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Life Changes Quickly...

It has definitely been a little bit since we have blogged but a lot has gone on. Last week of course was Thanksgiving and we had a great holiday. Thursday we spent time with the Tidwell Family and Friday made a trip out to Houston to visit the Hindmarsh Family (that is my cousin). We had lots of fun, food, tricks, laughs, and of course a little bit of confusion has to be added to the mixture, but it was an amazing weekend and we had LOTS of FUN!!! :)

Over the past few weeks, Garon and I have come to understand a little more of just how much we continually have a growth of gratitude. Life can be pretty interesting at times but at this particular time in our life we are so blessed to have knowledge and the comfort of hope and support of family. We are getting ready to step out on a limb and let the Lord work his miracles and tender mercies. As we very QUICKLY approach a move we have much gratitude in our hearts for the support and love that our families have shown to us. We had things pretty easy, I must say, in the beginning and we are having a delayed start to the "newly-wed living circumstance" if that makes any sense at all. After all, I do hear that this is the time where all the real fun and excitement takes place. We are moving up to Arkansas the week of Christmas, like two days before Christmas. We are getting really excited and anxious and scared all at the same time but we know that this is what we are to do and we know that everything works out as need be.

I want to take a minute to brag on my wonderful other half. Garon means the world to me and I am so happy when I am with him. I never thought it possible to have someone so amazing who is constantly looking out for me. Not only is he my best friend but he is my best confidant. Life is amazing with him around, he helps with the cleaning and always goes the extra mile to see that I am happy. He has put himself in the position to do whatever is best for our family and I cannot thank him enough for the sacrifices he makes, this includes waking up at 3:00 in the morning to go to work and then taking on a full 18 hours at school and then coming home and helping with things around the house. Garon, you are my one true love and I am so grateful for all you do. This life is nothing but a small moment in time but I know and am ecstatic that I will be able to spend my eternities with you!

Okay, so the point of this blog...I don't really know. Life changes quickly and with these changes we learn and grow.

Trip to Houston

So, Garon and I did not make it to Houston last Thursday as we had planned. We were going to take a short little nap before we went and discovered that our ceiling was leaking in our bathroom so we put a call into the landlord and then we got settled in for our moment of rest. I guess we needed a little more rest than we had planned because we slept for a good 3 hours or so. By the time we woke up and got there it would have been early evening meaning we would hit traffic and then be there for just a bit and it would be Garon's bedtime and we would be exhausted driving home so we decided to just enjoy our rest and time together. We did however make it Saturday, we were supposed to be there at 1:00 and because a little misunderstanding in directions we showed up about 20 minutes late, we would have been really early if we would have stuck to the way we knew, but we live we learn. We had a wonderful day at the temple. Kendall went through in preparation for his mission in January to Portland, OR. We are so excited for him! Here are a few pictures of our day.


Garon and I on the Houston Temple grounds after spending a wonderful day together.

What a wonderful day, siblings together in a special place

The very proud, handsome looking missionary!!

Mom and Dad Tidwell with Kendall

This is Garon and I in the car on the way to the temple.

Hmmm,Yawn, Hmmm

So Garon and I will be attending the temple tomorrow, or I guess it is this afternoon, and I am so excited. I just so happen to be off of work and he gets out of school at 12:00 which gives us plenty of time to make the drive to Houston and have a wonderful afternoon together. This probably means that I should be in bed asleep instead of up writing, but I just can't seem to fall asleep these days.

Garon and I look forward with great anticipation to the time that we get to share. We have learned a great deal about the value of life over the past month and it is amazing how much we take for granted and don't even realize it. I am so thankful that we are able to support each other and confide with one another. Life is an amazing thing and there is so much we can do if we but use our time wisely.

As it is becoming well known, we are making a move up to AR just a few days before Christmas and Garon was so funny the other morning. He had just come home from work at UPS to get cleaned up and was getting ready to go to school when he looked at me with his little gleam in his eye and said, "We are moving to AR" and just a few seconds later in a very enthusiastic voice stated, "I am excited". We had been praying and fasting on the issue and we never really got a definite yes or no but once we made a decision everything started falling into place and we know that this is what we are to be doing at this particular time in our lives. We will miss family and friends but there was an amazing invention a few years back called an automobile and it allows great miracles to happen. We can be somewhere and all the sudden in just a few hours we can be somewhere completely different...Gotta love those smart people! :)

After all, life is supposed to be an adventure, right? All kidding aside, we truly are excited and can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for us on the road ahead. It is amazing the peace that we find when we put ourselves in the right place at the right time.

I suppose this is all for now. I will try to take some pictures while we are out and about on our little trip, the weather has been wet but absolutely wonderful so we may be able to spend some time outside!!! We love you all!

What brought us to where we are

So, I am not the best at the blogging things but I have some time this evening while I am wide awake when I should be sound asleep. This life is an amazing adventure and sometimes we wonder how it is possible to make it through and what exactly is it that has brought us to the point in our lives we are at. Below I have added some pictures of the past five to six months of my life. So much has gone on and so much has been accomplished at the same time. This picture is of me and my eldest sister on my wedding day. This is forever a day that I will hold dear to my heart, a new horizon was opened and a new level of relationship was built. I am so thankful for my family, this includes parents, sisters, brother, grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles. My life has been greatly blessed because of the influence of so many and I don't know that I could have made it this far in life if it were not for the continuous love and support that is constantly offered.

This picture is of Garon and I at Chili's on 6 June 2008, the day before we would commit to each other for time and all eternity. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful man in my life who loves and supports all I do. He truly is the love of my life and now that I have found my Knight in Shining Armor I don't know what I would ever do without him.

This was taken one very late night when we were dating. I don't know how we managed to do it but we would stay out or up until 2 or 3 in the morning and at times this was an early night. After finally saying good night I would hop into bed and try to get as much of the three or fours hours of sleep I could manage before I had to be back at work 7:00 a.m. the next morning. We made it and we were never too concerned about the sleep.

This was a honeymoon picture. I was kind of loopy this day because I had taken some motion sickness medicine but we had a spectacular time. We were in Progresso, Mexico at the Myan Ruins and it was beautiful. I would do it all again and not trade it for the world.

This is in the same area. The sun got a little bright but we were enjoying our time together with no interruptions from the outside world we once knew.

This was really fun. We made it to Cozumel!! A once in a lifetime kind of thing and we enjoyed it. We just walked around while we were there because the ship portal arrived pretty much in the middle of everything. We got off and looking in the water was amazing. We enjoyed some good sight seeing and look, we even kind of match.

Garon and I have had a little bit of an adventure in our short little bit together but I don't think either one of us would want to trade it for the world. We both feel truly blessed to have a support like we do. I must say, things get kind of tricky at times but we always know that something is going to work out. There is a greater plan and sometimes the less we know of this great plan the better off we are until the timing is right. I don't know if this is the kind of blog you all were looking for but it is something that came to me and it was nice to go back and re-cap some more. I love you Garon! :)

HAHAHAHAHA

So...You want to see how crazy my husband can be? We made a recent trip to AR and went to my cousin Rachel's house. She had some new hair removing cream and wanted to see just how well it worked...need I say more from the pictures? It worked pretty darn good. Hope you all enjoy a good little laugh, we sure got some kicks and giggles!! :)

It Happened All So Fast!!!

It is official...I am a married woman. Sounds a little crazy but my name is now LAURA GRACE TIDWELL...a change but I am getting use to it. I married Garon on 6/7/08 and we left for our wonderful cruise on Monday June the 9th got back on the following Saturday. We are working for a few days then come Thursday the 19th we will be back in the car headed up to Arkansas for reception number two!! We are having a great time as we really get to know one another. We will be living in the Anderson Apartments in Lumberton, TX; it is a two bedroom, two bath, washer/dryer, etc. We are pretty excited and really busy at the same time (I still have to pack and get stuff ready to move). Hope you enjoy the slide show and I will try to stay a little more updated here...Love YA!...Pictures are to come but here are a couple...

So Much FUN!

WOW...I can't believe it, the one and only Laura Anderson is ENGAGED!? I know, it is pretty shocking but it is so much fun. Mr. Garon C. Tidwell of Groves, TX popped the once in a lifetime question to me on his birthday (as his only birthday wish of the evening) March 17, 2008. We are looking at the wedding date of June 7th...not set in stone yet but it is a 98% chance. It is truly amazing at how quickly life can change yet it is so wonderful at the same time. We are making a little trip up to AR tomorrow so he can meet the family (yes, I made sure he talked to Dad before I actually took the ring) it is going to be a wonderful fun and exciting weekend. Here are a few pictures and I hope you enjoy them. *Sorry, they are a little out of order but you will get the idea*

Long Time...Much has gone on...

Hello, hello, hello!

It has been a LONG time since I have done anything. Looking at pictures you will see why. My time has been a little occupied with a special someone - yes, HIS name is Garon. We are looking forward to our nice little trip to Arkansas Easter weekend, it will be lots of fun. All in all life is going pretty good, same ole same ole. I am still working at Texas State Bank (soon to be Compass Bank), I am teaching Gospel Doctrine in the Beaumont II Singles Branch, and spending my extra time (or made up time) with Garon. Life is grand and continues to get better.

Date Night...

Here is a little update...Last Friday 2/8/08 we had a date! Yes, it was we, my roommate Lena and Myself went with Garon and Bryan. We had a fun filled night of home made pizza, virgin margarita drinks, bowling, ice cream, Cranium, and Imaginiff. We had a great time with lots of laughter. In the games we had boys vs. girls or angels vs. devils...WE WON! We followed it all up with "10 Things I Hate About You". I hope you enjoy the slide show.

All in all life is going pretty good. Staying busy as always but it keeps it interesting.

A new year has begun...

Here it is almost half way through January, I can't believe it. I am amazed at how quickly time passes these days. I have been staying extremly busy between work and church and going in between. I am having a few people over this evening for a nice little 'Girls Night', they are good to have every once in a while...you know food, movie, gossip, maybe a game, nothing but taking it easy. If I am good you might get some pictures out of the deal. I am greatly considering going to school for Massage Therapy, if I can get it all worked out how I would like it. The acadamy that is about ten minutes from my house has night classes starting up again in September (I was thinking a bit too late to start in January) so I am going to get things ironed out so I can get the ball rolling on a flat surface. I must say all in all things are going pretty well, nothing too out of the ordinary has happened, I do the same old routines day in and day out with random activities thrown in the mix. I thought that is what makes life so interesting. I am greatly looking forward to Monday 21 January 2008 because that is my next day OFF of work (Martin Luther King Jr. was a wonderful man wasn't he?). I better get back into the kitchen, I have a lasgna in the oven and need to get the salad put together. Oh, before I forget I have found a great cure for a burn stainless steel pot...had to experiment...after boiling water in the pot, scrape what you can out and rinse and soak the remaining blackness on the bottom with oven cleaner and it starts wiping off rather smoothly (mine took a few times but it was all good). People are here so I better get going. Take care and have FUN! :)