lasik, haircut, EASTER prep...and other adventures

Thursday April 21st...around noon I did something I never thought I would do..I always thought I would talk about doing it...but Jordy kept pushing me to get my eyes fixed...so with a little savings...here we are.

Clean body - lotion, deodrant, eye cream...make up...AND contacts...ready for surgery

getting my lesson on which lights to focus on....FIXATE!

ALL done...post small panic attack...and I can see...weird.

with my new eyes I hid some EASTER eggs for Whityn to find..he got into it...he's practicing for the big day!

the cutest basket from aunt beezy and uncle stu
and what's inside?
mommy added some CAR/TRUCK eggs and wha-la...
THE BIG FALL:

Don't freak out mom and dad..but whitty took a big spill at daycare...he was shootin' some hoops with Ray (his favorite) when his running lay-up turned into a RUNNING FACE plant into concrete...
his whole face...yikes.

nothing a little muh-queen pjs can't fix! Right WHit?
BUt it hurts mom!
TODAY...Saturday morning I took whityn to have his first haircut...it is something Jordy has been hounding me about...but that I have been secretly putting off....
in the midst of the "FIRST CUT"

ALL DONE with the master Stefani...she was quick...precise...and made it a great experience...doesn't he look handsome?

I think I was more upset than he was.

Where's my sucker?
After a haircut...what better to do than hit the park...it's a beautiful 40 degree April....SPRINGy day...and most of the snow was melted at Pioneer park...
someone was running...he kept saying..."i go running"
And then we got home to jordy preparing a little surprise for me...he fixed my chicken coop door and built them better roosts...maybe they will stop abusing eachother...ugh. Dang chickens!

6 years. Family Spirit day. WEEKEND.

saturday april the 16th was 6 years married. I kinda couldn't believe it. 7 years ago right after jordy sent me on a WILD goose chase all around the Jackson town...we ended up at nikai right after we were engaged. we try to get back there as often as we can.

sometime in the AM on April 8th...Jordy gave me a sealed card and said don't open it for an hour and then he left the house to go to the gym. I opened the card like 10 minutes later and it said to pack an overnight bag...cause we weren't coming home. Then it said to get today's paper and inside it was a message just for me. I started with the front page...and started reading...and reading and reading..then about 10 minutes later it dawned on me that I was loved and important, but not that important...so I checked the classifieds...and quickly found it. It read: LAURYN, come to 180 N. Center St. right away and to DRESS SHARP. I threw some stuff in a duffel bag....took a shower...and got ready to go to town...

I didn't know where 180 N was so I had to stop and ask..it was before the FANCY IPHONE...I found out that it was Charal Floral in Jackson...and I parked and ran in and said that I am Lauryn and that my husband told me to come here...they handed me a box of a dozen roses...and a card that said don't stop and smell the roses...but to head to ELLA's room (a fancy lingerie boutique in Jackson)right away...so I did. They handed me a box that said: Don't open yet, but head to Inn on the Creek Bed and Breakfast....so I did. I walked in. The woman behind the counter handed me a key and a card...

I opened it up to a candlelit room..and Jordy...

What a fun surprise...I loved it...we played checkers..and talked...and then after I beat him pretty good at checkers he got down on one knee and told me that I am the woman that he wanted to marry...that I made him want to be a better man...that I was the one...and I SAID YES!

It was a night to remember!

Now look at us.

Happy 6th Anniversary to a wonderful husband who truly does treat me like a princess...and makes me want to be a better woman every day. I love you Jordy!

FAMILY SPIRIT DAY:

I know...sounds cheesy, but lately Jordy and I have been wanting to be better about our FAMILY Sunday Funday...and more intentional about it as well. So, we decided that from now on...we will continue with our Sunday morning waffle breakfast...but also bring something to share to the table...literally...a story...an article...a rule...anything. Jordy read from COACH John Wooden's book this morning and I just reminded us how important the golden rule is...it belongs to NO RELIGION...it is what it is!

Simply: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

I have been reminded of this rule this year quite a bit in my professional world...thanks mom and dad for teaching me.

So, back to F.S.D...after our share...we went to one of my student's farms in Alta. His mom randomly called me Sunday afternoon and asked our whole family over for a tour of the farm and homemade icecream (with cream made from their cows)....
it was just what we needed...family time with another wonderful family..outdoors...reaching out...getting to know another family better...exploring...it was perfect...not to mention the mint chocolate chip icecream cone devoured in less than 3 minutes..yum.
So F.S.D is in the making GRIFFIN style and it's somewhat spiritual...but we don't go to church...AND we really don't want to go to church because we have figured out that we don't connect with an organized religion so to speak. We want to be intentional in "our day" about our family...about our lives...about our teachings to each other...we want to teach whityn to be good person...to help others...to strive to be the best person that he can be...

as we go...we will figure it out...we hope. More to come on F.S.D

SPRING in the mountains

We have been back from the beach for 2 weeks now. We are still awaiting SUN....it's been so gray...and windy and snowy and cold and WE.ARE.OVER.IT. Whit is just happy to tromp around in the mud...muck and slush. He wakes up saying, "puddles....boots on"...it's really cute.

Jordy taught him how to throw rocks in the puddles and he thought that was the coolest thing ever. He FREAKS if he can't get in the puddles before school and after school. The ladies at DAYCARE told me the minute that Ray (a guy who works at daycare) came in the door that Whit ran over to him with his boots in hand. Too cute.

The Griffins have some work to do around the house this SPRING. We decided that we are BARKING the front burm (huge job), pulling up all the shrubs and bushes near the house (another huge job), staining both structures you see in this picture (huge job) and maintaining this 2 acre piece of paradise....(huge job)
yep, still spring. snowing sideways.

smelling fake flowers.

And this is what happens when you bring him inside after being outside...it's not good. It's loud. It's sad. It's a TANTRUM.

But usually there is a speedy recovery. THINK REDIRECT. REDIRECT...quick!

Like sipping out of a BIG boy fancy cup!
ANd maybe a warm bath.

THis is a random picture from some SPRING cleaning being done upstairs at the GRIFFIN house...and Jordy was purging his ties...so whityn tried one on. Blurry picture...but so cute.
Now it's time to wrestle Rupert or Wuupert as WHityn would say. They have become big buddies lately. It's very sweet.

8 lives left.

Jordy ACCIDENTLY ran over the cat. oops. The cat sorta ran/walk/slithered/lumbered away. Jordy finally caught it and took it to the vet. 1,000 dollars later, the cat comes home. It has been confined to a DOG kennel for 9 days now. It has the saddest cry you've ever heard. CArl (the cat) broke it's left in 2...it was disgusting...it still looks like frankenstein kitty...but supposedly it will make a full recovery. Stitches come out tomorrow. More details to follow.

UGH.

Family Time

we weren't even going to travel this spring break...but every other year we end up saying that and flying SOUTH. jordy and I always hit our BREAKING point with the winter and this year was no different. we planned a beach trip to panama city beach to meet nannie, kane and tina, mom and dad, and even uncle greg, aunt eva and joshua...SUCCESS. we saw every one of them except tina cause she had to punch the clock.

we finally arrived BEACHside around lunch time on Sunday March 27th. Uncle Greg and Mom came to pick us up...we were a day late...but not a dollar short.

we spent our time EATING (as always), drinking, playing in the SUN (when it was shining), shopping (when the sun went away), relaxing (everyday), talking, laughing, digging (in the sand), exercising (only AB ripper), and just BEING (around our family).

we were staying at our family friends condo on the BEACH...19 floors up so you can imagine every time whityn stepped foot outside my mom, nannie, and kane would have a heart attack...Jordy and I were surprisingly calm...probably because everyone else was flipping out...all for good reason though.
whityn didn't know what to think the first time we brought him into the sand...the last time he saw the beach he was 9 months old...so I don't even think he would remember...but he didn't want to put his feet down...he kept saying..."hold you"...which means PICK ME UP WOMAN!...but give him 10 minutes of us convincing him it was just like snow but softer and warmer...and wha-la...he sat down and went to work...then we were begging him to stop throwing it...


i am grateful for many things...but having this time to see and touch my family was just what I needed...I want so badly for whityn to grow up knowing his grandparents like I did...I saw nannie practically everyday of my life...and she taught me many things and i want him to have that with nonna and poppa...however whityn (this trip) wanted NOT to really hang with anyone but his momma and dadda. He wouldn't stray too far from me and the second I went out of sight...he was screaming for me again...it was exhausting at times...cause here I was thinking....

FAMILY=break! yes!

A few days after arriving in Panama City Beach...we noticed he was runny nosed and cranky and constipated (TMI, I know)...so to the drug store we went...for those beauties (glycerin suppositories)...prune juice....tylenol....motrin...you know..all the things we didn't bring. 10 minutes later he RELIEVED himself of the blockage...and that was followed by more...and more...and more....by golly that kid was stopped up. he did get happier...but then decided to start cutting two molars...WONDERFUL...now he's clingy mixed with all of the above...oh well. What do you do?
My mom wanted nothing more than to grab this little peanut up and squeeze and kiss him to death...he wanted nothing to do with her...until the last full day there that is.
he did however enjoy my dad's company (poppa) as he refers to him...and quite often too. My dad taught him this phrase "BUG off" which he used to say to us as kids growing up all the time in good fun and in heated moments....so of course...whityn loved saying it because of the response he would get so yesterday night while we hat the STITTS over for dinner he told Anne to "Vo Off"...over and over and over again...THANKS DAD!
there were a few days when whitty enjoyed the water and a few where he played and skirted all around the edge...just taking it all in I guess...it was fun to watch.
splash:the hotel...highly recommend for kids...wow. It's easy and awesome.
here is nannie relaxing with her 50-spf on...don't you love that hat? she sets the trend wherever she goes...cause she's the queen.
whitty sporting his new duds from the CARTERS outlet (in destin)...we hit it up while we were that close...and nannie treated him to 2 new rompers.
more relaxing...in uncle kane's arms...it was good that whityn also loved kane...he seems to really like the guys and be a bit suspicious of the ladies...hmmm.

what's not to like about kane though? I Love this guy. I wish we lived closer...so I could keep him in line on the weekends...eat SUnday dinners together...and meet up for a hike or an AB ripper workout...hehehe.
after relaxing..whityn loved reading his new book that nannie bought him (THings that go)...what boy doesn't love things that go right? This kid is talking in FULL sentences...it's nuts...
his new word was snowbilt= for snowmobile...too cute.

there were many nights where we devoured things from the sea....like this.
there were days where jordy would invade the toddler pool...okay everyday..but to his credit it was pretty cool in there.
we did hit up the good ole kenny d's down in destin...on our way to deweys for MORE seafood....this family LOVES seafood and ate our share for SURE.
BAck to the pool...whitty finally gave the bigger pool a try..he loved the mush-ooom.....and kept saying it over and over and over again.

he still is asking to "wim" everyday since we have been home. So sad.

back on the beach....the jelly's were out...but then they washed away...so we could play! yeah! That rhymed!

the queens of splash...right nannie?
the boys did some fishing off the pier..and jordy caught this blue fish that he was too proud of so he bought a bucket and brought it home...that's my man...then he cooked it up in some fish tacos....not bad. whitty liked it and kept checking on the "fishy"
oh on to the lazy river...the water was COLD...so they rode around once...little kids are so tough...I wouldn't even get in...
from the 19th floor...incredible views.
last day pig toss....

goofing around...and the last night which I have no pictures of...kane, evan and tabatha (our friends from dothan), and jordy and I did escape to a crab shack down the road...and mmmm, mmmm, good it was worth it...there were like 5 BIG buckets of seafood on our table..it was a bit ridiculous...but so yummy. so yummy and good to get out..and whityn was an angel while I was away...bath time and went to bed for my mom and dad...yeah whit! Yeah us!


everyone loves ice-cream on the beach right...so whit and I shared a klondike at sunset...it was so yummy...and so messy.

the boys.
FAMILY= happy! Thanks guys...good to see everyone....can't wait to do it again....oh, but I am not flying...so you'll have to come here...

Cheers to SAND AND SEA!