Christmas in Florida

Well we wanted to celebrate christmas even if it is officially 88 degrees outside.

All this is my mom's so thank Debbie Dickson for another wonderful christmas at the McClain home.

Brandon had to put up most of the stuff because every time I would get up I would want to ralph. Anyways I have been sporadically feeling good. I would feel really good for a couple hours then bam!!! ...straight to the bowl.

Grayson is born!

Grayson Andrew Kennedy was born on December 2, 2009! He's having a little trouble breathing, but we're soooo thrilled he's doing much better today!! Pray for him and the Kennedy's please. Much love and congrats to Heather, Pat, and Elle.

We're prego!!!!!

Yes, my 2 month disappearance from society and blogging can mean only one thing...I've got a bun in the oven.

We're really excited, really happy....really sick. I am so sick. I've been sick since October 24th. To be honest, i'm mentally worn down, physically emaciated, just a puddle of barf and bones. I've been taking zofran which helps a lot but my body still finds a way to loose my cookies.

I feel guilty for not being more positive and not complaining but i'm just shocked. I knew this was going to be hard, but I had no idea HOW HARD.

I know that creating a child is a miracle in itself and I owe my Savior my own life and more. I was thinking about all the pain and suffering I've gone through for my child so far and how much I love them already. Then I thought about how much more the Savior has suffered for all of us, that he felt everything I'm going through now--I thought--imagine how much he loves me.

Anyways, through a miracle i was able to finish this semester, which means i have one more to do and then i graduate in April, shortly there after become a Mommy. Brandon has been my rock, he always has, he holds my hair and puts an ice pack on my back everytime i ralph. how romantic!

Speaking of romantic, Brandon and I celebrated our 1st anniversary on November 21st! We ate at Carrabas because it's the nicest place that's close to us and I told Brandon that somewhere nicer would be a waste because I would probably just get sick, then we saw Twilight.

my First Websites!

check out this link....

http://ld.myweb.usf.edu/

The Dr. Seuss site is my first one, done in HTML. We had to choose three poems. What better than Dr. Seuss?!?

The second is the CSS-tastic Song Site, done in CSS style sheets. Our assignment was to choose three songs and have them be connected in some form, I chose "color," the lyrics are supposed to evoke the emotions of the songs.

I LOVE WEB DESIGN! IT'S SO FUN!

Cruisin'

Brandon and I were able to go on a cruise a week before school started! It was so much fun to get away with our friends, the Williams and Boria's.

We went to Coco Kay, Bahamas and then to Nassau, Bahamas...

We didn't really

take any pics in Coco Kay, all we di

d was lay out our fat, full bellies and played some beach volleyball, it got pretty competitive!

All of these pictures are fromm Nassau. We rented scooters (the boys drove, while the wives piggybacked), which was soooo scary and fun at the same time!

We visited this batcave! Smelly, but cool.

We went to see the Hotel Atlantis while we we're there, it was pretty darn cool!

Children's Literature

I am taking this online class, Literature in Childhood. One of the assignments is to discuss five books from your childhood and why they stand out in your memory, I thought I'd share.

I loved to be read to as a child, but not until I was in Elementary school did I begin to enjoy reading. These five books bring back so many wonderful memories. My sisters and I absolutely loved Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, partially because we were a little scared of the illustrations, but grew to love them throughout the story. It's a story full of imagination and fantasy, characteristics I find myself loving in books today!

Bluberries for Sal by Robery McClosekey was a tattered book in my family's collection, but tattered with love. I associated myself with Sal because he picked bluberries just as I did as a child. I loved the color scheme of that book as well, every illustration was made of yellows and blues.

Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert has got to be one of every kids favorite books, my grandparents gave that book to me when I was four. My love for food and love for fruits and vegetables stems from this book and my mother's cooking (of course). The illustrations of the fruits vibrant and bold, full of color and life!

Amelia Bedilia by Herman Parish and Lynne Avril was the first book I read by myself ! I remember that Amelia was a goofy girl, it was a charming and funny book, I never got tired of it.

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith was introduced to me by my 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Lee! I remember thinking it was a gross looking book, all the kids in the class loved that book because it was funny and talked about a smelly cheese man! I remember I didn't like the illustrations that much, they were "dirty and smelly" looking. I learned that books could be a social activity enjoyed with friends.

What we've been up to...

This summer Brandon has been a busy boy! He's been going to school, working on the weekends, painting my parents house (with me), interning with a oral surgeon, and volunteering at Moffit Cancer center. WHICH MEANS....BRANDON WEARS THE CUTEST SCRUBS!!!.....

I've been taking a couple classes this summer as well (college algebra and drawing II), painting my parents house, and quitting jobs ;) lol. These are a couple of the drawings/paintings I did for the class.

I wanted to do some really loose stuff this summer, when I'm my program

(graphic design during FALL/SPRING semester) I have to do exact, tight, neat,

perfect work...so it was so nice to just do whatever I wanted this summer.

New Decor!

I've added some new decor in our little apartment! Thought'd I'd share...

The shelves next to the dining table are new! The mirror over the couch has been there for a while (thanks to my mom :)), I've just been lazy about getting pictures up.

I've started collecting these lanterns hanging above the window...it's not complete, I want to put like another 3 more up there, I just love their look.

The chair and table are a new corner of the family room! I actually got some of our wedding pictures framed, bought a clock, got a chair....

J.K. has stolen my heart....

PREFACE: You are about to witness an embarrassing confession. J.K. Rowling is the author of the epic tale of Harry Potter.

Dear J.K. Rowling:

You are amazing. I love to get lost in the magical world that you've created. I recently reread the 6th book, as a refresher for the movie, I laughed, cried, and smiled! Sometimes when I lay in bed, scared to fall asleep because I think "he who must not be named" will get me. I love that I become so immersed into the story that it becomes real, what else can I say....you're awesome.

Obsessed,

Laura McClain

I threw a Harry Potter party before the movie premier which I attended at 12:01! I love Nancy, Lance, and Becca for dressing up and sharing my love for the books! Thank you to Russell, Kempton, and Jenny for coming out of pity.

Family Reunion in Seattle!

We just got back fromSeattle this past week, it was sooooo fun & beautiful! The first day we got there, my parents, Brandon and I went to downtown Seattle and played around at the Pike Place Market! I loved looking at all the fresh flowers, artists' work, and fresh food (fish, Bing cherries, all sorts of produce)! My mom bought us a lot of berries while we were there, which are incomparable anywhere else in the U.S. I'd venture to say! We went out to eat in a restaurant with their windows open, the breeze and sun making it a perfect temperature, over looking the Sound. We ate ice cream too! Which was reaaaaalllly nice because Brandon and I had been dieting hardcore the previous week (we're getting skinny for a cruise next month), no carbs!

The next day was the reunion, it was my Grandma's family, the Larson's. It was really fun to see all of my family! I didn't get any pictures that day, but I'm sure my sister, Heather did! Look on her blog! :) Although we went to the Point Defiance Park Zoo with Dan and his little girls while at the reunion. Zoe with the mammoth Walrus, and Hannah with the "ceamy!"

Later that night a bunch of my cousins and Dad & I all got together to play Settlers of Catan....I'm not gonna brag too much but.......lets just say....I REPRESENTED two nights in a row! And did I forget to mention that we played a nine or ten person game of Settlers (won that game right down there-oops, guess i am bragging a lot!)

We stayed at my Aunt Sherry and Uncle Tim's house, they're AMAZING hosts! They lived right by the Pudget Sound, Brandon and I went on a walk by the golf course...it was so beautiful there, I grew up 3 minutes away from this view. I was nine when I left Tacoma, you don't understand anything when your nine. It must've been so amazing to have all of our family so close and in such a great area.

Girls Camp

So I was in charge of Sports this year at Girls Camp, it was SO MUCH FUN! We had a renaissance theme this year...

"15 Wherefore, lift up your hearts and rejoice,

and gird up your loins, and take upon you my whole armor, that ye may be able to withstand the evil day, having done all, that ye may be able to stand.

16 Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, which I have sent mine angels to commit unto you;

17 Taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked;

18 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword o

f my Spirit, which I will pour out upon you, and my word

which I reveal unto you, and be agreed as touching all things whatsoever ye ask of me, and be faithful until I come, and ye shall be caught up, that where I am ye shall be also. Amen"

-- D&C 27:15-18

I thought, well Heather helped me, we've got to do jousting somehow! We decided that the girls were going to joust with pool noodles, with "frosted" tips (strawberry frosting) to act as blood-tasty blood that is, while strutting on a broomstick horse! They had to aim for the heart, but as you can imagine...aiming was the funniest part!! We also did a slip-n-slide, it was way too hot!

This is is an AMAZING shot, courtest of Lauren Ramsey.

Woof, wow Laura.

Summer in FLORIDA!

I have come to realize that this will be one of my last summers here in my hometown, Brandon and I will have to move somewhere cold, dry, different, landlocked, etc...for dental school. I love it here, I love the people, I love the attitude, I love the mix of culture.

Reasons why I love Florida summers...

1. Memories

2. Fell in love here

3. Beaches

4. To feel t

he intense sunshine on your face almost every single day.

5. Florida fashion....the white capris, constant sandals, crazy tan lines, bright neon colors on old women, printed shirts on old men, beach hair, white skirts, polo dresses, etc.

6. More time with my Muffin!!

7. Lake Rodgers park- my high school cross country team trained here, I ha

ve run and run and run my guts out here, pondered on life, run with Mark-my little brother.

8. Orange blossoms, jasmine blossoms, they smell heavenly.

9. Being Sun-kissed, although you'll probably get skin cancer later...

10. Playing at amusement parks!