10/19/2009

I don't know what made me think of the Nike Women's Marathon this morning, but I decided to look it up. Carissa choose this marathon to be her first one in her life back in 2007. I thought she was crazy and was surprised she was going to run the full 26.2 miles! This was her first marathon, so I thought she'd start with the half marathon, which is only 13.1 miles. (Not sure if I could even do the half!)I was so proud of her when I saw her cross that finish line and achieve a life goal for herself!


(Carissa is in this picture about to cross the finish line, she's behind the girls wearing white shirts!)

I followed in her footsteps about a year later, and even though it wasn't even close to being a full or half marathon, I ran in the 2008 Bay To Breakers. (Well, I ran the first mile and the last 2 miles...I walked the rest!)

Well anyways...The point of this posting is that the Nike Women's Marathon is in October every year. I wanted to do it last year, but I missed the registration deadline. And it's very hard to do. You have to sign up to be chosen by RANDOM DRAWING to become a participant. They only select 20,000 runners so to be chosen is only the beginning of the excitement that happens on race weekend! Over the past 5 years of this race, runners in partnership with Team In Training have raised over $80 million dollars, which makes it the LARGEST beneficiary race in the WORLD!

So, as of today I have only 4 days till March 4Th which is the day of registration to be chosen. I'm going to do it! I will go for the full marathon as well, so that I can feel that achievement that Carissa did...even though I'm sure she wasn't able to walk for a couple days!

And when I cross that finish line, I will be the proud owner of a Tiffany & Co. necklace that I will cherish forever and know that no one can tell me again that I would never be able to run a marathon! Cause I will have proof that I can and I DID!

Let's leave it up to the American audience

So this year I decided I would watch American Idol. I'm pretty proud of myself that it's taken me 8 seasons to finally watch it. I watched the auditions, Hollywood week, and the first set of 12 contestants and the eliminations and last nights second set of 12 performances.

I'll have to admit I was a little shocked that they only picked 3 out of 12 to go through last week. I agree that Alexis Grace is a top contestant, as well as Danny Gokey, but I don't agree that Micheal Sarver should be in the top 3.
Tatiana Del Toro should be there instead, even though she is so freaking weird!

Last nights performances were good, bad & ugly and a couple were AWESOME!

Adam Lambert is so sexy it's bound to get him through. But OMG can he sing! He sang "Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones, and I would definitely buy his album.

Allison Iraheta BLEW me AWAY!!! She is only 16, a junior in high school, and I swear she can ROCK that microphone just like Heart! I totally felt like I was listening to her on the radio singing that song! WOW!!!!!!!!!!

Megan Corkrey was cute. I didn't like her little hip shaking action she had going on..it was sorta awkward movements. Good song, good voice. I like, but don't love!

And last but not least...Norman Gentle...or is it Nick Mitchell? I don't even know what song he was singing last night. I think it was one he made up. He is such a character, but HE CAN SING! It was pure comedy, I loved Simon's reaction and I think he'll make it through with his act, but I'm afraid people will relate him to Weird Al Yankovic. I'm not sure that's such a good thing either.

Spending...Bad girl!!!

I bought this dress today...I paid full price...(Bad girl Lauren!)

(did you hear that, or was it just the voice inside my head?)




I bought these today also...(It's not even CLOSE to payday!!!!)

(damn, there's that voice again!)



and I bought these Wednesday night...

(This isn't looking so good is it? But I can justify the purchase of them...they are for work!)



There are more dresses and stuff I want, but I think I'll wait till next Friday. I'll have an excuse to buy one...Nichole's birthday dinner party at Sierra Nevada! I'll definitely need a new dress for that!

Becoming a mother for someone else

What do you think of Surrogacy?

I saw an ad in a Sacramento free publication for parents, and it got me thinking. What would a person have to go through, emotionally, physically (besides the obvious) financially etc...

Do you think you could do it? For a friend, relative, or a perfect stranger who picked you based on a piece of paper? Would you be willing to help someone start or add to a family that you don't know? Would you be scared of their parenting skills, beliefs, morals & values, politics and how the child would be raised?

Do you think you would have a parental attachment to the child, even though the child was not conceived with your egg or partners sperm? Would you still feel like it was your child growing inside you?

About 9 1/2 years ago I sent for an application to become a surrogate mother. I got half way through the application and just put it aside to finish later. I never finished. Maybe it was a good thing though at the time. I was only 20 years old. But now that I am older, and a mother myself...I think becoming a surrogate mother would be a happy experience for me.

It might sound naive, but it could possibly be one of the least selfish things I could do for someone in need. Someone who wants a family to love and grow with. To experience life with a child and see it through their eyes for a change. To get back to their roots and pass on the family traditions they grew up with.

Call me crazy, or whatever but I truly think it'd be a great thing.

Maybe I'll look into it a bit more. With Brad of course.

Southern Hospitality

So, in about 8 months Brad & I will be married for 10 years. We've been waiting for this for a long time, and constantly dream up ideas on how to celebrate this milestone. It's gone from a traditional wedding (cause we never had one) to a trip back to San Antonio by ourselves, to a small ceremony in Paradise with just family, to nothing at all.

But...I put my Kid Rock cd back in the car, and listen to it daily. This song below...totally gave me the inspiration for the way I'd want to celebrate. (Mainly because, it fits Brad & I as a couple and the way we like to have a good time, and because well...a big wedding style party for us is finacially out of the question)

Well the other day last week, we went out to Hallwood to pick up the girls and on the way out there is this house for rent. It's been remodeled so we stopped to look in the windows. Nice & new! Anyways...

The back yard (with some help) would be the PERFECT yard for a backyard BBQ. I would string up the plain big old christmas tree style lights strung in the trees, picnic tables with red & white checked table covers, a big old bbq with a WHOLE pig roasting for hours, pulled pork sandwiches, baby back ribs, BBQ chicken, southern fried catfish, corn on the cob, cornbread, chili, salads, desserts, maybe a keg or two, hardwood dance floor, Buffalo Creek playing live (big dream!)

All in the presence of good friends and family celebrating 10 years of marriage!

Guess he thought I knew

I brought home some old B&W photos today from my grandmas. They are of my grandpa & my mom as a little girl mostly. There are a few of my great grandpa on a really big harvester of some sort.

Looking at the photos tonight just brought so many emotions & memories flooding back, that I've realized that I'll never be able to listen to certain songs in the same way. They take on a whole new meaning & I listen to them with a different point of view now.

Here is one of them. I used to think of my dad when I heard it, but now...its so much more fitting to my grandpa. It is called 'The greatest man I never knew' by Reba McIntire.

The greatest man I never knew
Lived just down the hall
And everyday we said hello
But never touched at all
He was in his paper
I was in my room
How was I to know, he thought I hung the moon

The greatest man I never knew
Came home late every night
He never had too much to say
Too much was on his mind
I never really knew him
And now it seems so sad
Everything he gave to us took all he had

Then the days turned into years
And the memories to black and white
He grew cold like an old winter wind
Blowing across my life

The greatest words I never heard
I guess I'll never hear
The man I thought could never die
Has been dead almost a year
He was good at business
But there was business left to do
He never said he loved me
Guess he thought I knew

Nick & Norah

I bought it!

I'm sub-consciously realizing that I've made a few new years resolutions.

This happens to be one of them. Adding movies to my collection. Instead of renting them, I'm buying them. But only if I really wanted to see it in the theater, if it looked like something I could wait for, I'm not buying it.

10 songs I love...right now

10. I Don't Care
~Fallout Boy

9. Gives You Hell
~All-American Rejects

8. Womanizer
~Britney Spears (tied with Circus)

7. Angels On The Moon
~Thriving Ivory

6. My Life Would Suck Without You
~Kelly Clarkson

5. You Found Me
~The Fray

4. Sober
~PINK

3. Human
~The Killers

2. Fall For You
~Secondhand Serenade

1. Just Dance
~Lady Gaga