Bits and Pieces of Me

BREAKING NEWS!

2011-05-22T17:40:00.001-07:00

I must now interrupt the timeline I was on to catch up with my blog to make a very important announcement ! Parker got
married Wednesday, May 18th! Oh yes, I know. Quite shocking news, huh. I myself admit that I was shocked to find out on Tuesday night at 11 pm. Not enough time to plan or to prepare myself for the stories to follow.
After we got back home from the boy's baseball game, he asked me if we can locate a wedding ring and ring box. Being the super resourceful mom and in my tired stupor I searched (at 11 pm) for the said items. I decided it was easier to go along with the whole wedding plan as opposed to fighting at this hour. After a quick search of my jewelry box and vanity I found the items that would satisfy my son and hopefully his bride to be.
I will share some of the details of the eventful day. A girl from Parker's class was the minister/wedding planner. The traditional wedding march was substituted with the Spongebob Squarepants theme song. This will be an event to remember for a lifetime. What will it be next? Stay tuned. I'm sure there will be many more stories to come!

New Year's Day

2011-05-16T19:10:00.001-07:00

With every holiday, comes tradition. New Year's Day is no exception in our family. One must is black-eyed peas. I know weird, right! Not for me and my family. To those that marry into the family, maybe. Chris can't stand black-eyed peas but in order to have good luck for the year, one must ingest or digest at least just one. Chris eats his or should I say he takes it like a pill. One swallow, down the hatch it goes. I on the other hand, happen to enjoy them and really look forward to eating my mother's New Year's Day feast. Yummy, my mom always cooks us a wonderful meal for the day! Oh, by the way, thanks mom if your reading. Love ya!

Redi, Set, Go

2011-05-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of Madison's Christmas was the fabulous XpressRedi,Set,Go. Madison watches too much television. She found the info-mercial channel. In early fall she spotted the handy dandy cooking device that cooks everything under the sun from breakfast to dessert. She absolutely loves cooking she is just afraid of getting burned. She is petrified to take anything out of the oven. She tried cookies once and bumped her hand on the rack and that was the last time she tried it. In her opinion, the Redi, Set, Go was the solution. For weeks we ate what Madison cooked. We ate pizzas, quesadillas, cakes, muffins, you name it and she made it! We were really relieved that the new wore off and we were able to move on to the next phase.

Christmas Day 2010

2011-05-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

Christmas morning is typically a really early morning. This year is the first time that the kids didn't wake us up before sunrise. Amazing! We actually slept til 8. Which in turn means that my kids are growing up! This makes me sad and a little nostalgic. I love Christmas mornings! The celebration of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a time of love, family, and celebration.

This picture is from 2009 Christmas morning. We spent it with family at the Great Wolf Lodge. It was a fun Christmas just a little strange to be in the water, swimming after just driving through the biggest blizzard in years. The kids loved it!

The last two pictures are from 2007. See this is what happens when I blog. I spend more time looking at old pictures and get a little sidetracked and off the subject. Madison was in love with Troy that year, she was so happy to have the High School Musical movies. Parker is showing off his new pj's.
He wasn't so excited about clothes, kids never are. He would rather be opening toys. Ignore the wild hair in the background of the picture. That is the hair of some crazy lady that lives in our house! She doesn't do mornings, trust me I know her well!! Ok, ok. Enough with reminiscing. Move on already. On to the next post.

Christmas Eve

2011-05-16T07:35:00.000-07:00

I have to state this first off in this post. I know that Christmas isn't about gifts. With that said, I will share the events of Christmas Eve.
By the time that Christmas Eve rolls around, the kids aren't the only ones around the house getting anxious. I am just a bad. I love surprises and opening gifts.
This year was full of surprises.
Starting with our surprise for my dad. He has been shopping for months for a new grill and we found the perfect one. We were all excited. I love to surprise others. But...... I love to be surprised myself too! I mean really, who doesn't love surprises. Throughout the year, I always list things and name off things that I would love to get at Christmas. I list them early that way when it gets close to Christmas I don't have a clue what I am getting. I might ask over and over, "What are you getting me for Christmas?", but I don't really want to know. I just love to increase the suspense. So....when it comes time for me to open my gifts, I can't wait! I got several things that I had really been wanting! I was so pumped! I got a potato ricer, Oprah's Favorite Shoes, Nike Free Run +, and a new pair of TOMS!!!

Christmas with Grandma Sheryl

2011-05-16T07:14:00.000-07:00

Christmas with Grandma Sheryl and Lori is one of the kids favorite times. It always comes early and it kicks off the kids Christmas season. They are always so excited to open presents and this is their first opportunity.

In Sheryl's traveling she found the cutest hats and scarves that were handmade. Madison absolutely loved hers. I am not sure that she didn't go anywhere this year without the hat.

Boys of Fall

2011-05-15T22:22:00.001-07:00

I know when some of you read the title of this post you are expecting to see football. Not on this one! This post is devoted to my "Boys of Fall." Chris and Parker love fall for one single reason, deer hunting. If we aren't tied up with some other activity you can be sure to find them in the woods at any given moment.

Thanksgiving

2011-05-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

This year due to my lifelong dream of having a Griswold Family Christmas, we had Thanksgiving. All of my family came to my house. What an awesome day!! The menu was rather large, we ate entirly too much. Isn't that what everyone does on Thanksgiving? Oh and we all watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
I had really planned on taking pictures on all of the delicious food. But..... in all my cooking and planning I forgot. I know...stink. I'll just share the menu and links to some of the recipes instead. You can see the pics there.
It was Pioneer Woman Menu for our Thanksgiving Feast. It was delicious.
Ham
Turkey
Dressing
Delicious,Creamy,Mashed Potatoes
Soul Sweet 'Taters
Parker House Rolls
Green Bean Casserole
Pecan Pie with Whiskey Maple Cream Sauce
I think I waited too long to post this because I can't remember the rest of our menu.

Bad Blogger

2011-05-15T21:24:00.001-07:00

Ok.....so I am not PW, I can admit that. For those who don't follow many blogs, PW stands for the Pioneer Woman. She lives, eats, and schools blogs!!
I realize I have been absent for a while now. I know, I know, absent minded. I have plenty of excuses. Madison's birthday was my last post so let's just start with the list.
1. Christmas
2. New Year
3. New job
4. The Cold, Cold, might I add COLD weather
5. Soccer
6. Soccer, did I say that twice?
7. Spring Break
8. Wind
9. Lots of Wind
10. The Drought, or should I say Drougth? Not sure?
(just a little joke from work)(maybe it's just a joke with myself!)

The List could really go on and on but I will say that my day off tomorrow will be a day spent blogging and reminiscing.

Madi's 11th Birthday Party

2010-11-21T20:30:00.001-08:00

When birthday's come around I do my best to avoid parties. Too many children in one small confined space is not my thing. I especially avoid sleep overs. I can't stay up all night and I can't leave a group of pre-teen girls unsupervised. I may be a bit of a control freak!

When we started out planning I decided I would give in and allow them to stay over all night. By the week of the party before sending out invitations, I panicked and backed out. I talked her into one evening full of fun. I researched some party ideas online for the pre-teen. I knew I would need to have them busy or they might get out of control. I found one web-site that recommended a cooking party. I thought about it and decided that I could do this. I had to keep telling myself you can do this, you can do this. It is only a few hours, you can do this. I felt like the little engine telling myself over and over. I made homemade pizza dough and gave each of them enough to make their own pizza. After cooking the pizzas, we had homemade doughnuts for dessert. The girls helped to glaze them and add the sprinkles. I actually survived the evening and enjoyed being around the girls. One down, one to go?!

OU Football Game

2010-11-21T20:08:00.000-08:00

Saturday, November 13th, 2010

We were lucky enough to be given tickets to the OU football game against Texas Tech. (Thanks so much Cindy!) As much as it pains me to say this, it was a really fun, even though I am a Cowboys fan. Anytime I can see Texas get beat it is great. The truth be told I'm a person that is a fan of several teams. I root for OU as long as they aren't playing against OSU. I don't get to wound up or yell and scream too often. LOL! But next weekend may be another story. I am pulling for the boys next weekend. They deserve the win. They are rockin this year. Having a 10-1 season I would say watch out OU.

Back to the game. We had an awesome time. The kids loved it and couldn't believe how big the stadium was. Parker and Madison both wanted to move to higher seats. Parker took pictures of where he wants to sit next time!

Parker wants to be at the very tip top. He said the higher the better! I think he has mistaken this with the penthouse suites, not stadium seats!

Madison was a little grumpy, she stayed up way too late the night before at a slumber party. She needs to get her rest to be a pleasant person. I have no idea where she gets that?:)

As I was cropping these pictures, I noticed the guy guy cheesing in the background. Too funny, couldn't crop this one because it made me laugh. Madison was more interested in what her friends were doing than who was winning the game. Parker said "Say Cheese" so I guess the guy in the background was just doing as told! HAHA

GO POKES!!! Sorry just couldn't help myself!

Parents vs. Storm Soccer Game

2010-11-21T13:47:00.001-08:00

October 26th, 2010

With all the craziness in the end of soccer season, I forgot to post about the end of season parent game. The boys coach always has them scrimmage against the parents. The boys love it! It gives the parents a chance to realize how hard it is to actually play soccer.

Just Because

2010-11-12T22:06:00.001-08:00

Chris loves cake so much I think sometimes he thinks about getting married again just to have wedding cake. I know he doesn't really want another wife. The one he has is probably hard enough to deal with. Hah He loves white cake with white frosting. I shouldn't say just white frosting. There is a certain type that he prefers. I think it is just the Wilton Buttercream. It may even be made with Crisco, who knows but you know the stuff. The amazing white cake icing that you get from the bakery. The chain store white icing doesn't count or qualify if you are Chris. It has to be the good stuff. So after we had Paula's birthday and Jarrett's birthday I decided he was special enough to deserve a special surprise. Two birthday's and he said he only got a single piece of cake! If you know Chris you see that this is a funny statement. One piece for him is usually as big as several pieces to the rest of us.I called the cake maker Christina and asked her to make up a cake for Chris. She asked if it was his birthday and I said nope, this is just because. Just because........I am hard to live with......I can be a witch.......I love my husband...........He deserves something to smile about........I know that this cake is his very favorite and I am to busy to make it myself. So Just Because. Isn't that something to celebrate? It is for Chris!

Shopping with Parker

2010-11-12T21:48:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday, we went grocery shopping at Elk City. We went to check out the new Wal-Mart. I know woo hoo! What an exciting thing, not really. I am being facetious. I just didn't know what to do on a Saturday with out soccer. Parker isn't the easiest child to manage while shopping even though he is almost nine. Sometimes I ask myself, why did he come along? He doesn't shop unless he is shopping for himself. I try to accommodate him the best I can. We looked at the toys, hunting, and sporting goods. But after that I am out of options. Once we move onto the food he is getting a little antsy. Unless we look at the junk food. The boy loves junk food. So to make it interesting for him I let him pick out a few things. When we were on the cookie isle he says, "Mom, we have got to get some of those cricket cookies. They are so good!" So we look at every cookie possible and he says that's them, right there with the elf!" When I saw the name I cracked up. Grasshopper cookies! I love my son. He says some of the cutest things. Cricket cookies!!!!! Too cute!

Salt Plains Deer Hunting Trip

2010-11-08T14:11:00.000-08:00

November 5th-7th, 2010

Every year the state of Oklahoma has a special drawing for areas in the Wildlife Management Areas that are only hunted if you are drawn in. Chris and his buddies put their names in the drawing and just wait to see if they get a chance to go. There are several details that I don't understand about all of the draw. They gain preference points and have better odds the more times they put in for the draw. Blah, blah, blah..... Anyway, they were drawn this year for a hunt in the north part of the state close to Jay, Oklahoma. Chris said that the Salt Plains is a very interesting area. A must see for all in the state. I'm hoping that he takes the kids and I there this spring to dig for salt crystals. He and Corey both got their deer quota, a doe and buck.

Their aren't too many areas for them to stay near the Salt Plains so they decided to camp. Roughing it for three whole days. Not really my thing for full weekend but something happens to my husband when deer season opens.

I call it deer fever. He absolutely looses his mind. All logical thought process is disturbed by the though to antlers. They get all pumped up and crazy. The words of a TV hunter...BBD....Big Buck Down, Baby. This must be said in a low, growling voice with just the right enthusiasm. If you haven't ever heard this, let me just say that I am sure that your missing out! LOL All in all they had a really good time and enjoyed the male bonding time together!

Soonerfest Soccer Tournament

2010-11-06T13:24:00.000-07:00

Halloween took second place this weekend to soccer. When I think about it just about everything from the first part of September is scheduled around soccer.

The annual Soonerfest Tourn. was held on Oct. 30 and 31.at the Norman Youth Soccer Complex. We started Saturday off with 4 games. Madison's team went into the tournament undefeated. Parker's team had a challenging season. Moving up to U10 has given them a lot of areas to improve on. They are a good little team, just have more to learn this season. They did win against Hobart and Clinton during regular season so that is a great accomplishment.

We had a great weekend. Parker had some interesting things happen in his games. One game got particularly rough and a boy jumped on Parker on the field. He tackled him down and was pounding him. And why do I love this sport? I'm not sure. The boy was red carded and wasn't able to play the rest of the game. I think Parker was actually just playing fair in this case but not so much in the game on Sunday. He was the one that was yellow carded.

Madison's team won both of the games on Saturday and also won their game Sunday morning to move on to the finals game that afternoon. Sunday turned out to be a great day for soccer. Madison's team won and placed first in the tournament.

Power Balance Craze

2010-10-21T17:19:00.001-07:00

Everyone is wearing a bracelet called a Power Balance band. Everywhere you look you can find someone wearing one. A craze like this has happened another time. Before the Power Band it was the copper bracelet.

Quoted from the Power Balance Web Site:

Power Balance is Performance Technology designed to work with your body’s natural energy field. Founded by athletes, Power Balance is a favorite among elite athletes for whom balance, strength and flexibility are important.

Power Balance is based on the idea of optimizing the body’s natural energy flow, similar to concepts behind many Eastern philosophies. The hologram in Power Balance is designed to resonate with and respond to the natural energy field of the body.

“This product gets me tremendous results, it really makes a difference. As a starting pitcher balance is essential in repeating your delivery, instead of falling off towards the plate I am able to maintain much better balance throughout my leg kick. Also, you need core strength and endurance for everything and in going through my routines there is no doubt I feel better with the product on than when I don’t have it. I have no doubt PB in going to get me to the next level.”

-SCOTT KAZMIR

Chris and Mike have decided that if you make a claim and get people to support you publicly, anyone will buy into it. So they decided to make their own, more economical version of the bracelet. I would say it's the Dave Ramsey version of the Power Balance Band. Chris calls his the SUPERBAND. It makes you feel super and helps your balance just as well as the name brand. His is so super, it has two names. He is also calling his a Fall Prophylactic. I think all of this saving and spend thriftiness may have gone to his brain!

Sock Monkeys

2010-10-21T16:46:00.001-07:00

For our day together on Fall Break, the kids and I decided to make sock monkeys. We went to Alco to get the supplies. Our list consisted of buttons, socks, and polyfill. Who knew it was going to take an act of Congress to find socks here in town. I know this is off the subject, but Alco is a MESS! We dug through tub after tub looking for the perfect pair and came up empty handed. We decided to try K-Mart. Mission accomplished, we found the socks! We ate lunch and then we got started on the project.

We had so much fun! Nanny said, "I've never made a sock monkey." Me either. It was an interesting day. Madison and Parker did the stuffing and Nanny and I did the sewing part.

I've never done any sewing of any kind. Probable not even a button. It took a while. I'm not a seamstress, but I actually enjoyed this project. I think I may have to try sewing again! Nanny is usually great at sewing but her arthritis is getting the best of her hands. She said laughing, after we finished, "Theses monkeys would probably look better if they said "MADE IN CHINA", my handwork is terrible!"

Here is the finished project.

George and Esmerelda

Two Lessons

2010-10-06T19:41:00.001-07:00

1. When buying a house, make sure when you take possession that you have a key for every door.

2. Don't hurry. When you hurry, you can forget some things causing you to waste time making more than one trip to do one task.

How I learned these lessons, all in one days events.

Today was a crazy day at work. Not only do I deal with the normal everyday stuff that goes on, but today, I had to deal with my heathen children! About 3:45 this afternoon, Madison calls me and says, "Mom, Parker locked me out!" I was very busy, several customers were waiting on their prescriptions. I tell her I'll call you right back, I have people waiting on me, I'm sorry, stay where you are I'll deal with this in a minute!. I know, I know, I shouldn't put my kids after work, but when you have all these people standing around, you have to deal with them or else. So after the crowd clears, I head straight to the house to deal with the next pressing issue, MY CHILDREN!! When I drive up I see that there are several sodas on the porch but no children. I look around and spot that there bikes are at the village. I proceed to the front door, and sure enough the screen door is locked. I go the the door in the garage next, yep you got it, it's locked too! So, I go back to the car to retrieve the keys, assuming I have a key for the doors. You know what the old saying is about assumption, guess what? I don't have a key for either of the doors. I look around the garage for any tool to break in to my own house. Nothing. I can't find anything. And thanks to Dave, I have no credit cards to break in. At this point, I must stop and ask the Lord and my neighbors to forgive me, because I did do a little yelling. I am so mad at this point. I have now wasted twenty minutes trying to break into my own house. I want to scream, well maybe I did. When Grammie arrives to the house, I get a card from her. She had an insurance card, at least it is good for something. Finally, I was able to break in and get back to work. As I hurried out of the pharmacy, Chris asked me to stop buy the Co-op while I was out. I head right over to get the horse feed. I am on a mission. I get there and realize that in my hurry, I left my purse at the Pharmacy. I can't even pay for the feed. I am so mad and embarrassed at this point. I go back to work and decide to try the Co-op again later.

Pioneer Woman Perfect Au Gratin Potatoes

2010-10-04T20:56:00.001-07:00

I made these potatoes for dinner tonight and they were great! I must share the recipe for all. If you haven't checked out her website, do it now. Don't hesistate! She is a great blogger! www.thepioneerwoman.com She is a fabulous chef! She has so many recipes that I would recommend. I have made several of her potato recipes and they are all fabulous. The potato bundles, her mashed potatoes (to die for), and now the au gratin potatoes.

The thing I love most about the mashed potatoes is that you can cook them and dish them up and then bake them later for serving. It makes it easy when you need to prepare them ahead of time. I think they will be on my Thanksgiving Holiday Menu. Good luck to those of you who try these recipes and enjoy!

First Buck of the Season

2010-10-04T20:33:00.001-07:00

Chris and Parker went out bow hunting tonight. Tonight was the first night that they had a chance to go. Parker is so excited to get one! They had a wonderful evening in the woods which turned out with a great reward. They checked it in at the Fire Dept. and finally made it home at about 9:45. Parker was so hungry and so hyper! He loves hunting. It must have been a young deer, only weighing in at 128lbs. dressed out. But it was a 10 point! His rack looks strange. Some of the points stick out of the back. Not a trophy buck for most, but a definite trophy in our house. Parker wouldn't care if it only had 2 points! He was pumped that they got a buck.

Saturday, October 18, 2010

2010-09-27T18:24:00.001-07:00

Saturday was a busy day for us. Madison had two soccer games. Both of Parker's were postponed until the next week. I guess I am a little late on posting this, because another Saturday has passed since I started this. Madison has a new team this year. She is part of the Comets team. They have three games in all and have won all three. I am so proud of Madison. She played so good! She actually scored in both games!! Nanny has tagged along with us to all of the games so far. I know we are about to wear her out. We have to walk a lot and it hasn't been so cool at any of the games so far. I just love this picture of her. I really think she resembles her dad. She looks like him more and more everyday.

Grammie's Birthday

2010-09-27T18:05:00.001-07:00

Last Wednesday was Grammie's birthday and we had a delicious cake. If you ever need a birthday cake look no further than here in our wonderful town of Cordell! We are so lucky to have Kris making these cakes here. It turned out so cute and it tasted good too!

Supporting America Cancer Society

2010-09-23T20:23:00.001-07:00

Last Friday night was the Are You Tough Enough? football game in support of the America Cancer Society. Part of the proceedsof the t-shirt sales went directly to the Cancer Society. Are you tough enough to wear pink? We are! The crowd was covered in pink. The cheerleaders and football players were in support as well.

Pray for the Children

2010-09-23T20:13:00.001-07:00

I hope that we aren't damaging our children. Tonight completes the first week of doing the Financial Peace Jr. with our kids. After last weeks lesson, we decided to start teaching our children one of the best lessons that we can other than biblical lessons. I feel that educating them about how to spend, save, and give is vitally important. I pray that what we teach them sticks with them and they put it to good use. We have started the 401 DAVE plan with both of them, giving them fair warning about the purchase of their first car. We will match 100% of what they save for a car.

Each week the kids have a set amount of jobs and we pay them a wage for a job well done. It teaches us in the bible if you don't work, you don't eat. Too many feel that they get a check in the mail because they deserve it. I feel that if you are capable of working, get out there and work. Make a wage and pay your own way.

After a full week of this, it seems to be going really well. Madi and Parker have done a great job. Both have completed their jobs and got paid tonight. I would say that they are at minimum wage right now. Madi's first question, "at $1 a job, how am I going to save $4500 dollars?". I explained that the wage goes up with the difficulty of tasks. Parker is just glad that we started this now so he has more years to save!

Goodbye Squeakers

2010-09-23T19:55:00.001-07:00

After show and tell with the frog and keeping him around for several days, I talked Parker into letting the frog go in the flower bed. He begged for me to take just a few more pictures so he can remember him. He was nearly in tears. Am I a mean mother? Please agree with me, we can't continue to keep the frog in a small plastic container. Parker thinks that I am a meany. He wanted to keep him as a pet. I love critters, I just don't believe that keeping animals away from nature is the right thing to do. I want him to live and that means letting him go.

Strange Calls

2010-09-17T15:46:00.001-07:00

This week was week two in Financial Peace class. While we were there my phone started ringing. I dug through my purse, grabbed it and answered it as soon as possible. I didn't even take time to see who was calling. I whispered hello and quickly got a look from Dave Jr. He pointed to the kitchen. So I quietly walk to the kitchen continuing to whisper "Hello". Why is no one answering me. "Hello, Who is this?" I listen closely. I can hear a voice in the background but still no one is responding to me. I began to talk louder, thinking that they can't hear me. One more time, "HELLO". I listen close this time and I think I hear something, what is that, who is talking? I listen really close and guess who it was that I was hearing! It was Dave Ramsey in the background talking. I realize that Chris's butt was calling me. I walk back into the room where Chris is watching the video and whisper in his ear, "Hey Dave, it's your butt calling me! Could you please disconnect the call?" I laughed so hard. He is always making fun of me for calling people by mistake so now I can give it back to him now!

The Master Griller

2010-09-16T21:52:00.001-07:00

We have a joke around our house about grilling. Chris always does most of the grilling. I have tried to compete in this area for a while. But I will never be able to cook as well as Chris. I always call him the Master Griller. He does awesome job every time. I love it when he grills, It makes dinner so much easier for me. I just have to throw together a side dish and dinner is served. (It wouldn't matter if he was grilling slop I'd still love it! (anytime I can get out of cooking! Yippee!!!)

Doesn't that just make your mouth water!! It was yummy!

Another Episode of Design on a Dime

2010-09-15T20:56:00.003-07:00

My latest project started this weekend. Chris and I were sitting on the front porch, enjoying quiet time together, when I noticed how dirty the light was. I talked Chris into taking it down so we could clean it up a little. I worked on it a while and mentioned painting it. I don't know how a bird had any room to perch up there and leave so much poo. Sorry, as PW says "Just keeping it real".

Chris said we should just stop and put it back up. He said "We can just buy a new one, that it would be alot easier." I almost passed out hearing him say this. Since he transformed into his new Dave persona, you never here let's buy a new one. The real shocker is I was determined to make this light look like new. I knew it would look better I just wasn't sure how much better. It was disguisting how dirty it was. I couldn't believe it once I got it down and started cleaning it. It is a wonder the porch was lit at all when it was on. The glass was so filthy, you couldn't see through it. After I got it all taken apart I convinced Chris to do the spray painting. I always seem to end up with runs. It makes me too nervous. I didn't want to screw it up at this point, besides I am saving money! Yeah for me. Aren't you all so proud of my new frugal attitude? I think that it turned out as good as new!

Back to School

2010-09-15T20:56:00.001-07:00

Chris and I are going back to school this fall. No, not really. It is a actually a fun school. Back in March, both of us read Total Money Makeover, after that we started a plan to be debt free. (I actually only read 4 chapters but once Chris read it he was transformed into Dave, so I figure part of the book is better than nothing!) Yep, totally debt free! It hasn't been the easiest thing so far but a change for the better. When we started we cut up every credit card and quit using our debit card. We have switched over to a cash basis other than the money required for bill paying.

When we found out about the classes at the First United Methodist Church being offered, we decided that we would go. You can never be overeducated in the area of finance. I think that most adults could stand a little reform where spending is concerned. I do have moments that living with the new Dave in my life is trying but for the most part it will be awesome to have no debt. We do live on a very tight budget. I mean really tight. Again, I do believe it is worth it. I do on regular occasion feel like I am going to scream. I find myself saying to Chris, "If I hear Dave says one more time, I am going to punch something." I would never do that but inside I feel that way. I am not a violent person. At least no yet. I do need prayers, I need constant help from the Lord above to continue on this journey. I know it is going to be a rewarding experience and in the end I know I will be thankful. I also ask for prayers for everyone in our class. I want them to be successful, to feel educated and to have progress in their financial situation. I want them not to feel overwhelmed in the process but to feel accomplished!

If you ever get a chance to attend this class, I would recommend it.

Squeakers

2010-09-13T19:27:00.001-07:00

More critters at our house this week. This time it is a frog. Parker and Madi went to visit Mike and Cindy Sunday evening while Chris and I were at Handbell practice. Parker always digs around in Cindy's basement and ended up with a frog that he named Squeakers. ?? Who knows what this boy is going to bring home next. Both of the kids just love this little guy. My biggest concern is how long will he stick around? Maybe it will be like the centipede, only last a week or so. I hope that I can convince them to release him. And soon!

Tonight, Parker and Madi have been on the lookout for frog food. They have found several crickets and a few grasshoppers. After they ate supper, they decided to go out and play with the frog for awhile. While I am busy typing and getting blogs ready they decided it was too hot outside for the frog and brought him in to Madi's room to cool off.

I told the kids it was time to get ready for bed. I thought that they were both headed off to the bathrooms, when I hear them both in Madison's bathroom. Parker is supposed to get in my shower and Madi in the other. When I realize that they are both in Madison's bathroom I knew something was up. I go to the hall and hear them discussing the frog. I swing open the door as fast as I could to see that the frog is in the sink full of water. "Mom, he was dirty and needed a bath."

I never know what to expect next. Stay tuned for the next event of the Johnson household. I'll keep you posted!

Design on a Dime

2010-09-13T16:24:00.001-07:00

Since we are on a frugal budget, thanks to Dave, I have been trying to use up some old things by making them new again. I want to share with you a project that I have done.

I don't know if you all know that I buy lots of picture frames. I do. I confess, I need therapy. I love to shop Hobby Lobby. I could spend hours in the frame section alone. Anyway, on with the story.

I had the pictures of the kids that were taken last summer with the Toucan bird. I love the colors of the pictures. They were so vivid and alive. I wanted to put these out in my beachy room but the frames that I had were just blah! My first instinct was to rush out and look for the perfect frame for these. After that urge passed, I decided to make old into new. These two frames were just some cheap frames I had bought at the General Dollar (hehe, that one is for you Cindy) and painted white. I had actually put them in the garage sale pile to discard of them. I pulled them out and glued shells on them. I had originally planned to do this back in 2006 after going on a cruise and collecting a ton of seashells. As procrastination always gets the best of me, I got to this project four years later. I am so proud of them, I think that they turned out great!

Cheesy Crock-Pot Corn

2010-09-12T19:21:00.001-07:00

Here is the recipe I promised in an earlier blog. Try it sometime. It is a really good side dish that is easy. I can't promise calorie free or healthy for that matter. I can promise you will definitely get a full serving of two important food groups. Milk and vegetable. Actually, at my house it would be three, we consider cheese its own food group!

CHEESY CREAMED CORN

Serving Size: 4 (Easy Recipe to Multiply)

1 16 oz. pkg. frozen corn

4 oz. cubed cream cheese

1/8 cup cubed butter

1 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. milk

3/4 Tbsp. sugar

2 slices torn up American cheese

Layer all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until heated through and cheese is melted. Stir occasionally. Stir before serving.

I know that this says 1/8 c. butter, I may have added a little more than that. If a tad of butter is good, just a little more has got to be better, right? I add a little salt and pepper. I just can't cook without adding a little here and there. Just be very, very careful with your crock pot once you get it all clean, it is way to valuable to live without it! Trust me on this one!

Yummy Tri-Tip

2010-09-11T21:17:00.001-07:00

Chris cooked dinner tonight. It was marvelous.
#1. I didn't have to cook.

#2. It was tri-tip.

I don't know how many of you have tried this. (you may have discovered this before me) But I just discovered this fabulous meal several summers ago when my relatives from California visited and cooked for us. (Yes, some good things do come from California.) It is delicious cooked slow on the grill. They do a lot of grilling. All three of the husbands do a lot of cooking and grilling. They brought this with them because it is one of their favorite things to cook. They said that they find it at Costco. Not having Costco here in Oklahoma I have been shopping everywhere, looking for this cut, vacuumed sealed, prepackaged, and pre-seasoned like this. So last weekend when we went to OKC, while shopping at Sam's a miracle occurred. I will share the blessed event with you.

While browsing the meat section I spot it, the sky opened up, the bright lights were shining down from the heavens, the angels began to sing and were shouting Hallelujah. (This maybe a tad bit over exaggerated. I do get excited over little things, please forgive me.) I turn, looking for Chris and spot him over at the next meat counter and I shout, "Chris get over here you are never going to believe what I just found". I wish I could say he scurried right over to the buggy but I figure I may have embarrassed him. Not that I made a scene in public! Not me, ever! It was so exciting to finally find some. This wasn't exactly like what they had brought to us. What they buy is called Santa Maria Style Tri-tip. This was Peppercorn-Garlic. No matter what the seasoning it was delicious. I hope that if you haven't tried cooking this that you do and see what you think. Grill it and cook it on low and slow. It will get a little more charred than the picture above but that is just how it is when cooked on the grill. Once the meat thermometer reaches the right temperature, I recommend removing it from the grill, wrapping it in foil and allow it to rest for at least 10-20 minutes if at all possible to wait that long to dig in. Good luck and happy grilling!

Missing My Slow Cooker

2010-09-11T20:39:00.001-07:00

I know this may sound so strange to blog about my slow cooker but I was going to make Taco Soup today and I can't. The cool weather moving in this morning made me think of soup and easy one pot cooking. I have an awesome red Crock-Pot just like the one pictured below. Just one important part is missing. The crock.

You see the story begins with a warm, June day, when I started a yummy recipe of Cheesy Crock-pot corn. It is a great recipe. I'll share it later. Anyway, I got it all cooked and headed to the family reunion. After the corn was all gobbled up I washed it and carried it out to my car. I put it in the back of the Acadia. After the reunion, we decided to head to Weatherford for a little shoe shopping. We got our shoes purchased and proudly carried our purchases out to the car. Without a second thought, we just popped up the rear door on the Acadia and crash, boom, and a ouch. You see, traveling had caused the contents of the car to shift. And opening up the rear door allowed the crock pot to come crashing down onto my sister's foot. It hurt me just as much as it hurt her. I have strange love for my crock pot. It actually saves my life on a regular basis during the busy soccer season. SO.....................................................

I guess I need to get online a order a replacement part. I will do that first thing tomorrow, if I don't forget. I may need a reminder. Someone text me tomorrow so I remember to get this ordered!

Chris's New Shirt

2010-09-07T20:43:00.001-07:00

While we were going through stuff at Nanny's last weekend, Chris kept saying, "Cat, we have enough stuff as it is. Please, don't keep that." If I heard that once, I heard it a dozen times. If it weren't Chris is was my sister saying it. Chris and I have moved several times since we met and got married. I think that every time we moved we left stuff behind. Some of that stuff ended up in one of Nanny's extra closets. As we were sifting through all of our stuff from her closet, we came across the dress I wore the day of our wedding (not my wedding dress, the dress I wore as we left the reception). It was a pretty pastel yellow. Why did I pick out this dress? Not sure. (It must have been in my genes.)

While going through all of the stuff, we came across the dress that my mother wore as her going-away dress. You'll never guess the color! Yep, pastel yellow. Not only did she save the dress, she also saved the shirt that my dad wore. Yep, yellow. When I found all of these, the sentimental person that I am, I automatically put them all in the "keep" pile. It wasn't just a few minutes into this keep, discard, donate discussion that I heard it. "Cat, why are you keeping that again, tell me why?" So, I started over through the "keep" pile again. Trying to narrow the stack, I decided not to keep my dress. I will never need it again and most definitely never wear it again. I kept hanging onto the dress and shirt that were my parents. I had an audience at this time. My mother stood in front of me with the trash bag, Cara, standing next to me saying "TRASH IT!", and Chris on the other side saying "Cat, really?".

I'm full of emotion from the days events and I guess in a moment of trying to make me laugh, Chris proceeds to put on the shirt of my dads just to see if it fits. Chris kept cutting up and joking about how cool all this old stuff is. After he puts it on, he decided he liked it so well, he would just continue wearing it. After all this ridiculousness I decided not to keep any of it. I mean really, who needs it? (I confess, I do) I can't decide, was he serious about the shirt or joking? He wore it all night. He even brought it home and had Paula wash it? Have I corrupted him? I'm worried.

He asked me to take his picture. I will share it with you. It cracks me up. I love my husband. He is always good for a laugh when I need it the most. Thanks Chris!

Oh, what a cute shirt!

Creepy Crawlies

2010-09-07T20:00:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure if I have said before that Parker loves all critters. That includes bugs, lizards, you name it. He loves them all. The latest creepy crawly creature that we have had this weekend at our house is a centipede. My dad and Parker picked this one up south of Mtn. View at my Uncle Ricky's house. After I realize that the thing is poisonous, I question my dad's judgement. I know that we are keeping him in a jar with a lid but that is still living on the edge for me. I probably should have my head examined since I brought him home from Mtn. View. The things we do for our children. Parker was ecstatic thinking about show and tell. He couldn't wait for the long weekend to be over. I am sad but glad, the centipede didn't make it to Tuesday morning. Nope he kicked the bucket. Parker just couldn't understand why he wouldn't eat the grasshopper or the moth that he fed him. He was just about in tears when he saw that he was dying. He wanted to release him in the field behind our house. I told him no way, Jose! I am not letting him go anywhere. I tried to explain that he could bite or do whatever it is they do. Parker is a child with No Fear! I did dump him out on the concrete long enough to get a picture. He wasn't feeling well at the moment. He was on his last leg. (haha, get it last leg, he has so many!) I know I'm a dork go ahead and make fun of me now. I don't care. I will laugh all by myself.

Beach Getaway

2010-09-06T19:03:00.001-07:00

At our last house, I painted my bathroom a beach house blue and put all of my beach stuff there. I loved the beach feel so much, here at the new house I decided to transform my bedroom into my own beach getaway. I used all of the shells I picked up on different vacations, pictures we took snorkeling and our family picture that we had made on the beach last summer. Today I finished it up by hanging curtains. I've been on the search for awhile and finally found them. I love Target! Just the exact shade I was looking for.

So now the question is do I paint? I really like the clean look of white. But.......the whole house here is white! (Chris said he smells a revamp coming.) I don't know what to do. I need suggestions. Help me out. Paint or No Paint?

I think the picture taken this evening shows the curtains better.

Truck Full of Treasure

2010-09-06T17:45:00.001-07:00

After cleaning out Nanny's house, I ended up with lots of unique and antique, vintage treasures. My sister, Cara, would say it's all trash and junk but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I, myself feel that I have found a ton of cool stuff. They don't make good junk like this anymore.

I'll share a few of my favorite things that made its way to my house.

I know its a little dusty, just imagine it cleaned and painted white. I think it will make a good bedside table. Nanny and my mom called this a gossip bench. I can't wait to redo it and see the difference it will make.

These are just too cute. Will I ever use them? I'm not sure. They all still work, aren't cracked or messed up. Vintage, definitely. Trash, no way. Sorry Cara that you didn't get these. Some day you will wish that you had these. I also made it home with and old trunk and suitcase. I will share the pictures when I get them all cleaned up.

Labor Day

2010-09-06T17:17:00.001-07:00

What is it with Labor Day. Are you supposed to labor or be labor free. It seems that for my family and I we always labor. Why? I don't know why we don't just sit around the pool, with cute little umbrella drinks, and enjoy the last of summer. Oh yeah, we don't have a pool!

This morning we started in early, 9:00 am, give me a break, I at least get to sleep in on a holiday. We started working outside, in hurricane gust force winds, trimming bushes.

Before

Sorry about the smudge on the pic. I guess I didn't get all the dog slobber cleaned off. When Lady thinks she is getting her picture made she gets really excited about the camera. She licked my lense, trying to get her close-up made. She is so photogenic too. You'll see her laying around in the last pic. She is posing for the camera.

That's my sexy gardener I hired for the weekend. He does a great job. I know I said we all labor, but he did most of the work. I make a great supervisor. I did help pick up all of the trimmings off the ground. But I let the hired help do most of the work! (LOL)

After. Doesn't it look so much better. I think so. The other bushes around the house also got trimmed up. Just a little attention to the flower beds make a world of difference. I am so glad that we had today to get stuff done.

Last day at Nanny's House

2010-09-05T21:34:00.001-07:00

Saturday we cleaned up the last of the old house. It was a great day spent with family, just a little sad. I have my moments where I am so glad to be finishing up with the move and cleaning everything up at Nanny's house and then I have moments where I can't stop the tears from falling. I know this is just a new chapter in a long, happily ever after story, but the house holds a lot of memories. Birthdays, pool parties, Christmas, lots of laughs, tears, and sleep overs. Too many memories for me to go over in a gazillion blogs. (is that is even a word, sounds right to me) I love this old house. It kinda reminds me of that song on the radio now, The House That Built Me. Not really technically my house, my home that I grew up in but in a sense I did grow up there. I spent as many hours there as I did anywhere. It was home. And as I sit and tell about how special it is or was to me the tears build and roll down my cheek.

I tell myself it is just a house, the memories are with me. (As long as I'm lucid, which at the rate I'm going won't be long with these heathen children I'm raising.) I try to move on, happy-go-lucky and remain thankful that I still have Nanny. She is a true blessing and inspiration to me. I love her so much. She is such a special lady and has taught me many lessons about life.

So now that I've cried enough that the screen is blurry, I'll leave you with the last two pictures taken on the front porch.

Please everyone, this has to be a great picture, everyone stand still, get in your place, look at the camera, and smile!

Thank you God, for each and everyone of them! I love my family!

The Fridge

2010-09-05T21:07:00.001-07:00

I was so excited to show you the new microwave and the new stove, but I forgot to show you the fridge that was with the house. I'm so glad to have a larger fridge and it is nice to have the old fridge in the garage for extra.

But now not only do you get to see the new fridge, you get to see the new dent in the fridge too!

I love my children. Thank you Lord for them. But sometimes they make me want to scream. Maybe I should repeat the first part. I love my children.

Beauty in the Skies

2010-09-02T12:23:00.001-07:00

Last night it looked like we were finally going to get some rain! The wind picked up and the skies turned dark and the storm moved closer, it moved closed enough you could smell the rain. It actually moved right over Cordell, but all we received was a small shower. We weren't blessed with rain but something even more wonderful, a double rainbow. The kids and I had just come back home from the Village, visiting Nanny and witnessed the most beautiful site! I wished for a wide lens but this picture will have to do for now. It was a full double rainbow. I laugh thinking about the kids. After we got home. They decided to head back out trying to find the end of the rainbow. Parker was just sure there was a pot of gold waiting on him. He couldn't understand why I wasn't willing to go with them and search. When he returned, he said "Mom, we tried to find the end but we never made it that far! "

I love seeing rainbows. It just reminds me of what an awesome God I serve, it reminds me of his love, his promises, and his covenant with man. Genesis 9:8-17

Busy Sunday

2010-08-29T19:01:00.001-07:00

Cindy and Mike have a very prolific apple tree this year and brought me a huge bag of Granny Smith apples. I decided today that I couldn't let them go to waste either. I hate to see good fruit waste. So today after lunch, I made Apple Crisp, Fresh Apple Muffins and Apple Enchiladas. I don't need any of these desserts in my house. I'm already fat as a toad. But it is soooo good. I have been busy, busy. I love to cook, it is so much fun to try out all new recipes.

For the Apple Crisp, I pulled information from several places to end up with this recipe. I first looked to Pioneer Woman for inspiration. She had a recipe for Pear Crisp and so I used it with a few modifications. I combined it with a recipe from another book. I think that it turned out good. I just hope that I can duplicate it some time again.

The Apple Muffins are a favorite of mine from childhood. My mom used to make these a lot when I was growing up. The problem is they don't look real appetizing. They are so moist and get better after the first day. (If they last that long.) I am going to share just a peek. I am embarrassed because they look terrible. You just have to taste them once to believe me!

The last picture is of the Apple Enchiladas. I have only ate them one other time. But with the last bit of apples I didn't know what to make. I talked to my sister this afternoon and she recommended that I find a recipe and try these. They are really good. Why no one ever makes them is a puzzle to me. I think that today's cooking projects turned out to be a success. According to my family's praise it was a success!

Next time, I think I should probably freeze the fruit and save it for another time. I am exhausted and a little tired of apples.

Peaches from Sentinel, Oklahoma

2010-08-29T17:49:00.001-07:00

Friday, one of our customers from Sentinel brought us some peaches. I was happy that she said I brought these for you and Cindy because fresh peaches are delicious. I decided Saturday to make Bobby Flay's favorite peach cobbler. I saw his wife make it once on Food Network. Madison and Grammie were happy to help and started the water to boiling to blanch the peaches. They got them all peeled, pitted and diced. While they did that I got the crust together. It turned out so yummy. I forgot to take the picture before we ate it so, just so your mouth can water I will share the picture of after! Not quiet so pretty. (Note: none of the food I cooked this weekend is picture prepared. Just real and delicious. No contest could be won for how things look this time.)

Please remember mine does not in any way resemble the picture on the website. Here is the link to the recipe. Double Crusted Peach Cobbler

Enjoy!

Sibling Love

2010-08-25T19:40:00.001-07:00

Parker and Madi both love living so close to the Elementary school. We drove them to school for a couple of days and they walked for a few days. They decided that it would be much easier to ride their bikes. Riding the bikes was a great idea until Parker had a problem with his bike. Chris tried to work on it and it seems that a bearing in the rear wheel went out. To remedy the problem, Madison decided she would be helpful to Parker by giving him a ride. I love to see them being so sweet to each other.

This worked for a couple of days. We decided that this might turn into a fight or worse, a wreck, so we got Parker an early birthday present. We surprised him yesterday when he got home from school. He loves it! He is so happy to have wheels again.

My kids are growing up way to fast!

Before and After

2010-08-25T18:49:00.001-07:00

After getting all moved in to my new house, we decided that the stove wasn't going to make it. I do quite a bit of cooking and the oven door wasn't the easiest thing to open and close. It actually opened well but closed with a bang. So, I want to share the pictures of the new stove.

Before

After

The top picture also shows my new microwave. It is just like the one in our old house just stainless steel. I love it. When we bought this house Nona had just put in the new stainless fridge and the stainless dishwasher. Stainless steel is pretty but it may lead to the end of me. Keeping it clean is no easy task. Fingerprints show up so bad. I decided I can't keep it perfect but I'll keep on trying.

I'll post pics of the new house later. I just realized I haven't done that yet! I'm getting forgetful in my old age. :)

Moving Day

2010-08-25T18:35:00.001-07:00

Saturday, August 21, 2010, was a big day for the family. Nanny (Winona, my grandmother) is all moved to the Integris Village, here in Cordell. It is a very bittersweet time for us all. Nanny is going to be 86 this November and decided that the big house in Mtn. View was just too much to handle. I am so very happy to have her as my new neighbor. We have always been close and I am so glad to be able to have her near me. My mom, on the other hand, is sad that she isn't just up the street from her. I will miss her house. It has sentimental value. Lots and lots of memories made there!

Time marches on, I guess, and nothing is exempt from this is it?

We all got an early start Saturday at 7:00 am in order to avoid moving in the 100+ degree weather. Wow, even that early it was hot! We did make fast work of loading the U-haul. We were loaded and left Mtn. View by 8:40. We arrived to Cordell and unloaded all before 11:00. Nanny was instructed to sit and direct all of the boxes and furniture. This is a hard thing for her to do. Sitting still is not her thing.

Guess what my favorite part of the whole move was?

I may have missed my calling!

5th Day of School

2010-08-18T20:57:00.001-07:00

Most mothers would brag about the first day of school and post pictures of the kids at the doors of the school. Not me, I am a super dork! Since we weren't here the first day we totally missed that one. Then there is the rest of the story. The third day of school, my children's first, I pack up the camera and we head to school. I get to the school and realize that the camera never made it to the car. I'll try again tomorrow. The next day, being Tuesday, I'm so happy, headed down the street, camera in my hand, so I know for sure today, I am getting this picture of the kids at the school. We get out of the car and the kids are like, "Mom, do you really have to do that?" Yes, of course I do. That is my job as a mom, to embarrass and harass. Reluctantly they hurry to the front of the car where they are thinking no one can see them and they pose. Cheese. There we go, finally I got their picture on the first week of school. Yeah for me. I get home from work so anxious to look at the picture and blog all about how cute the kids are, how big they are getting, so on and so forth. You know the drill. At the very instant I get all excited about blogging, I realize that the SD memory card for my camera is in my computer. I pull the camera up and take a look and guess what! No picture card to store a picture on. I missed the dang picture again. Am I ever going to get this right? I told you guys, I am a super dork.

Today is Wednesday, the kids 5th day of school. And I finally did get there picture. Not at the school, but hey, at this point I am glad to get any picture!

This morning Parker and Madi said "Mom are you going to take our picture everyday that we leave for school?" "Of course, I am documenting every step of your life, aren't you glad? " "Please mom, NO MORE PICTURES!"

What goes around, does in fact come around. Huh mom?

Oh, How I missed you!

2010-08-16T19:08:00.001-07:00

Is it weird to miss your flat iron and blow dryer? I went for nine days without using either one of them. You know how hard is is to let your hair air dry? Especially with thick, natural curly hair. I was so happy to get to use them both this morning! It makes getting ready fun. I know I am weird, you don't have to say anything. Before you make fun of me, you need to try to go for a week without a blow dryer. It is not easy. I promise. Really try it, I challenge you!

A Green Solution

2010-08-15T17:53:00.001-07:00

We found a solution to my drying problem. I have gone green in the laundry area!

It is amazing how fast all of my laundry piles disappeared. I wasn't always waiting on the dryer. I have my last load left to fold and I will be all caught up! Thank goodness for the power of the earth today. The sheets smell wonderful. I am so excited that I have this clothesline!

UGH, Laundry!

2010-08-15T11:53:00.003-07:00

You would think that we had been gone for months. The laundry piles are a little overwhelming. This is all that I have left.

That is after four loads. It is taking longer to dry than it is to wash. I really need that washer and dryer set that Kelly Ripa advertises. I need it bad. Then again, I should be thankful that I have the washer and dryer that I do. If I had to do the laundry in the mountains I would be in trouble. Modern day conveniences are something we take for granted.

I will get this done. Someday! HAHA

Homeward Bound

2010-08-15T11:53:00.001-07:00

We arrived home safely yesterday, or should I say this morning. As it was after midnight on Sunday. We left the cabin Saturday morning, spry and excited. As we packed up it was a cool crisp 35 degrees. It was a wonderful morning. We headed out at about 9:00 am mountain time. We were all packed and moving along. We made to the highway and into Creede, Colorado. Not to long after getting on the highway, Jerry started slowing down. We thought maybe he was just pulling over to catch on last glimpse of the mountain valley before we left. Nope, he was having pickup trouble. Oh, my. This made for a really long, stressful trip home. We made it to Creede and did a little shopping. Jerry said the truck ran fine until the engine heated up. It wasn't over heated just running at the normal temp. Now onto South Fork. After pulling over a couple times, and traveling at the speed of snails we finally made it. I feel like I am going to panic. Breathe, No need in getting worked up. Finding a diesel mechanic in the mountains is not easy. We stopped at a tire shop in South Fork, but he did not work on diesel engines. Jerry said lets just try and make it to Alamosa. Surely, there is a mechanic there. On a Saturday? Ok, Cathy, be positive. I was trying. But seeing Jerry worry, made me worry. In between South Fork and Alamosa there are two smaller towns, Monte Vista and Del Norte. At one of these towns we pulled over and Jerry decided to try opening the fuel cap. So we sat there a while and waited. We loaded up and whatever he did to the truck, it helped! We were moving at a normal speed finally and hoping to make it on home. We traveled on like this for a long time and then it happened again. Back to snail speed. As traffic backed up behind us, moving along with flashers on, we decided to pull over. We rested on the roadside, letting the pickup cool down and then we were off again. At this point, we were almost to Walsenburg, Colorado. All in all we only had to pull over one last time. It was between Raton, NM and Clayton, NM. Out in the middle of nowhere.

This was our view most of the day. Nothing for miles. Seriously, out in the middle of nowhere. Just all of a sudden after moving along a 65-70 mph we start slowing down and had to pull over. At this point, I was a basketcase! Are we ever going to make it? The lights of home never looked so good. To see the courthouse pop up over the horizon, was such a welcomed site. Thank you God for watching over us and leading us safely home.

Living In Colorado? Could I?

2010-08-14T07:18:00.001-07:00

Today has been the last day here in Colorado. I love it here. Lost Trail Ranch is currently up for sale. I have done a lot of thinking today about possibilities for my future. (Maybe I should say our future)

Purchases, Relocation, Jobs, Money, etc.....

Could I relocate and live here? Yes, I most definitely could. Could I move here and survive? Questionable. I do love it here no question. The rain, the coolness, even the cold and the snow wouldn't factor in on my decision. I only ponder seriously about the kids and schooling. The closest school here is oh let's say an hour and ten minutes. Not really a possibility for a bus or driving them in everyday. Home schooling? I'm not sure if I would survive that.

Today was an absolute beautiful day. No rain, no clouds, just a breeze and sunshine, all day long. A nice 67 degrees for the high temperature. Our friend, Laverne, and the two boys packed up and headed home to Shawnee, Ok. They said that the temperature gauge read 32 degrees this morning, before packing to leave. He said that the horses were shivering! And, ICE, yes I said ICE, everywhere. On the grass and on the horses water. So since they headed home, there goes Parker's ride. So....he stayed here at the cabin with Madi, Tina, and I. So... you see that my morning was not quiet and peaceful today. Oh yes, the men did return but not until 2. They only took a short ride. Thank goodness, I was at my wits end by then. It only takes a short time in a cabin, in the middle of nowhere, for me to lose my religion. Oh please forgive me Lord. I do love my children. But it was a long morning. This was the only day that both of the kids stayed here with me at the cabin. I finally said, "Shoes on, coats on, you two ARE going outside." Period. No questions asked. Don't drift out farther than you can hear me if I holler at you. Of course, then again, why on earth would I call them back just to listen to arguing and fighting. I decided since they were going out I also would go out. So, I took my book and went out to sit on the deck. Even though they were probably a full half-mile away I could still hear them. Except their fighting changed to laughing and giggles. Oh, how I love to hear them compromising and getting along. What a wonderful echo of children's laughter in the wilderness. They played and had a wonderful time. (See, I do love them. I really do!)

After a short time, I called them and they came back to the cabin. They had me walk around to the north side to show me what they had found. As I walked around to see what they had found, Parker begins rolling this huge ball. No, upon on second look it is a rock. "Where did you find that" I said. "Up the hill" . "What are you going to do with it?" "Take it home, mom, it is a geode!" "Ok, fine, load it up."

Souvenirs. The best reminder of the trip! I guess the geode will just have to be our little piece of Colorado, until I become independently wealthy, and purchase our own cabin. (Even if it is not a geode and turns out to be a big, plain rock.)

Eventful Thursday

2010-08-14T07:15:00.001-07:00

Chris and the guys had a great day on the trail Thursday. They ended up going up to Slide Lake. This lake got its name from how it was formed. At the very top of the mountain range is this huge rock slide. During heavy snowfalls in the winter, the snow piles up and during the early spring months, the melt off causes a rock slide. Almost like the mud slides that they show on television. So at the base of the peak, a lake was formed. And somehow, trout are in this lake. I am not an expert on all of this. If what I have put here sounds confusing, ask Jerry. Or maybe Chris. They can clarify. I haven't been there, so I am giving all of this information to you second hand. For sure it is not the gospel! Haha

This is Slide Lake. You can't see the rock slide area that formed it in this picture. But from looking at the mountain in the distance you can kinda get an idea.

On the way up to Slide Lake, Chris and the guys did see some moose. (mooses? plural) Anyway, he saw a couple of them. He did get a picture. It may be a little blurry, our horses have yet to be trained in photography!

The best part about this trip was the trout that they caught and brought home. Jerry cleaned them and we cooked them for dinner. So we wouldn't starve to death out here if we stayed a little longer than we originally planned. We could always eat trout!

Maybe no one would miss us back home if we stayed for a few extra days, weeks, oh heck maybe a month or two! LOL

Lake City, Colorado

2010-08-12T13:06:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, which would be Wednesday, we went to Lake City. We left early after we all ate breakfast. I slaved to put cereal on the table. Two choices, Raisin Bran Crunch or Honey Nut Chex. Like it or lump it!

It takes us a little over an hour to get there. The first thing that we do is find the restrooms. This is a must as most of you that travel with children know. After that, it was off to all of the shops. The kids had money burning a hole in their pockets. They first time through they shop and browse. They don't spend much the first time. So we make the rounds again a second time, because they have carefully decided what they are going to buy. And those of you that know Parker, it took even a third time to reconsider his purchases. The first thing he ended up buying was a package of Silly Bands. He found the real ones here in Colorado. They had a pack that was called a Cowboy Pack. He thought about this for awhile and then gathered up two packs and headed to the register. I said "Son, you don't need to buy two of the same type." And to that he responded, "Yes I do Mom, I have to buy one for Nate and Jake, because they didn't get to come to town today." :) (A proud moment for his mom) He is such a sweet and thoughtful boy. He was only given so much money and he used part of it to buy his new friends some Silly Bands. (I think he gets this quality from his mother, shhhh, don't tell Chris!) His second purchase was for a Billion Dollar Bill. It of course is fake money. But he thought that this was an incredible bargain for a dollar. The change he had left over from that he put in a jar at the restaurant where we had lunch. They were taking up a donation for the local pet shelter. He then had $10 dollars left over, which he decided to save for another time. I love this kid! I love Madi too, but she shops non-stop. She doesn't make such a big deal out of spending. I told Chris to look out for when she is a teen! We may be in trouble.

As we were leaving the restaurant, it started another down pour. It only rained for 30 min. or so and then the sun came back out. While we were driving around, I stopped to take a few pictures of the local churches. The First Baptist Church had an article in the local newspaper about its age. It was established in 1891. The original building is still intact and maintained. They have church there every Sunday. We went by and went in to take it all in.

The stained glass windows were beautiful. It was such a serene moment. It was so peaceful and quiet. The next church was a Presbyterian Church.

After buying a few groceries, (Only the necessities; bread, milk, and ice) we headed back to the cabin. As we approached the Rio Grand Reservoir Dam we started getting rained on. It was a cloudy evening. We stopped at the cabin just long enough to eat a snack for dinner and let the horses out before we drove up to Brewster Park in Jerry's truck. We headed out and made it a ways down the road and another rainstorm moved in. Jerry decided we had better turn back. Getting to Brewster Park we have to cross two small streams and if it rains too much we wouldn't be able to cross back over. We will have to try it another evening. Turns out that it was a good thing that we headed back because it rained most of the evening and into night. When we headed to bed it was still raining.

We woke up this morning to rain also. The guys had big plans to leave out earlier this morning than usual because of theie chosen destination of Squaw Lake. It takes about 3 hrs on a horse just to get there. They were hoping to get in some trout fishing.

We finished up breakfast and it started raining again. They decided to put off leaving today for awhile. The rain finally stopped and they headed out at about 11. The sun was out and it looked liked a sunny day ahead. Since they didn't get an early start, they changed their plans and decided to go to Slide Lake. It doesn't take as long to get there.

I sit here at the computer at 1:49 pm. It has been raining here at the cabin now off and on now for more than two hours. I hope that the guys are staying dry.

After a long hard day

2010-08-12T09:16:00.001-07:00

It seems that elevation has an effect on a lot of us. It sure does make it hard to breath. And then, maybe from the lack of oxygen it seems to make us more sleepy. It seems that most days we see quite a bit of this.

And this..

Again, disregard the look I have going here. Not the best picture. I wasn't expecting this photo op! It was a hard morning for me. Cooking and reading sure does take it's toll on you!

Horseback Riding

2010-08-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

After the guys got back their from ride from Twin Lakes, Chris decided to take Madison and I for a ride. We rode north of the Lost Trail Ranch up in the mountain ridge to an area that Chris had seen the day before on another trail ride. The area is a rock ledge. It looks similar to rock formations I have seen before in caves. The rocks have formed sort of a line and then some have pillars. It is a very neat site. We rode the horses up the mountain as far as we could. And then we had to tie up and hike the rest of the way in order to get some good pictures. Chris and Madison think that the rock formation looks like the top of a castle. The first picture is from a distance. The area we went to see is on the left of this picture.

We took this picture after we got up closer to the ridge. Don't look at this too close. No electricity means no blow dryer or flat iron. This is the roughing it look! HAHA We started hiking up to the ridge at the base of this tree line. It didn't look to steep but after we got halfway up, I wasn't sure if I could go any further. Neither up or down was too appealing.

When we finally made it up to it, (Hallelujah!) the rocks almost look like someone had concreted all of this together. It was really interesting. Hope I'm not boring you all to death with this! The color was also something rather different. It looked green in color. And when you touched it, it was almost the consistency of ash. As you can see off in the distance of this next picture, we were very high here. I could really tell from the lack of oxygen. Madi kept asking why is it so hard to breath. We tried explaining that the air is thinner. And mostly because we are so out of shape. Chris told her "yes, round is a shape but it doesn't help up here in the mountains. " I laughed so hard after he said this and then I really couldn't breath.

Not sure what the elevation is but let's just say high enough for this girl. I was so thankful that I had a horse waiting on me at the bottom of the ridge if I can just make it back that far.

We stayed long enough to take several good pictures. And the main thing was to stay long enough that I felt as if I wasn't going to die. I don't think I would make it through the night and the thoughts of a rescue helicopter did cross my mind. But how in the world would they find me up here?

When I turned around to head down this is what I had to look at! I really am not sure at this point if I am ready but a rain cloud was moving in on us, so rather that become all wet and soggy we headed back down. Reluctantly, but I did it anyway.

We returned to our horses, thank the Lord they were where we left them. My new trusty best friend, providing me a ride back down the mountain.

As we headed back, I couldn't resist these last few shots. Providing my horse would stop long enough to take them. Dusty realized that we were headed down and he knows he gets fed and rests at the bottom of the mountain. It was a wonderful afternoon ride with Madison and Chris. This is a Kodak moment.

Thanks be to God. He has been so good to me!

Rainy Day in Colorado

2010-08-10T13:20:00.001-07:00

Madi is singing Rain, Rain, Go Away today. Yes, that means it rained here again today. She is mad because it is more rainy here this year than last year. This morning when we got up there was rainbow to the west. It seems that about the same time every day it comes a really big rain shower. The morning was a bit cloudy. Definitely cool. We have been keeping the wood burning stove busy in the mornings. I love to sit and hear the crackling of the fire. I love it here. The weather to me is perfect. Cool, not cold, and in the afternoon the sun falling in the west warms the cabin for the evening. I have to stop adding wood about mid afternoon to the stove because if I continue it is too warm for the guys when they return from the mountain trails. They are continuing to have a good time. They fished yesterday at Heart (Hart?) Lake. They promised to bring home dinner. But just as Tina and I expected....none. Jerry says never fear he will provide. But we all just laugh knowing that we may starve to death if we waited on him.

The horses are acting a bit crazed. Jerry's word of the week is Jughead. At least it's not old Chinese Proverbs. Last year he was full of them. Tina continues to work on her quilt. She is doing the edge and called it handwork. Those of you who quilt know what I'm talking about. Madi and her have taken time today to play Yatzee. Madi worked on her math skills. Hopefully she does well once school starts. She has finished one book and started a second. It is so nice and quite when we are all three reading and listening to the fire crackle. We haven't done any hiking do to all the rain. It seems to really come down at times. The boys just made it back and my quite time today will come to an abrupt halt. I will leave today with a cute picture of Jerry and his horse Dusty. I can't help but look at this picture and not laugh.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday!

Highground Hideaway

2010-08-09T18:36:00.001-07:00

After 14 hours of traveling and being cooped up in the car, the kids were so glad to reach our destination Saturday evening. We arrived here at the Ranch about 5:30 CST. They quickly went to exploring the area. Not much had changed other than our location on the ranch. As they were exploring they found a tree house. You would think they had found a buried treasure. They were so excited. (please for those of you reading, don't mention to my father or Nanny that they are climbing this tree, they will freak) The kids love it. They both are getting really good at climbing for the short time we have been here so far. Their only complaint is all the sap! They have started a collection of pine cones and decided that the tree house was a good place to store them and keep them safe!

Did I say I didn't have much to share in my first webpost? What was I thinking anyway?!!

Madi has spent some time taking pictures and she wanted you to be able to see the view from the tree house.

The view over our the top of our cabin.

The pine cones.

Parker found all of these nails in the tree house and decided to nail them all in the wood so no one would step on them. As if many people would climb the tree and step on the nails.

Hummingbird Haven

2010-08-09T11:43:00.001-07:00

As most of you know the hummingbirds are very plentiful here. We spend a lot of time watching them, counting them, and trying to distinguish the varieties. There are several types that are landing on our feeder but not sure exactly how many different ones there are! They move way to fast. This morning, while we sat drinking coffee, (yes, even I drank coffee, aren't you all proud of me) I counted eight hummingbirds. After the guys all left, Madison decided to go out and sit on the deck to watch the birds.

Out this front window, we have several feeders. This deck wraps around the whole cabin. This picture is the view from the living area looking out to the deck. (just trying to give you a brief glimpse of the beautiful setting we have here at Lost Trail.)

Anyway, on with the story. Madison decided to sit out on the deck this morning and watch all of them fly around. While she was sitting out there one of the little hummingbirds ran straight into the glass and knocked himself silly (it may should read herself, not sure, LOL). Tina and I ran out there as quickly as possible, as quick as we both could move, not to fast I'm sure , to see if the bird was still alive. It was just seemed a little dazed and confused. Madi picked it up and held it until he got his bearings back and flew off. It was such a cute little bird, I'm glad he made it through such a traumatic event. Madi was thankful for the opportunity to be up close and personal with such a unique little bird.

Relaxing Days

2010-08-09T11:39:00.001-07:00

As I sit here in the cabin, watching it rain again, I am thankful that I packed my winter pjs! I know that may seem funny to all of you that are experiencing the heat wave back in Oklahoma, but here there is no sign of heat. I say that with exclamation. I don't have a lot to share other than we are having a wonderful time. Most of all it is relaxation at its finest. Tina, Madi, and I enjoyed having a nice quiet day at the cabin yesterday. We watched the humming birds, did a puzzle, read our books, watched it rain, and took naps!!! Yes, I said it took naps and oh how marvelous it was. The bed here in the new cabin this year is hard. It seems that I can sleep better on the couch in the afternoons instead. We have had some wonderful moments and hope to have some more. It is still raining but now the sun is coming out from the clouds.

Oh, I forgot to tell you where Parker was didn't I! You were probably wondering. No, I didn't leave him in South Fork. Even though we considered it several times on the drive up here! (Spilled pop, candy, etc....) Laverne, Jerry's friend that meets us up here has his two grandsons with him and Parker and Nate are just one yr. apart in age. They have hit it off really well, so Laverne offered for Parker to ride double with Nate on Jack! Yep, what a great name, Huh, Jack! So, they rode yesterday and seemed to get along really well, except for just up the hill from camp they got bucked off. One horse with two masters doesn't work to well. Once they got all of the details worked out the three made it just fine to Brewster Park and back with no injuries.

I tried several times yesterday to connect to the Internet and couldn't. I talked to Forrest who lives here and he told me I could only get Internet if I sat in the back room here in the cabin. Low and behold he was right. I came to the back room, held my mouth just right and my computer found the Internet signal!! Just shows you how modern technology is selective to area I guess. Who knows? LOL

I said I didn't have alot to share but it turns out I did I guess. Sorry! I guess the lack of people to talk to really has had an effect on me. My fingers are just typing so fast with excitement to tell you of all the happenings.

The view from where I am typing. If you look really close you can see the rain dripping from the edge of the roof.

Making Jam

2010-07-07T20:02:00.001-07:00

I have learned something new! I am so proud of myself!!

I learned to make jam! I was raised on the farm and always watched as my grandmothers canned pickles, peaches, beets.....etc. etc. They did it all. Made cucumbers into pickles, made chow chow, took corn off the cob. Any number of weird things you can imagine they have done it. (pickled peaches is the strangest thing to me) I never really had time or interest in doing any of these things until recently. I am not sure what came over me, but something did. Maybe it is that canning is an aging process that doesn't happen on a regular basis. Maybe I feel that the art of canning is being lost. I don't know something weird definitely came over me. As I drive down the street now, it is as if I have some sort of fruit radar. I look constantly in search of fruit trees. Wondering if I can preserve it. ????? I know weird right. I feel it too. Anyway I made two types of jam, Sand plum and Apricot.

I had a friend that gave me a little instruction on how it works but boy I couldn't believe how complicated it all seemed at first. I had my fruit all picked, washed, run through the sieve. (not sure how to spell that, never used one until now) I was ready to go. Sure-jell bought, jars washed, seals heated, sugar measured, fruit cooked.

The next few steps seemed to be critical. Bring to boil, add sugar, boil only one minute. Not a second longer! Very important. Don't know why but my friend stressed this point strongly.

This is a picture of the finished product. Yes, they are upside down. I forgot to take a picture once I turned them back over.

Oh, and it is delicious!!! I can't help but brag. I am proud!

How many will survive?

2010-07-07T19:29:00.001-07:00

After all the rain that we have received this week the neighborhood has lots of water puddles. Over the holiday weekend, Parker spent the majority of his time outdoors playing with friends. Parker is definitely an outdoors man. He loves to be out playing. We literally have to force the boy in to bathe and eat in the evening. When he came home, he walked in with a Dr. Pepper can. I asked him what are you doing with that can. With that he responds it is Aric's. He started heading toward to the bedroom and I said no you are not going in there with that pop can. He said well mom I have to do something with it. Do something with what? I am now wondering what he is up to. I soon find out that the boys have discovered frog eggs in some of the puddles. He was planning on putting them in his aquarium in his room where the salamander lives. When I found out what the plan was I quickly sent him out the door. I don't care where you put the eggs but not in the house. I don't even know how he knew that they were frog eggs. After I sent him back out he was a little upset. I followed him out and he said, Mom, I just can't let all of them die. I have to find somewhere for them to live. I told him put them in the bird bath.

At first when he dumped the can there were probably 20 eggs. By the end of the day there were more like 100. I am not sure that there are really that many but lets just say there were a lot more. He decided that he would collect all he could in case the puddles all dry up.

Yesterday when I came home for lunch, I drive into the driveway to find both of my children in the middle of the flowerbed, gazing into the bird bath. As I get out of my car I am greeted with loud exclamations of the eggs have hatched mom, LOOK!!!! Sure enough it is full of tadpoles. When I looked at them I thought they might be mosquitoes. I told the kids I wasn't sure if they were tadpoles but Parker said "MOM, They ARE Tadpoles, I PROMISE!" When I came home from work today, Chris told me to look in the birdbath. He said look at all of those swimming around. I looked and I am guessing that they are tadpoles. They now look more like a tadpole than mosquitoes. I guess we will se what the next few days bring for them but what I really am worried about now is how many frogs will survive. How many of these little guys will I have around this time next week?

Summer Reading

2010-07-07T19:27:00.001-07:00

I love to read. I always have some type of book with me. I usually read fiction. Sometimes I read other stuff, but mostly fiction. I decided recently that I would try something different. I would try reading the 100 Greatest Books. The list is made up of several books that I have heard of but never took the time to read. In high school and English Lit. in college we were always reading books to write reports on. They always had us reading something for education purposes. I never enjoyed this reading nearly as much.

The first book off of the list that I read was Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway. I really don't want to offend anyone or ruin anyone's day. It is strictly my opinion, but I didn't care for this book. I read it to see what happens in the end, to find out what happened to the main characters. I don't know what makes this one of the 100 Greatest Books.

I'm not a literary expert so maybe I am missing something. I have moved on now to reading Anna Karenina. Maybe I need instruction. Who knows. It is a little different than what I expected. I have carried it around for too long, but I will finish it. Even if is seems like torture. I really had the intention of reading all of the 100. But after the first two, I may not make it. I may go back to reading the fun stuff instead of all the serious books.

End of Soccer Season

2010-04-29T21:04:00.001-07:00

This weekend is the District Tournament. I am glad this season is drawing to an end. However, I have not made it yet. This weekend could be a test of my ability to hold it together. I do miss having at least one free evening a week to do whatever it is I choose. I love to read. I love to bake. What are those you say. Those are my true hobbies. I am just posing as a sports enthusiast right now. No....don't get me wrong I love to watch my children play sports. But the past few weeks have been a little more than hectic. Parker started baseball before soccer season was over. We have had three weeks now of baseball games and Soccer started the last weekend in March. I don't mind having one or the other but both is a drag. We have also been attending AWANAS every Wednesday night. Every night has something. Either game or practice and Saturday's are reserved for the soccer games. We have had two great soccer seasons, both teams have played really well. Pray that I have enough energy to make it!! Baseball however will continue through the third week in June. I will eventually have time to read again right? HELP

The Magic Kingdom

2010-04-29T20:27:00.001-07:00

I know that we went to Disney in February and tomorrow is the last day of April, I am a little behind in getting this out there. Those of you who do read my blog, all three or four of you, I apologize. I guess I should say sorry. I am so slow.

Going to Disney was something that I had anticipated from the time that Madi was a tiny baby. I always dreamed of the day she would see Cinderella's castle. I can remember thinking about how many times she would smile in awe. I had looked forward to this trip for years. I actually thought that the day may never come.(if it were up to Chris it really might never happened, he is not a big fan of Disney) The time arrived finally and I am sad to say I was a little disappointed. We did have a wonderful time. I just think I had it worked up so in my mind that no matter how much fun we had it would never compare to what I imagined. The kids loved it and I loved it and Chris had a good time but there were downfalls. Too many people. I don't like crowds a lot and there were a lot of people. I know what did you expect, Cathy? Hello it is bigger than the whole town of Cordell. I knew that there would be lots of people but not lots and lots. You know what I mean don't you? Anyway......We had a wonderful trip as a whole. We spent a lot of quality time together as a family. We saw the fabulous five, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto. We even dined with them!!! Thanks Chris. Life was good until all the people cut in line!!! Yep it happened and I didn't deal too well . Now I will share a few of the pictures with you. Disney is just one of those things on my list. I will check this one off my list and move on to something else. I am so thankful that God allowed us to go and to travel to and from safely. May we be so fortunate and blessed to spend more time together as a family. I love my husband and my kids. And I love to spend time with them! (even if it is nowhere else but home)

Day Two: Epcot

2010-02-24T20:27:00.001-08:00

Another day, bright and early. We spent another long day seeing the sites. Our day actually started extremely early. We were up before the sun on Friday. We had a breakfast with Mickey at Chef Mickey's at 7:20 am. To be there on time, we had to catch the bus at 6:30 am. And these times are the Eastern time zone. So getting up to be ready for us came really early, 4:45 am CST. The kids were not receptive to this part of the day. Once we got going, things seemed to go smooth.

Chef Mickey was fun. Not sure it was really worth what it costs. The breakfast was really delicious with a huge variety. The best part was seeing the Fabulous Five: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto.

Chris was so excited, we could hardly tare him away from Minnie Mouse.

After the Under the Seas ride, there were several aquariums filled with beautiful sea creatures. This starfish was really unique. We have so many pictures, I have had a hard time picking just a few. Hope I don't bore all of you too much.

The seahorse tank was by far Madison's favorite. She could have spent the whole day here. This area was definitely one of our favorites.

Hollywood Studios

2010-02-24T19:47:00.001-08:00

The first day in Orlando, we decided to tackle the Hollywood Studios. The kids were really pumped to get up and go the first day. We were there bright and early. The Little Mermaid was our first ride. I should say our first line. LOL It was just one of many. Soon, we were on to many more that day. We closed the park down that night with Fantasmic and Toy Story. We walked and ran many a mile and that was just Day One.

Indiana Jones Stunt Show

Honey I Shrunk the Kids

This is one of my favorite films from when I was growing up. It is funny though, this is one film my kids haven't seen. They were loving the huge sized playground.

One last picture before we left the park at closing had to be Mickey's sorcerer hat. Awesome!

On our way!

2010-02-24T19:28:00.001-08:00

Last Wednesday, we left the airport at 4:00 PM for Orlando, FL. We are finally taking the kids to Disney World. Madison has always wanted to go and see Cinderella's castle.

We went with a large group from our area. This picture is a picture of all the kids that went with us. There was a total of 30 people. We finally arrived at the Orlando airport at about 8:00 PM Wednesday night. Boy were we ready to get to our room. We were so tired and ready to catch some zzzz's.

We were so glad and relieved to finally reach our rooms. There is only one problem. No luggage. We had the Magical Express Delivery from the airport and it was so magical that they didn't get it to us until about 1:00 am. We can laugh now, but Madison was a little freaked. Are you sure we can go to bed and it will come later? She was too funny that night.

Christmas at Great Wolf Lodge

2010-01-07T19:59:00.001-08:00

This year for Christmas my parents took all of us to Grapevine, Tx. to Great Wolf Lodge. There were nine of us: Papa, Nana, Cara, Brynn, Jarrett, Chris, Madison, Parker, and myself. We had such a great time. The kids loved the indoor water park.

Nana and Papa getting the kids ready for bed. It had been a long day of riding in the car, and everyone was ready for some sleep.

Before we could go to bed that night Madi, Parker, and Jarrett had to write letters for Santa.

A four person water slide. They all loved it!

2009 Blizzard

2010-01-07T19:35:00.001-08:00

I wish I could start this by saying we watched the snow pile up from the warmth of our living room. I also wish now that I would have had time to take lots of pictures of our experience on Christmas Eve , but I can't ! We had an experience that is truly unforgettable, just wish I had the pictures for when my memory fades! (haha) Anyway, we did have a most blessed Christmas Holiday with family and we are truly blessed to have made it to our destination that day unharmed. (and before dark) I say all of this now laughing and grinning but that day there wasn't much to smile about. This is how the day unfolded.

On Christmas Eve morning we left home at about 7:30 am. We headed out early thinking that we would be leaving early enough to miss the snow storm that was moving into Oklahoma. Little did we know that it was also moving in to Tx. We were just sure that as we drove south we would be getting into better weather. When we reached Mtn. View at about 8:25 am., I knew that the drive ahead was going to be a long one. It normally only takes about 30 minutes to get to Mom and Dad's house. When we left there, again we thought that we would get out of the heavy snow. I am not sure what time it was when finally reached the Love's gas station on the north side of Lawton but it wasn't soon enough. The kids were already going crazy and starting to fight. I knew I couldn't stand it much longer in the white out conditions much longer without cleaning the windshield and taking a break. We all cleaned our windows and headed out again. The next time we stopped was at the McDonald's on the turnpike south of Lawton. When we stopped here is was blowing ice pellets. It wasn't snow anymore but the road conditions continued to dwindle all day long. The kids were totally oblivious to the conditions. The turnpike was down to two lanes from four, unless you were the idiots driving crazy in the 2 ft of snow covering the second lane. And believe me when I say that they do exist out there. We saw so many crazy people out there driving way too fast. Sad thing is that most of them ended up in the ditch or in the wrong lane.

As we got closer to Burkburnett, I was about to die. I kept thinking this has to get better. Nope, it didn't. Just as we entered into Tx. at the edge of Burkbunett, the road was blocked by police officials having us to detour off of the highway to avoid the overpasses that were covered in 4 ft. snow drifts. After that we were able to get back on the highway and continue on to Wichita Falls. At this point I am thinking to myself, this is the most snow we have seen all day. How are we ever going to make it. There were times I wondered if we would make it. But as Chris would remind me like Dori on Finding Nemo "just keep swimming." He was very encouraging that day from the walkie talkie in the car behind me!! Thank the Lord for him and my mother!! I don't think I could have made it without them.

At Wichita Falls, Chris asked me to please pull over at the Wal-Mart so we could use the restroom and scrape the windows. It was snowing so hard and heavy that I couldn't even see the sign to exit. I know that sounds unbelievable but it is the honest truth. I never even saw the sign in order to exit. I did eventually just pick one exit and got off. It happened to be at a gas station! We were able to take a break here and clean our windows again. We headed on to Decatur, Tx. ( Dec-a-tur , that's for you BP, LOL) Highway 287 from Wichita Falls to Decatur, Tx. were the absolute worst of the whole trip. It was absolutely miserable. There were times when we were just idling. The snow was so heavy around Bowie that I couldn't even see Chris behind me or my dad it front of me. That was truly scary time. I have never been in conditions like this. So much snow falling and falling so heavy and fast. I thought for sure now that I wasn't going to make it. I wanted to crawl up in the seat and cry. But I didn't!! Yeah for me. I was a big girl. Aren't you all so proud of me!! I am. :)

We finally made it to Grapevine, Tx. that evening about 5:30 pm. A total of 10 HOURS for a trip that should take about 4 hours. I was so happy to finally make it. Thank you God for the safe trip!

Church Christmas Program 2009

2010-01-07T18:53:00.001-08:00

This year both of the kids were old enough to be in our church's Christmas program. They started practicing back in September this year. The play was called the Bethlehem Project. It was the normal story of Mary and Joesph traveling to Bethlehem for the census with just a little twist and humor. One stable animal provided a majority of the laughs. Imagine that! Both of the kids were able to get parts and loved it so much. Parker was the Donkey and Madison was Yetta, the innkeepers wife. Both of them did a wonderful job. I was so nervous that they wouldn't remember their parts but they both were spot on. All of the kids put so much time and effort into the play. I was proud of all the kids that participated.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

2010-01-07T18:44:00.001-08:00

This year the school program was set in Whoville. All of the students were Whos of course, with the exception of a few. We had the Grinch, Cindylou Who, and a couple of the more important who's. The music teacher and the school counselor put the play together and did a fabulous job. The set was decorated very cute, they even had the important can of the all famous Who Hash on the table that was set for Christmas dinner. All of the children wore their matching class T-shirts and had their hair all fixed up just like the Whos do. It was a really good program, enjoyed by all.

The First grade Who's

Cindylou Who

Parker's class singing on the stage.

Soccer Tournament in El Reno

2010-01-07T18:41:00.001-08:00

This fall, on Halloween Day, both kids played in an invitational soccer tournament in El Reno. Both of their teams won all of their games that day. We were so excited to go undefeated in the tournament. Madison played with a U14 team that day in the tournament. It was a fun and eventful day.

The Johnson version of The Christmas Story

2009-12-04T12:12:00.000-08:00

This story starts on a cold December morning, the day after Parker turns 8. I guess the subject of discussion on the bus lately has been about the scene pictured above from the all-time favorite movie The Christmas Story. As I am about to get ready for the day, I hear a pounding at the door. When I get to the front door, Madi is yelling "Momma, you have to help Mrs. Igo, Parker's tongue is stuck to the pole!"
(I must add that I was still in my pjs while all of this is happening. I was mortified!) So, without thinking I run outside. I ran out to the front yard and looked down the street to the bus stop. Mrs. Igo yells, help me, I need something to thaw out this pole so he can get his tongue off!!" At first I am thinking, Is this really happening to me. I can't believe this. I run back into the house and grab a cup and fill it full of hot water. I head back out the door to the frigid temperatures. Yes, still in my pjs and run down to the corner to where Parker is most definitely stuck to the Stop sign. I can laugh now but when I got there his poor little tongue was bleeding where he had tried to pull it off to get on the bus. I still can't believe this all took place. As soon as I got there I started pouring the water down the pole. It never crossed my mind, what if this doesn't work?, I guess I just thought that it would, and thank goodness it did. As soon as the water fell over his tongue where it was frozen to the pole it came off.
I can laugh now, knowing that he is ok and he is not scarred from this. Well at least no physical scars. I am sure that all the kids on the bus watching this hysterical site will never let him forget. After all of this took place, I felt that he should go back to the house with me so I could make sure he would be ok. I drove him to school and on the way he was very inquisitive. He wanted to know that if he stuck his tongue to wood if it would stick? He then asked about several other things, car metal, plastic....etc. I just gave him a firm verbal warning to keep his tongue in his mouth. That is where God intended it to stay. So far no more incidents...Although I am sure I am in for more along the way.

Rum Raisin Bread Pudding Recipe : Patrick and Gina Neely : Food Network

2009-11-26T15:26:00.001-08:00

Rum Raisin Bread Pudding Recipe : Patrick and Gina Neely : Food Network

This is the most delicious bread pudding recipe out there. I have tried several and this one was the easiest and everyone loved it. It was so gooey and moist and I added a rum sauce and a scoop of ice cream. I would recommend this recipe.

Sooner Soccerfest

2009-11-04T20:14:00.001-08:00

Parker's soccer team Storm played recently in a tournament in Norman. Storm was undeafeted going into this tourn. They di come out with only one win out of three. We may have lost but the boys really did play well. They have lots of talent but had some tough competition. The team they played from Mustang actualy plays U10 during regular soccer season. But played down in U8 for the tournament.

The Cat

2009-11-04T20:03:00.001-08:00

The cat has moved in and has made her self right at home. She has found her way into all of our hearts and Madi is so relieved that she is getting to sick around. Ally has even made room for her in the house.

Coconut Cream Pie

2009-11-04T19:57:00.001-08:00

The next day at work the apple pie was quickly gobbled up and Mike made the comment that he had some extra coconut and pecans at the house that he was wanting to give away. I think he was trying the same trick that R.B. had use with the apples. So after work the next evening, I made my very first Coconut Cream Pie. This was a little more difficult that the apple pie. Making the crust is always simple. I use a family recipe passed down from my Nanny. It just uses Crisco, Flour, and a little water. The trick is to mix it without over mixing it. The filling for the cream pie is also made from a recipe given to me by my Nanny.

Pie Crust

Single 8-9" crust

1 1/3c. sifted flour
1/2c. Crisco
1/2tsp. salt
3T. water

Coconut Cream Pie Filling

2c. milk
3 egg yolks beaten
2/3c. sugar
2T. flour
1tsp. vanilla

Cook until thick and then add 1/2c. coconut.

The meringue is the part I can't give instructions on. I had to look on the Internet to find out how to do this. This part want' in my recipe. I had to double the filling because I have a deep dish pie pan. So I had 6 egg whites. I whisked them in the mixer until I thought they were stiff peaks before adding 1/4c. sugar. I think that I should have waited longer before adding the sugar because they didn't seem to turn out right. Edible, definitely but pretty, I didn't think so. I do think this filling could use some more flour or cornstarch in order to be a little thicker. It was a little runny for me but I think that it must have tasted pretty good because the pie was gone before noon. Chris and Mike said that it was delicious. I myself tried to stay out of it.

When given apples, Make a pie!

2009-11-04T19:39:00.001-08:00

Our really good friend, R.B. came by the pharmacy one day and said, "Look at these nice apples that someone gave me!" So we all look at the apples and sure enough they were a really nice basket of granny smith apples. He then says, "Hey Cat, I'd give 'em to you if you'd make me an apple pie!" So that night after work I tackle the task of an apple pie.

It turned out pretty good. I am never happy with the way the filling turns out. The apples were really crisp and tart. Perfect flavor but the filling never thickens. I think it was more like a cinnamon roll flavor and it was kind of goopy. I'm not sure that is the right description but it did taste very good.

Field Trip with Madison

2009-11-04T19:28:00.001-08:00

Roll One Room Schoolhouse

This was the first field trip that required true participation. We all had to dress up, eat our lunch from a can and to actually eat food prepared as if it were 1910. We went to the Cheyenne park where the one room schoolhouse was moved to from its original location in Roll, Oklahoma. The one room school is very authentic. The day we went it was foggy, rain drizzle, and cold. We had no heat and all of needed blankets to stay warm. The stove in the center is a coal burning stove but can't be used until after November 1. This field trip was also interactive. The students were treated as if they were students at the school in 1910. They had to use quill pens and ink to write and chalk and chalkboards for arithmetic problems dictated from the teacher. In the picture below, Madi was showing me that she had the right answer!

We learned some about the history of teachers and one room school houses. I have so many pictures it is so hard to choose just a few. The one thing that really made an impression on me was the reading of the daily bible verse. It is amazing how much things have changed in that area. The verse is recited by a student and discussed with the whole class. I had a wonderful time and I am really glad to have had the opportunity.

Here in the last picture the kids are washing up for lunch in the back of the room while the rest of the class is going over spelling words for the day. Water is brought in daily by buckets from the well pump.

Paula's Birthday

2009-11-03T18:30:00.001-08:00

In September, Paula came to visit for her birthday. We made her a delicious Lemon Cake. It is a recipe from Pampered Chef. I am not usually a big fan of anything lemon but I tasted this at a party and really enjoyed it. Paula loves Lemon Meringue Pie so I knew this would be perfect for her birthday. It is really good. This recipe is a little bit more involved than I like but if you love lemon it is worth every second!

Mock Lemon Meringue Cake by Pampered Chef

5 lemons
1 yellow cake mix
1c. sour cream
1 egg
2T. plus 1c. powdered sugar, divided
1 pkg. instant lemon pudding and pie mix
1/2c. milk
1 16oz. Cool Whip thawed, divided
4 oz. cream cheese, softened

Preaheat oven to 350*. Spray Torte Pan with nonstick cooking spray. ( This pan helps by making a well in the center for the pudding to go in later. I guess you could make this without the pan but it does help.) Place an 8 in. circle of parchment paper over the center circle of the pan.
Zest four of the lemons to measure 1/4c. ( I zested all 5 lemons, just made it easier to get enough zest.) Juice the zested lemons to measure 2/3c. lemon juice, set aside. (I also had to juice all five to get enough.)
In bowl, combine cake mix, sour cream, egg, and 1T. of the zest, whisk 1 min. Pour batter into pan and spread evenly. Bake 10-12 min or until center is firm. The batter is pretty thick but the cake is the consistency of a pound cake.
Remove cake and allow to cool approx. 3 min then invert onto cooling rack. Remove parchment paper and cool 10 min. While cooling prepare glaze. Combine 2T. of the lemon juice and 2T. of the powdered sugar and heat in microwave 15-20 seconds or until sugar is dissolved. Transfer cake to serving platter, brush with the glaze.
For filling, combine pudding mix, milk, 1T. zest and 1/4c. of the lemon juice; whisk briskly until smooth. Fold in 1c. of the whipped topping until very thick. Spread this into the well of the cake.
For the topping, whisk cream cheese, remaining 2T. of zest and 1/4c. lemon juice until smooth. Slowly add remaining sugar; whisk until smooth. Add remaining whipped topping all at once; fold just until combined.
Garnish can be sliced lemons or zest which ever you choose.

Soccer Season

2009-11-03T18:25:00.001-08:00

Most of my free time has been spent at either soccer practice or soccer games. Both of the kids are playing this season.

Most Saturdays we have four soccer games. We only had to travel to Clinton for regular season but the games are usually staggered and that means choosing Madi's or Parker's games. I can never see them all but I make arrangements to get the kids to their games. My mom is a lifesaver in making this all possible.

First Day of School

2009-11-03T18:09:00.001-08:00

August 17, 2009

The kids actually missed the first two days of school this year. We were still in Colorado on Thursday and Friday, so they actually didn't start til Monday. They were both excited to go, just a little nervous.

Madison started the Fourth Grade and Parker is in First Grade. Madi actually rotates classes this year between two teachers. Mrs. Merkey and Mrs. Wedel. Parker has Mrs. Regier.

The kids have now finished the first full nine weeks and are both doing really well. Both have really good grades and are loving school.

Blog Slacker

2009-11-03T18:01:00.001-08:00

Well, I have been a little busy and blogging once again took a back seat. I have been called many things but until today never a blog slacker!

I decided that I would try and catch up a little. I always wanted to be a person that kept a journal, but I know now that it would probably be the same. I love to look back on my blogging but when our family gets too many things going the first thing I neglect is my blog. To get caught up I have to go back to August to the first day of school!

Halloween 2009

2009-10-31T18:55:00.000-07:00

The kids were so excited to dress up this year. Parker couldn't wait to be a cowboy. Madi couldn't decide what to be for Halloween. Do to the huge swine flu scare going around, I talked Madi into being a nurse. She carried an empty box of Tamiflu and wore her mask. She thought that was pretty fun. We had a good time that evening. Visiting Nanny is a must on Halloween. She is always waiting to see the kids.

The kids also look forward to seeing all their friends.

Cowgirls and Cowboys

2009-08-17T19:33:00.001-07:00

Madi and Parker are just loved the mountains. They are both begging for dad to buy them both a horse.

Neither one of them had even spent much time around horses until about three weeks ago. But to see them with the horses now is so different. Chris even looks like he fits right in to the ranch lifestyle, well kind of. You wouldn't know it to see him at work but he really did fit right in on the Lost Trail Ranch by the end of the week.

Madi was just working so hard to show Chris that she could take care of a horse. Walking, brushing, and helping to saddle the horses. One evening she even put Dusty in hobbles all by herself. She was so proud. She left the poop scooping to Parker, Chris, and I though. She said that it really should just stay where it is! She said it doesn't hurt the ground, "It's just good fertilizer!".

Maybe there is a chance for a horse in the future! We'll see!

God's Creatures

2009-08-13T09:20:00.001-07:00

Nature is alive in the Valley! Hummingbirds, Stellar Blue Jays, Chipmunks and of course Horses. I'm in heaven. The mares had two colts within the last month or so and they are adorable. You can't imagine how tame they are. Their names are Elf and Cricket.

Elf is the darker one, he is about two weeks old. Cricket is the rusty brown one and he is about 5 weeks old. I am so sad that tomorrow is our last day. Time here is definitely different. It is so serene. I wonder if I could just adapt to a different life style and just stay here. No pressures, no phone ringing, no television blaring. Life here is so simple. I find it hard to imagine going back to the world we live in after a week here. I understand why people come here and never want to leave.

Hiking in the Wilderness

2009-08-13T09:05:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday, the kids and I went hiking in the Weminuche Wilderness. We left the campground and headed across Ute river. We hiked along the Ute trailhead. We had a good time. Didn't see much wildlife but I really didn't expect to with Parker and Madison making so much noise. We hiked for about three hours. We stopped up in the mountain long enough to eat lunch.

When I say that we crossed the river, it isn't as easy as it sounds. The river is colder than cold. The water comes from the melted snow in the spring. Water continues to flow down the mountain throughout the year. The kids had been begging to go swimming in the afternoons when the temperature gets up to about 80 degrees. They really thought that it would be just perfect for swimming. To change their way of thinking, I decided that it would be a good experience to cross the river when we were hiking. As we approached the river, they kept asking, "Mom, how are we going to cross the river without a bridge?" I told them maybe we can cross by using the rocks and stepping across, knowing that there wasn't any way that the kids would make it without getting wet.

Parker wasn't as brave as he always talks. He made it about half way without crying. He started crying and saying "my feet are freezing off. Mom you shouldn't have made me do this, I'm never doing this again." After that, I knew going back home would be more of a challenge. I could hardly keep from laughing. He was so mad.

When we got back to the river from our hike this is what happened.

Parker made it to the first big rock and sat for the longest time. He kept waiting and begging me to come out there to get him. He was refusing to go any further. He wanted me to go back to our cabin and get Chris to go get him. I just kept encouraging him to come across. Finally, he put on his boots and waded across. We made it back to the cabin and laid out all of our clothes to dry. After walking and laughing so hard we all needed to rest. A moment to remember!

Life in the Rio Grande Valley

2009-08-11T09:46:00.001-07:00

Life is good here. We're loving our time in the mountains. Quiet, Beautiful, Relaxing, Restful. On second though maybe not so restful. I say this laughing. The first night Chris was restless. Tossing and turning, and keeping me awake. So we played a little musical beds the second night. Parker and Chris slept in the living room on the two sofa beds. Madi and I slept in the bedroom. I thought oh, this is going to be better. I am finally going to get to sleep. Nope, Parker woke me up in the middle of the night with a stomach ache. He startled me out of a deep slumber to my disliking. When he turned on the lamp, I discovered that there were bugs in my bed. Can this get any worse? (LOL) I finally got them all out and got back to sleep. I did sleep well for awhile but woke up cold. I could practically see my breath in the cabin. Chris quickly got the fire going to appease me. I hate to be cold. The temperature was 32 degrees yesterday morning. It was so cold that the guys had to break ice on the horse's water. The guys got off a little later the second day. After the guys left the kids and I left for fishing a little before noon.

We headed back down the valley to 30 Mile Campground, to catch a little fish. We had no luck. The trout evaded our hook every time. They are hard little rascals to catch. Parker said that he had several little nibbles but he is the ultimate fisherman. A story to tell every time. He enjoyed every minute of it. We hit several areas. We also fished the Rio Grande Reservoir. It is hard to believe ho high the water level gets during the runoff season. We headed back to the cabin about 4:00. The guys got back late, it seems that the tour guide (Jerry) took a wrong turn up in the mountains and they went farther than they had planned. They rode about 9 hrs. They were beat when they got back. The horses were sure glad to see camp. We cleaned up, had dinner, and headed to bed. After getting things ready for bed, I realized that the bugs were back! Oh no! Tina and I quickly began extermination and moving the beds around. After this I decided that I would be sleeping on the couch! First nights rest!! Yeah!! Chris was even so sweet by setting an alarm to get up this morning and start me a fire at 5:15 am. I slept until the sun came up this morning. It was wonderful to sleep in!

Happy Trails!

2009-08-09T15:51:00.001-07:00

Day One: August 8th

We left Cordell, Ok. at 3:30 am this morning to drive to Colorado. When we left Oklahoma it was already 80 degrees and humid. We finally arrive in Colorado to Lost Trail Ranch this evening at about 6:00 pm. We unpacked and had a wonderful dinner with an unbelievable view from the dining table. So far so good. Loving the beautiful scenery God has layed out for us here. It is breathtaking. We were all really tired by bedtime from the long days travel. As we lay down to sleep you can't imagine how quiet and still it is. It was so quiet Chris could hardly sleep!

Day Two: August 9th

We got up early this morning to freezing temperatures. It was 30 degrees on our front porch and not much warmer in the cabin until Chris and Tina got the stove going with a big fire. Waking up to such cold weather made me question the shorts I packed. I don't think I'll be needing them now. So thankful for the firewood the caretakers have left for us to use. As we sat eating our breakfast, I was thinking about how grateful for the opportunity we've been given this week. This is the view from our front porch. It is indescribable! There aren't words to express the beauty of this place.

After breakfast the guys started gearing up to head out on the horses for the day. They left about 10 am and were gone for about 5 hours. While they were gone the kids and I walked down the pasture to see the Rio Grande river that lies just below the mountains. The water is crystal clear.

Madi's Cat

2009-07-28T18:18:00.001-07:00

A new friend showed up at our house this past weekend. Madi has really been busy busy taking care of her new baby, as she calls her. I don't think I recall a more tame cat. She carries her everywhere. She even takes her riding bikes. Madi has a doll carrier that she declares is just perfect for the cat. She doesn't have a official name yet. I'm just afraid she won't stick around and Madi will be devastated. For 3 days now she has spent all of her time with the new cat. This morning she was up at 7:30 to check on her and feed her. She must have been someone's house cat because she just sets at the door and meows. It is like she is saying hey, will someone just open the door and let me in. I myself don't mind having her around. I think she is pretty cute and Madi has been wanting a pet of her own, so she feels that this is the answer. I guess we will see. She has been begging for her to come in at night and her dad is very adamant about her remaining an outside cat. I guess time will tell who will win this battle.

Sunday, July 26th, 2009

2009-07-28T17:58:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday was a very special one for our family. This summer both of our children made decisions to give their hearts to the Lord, Jesus Christ. After going forward at church to share their decision they both decided to follow in believers baptism. I can't explain the feeling. Overwhelmed but relieved, excited yet teary eyed. It was an awesome day!

My Birthday

2009-07-28T17:57:00.001-07:00

This year my birthday was a very special one. The kids made me a birthday cake. I just had to share the photos of this one. It was so sweet. Madi planned this for a week. She kept saying " Mom if we decide to cook this week Dad said it was ok. We'll clean up our mess, I promise." She just couldn't wait to give it to me. She was so proud. It made it such a special day. I was also blessed to share an evening out with some very special friends. Mike and Cindy took our family and Billy and Sharon out to eat at Simon's Catch. Bill and Sharon don't get to go out very often and were thrilled at the chance to go. Cindy arranged it all and it was a very memorable evening. Sometimes we don't realize what God has blessed us with.

Vacation Time

2009-07-24T19:49:00.001-07:00

I have been absent for a while. Not only did we take a much needed vacation, I also took a long vacation from blogging. I wished everyday on vacation for my laptop to capture the moments that I didn't want to ever forget. I hope that all the pictures we took while we were in Mexico help me to recall all of the very special moments we had.

We left the last week of June and headed to the Riviera. We actually stayed approximate 1.5 hrs south of Cancun. A tropical, Caribbean vacation is definitely the answer. To kick back, relax, and forget all your worries (even with your kids!)is priceless. We had the most wonderful time. It was a trip of many firsts for our family. The kids had never flown. That was a great experience. They had also never seen the beach. They just couldn't believe how clear the water was, and why its salty they never came to a conclusion for that one. Not only was it a trips of firsts for the kids but Chris and I also had a first. Snorkeling with the sea turtles was something I've only dreamed about. I am an animal lover of all sorts. I love the turtles, they are so cool. I have so many pictures I'm not sure which to share first. We went walking the beach one night after dinner and walked up on this turtle that was up on the beach. It was turtle nesting season while we were there. They say that the turtles come up on the beach during the full moon to lay eggs. The resort we stayed at has partnered with the CEA in Mexico to help protect the sea turtles. We visited with a man that worked there and he shared a little about the project and then showed a bucket that was full of baby turtles that had just hatched. They move all of the nests to an area on the beach that is blocked off in order to collect the babies and take them to a special place in Akumal.

Anniversary and Father's Day Fun!

2009-06-23T19:14:00.001-07:00

Our anniversary is usually spent in combination with Father's Day celebration. Chris and I have been married twelve years on the 20th. We spent the day at the Runaway Bay Lake. We had so much fun with the kids, Grammie, and Papa Tom.

It was so hot. The kids just love to jump in and swim. Parker was really getting tired. You can tell when he wears down. He gets still and then crashes.

Where's the Beef?

2009-06-23T19:13:00.001-07:00

Not a question heard frequently here!! Meer's is a famous country restaurant. Well....restaurant may be a stretch. Diner...I should say... Nah..... Really it's just some off the wall place set in the Wichita Mountains in Southwest Oklahoma. It originally started as the local post office, I think that is right. All I know is that as a kid growing up we never waited in line here. We would just park and walk right in. People did actually still get their mail here too. Now, things have changed quit a bit. They have built on twice. The wait has definitely increased. I think that there is always a line. People will drive from all over to eat here. The thing that they are most known for is the Meer's Burger. Served up in an old fashioned pie tin.

Yep....It is that big. And delicious to boot. They actually use Longhorn cattle beef, which is so lean. So lean I'm sure that they classify as healthy. (said joking...haha) If you get a chance be sure to visit. Not the cleanest or nicest place you could dine in Oklahoma but it qualifies for the most authentic country diner.

My baby goes to church camp!

2009-06-23T19:12:00.001-07:00

Last week Madison went to CKBA church camp. This is the first time she has been away from us for an extended time period without other family around. I was so sad. She on the other hand wasn't. She acted a little sad on Sunday, but come Monday she was set to go. When we got to the church she hardly had time to take a few pictures with the family.

Parker wanted so badly to give her a hug and kiss! Madi was not having any part of this especially with all her friends watching!

Since she was going to be gone, Parker decided to go the Texas and spend the week with Paula. I can't believe that the week went by without even the least bit of time to blog about all of this. Both kids gone and I didn't know how to manage all of my free time. No baths to give, no laundry piling up, no one fighting. It was a strange week. Parker was such a big boy too! I can't believe that either one of them are old enough to be gone from us for that long. Time flies. Friday came around and I just couldn't wait to pick her up and to get to Tx. to see Parker. Madi made me so proud. She ran right to me and hugged me. These moments are priceless. Then she shared with me the good news that she gave her heart the the Lord while at camp. This is a big step and makes me so happy.

Flowers

2009-06-11T19:13:00.001-07:00

My flower beds are overflowing with blooms right now. One of my favorite is the Balloon Flower. (not sure that is the real name) It is going crazy. Until we moved here a couple years ago, I had never seen a flower like this one. I just love how it starts and then when it blooms it is so cool. The flower starts out like a little balloon full of air. If you squeeze it you can tell it has air in it. At first when they started blooming we thought what a weird flower then when it bloomed I realized that it was so cool.

This picture is right before it blooms. The plant is just full of these before any of them bloom. It looks really cool. The flowers are really pretty when they bloom.

This is after the flower blooms.

My daisies are also in full bloom. Daisies are one of my very favorite flowers. I had them in my wedding flowers. So when I look at them it takes me back.

Another cool flower I must share is the wishbone flower. It is unique. Each flower has a wishbone inside. This is the first time I have grown this flower. I found it at our local greenhouse, Dean's. He always has really healthy plants. I have this one in a hanging basket just out my front door to the north. It seems to love it there. It is really growing.

I feel like I've gone crazy with all the pictures but I just love my flowers and want to share the joy they give me!