Getting Personal #311: Fifteen Years

Today marks fifteen years since Al and I went on our first date!

I remember being so nervous that I changed my clothes four times before Al came to my parents’ house. Yes, my parents still have the same house!

The most amazing thing is that I wanted to find an exact replica of the top I wore on September 4, 2010, only in a larger size. I still have the old one, in my closet, but it definitely does not fit anymore.

Desperate, I turned to Facebook. So many of my friends reached out and offered help! Finally, I downloaded the Depop app, which is one of the only places on the Internet and apps where I hadn’t looked. Miracle of miracles, someone was selling the exact top, in my size! I snatched it up for $10.00. It has a tiny hole in it, but I could care less. It arrived last week. I’m so excited to wear it tomorrow when we go out to celebrate. We are going to a great restaurant called Becca at the Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach, which isn’t too far away from Catch 31, where we had dinner that amazing night in September 2010.

Here are fifteen photos that are special to me.

September 6, 2010
December 2014: Bauer Compressors Holiday Party

November 14, 2015
December 2019: Bauer Compressors Holiday Party
May 2022: P.E.O. Virginia State Convention Banquet, Portsmouth, Virginia
April 2023: My cousin Ryan came to visit. He was in Chesapeake for a week for training with the Coast Guard.
September 21, 2023: Michaela and Kyle’s wedding in Norfolk, VA. We didn’t know at the time that this would be one of last events we would attend before I had Addy!
January 2025: Al’s surprise 40th birthday celebration!

Happy Anniversary, Al! I love you!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth ๐Ÿ™‚

Getting Personal #310: Reflections, On My Birthday

Welcome back! After two years of not writing my annual birthday blog post, I’m back at it!

I’ll sum up 2023-2025 here. The summer of 2023 was a big deal because I was pregnant with our sweet girl, Addy. It was a hot and humid summer, but I survived! We celebrated a couple of weddings and new babies!

The summer of 2024 was also full of change. I started my new role with Sentara in April 2024. I had successes and challenges. Last summer in particular was really hard work-wise. I’m happy to report that things are much better. I feel like I have arrived. I can see myself working in physician credentialing for the rest of my career. I’m very happy to be able to say that confidently.

Last fall, almost a month apart to the day, we made the difficult decisions to put Phineas and Ferb to sleep. Phineas was continuing to decline physically and mentally, barely able to walk at the end. He peacefully crossed the Rainbow Bridge in October 2024.

Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, Ferb showed signs of rapid decline about two weeks after Phineas died, so we helped Ferb cross the Rainbow Bridge in November 2024. This was exceptionally hard on both Al and I, but we know that we made the right decisions. Both of them were nearly 15 years old. They lived a wonderful life, and we were thrilled to have them home with us for nearly seven years. They were amazing dogs. We miss them. Hopefully, when Addy gets a little older, we can add another furry member to our family.

I continue to educate and advocate about preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome. There isn’t good data available, even my hospital where I delivered admitted this to my face, so I’m determined to keep this up. I plan to write a full post about my experience with it in a few months.

Addy is doing amazing things. It’s hard to believe that she will be 2 in October! She is so smart. She loves and devours (literally) books! We have nicknamed her Crash recently because she’s constantly crashing into everything. She’s absolutely all gas, no brake!

We celebrated 25 years of blood drives in April! That’s amazing. The same day, we collected our 9,000th unit. It was an incredible milestone. We have had two more drives since then, and we are up to 9,175 units. I’m so grateful, knowing that today marks the 37th anniversary of me being a blood recipient from my dad, that this work continues! I’m hoping to give again in October to celebrate 20 years of donating!

As for me, aside from working full-time, being a wife, and a mother, I’m continuing to write when I can. My 1950s romance is slated to be released at the end of the year! I have big plans for 2026 as well. Stay tuned!

Here’s to 37!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth ๐Ÿ™‚

Getting Personal #288: Reflections, On My Birthday

Image Credit: lilyandval.com

I love writing my annual birthday post. Itโ€™s a good way to look back on the last year!

This year, I find myself filled with love and gratitude. Iโ€™m grateful for wonderful family and friends. Iโ€™ve made some new friends along the way, several of the writing variety!

Work has been on the up and up after several months of struggle in late 2021 and early 2022. I’m very close to finishing one long-term project in the next month or so. I will celebrate three years at Sentara in September!

Phineas and Ferb are still grumpy old men, and we love them so. They are almost 13 now.

Al and I celebrated six years of marriage in November. We went at Amedeo’s in Suffolk for the first time, one of the first true date nights we’ve had since COVID began.

I’m still working on my books! I have a solid plan to publish the first one, finally, in November 2022, which marks 10 years after I started writing it. Several amazing people have read it and offered incredible feedback, and I’m grateful for every piece of advice and encouragement. I wrote more than 53,000 words during NaNoWriMo 2021, and more than 30,000 words last month for Camp NaNoWriMo. I’m hoping close out the first draft of my third book very soon. Writing sprints are my jam!

LEGO is one of my favorite hobbies now. After completing the Sesame Street Ideas set last June, Al got me the Stranger Things Upside Down set for Christmas. He gave me my first LEGO Architecture sets – New York and London – today, plus six of The Muppets minifigures!

I still love true crime podcasts. Al and I love For All Mankind on Apple TV Plus. I’m re-watching Cold Case this year too!

We held our 130th blood drive yesterday. We collected 71 units! We have passed 8,000 collected units now in 22 years of drives.

I’m very excited to start traveling again. I’m lucky enough to have a Dad-daughter weekend in September to attend a family wedding, and then Al and I are taking a much-needed week-long vacation later in the fall!

I’m grateful for every single day.

Cheers to 34!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth ๐Ÿ™‚

Getting Personal #254: Reflections, On My Birthday

Image Credit: lilyandval.com

I love doing these Birthday Reflections posts every year!

This year so far has been about growth and change. I worked from home from March 2020-June 2021, only going into the office when absolutely necessary. We started our hybrid schedule on July 1st. I felt strangely anxious that whole week, but getting through those first full eight hours back in the office felt like a great accomplishment. Now, itโ€™s three days in the office and two days at home. Good stuff.

I also started therapy again, for the first time in almost six years. I have a wonderful therapist through the BetterHelp app!

Phineas and Ferb are our grumpy old men, they turn 12 in November. We will celebrate three years of having them in our lives in December!

Al and I celebrated five years of marriage in November! We enjoyed some recipes from The Official Star Wars Cookbook during our anniversary weekend.

I finished the second draft of my first book, hoping to publish that one by the end of the year. I finished the first draft of book number two in May, after an immensely productive Camp NaNoWriMo in April. Major props to Ren and their Twitch streams for helping me surpass my goal. Hoping to work on book number three in the fall!

I adore the Harris Teeter grocery app, Lidl, and Iโ€™ve fallen in love with LEGO all over again. My podcasts are almost all true crime. Iโ€™ve been indulging myself in the world of Cold Case on HBO Max recently, and itโ€™s been awesome.

Iโ€™m grateful for every single day. Itโ€™s not lost on me that today marks 33 years since I was a blood recipient for the first time. Today, I was able to volunteer at our 124th blood drive in 21 years, and I was able to give the gift of life again. By my dadโ€™s count, Iโ€™ve currently given over seven gallons of blood since my first donation in 2005, right after I turned 17. I hope to continue giving as long as I am able to.

Hereโ€™s to 33!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth ๐Ÿ™‚

Getting Personal #249: Sesame Street LEGO Ideas

The front of the box.

I knew I wanted this LEGO set when it was first announced. At the time, however, it was a lot of money, and I felt I didnโ€™t absolutely need to have it.

However, I made a decision a few months ago to reward myself with it at the end of May. Iโ€™m so glad I did! I was pleasantly surprised that it shipped so quickly from the LEGO website. I bought it on in the middle of a week, and it arrived that weekend.

I documented the journey in stages. There were six sets of numbered bags in the box, and I figured I would stretch it out as long as I could. The entire set is 1,367 pieces.

The back of the box.

Part 1

The beginning was building the street and the base of 123 Sesame Street. Each part had a new Muppet mini-figure to build. Big Bird was first, my favorite.

I love the attention to detail. See the spiderweb?


Part 2

The second part was building Elmo and the first floor of 123 Sesame Street.

Do you see the back wall of Big Birdโ€™s nest?

The bottom floor is Elmoโ€™s room. I love how the windows look real and open!


Part 3

The third part was the second floor of 123 Sesame Street, and Ernie.

This part added the bathroom, with Rubber Duckie, and more to Big Birdโ€™s nest.


Part 4

The fourth part included the roof of 123 Sesame Street, and Bert.

Bert and Ernieโ€™s bedroom is done, too.


Part 5

The fifth part included Cookie Monster, Hooperโ€™s Store, and the apartment above.

I love the details. The stickers really help illustrate the set!


Part 6

The final part was Oscar in his trash can, the garden, the fire escape, Big Birdโ€™s nest, outside Hooperโ€™s, and the Sesame Street signpost.

I canโ€™t get over how much research was put into this LEGO Ideas set! It was well worth the money – About $130 total. The instruction book had fun photos and backstory on the designers and creators.

This will be proudly displayed in my office. Itโ€™s currently on the living room coffee table. I smile every time I walk in the room!


I really loved this set. Many of you know how much Sesame Street means to me!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth ๐Ÿ™‚

Getting Personal #229: Fifth Wedding Anniversary

One of the many photos of our amazing wedding day! This was taken by Amanda MacDiarmid, owner/operator of Stellar Exposures, November 2015.

Happy Anniversary, Al! It’s been five years today since we said “I do.” Wow!

All year long, we’ve looked at each other and kind of marveled at this year being five years of marriage.

We still love our house. Two big things have happened in 2020 – We replaced our washing machine, begrudgingly at first. It was a great Maytag. The appliance guy was sadder than we were! But, we love our Speed Queen! We also replaced our roof in July. I am a less nervous wife now!

Phineas and Ferb have been wonderful additions to our lives for almost two years. A friend encouraged me to enter a local pet portrait studio giveaway during the summer. I figured, “Why not? I never win anything.” Well, we were one of the runners-up, so we scored a free portrait session and an art credit. We splurged on a wall print of the boys, and we got a photo album as well. It was our joint wedding anniversary and Christmas gift to each other – Well worth it!

Portrait Credit: Bonilla Pet Studio

I celebrated a year with Sentara in September! This year of 2020, as I told my mom recently when discussing Thanksgiving over the phone, has truly been “the year of extraordinary circumstances.” With the COVID-19 pandemic, our work lives were altered, and now we’re holding our breath as we enter into the holiday season and beyond. Above it all, I’m incredibly grateful that we both have remained healthy, kept our jobs, and learned to navigate this “new normal” together. And – We’ve stayed married, and still like each other!

The holidays will definitely be different – No large family gatherings – but I’m excited to make my first turkey for Thanksgiving! And there will be chocolate mousse, as always.

Cheers to many more years! I love you!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth ๐Ÿ™‚

Getting Personal #223: Ten Years

Image Credit: BrainyQuote

Today marks TEN YEARS since Al and I went on our first date.

I can’t believe it!

Here are my other dating anniversary posts:


Here are ten photos that are special to me.

November 2010: This was a candid shot taken at the Alpha Sigma Tau Anchor Banquet, just a couple months after we started dating. Photo Credit: Tina Bird Stewart.
Spring 2011: Al and my parents came to Longwood for the weekend when I received my Citizen Leader Award!
Halloween 2011: The love of Star Wars is strong with us.
Halloween 2013: We were on a mission from God.
July 2015: One of my all-time favorite engagement photos!
October 2015: With friends, we did an escape room, played laser tag, ate at Mama Jโ€™s and Bottoms Up pizza, and watched movies. This photo was taken in downtown Richmond.
November 2015: Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling stained glass piece.
November 2015: I love the black and white. Image Credit: Stellar Exposures
December 2019: Alโ€™s company Christmas party!
August 2020: My birthday celebration!

Happy Anniversary, Al! I love you.


Until the next headline, Laura Beth ๐Ÿ™‚

Getting Personal #204: 10-Year Blogging Anniversary

This was a happy sight to see today!


Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com!

You registered on WordPress.com 10 years ago.

Thanks for flying with us. Keep up the good blogging.


It’s kind of wild to think about – I started with WordPress to continue the passion that was kindled during a college assignment. In my Computer-Mediated Communication class in 2009, we were assigned to start a blog, on any topic we chose, that we maintained for the entire semester. That original blog, on a different platform, was about movies that I found in the college library that I figured my classmates had never heard of. It wasn’t much at the time, but it planted a seed.

Ten years ago, Hot Shot Headlines didn’t exist. I started, and then deleted, at least two other blogs. I lost my way, and my passion, for a while.

But, I stuck with it. I never really stopped writing, even when I wasn’t blogging. And it’s been an incredible journey.


Thank you, everyone, for your contributions! I truly appreciate all of my readers and followers. Every comment you write is significant to me. I try my very best to respond to all of them!

Best of all, I have made some amazing friends through the WordPress community. So, here’s to you, Kristian, Jenna, Tony, Simon, Ariel, Vinnie, Antonio, Lori, Sara, Didi, Tiana, Destiny, Greg, and others. Thank you for the words you write, the stories you share, and your friendship!

Cheers to 10 more years!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth ๐Ÿ™‚

Getting Personal #185: Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is my mom’s birthday!

I’m so happy to have been able to celebrate with her. Today was our regularly scheduled blood drive, and she ran it like a champ. Everyone sang to her, and I bought a fun rainbow birthday cake! We had a good time. She was going to take a nap later.

Hoping to take her out to eat sometime tomorrow.

Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth ๐Ÿ™‚

Writing Prompt #242: “September WIP Challenge ANNIVERSARY”

September WIP Challenge Anniversary

Image found through Didi Oviatt

Didi has a lot to celebrate every September!

As for me, I celebrate my dating anniversary with Al every year on September 4th.

Here’s the link to Didi’s September WIP Challenge:


Will wanted make their 10th dating anniversary special. Their first date that September Saturday, 10 years before, changed both their lives forever.

Bethany had diagnosed anxiety, but her anxiety preparing for their 10th dating anniversary was especially high. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She wanted to impress Will, knock him out of the park, in some way.

Separately, they had shopped for new outfits. But, they were going to a familiar place. Back to where it all began.

In the driveway that wound around the side of their beautiful house, Will polished his red sports car to perfection. It made Bethany get those butterflies again. She thought about how her brother-in-law’s former girlfriend had pointed out the car was Will’s, all those years ago.

Red was a theme for them, quite by accident. Will’s sports car was red. The top that Bethany wore on their first date was red. It was far too small now, but Bethany never wanted to part with it. She wanted so badly to wear it for the momentous occasion, but she certainly wasn’t 120 pounds anymore.

And red was part of their colors for their beautiful fall wedding. Their 10th dating anniversary in September would be followed by their fifth wedding anniversary in November. They were finally taking a proper week off from work. It was going to be their first significant getaway since their first wedding anniversary. Sad, but true.

Bethany steadied herself as she emerged from the shower, still in the hazy fog of wonderful memories. The red dress she’d found through her favorite consignment group on Facebook had been hidden away for months. She couldn’t wait to surprise Will.

She heard the sports car start up, knowing Will would be inside in just a few minutes.

The door slammed shut, causing the dogs to bark. Will was so good with them. They were quiet again in a minute or two. Bethany didn’t have to say a word.

As Bethany toweled off her hair, she heard Will climb the stairs. She caught her breath.

He let out his customary wolf whistle as he saw the dress hanging on her closet door.

“Wow, Bethany.”

She smiled, opening the bathroom door a crack. Steam, perfume, and deodorant wafted through the air.

“You smell amazing, sweetheart.”

“Thank you, baby.”

“Wanna give me a sneak peek?”

She smiled, unable to resist.

Fooling around was going to make them late for dinner, but neither of them really cared. Bethany loved how Will took his time with her, and enjoyed every inch of her.

When they finished, Bethany flicked her towel at him as he headed toward the shower. She put on the dress, and realized her anxiety was gone.

The sports car shone in the September sunshine as Will drove toward the beach. Bethany felt the butterflies give way to nostalgia and excitement. They were going back to the restaurant where it all began.

Dinner felt like old times, but it was full of reminiscing and making new memories. The food was just as good as it had been 10 years ago.

The symphony was warming up for their concert series as Bethany and Will strolled the boardwalk. The only difference was the musical act, and maybe 10 years of age.

Bethany and Will laughed as they stopped around the same place where Will had kissed her for the first time. Memories flooded both them.

This time, Bethany spoke up first.

“I have something to tell you.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m pregnant.”

Bethany smiled and her eyes filled with tears as she watched Will’s face.

“Really?”

“Yes, really. I took a test this morning. I didn’t think it was true, but it is.”

Will wanted to pick her up and spin her around, but he just kissed her.

The stars and fireworks Bethany had felt 10 years earlier, on that boardwalk on a September Saturday, were still there. And now, they were starting another chapter.


Until the next headline, Laura Beth ๐Ÿ™‚