Crazy Weekend Ahead...

Woohoo...today is Friday for me! I'm super excited & I'm also very excited for this weekend with lots of fun & exciting things going on. Tomorrow, dear Hubby & I are headed to Oklahoma City--yes kind of a weird destination, but we are finally getting to use my last birthday present: Tickets to the Lion King!!! I have seen the Lion King once before, but Hubby hasn't and I'm sure he'll just love it! We're also having dinner beforehand at the Melting Pot--neither one of us have been here either, but of course we've heard amazing things.

Saturday we're planning on sleeping in & then heading home in time for a friends' wedding. She's actually the girl who does my hair & I know she's going to be be an absolutely beautiful bride!

Sunday promises to be exciting as well because it's Hubby's 26th Birthday. We don't have any big plans, but I'm really looking forward to giving him his presents. I've planned a little shindig at our house on Monday night with cake & ice cream with some family & friends. Guess I better find some time this weekend to make that cake!

Have a great weekend!

Birthdays, Sunshine & Flowers Galore!!!

What a great weekend we had! Friday night we had a quick dinner at home & then headed to Springfield to buy birthday & wedding presents for some friends. We also ended up finding a new bedspread for the master bedroom & it was even on Clearance!!! The one we have is still fine, but it wasn't made very well to start with & is starting to look very tired.

Saturday morning I had to work & Nick placed golf in a scramble with my dad, my cousin, & my uncle. He had a great time and even though they didn't win--he did win the Closest to the Pin contest. Way to go!!! Saturday afternoon we headed over to some friends' house for a birthday party for their kids. Dawson turned 5 a few weeks ago & Lydia turned 2 about the same time. They rented a big inflatable jump house & an inflatable slide. The kids had such a great time!!! Dawson & Lydia are adorable and have such great personalities. We just love hanging out with them! Here are a few pictures of them enjoying their birthday party!!!

After the birthday festivities we headed to a local greenhouse & bought a bunch of flowers so I could fill our empty pots! This place is so beautiful, but very dangerous for our pocket books! We got enough plants to fill 5 different planters & also a few odds & ends to fill up the bed in front of our house. Hubby also had a gift certificate from his firm for dinner so we had a very nice dinner out at Houlihan's. We then headed home & just spent the rest of the evening enjoying the beautiful weather & talking with our neighbors.

Sunday we headed to church & then headed to another nursery that we love & purchased a shrub for an open spot in our bed. We had this huge grass there that seemed to overwhelm everything & so we dug it up & moved it. Once we got home, Hubby got busy mowing the yard & I grabbed my new plants, some tools, my gardening gloves & got to work! I just love planting flowers & I've actually had fairly good luck with keeping them alive. Here are some photos of the pots I planted, plus some of the front bed & how things are really starting to blossom!

Just a close-up of one of the pots I planted!
My gorgeous clematis! It must have 20-25 blooms that are just ready to burst! It's probably going to be beautiful all summer!

This was actually a gift from my boss (aka my dad) for Secretary's Day--he always does something for all the girls that work here! It's just beautiful & will continue to fill out as the summer goes along!

The new shrub for our bed along with some impatients & phlox. I just love spring flowers!

I'll be sure to include more photos of our flower beds once everything has bloomed out!

Bring on the sunshine!!!

Do you ever have those weeks that just seem to fly by? Well apparently this was one of them. This week has been full of normal happenings around the Layman house--just work & working outside. We did have dinner on Tuesday night with Hubby's aunt, cousin, brother-in-law, sister, & our two adorable nephews. We had a great time, but it's those nights that always remind us that we're not quite ready for children at this point.

I can't believe it's already the weekend & I'm so excited because the weather is supposed to be absolutely beautiful! I think we've finally made it to Spring with highs in the upper 70s & low 80s. Sure, we have our share of plans, but most of those plans involve being outside which is a definite plus!

Weekend Rewind

I'm back at work after having a fantastic weekend full of time fun times with friends, good food, retail therapy, & some amazing speakers. The weather even managed to cooperate for the most part which was certainly a bonus. We left on Friday about 4 & arrived in Branson around 5:15 or so, checked into our hotel & then headed for dinner before the first session. Let's pause right here & discuss our accomations for a moment.

This....is the photo of what we were expecting our hotel to look like when we arrived. Pretty nice right? Well, this IS what the lobby area looks like. Too bad the rest of the place doesn't even hardly hold a candle to a 50 year old Best Western with outdated furnishings, beds that have way too many springs, & a bathroom area that has cracks & stains. The rest of the location is actually a Mo-tel....yes, a motel as in accomodations with exterior doors. I happen to very much dislike motels & this was no different. However, it was in a decent location & the water was warm for our showers so I guess my complaining should stop now. Other than the motel, our weekend was fantastic.

Friday night started off with wonderful worship music & then we were all super excited to hear none other than Kirk Cameron speak. It was so surreal to see him actually walk on stage. He had a good message about being willing to share the most important news of Jesus Christ with everyone we know--but in all honesty I wasn't that impressed. Now don't get me wrong-he had an excellent message & point for us all to here, but it just didn't do much for me compared to the other speakers for the weekend. However, he was actually the only picture I took all weekend (man I really need to work on taking more photos).

Saturday morning we had more worship time & also heard from Carol Kent & Priscilla Shirer. These women are incredible & truly have a gift that comes from God to teach the Bible to women all around the country. I came away from those sessions with a new look on those hard situations & I only hope I remember what they taught when I fall into those rough patches.

Saturday afternoon, myself & the 2 girls (Amy & Andrea) I went with headed out for some serious retail therapy. We hit Tanger Outlet Mall, Michael's Craft Store, Kohl's & then the Landing. We had a great time & we had some fantastic coversations that made me so grateful for these 2 women & the rest of our small group. We had such great coversation that we actually skipped out on the Saturday night concert (Selah & Point of Grace--oops?!?). We also had a fantastic session on Sunday morning with Lisa Harper. We made it home around 12:30 just in time to meet our husbands who were coming home from church.

We also had a small group BBQ last night to celebrate the end of the session. We're stopping a little before school gets out just because everyone's schedules get so hectic! The rest of the week will just involve Hubby & I working outside & enjoying the beautiful weather! It's supposed to be 80 degrees by the end of the week! Summertime here I come!

Women of Joy 2009

Tomorrow at noon I am headed home from work early to grab my bags & head out of town for a fantastic weekend of rejuvenation, relaxation, & reflection (wow...even I'm impressed with that little bit ;o) I am headed to Branson with about 16 women from our church to spend the weekend learning about God, praising his name, & enjoying some fantastic fellowship with thousands of other sisters in Christ. There are 3 of us from our small group going & I couldn't be more excited. We are staying in a fairly nice hotel & we have all day on Saturday to spend doing retail therapy. One of the best parts is that the featured speaker on Friday night is Kirk Cameron!!! Woohoo!!! I just know that God is going to use this weekend to do some amazing things so I'm trying to prepare my heart & mind to push everything else out & just focus on some ME time with my heavenly father. I'm also so looking forward to strenghtening the relationships I have with the girls in my small group & hopefully digging a little deeper! I'll try and take tons of pictures to post next week! Have a great weekend everyone!

We Made It!!!! Tax Deadline 2009

Well for those out there who are huge procrastinators today might mean a lot of stress for those trying to get their taxes postmarked on time or for most of you it's probably just an ordinary Wednesday marking the middle of another work week. For me (& more importantly my dear husband) this is a huge day, it means I get my husband back. It means no more dinners at 7 or 7:15 but dinners at 6:00; it means actually getting to talk to each other each morning instead of me mumbling something unconsciously as he kisses me on the forehead; it means more time each night instead of only time for dinner & a workout before heading to bed; it means more time to enjoy each other & more time to spend outside working in the yard, going to the driving range, or taking long walks with Bogey. This is our second tax season as a married couple & while it is certainly easier this year than last--I'm still completely ecstatic that April 15 has finally arrived!!!

My husband is absolutely amazing & such a blessing from God. He's been working 55+ hours a week for the past 3 1/2 months & never once have I heard him complain or whine about his job. I fully realize that some men would expect to come home and sit around since they have been working so hard---not my Hubby. He is probably more helpful around the house with the dishes, laundry, cleaning, etc. this time of year than any other time. Sure that may have something to do with the fact that it's freezing cold outside & he can't spend his time mowing the grass & making our yard look like a golf course. However, I know that it has more to do with the fact that we are a team--in everyway & at every point in our lives. I know this because even last night as I said I was proud of him for making it through & this morning when I gave him a kiss as he walked out the door & gave him a high-five for being such an amazing husband--he didn't take all the credit, he followed up my compliments with a "I'm proud of you too" & "Thanks for being such a good, wifey!" Hubby is very good at his job & I know he's willing to work so hard because he is providing for us as a family & also he just has an amazing work ethic. This is so refreshing to see each day & I have so much respect for him as a man, a husband, a son, & sometime in the future I know he'll be an amazing father to our children.

If I've learned anything in our almost 2 years of marriage it's that no matter what circumstances life may throw at us that the most important thing to know is that I have a partner that God brought into my life for a reason. Sure, we may be opposites in some small ways or maybe even in some big ways--but God brought us together fully knowing that we would compliment each other perfectly & that if we will embrace the idea of being a team with God, He will bring us through anything.

Please don't get me wrong & think all I'm doing is complaining about Hubby working, Hubby loves his job & at this point in the world he is so thankful to have a job that is very stable--it's just so nice to go back to a normal working schedule where we actually get to see each other for more than 3 hours a night.

Wet Easter Sunday

I was reminded yesterday of that lovely old wives tale: If it rains on Easter Sunday it will rain for the next 7 Sundays...lovely, just lovely. I am only praying that we will not have to endure 7 more Sundays of the rain we received yesterday. It rained ALL day with simple transitions from heavy drizzle to mist to outright downpour. Easter is such a beautiful day & I always hope for lots of sunshine and a little bit of warmth--no such luck this year.

While it was nasty yesterday, it was beautiful on Saturday & Hubby & I were able to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. We headed to a local Par 3, 9 hole golf course on Saturday afternoon so I could practice up on my skills. I was pretty terrible the entire round until my last shot of the day--it was certainly my 1 moment of brilliance. Then we grabbed a quick dinner out & headed home to get the firepit up and going. I just love this time of year, warm enough in the daytime to enjoy being outside & just slightly cool at night to enjoy a nice fire outside. We enjoyed smores & good conversation with our neighbors & had a great evening.

Easter Sunday is one of my favorite days of the year, the church service always manages to speak straight to my heart & then we get to spend time with great family & fantastic food! We always have our Easter gathering at my parents' house so we headed down quickly after church to help them out. Normal Easter tradition includes gathering at my Grandparents' house (my dad's parents) & taking family pictures with us all dressed up in our Sunday best--well, as the grandkids have gotten older & have their own families & their own church homes this has become a little difficult. Plus, this year the rain would have caused problems anyway. We had plans of taking pictures at my parents' house but it never got worked in. Hubby & I did manage to pull off one picture together & I'll try and remember to post it once I get it loaded on my computer.

Rain always seems to put a damper on things, no Easter egg hunt, no family tradition egg toss, no family pictures...oh well, at least we can still certainly celebrate the resurrection of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ! What a mighty God we serve!

One of the ladies at church sang this song at church yesterday--it really made me remember why God had to do what he did.

What a week...

Well, needless to say after this post you'll realize that my week has been incredibly hectic, chaotic, & frustrating. I started off the week with the realization that my computer here at work had some neat virus that while it would allow my computer to boot up just fine, none of my programs would work. So I took it in to have it worked on only to be told that my entire harddrive was corrupt & they would have to completely rebuild the harddrive. The only good news in all of this is that they were able to backup all of my important files. I finally got my computer back this morning only to begin the long & very frustrating process of recreating my system as it used to be and reinstalling all the necessary software. Finally after about 4 hours I had reinstalled Microsoft Office, reinstalled a printer 2x after uninstalling it once from a failed installation, reconfigured my e-mail to come back through Outlook & reinstalled several company programs that are necessary to complete everyday business. I think I'm finally back up & running, I'm just hoping it still works when I get here tomorrow.

In addition to the computer issues, they took my grandma to the hospital by ambulance because her pulse rate dropped to 38....Not Good. Her blood pressure has been on a roller coaster (mainly staying really high) in the past few weeks & they are running a bunch of tests to hopefully figure out what's causing this. I posted about my grandma a few months ago & she seriously is such an amazing woman of God, but I know how much this scares her when she doesn't quite know what's wrong. I'm just praying that they'll figure out what's wrong with her very soon & release her from the hospital in time for her to enjoy Easter Sunday...

With some good news, we got our Easter package from my mother-in-law early this week & it was full of Easter goodies...Reese's peanut butter eggs, an Easter dish towel, Easter Candy Corn, Easter dinner napkins, & a silly little Easter game. Those packages always make me smile--especially this one which was covered in bright colored paper & had paper eggs & Easter grass at the bottom. I wanted to take a picture but she had written the address quite large so you'll just have to use your imagination. Also, we are closing tomorrow at noon!!! YIPPEE!!!

I also thought I would share one of my favorite worship songs right now, it is appropriate for everything that's been going on recently & it just reminds me of how God is always there & will never ever go anywhere--even when I try my best to push him away. With all the craziness of the week, I haven't done a very good job of remembering what this week is all about---but God sacrificed so much & is still so willing to give us all we ask for. His love is so abundant & his grace will just pour out on us--I just have to remember to run to him & seek refuge in His arms.

Dogsitting...again

Hubby & I had a very nice weekend, dinner with my brother & his wife on Friday was fantastic! We went to Olive Garden & it was a fantastic visit in the fact that they got there before we did & suffered through the waiting process. That's my one serious complaint with Olive Garden--people will wait forever to eat there & they seem to line up at 4:30 every night to get in line! Oh well, we had a great time & enjoyed some great conversation. Saturday Hubby & I went our separate ways...he headed to the golf course with one of his friend's from high school & I headed to work & then to the spa for a massage & a manicure. The massage was fantastic & I was so relaxed when I came out of that room. The manicure itself was fantastic; however, the paint job left much to be desired...my nails were already chipping by last night so now my short little nails are 'au naturale' yet again. Sunday was just church, relaxing, laundry & small group with nothing too major.

My dad had another business meeting in Kansas City yesterday & today so Hubby & I are dogsitting the lovely Josie again. She is so hilarious & has such a fun personality. The whole potty training thing is going better & Bogey has not yet relieved himself on her so I figure that's definitely progress. She'll go home tonight & I'm sure Bogey will be slightly delighted that he has all of his space back.

Work has been a little crazy yesterday & today---my computer contracted some sort of virus so it is in the shop & this just completely throws my game off. Yesterday one of the ladies I work with was out sick so I used her computer & then today our part-time lady is off so I'm using her computer. I hate not being at my own desk--it makes me feel very very very unproductive. Hopefully we'll have the computer back by tomorrow!

Oh & remember those lovely tulips I posted pictures of on Friday...well they are now in a lovely glass vase on my counter. With temperatures in the low 20s last night they would have never survived so I cut them on Sunday afternoon & put them in our kitchen. They are just beautiful & hopefully they'll last for awhile. I guess we'll just have to wait for more spring color in our flower beds--at least it's supposed to warm up in the next few days!

Ready for the Weekend!

I can't believe my last post was on Monday recapping last weekend & I'm just now getting ready to post again. Our week has been really normal & uneventful which is certainly a nice change of pace at times. I had dinner with one of my best friends' from college, I got my hair recolored for the beginning of summer, & otherwise we've just been hanging out at home. Tonight we're having dinner with my brother & his wife--we live less than 15 minutes from each other but with our schedules we hardly ever see each other! I've very excited to see them & hang out! Tomorrow I have to work, but have spa appointments (a massage & a manicure) scheduled for the afternoon! Otherwise it's just a typical weekend...and in honor of the beautiful Spring days here are some pictures of my daffodils & tulips that I'm so proud of!