Memorial Day 2007

Here are some of the photos from this year's Memorial Day trip. Enjoy!


The whole group!






Aunt Linda shows off the flowers. :)



Grandad supervises


Fun at the Park:

Spiders are of the devil.

I have issues....

Just a little country song to bring me back to reality....plus it kinda fits the mood I am in. Enjoy.

Lucky Man
by Montgomery Gentry

I have days where I hate my job
This little town and the whole world too
Last Sunday when the Bengals lost
Lord it put me in a bad mood

I have moments when I curse the rain
Then complain when the sun's too hot
I look around at what everyone has
And I forget about all I've got

But I know I'm a lucky man
God's given me a pretty fair hand
Got a house and a piece of land
A few dollars in a coffee can
My old trucks still running good
My ticker's ticking like they say it should
I got supper in the oven, a good woman's loving
And one more day to be my little kid's dad
Lord, knows I'm a lucky man

Got some friends who would be here fast
I could call em any time of day
Got a brother who's got my back
Got a mama who I swears a saint
Got a brand new rod and reel
Got a full week off this year
Dad had a close call last spring
It's a miracle he's still here

But I know I'm a lucky man
God's given me a pretty fair hand
Got a house and a piece of land
a few dollars in a coffee can
My old trucks still running good
My ticker's tickin' like they say it should
I got supper in the ove, good woman's loving
And one more day to be my little kid's dad
Lord, knows I'm a lucky man

My old trucks still running good
My ticker's ticking like they say it should
I got supper in the oven, a good woman's loving
And even my bad days ain't that bad
Yeah, I'm a lucky man
I'm a lucky lucky man

What's new with Laura?

Hello everyone!
Thought I would once again update my blog and give you something to read. However, at this point I think everyone has given up on checking my blog. Sad day for me. I used to be such a good example to everyone else...now not so much. It is odd since I have all this free time...however, that is basically the problem. I haven't done anything worth blogging. Although obviously I have something to write about or else we wouldn't be here reading this now would we....I digress...

Anyway, I thought I would let you know what I had been up to. I just finished my quilt top yesterday. So the hard part is over! Yay! The middle border was a bear to get through, but I did it (with some encouragement from my mother). It is nice to have it mostly done, it isn't a complete quilt yet but it is making progress. It only too me 9 months to get this far. Not too bad for a first quilt. It is supposed to fit a Queen bed, but looks like it could almost fit a King. :)

Let's see what else...other than that I have been pretty busy taking trips on the weekends. Two weeks ago I went up to visit my Seattle dorm people. That was fun. Then last week we took my mother on her surprise b-day trip to the Tulip Fields. This weekend I am going to a horse show with Andrea...and next weekend I am going up to JonTon's for a cousin get together. :) So, that makes me sound busy. :)

I am still looking for a job. I had an interview last week, but didn't get the job. Guess that means it wasn't the one God had for me...

I spend most of my time hanging out with Andrea or crocheting in front of the TV...or both at the same time. lol. I have completed numerous projects that I never thought I would do. If you would have told me a year ago I would be quilting and crocheting and learning to cook I wouldn't have believed you. Yet here I am. :)

Anyway, I guess that is all for now. See pictures below of events I mentioned above. :)


My Quilt!


See the middle border? Ooooooo!


Some of my Seattle people. :)


Easter


Tulip Fields...(Tonia taking picture)

Hello Again,

I thought I would give you another update on my life. I am currently at a temp job, but it is really dull so I thought I would post a blog...more for my own amusement than for yours. heh. :) The last week or so has actually been pretty full of employment opportunities. On Monday I had an interview for a temp position that turned out to be like the front desk clerk/security checkpoint at Kalama Chemical...however I decided I wasn't interested. I don't know if they would have hired me I told Employers Overload to not bother with it. :) Then I got a call from a lady at church saying that she had a friend that needed someone to answer their phones for about a week while their main guy was in Disneyland...so I called them up and here I am. I am answering the phones (and doing little else) for U.S. Attachments. A parts making company in Kelso...not downtown Kelso...like almost no-where Kelso...I can tell by the rooster I heard crowing all yesterday afternoon. :) ...Yeah, so then today I have an interview for a part-time position at First Christian Church (on the lake) to be their secretary. We will see how that goes. Plus I think I sent off one or two other resumes this week...so...that is what I have been up to. Fascinating I know....And you thought I just watched tv all day long. Ridiculous! lol.

Blah!

So, I merely posting because I haven't posted in forever, not because I have anything to say. :) Life is still pretty lame in Laura Land. Lately I have been busy celebrating birthdays. I went up to Seattle to celebrate Megan's b-day 2 weeks ago. That was good. I got to see a lot of my Seattle people. Sometimes when I am here I wonder if I should move back to Seattle. But then when I go to visit I am reminded how much I really don't like big city life. There are some that do, but I prefer smallish towns. ;) This last weekend the fam went up to visit JonTon. The girls went to a sewing/quilting expo. It was pretty educational and we walked away with some new tips to help us along. :) It was good to see JonTon again since it has been a little while. Then on Sunday I celebrated Andrea's b-day. Andrea, Tyler, Diane, Jacob, and myself went to the Portland Winterhawks hockey game. It was pretty good. We lost, but it was a better game than the last one we went to. :) Other than that I haven't been up to much. I am still looking for a job, which is slightly frustrating. I don't know...the time off has been really good. I have learned new things and been able to relax, but it is getting a bit old. I just wish I knew where God was leading me. However, I am at peace about it and know that he has a plan. :) I have seen over the last few months the value of my time off and the freedom it has given me to do things. I guess I will just have to be patient. bleh. ...Anyway, I think that is all for now. Hope you enjoyed the update. :)

V-Day is coming!

Your Candy Heart Says "Get Real"

You're a bit of a cynic when it comes to love.You don't lose your head, and hardly anyone penetrates your heart. Your ideal Valentine's Day date: is all about the person you're seeing (with no mentions of v-day!) Your flirting style: honest and even slightly sarcastic What turns you off: romantic expectations and "greeting card" holidays Why you're hot: you don't just play hard to get - you are hard to get

http://www.blogthings.com/whatdoesyourcandyheartsayquiz/">What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

Friendship

I was reading a book and found this description of friendship. It seems to fit everything I have learned about true friendship so far so I thought I would share it. Enjoy. :)

"They are there when you're down or in trouble, or when you just need a kind word. A true friend is there in the good times and the bad. A true friend is accepting even when disapproving of a friend's bad decision or behavior. Sticking with someone even when you think he is headed down an idiotic path is an important mark of friendship. Friendships conditioned on approval are less durable than friendships "for better or for worse."...A true friendship is also based on honesty, disagreements, and tough discussions. A friend is someone who has earned the right to be heard."

So, I know I haven't posted in forever, but I am now. :) Instead of appoligizing I will just move on. heh. I am currently here at work doing nothing. Why am I doning nothing? Because I have no idea where my bosses are! Even though I got here an hour earlier than normal like we discussed just so I can help my silly boss move her office...but is she here? NO! I am just lucky I am in the building. I could have been waiting outside in the cold and rain....Needless to say I am highly irritated with these employers. Gah!They need to work on their communication skills. Hopefully I won't have to work for them much longer. bleh. Sometimes being a temp sucks...however, I shouldn't really complain too much since it is a job. See...I have this problem. I pray for something to happen and then when it does I wish it hadn't. I am so ungrateful. It is so hard for me to be truly content with my stage in life. I am always wanting to be at some other stage. Ho Hum...Anyway, I guess that is all I have to say right now.

So, I am posting a blog out of frustration. You all probably don't want to read a blog about frustration., but oh well. Considering how long it has been since I have blogged you should be happy there is a new post at all! :)

So, I am sure that this will end up sounding pretty lame and petty but most vents of frustration do....

I am so frustrated with where I am at right now. I hate not having a job. It pretty much sucks all around. One would think it would be great since I get to just lay around all day and watch television...however, the joy of daytime television tends to vanish after 5 months. lol Shocking I know.

I am frustrated with what little resembelance to a schedule I have in a week. Each week I do exatly the same thing on each day of the week. It kinda sucks though ya know because say there is something that someone asks me to do and I don't want to do it...I have really no exscuse not to...and they know it. I have no life therefore I have no excuse to not do whatever it is that they want me to. It is highly annoying.

I'm tired of all my perfectly good stuff sitting behind my parents couch. I would love to be able to have all my books set up or to actually use the kitchen stuff I have...but that doesn't appear to be happening anytime soon. It will just continue to collect dust I guess.

It is easy to roll your eyes and think how annoying it is that I don't have any responsibilities...but when you really think about it isn't that the sadest part. I have no responsibilities. It doesn't matter if I get up in the morning. No one will care.

What am I doing with my life? I keep thinking that there is a reason that I haven't found a job yet. Maybe there is a reason I have all this free time on my hands. I just don't know what it is. I try to be useful and to do things that might actually mean something in the long run...but I still feel like I am wasting my time.

Anyway, this blog is dumb, and I am probably not making any sense anyway. Plus you all are jelous and wish that you had no life...which is really missing the point if you ask me...

Nothing new to report really. Just thought I would update since I am just sitting around....I find it amazing how complicated ones life can get even when ones is doing really nothing 90% of the time. lol. I keep thinking of the movie About a Boy...it is an odd little movie, but I like it. Anyway, the guy in it doesn't have a job and is rich so he just fills his time with meaningless stuff. He has a grea quote about it. I will go find it and post it below...then you too can understand what I am getting at.

"I find the key is to think of a day as units of time, each unit consisting of no more than thirty minutes. Full hours can be a little bit intimidating and most activities take about half an hour. Taking a bath: one unit, watching countdown: one unit, web-based research: two units, exercising: three units, having my hair carefully disheveled: four units. It's amazing how the day fills up, and I often wonder, to be absolutely honest, if I'd ever have time for a job; how do people cram them in?"

See a good quote for my life right now....There is another good quote that I like from that movie. I think I like it so much because of how much tv I watch....it is a sad reality. See below

"The thing is, a person's life is like a TV show. I was the star of The Will Show. And The Will Show wasn't an ensemble drama. Guests came and went, but I was the regular. It came down to me and me alone. If Marcus' mum couldn't manage her own show, if her ratings were falling, it was sad, but that was her problem."

Anyway, those are my not so deep thoughts at the moment. heh.

bleh

So much I could say...and yet so much time has passed. ho hum. I guess I am out of practice....I wish my life was more settled at the moment. Just when I think I might have it figured out it gets all crazy again. I don't know where I am supposed to be or what I am supposed to be doing. It is all very aggravating....which is probably the main reason I haven't blogged lately. It is just to annoying to try and sort out my life to myself right now let alone try to explain it to all of you. lol. Anyway, I'm still around and will no doubt pick up my blog and be faithful at it again fairly soon (although I make no promises). :)

Flamingo Postings

Greetings Everyone,
The Mrs. and I had a wonderful vacation to Yellowstone and Laura has graciously allowed us to use her blog to tell you all about it. :) We all traveled down to Yellowstone in two different cars. Luckily the Mrs. and I had packed light so there was plenty of room for everyone else's stuff. Generally speaking we spent most of our time riding in JonTon's car because it gave us a better viewpoint. Everyone was very accomidating and the Mrs. and I had a great time. There were aspects of the trip that the Mrs. and I chose not to participate in as we thought they might be a bit adventerous for us. After all, this was our first vacation. We didn't want to over do it. Still, we had a great time. We saw lots of geysers, lots of animals, and the Continental Divide (several times). It is nice to be home and resting. We are looking forward to the possiblities of future vacations. Thank you to everyone who allowed us to participate in this one. See you all soon. Please Enjoy the pictures below from our trip.

Your Friends,
Mr. and Mrs. Flamingo

The Mrs. and I take a break on a bench in Spokane.


I am not sure who took this picture of us, but at least it didn't wake us up. :)


Us and the family in front of Roosevelt Arch at the entrance to Yellowstone.


A motel we saw on the way, although we didn't stay there the Mrs. and I thought it looked delightful.


The Mrs. and I in front of a Geyser!


One of the many Continental Divide signs we passed.


The whole gang.


We love National Parks!

Dear Milton and Theo,
Since your anniversary we have enjoyed keeping you company out at your farm. However, recently we have wittnessed how busy you have become since deciding to move, and we felt that it was time for us to move on. Truthfully we were beginning to become concerned that we would be accidently taken to the dump or sold at a garage sale. Therefore, we found it necessary to vacate your lovely facilities. We hope you do not feel too bad, for we have truely loved your company.
Recently your family came out to haul wood and we felt it was the perfect opportunity for us to hitch a ride. Therefore we stowed away in their wood loaded trucks.
Since that time we have been enjoying the home of your son. While there we discovered their plans to visit Yellowstone National Park. Since the Mrs. and I have never really been outside of Washington we felt that this was just what we needed. After discussing it with the rest of the your family they have agreed to let us tag along. We are truly grateful and expect the trip to be very enjoyable.
The Mrs. and I have been busy getting ready for the trip. We went to the supermarket to stock up on whatever we might need for the trip and then we set to the task of packing.
Which was quite difficult since we have never really had to think about such things before. However, we feel we have finally successfully accomplished these tasks. We do hope that we can once again visit you once your life has become more settled. You will have to give us a tour of your new place! We will continue to keep in touch. Thank you very much for your care and hospitality. Give Mike our best.

Your Friends,
Mr. and Mrs. Flamingo

um yeah...

Enjoy the randomness...

YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandmother on your Mom's side, your favorite candy)

*Ruth Butterfinger (um...okay...)

YOUR "FLY GIRL/GUY" NAME: (first initial of first name, first two of your middle name)

*Lci (a little odd...)

YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)

*Blue Dog

YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)

*Cathleen Fayettville (this actually works...)

YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 2 letters of mom's maiden name and first 3 letters of the town you grew up in.)

*Ferlarilon (how odd...)

Terrorist Name: (middle name spelled backwards, your mom's maiden name spelled backwards)

*Neelhtac Lesedeir

SUPERHERO NAME: ("The", your favorite color, favorite drink)

*The Blue Shasta (heh...)

New Post!

I know everyone is wondering what has happened to me since graduation. I haven't really blogged much this summer...I have a few exscuses, but I wil leave them out. Anyway, instead of posting a huge blog full of words detailing what I have been up to I thought I would include a few pictures instead...so enjoy the ones below. :)


I of course have been spending a lot of time with my friends in town. It is nice to be back and to be able to spend more than a weekend with them. :)



Early on in the summer we celebrated my grandparent's 60th anniversary. I can't even imagine being married one year at this point...so 60 is amazing!

I also celebrated my 21 birthday in July! It was pretty great. I was able to celebrate earlier in the week with my friends and then later with my family at a great dinner. So far it has been fun being 21. :)

In mid July I was in a wedding for one of my best friends. It was a beautiful wedding and "the gang" had a great time the whole week getting ready. Bachlorette Party, Rehearsal, and wedding day prep. Plus as always "the gang" had an after party as well...

This last week I went up to see my grandparents. They are moving soon, so we were enjoying eachother's company at their house. It was really great, as always.


We sat out on the front porch and enjoyed the heat. :)





We got a big kick out of Mike. He was the center of attention as usual. :)


The sunset there was pretty amazing.


Other than all of that I have just been hanging out with family and friends. It has seemed to keep me pretty busy...now...do you feel somewhat caught up?

It is amazing how two weeks of half looking for a job can make one have all sorts of doubts. There is nothing I hate more than looking for a job. I always feel inadequate. It is annoying because I don't even really know what I want to do. It is odd the different pressures one puts on oneself. I assume everyone expects all these things of me when really I doubt anyone expects much of me at all.

Moving back to Longview has been interesting....It is the little things I guess. Like reprogramming all of my radio buttons in my car...and realizing that I have about 3 friends and if they are all busy life could get pretty dull. And living at home is not as glamourous as it once was. lol. I have virtually no space of my own and my stuff is scattered everywhere because it has no real place it should be! It could very well drive me batty by the end of the summer.

Oddly enough I hate getting up in the morning and realizing I have nothing to do that day. As much I like watching tv there is really only so much worth watching (especially without cable, heh)...All and all I am pretty annoyed with my life right now. I guess I shouldn't be because in a few months I will be wishing I could just be on the couch all day. Why is it we can never be happy with where we are? I know I am always looking to the future. It kinda sucks when you get to the future and realize it is just as annoying as the past. What is up with that?!

Anyway, this is a ridiculous blog...but you know what I say about late night blogging...besides I generally choose to use my blog as a sounding board for all my pent up feelings...so you should be used to it by now....pay me no mind...

What Laura Does After Everyone Else in the House Goes to Sleep...

You Are Austin

A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll. You're totally weird and very proud of it. Artistic and freaky, you still seem to fit in... in your own strange way. Famous Austin residents: Lance Armstrong, Sandra Bullock, Andy Roddick

What American City Are You?

Your Outrageous Name is:

Anita Bath

Outrageous Name Generator

Your Blogging Type is Logical and Principled

You like to voice your well thought out opinions on your blog. And if someone doesn't what you write, you really don't care! Serious and blunt, sometimes people take your blog the wrong way. But you're a true and loyal friend to those who truly get you.

What's Your Blogging Personality?

Your 2005 Song Is

Since You've Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson "But since you've been gone I can breathe for the first time I'm so moving on" In 2005, you moved on.

What Hit Song of 2005 Are You?

In a Past Life...

You Were: A Ditzy Fortune Teller. Where You Lived: Peru. How You Died: Hung for treason.

Who Were You In a Past Life?

Your Superhero Profile

Your Superhero Name is The Sergeant Skier Your Superpower is Metahuman Your Weakness is Airsickness Your Weapon is Your Silver Belt Your Mode of Transportation is Jet Pack

What's your Superhero Name?

You Are Iceman

You tried to live a normal life, but it just wasn't possible A bit of a slacker, you rather tell jokes than cultivate your powers Powers: turning self and others into ice, making ice weapons, becoming nearly invisible

Which of the X-Men Are You?

Your Inner European is Dutch!

Open minded and tolerant. You're up for just about anything.

Who's Your Inner European?

You Are 10% Redneck

I'll slap you so hard, your clothes will be outta style. You ain't no redneck - you're all Yankee!

How Redneck Are You?

You Are 36% Addicted to Myspace

Your Myspace addiction factor is: Low You're a typical casual Myspace user... you know what it's all about, but you haven't been sucked in (yet)!

Are You Addicted to Myspace?

On Average, You Would Sell Out For

$1,118,111

At What Price Would You Sell Out?

You Are Bobby Brainy

Ultra competitive, you will do almost anything to win. From pull ups to pool sharking, you're very talented. And while everyone is aware of your victories, they still (affectionately) consider you to be a little brat!

What Brady Are You?

You Are Big Bird

Talented, smart, and friendly... you're also one of the sanest people around. You are usually feeling: Happy. From riding a unicycle to writing poetry, you have plenty of hobbies to keep you busy. You are famous for: Being a friend to everyone. Even the grumpiest person gets along with you. How you life your life: Joyfully. "Super. Duper. Flooper."

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

Laura Ferguson: College Graduate!

Hello faithful readers!
Just a quick note to let you all know that I am back at home!
Graduation was wonderful and it was great to have my family and a few friends there with me to help celebrate.
I will have more to say on the whole event in person no doubt. I hope to soon have pictures to be posted so that I can prove that I actually did graduate. lol. :)
My life is fairly unsettled at the moment. It is pretty annoying to be living out of boxes for an indefinite amount of time. All is well though. :)
Tomorrow I will start the pursuit of a job once again. You can all pray for me during this period as I decide what I am to do with myself now that I am done with SPU.
Anyway, had a good weekend! It is nice to be home and I hope to be spending a lot more time with all of you who are around town. It will nice to not have our time rushed and crammed into a weekend! :)