Basketball and Baseball 

I haven't talked sports in quite some time so I thought today would be a good day to catch up.  Yes, I am incredibly sad that the Lakers were eliminated.  As many of you know I am not a fan of the sweaty Steve Nash.   May I just make one suggestion.  If you are going to play basketball and sweat gallons of perspiration—could you do us all a favor and cut your hair?   It is just gross to watch Nash play—which of course I am doing a lot of now that the Mavs are playing them.  Dirk Nowitzki is just an awesome player to watch.  It amazes me the shots that he makes and he makes it look so easy!  I am still a big fan of Avery Johnson, however Steven gave me a lecture this weekend that it is Del Harris (the assistant coach) that is the brains behind the franchise.  Some of you may remember him from his days with the Lakers (1994-1999).  Seems like a nice guy and apparently a Christian!  I say having the awesome motivator of Avery Johnson, the brains of Harris, the ability of Nowitzki and the absolute insanity of owner, Cuban-makes the MAVS an interesting and fun to watch team!  Still sticking by my faves"

1.  Lakers

2. Mavs

3. Anyone playing Miami 

As for baseball….

Who would have thought that the Rangers would actual be leading the American League West?  Well, they are and Oakland is only trailing them by 4 games!  Who to cheer  for.. Oakland or Rangers?  The Rangers have Hank—and I like Hank.  I thought he was a nice guy in high school (though I know some who beg to differ).  Oakland has Danny ..well kind of.  You see, Danny Putnam is still in the minors for Oakland but I suspect he will be pulled up before long!  Danny Putnam is an awesome person all around.  He is smart, talented and an awesome Christian.  So lets just say I will cheer the Rangers on in the Texas spirit and the RBHS spirit—but the minute Putnam gets pulled up from the minors I will be cheering on the Oakland As… but all of that is irrelevant because no matter what I will always be a #1 Braves fan.  It is in the blood…ask any of my siblings!

Wedding Stuff….

My goal is to have the invitations in the mail by Wednesday.  Yikes!  That is tomorrow- I guess I have some work to do tonight (thank goodness there is a game on to keep me company as I address , stamp and lick!). 

I am really not sure who still reads this blog, but I thought I would say hello!  Everything here in Texas is going quite well.  Steven started yet another quarter on the 8th.  It is weird to think that when this quarter is over we will be getting married! 

The weather sure has been fun lately (yes... that is my imitation of Steven's saracasm... He is a lot better at sarcasm than I am.. but I am learning!)  :-)  About two weeks ago Waco was hit with severe storms on a Friday night.  A F2 tornado touched ground near where Steven lives.  The most frightening aspect of that tornado is that apparently Steven slept through the whole thing!  Some gas stations and homes were destroyed, but thankfully there was not a single report of injury  Unfortunately I cannot say the same thing for north Texas.  Just last week we had our share of severe storms.  A F3 tornado touched down a little ways north of me.  I knew I was safe and not close to the tornado, but it was still a little scary.  Last week my roommate was in Branson so I was by myself with the two dogs.  The dogs are great company, however, Toby absolutely hates storms.  The poor little guy was terrified of the the storm and stayed right next to me all night crying (yes crying!). 

As I have mentioned before, I love Texas.  However, there are two things I could do without... tornadoes and allergies.  Otherwise, this would be the perfect place!  Oh and heat... the heat and humidity are not very fun--...

I am currently working on the invitations.  I never realized how much work goes into wedding invitations.  First you have to decide on a design, wording etc... Then you have to get or make inserts.  Then you have to try to get everyone's addresses (still working on that one!).  Then you have to actually address every invitation (remember... I have a LARGE family with lots of invites..)  Then you have to assemble all the invites.  I am currently working on the addressing and hopefully will be getting those out within the next few weeks!  Well that is my goal anyway.  :-) 

Hmmmm what else...  ( I am now realizing just how dull my life has become!).  Steven and I joined our church a few weeks ago and our pastor has agreed to officiate our wedding!  You can read about Pastor Steve (Yeop another Pastor Steve!) on our website http://stevenandlaura.weddingannouncer.com (Shameless plug!).  Also, one of my best friends, Christy is going to be singing at the wedding.  I am very excited about that.  Christy and I have known one another since we were 12 years old!  She will be coming in from Columbus, Ohio.  

Can you believe we have only 74 days?  I am so excited and cannot wait to finally be married. 

    I just have to say that sometimes I really love EBAY!  I just bought my veil for at least $120 cheaper than what I would have spent at the bridal store!   I also bought my petticoat for about $80 cheaper.    Ahhhhh Ebay is my friend!

Well , I almost forgot I have a blog that I need to keep updating!  I must apologize for my delinquency and promise to try to be better.  With work, studying and wedding planning, life sure has become busy!

 I have wonderful news and I just have to share it!  STEVEN HAS MADE LAW REVIEW!  I know most of you are probably wondering what that is so I will attempt to explain!

“The Baylor Law Review is a legal periodical published three times each year by the students of the Law School under the supervision of the faculty. It gives outstanding students an opportunity to develop legal writing ability.  The Law Review furnishes valuable supplemental training for exceptional students, and membership on the editorial board is usually considered by prospective employers to be an important factor in the selection of graduates for employment” (Baylor website).

Because of the intense experience gained in the process of this endeavor, law review participation is frequently a key factor among judges and firms looking to hire law school students upon their graduation.  Many federal judges and partners at the largest law firms were, in turn, members of their law school’s law review.

Needless to say this is a big deal and I am very proud of Steven.  Law school has not been easy and he has worked very hard and it shows!  This is such a huge accomplishment and I am so excited for him!

That is the latest news.  I will try to keep up to date on this blog from now on. 

 Hope you are all well!

 

Antonio Davis from the New York Knicks faces fines and possible suspension for running into the stands last night.  No, it was not another brawl—this time it was to defend his wife.  An intoxicated fan was threatening the wife of Davis and without thinking Davis rushed to her aid.  When he arrived at the fan he remained calm and didn't even try to touch the man.  Once security arrived and he knew his wife was safe... he departed.  Davis had this to say about the events "I witnessed my wife being threatened by a man that I learned later to be intoxicated. I saw him touch her, and I know I should not have acted the way I did, but I would have felt terrible if I didn't react. There was no time to call security. It happened too quickly.  After returning to his seat, Davis was ejected from the game.

 

My rant about this once again deals with alcohol at sporting events.  I know these stadiums and arenas make a lot of their revenue off of the sale of alcohol, but this is just ridiculous.  Do you all remember the NBA brawl last year?  Too much alcohol and sporting events just don't mix.  Well actually too much alcohol with anything does not mix.  I remember years ago going to a Braves game with my sister.  In the beginning it was tons of fun.  Smoltz was pitching and I got to see Chipper Jones right in front of me!  This was the perfect night of fun for my sister and I.  However, things quickly got scary as the people next to us continued to drink.  They became so obnoxious that the fun of the game quickly disappeared.  To top it off we left early (missing the exciting end of the game) so we wouldn't have to deal with all the crazy drunk people driving.  I just get so frustrated when it comes to drunkenness.  Why in the world do people have to get so drunk just in order to have some fun?  Anyway…  those are the thoughts running through my head this morning.  Hope you all are doing well.

 I thought I would write about my happy week!  Monday night I found my wedding dress, woohoooo!  

Most of you knew how apprehensive I was about going shopping for the dress because I had to do it alone without y'all.  But a few months ago I made this appointment at David's Bridal (for making the appointment I received a $50 off coupon) so I thought I had to start sometime and the sooner the better. 

David's Bridal is often times known for pushy sales girls that really don't care about the bride, so I was nervous.  David's Bridal is also known for good deals on dresses, so if I could find a dress I liked for less than the designer prices, I was happy!

My bridal attendant was awesome.  She was the sweetest thing and completely patient with me (I tried on the same dress like 5 times).  The whole experience was actually fun!  I tried on a lot of dresses and go figure the one dress I said I wouldn't like and said was the one style I didn't want, I loved.  Isn't life funny like that? 

So tomorrow night I have another appointment to try the dress on one more time and then I am buying it!  So now I just have to find a veil and shoes and the whole outfit is complete!  That is one major task I get to cross off my list.  Oh and the good news is that I got to go down two sizes!  Woohoo I guess getting up at the crack of dawn to go running is finally paying off!  Actually, for Christmas my mom bought me an exercise bike (she may just be finding this out now.. so thanks momma!).  So I have been riding the bike a lot.  Let's just say I am finally starting to feel my legs again.

My next big tasks are finding a photographer and deciding on décor.  The photographer part scares me because although I have learned a lot about cameras, thanks to my wonderful fiancé, I do not know anything about pictures and what constitutes a good one.   So that is the latest with my wedding planning.

Steven is doing well but life is getting stressful.  He made the National Client Counseling team (I am so proud of him!) and that is starting to demand a lot of his precious time.  On top of all that the poor guy has to get ready for another round of finals.  Please keep him in your prayers.

That is the latest update.  I have finally started planning (I don't feel so behind anymore!).

 

Hope you are all doing well.  Love you and miss you tons

Okay I only have a split second till I have to get back to work, but I wanted to tell you all the good news.  For the last few days Steven has been competing in a client counseling competition.  Well last night he found out that he made it to the Semi-Finals!!!!!  Of course he called me up trying to trick me into thinking that he didn’t “make the break.”  I need to learn not to be so gullible with him!  He competes again tonight, but like the previous competition he is just glad to make the semi-finals because now he gets that added boost in his GPA and on his resume!  I am so happy for him!  I hope you are all doing well! 

 

I will try to write later this week about the crazy weather and the joy of Christmas Shopping (amen for the internet!).  Love you all

I finally decided to compress some Thanksgiving pictures

This is a picture of my cool brother and me outside. This land that we are standing on is full of history. 100 years ago it used to be a booming city..now only a few hundred people remain in the town. My brother's grandfather-in-law (who will be 99 next month) has shared many stories about how the city used to be. Now it is just beautiful property.

This next picture if of my brother throwing the ball around with my two nephews, Brandon and Paul. Hey we are Texans and it is Thanksgiving, of course football is involved!

My cute little niece, Emma gets a piggy back ride!
This is my 2nd youngest nephew in Texas, Daniel

Lastly, this is my youngest nephew, Spencer. Isn't he cute?

Okay I guess it is about time for a basketball rant, huh?  I know many of you are now closing this browser as basketball has no interest to you—but for the few that remain reading. Hi!!!!

 

 

Is it even worth talking about the Lakers right now?  Unfortunately I haven’t been able to see a single Laker game this season… but am I really missing all that much?  Many people are blaming Kobe for taking too many shots, but when he does take his coaches advice (welcome back Phil Jackson) and tries passing more to his teammates; there have not been many if any better results.  I know I know, patience is not a virtue I am that good at practicing.  The lakers are a young team and need to mature and grow together—learn the triangle etc… but it is hard to wait for that growth of a team.  No need to fear however, because I will always be a laker fan and cheering them on (even if I live in Texas now)..

 

Speaking of Texas, Goooooo Mavs.  My third favorite team (lakers being #1, anyone playing Miami #2—Sorry Fran) is doing quite well!  How exciting for Avery Johnson.  I still adore him and am getting better about not laughing at his high pitch voice.  I have been hoping to somehow score some MAV tickets, but so far, no luck!

 

Everything else here is going well.  Thanksgiving was wonderful.  Steven and I went to East Texas to be with my family.  It was a lot of fun and I was able to meet many people that are related to me through marriage.  The big news is that I cooked my first turkey and it was edible!!!  I am going to prove to Steve that I can be domestic!!!

 

Well I guess I should go take care of a few things, but just thought I would write a few words!  Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and guess what… IT IS CHRISTMAS TIME!!!  Woohooooooo

Well, I must apologize.  It has been quite some time since I have updated my blog.  Life has sure been busy!

 

I guess I will begin with the most recent news; I am officially no longer a Red Oak resident (amen!).  It was quite a funny ordeal trying to move this time around.  I decided to sell a lot of my furniture.  Once I am married, I won’t need to kitchen tables etc.  I advertised on my favorite website (Craigslist.. it is free!).   I had many people that were interested and I set up appointments for the weekend (since I didn’t go home during the week).  I cannot believe how many people said they were going to come and then just didn’t show.  Finally, I was able to get rid of everything.  I had a friend help me move my twin mattresses, desk and futon.  That was comedy in the making.  Where should I begin? 

 

The futon.  Oh my.  One Friday night I spent hours trying to get that thing apart.  Little did I know, they were locking bolts and I needed special tools to take them out.  So after hours of talking nice to the futon, screaming at the futon, crying at the futon and finally kicking the futon… I gave up!  When my friend came the next morning with her jeep she said that she thought her husband may have tools to get it apart and we made plans for the next Saturday (when her husband was home) to take it apart.  Amen! It worked!!! 

 

My mattresses.  Well as most of you know, I am vertically challenged (too bad not horizontally as well!).  Try to picture this.  Two short girls, (my friend is even shorter than me) trying to lift twin mattresses on top of a jeep.  If that wasn’t funny enough, picture us trying to figure out how to work the straps!.  There were a couple guys sitting on the balcony enjoying the spectacle (unfortunately their momma’s never taught them about helping damsels in distress!).  Thankfully we laughed the whole time and didn’t get stressed about it all.  Once we had everything loaded and secured, the rest was rather easy..except…

 

Getting the Mattress off.  We arrive on my new home, only to discover that, it wasn’t going to be any easier to get the mattresses off the top of the vehicle.  Somehow in the process I ended up with the mattress on my head.  We were laughing so hard that I wasn’t as careful as I should have been.  Needless to say I woke up the next day with a severe pain in my back.   I guess I twisted or pulled something.  After a day of ice, I felt like a new woman. 

 

My poor fiancé.  Have I ever mentioned how I am stubborn?  Well.  Steven, bless his heart, just finished his first year of law school. I am so proud of him.  He is officially a 2L!  Well it just so happened that my lease on my apartment was up right around his finals and his moot court competition.  The man was busier than I could ever imagine.  I was not about to let him drive all the way to Red Oak to help me move just a few pieces of furniture (although I know he felt bad that he couldn’t help).  I was Miss Independent and with the help of my friend we succeeded and I got to wash my hands of the cricket apartment.  Woohooo no more crickets.

 

Okay so that is my moving story.  Other than that, nothing too exciting has been going on.  Work is busy and going well.  Basketball is starting Wooohoooo  …. Only I need more time to watch it! 

 

I went to a Bridal show a few weeks ago.  It was interesting.  I entered lots of drawings to try to earn free stuff…  I won nothing  :-(  I know someone that won a free honeymoon at one of those!  Oh well.  I tried.

 

Oh and Steve and I have a wedding website and we have also selected a date for the wedding  July 29, 2006 in Lewisville, Texas.  Check out our wedding website at www.theknot.com/ourwedding/LauraMurphy&StevenEinhorn

 

Well that is my life.  I hope ya’ll are doing well!

 

Until next time