Powerful: Derek + Laura

So it has been quite the ordeal trying to find the best pictures to share. Derek and I just loved Paris and had such a blast. We only spent a couple quick days there but are so glad we had the opportunity to go. For those of you who don't know, I've been waiting a long time to go to Paris. I have been dreaming about seeing all the things I had heard about from my parents, siblings, and french teachers for many years. Dream come true. Thanks Ancestry.com for giving me an awesome job. My whole entire family and Derek's entire family have all been to Europe. Derek and I were the last ones left to take a trip overseas and loved every minute of it. Here are some highlights: Feeling pretty exhausted at the CDG Airport Our first sneak peak at the Eiffel Tower. The view from our window where we were staying We thoroughly enjoyed Musee du Louvre Fabulous Derek LOVES to study The view on our way to Champs Elysees Everything was breathtak...

So I know I need to blog about Europe. We just go home on Sunday night and I can't wait to tell you all about it and share some pictures with you. I just need to decide which pictures to share since we took so many. I loved it though. So much fun and saw some of the most beautiful things. Until that blog post I just had to share something that was on my mind. So I have reached a standstill with my weight loss. I am just hovering around the same number (down 11.4 pounds!) and I want/need to loose more. So in an attempt to revamp things I decided to try a new workout. Oh my goodness I am so sore! It was so hard but fun. It's called PiYo and it's my new workout in addition to Zumba. My poor triceps, thighs, back end, etc are so sore. I love it though. Such a good feeling. If you can you should check it out. It's a combination or Yoga and Pilates so it includes strength training and flexibility to build long, lean muscles. Here's a sneak peak: If you have a g...

I realize I should've posted these earlier but work has kept me so busy. They are fun and cute. Just add a picture or text to personalize a valentine for a friend, special someone, or family member. They are saved as a .jpeg files. You can open them up in Photoshop to personalize them or print them off and mount a picture yourself to give it a classier look. Enjoy! Have a Happy Valentines day with family and friends.

So I knew today's' clue had to be harder. Looking in excitement and anticipation for the gift is half of the fun. Well I think. I also love how much fun Derek has been having with this as well. Clue:  "Think about where you would make your favorite treat if you actually decided to bake them." The Location:  The Kitchen Aid. He never bakes cookie dough but if he did and actually made a real batch he would use this wonderful device. The Gift: I just have to say Derek searched the oven, the toaster, the toaster oven, above the oven, and pretty much everywhere around the oven. Glad it was a little tricky so he had some fun searching for today's gift.

Sorry that this post didn't come out yesterday. I have been so busy with work that I left my computer at the convention center and didn't bring it back with me to the hotel. I was too tired to walk back and get it so you get two post in one day. How exciting...I know. ha Here was Derek's Clue: "Look for the gift given to us by Maria for my bridal shower. It helps keep things warm. You'll find day two in that location." The Gift: My clue was too easy because he found it right away. I'll make him look a little harder for Day 3!

So I was struggling for a while for ideas for Valentine's Day. I mean we just got done with our birthday's, Christmas, and our Anniversary. Since we just bought ourselves a new car we have counted it as our Anniversary gift and most likely our Valentine's day gift. So in an attempt to be creative and show my love I decided to do 14 Days of Love. With each small gift or note there is an "I Love You Because..." note. Each day I get to fill in something different I love about Derek. Day 1: Smokehouse Blue Diamond Almonds Since I'll be gone for the next couple of days I had to hide Derek's gifts. Each morning I'll text him with a clue that will lead him to the next surprise. I am so excited to do something fun for Derek. He's doing so well in school he needs some fun rewards. He was really excited to get his first present today. Yeah for small gifts!  Stay tuned here for the 14 Days of Love!

So last night while trying to fall asleep my mind was racing with things I needed to do at work and stress about getting everything done for my first conference. I just couldn't shut my mind up and relax so I could get the rest I need to survive this week. In an attempt to get my mind thinking about something more relaxing I turned to Derek and simply asked, "What are you thinking about?" His response... That's right. He was thinking about the opening scene from Dumb and Dumber . I couldn't help but laugh. I wish I could shut my brain off at night and think of simple and funny things. If you need further proof of this, watch the video below of a comedians take on men's and woman's brains. I guess the saying is true. Men's minds just work on a much simpler plane sometimes. Jealous. I need to find myself a "nothing" box.