happy tuesday.

this weekend my mama and my siblings went away.

i stayed a tori masons house.

it was truly the lovliest of weekends.

i'm convinced that happiness resides in "the chocolate",

it's amazing what a cute dessert can do for ones mood. (2nd picture)

we ate it all gone! (mikelle, tori, and i) (1st picture)

and we were happy all day long.

what a treat. literally. ha. ha. :)

also this weekend,

a boy threw rocks at my window and asked me to come dance outside,

i went,

we danced,

he asked me to prom.

what???? :)

ohhhhhhhhhhh emmm gggggeee for cute!!

no, really it was.

so, i drew that picture up there, to try and express to you how great its going to be.

my overwhelming thought today:

its a beautiful thing when you realize that you know something so sure,

but know that now isn't the time.

and you can feel good about you,

and where you're going

and where you've been.

and know, that one day, it'll all work out.

and that day will be a beautiful spring day,

and i'll be in a white dress with white flowers in my hair.

and i'll look up at the sunshine and pray.

and be oh so happy that it all came about like this.

then i'll breathe a sigh of complete content-ness.

oh what a day that will be,

that beautiful spring day.

thank you grethchen for telling me that my blog did something for your unfortunate mood.

i like you.

dream of sunshine. if we can all band together, it might come through.

also, go hug your mom. she needs it.

love, laura

when i'm sick and read books.

so i'm sick again.

its super cool.

but not at all.

but the good news is that i've been reading,

cause you have time when you don't go to school.

but i digress,

i've been reading "the screwtape letters" by c.s. lewis

brilliant.

it's letters from the devil training another devil.

i know, i know "laura this sounds like the worst thing ever. you wretched girl"

no. it's really great. in fact, you can borrow it when i'm done.

it helps you to see how satan tempts us from his point of you.

it kind of enrages me.

yuck.

but, here is the thought for the day from it.

"Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do [God's] will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why as he been forsaken, and still obeys."

really? does it get any better than that.

even when we feel that everything is against us and that God has left us alone, we can still obey. and if we still obey, even when times are hard, there's nothing that can bring us down.

so don't think about it! if life sucks, it happens!

life is like a wave. ups and downs all around.

when you are in your downs, don't worry about it.

just do what God would have you do.

and you're gonna be just fine. :)

i love it.

and remember to pray.

love, laura

valentines day.

a jaw dropper,

looks good when he walks,

he's the subject of their talk,

he would be hard to chase,

but good to catch.

and he can change the world with this hands behind his back.

and you can find him waiting on your doorstep,

waiting for a surprise,

and he'll feel like he's been there for hours,

and you can tell he'll be there for life.

-daydreamer adele.

One good heart attracts another.

-shaker saying

being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,

while loving someone deeply gives you courage.

-lao-tzu

i think we're here for each other.

-carol burnett

everyone should carefully observe which way his heart draws him,

and then choose the way with all his strength.

-hasidic saying

i'm really convinced that if we were to define love,

the only word big enough to engulf it would be "life."

love is in all aspects. and if you miss love,

you miss life.

-leo buscaglia

spread your love. wherever you go.

-mother teresa

your memory is the sunshine each new day brings.

-nickel creek

LOVE.

i think you know you're falling in love when...

when the thought of him makes you smile.

when you want to be a better person because you know him.

when you want to go with him to get milk at midnight.

when you think of him all day and don't need to text him to let him know.

when you're willing to love a sport just because he does.

when you listen to love songs and your heart beats really fast.

when he looks at you, you almost have to close your eyes because it makes you too happy.

when you want to hear about everything that happens in his day.

when you laugh just because he's too cute to keep it in.

when you want him to wear his seatbelt.

when you get the tickles after you pinky swear him.

when all you really want is for him to be happy, so you'll let him be his own person.

when you'll let him leave for 2 years.

when you sacrifice for the greater good.

when all you really want to do when the weather is nice is go take a walk with him, or swing on the swings.

happy valentines day.

and tell me when you fall in love. i sure do love a good love story.

love, laura

to a wonderful day.

wednesday, february 9th.

surprisingly i woke up on wednesday and i was sure that it was going to be a bad day.

i woke up and wanted to cry.

i just knew it was going to be hard.

i hate those.

but God heard my prayers that morning,

and it ended up being a beautiful day :)

1. You see that picture of the newspaper?

see how it says "Dear Laur-Laur"?

that's me.

and that was in our school newspaper.

and it's a love note of sorts.

to everyone else it might seem stupid,

but to me it's the cutest thing.

could i feel any cooler?

absolutely not.

thanks little one.

you are the greatest. the very greatest. :)

2. Steve gave me a ride home from school and we were just talking in his car for awhile,

then he asked me to go with him to his grandparents house to clean his grandpa's car.

of course i was thrilled to go :)

what beautiful people they are!

in every way.

i fell in love with them.

married for 51 years. and that's something to be proud of :)

it was a time full of laughter, old music, and vacuums.

and for once in my life wishing i was old.

old with my soul mate.

i love love. especially the old people kind.

3. I went to visit my friend Lindsey that used to work with me at shade.

She is a cute little mother of a 6 year old named Avery (see top picture)

and 2 year old triplets.

cutest kids ever.

and i was lucky enough to play with them all day!

i got to talk to them and hear their little voices and listen to their stories.

it was so beautiful.

it made me want to be young.

like back in the days when your siblings were your best friends :)

4. jr jazz and talking with tori mason.

and talking about my love.

she's one of the very few who don't get sick of my pathetic-ness.

i'm so grateful for her. :)

5. the sun was shining.

do days get any better?

no.

i hope that we can take the time to enjoy those moments.

and realize that there are things that are more important than homework.

like people and memories.

and love.

and make time for it.

time to enjoy the sunshine,

and to laugh with your best friend,

and to listen to old music,

and to write someone a love note.

do things that make you happy,

and hopefully, those things will bring happiness to someone else too.

love, laura

be you.

sometimes i feel weird in my own skin.

actually i just feel average.

so. painfully. average.

but what i don't realize is that the best thing i can possibly be is myself.

and that the people that are honest with themselves are the only people worth knowing.

no, i haven't lived out of state.

no, i don't wear clothing that is out of the ordinary.

no, i don't find cool music all on my own.

and no, i can't remember the last time i did something even near illegal.

but thats ok.

i am simple. and i am me.

and i believe that every single one of us has something beautiful to share with the world.

including me.

and you.

especially you.

you will change the world, you cute thing. :)

and i believe that Christ sees more in us than we see in ourselves.

and that i'll be whatever He wants me to be,

and what everyone else wants me to be just doesn't really matter.

cool.

thanks ari. :)

and thank you.

go make a list of ten great things about yourself.

and i'll make one for you too if you ask nicely.

really.

and tell a friend ten of your favorite things about them.

or just one.

they'll appreciate it.

love, laura

follow your heart.

many things will catch your eye,

but only a few will catch your heart.

pursue these.

-michael nolan

you'll never regret it.

love, laura

i'm growing.

i went to the doctor yesterday and...

i have grown

1/4

of an inch.

i wish they could measure other growth. like spiritual growth. or mental growth. how tall would we be?

love, laura