Summer Days Gone Away....

As my weeks have gone on through the summer...my life has changed. At the beginning of the summer, I was chilaxing my way through life every single day, and as the days went on, that luxury has slipped away. If you don't know yet...Yes, I did get the job at Walgreen's and have been working for the past week. My managers are working me on a full time schedule because I have been training and learning the ropes, as well as getting in hours before school starts back up. I get paid a decent amount per hour and I get Pm Cash. (Which is cash from a certain percent of a Promotional item that we sell. If we ring it up then we get some bonus money from that sale.) I have $3.14 so far in PMs. And as a bonus, one of my friends from school just started working at Walgreen's too, so I can learn with her and will have someone to hangout with at work. I have been babysitting just as much as before so all of my free days are spent with Sofia which I love. I am about one hundred dollars away from my car and I am very excited about all of that. My birthday is next Thursday and believe it or not, I didn't even have a day set aside where I wasn't working to celebrate it. I made a mistake by requesting off next Friday for babysitting but Tricia didn't need me...so I guess I'm celebrating it on Friday! lol. I still have to work on summer assignments and getting my schedule worked out at the high school, but overall I've been very busy. My body is not used to all of this rush so I have been very tired and am trying to get as much sleep as possible. I guess I'm just being prepared for my big senior year and I can't complain because every time I've been caught-up in something difficult, I always come out in the end happier than before. So thanks to God.

Sofia striking a pose in her highchair.

We made funny faces...and she just happened to drool in hers. Ha ha.

"Aunt Laura is Awesome!"

I was soooo tired that night.

Right now, I'm hanging out at The Mclains babysitting Sofia. She's napping and we just finished visiting with Grandpa Don who came by for a surprise visit and then after he left we ate! (We also danced a little too lol). here are some pictures of her recently today and this past week.

Happy little Sofia grinning away on her play mat.

How cute!
Sofia getting sleepy.
She has found her thumb.
And she found it again...

Awww...

She was watching one of her interesting toys.

I love her precious face!

This has to be one of my favorites of her and I.

I also have some picture of our play date with Tricia's friend Robin and her little boy Jacob.(excuse any misspellings of names)

All of us in the pool

Sofia looking at Mommy at our favorite place to eat...Chick-fil-A!

Here's Jake!

And here is a short video of me acting silly and singing a backstreet boy's song...while Sofia smiles and thinks I'm being goofy old Aunt Laura.

Speaking of silly....ha ha look at us now!

"Another day with Aunt Laura"

"I love close-ups!"

I hate to post over my Concert information...but be sure to scroll down and check out how it all went on Monday. I posted that an another one of these Sofia posts yesterday. Here are some picture from today's babysitting!

This is the "I'm gonna get ya!" face when you kiss her.

Aw, how cute...the 2 sisters.

Watching TV...

"Can I help you??"

Chub Chub

The Jonas Brothers!

On Monday night, I went to the most amazing concert of my life with two friends of mine, Kelsey and Stephanie. The Jonas Brother gave an incredible performance and it wasn't just them doing their job, but they were putting on a SHOW! They spayed the audience down with huge hoses, they brought an 8 year old on stage to sing with them and they even played a two song encore. I couldn't believe that I was actually seeing them, with my own eyes and being able to see them live made me love their music so much more. Their opening act, Demi Lovato, was just as fantastic. Her voice sounds the same whether it be live or recorded and The Jonas Brothers are the same way. Avril Lavigne was in between each of those two acts and since she was demoted from headlining this tour to the side act, she was forced to sing a lot of her older songs from her older album so the audience would enjoy her. Her newer album (which was supposed to be featured on this tour), has too much language and wouldn't be known by this younger crowd. All I can say is that no other concert that I've ever been to or will ever go to will be quite as fantastic as this one. I didn't want to leave and afterwards my voice felt like I had been screaming for hours (which I had been ha ha) I didn't have the closest seats but I could see them just fine. I do have pictures and many of them are blurry due to the distance and the motion that was going on.

This is Demi Lovato performing.

This is Avril Lavigne performing.

This is Joe with an eight-year-old little girl he pulled up on stage

This is Nick playing his emotional song about his diabetes on a grand white piano.

The Jonas Brothers rockin' out...

That's Kevin...He's my guitar Hero.

Still rockin' out.The best picture I took of them is this one.

"Hi Mommy!"

Sofia is here at home with me while Tricia is hard at work. Well, while Tricia is on her breaks, she loves to check my blog and see how everything is going since i tend to post while I babysit. So, here is a shout out to Mommy! And by the way, I'm doing a post about The Jonas Brother's concert later on today. I have pictures and videos for all of you.

And right before lunch, (after her nap), Sofia was making a lot of noise while she had her tummy time, but I didn't think it was a big deal. Well, while in her walker I saw a brown line across her back. She had exploded out of her diaper and all over her back. I was a MESS...but after we got all cleaned up, it was lunch time and all things were right again. We played guitar and sang and she fell right asleep in her crib.

This video is for Tricia from Sofia!

A Talk to remember...

I have been experimenting with videos and shooting them lately...so I made a few slide shows of the Sofia, Kam, and one of me. They are all done but this blog was giving me some problems...so I figured out how to get all three on here for you. BUT...I'm only releasing them one at a time!!! Not all at once because then I would be spoiling you. But as far as my job goes, I went to go take my drug test and I spoke with the head manager at Walgreen's 2 days ago. She said that the interview went very well and that her other managers (the ones who hosted the interview), loved me. She gave me information about where to go for the drug test and said that once I pass...I have the job!!! I've never touched a drug in my life...so I'm set! But the thing was that the testing facility closed earlier than she told me on Saturdays...so it was too late. So I called my manager and she told me that I can take the test Monday morning. I'm extremely happy and am very excited to start working again. .Something else is also happening on Monday that is HUGE. Monday is the night of my Jonas Brothers concert that I have been waiting for! Stephanie, Kelsey and I all made shirts last week and we are wearing them the night of the concert.


I do want to say on a more serious note, that I am sorry about the passing of Ross's grandmother. I give my deepest condolences to the family. She was a wonderful woman, mother, wife, grandmother, and great grandmother. You are all in my prayers.



These are some pictures of Sofia the other day while I was babysitting. The picture of her with a flower started with Ross. He brought in his Hawaiian flowers and plucked one for her to wear.

And late last night, Missy took me out to eat at Apple Bees for a midnight snack. We had a blast...except for the fact that there were 25 teenagers there all in a group waiting to eat. Not a lot of service help but who would though that many kids would come in so late?

This video is for you Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw! Sofia talks A LOT now...and in this video..she was going to town!

This video below is Kam's BIG MOVIE! (Release Number ONE) A slide show of him growing up through the years. You will be listening to his favorite song and mine..."Burnin' Up" by the Jonas Brothers.

Perseverance

Today, I look back on the past week and I realize just how much perseverance prospers. I stuck to my word and have pushed through this hard time. I went and applied to Walgreen's and called in a few days later to speak with the manager. He told me that I could come in for an interview that day.I walked over and filled out a computer testing survey and then sat down and spoke with two of the three managers. I believe that the interview went very well and she told me that right now, they were interviewing everyone and in a week to a week and a half, they would call people back in who fit best at the store. Well....not a week or even a week and a half later but 2 days later...she calls me and wants me to come in for drug testing tomorrow! I have never touched a drug in my life so I know I'll pass. I am very excited and I at first called Tricia and she didn't know if I was crying or was happy but I'm thrilled. As far as money goes...I now only have about $450 to go for my car. $150 down in less than a week! I will carry on and I will get my car.

As far as the rest of my day, I'm spending it with my baby niece Sofia while her mommy is off working. Right now she is sleeping so I have some free time. I am keeping records of what her day is like so Tricia can observe when she returns home later tonight.

Sofia playing on her tummy and loving the camera like always...

Sofia staring at one of her colorful toys...

Sofia taking a nap so she will be ready to eat and play again! (aw...she sleeps like I do with my hand behind my head. Kameron does that too.)

A video of Sofia holding her head up.

Child's play is over....

So far this summer...I've had an amazing time. I've spent every waking second with the people I love and I've been doing the things that I love to do. In the past year people have been telling me to save up and work every day I could, but as a 16 year old girl that's not what I wanted to hear or do. I didn't take saving money seriously and I went about having my child's play while others were out working for the things that they wanted the most. Well, in the past week reality hit me. I basically lost my job after Nick and I broke up and I Wasn't getting any hours at all, therefore I needed a new job.(No hours=No money). So, I applied at about 10 places...none have yet to call me back. Now I'm on the line for $600 dollars and if I can't get my act together in time, I'm gonna miss out on something that could benefit my life for years to come. This is not a sob story I'm writing here...its a journal entry getting this off my chest...which helps make me feel better. Since I found out just how hard this "real life" situation can really be, I haven't been up to talking about it. I've been slightly depressed and have been feeling sorry for myself. But that has all changed. I'm now trying to take responsibility for my actions and I am taking life seriously. If my dad doesn't think that I can be responsible enough to get a real job...then I;m proving him wrong......and if he doesn't think I can come up with the $600 dollars by august...then I;m proving him wrong. Because I'm tired of being compared to my sisters and I want people to say to someone else..."Be more like Laura"...not the other way around. I'm starting a neighborhood service and I'm hosting a garage sale next week to start off my savings trip. I've applied for a Walgreen 3 minutes from my house so I can walk there at any time, and I'm applying for 2 other businesses by the end of this week. Since no one seems to think that I can get my licence...I'm calling to set my appointment tomorrow while I have free time from babysitting. I will not be compared to others in a negative way any longer. My child's play is OVER and I WILL get that $600 dollars before August because those college classes are important to me and I will take them.

ON a lighter note...Here is a video of Sofia in her princess outfit.

And here are pictures of her in her outfit. One includes a picture of her sucking on her hand...which she seems to be doing a lot lately.
And here is a video of her little noises.

Krista and I camping out in my yard.
And I would have awesome pictures of a skydivers and hot air balloons but I forgot my camera. Missy and Kameron took me to a hot air balloon festival the other night and we had a blast. And just to all those who read this everyday...Thank you. This is a way I can release any of my stress out and can vent as I type. Thanks for listening.