Just put on a little lipstick...

Today is Josh's 25th birthday. He is staying busy with his own custom furniture/woodworking business as well as being a dad and husband. You can see some of Josh's creations at Shimai and Maggie May's in Nashville. He also does trim, custom mantels, beadboard, etc... http://wildwoodcf.com/index.html http://www.lovelesscafe.com/shimai.html http://www.insouthnashville.com/shopping_gifts.htm

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had dinner at Bryan's parents house. Dan, Deanna, Logan and Lauren were in from Knoxville and it was good to see everyone. The food was plentiful and delicious as always. I made it through dinner and then needed a nap. I can't seem to get enough sleep these days. I guess it's just the anesthesia still in my system, plus the turkey too, of course. I was hoping to go shopping for black Friday this morning, but I'm just still not up to doing too much yet. Josh, Chassi and the kids put up our tree today and ornaments are everywhere. They had a great time sorting through the presents to see which had their names on them. Here's a picture of Josh and his family on Thanksgiving. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving - I'm thankful for all of you!

I'm still having some discomfort, but nothing like the first surgery. I am still pretty bandaged up so I can't see the final result yet. Dr. Wagstrom says it may take a month or so for them to settle into the pockets she created for the implants, so once again I have to try and be patient.   A special thank you to Anna and Sarah who brought me home cooked meals the last couple of days. They were/are delicious!!! Thank you again to everyone for your love, support and prayers. 

I had my reconstructive surgery this morning at 7am. It all went well. I'm having discomfort, but nothing compared the the first surgery. I've got plenty of pain pills to get me through the next week. I was instructed not to lift anything heavy for 30 days and I can't drive for at least a week.  I will have to see my plastic surgeon weekly for about a month to check the progress of the implants. I'm just so glad to have those expanders out! My implants are much softer, and don't have hard edges. It will take a month or two for the implants to settle into the internal pockets the doctor created, but I already feel like I have a more normal chest. :) I better go now, I've had a pain pill and it's kicking in. I don't want to fall asleep mid-sentence. Keep those prayers coming for a full speedy recovery! I love and appreciate each and every one of you. Love, Laura 

Saturday, Jenni, Bryan and I went to Opry Mills to get a little shopping done. The parking lot was packed and the restaurants had an hour wait to be seated. Shoppers were everywhere. No one there seem to know that the economy was bad, because everyone had at least two bulging shopping bags.

Jenni, Erin, Connie and I went out for dessert, and then to see "Twilight" on Friday night. I can see why all the girls swoon over Edward , he is a cutie. I think most of the people there had read the book, from their gasps and squeals. It was a good movie, even though it did have a few Lifetime TV sounding quotes, such as "you are my own person brand of heroine." : ) Back in the 80s we had a heart-throb vampire in the movies - his name was Michael . Some of you probably remember him in "The Lost Boys".

My reconstruction surgery is scheduled for 7 am on Monday at Centennial's Atrium Surgical Unit. I'll be so glad to get rid of these expanders , and get my implants. I'm hoping to get some of my Christmas decorating done tomorrow. Next week I plan to rest, heal and catch up on some reading. Thank you for all your continued prayers and support!

I had a good weekend, shopped a little, went to a friends for dinner and caught up on some sleep. This will be another busy week of training and next week (24th) is my surgery. I need to get a little more Christmas shopping out of the way before that.

I saw my plastic surgeon today, Dr. Wagstrom . I had my last "fill" in my tissue expanders , in preparation for my surgery on the 24 th . I came home and took a muscle relaxer and slept the rest of the day. I'll be sore for a few days while the muscles expand a bit more. I am SO ready to get rid of these tissue expanders . The only thing I can compare it to is having a tag in your shirt that is terribly irritating, except the tags are under my skin.

If you haven't already - go out and cast your vote today! We should all be thankful we have the opportunity to vote for the candidate of our choice, many people in the world do not have this luxury. Today the majority of American voices will be heard and McCain or Obama will be elected as our next president. Once that happens I hope everyone in the nation will support and pray for this person and the advisors he surrounds himself with. I am so tired of all the mud-slinging. I wish we could have a campaign that focused solely on the issues. I believe both of these candidates love God and our nation and truly want to do their best. I was raised to show respect to authority figures and I have tried to teach my children the same. The President of the United States will be the highest authority figure in the land. We don't have to always agree with everything that is done or said, but we should show respect. If anyone disagrees and feels they could do a better job, then they are