What do Christian Concerts, Weddings and Gutting Hogs have in Common???

It's Sunday Night and I am writing my weekend roundup after a warm shower and with a happy smile on my face at what was, really an amazing weekend all the way around! (Also a sleeping pill so this will post Monday!)

Friday night started the weekend off with a little Steven Curtis Chapman concert with Jason Gray and Laura Story joining in. Christian Concerts tend to be just a little different because the artists usually include prayer and a cause. If you don't know who Steven Curtis Chapman is all I can say is listen to his song called Cinderella. It makes me cry every time. I know the story behind it so it becomes even more heartbreaking and hopeful but for every little girl who grew into a woman and who ever had a daddy, for every woman who has a daughter and husband, for every father who has a daughter....so much power!






I went to the concert with Rachel, Chance, Eric, Khrystal and Trish and we had a really nice time. The seats were great and I left the way I always do when I spend a night with my focus on Him. Feeling peace. I'm sure that feeling had little to do with the fact the Texas Rangers won and kept their playoff hopes alive for a AL Wildcard. Not that any of us knew that of course because all 6 of us although BIG Rangers fans only checked the score once...a song...each!


Saturday I spent they early part of the day with my mom and my nieces preparing for my brother's wedding. First up was Mani-Pedi lunch!


Then it was back to grandma's to get dressed and ready to go. We met up with big brother and daddy there.


And everyone got married and 2 families became one. One big family of 6! I am excited to get to know my knew nephews and expand the family more and this "Brady Bunch" while they have their hands full, I can honestly say my new sister in law seems incredibly ready to handle it. Many prayers and much love!


Saturday night and Sunday:
After the wedding I headed out to meet up with a a friend and do things I never thought I would do....help field dress a hog. Ok, so the long and short is, I am a sucker for a man with puppy dog eyes! So when he was trying to dress this (Nasty/Disgusting/Mud Covered/Stinky) wild boar in the rain and needed help how could I say no?
I will save you from the dead animal pictures as I always find them well...for lack of a better word, yucky!!! I am not a hunter and I don't know if I could shoot something but I will say this, the wild hog population in Texas is out of control and the animals are to the point were in some towns they are invading parks and golf courses. They multiply so fast even the hunters can't really make a dent but when you see first hand the damage these animals do to someone's land as I have and you start to read how destructive they are to other animals like deer and raccoons then you may feel like I do. My grandpa raised pigs and my friend has been telling me for months "These aren't Grandpa's pigs." Well, after reading and coming across them in person and seeing them up close and seeing the incredible damage they have done, I have to agree. So, until the Aggies have a more humane sterilization solution that doesn't effect the rest of the corn eating animals in the world, Go Hunters!

Oh....and I wasn't ignoring the Rangers during all this they were on a little thing I like to call a win streak to force a game 163 for a chance at the Wildcard Monday!!! Let's GO Rangers!!!!



Simply,
Laura
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Weekend Update: Makeover Monday!

Well I spent the majority of my weekend doing home projects. As we have discussed, getting the house prepared to sell is a room by room project. Every time I think I have finished I seem to find more.




This is the kitchen. The cabinets have been de-cluttered, reorganized, and scrubbed.


Here is my dining room. My table has been cleaned off of all folded laundry for the 75th time!


I organized and stored all my important party items together for easy access!


And a little corner of love is needed in every kitchen. This is mine. Always find space in your life for love and love will find space for you! It isn't hard if you make time for the little things. At least, that's the way it seems to me.

Today I have an appointment with a dermatologist and a hair dresser so I may actually get an actual makeover. Tomorrow maybe a plastic surgeon...or maybe just a dentist.

So here is what I need....organization tips. Who has them? How do you all stay organized? While I was going through my junk drawer I found my name plate from my last job. I have been at my current job over 11 year meaning I put that name plate in there sometime in August 2002!! You see my problem here? I found a bunch of paycheck stubs from that prior job too! I may have a problem! I have cleaned out my cabinets of plastic bowls twice in a year. Twice! You can't tell!!! They breed, I swear. Help me!!!



Simply,
Laura
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Thursday Thinking

I know, I know..."where is Laura?" "What the heck is Laura doing?" said no one ever! Well, Laura has been spending her weekends spying on doe and buck kissing because they do it right.....and because well aren't they cute???




And spending her weeknights doing really fun stuff like cleaning out my kitchen cabinets and finding out I own a turkey roaster and a Fry Daddy! Who knew? I still own both but about 90% of that plastic crap is now gone, gone, gone!




I have been shopping, of course! Don't you just love my camo shoes??? I mean could you die from how cute?




I went to the land last weekend and shot a deer rifle and got this amazing take home prize! Lol




I made funny faces and sent them to silly people...because well, they deserve the dumb side of me and frankly I just don't care how stupid I am!

So here is what I am thinking this Thursday:

*Sometimes I make life way too complicated. No, it's true. I try to look ahead instead of just love where I am right now and where I am right now is a pretty amazing a place. I need to take a minute and appreciate the gift of now and the special people that God has put in my life.

*I worry way too much about things I can't control. I know in my heart that God will work things out so I don't know why I continue to let worry eat me up. I should live by my faith in Him, shouldn't I?

*Having a bad day doesn't mean everything is bad, it means a day is bad. I can't let it ruin my week.

*Knowing you have someone who loves you and loving that person is a truly amazing gift. I never take for granted how truly special that is.

*I am never going to stop trying to become better. I may fail 300 times but I will keep trying!



We can all use a little luck! My special someone gave me some buckeyes for luck and told me to take one to work. This is the one I have on my desk. It makes me smile.

Happy Thursday! We are going to make it now!


Simply,
Laura
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Weekend Update: Running Away

I thought about writing an earth shattering weekend recap but the truth is....I am just to tired. So I thought I would share just a little of the amazing fun and a little work mixed in starting with the adorable cow who was walking down the road Sunday morning. Just walking. No idea where it thought it was going.


It's hard to really appreciate what I am trying to share here but mostly it is a bunch or deer and wild pig tracks that go right by the deer blind on my friends place.


This is the 270 rifle I shot this weekend....at targets. I really am not sure how to explain this whole gun thing. They scare the crap out of me and yet they are really amazing fun to shoot too.


4 of these are mine, I have to admit rifles are a lot easier to shoot straight and a lot more terrifying all at the same time. Still, as you can see....I still shoot paper. It's fun and I will admit it is always possible I will take out a snake but I still see Wilbur when I look at pigs even the feral hogs.

Speaking of wildlife I thought I would share a list of some of the animals who graced my weekend:
20 (or so) feral hogs, 2 deer, 1 road runner, 1 squirrel who thought I was after his or her nuts and thought seriously of dive bombing me...I saw it in it's eyes, several cows including the photogenic ham up above, a bobcat who darted through the woods, a coyote who wailed at night, a couple of dogs running around interstate 30 and of course Sadie and Ries.

I will not list the creepy crawlies although I did have a praying mantis who seemed to want to be friends and a bunch of spiders, none of whom were Charlotte.

I really mean what I am about to write: working hard on land and spending time outside is not nearly as exhausting when you are surrounded by God's creatures. I could live in the country if I could have my cup of coffee while watching the deer play on a Sunday morning. I didn't even miss baseball or football. Not even a little bit. I didn't see a minute of games until Sunday and that's ok.


Happy Monday!



Simply,
Laura
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