Friday's Letters [05.31]

Happy Friday, folks!!

Dear testing, See ya, wouldn't want to be ya!

Dear students, Only FIVE more wake ups until your freedom. How about calming down a smidge and being nice to your teachers? Much appreciated.

Dear Davido, Thank you for being so gosh darn superb.

Dear Color Run, I am SO excited for you tomorrow! My only request? Keep the color puffs out of my mouth. Bleck.

Dear crazy neighbors, June is upon us, which means the return of your fluffy terrorist. I see the beginnings of a fence. Any chance you're going to finish it any time soon?

I Don't Want to Talk About It

You know when you are awoken from a deep sleep? The moment that it seems is the worst in the world thanks to grown up responsibilities and an alarm clock? The instant when you give the world the look that says, "I don't want to talk about it". Welp, I've got a story for ya. . .

Memorial Day Monday was spent as many Americans spend theirs-relaxing poolside with a few drinks. Nothing out of the norm there. We headed home after a few hours in the sun and a few beers later than we intended, but still nothing really out of the norm. Went to bed like normal, though my dear husband decided it was too hot to sleep the typical way in bed and flipped himself all the way around for maximum space under the fan. Still, nothing really out of the norm.

Some time in the middle of the night David woke up to go to the bathroom and Daisy proceeded to jump on top of me in a rush to snag his spot. Not sure which event woke me up but I was none too pleased. I tossed and turned for a bit before finally taking a gander at my watch. 3:48am, oof. My alarm would go off in little over 30 minutes alerting me it was time to run. I tossed and turned some more before finally getting out of bed around 4:15am. 

I headed downstairs, ate my banana, set up Desperate Housewives (this is a no judgement zone) on the iPad, and started running. A quarter of a mile in I realized it just wasn't happening, so I attempted walking for a bout a mile. Even the woes and plights of the Wisteria Lane ladies couldn't distract me from my overwhelming exhaustion, so I ended up cutting it off and heading inside to start breakfast.

It was around this time I realized the iPad clock read 2:48am. Say what?? Oof, David would not be happy to see the iPad messing up. I continued into the kitchen where I checked my phone for any missed texts from the fam. It, too, read 2:48am. What? The microwave and oven clocks? All 2:48am. That's right, folks, I woke up around 1:30 that morning. 

Apparently in my tossing and turning I had messed up the time on my watch, so while it did read 3:48, it was for 3:48pm on December 15. And you know I couldn't fall back asleep thanks to all the adrenaline pumping through me from me workout. Needless to say it made for a very longgggg school day.

Lovin' Bloglovin!

With the disappearance of Google Reader in a few short months I have jumped on the Blog Lovin' train! In order to keep reading the adventures of our lives please start following me over there!

Have a marvy day!

Greatest Weekend of the Year

One of my favorite weekends all year is Memorial Day Weekend. For as long as I can remember I have counted down the days to this glorious three day weekend that represents so much. Here is a glimpse at a few reasons why it's so wonderful:

honor soldiers

First and foremost this weekend is an excellent reminder of the incredible sacrifices these outstanding servicemen and servicewomen make for us each and every day. It is so easy to forget that when we are caught up in the mundane of our day to day duties, but without them we would live in a very different world. We truly are free because of the brave!

TJ and all his friends at Marine camp.

cookouts

Um, hello?? Who doesn't love the chance to pick out on grilled burgers and dogs after a long winter of pot roast and potatoes? The reintroduction of summer brews (I see you, Summer Shandy and Bud Light Lime) and cornhole are the cherries on top of the ice cream sundae!

Memorial Day Cookout last year!

start of summer

For most teachers this weekend signifies the start of a much-needed break. We still have a few more wake-ups until we're out for good, but this weekend kicks it off in a great way!

True story after this exceedingly long Winter!

skip Monday

I don't think this reason needs anymore explanation.

Friday's Letters [05.24]

Happy Friday, folks!!

Dear testing, Please go away. All my poor little babies (and my little babies I mean 8th graders bigger than me) are stressed to the max! You are giving them cold sweats, sobs, and stress no child should ever experience. Just vamoosh!

Dear readers, I am in dire need of book suggestions! It's looking like my summer will be full of reading by the pool and I would love to hear your suggestions!

Dear David, Thank you for being the Godly, patient, loving fellow that you are. I appreciate you and your support more than I could ever put into words.

Dear 3 day weekend, How you doin'?

Dear world, In case there is ever a salad dressing apocalypse, I think I've got us covered.

 Dear TJ, I really hope they release you from Marine camp (aka TBS) today! We all miss our Boo-man!

Guest Post!

While my sweet friend Brianna is away celebrating her anniversary, I am taking a chance to guest spot on her blog!

Stop on over and hear all about how the Mobleys stay healthy!

Stroll Down Memory Lane

Yesterday evening David and I decided we need some fro-yo. Okay, okay, I decided we needed some fro-yo, so off we went. There are a handful of fro-yo places within spitting distance of our house, but we were in the mood for Sweet Frog. The closest one is located next door to our old apartment complex. I don't know if this is good or bad news, but that wasn't the case when we lived there. This is bad news because I would have loved living within walking distance of deliciousness, and great news because I probably would have been the size of a house.

Anywho, so off we went! It took me the customary 20 years to pick out my flavor and toppings, while David knew within a minute of walking in. After I finally created the perfect concoction we decided to wander over to our old stomping grounds and see what was going on. Since we've moved (it'll be two years in August) the complex has more than doubled. They've added between 10 and 15 new buildings, a new clubhouse, a new dog park, a new people park, a new salt water pool, and an awesome new outdoor seating/lounging area complete with grills, couches, and TV's! Needless to say we were too early to the party. 

Considering it was an apartment, it wasn't the worst place to live. They had a place for Daisy to run and play (now populated with new buildings), a gym, and a nice view. It was still apartment living though and hauling groceries up three flights is not fun on any level. What made it really special, though, was that it was our first place together.

Wandering down memory lane last night was really special. We were reminded of when we first got that ragamuffin pup we love so much. We were thrown back to our first days as newlyweds and the excitement of seeing each other after being apart for months (no thanks to you, Alabama!). I hope it's all there 20 years from now, so we can do the same thing all over again.

Paid It All

Jesus paid it all,

All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Our worship team has been knocking it out of the park the past few weeks. They recently blessed us with an awesome rendition of this traditional hymn. How blessed we are that He sent His only son to rescue us from the sin of this world! It was through this ultimate sacrifice that were saved.

I cannot put into words the joy that pours from my heart with this song. The first time I heard it was at our old church in Raleigh, and it immediately spoke to my heart. Since then, every time I've heard it I am filled with such love for the Lord and His unending love for us. 

 This is a great version of this beautiful song. . .

What's your favorite hymn?

Friday's Letters [05.17]

Happy Friday, folks!!

Dear morning drive, You are becoming much more pleasant with the addition of our friend, the rising sun, and the warmer weather. Keep on keepin' on.

Dear students, You're tired, I get it. Believe it or not, your teachers are tired too! Only three short weeks until we part ways. Please don't turn me into a strict monster with all your cuckoo craziness.

Dear Etsy, Your offerings are absolutely spectacular. Any way you could possibly not be so overwhelming with the crazy amount of nifty things you have?? I am loving this, though:

via

Dear Davido,  Thank you for continuing to be such an impossibly wonderful person. I am so thankful for all the ways you love and support me!

Dear Daisy, sock thieving is soooooo not cute. Okay, okay, maybe it's a little cute.

Coconut Bars

I recently posted about giving coconut oil a try. I'd heard about all the benefits, but needed recipes to try it in. Enter this yummy (and laughably easy) treat. I was a little skeptical the coconut would be overbearing, but it was actually quite yummy.

Ingredients
1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp virgin coconut oi
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a food processor.
 Squish into any small container (I used a 7×5) and fridge for an hour before trying to cut.
Enjoy!

I told you it was easy;-)

Washed by the Water

Last Sunday was a big day for me and David. . .

We were baptized 

Both of us were baptized as infants and grew up in Godly homes. We were both raised going to church. Though if you know my family's church history you know we made our rounds through the denominations-another story for another day!

About a week after we started dating we began attending Vintage 21 in Raleigh (now known as Vintage Church). We immediately fell in love with the church and all it represented. As our relationship grew, so did our faith. We went from regular attenders to members and seat-fillers to volunteers. David even led a Community Group on campus. Big things happened. God happened.

In 2010 we returned to the Charlotte area for David's job. We were devastated to leave Vintage behind. After a few months of searching we found a new home in Hope Church. We quickly dove in and became members of this new church plant.

Fast forward three years to this past January. We lost our sweet baby girl and each learned a whole new side to our faith. After talking it over, and praying about it, we decided it was time to get baptized again. As infants we weren't able to claim Christ as our Savior, but as adults we were able to do so with a faith so deep we didn't know any other way. 

Here are a few snapshots my mom got from the (cold and rainy!) sidelines:

Before

After

Before

After

Thank you to all our friends and family who were a part of our special day!

My First 10K

One of my favorite ways to stay in shape is running. This has not always been the case, though. In my youth I would have rather poked myself in the eye with a million red hot needles than run down the street. Today? I completed my first 10K! Hey, whiny little Lauren, you did it!

I'm pretty darn excited about it too considering what a rough week it was for my body. Last Saturday I woke up excited to get one last "long" run in before the race. The moment I stepped out of bed I realized that wasn't likely to happen. Thank you, tight hammies! Not exactly sure where they came from, but they came with vengeance. I stretched as much as I could and hoped for a better run the next day. The universe had other plans. Thank you, nausea and congestion! Hello yucky bug that sidelined me from running for a few days. Fast forward to Tuesday when I woke up with ridiculous cramps and a very unwelcome monthly visitor. At this point I was convinced the universe was conspiring to kill me. I completed a few shorter runs on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and hoped for the best for the race.

I woke up this morning nervous as all get out! I ate a snack, drank some water, and made the last minute decision to add a few songs to my running playlist. Bad idea. Very bad idea. Thank you iTunes/iPhone for forcing me to reset to factory settings at 7:40 this morning! I about had a conniption fit. I paced around the house while it did its thing and I was FINALLY able to add a few songs.

I arrived early and waited nervously for the buzzer. The cool thing? It was in our neighborhood! A few shots David took while I ran by:

Daisy patiently waiting for me.

Doing well around Mile 2.

 Ready to cry at Mile 5. Please note the lack of smiles and thumbs up this time around.

According to timer as I ran by I finished in 49:53 with an 8:02 pace. Could I done better? Maybe. But considering I was congested and crampy, I'll take it!

 

When the Hubby is Away. . .

What's that phrase, "when the cat's away the mouse will play"? We spent six months of the first year of our marriage apart while David worked in Alabama, so this mouse had to learn to entertain herself. In fact, the reason you are reading this blog right this moment is because I needed something to fill my quiet evenings. I am incredibly thankful that he no longer travels so much for work, but I do have to admit, sometimes it's nice to have a night or two to myself. Come one, wives, admit it, y'all enjoy a night away every so often too! So, what does this introvert do on an evening to herself?

school

It's amazing how much more organized my school life can become when I have a few uninterrupted hours to do it in.

blog

 My "drafts" list becomes almost as long as my "published" list on these nights!

not make supper

Now, don't get me wrong, I love cooking, but sometimes it's nice not to have to do a big meal and the clean up that follows. My favorite go-to meal without the hubby? Cereal. And it's stinkin' awesome. :-)

sleep

You better believe this pooped puppy makes her way to bed as soon as the sun sets. Don't hate.

read

 I love, love, LOVE reading but feel like I never have enough time to do it. On these quiet nights in I love snuggling up with the pup in our big bed with a great book.

wear cozy clothes

Who am I kidding, I do this when he's home too;-)

What do you do when the cat's away?

Strawberry-Banana Pudding

If you've ever been to a Southern picnic, you've heard of banana pudding. Well, the other day I had some extra strawberries I decided to toss in the mix. Let me know what ya think!

Ingredients 

1 package vanilla instant pudding mix 

1 cup fat-free milk

1 container frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed 

3 ripe bananas, diced 

1 1/2 cups vanilla wafers

1 cup strawberries, sliced 

Directions

Combine pudding mix and milk in a small bowl.

 Stir with a whisk until smooth. 

Mixwhipped topping into pudding mixture. 

Fold in bananas. 

Layer 3/4 cup cookies in bottom of an 8-inch baking dish. 

Spread half of pudding mixture over cookies. 

Repeat process with leftover cookies and pudding mixture. 

Top with strawberries. 

Enjoy!

Today's View

Thanks to a nasty virus this is today's view. I wish it was of a classroom of kiddos, but my body would have none of that today. After managing to hang tough all Winter, it was the Spring that finally brought me down. Here's to hoping rest and lots of fluids work some magic!

Friday's Letters [05.03]

Happy Friday, folks!!

Dear weekend, Oooeee you are going to keep us busy. Busy in a good way, though. Between all the adventures and visits that await I know you're bound to be a good one.

Dear readers, In search of a good book to kickstart your summer reading? Take a gander at Sharon Draper's Out of My Mind. It's not for the faint of heart, but the story there is incredible! I highly recommend that along with Divergent by Veronica Roth.

Dear Daisy, You are soooooo lucky I was the first one home and not your daddy. What exactly went through your mind to make this a good idea? You sort of redeemed yourself when you went straight into the bathroom for your punishment instead of me sending you there. How are you so stinkin smart yet so impossibly dumb at the same time?

Dear school, Only 5 more weeks until we get to take a much-needed break from each other. It's not me, it's definitely you.

Support System

I have an incredible support system. I mean, really, they rock. 

my school family

It continues to amaze me how much like family these people have become. Everyone from my team to my department to the people I randomly see in the hallways or at staff meetings.  I am so thankful for the laughter they provide in the stressful moments.

our church family

We were so fortunate to find a church in which we can be ourselves and know no one will judge us for that. We have found a church full of selfless people interested in doing all they can to help us grow and learn. That's a good feeling.

our neighbors

Well, at least some of them;-) You know our feelings on the Californian crazies next door BUT the rest of our neighbors are the bomb.com. They offer us support and love in a laid-back, humorous way. 

our friends

Our friends are much like our neighbors, just a bit more spread out. These are the people we can totally be ourselves with and know we will not be judged.

our families

These are the people who have seen us at our absolute worst, but still stick around. Both sides of our families are full of incredible people who continue to love us in the best way they know how.

I told you they rocked.