What, what???

I haven't been as faithful a blogger as I'd originally hoped I'd be when beginning this weekly theme idea. So, here's the deal. I'm thinking I might just do the Whaddya Know Wednesdays since those seem to be informational, entertaining & possibly embarrassing all wrapped into one post- so you know to watch out for those. Otherwise, I think I'll just blog as I feel necessary. Which very well could be never. But we'll see. So since I skipped Whaddya Know Wendesday, I'm doing the unthinkable. Yes. I am doing Whaddya Know THURSDAY. But today only.

So what do you know about me? Have these facts been mind-blowing or flat-out boring? You decide. But here comes 15 more facts anyway.

1. I hate clutter. I even go as far as cleaning up my kitchen before destroying it again by making breakfast.

2. I have had my husband pull over on the freeway twice in our 3.5 years of marriage so I can relieve my bowels.

3. I have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). In case you thought to judge me for the above comment.

4. I was in a spelling bee once. I lost by forgetting the first "h" while spelling "rhythm".

5. I never spend more than $40 on athletic shoes.

6. My favorite flavored ice cream within any brand is chocolate chip cookie dough. Although Ben & Jerry's "Late Night Snack" (which includes chocolate covered potato chips. Yes, that's right. ) is QUITE delicious. Give it a shot.

7. I've written a handful of songs on the guitar & I've played (casually) since I was 15 years old.

8. The first and last time I ever sang in front of anyone (alone) was when I was a freshman in college. I sang in front of about 500 people.

9. I have a scar over my left eye from having it busted open by a Super Soaker while water-fighting when I was 8.

10. I learned how to ride a 600 cc motorcycle and would love to have one of my own.

11. JCPenney is my favorite department store. I always make out like a bandit when I shop there.

12. My first date was at Carraba's when I was 16. My date forgot his credit card. The night I got engaged to Derek, we went to Carraba's. He forgot his credit card. Note to self: don't eat at Carraba's.

13. I'm an avid journalist. I have 8 volumes of journal dating back to when I was 8 years old. I even have 2, 2 inch binders stuffed front and back with letters Derek and I sent back and forth during his time away in the Army and I've recently bought 2 more notebooks to document each of my children's lives.

14. My major was in Communication/Broadcast Journalism. I went to college to be a news caster. I left the University of Arizona with only 3 semesters left and I'm hoping to finish in the near future.

15. My favorite show on TV is Ellen. I try and watch it every day. I probably look like a fool, sitting on my couch laughing hysterically at her crazy commentary.

Tune in next week for Whaddya Know!

Terrific Tuesday!!!

I have decided that after each child, my love life has gotten richer & richer. I think this must also be the case with this woman.



But don't worry. I won't be having 19 kids.

Cheers to a terrific husband and terrific sex, even after almost 4 years of marriage & two exhausting children.

Monday, Monday, Monday.

It was a long night.

I went to bed at 9:30, like an old granny.

Jelly bean woke me up out of my deepest sleep at 11.

And 2:30.

And 4:30.

And the fatigue went into overdrive.

I threw in the towel.

She was gonna cry it out until she fell asleep.

She kept up Derek.

He called in sick.

She woke up Titan.

Hello 6 AM start-up for Titan.

But I made Titan stay in bed while I tried to sleep a bit longer.

Jelly bean ate at 4:30 and fell asleep at 6.

Derek had earplugs in & crashed until 8:30.

But did Mom sleep anymore?

Of course not!

A nap?

No way!

Hello Monday. I really hope you are one of a kind because this is some seriously difficult bid-ni.

Goodnight & here's to a better night's sleep!

Let's see...

Well I've fallen down on the job, haven't I? I forgot to blog yesterday. And I barely remembered to do today's post! But seriously...does anybody really keep up with my blog? I often wonder how many people actually keep up with us good ole Hargrove's.

Sunday's theme is "Spiritual Sunday" but to be honest, we did not attend church. (Did I hear a judgmental "ooh"?) Yes, that's right. We stayed home AND we didn't fast. But let me explain. While you're a nursing mother, you don't fast. Why? Because your leche supply can shrivel right up like a prune. So I stay hydrated & fed and my jelly bean still gets her meals every 2 hours. (By the way, are 2 month olds still supposed to be eating every TWO HOURS??? I'm constantly nursing this child.) But Derek, however, had no excuse to not fast. I didn't complain though- seeing as his sacrifice for salvation ended up in a plate full of hashbrowns for me.

Back to the reason we didn't go to church. Our little man has THE NASTIEST runny nose and a killer cough so we felt bad sending him to nursery to infect all of the other children. Except somehow that doesn't always stop other parents...gotta love those people.

Happy Sunday & I hope you all did better than us today!



By the way, if you haven't had the "All the Way" hashbrowns from The Waffle House, you are missing out on LIFE! We kind of tried to make these this morning & they were delicious. But The Waffle House's are to die for. And it's a huge plate for like $2!

Combo Time!

Whoopsie! I forgot to blog yesterday. Well, either that or I just didn't find the time to do it between playing outside in the GORGEOUS weather with my boys & little jelly bean, bathing the kids, cleaning the kitchen, having my visiting teachers come over and then having a nice, long relaxing chat with my best friend & lover.

SO, for Thankful Thursday, I wanted to say that I am thankful for THIS:

As you all might already know, I've always been a little cheap-o. So $20 for a candle? Um, NO THANKS! I only spend $20 on jeans! (Yes, it's extreme.) HOWEVER, these candles last a lifetime! They smell ridiculously delicious & they'll smell up your entire house in no time. If you've never had one, get one. You will not regret it! And it will still be burning in 2017. $4 a year for an awesome candle? I think so!

For Favorite Friday, I'm featuring good ole Ryan Tedder from One Republic on here. He writes music for Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, Gavin DeGraw, Adele & a bunch of other popular music artists. To me, he is extremely talented & I would love to attend one of his concerts and meet him someday! So this Friday, he's my favorite!

Whaddya Know Wednesday

(Picture placed here for #8. I'm the top row, third from the left)

1. I never really liked chocolate until last year when I was pregnant with Claire.

2. My left foot is a size 6.5 and my right foot is a 7.

3. I can't bend down and touch my toes. I'm not sure I ever really could!

4. I used to be in gymnastics while I was in high school (which makes #3 kind of funny).

5. Lime is my favorite Kool-Aid flavor.

6. I used to work for a payroll company & I did their deliveries all around Albuquerque. One of the places we did payroll for was a production company. Jennifer Lopez went to lunch with my boss during her time filming the movie Bordertown and Martin Sheen came into our office while I was out one day. I was on their list of "extras" for any upcoming films/shows but was never contacted.

7. Thinking games relax me, as oxymoronic as that sounds. I love sudoku, word searches & word scramble games like Text Twist.

8. I played "Dorothy" in The Wizard of Oz while in elementary school. My mom made me my sparkly red shoes with some shoes from Target, some glue and glitter.

9. I have never had my nails done before and don't plan to.

10. I used to be a huge tomboy. As in, wearing my hat backwards and all.

11. The bottom portion of both my front teeth are fake. I chipped them while pedaling my bike and having my little brother sit on the seat behind me. We ran into a bush, fell off the curb and my face hit the street!

12. As a kid, I would collect smashed pennies. You know, from the machines at touristy places. The ones that stamp an image onto your penny. I have tons of those!

13. My dad's side of the family is Catholic.

14. My paternal grandmother's family is from France (French Basque) & Spain. So almost all of them speak Spanish. My paternal grandfather's family immigrated here from Poland, so my grandpa speaks Polish. Both also speak English. My maternal grandfather's family is Scottish and my maternal grandmother's family is from Arizona.

15. My first year of college, I lived in the dorms. This meant I had purchased a meal plan. The menu told me when waffles would be served the next morning & I would go to bed ECSTATIC to wake up the next day and scarf down a bunch of delicious cafeteria waffles. (I like cafeteria food. I'm one of the few.)

Terrific Tuesday

You know what's terrific?

*Good weather. Like, 85 degrees kinda weather.

*Costco memberships.

*Having 2 kids stay asleep for 3 hours in the afternoon while you do whatever you want to do.

*Losing weight.

*Your husband pushing you out of the kitchen so that you can relax while he does all the after-dinner cleanup. (By the way, he also MADE the dinner...)

*Fresh fruits.

*Having food in the fridge from grocery shopping the day before.

*Going to bed early.

Oh there are SO many other terrific things...but we'll just have to wait until next Tuesday.

Happy Tuesday! See you tomorrow for 15 more crazy things about myself.

Manic Monday

Lately my little jellybean (aka Claire...sometimes I forget her real name because I never use it!) has been going to bed between 6 & 8 pm, and waking up between 1 & 2 am, then again somewhere in the 5 o'clock hour. This is no bueno. The first feeding is easy breezy. I've gone back to breastfeeding so nighttimes are really a sinch nowadays. (Remember that word, sinch? Ha.) But seeing as my sweet hubby gets up at 5:45 am to shower and get ready for work, that last feeding KILLS me! It basically means that I'm up for the day once that second feeding rolls around. Mix that together with already existing fatigue, two exhausting kiddos and no nap for momma...and you get a loooong day. Yes, this is my life today...just another manic Monday! Love these babies, though- that's for sure!

Spiritual Sunday

Switch-It-Up Saturday

Today we went to the zoo!

We went bright & early as to avoid the crowds and the incoming storm.

We saw orangutans, 600 pound turtles, sheep, goats, horses, cows, donkeys, beetles, birds and elephants!

We played hard but came home once it started getting "breezy"...which, in Arizona, means dirt and leaves were blowing up into our faces, making us sneeze constantly.

We hit up Carl's Jr. (gotta love that $6 Guacamole Bacon Burger...also known as the #8 on the menu, thankyouverymuch) so that Derek could try that Southwest Patty Melt. You know, the one where in the commercial this nice little girl dressed in a pink sweater and cute headband at the drive through theater ends up basically making love to her patty melt and in the end is dressed like a prostitute, sprawled across the front seat of her car? Yeah, that one. Those commercials sure do strike the males where it counts, eh? Needless to say, the $6 burger beat out the prostitute patty melt and there is just no use in branching out at restaurants when you already know what the best thing on the menu is.

Happy Saturday!

Favorite Friday

My favorite Disney movie used to be this:



Now I think it might be this. I just love this movie!

Thankful Thursday

I'm starting with the obvious, I know. This little group of people honestly means the most to me in the entire world. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for them. Being a wife to Derek has been the easiest & most rewarding job imaginable. Being a mother, on the other hand, could not come any more unnaturally! But I'm proud to say that with much perseverance, patience, prayers and love...I've become a more satisfying mother. And one that will continue to progress. I love this family so much & for them I am THANKFUL.

Whaddya Know Wednesday

Fifteen more fun facts about this crazy girl. (Pictured above is Nina Dobrev. Reason: Read #14)

1. If you are standing in front of a bed, I always sleep on the left side.

2. My favorite word is "rubbish".

3. Growing up, I lived across the street from the aunt and uncle of the Black Spice Girl, also known as Scary Spice!

4. One of the feelings I CANNOT STAND is being soaking wet with my clothes on & having them stick to me. Barf.

5. My mom's nickname for me is Luby-Doo and my dad's is Ferb.

6. I always put the toilet paper on so that it rolls UNDER, not OVER.

7. I'm a stomach sleeper. (Which makes life so difficult at 7+ months pregnant.)

8. I don't like the crust on bread, or the heels at either end of the loaf.

9. I've watched every episode of every season of: Alias, 24, Prison Break, Arrested Development, Army Wives (minus this season), & Vampire Diaries (up to today).

10. When I was 18 and dating Derek, I'd come home after an amazing date with him (they were all amazing) and I'd practice writing "Lauren Hargrove" on little pieces of paper. Now, 7 years later, it's my real signature!

11. When I was about 14, I built a zipline from one high end of our tree to a low end of another tree, using rope. We'd put on gardening gloves as to not burn our hands, and slide all the way down. One day I decided not to use the gloves and burned a rope mark into all 10 fingers.

12. Derek and I keep a Mason jar full of change and dollars which we call our "Cruise Fund". We've filled it and emptied it twice now in our 3.5 years of marriage and been able to go on vacation because of it.

13. The book I'm currently reading is "The Lucky One" by Nicholas Sparks so that I'll know exactly what's going on when I see the movie which comes out next month!

14. People think I look exactly like Nina Dobrev for some reason. I guess I used to while in high school, seeing as I had a skinnier face and parted my hair down the middle. I'll take it as a compliment since I love The Vampire Diaries!

15. I hate classical music, but love jazzy elevator type music, especially the Christmas jazz.

Tune in tomorrow for Thankful Thursday!

Terrific Tuesday

My mom introduced me to this delightful dessert. Just grab a box of Ding-Dong's (DISCLAIMER: The Walmart knock off version of these taste way better...no lie) and stack them up in the freezer. Let them freeze for a day or so, then eat them while the chocolate is super crispy.

DE-LICIOUS!

Manic Monday

Here's to wishing that today didn't involve the following:

*Dishes

*Cleaning out the fridge

*Laundry

*Picking up our car at the shop, only to switch it out with our OTHER car

*Daddy working

*My chubby belly


Hey, I can wish right?

P.S. Since my last post, I decided that each day of the week I am going to blog about something specific. If you want to keep up, here are the categories!

-Manic Monday

-Terrific Tuesday

-Whaddya Know Wednesday

-Thankful Thursday

-Favorite Friday

-Switch-it-up Saturday

-Spiritual Sunday

See you around!

Did you know?

Alright. I've decided my blog is ULTRA boring. So from here on out, I'm going to try and post more things. Interesting things. Ha! So, whether or not this is actually interesting to you, I am going to jot down 15 things about me once a week that I bet you didn't know. Hopefully I don't run out of things to say by the end of March.

1. I had ingrown toenails up until my first trimester when pregnant with Titan when I said "enough is enough!" and had them fixed! I didn't want to be 9 months pregnant with swollen toes that had ingrown toenails. Gross but true.

2. I have never had surgery before.

3. I've never broken a bone. (If you knew me as a young person, you'd think this was amazing! I did a lot of dumb things.)

4. I can stick my finger up my nose and make myself sneeze on demand. Wait, so far these are all kind of gross-ish. Anyways...

5. I cannot cook to save my life. I caught my kitchen on fire (and I'm talking a 6-8 inch high flame that reignited after I put it out the first time, with me frantically trying to figure out whether to put it out with the extinguisher or get the neighbors. Instead I blew it out with my own breath while 8.5 months pregnant and nearly passed out)

6. For years and years, I'd look out the window every night and make a wish on a star. But for ONE wish, I'd find THREE more stars and say things I was thankful for.

7. Derek had known about me for two months before talking to me. I had never seen him before. Since we had never talked and he didn't know my name, I was known as The White Skirt Girl, seeing as I wore the same skirt to church each week. (Come on, white matches with everything. I'm a practical person.) My wedding ring has the letters WSG engraved in the inside because of this nickname.

8. I hate celery. I tried for years to get myself to like it and I JUST CAN'T.

9. I can recite almost every line (ask my husband if I am exaggerating when I say EVERY LINE) of every character on every Disney movie Titan watches.

10. My least favorite household chore is unloading the dishwasher.

11. I dropped my cell phone in the toilet at McDonalds in Odessa on our way to Georgia and it miraculously came back to life. I still have it today!

12. My favorite thing to buy at Costco are the TortillaLand cookable tortillas. If you haven't tried them, do it!

13. I ran track all four years of high school but I hate running.

14. I was so tired of having braces for 3.5 years that I made my orthodontist remove them early so I wouldn't have braces in my senior year pictures for a trip I won to California. Now I have random gaps in my back teeth that also serve as meat-catchers. Disgusting.

15. I took first place for the state of New Mexico in Public Speaking for the DECA program, which is why I won the above trip!