More Rocco pics & Kody's birthday!

I know that most of you are probably sick of pictures of Rocco, but we are like proud parents, and when your kitten does such ridiculously cute things, how can one not take pictures?
Rocco in a drawer!

Both my cats like to be in my lap/arms while I'm on the computer in the office. Here's Rocco fast asleep with his cute little paws by his face.

He fell asleep all stretched out like this then I held him out for a pic and he woke up.
That's my slip you see there, not something more inappropriate :)

And onto Kody's birthday!
Kody is our friend/one of Rick's employees, so we celebrated his birthday with him on Wednesday night at East Burn.
The birthday boy

Me & Sarah, Kody's girlfriend

A cute one of me and Rick

Well we're getting into a weekend heat wave. Supposed to be nearly 100 tomorrow and we have an outdoor wedding in the heat of the day. I'm just hoping there's shade! I'm looking forward to Jenica's wedding though, and I'll have pictures to post of that after tomorrow!
Today I'm planning on laying in my tiny foot high, 6 feet across kiddie pool!
Hasta!
lauren

Denene's shower & Mom's birthday

Yes, in the last week I've had Denene's baby shower and my Mom's birthday, but first a few pics of Rocco :)
My 2 favorite boys taking a nap!

One night, playing with Rocco while Penny looks on, obviously not happy

A kitten in a purse? Does it get any cuter?

Well maybe a kitten in a box is cuter. You decide.

Okay, Denene and McKay came in town this week from Utah to visit and have Denene's baby shower. Rick and I went out to dinner with them Thursday night in the Pearl, and we had a great time. Denene's baby shower was Friday night at Rachelle's. It was great to see all the extended Tolman family and some friends as well.
Denene opening presents

Denene & I
If you are wondering, she's having a boy. No name yet, just Adam as the middle name!

Yesterday was my Mom's 39th birthday! Ok, maybe not 39, but not too far from it either :)
I took her to the beach with me to get our hair done by my wonderful friend Emily. My Mom hasn't had her hair done in 5 years!
Here we are all spiffied up! I think she looks great, and she was thrilled with the result!
Happy Birthday Mom! I love you!

That's it for now!

Dress shopping

I thought I would post the pictures from dress shopping. This was back in April. I will not post any pictures of the dress that I actually bought, but I don't care if you all see the pics of a few of the dresses I didn't pick!
I went to David's Bridal with my mom and my best friend/maid of honor Becky and I had a fun time trying on so many dresses and seeing all the options out there!

I look like I'm in pain while the consultant sucks me in!

I loved seeing all the pieces together-dress and veil!

This is classic fake smile!

Becky doing her honorly duties by helping me with jewelry

Hmmm, what to choose!

The loveliest maid of honor modeling a veil

Well, that's it for dress pics! I actually picked my dress up last Monday and have it in my possession. My Mom helped me try it on yesterday with my slip and shoes! It's perfect :) Hard to believe tomorrow means only 2 months left til our wedding! I gotta get on it!

Our BBQ!

We had a BBQ to welcome in summer, show people the house, celebrate our engagement and my getting my Associates. We had about 45 people over the course of the afternoon/evening and it was a great time! As Preston said "I met new people, had good conversation and good food". I guess that's what it's all about, right?
I wasn't much in the mood for taking pictures, so there aren't many, and they aren't very good, but here they are!
Melissa taking a picture of Becky

Me and Preston

My parents, Rick's parents and our awesome neighbors, Bob & Gerda

Phil, Christina, Preston & Melissa enjoying the sunshine

The gang

Me, Dylan & Liz

Me and cute Quincy, Liz and TJ's Old Boston Bulldog

Later, around our firepit-the boys passing around Melissa's donettes, which were a hit!

Creepy pic thru the fire of Becky, me and Tami

I love having a firepit in our backyard! Weenie roasting is too fun!

The late night crew-full of fun-lighting fireworks and trying to blow up our outdoor safe!

Thanks again to all who could make it! I'm so glad we did it, and we'll have to do it more often :)

In other news, I think we've chosen a name for the kitten-Rocco. It's not for sure-but we like it!
I have the day off today, so after sleeping in, laying out and doing nothing, I am off to go pick up my wedding dress and have birthday dinner with Amy!

A new kitten and 2 big accomplishments!

So we decided Penny needed a little brother. My friend Megan found 4 abandoned kittens and I just had to rescue one. So here he is!

He needs a name, can you help? Isn't he cute? So far Penny hates him, but we're hoping that'll change.

I am not one to brag about things in my life-but I had 2 big accomplisments this week. First, I finished Community College and got my Associates Degree. Half way done, I am SO proud of myself. It's been 2 years and a lot of hard work, but all worth it.

My other accomplishment is that I lost my 20th lb.! I've been on Weight Watchers for a year now, and have lost weight in spurts, cause I get bored with it, but finally lost my 20th pound as of this morning, so I am happy about that!

All is well, and we're having a bbq to celebrate today!

Love you all!

Lauren

Alison & Olivia's visit

Alison and Olivia paid us a visit from Las Vegas! We went over to Jen and Dylan's to visit and had a lot of fun playing with the babies and catching up. Olivia is 7 months and so fun and cute!

Becky says this is a glimpse of us in the future-but just so you all know-it's not the near future! I have 2 years of school left people! That's my number one priority!

Aunty Becky & Olivia

Rick entertaining Olivia & Alison, and ok the rest of us too

Rick and Olivia are BFF's!!

Cute Olivia examining her toes.

Becky and Alison took pictures too so I'll post them once they send them along.
Well I just finished my 2nd to last final, so only one more to go! I'm SO excited to be done!
Then it means paying close attention to my wedding and looking at all the fine details and getting this thing wrapped up! This wedding is still stressing me out. It's just so expensive and so much work, it's hard for me to really enjoy it, even though I want to. If only I were independently wealthy...
Anyway-I'm off to the grocery store! Adios!

Jenica's Bridal Shower

Howdy all! Well it is finals time, and usually that means that I am holed up in my office for days, never seeing the light of day, but this time I had things to do, people to see, so I made some time for that. Right now I am done with 2 out of 4 finals, with my last two on Monday and Tuesday. So far I have an A and a B, and I am figuring I'll round my last semester of community college with 2 A's and 2 B's. Not too bad, and in less than a week I will hold a degree! Granted, it's only an Associates, but hey, it's progress :)
I don't know about you Oregonians but this weather is getting me down! It's so cold and rainy and I am OVER it!
Anyway, here are a few pics!
Penny has an obsession with the TV. Especially Meerkat Manor. It's her fave.

Jenica's Bridal shower!
Jenica is a good friend of mine from high school. We've traveled together several times, including 2 trips to Mexico and a 6 week stint in Costa Rica. All that traveling bonds people I tell ya, and Jenica and I will always be good friends!
Jenica is marrying Bart at the end of the month and I'm very excited for the wedding.
Her shower was fun, getting to see some old high school faces that I haven't seen in ages!
Bart hadn't told Jen where the honeymoon was going to be, and gave her this piece of paper at the shower with coordinates. We figured it out, and they're going on an Alaskan Cruise! Fun!

Me & Rachel-eatin' some delicious food

This is Mandy Swift's little one year old girl, Caitlyn. So cute!

Jenica and Rachel-still best friends-and still fun :)

Anne Sejko and I were good friends Sophomore year of high school, and I've always really liked her. She has a 6 week old baby, Isaac.
Here are the three of us!

The bride to be, and the bride to be!

And here are Penny and me later, cleaning the office

That's all for now, we are off to lunch with Alison Nuttbrock Aguirre and Olivia, in town from Vegas!

Weekend Fun

Rick and I stayed in town for Memorial Day and just did some stuff around town. Friday I went out to Gresham to see Heather & Jay in town from Salt Lake. They go camping down in Barton every year and seeing as it was raining very hard I convinced them to meet me for lunch instead of me hanging out in rainy Barton all afternoon!
Shauna, Jay, Heather, Preston & me at one of our old school faves in Gresham-Bon Teriyaki

Heather & I at the Arnells saying goodbye.
Heath & Jay I had so much fun with you guys too! Can't wait for just one more year when you move home!

That night I met up with Rick and some of his co-workers/friends for a birthday party at RonToms.
Rick & I

Rick & I with our good friends Sarah and Kody

The rest of the weekend we had Becky and Preston over for dinner for Becky's bday and watched a crazy thunderstorm outside, worked on the yard and went to a bbq at Rick's Uncle's.

This Friday was Rick's sister's birthday so we went down to Salem Friday night and celebrated but all the pics Rick took turned out blurry!
Last weekend also, Dylan & Jen finally welcomed their daughter, Miss Eva Marie Hall! I still can't believe it, but Jen naturally had Eva, who weighed 9 lbs 2 oz and was 22 inches long!
Jen had been feeling quite weak after such an event so we didn't get to go visit til just yesterday.
Eva is such a mini Dylan, but I can see some Jen in there too. She's so cute, nice work you two :)
Me & Eva

It took some convincing but finally Rick held her too

After visiting with the Halls we went to a farewell dinner for some of Rick's friends moving to North Carolina.
Pregnant Tracy & I at the dinner

And after that we headed to EastBurn for Alison's 30th, er, I mean 24th birthday!
Here I am getting a kiss from the birthday girl herself!

That's it for now! I am working hard on my Geology project. A paper and presentation on Zion National Park. It's been fun going through my old Zion pictures and being able to use them for my presentation. I can't believe it's June 1st today! Wowie is time flying! This is my last week of school, then finals next weekend (for my online classes) and my 2 in class finals on Monday and Tuesday. After Tuesday I'll be scot-free for 3 whole months. I can't wait!!!!