~thirty flirty & thriving~

Why? because it is full of one of my favorite things of the year…

Christmas Cards!

One of the pluses (btw…there are many 🙂 of living at home with the rents is that I get to see a whole lot of fun Christmas cards arrive in our mailbox! From kids I used to babysit  who are now in college…to family friends who have been on our Christmas card list since the early 80’s…to all my friends who have had children who are sending precious pics of the little ones…I love running to the mailbox each afternoon to see what fun letters/novels that parents write to embarrass their kids; creative picture book cards or sweet cards with a verse that reminds us its about more than Santa and eggnog and parties and even Christmas cards…

 http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards

To be honest, I love the ones with photos in them…. kind of like these:

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards

This year, my parents are sending out a picture of our family from the sister’s wedding in November. It will be super cute…but I want to send out my own Christmas card out to all my friends and so, I’m thankful for a wonderful little promotion from Shutterfly to help me to do it affordably! 🙂

 So, if you read this and have me on your Christmas card list…thanks in advance, because I love getting them so much! 🙂

and I also must mention that I love the occasional birthday card that makes its way into my mailbox too 🙂 kind of like these:  http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/birthday-cards-stationery …one of the many benefits of having a December birthday 🙂

well, i think i hear the mailman at the front door…so I’m off 🙂

Raymond and Dana.

Daymond and Rayna.

My beloved parents.

My roommates for now… 🙂

My biggest cheerleaders.

My friends.

Words could not express how grateful I am to have the parents that I do.

They love me, encourage me, correct me, train me and sustain me.

I love you both very much!

Your biggest fan,

Toots Mo/Laurie

*pictures from my sister Kim’s wedding this past weekend in DC

Well, obviously, i didn’t blog yesterday. It was a crazy day and and when i looked to see what i was going to have to do double duty on today, i saw it was about my first love. Kind of ironic, because honestly, i can admit this…I have never been in love. I have been in serious serious like a few times…but never have the words  “I love you”  been uttered from my mouth to a boy/guy/man other than my dad and brother or male relatives…and that is way different. So, I’m saving my love for someone that truly deserves it! I don’t know if I will fall in love with someone and they will turn out to be my husband, but I do know this…I haven’t loved yet, but I have faith that one day, I will.

P.S. just so you don’t think i am completely lame. 2 boys have said they “loved” me, but I knew I didn’t love them, so I didn’t want to just reciprocate b/c they said it first…and man, am I glad I didn’t…i’ll just leave you to guess who they were 🙂

2.  the story behind the name of my blog. “Thirty Flirty and Thriving” is a quote from my favorite movie, 13 Going on 30.

Jenna Rink, the main character, who bore a strange resemblance to me as a 13 year old girl…made a wish in her closet with some fairy dust that she would be 30, flirty and thriving. And her wish is granted…and there is a fairy tale ending of course…

Maybe its because as an awkward 13 year old, i would have loved to get to see what my life was going to be when I was 30, but I love love love this movie! The music, the clothes and the cute boy that Jenna ends up with in the end…it is a great story!

And now that I am 30, life is full of fun adventures that I don’t think I could have ever imagined as a gangly and insecure 13 year old girl. And I can honestly say that I am 30, flirty and thriving…

until tomorrow…

Well, one of the big reasons I haven’t blogged in forever is because things have been crazy in my world the last couple of weeks and honestly, I haven’t had a whole lot to say. So, when I ran across this challenge on someone else’s blog and couldn’t resist…it gives me purpose for blogging, so here we go…

Day 1-Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts
Day 2-Meaning behind your blog name
Day 3-Your first love
Day 4-Your parents
Day 5-Your siblings
Day 6-A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 7-Favorite movies
Day 8-A place you’ve traveled to
Day 9-A picture of your friends
Day 10-Something you’re afraid of
Day 11-Favorite tv shows
Day 12-What you believe
Day 13-Goals
Day 14-A picture you love
Day 15-Bible verse
Day 16-Dream house
Day 17-Something you’re looking forward to
Day 18-Something you regret
Day 19-Something you miss
Day 20-Nicknames
Day 21-Picture of yourself
Day 22-Favorite city
Day 23-Favorite vacation
Day 24-Something you’ve learned
Day 25-Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs
Day 26-Picture of your family
Day 27-Pets
Day 28-Something that stresses you out
Day 29-3 Wishes
Day 30-A picture

Day 1: Introduce, Recent Picture and 15 interesting facts

My full name is Lauren Dalton Smith. I am 30 years old and live in Dallas, Texas. I work as a counseling intern trying to gain 3000 hours as fast as I can so that I can get my permanent license and begin to practice counseling full time. I love my family, my friends, my church (Watermark Community Church), Tex Mex and Diet Dr. Pepper.

1. I lived in Boulder, Colorado for a year when I was 5 years old. Have loved the mountains ever since.

2. The best summers I’ve ever spent were at Kanakuk Kamps as a counselor for 3 years in college.

3. Some of my best friends are from middle school and high school.

4. I have been in 13 weddings.

5. I learned how to ski when I was 3  years old.

6. My favorite place on earth so far is Kauai, HI.

7. All my grandparents are with Jesus now.

8. I lived in Charlotte for 4 years and didn’t know anyone when I moved.

9. I am a sports nut. love watching sports center on a regular basis.

10. My middle name Dalton is my dad’s middle name and my grandmother’s maiden name. I hated it growing up but know love it so much i want to name my future child Dalton.

11. I have always dreamed of owning and running a Christian sports camp.

12. I am addicted to my iPhone 4. seriously addicted.

13. I hate mayonnaise with a serious passionate hatred.

14. My favorite pair of shoes are my TOMS.

15. I am a Diet drink snob…no Diet Pepsi for me, only Diet DP or Diet Coke…and I like them with a fresh lime.

…tick tick tickin’ away… ~DC TALK

Last night I went to dinner with my girlfriends and we were celebrating a 31st birthday. What do you do on the 31st birthday for someone? Just last month, we were celebrating one of my “younger” friends who was just now turning 30 and now we are starting over with the 31s. Not to be outdone by the fact that in 3 short months, i will be celebrating the 3-1. That got me to thinking…what have I done with this last year/9 months of my 30th year? I had so many good intentions of doing something big and great and world-changing. (Some of which included getting a tattoo, skydiving, taking an impromptu trip somewhere, etc.) Something big and daring…but what did I do? I started working out! Seriously, that is it! My big thing when I was 30 was that I got a trainer and started working out! Wow- I’m such a daredevil. But, let me tell you, it has worked wonders for my confidence and my waistline!

Okay, so I spent this last year of my life making plans and then life happened. Then THAT got me to thinking about what I did with my 20’s? They went by so stinking fast! Unlike most of my friends, I don’t have a wedding, marriage, baby(s) to look back on in that decade of my life. Then that makes me feel a little depressed. You see, if you know me at all, you know that I never saw myself as 30 and single…well, that’s not entirely true. Based on the fact that I tend to set pretty low expectations for things (as to not be disappointed when they don’t happen), I really never believed that I would get married in my 20’s. Before you feel all sorry for me or think that this is a pity party, it’s not! Psalm 37:4 has been my mantra for years now, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” For a lot of years, I believed that the biggest desire of my heart was to be a wife and mom. So, that is what I would pray for in light of this verse. I know the Lord knows this and in all honesty, I think it grieves Him that I want those things sometimes more than I want Him. When I can finally got it through my stubborn little head that being married and having babies wasn’t the “end all, be all”, then my heart started to change and beat for something better.

So, that brings me back to my 20’s and 30th year of life. When I stop to think (or really, when one of my besties reminds me)…I can look back on my 20’s and 30th year and be in awe and grateful for all the “desires of my heart” that the Lord provided and for the struggles He has walked with me through:

-graduated from college…had the best summers of my life at Kamp…got a masters degree…invested in the lives of students…lead students to pittsburgh, mexico, & brazil on mission trips…recorded a song (backup vocals) in a nashville recording studio…moved across the country…started over in a new city…made lifelong friends in Charlotte…lived alone in a cute condo…fell in love…got my heart broken…learned that God is in control…prayed with students to receive Christ…baptized students…got ordained…saw my brother get married…buried all 3 of my grandparents…watched my besties marry amazing men…witnessed my besties become incredible moms…found a wonderful new relationship with my sister…got nicknamed lulu, lu, yaya, aunt lulu…went to Africa to serve children…and so many other things that i can’t even think of now.

God has been so good to me with giving me such amazing blessings thus far and I have tended to focus on what He hasn’t blessed me with yet. Now, my challenge to myself is for the next 10 years, to be faithful and to be obedient to the verse in Psalm 37…DELIGHT YOURSELF in the Lord…

This Friday night… Can. Not. Wait!