Claire

Our sweet baby Claire should be so honored so have such an amazing namesake. My grandmother's name was Claire, and was absolutely a stunning woman.


She was a Southern Belle. A Georgia Peach. A Sorority Girl. A Beauty Queen. She always seized the moment and took advantage of every opportunity. She was a mentor, a critic and a friend. She nurtured, she played, she taught. She always had a full dance card, was forever young (if even only at heart,) she loved to love and she loved to live. When Molly was only three years old, she asked our grandma if her wrinkles hurt. She responded "Wrinkles only hurt on the inside."

She was raised in the old tradition where etiquette and social grace were of high importance. She always wanted to put her best foot forward, and began that each and every day with a regimen of a good brush of the hair and a sharp color of lipstick. Nearly 30 years before she passed, she began a three-page list of instructions for caring for her as she aged. Without a doubt, the top of the list included that she must always have a combed head and flashy smile. She tried to teach Molly and I these same lessons, although sometimes they conflicted with how we wanted to look. She wasn't so fond of my naturally curly hair, and was often asking me if I needed to borrow her brush.

She documented her favorite memories that weren't captured through pictures or letters by providing detailed explanations and captions on the back of photos. She always wanted to cherish the funny and meaningful things her grandchildren said.

One of our favorites is a picture we found of her from 1992. She wrote:
'Christmas 1992. Me! Hope there are better pictures than this. But maybe in five years, this will look pretty good.'

Four years later, she returned to that same picture and elaborated on the caption:
'1996 - No, I still don't like it!'

I find it amazing how she preserved such memories by keeping all the meaningful cards, letters, pictures we sent her and by writing additional details on photos. She even had planned ahead and separated all the special keepsakes that we were to receive once she was gone. Looking back through these wonderful documents, helps Molly and I see the woman she really was. It teaches us about the women we really want to be.

Today would have been her ninety-third birthday. Unfortunately, she left us for His better place in 2005, but she still remains a special part of our lives. I'm so thankful we have a precious new lady to keep the name forever living.

You know the saying "Everyone dies, but not everyone lives."

My grandmother Claire, she lived...

Please Excuse The Dust!

I don't know what has been up with my blog lately. Somehow all my sidebar items were moved to the bottom of the page? Everything is all jacked up. What happened?

I'm in the process of fixing it all, so please be patient with me.

In the meantime, look at Claire. I babysat her last weekend while Mark & Maegan were in Orlando, and believe me, I understand what a hard job you mommies have. That kid was all over the place. I had to get some 'me' time in, just long enough to shower and get dressed but she was NOT having it. Luckily I'm a genius, and just put her in the bathtub with some toys and a bottle and she was good to go. I never knew I'd appreciate 5 minutes in the shower so much!

The Most Important Meal

It's an  ice day, so I'm laying in bed doing nothing.  Well, I am chatting online with Molly who is sitting in class. I don't quite know what to do with myself, but I do know that I'm hungry and have usually had my breakfast by now. I was explaining this all to my sister, when she responds:

Oooohhh, maybe after class, I'll get some hashbrounds.

Some what?? Did you  just say hashbrounds?

She claims that she was trying to pay attention in class and not on what she was saying to me, however I think she just doesn't know how the hell to spell hashbrowns!!!

Ohhh, but hashbrounds do sounds pretty good right now!  

Confessions of a Blogaholic

Hi!

My name is Lane.

L.A.N.E.

{Hi Lane!}

And I'm a blogaholic.

So I have to admit that sometimes I do obsess over this silly blogosphere I am wrapped up in. I know these thoughts should just flow freely from my mind to the keyboard, but that's not always the case.

I often have to sit and think of something to blog about. Then I realize I've got nothing.

Other times, my mind is wandering in 2957258961387461526 directions on what to blog about, and I just become so overwhelmed on choosing that I don't even want to do it anymore.

And on few occasions, I make a blogging to-do list, or making deposits to the blog-bank, if you will. That way, on days that nothing comes to me, I'll visit the bank and make a little withdrawal and spend that cash, errr.... story.

I also have to admit, that sometimes when I've had a drink, or two, or eleventy - I think of something that I need to blog about. I've got it all mapped out in my head, will jot down a few notes or even type out a mini rough draft to be visited at a later, more-sober time. Such was the case on Saturday night. Sunday I went to preview the amazing literary creation from the night before, and realized What.The.Crap. was I thinking??? That is the stupidest thing ever! I'm finding this happens quite often, actually. If you read an entry that makes you feel embarrassed for me, just remember it was probably done in an inebriated whirlwind of rambling!

Most people that I blogstalk, I actually think I know. Like they're my real friends or something. I've found myself referencing them in conversations, using only their first name to discuss them with my friends (who also don't know them,) and even requesting their friendship on Facebook! *GASP!*

Many times, I want to just write something that will shock the hell out of all of you. Not quite sure what that would be, but I often contemplate what all I can share in this virtual novel of nonsense. Good thing I put a lot of thought into that and deciding against it, because I could never show my face in this bloggerific place again. So instead, I will just confess the disease that has overcome my entire existence.

Yes, it's true. I am a blogaholic.

Surgery! Eeek!

Tomorrow I will begin researching doctors and then scheduling my appointment for a very necessary surgical procedure.  I'm a little nervous, but I know this is something I have to do.  I will keep all of you posted with the updates as I endure this scary little experience.  I just hope the recovery period isn't too long and painful.

What is wrong with me, you ask?  Well, I'm going to have to have the fibers of the couch surgically removed from my ass.  

Today, I have done absolutely nothing!  NOTHING!  Well, no that's not true.  I did walk to the mailbox, but didn't sort through the mail.  I did bring in the newspaper but it's still sitting next to the front door.  I did take a bath.  Only to put on a different pair of sweats.  

But the amount of time I have spent being the laziest person on Earth has to have caused the couch cushions and my skin to become one in the same.   I saw that once on Dr. Phil, Oprah, 20/20 or something, when a really obese person couldn't move, the couch grew into his skin.  I know it can happen, and I'm convinced it has happened to me.  All in a day's work.

I See You!

I'm extremely exhausted from a frivolous late night out last night, full of excitement, booze and boys. I can't even begin to work up the energy to post about my night last night, so I'm just going to fall back on a little simple entry.

Or

I'm boring. I have nothing exciting to tell, but I like to make people think I do by lying and saying I'm too tired from a night of fun to write anything.

Yes, I'm thinking the last one is more like it.

However, I do get excited when I stalk those who stalk me. {We live in a sick, sick world, huh?} You see, my Uncle Jim told my sister that my Aunt Trisha checks the blogs almost every day. I confirmed it when I found a mysterious little visitor from Louisiana on my site counter....

So Aunt Trisha, this post full of nothing is for you!!! :)
She really likes to get the crowd feeling her karaoke skills!!

{Yes, that is me next to her pulling up my pants. Flattering, isn't it? Well, at that time I was pulling them up because they were too big for me and falling down. You can still find me doing something like that, only because now I have to pull them up over one of my new and improved jelly rolls. Buuuttt, more likely, you'll just find me with my pants unbuttoned. Hey, it is what it is!}

I Don't Know Why

People expect such great material to come from me. Stacee tagged me to do the whole 'Fourth Picture Tag' thing, because she said she just needed to see what randomness I could come up with.

She also tagged Maegan, and I'm willing to bet that she goes and takes a few new pictures of Claire, puts them in a folder and then gets to choose from one of those. Just a feeling...

The rules are as follows:

1. Choose the 4th folder where you store pictures on your folder.
2. Select the 4th picture in the folder.
3. Explain the picture.
4. Tag 4 people to do the same thing.
5. No Cheating! (Cropping, editing, etc.)

Much like Stacee, this is hard for me to do, because I have pictures stored ALL.OVER.THE.PLACE. In My Documents, then in My Pictures which has a few pictures, but then a sub-folder called My Pictures, which also has a few but then has a sub-folder called Lane's Pictures, has a few pictures and also has a sub-folder for each event. Yes, I told you so. Looking for pictures on my computer is pretty much as much fun as an Easter Egg Hunt...you just never know where you're going to find a little sliver of awesomeness.

So I guess what would make sense, is to offer a variety of 4th photos. WARNING: This is going to be LOOONNNNNGGGGG. However, I guess with this many fourths, there has to be at least one interesting shot....

1. This is me on August 25, 2007 (says the folder name)at some bar in downtown Dallas. I stood up from the bench and felt something hard stuck to butt. I reached under my dress, only to find Robyn's license attached by sweat adhesive to my right cheek. How the hell it got there, no one knows???

2. This is a high-powered, electric screwdriver that was used to build the pole-dancing platform/stage at Abby's bachelorette party.

3. Oh dear lord, I was hoping this wasn't going to happen. But I'll keep it honest. Yes, the 4th picture in the folder for Mark & Amanda's wedding is someone's boobs.

4. According to the folder, this was a picture taken on April 27, 2007. Molly and I were at the Irish Rover in Frisco with Danette, Mandi, Sally, and my dad.

5. Kissing my beloved Bev goodbye for the very last time.

6. Marty playing in the mud. Or stuck in the mud. Yeah, probably stuck in the mud.

7. Easter weekend, 2007. The first snowflakes on the ranch.

8. Marty so enthusiastically showing of the frame he got for his office. Curious about the decor??? This is hunting cabin decor... It's fancy!

9. Sleepy baby Mark. Eeerrr, I mean sleepy baby Claire.

10. Claire sporting her favorite onsie. Clearly, it's her favorite! Geaux Tigers!!!

11. Mark, Maeagan and Claire's family portraits. Claire was 3 months old.

12. Maegan and her mom, Krista, in the delivery room just a'waitin on the Claire Bear. {Sorry, Maegan.}

13. Claire's newborn pictures at 2 weeks ago. Such tiny little hands!

14. Kacy and my adventure to the dog park a few years ago.

15. Molly and I on our float trip for Labor Day in 2006.

16. August 2007, I'm dancing with Kacy's Pop at his birthday party at the VFW in Frankston, Texas.

17. This is my A.Door.A.Bull. Kacy on her way to get her race packet for the 2007 White Rock Half-Marathon.

18. This is Jimmy, Brandon, Keith and Chris at a Halloween Bash. Jimmy & Brandon won the Funniest Costume Award...thanks to me!!!

19. Robyn's digging for gold in Trey's pants. Wait...that's not a costume....
And Marty is playing with a rubber penis. Wait...that's not a costume either...

20. Happy Hour at Shuck & Jive. I decided to bust out the balloons and air pump out of my purse to make some crazy balloon pets.

21. Another Happy Hour. Pappadeaux. Crawfish.

22. Happy Hour. Again. Love & War. Scott & Abby.

23. This is an amazing gift Kacy got me. She saw it at Brookshire's in Tyler.

24. Kacy and Tammi's makeover by the infamous Cheryl. Two Rows.

25. All of our purse hangers. This was Robyn's HH gift to us one day at Uncle Julio's.

26. The lady gays and me in Austin for GHayden's birthday.

27. Allison painting my red wall with a pink primer.

28. Me at Janee's Bachelorette Party. Pete's Piano Bar.

29. Jessica at her Bachelorette Party.

30. The dudes at Jessica & Matt's wedding.

31. Molly and I stopping to grab some breakfast at 5:00 in the morning before I got on my early flight back to Dallas. Do not judge me - you don't even know what kind of state I was in here...

32. Awww, the sweet new family!

33. Matt Wertz = HOTTTTTTT!

34. Kacy & Jen at the Glass Cactus, one Thursday in the summer of 2007. We went to see Cory Morrow play. BTW - I hate him now!!

35. Molly and I are in a really cold, underground wine cave/cellar thingy in France.

36. Robyn racking the balls. This is the night LSU won the 2008 National Championship!!!

37. This picture came out of a folder titled 'Random Stuff for Kacy.' We have a real special friendship. I was driving down the highway when I saw this extreme gamer on the road.

38. My unsuccessful, inconspicuous attempt at getting a photo of Dave, the valet dude, for Jen & Kacy. I really needed to capture the essense of his gold nugget rings, black high tops, cigarette in hand and his boombox. One day, girls, one day...

39. Riding the Dart Rail downtown, all by my lonesome.

40. This is a special little house in Sachse that has been turned into a temple of sorts. This is their yard art.

41. Hah this is a joke. This is the morning I flew out to Hilton Head for Scott & Abby's wedding. This same day, Team Chelada was running a race and I had to miss it. :( I took this picture to show them that I actually did get some exercise in while I was gone. I walked 1000 feet.

42. The boys, their friend Mitch and I cheering on Bobby Boobner at a Stars' playoff game in 2006.

43. Our token black guy on our "Where Da Gold At?" float.

44. Random Stars game.

45. Kristy, Robyn & Me at Taste of Addison in 2007.

So there you have it. The fourth folder where I keep pictures, is then broken down into 45 different files. These are the fourth pictures from each of those files.

So I'm supposed to tag someone now, but I think I've done enough pictures myself of the entire blogging world. But feel free to do it yourself... :)

Surprise!

A couple weeks before Christmas, Chris sent out an email, requesting that we mark off Friday, January 16th on our calendars as the day of Danette's surprise party for her 34th birthday.

Lots of planning and a plethora of email exchanges made it such a success, as there were 16 guests, plus C&D, in attendance for a pre-game gathering at The Ginergman for frothy brews and tasty snacks. The plan was for Chris to bring Danette to the bar at 7:30 to meet me and a new beau out on a date. Of course, she's totally nosey and would definitely bite at the chance to get to come on a double date with me and some fella she'd never met before, only there was a little surprise waiting for her.

Me! Sans date. Gotcha!!!

But lots of her friends, too!

Oh, and cake. We pink-fluffy heart cake!

After filling up our bellies, we headed to The Loft to see a phenomenal show put on by an amazing 80's cover band, The Spazmatics. I definitely recommend going to see them if you get the chance. What fun!

I'm pretty sure everyone had a good time. A really good time. A really really really good time. I'll just let pictures tell the rest...

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com