Bigger or Better

The other day I asked Nate to drop off some things at the Goodwill. He agreed. When he returned home he showed me this receipt that can be used for tax purposes. Then he proceeds to tell me that he found something amazing and couldn't pass it up. I couldn't imagine what it may be. He said it didn't have a price on it, so he asked and the woman told him it was only $3. He told me going to the Goodwill was like playing "Bigger or Better"--a game often played at BYU-Idaho for FHE where students rummage around exchanging random things for bigger and better items. Well, Nate exchanged 5 dress shoes, 1 pair of rain boots, 1 pair of tennis shoes, 3 tops and 3 bottoms for . . .
A bobblehead. Not just any bobblehead--a Babe Ruth bobblehead. This my friends, is precisely why I do not like to shop at thrift stores, more specifically, why I don't like for my husband to shop at thrift shops. "What are we going to do with this," I asked him? Nate's reply, "Put him next to the TV." So there you have it, Babe Ruth who is missing his bat and was purchased for only $3 is sitting next to our TV because there is nowhere else for it to go, and I feel bad packing up all of Nate's sports memorabilia. Be advised. Don't send sports fanatics to a thrift shop, or this is what you may get. It's a good thing I like Baby Ruth's and the movie the Sandlot or I would have to send him back to the window on Second Avenue where he came from. I love you Nathan, and your little bobblehead obsession too!

Bling Bling...by Nate

"Bling Bling"

NBA Championship Title "Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy"

The trophy, made of 14.5 pounds of sterling silver and vermeil with a 24 karat gold overlay, stands two feet tall. It is designed to look like a basketball about to enter a net. The basketball itself is nine inches in diameter, about the same size as a NBA regulation ball. Valued at $13,500, the trophy is manufactured by the Tiffany & Co. Silver Shop every year. The winning team maintains permanent possession of the trophy.

I decided to create a replica NBA Championship trophy display in our Apartment. This basketball was autographed by New York Knicks legend John Starks. I needed to find somewhere to display it in our apartment. Not sure how long it will be up; probably will have to come down once Rachael realizes that I utilized her vase as the base. I will enjoy it while I can.

Friday Night Lights: An Awakening

You may ask what my title is insinuating? Let me tell you about a conversation Nathan and I just had. It is Friday night. Nate walked through the door about twenty minutes ago. He walked in and the door slammed because I had our windows open. Much to my horror, I screamed and looked up with my hands glued to my face, much like Kevin McCallister on Home Alone, to find that it was only Nathan. He stirred me away from my intense studies to tell me about an awakening he had. I still wasn't giving him my full attention as I was working on homework that is due in a few hours. By this time, he sat down at the table that is roughly placed in the middle of the apartment right now because the corner it belongs to is still slathered with crap/boxes from the move. I may not decorate until this semester ends. He pulled out his study material and then continued to tell me his life plans. This was our conversation:

Nate: I was made for the NBA.
Me: You were made for an MBA?
Nate: No, the NBA. No MBA here!
Me: Oh great!
Nate: I was born to entertain!

Indeed he was! I thought that for maybe two seconds he was letting me know that he wanted to go to business school. Nah! Not as of yet. Here's what else he informed me of during this conversation.

Me: Don't you need a degree in like broadcasting or journalism?
Nate:I can sell myself. You're talking to a kid who would wake up at 5 Am to watch Sports Center before school.
Me: Wow. Alright, go for it!

The missionaries love this kid, and so do I. We've had them over twice this month and each time has proven to be highly entertaining. We had fun celebrating two elders' birthdays with Costco cake for the first party and Two Little Red Hens cupcakes for the second. It was fun! Alright, enough. Back to business. Peace!

The Story

Last weekend was a fun weekend for us, as most weekends prove to be when we are together. Saturday morning we got up and helped clean the church with some friends in the ward. After we went out for brunch at a fun diner called the Mansion (Michael and Shannon eat there every Saturday because it is that delicious!) Nate was due for another hair cut so we took care of that. Then, Nate had a brilliant idea to go stalk NFL players who would be in town for the NFL draft. SIDE NOTE: I think that Nate's secret dream career is that of a Paparazzi or something to do with advertising. He also talks about writing lots of books about random topics. He always says, I'm going to write a book about ... and people at his work all ask him how his books are going?! hehe. That's Nathan for ya. Back to the story, I went along with his idea and we went down to Rockefeller center. Sure enough, knowing Nathan, he found his way into a line and ended up with two tickets into the draft. Can you imagine his excitement?! It was pretty funny! I wasn't very enthusiastic and I wished that someone who could have appreciated it more would have been with him, but none the less it was cool to say we were there. Nate likes to be loud at games and sporting events and likes to get memorabilia, so I wasn't surprised to see him cheering with a crowd of SF49 fans when their pick was up. We both got little bags that say NFL draft 2009 as you can see in the picture and overall it was fun. We only stayed for maybe 5 picks and then we went to YOgurtland with Michael and Shannon. It was way fun to hangout with them, it had been a while. At Yogurtland (which is so yummy, I could eat that everyday!!! too bad its a good trek to get there) I immediately spotted a model from America's Next Top Model. I knew it was her but was to shy to say anything. We were standing right next to her so Nate asked her if she was on that show? She smiled and said yes. She was surprised that Nate watched the show. I piped up and said "I make him!" haha. But we enjoy watching it together. She was really cool and said that she lives in SOHO if we know any stalkers. Just before she paid Nate went back up to her and asked if he could get a picture of her with me. I couldn't believe how nervous I was. I never get nervous for famous people, but I was totally nervous for some reason. So that picture is of me and Ceilia from ANTM. She almost got booted off the show last night. I don't think she'll win the whole thing, but she is great at fashion. The other night when Nate and I were watching our shows...(Biggest Loser, ANTM, and American Idol) there was a commercial for the new season of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE!!! I about peed my pants with excitement. I never thought my life would come to this...getting excited about reality tv shows! gah I'm pathetic, but I love love love SYTYCD. Lets be honest, this is the first time in my entire life that I have ever watched a full season of anything. I had never even seen Biggest Loser or American Idol until this season, not to justify my time killers. Nate and I hardly watched tv in college, and the whole reason I got hooked on my shows that I watch now is because I saw marathons of them over the weekends last year. SO now that we have a DVR we get our TV fix in. I have started school again though so I've been staying busy. Nate's work has been going fine and he hasn't had a really late night in quite some time, now that I say that he won't come home until 11 tonight. hope not. We are excited to run a 5k tomorrow morning and then to have the missionaries over in the afternoon. It should be another good weekend!

A Fun Weekend!

"With the first pick in the NFL Draft the Jets select Nathan Lauritzen"

Story to come. This is going to be a good one! ... Nate

A Story From Nate! & Something Different...

I went to a New Jersey Nets basketball game last Friday after work. Towards the end of the game I decided to go down closer to the action. So with about 4 minutes left in the game I went down to the lower level. With about 1 minute left in the game I found myself right above the tunnel where the players run into the locker room after the game. Most of the players had already run in except for Vince Carter and Devin Harris because they were talking to the media. The first one to go into the locker room was Vince Carter and he waved on the way in. Then the last person to go in was the Net's point guard Devin Harris. He started in toward the tunnel and I was waving and yelling at him. Then all of a sudden he took off his warm-up jersey and threw it right at me. I had the whole thing in my hand and then everyone around decided they wanted it, so I got mauled by a crowd of people. The person next to me grabbed about a fourth of the Jersey and all these other people started swarming around me. I decided since I had the whole jersey at first no one was going to take it from me. So I pulled as hard as I could and I had the jersey in my possession again. At this point I saw the security guard next to me so I said "get these people off me". The security guard then said "you got it make a run for it!" At this point I wasn't going to wait around to see who would try to take it next so I ran to the exit with the jersey under my jacket and I didn't pull it out again till I was safe in our apartment back in Manhattan. When I got home I threw it at Rachael. She was like "What is that? No wonder you were so excited on the phone!" She doesn't appreciate the finer things in life ... NBA memorabilia. So that is a picture of me above with Devin Harris' warm-up jersey (my longest post ever)!

And Lastly, our something different is our Christmas Wreath. We didn't get a Christmas tree this year because we one, don't have room for a tree but could make room if we really wanted to and secondly, because we're going to Utah next weekend so there was really no point. We were kind of sad about the idea of not having a tree so I really contemplated taking crayons and drawing a tree and a star on our super blank white walls just like Winnie the Pooh does on "Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too" (if you haven't seen this darling Winnie the Pooh episode I highly recommend it for the holidays. It reminds me of my childhood and makes me miss my brother Danny...sorry about the tangent.) Instead I went to an enrichment activity with the sisters in our ward and got materials to make our own wreath. I brought them home and Nate helped me put it together. I kind of just grabbed scraps of ribbon and whatever bulbs were left so here is our masterpiece. Don't laugh!!! We know its not very pretty and that's simply cause we're not that crafty of a couple, but it will do, and it put us in the Christmas spirit. Maybe one year I'll learn how to make a really pretty bow and we can put some real effort into making a really pretty wreath. For now we're enjoying our "fresh smelling pine needles!-Nathan"

A post by Nathan! (My First)

Kevin Garnett made out of Legos at the NBA Store on 5th Ave.

My small hand compared to K.G.

The Empire State Building lit up in green for the musical Wicked.

Ferrari dealership that I saw on Park Ave.

I texted this picture to Jake (Rachael's little brother). He asked me if I got a new car. I said no, but he could buy me one. He said "Sorry can't help you I am what they like to call in the business world in between jobs" (He is 15).