling over who gets to sit in the puppy bed in the office......

Maggie won.... :)

More fighting over toys - just like siblings do......

Can never get a non-blurry shot when they are hanging out - too much movement!

A profile shot of his sweet sweater!

They finally calmed down and are 'playing well with others'......

And in a futile attempt at dominance, Maggie just literally stands OVER Owen.....but he doesn't pay any attention, just keeps on playing with his toy.....

Struggling, But Still Thankful

I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas and I have for several years now. I used to love Christmas like everyone else when I was a kid - presents under the tree, our homemade ornaments that we made in Girl Scouts on the tree, Dad hanging the lights on the outside of the house, Grandma coming over, Christmas Day at my aunt/uncle's house, Mom's awesome Christmas cookies, etc. etc. etc.

Then came some major deaths in the family (Dad & Grandma) and my divorce. Dad's death and my ex walking out happened right around Christmas and unfortunately, that makes for kind of a blue time at the holidays.

However, there are still aspects of the holidays that I very much enjoy, so I choose to embrace what I love and try to avoid the parts that hurt.

One of the things that I still enjoy and actually LOVE is decorating my house for Christmas! Here's a shot of my decorations and the first fire of the season at my house:

And here is my Christmas tree that I absolutely love. I put my decorations up during the first weekend in November - crazy! But I figure that there are enough parts of the holiday season that make me sad that I need to FULLY embrace the parts that bring me joy.

I do have faith that someday Christmas could be a very joyful time again......but I'm kind of in a holding pattern of sorts.....The traditions of my childhood are gone, and I don't have a family of my own to spend it with, so I sit in the middle wondering what happened to everything I loved? I get very lonely, and opposite of logic, I tend to isolate even more as I get sad. It always happens right around the 10-15th of December - just about 2 weeks out from Christmas. I don't know how to stop it, and I try to stay busy, participate in the things I DO enjoy and concentrate on what I have to be thankful for.

So far this year, I have put up all my decorations and went to a sing-a-long of Handel's Messiah with Laura. Before Christmas comes, I have plans to bake cookies with Cindy, go to the ICE event at the Gaylord Texan, be a greeter at church for one of the Christmas Eve services and spend Christmas Day with Laura & Cindy. That is quite a bit for someone who wants to crawl under a rock until the holidays are over and life is back to normal.

I'm trying to have a good attitude as much as possible and look at how much I have to be thankful for, but I still fall into a trap of loneliness this time of year and I really miss the traditions of my past........Ugh.

Home Improvement Through The Generations

When I got back from Canton about a week ago, I had several new decorations that I wanted to hang, so I went to my toolbox and got my hammer and nails out......but every time I look at the hammer I have, I think of where I come from.

Why, you ask? Because a while ago, my Mom gave both my sister and I an old hammer each. She said that both hammers belonged to our grandpas (she wasn't sure which hammer went with which grandpa) and we each could have one.

Here's mine:

As you can see, it is used, worn and 'broken in' for sure! That's what I love about it. Depending on which grandpa used it, it either was used on a dairy farm in then-rural Rosemount, MN (my Mom's Dad) or it was used in a house in Hopkins, MN near Lake Calhoun close to Minneapolis (my Dad's Dad).

It's old and beat-up, but it sure does the trick as good as any hammer out there. It's solidly built, nice and heavy and I can tell it's been put to good use. It just amazes me that someone I don't even know (both grandpas died before I was born), throughout the childhood of my parents used this very hammer to do projects just like I'm doing now.

I hope there's a an angel in Heaven that's looking down and is proud of me and is helping me complete my home improvement adventures!

I'm sad that I never knew my grandpas - I picture I would've sat like this with them, asking them a million questions had I known them......

And as a tribute to the MASTER at home improvement and fixing/building things - my Dad!! Miss you! (This is him posing in his new garage when they sold the Minneapolis house and bought the house up north on the lake - he was like a kid in a candy store!)

Singing The Chorus

A week ago I did something that I have never done before....Laura and I drove to a big old church in Fort Worth and attended a sing-a-long to Handel's Messiah.

The church was Broadway Baptist and the outside reminded me of Notre Dame in Paris - with the huge round stained glass window!

Now, I am not a singer (unless you count the singing I do in my car alone), but I wanted to go and experience it anyway. Laura sings in her church's choir, so she was ready to sing for sure!

The church was beautiful and we were two of the youngest people there, but I didn't care one bit. I was soaking in the culture around me - both the music and the architecture....

The organ was amazing and the interior was warm and inviting (except for the pew back, which was hard wood).

What a beautiful place to have the sing-a-long and I guess it was the 30th annual! Maybe I'll make it a tradition.....

Going to this event made me want to pick up piano again and start reading music. I was able to follow along in the score book that they gave each person as they went in (it was like 3/4 inch thick!). I'm so glad I went!

Men Have It Easy

WHY MEN ARE NEVER DEPRESSED

Men Are Just Happier People...What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack. You can be President. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park. Car mechanics tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress-$5000. Tux rental-$100.

People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.

Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes. Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck.

You can play with toys all your life. One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.

You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

No wonder men are happier.

New 'Do?

One of the things on my 33-list is to try a new hair-do. I have been wanted to do this for a while, but I am very scared to try it. When we were in Hot Springs, I really liked Jenn's current 'do and took some pictures in case I decide to try the same thing.....

It's much shorter than my hair is now, so I would have to cut a bunch off and forfeit the ponytail option.....That's a big step!

But I have fine hair, so I don't know if I could pull off the texture needed to do this hairdo.....But product does wonders (Jenn has hair clay in it).....

Thoughts? Ideas?

Thankful Thursday

I know I already posted about Owen this week, and I'm probably going to annoy my readers that get on my case about all of the 'cute animal pictures', but I don't care! In the last week, my home life has changed a LOT with the adoption of Owen.

I will totally admit that I had second thoughts on those first few days because he was having accidents, barking a lot and his energy was just insane (I forgot how much energy dachshund puppies have!)......but the barking has all but stopped, the potty training is getting better every day, and Maggie seems to like having a playmate.

This week, I am thankful for the simple love of a puppy! They just want to please you, love you, kiss you, be held by you and snuggle with you. I was very worried that I would get a second dog and they might be standoff-ish or distant, but Owen's personality fits perfectly with mine and Maggie's.

The unconditional love and unbridled devotion of a puppy is just unmatched in my book!

Look - even Russian Prime Minister Putin can't help but snuggle with a puppy in front of cameras!
There's just something down-to-basics and simple about snuggling with a puppy and exchanging hugs and kisses.

They may be a big responsibility, frustrating at times, a financial burden (especially in the first year), but it is SOOOO worth it. I found that out with my first dog ever - Maggie - and I am confirming my feelings about dogs with our new little boy, Owen. I'm so thankful for the love of my pups!

Shifting Gears

In the past several years since my divorce, I have been praying to God about something - my desire for kids. I would watch friends getting married and subsequently starting families. I would feel the jealousy rise in me when I got the news that another baby was on the way for someone in my life. This was just emotionally heartbreaking......

So I began praying to God NOT for children to come my way, but for His will to be done. If that meant kids in my future, then bring it on! If that didn't mean children in my future, then to please take the desire for them away so that I wouldn't be tortured. In true God fashion in my life, I didn't get an answer to my prayers right away (I think He's trying to teach me patience - something I need a LOT of, desperately).....

Well, recently - in the last year or so - I have had this increasing desire for another dog. I have always felt bad that Maggie didn't have a buddy, someone to pass the time with while I was at work or just not home. I also love Maggie so much that I knew I wanted to share more of that love with another one.

What I didn't consciously realize at the time was that God was answering my prayer - just as He was ramping up my desire for another pup, He was diminishing my desire for children. It's not that I don't want kids at all, but it's as if I'm indifferent to the idea. He 'neutralized' the desire, put it up on a shelf to be revisited at some other point. No doors were shut, but it took away the longing that I felt.

And it became clear that I now had a longing for another mushy, soft, cuddly pup - something I could realistically and reasonably handle, afford and obtain. Perfect!

I just love how God always finds a way to answer prayer. Even though I didn't see it all happening at the time, I do see it now. He found a way for me to engage my maternal instincts, share my love, provide companionship for my Maggie, and feel fulfilled. What a FANTASTIC God!!

I am very grateful for this answered prayer.

Will The REAL Christmas Letter PLEASE Stand Up??

I just talked to my friend Beth on the phone the other day and she told me a story that made me laugh really hard. One of her friends was tired of receiving & reading another sickly sweet (nauseating) family Christmas letter in the mail, so she decided to write one about her family.....but use REALITY as the basis.

Most of the Christmas letters you get tell about fantastic vacations, children's milestones, promotions at work, remodeling projects around the house, and other achievements. I suppose my blog is sort of a 'year-round Christmas letter' to all who read it, but I try to be 'real' in my blog and not sugar-coat things. When I have something sad to write about or an annoyance that I need to vent about, I don't hesitate to write about reality (just like this post!).

Anyway, this person wrote out her family Christmas letter and included all of the topics she normally would write about in the 'traditional' letter that goes out.......except she told 'the rest of the story' (as Paul Harvey would say).

So on that dream vacation to Jamaica when normally you would write about the awesome weather, all of the fun beach activities you did and the great food there was.......she would write about how one kid had to go to an emergency room in the ghetto for stitches and the disgusting taxi driver that they had to deal with, how her husband got food poisoning and was throwing up all day, and the horribly sunburn on the tops of her feet! Hahaha. That's the 'real' story of the trip.

And for the holiday party stories in the letter, she would write about how she wanted to take her mother-in-law out the front door and put her face down in a snowbank. Stuff like that.

I freaking LOVE this cartoon!

Now, I want to point out that there are definitely reasons to be thankful and share what is going on in your lives with your loved ones, and in the interest of full disclosure, I myself have done the family Christmas letter (the first year that I was married), so I am not trying to cast judgement or be a hypocrite at all........but some of those letters really do make me want to puke. Just being honest......

Family Addition - OWEN!

About a week ago (Sunday, November 28th to be exact), I adopted a sweet baby wiener dog into our family! I ended up naming him Owen (after much agonizing over this name choice - 2nd place name was Milo) and he fits the name. He just turned one year old, and he's very much like Miss Maggie in looks and personality.

Here he is (chewing on a treat)!

He's at a great stage because he's past the puppy stage of chewing on everything and getting into everything, but he's still a pup in the sense of having big ears and paws, being super soft and kind of a mushy composition. He is somewhat potty trained and he's getting better and better every single day. He barked a lot when I first brought him home, but hardly makes a sound - unless Maggie and him are playing and then they are making weird sounds all the time!

I got him from a rescue group called Dachshund Lovers of Texas (woohoo!!) and he was being fostered up in Plano - about an hour away, but still in the DFW Metroplex. I took Maggie up there to the foster house and we introduced the dogs and they played right away. And Owen (he was named Cory at the time) jumped right up in my lap and gave me kisses (to the shock of his foster Mom). I knew right away that we would be fast friends.

He is a VERY curious little guy - just like Maggie was/is. I don't think that EVER goes away with dachshunds. He is 100% stereotypical dachshund and I love that - the good more than the bad. :)

And this is Maggie and Owen on that first afternoon - taking a nap together! They usually will sleep end-to-end, like in this picture. Even in my bed they sleep like that. In this picture, that's Maggie's 'end' and then Owen's head. So sweet! They wore themselves out!

Two hot dogs in a bun (my legs) - Owen had a lot of excitement that day - starting the day at his foster Mom's house, playing with Maggie, a long car ride, a trip to PetSmart, a bath, more playing with Maggie and then a NAP!

Like little train cars - one in front of the other. Maggie has done a fantastic job of helping me train him and teach him how we operate at our house. His potty skills are even coming from Maggie. When he first arrived, he was lifting his leg and now, a week later, he pretty much squats like Maggie to go potty. So funny!

They are avid players and they wrestle, chase each other like crazy at a million miles an hour, fight over toys, hide from each other and then POUNCE, but at the end of the day, they snuggle and take a nap together. *Perfection* That is exactly what I hoped would happen when I introduced a second dog, a buddy and companion for my Maggie-girl.

This is them hanging out with me on the 2nd or 3rd day that I had him. They just laid there next to each other and fell asleep eventually - so sweet!

They look so much alike - it's weird!!

Maggie is in the green collar and Owen is in the blue collar.

Then Owen wanted to sleep, so he shoved his face under the armrest (so uncomfortable!). Sweet!