My Mind is in a Blog

I've got the blues

2011-11-05T17:16:00.004-05:00

Eli loves to make pancakes, so we decided to try blueberry pancakes. He still doesn't like much texture to his food, so we started by pureeing the blueberries. Using the food processor is fun!

Eli loves to whisk everything together.

Good cooks always make a mess.
Look at that face.

These pancakes would be good on Halloween. They almost look black.

Giving them a try and liking blueberry pancakes.
I love his chubby little hands.
Gratuitous shot of his cute curls and messy face.
Clean up time is fun when your helper is this cute! Love the bed head.

Pistols Firing

2011-10-29T11:58:00.003-05:00

OSU really does homecoming right. Most of the fraternities and sororities make these massive house decorations. They also have food and craft vendors. Like a small fair. It's fun. It's where The Boy is. So I go. Eli decided to dress up like Pistol Pete. Here he is with Geep
This is what happens when he sees his Uncle Tyler and doesn't get into Uncle Bubba's arms fast enough.
That's more like it!
Bubba showing Eli one of the house decs. Eli loved them because most had music and moving parts.The decs are made of tons of tissue paper poked into a mesh screen. Amazing. Here's Eli with his dada.

Come on, Pokes! Beat those Baylor Bears!

Zoomba

2011-09-17T22:12:00.007-05:00

Thursday was Eli's first birthday. Ashlee and Jason let me tag along with them to the zoo. So fun. Look at that face. Adorable.

"Black bear, black bear, what do you see?"
"I see Eli looking at me."
The new Komodo Dragon. She is only nine months old.
Eli was fascinated with the Komodo Dragon.
Had to ride the train.......and the carousel.
Past E's nap time.

Lolla-Shoe-Looza

2011-09-01T17:49:00.007-05:00

My shoes were overtaking my closet. What's a girl to do? Well, order some shoe boxes from The Container Store! Look, here they are before I cleaned out the closet: My poor, pitiful closet. Technically, this is part of Steve's side of the closet, but look at the wasted space. Just crying out for some shoe order. It was mostly just a storage shelf for his bow and arrows.
Part of my shoe collection. Out of the closet.Rest of my shoes. Lots of shoes. Still didn't have enough boxes, so the flip flops and some sandals will have to reside here:
It's like little shoe garages! the front opens so you don't have to pull the boxes out of order. I LOVE it.
All the colors of the rainbow greet me when I open the closet door. Makes me happy. Now, if I could just convince Steve to put his clothes in his office...... :)

Crafty, Baby

2011-08-31T10:57:00.009-05:00

Eli and I decided to try making a craft today. Here's how it went:

Not sure about the pom poms. They feel weird.

Got the hang of putting them in the bottle really fast. G-Ma made sure I didn't put any buttons or pom poms in my mouth. This is fun!
Love his little hands and fingers.

Oops! Checking it out before the water and all the pom poms and buttons are in the bottle.

The finished product (the lid was glued in place to eliminate any spills):
Hey, this is great! I like to craft with my G-Ma.
The last photo was thrown in just because he is so beautiful. Cannot remember what I did with my time before he came along. Time spent with this little guy sure is sweet.

Nursery Duty

2011-02-02T17:13:00.012-06:00

I have neglected my blog for too long. Ashlee has asked me several times to post better pictures of Eli's "G-Ma House" nursery, so here goes. I wanted the nursery to be modern, but cozy. Steve loves the outdoors, so this is a happy middle ground.

This is what you see when you open the door. I almost kept Eli's little Christmas tree up because it's so cute, but I couldn't stand it, and it came down the first week of January. The birch tree curtain panels came from IKEA.There are two closets and hanging on one of the handles is this sun. It was made for Ashlee when she was a baby so the sun would always shine on her. How sweet is that?

This little stool also belonged to Eli's mom.Don't you love that photo hanging above the daybed? I took it while Ashlee and Eli were still in the hospital. He looks so content. LOVE. Oh, by the way, I put the daybed together by myself.

The owl bank was given to me by Ashlee and Jason. I had admired it at Target. Love it. You can barely see it, but there is a cute little picture of Steve holding Ashlee when she was a newborn. Retro alarm clock is from Urban Outfitters. Cute picture frame is from Surcee (thanks Noelle!).

Not gonna lie - this is where most of the action takes place in this nursery. What in the world would I do without a changing table? Eli and I have many conversations while I am dressing or changing him.My totally awesome glider where Eli and I snuggle, read books, sing a little, fall asleep... Remind me sometime to tell you the story of trying to get the striped afghan at IKEA. Yeesh. The cute white table is from Burlington Coat Factory and it was super inexpensive. Had some paint scratched off, but I just spray painted the whole thing with primer and white paint. Good as new.
I found this lamp at Ziegler's. When you turn it on, you can see a woodland print glowing on the shade. Very soothing, very cozy modern.

Also found this wooden circles mirror at Ziegler's (on sale!) and could not resist it. I love the texture.
Eli's little library. This silly little shelf doesn't begin to hold all his books. Oh well. Sometimes you have to choose form over function.
This is Eli's bed. I bought the same kind of mattress that he has at home so his G-Ma bed wouldn't feel different than his crib at home. I found the crib online-it's bamboo. I put it together. Then took it apart so I could fit the bed skirt over the frame. Then put it back together. Yes, I am kind of handy.No, he doesn't sleep with all those toys in his bed. Soon the video monitor will be mounted on the wall. He is starting to reach for it. Bedding by Amenity Home.

Cute little pennant banner for photos.And the best part of the nursery is the baby that sleeps in it. Eli is snuggled under Tyler's baby blanket from his great grandma.

That's it. The grand tour. It's one of my favorite rooms in the house.

Life is Grand

2010-09-21T22:54:00.007-05:00

Life as we knew it forever changed Wednesday, September 15, 2010, at 6:04PM.

Eli Scott Osborn entered into this world and Steve and I were finally grandparents. Eli weighed 8 lbs., 1 oz., and was 21 1/4 inches long. Love at first sight. I'm afraid I am one of those grands who prattle on about how wonderful their grandie is, but the truth is truth. He IS wonderful. Enjoy the photos.

Labor Day Fun

2010-09-13T18:25:00.006-05:00

Steve, Ashlee, Jason, and I went to the Oklahoma Aquarium Labor Day, hoping to jumpstart some labor (didn't work). I was underwhelmed last time I visited, which was when it first opened, so I had low expectations. It's also kind of pricey ($14.95). I was certainly surprised - we had a great time and it was well worth the admission price. Loved the octopus, jellyfish, and starfish. What I liked most, though, was the beaver and otters. Unfortunately, the otters were too fast for me to get a good photo.

Ashlee and I thought of Macey Kirkpatrick when we saw these giant bullfrogs. Cindy has the cutest photo of Macey when she was three or four holding a giant bullfrog. That girl has no fear. I thought the frogs looked happy.How cute is this little turtle? He was about the size of a silver dollar and he was sunning himself on a log. Look at his back feet - they are stretched out really far and weren't touching the log at all. I love it.

Totally fascinated by jellyfish - as long as they are behind glass and not in the water I'm playing in!So, are the two glowing things on this sea urchin eyes? I don't know, but it was kind of freaky.

Crazy Octopus

OSU orange starfishShrimp
Another shrimp, aka Ashlee, and Eli

I guess the alligator scared the grandie and he decided he didn't want to come out and play.

Philbrook Phun (Don't you hate it when people misspell words on purpose?)

2010-08-11T17:01:00.007-05:00

Ashlee, Marilyn, Macey, and I had a great day at Philbrook today, but boy, was it hot out in the garden! Macey had never been to Philbrook and was surprised that it wasn't boring. Wish I would have taken photos of the fabulous lunch we had. Yummy! BLT sandwiches and the "T" was a fried green tomato! It also came with sweet potato fries. Oh, the deliciousness of it all! Marilyn had a salad duo (this is only funny if you know the dessert duo story) and Macey had chicken fingers. We all split a piece of Italian Cream Cake and Chocolate Overload Cake. Both are terrific. And I had unsweetened raspberry tea and loved it. Fruit teas are usually too sweet. A pleasant surprise.

Philbrook has an Egyptian exhibit until September 12th and it's fascinating. One of the things we learned about the Egyptians was they would paint pictures of their enemies on the bottom of their sarcophagus so they could stomp on their enemies in the afterlife. Talk about holding a grudge. Saw lots of art and and am better for it. Art is good for the soul. Certainly helps to have an art major tagging along to explain the various works of art. Can't take too many photos inside, but the grounds are gorgeous.

We were tempted to dip our toes into the fountain. At 10:45, it was already pretty warm.
A very large spider. There were a lots of webs sitting on top of the trimmed hedges.
This is one beautiful girl and she is also very sweet and it was fun to hang out with her.

Taking photos on such a sunny day is difficult, especially when you only want to stop in the shade. This is from the gazebo (which in Italian is a tempietto) looking back on part of the museum, the original Italianate mansion Waite Phillips built in the 1920s.

Ashlee and Eli and some random people who wanted to be included in the photo op.

Oh, that water looked so nice. The koi looked like they were enjoying the cool pond.
Ever seen cotton before? Well, here's what the plant looks like:

Of course, we had to visit the gift shop. I bought a couple of books for Eli and me to read and Macey got an awesome sand art kit. I highly recommend Philbrook. It's easy to get around and small enough to see everything in a few hours. The admission is only $7.50 and free for those 18 and younger. Students also get a discount and some college students receive free admission. Check out Philbrook online for hours and also LaVilla Restaurant reservations. Good times, but go when it's cooler. You will enjoy the 23 acres of gardens and outdoor sculptures.

They say it's your birthday.....

2010-07-20T21:35:00.007-05:00

Happy 21st birthday to my favorite son. We really don't know what it's like to have him home on his birthday. Tyler is usually at camp or on a missions trip and unfortunately, his birthday is in the middle of VBS this year, so no big party. Poor guy.
I did manage to roll out of bed at 5:30AM to get donuts while they had a good selection, so at least he had a birthday twist donut with 21 candles. Woohoo!

He chose to go to Los Cabos for dinner. Jason is in the UK on business, so it was just the four of us for dinner.

Can't believe my tiny little baby boy is an adult. Yeesh.

Ashlee creeping in on Tyler's photo.

The dogs were wanting a bite of Tyler's donut

Ashlee spent the night with us because she is helping me with VBS this week, so here's the granddog begging for a bite of donut.

Shower Time

2010-07-10T17:44:00.008-05:00

What a great day for a wedding shower! Love the bride-to-be, loved hosting with my friends who are such hard workers. Thanks Susie, Janice, Marilyn, and Melinda. Lots of food. Lots of fun. Lots of great gifts. It was nice to see a few of the girls from the young married class (Casey, Shannon, Sandra, Dannielle and Jessica) and I always enjoy seeing all the, ahem, older ladies like me since I teach Sunday School and don't get to visit as much as I would like. Here's a few photos of the festive occasion. I think this might be one of my favorite showers that I've hosted. Easy, laid back, fun, nice shower, thanks to the good help. Oh, and thank you to my wonderful daughter for painting the picture frame I used to decorate a table and for taking most of the photos.

Friday Night Flick

2010-06-18T02:46:00.004-05:00

Went to the midnight showing of Toy Story 3 in 3D at StarWorld Theater in south Tulsa with my sister and my wonderful niece. I give this movie two thumbs up plus. It was very good. We even cried a little. It's a little sad, especially if you have a "going off to college" age child. Also, it's a little intense. I would worry about taking anyone under the age of four or five. Everyone else will be okay unless you have a toy phobia.

Well worth your gas money to see it in Tulsa. Go see the movie. Stay for the credits. Oh, Woody, you're a great toy and an even better friend.

What was your favorite toy when you were little? I don't remember any real favorites, but I had a lot of dolls, but man, dolls really creep me out now. I did like Colorforms and I have always loved coloring books, and oh my goodness, the 64 count Crayola crayons.

Toys. Can't wait to buy and play and make some memories with the grandboy. :)

My body is in Owasso...

2010-06-13T00:27:00.003-05:00

...my mind is in Sanibel. Sigh.

Livin' on Island Time

2010-06-08T19:41:00.012-05:00

Not gonna lie. This may be my longest post ever. I'm sorry. I had almost 600 photos to go through and these made the cut. If you want a vacation that is relaxing, Sanibel Island is the place to go. We went to the beach, collected shells, hung out in the condo, explored the island, and just enjoyed each other's company. Might be the best vacation I have ever had. First time in a long while I wasn't ready to come home. Could have stayed at least two or three more days, maybe a week. Came back refreshed. Here's how we began our vacation:

Flight leaves at 6:00AM - what?! We have reserved seats, but Steve is up and at 'em. "Are you ready to board?" So funny.

On the tram in Ft. Myers. Ashlee creeping into the photo. Let the fun begin!

We rented two cars. The kids got the cute convertible (I was a secondary driver for this car so I got to drive it a couple of times) and Steve and I got the VW Jetta. I think I prefer air conditioning to a convertible. The kids look so cute in this car.
View from our screened-in porch. Love it.

On the beach, looking back at our condo. We were on the third floor and had a private roof top deck above. It was a wonderful three bedroom/three bath condo. Tyler slept on the huge sectional in the living room.

A wedding on the beach. Jason and I were playing paparazzi from the deck of the condo. The bride was beautiful.
Katie is so cute!

The guys being silly. Love it.

Some of the critters we saw:
Hang on, little buddy.

Beach bunny. Saw him by the boardwalk leading down to the beach.You lookin' at me?
Cute little gecko/lizard. They were everywhere.

Waiting to board our ship, "Lady Chadwick" for the dolphin cruise - it was soooo hot that day.

Dolphin cruise - see the babies? So cute! Oh, that's Jason's elbow.

Best looking pregnant woman I know. We went to Captiva Island for lunch at the Bubble Room. Fun and boy, did they have good desserts!

Uh-oh! Who fed Bo-Bo bubble bread?
Tyler is so awkward sometimes...
...and sometimes he's just beautiful. The bridge connecting Sanibel Island to Florida. I wasn't ready to make the return trip. I wanted to stay.
Wish she had a Dunkin Donuts in Owasso. Look how happy she is.
Peace... and love from Sanibel Island. Can't wait to go back.

Happy Birthday To Me...

2010-05-17T23:02:00.006-05:00

So, for background music for this blog post, I couldn't decide between "Don't Fear the Reaper" (it needs more cowbell) or "Forever Young" because I am hopelessly immature.
Sunday was my 48th birthday and I started off the day in Sunday School with my four and five year olds. Love them. Church and then Taco Bueno. My choice. Naps for everyone in the house. Ashlee and Jason came over and watched Survivor finale. Not an exciting day, but then again, 48 isn't exactly an exciting age, unless you figure in the grandboy coming while I'm 48. No photos of me. I am always the camera person. But I do have pictures of the kids and dogs because they make me happy. Thanks to all who sent birthday wishes on Facebook. It was fun.

Oh, and here's a photo of my niece after Union High School's graduation. Love her, loved her valedictorian address.

You Ain't Nothin' But....

2010-05-01T09:09:00.007-05:00

By now everyone should know I love my two little dogs and my granddog and that all of them came from rescue groups. Mine are from ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation) and Preston is from SGRR (Sooner Golden Retriever Rescue). There are literally hundreds of thousands animals just waiting to find a good home. Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas are three of the worst puppy mill states. Please do your research if you are purchasing a pet from a breeder. Contact the AKC (American Kennel Club) and check out your breeder before you buy. Now, I'll step off my soapbox!

My friend Casey makes these great bandanas that slip onto your dog's collar so they stay put. They are only $5.00 and the proceeds go to SGRR (she adopted a deaf, blind goldie and named her "Helen"). If interested in purchasing a bandana for your pup, just let me know. She is working on an Etsy site so she can sell these cute bandanas online and asked if I would take some photos of my pups wearing their bandanas. I was happy to do it. Here are a few:

Opie and Minnie with their Blue Elvis

BOOMER!

COWBOY!

I love this picture because Opie looks like "Leo" from That 70s Show. Like, wow, man, tie dye.

Casey also has tee shirts available. I believe they are $15.00, and again, the proceeds go to SGRR. I think she has navy and black. Again, if interested, just let me know and I'll forward your message to Casey. Yo ho, yo ho, a pupster's life for me. Of course, you have to have a skullie bandana!

Yo ho, yo ho....

2010-04-23T11:07:00.004-05:00

Almost everybody knows I like accessories with skulls on them. I have a pink scarf with a skull, sunglasses, well, you get the drift. So imagine how much I am going to love seeing the grandboy in this outfit:

Embroidered skullies on the jeans! You know I had to buy those. Is it September yet? When it gets here, beware! Like all good pirates, stealing (hearts, that is) will come naturally to Eli. Better hide your heart, girls...

Introducing my Grandson...

2010-04-10T22:13:00.007-05:00

Ashlee and Jason had Jason's grands, Ashlee's grands, Jason's parents, Steve and me, Tyler (Tyler's girlfriend, Katie was sick and had to stay at my house), Mandi, Alora, Xander, and Riddik over to unveil the gender of the baby. We were all so excited (but I think I was the most excited). After waiting 25 excruciating minutes, they were able to open the cake box. Jase and Ash ordered a cake from Merritt's, which was supposed to be undecorated on top with pink or blue buttercream filling, depending on the baby's gender. Well, they didn't follow Ashlee's directions. Fortunately, they had sealed the box up and put a note on it that said:

And the result is:

Yep, it's a boy.
Ashlee on the phone with her best friend. I tied the bow around her. She's a cute little pregnant woman. The present is from my mom, wrapping by me. The proud parents
I'm so happy to know. Now I can shop more efficiently. So, have you guessed what my grandson's name will be?

Gotta love Three Dog Night!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-31T07:49:00.002-05:00

Very Wordy Wednesday...

2010-03-24T10:19:00.013-05:00

...because it can't be "Wordless Wednesday" with even one word, right? So, a couple of weeks ago, I put a little blurb on Facebook about the Relay for Life benefitting the American Cancer Society. A couple of people asked about it, so I am going to go into a little more detail on my blog. My nephew's 20 year old girlfriend is battling (and defeating) cancer. Check out her blog, http://emilyupdate09.blogspot.com/
She is awesome and I love her and her spunky attitude.
She is the team leader for her relay group at OSU and Tyler is in her group. Their team name is Kitty kickin' cancer. The name comes from a "hello kitty" balloon someone gave Emily when she was in the ICU. Still inflated now. No kitties were actually harmed in the team naming process!
If you would like to donate, you can do it online. It is totally tax deductible and every dollar counts. Skip your Starbucks vente white chocolate mocha and give to the American Cancer Society. The link:
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayforLife/RFLFY10PL?team_id=669965&pg=team&fr_id=23721

Please, if I have ever bought something from your child, grandchild, etc., now is the time to return the favor. Do it because you have healthy children, grandchildren. Do it because you never want to hear the words "Your child has cancer." Do it to honor someone who lost their fight with the hateful disease. Do it because someone you love fought and survived. Do it because cancer doesn't discriminate. It strikes the very young, very old. Do it because every dollar helps. Shameless begging, I know, but everyone has been touched by this awful disease. Please donate. Just.Do.It.

Thank you so much.

And, Tyler, cash my check and put it in your team's account! :)

Have I mentioned...

2010-03-15T10:30:00.002-05:00

That I'm going to be a grandma? Just in case you're that one person I haven't told, here's the ultrasound photos of the grandbaby. It has gone from being a caterpillar to an alien. Aww. April cannot come soon enough. I need to know if it's a boy or girl. Don't care, just need to buy! Any guesses? I have no idea.

Spring

2010-03-09T18:14:00.003-06:00

Honest Scrap

2010-02-25T10:59:00.007-06:00

The "Honest Scrap Award" comes with a caveat or two. First you have to tell your readers ten things about you they may not know, but that are true. Second, you have to tag 10 people with the award. Third, let all the people you've given the award to know they've gotten in (comment on their blogs or something. Thanks, so much Erin.

1. I snore. Those of you I've traveled with know this.

2. I love spending time by myself. Wouldn't want to live that way, but I love having a day where the phone doesn't ring, I don't have to get dressed, and can do anything I want.

3. Cell phone use in church really bugs me. I know some of you have your Bibles on your phones, but the light on the screen is really distracting and I know MOST of you are not looking up scriptures. Also, I almost can't stand it when people answer their cellies when they are supposed to be enjoying a nice meal and conversation with me. Or if I'm the only passenger in the car and a conversation on the phone is longer than a few minutes. So rude. Just turn the thing off, for crying out loud. I understand taking an emergency call or a sitter's call, but that's about it.

4. Have already bought several things for my future grandbaby and think about him/her constantly. I am obsessed. Get here April, so I will know if it's a grandson/daughter. Don't care which, just want to know.

5. My zoo friend membership number is 13. Yes, I have been a member of the zoo since my children were very young and have always renewed it. I love the zoo. Join zoo friends!

6. I frequently try new recipes when company is coming over. Usually it turns out okay, but sometimes, it's bad! So funny because it's usually my bunco friends and they are very forgiving. I normally set something on fire when it's the Baskins' Christmas.

7. I am a gift wrapping snob. I think if you go to the trouble of searching for the perfect gift, you should go the extra mile and wrap it. Gift bags, pleh. (Unless it's a huge, weird shaped present and I will usually try to wrap those)

8. Have a hard time saying "no" when asked to do something and then get mad at myself for agreeing to do something. However, I am almost always glad I volunteered when it's all said and done.

9. I am really pretty shy. I cover it up by pretending to be outgoing. Seriously. I would hide behind my mom and wouldn't speak to people until I was four or five.

10. Still wander down the Hobby Lobby wedding aisle and will scan bridal magazines in the grocery store check-out even though my daughter has been married for almost four years. It was so fun planning and working on her wedding. I would do it over in a heartbeat.

Now, I am not going to tag ten people. If you want to do this, fine. It's fun to find out interesting things about your friends, but no pressure, no obligation. Do it if you want. It's fun to think of things people might not know about you.

Woof Woof Wednesday

2010-02-24T08:50:00.005-06:00

Want your pups to be as fabulous as mine? Well, call Casey Largent and she can hook you up with a doggie bandana in virtually any design/color. They slide onto your pooch's collar, so they stay on and are not choking hazards. They come in sizes to fit the smallest to largest dogs and are only $5.00 each. A doggie fashion bargain! All the profits go to Sooner Golden Retriever Rescue (SGRR), the wonderful adoption program my own golden granddoggie, Preston, came from. So come on, help a dog find a new forever home while making your dog rockin' cool! If you are interested, I can relay the info to Casey. Remember, if you are interested in adding a dog to your family, check out rescue organizations, the pound,petfinder.com, or contact the AKC to find a reputable breeder. There are millions of dogs looking for a home. Pet shop dogs usually come from puppy mills. Don't shop, adopt, please. :)

Here are a few of Opie and Minnie's doggie bandanas:

Ridiculous? Yes. Adorable? Absolutely.

Erin go braugh!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-17T11:18:00.002-06:00

Hi, My name is Pam and...

2010-02-08T09:19:00.003-06:00

I am addicted to Etsy. Shopaholic crack high. Do not enter the site unless you are willing to invest countless hours to shopping pleasure. Love all the quirky, interesting things you can find. Consider yourself warned.

Wordless (Speechless!) Wednesday

2010-01-25T23:47:00.006-06:00

Pound for pound...

2010-01-16T13:47:00.003-06:00

...the hairiest dog in the world. Gaze upon the furball that came from my tiny little furball.

This is what happens when you don't brush your little dog often enough. Yuck.

Someone to Watch Over Me...

2010-01-14T10:47:00.004-06:00

Guard dogs extraordinaire. Making sure that anything that moves or makes a sound (cats, dogs, people, leaves, door bell, etc.) will be met with ferocious barking.

Oh, in case you didn't get the Wordless Wednesday post, it's referencing an old Coke commercial from the 70s. Ahh, the good old days when buying the world a Coke would and should bring world peace and harmony. Silly folk singers.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-13T01:50:00.000-06:00

Foodie Friday

2010-01-08T16:33:00.002-06:00

Cooking is definitely more fun when wearing one of these:

We are going over to my sister's house tonight to play the games we didn't get to play at Christmas because of the weather, so I wanted to bake a cake and make some dip and some strawberry lemonade. Trust me, the way I cook, an apron is always a good thing, especially when it's handcrafted by a good friend! Don't be jealous.

The View From My Lap

2010-01-06T23:18:00.003-06:00

Ashlee and Jason had tickets for "Legally Blonde" so I got to keep the granddog. This is what I saw most of the night:Crazy, needy dog. At least I didn't have to worry about getting cold. My own personal 80 pound lap dog. Good boy.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-06T08:55:00.000-06:00

Thanks, Quaker Man.

2010-01-05T10:42:00.004-06:00

In an effort to be more heart friendly, and because you are supposed to eat breakfast (pleh) I am trying to eat a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast every day. The problem: I like a little oatmeal with my brown sugar and butter or in a cookie or Janice Keith's Oatmeal Cake (seriously, if you haven't tried oatmeal cake, look up "Alice Sowder Keith's Oatmeal Cake" in the church cookbook-SO GOOD!) What's a girl to do?

Well, I've been experimenting and I've come up with an edible bowl of oatmeal without all the sugar and butter. I make the HUGE heart healthy quick recipe (3/4 cup oatmeal, 3/4 Horizon organic milk-it has to be organic milk it just tastes 1,000 times better, 3/4 water). I add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, mix and microwave for 1 1/2-2 minutes. I then add one teaspoon brown sugar, a little pumpkin pie spice, and tons of cinnamon. Voila! Edible, halfway enjoyable oatmeal without the extra sugar and butter. The milk does add calories and fat, but I need the calcium for my old bones and it makes the oatmeal creamier. If you haven't tried Horizon Organic 2% or fat free milk, give it a try. I am not a milk drinker, so regular milk always smells bad to me - Horizon doesn't and it will keep longer in the fridge. Hope my heart appreciates it. My taste buds are still a little mad.

Woof woof woof

2009-12-31T10:06:00.001-06:00

Dog speak for Happy New Year! Hope 2010 brings joy, peace, and lots of fun for you and yours.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-30T09:35:00.004-06:00

Random Holiday Photos

2009-12-27T12:26:00.016-06:00

My blog was due for a post, so here are some random Christmas photos. Hope all my blogger and blog stalker friends had a wonderful Christmas.

Christmas begins with the Boy coming home from OSU. Opie and Minnie sporting the Boy's favorite colors.

Then Katie came up from Texas for a few days. Tyler wrapped the gift he gave to Katie, but I had to do the bow.

Katie or Lady GaGa?

On to the Baskins/Lutkie/Pace Christmas (12/22) at our house. The menu: Bruschetta Chicken, carrot souffle, caesar salad, breadsticks, and alfredo dipping sauce. Dessert: Wanda's Italian cream cake. Thanks, Bev! Steve's mom made her kids and husband/wives quilts. They were beautiful and mine is a Christmas quilt. Here's the annual Baskins' kids' pyramid.

And the fall of the pyramid:

Christmas Eve spent with Ashlee and Jason at our house. The menu: Baked mini ham and cheese sandwiches and homemade mac&cheese.
Tyler bought Ash a picture frame and...

...cocoa!

Bob Ross (happy little trees) tee shirt.

Oooo! The cute slippers I wanted. Thanks, Tyler.

Somebody must pet me now.

Steve wears these camo slippers all the time. And no, we didn't buy them - he bought them for himself. Pretty.

Wish they would let me unwrap and eat this candy cane!

A new computer for me. Woohoo! Doesn't Minnie look thrilled?

Tyler flying his new helicopter from Ash and Jason.

BonJovi book. Yippee!

Swarovski binoculars. Awesome!

Christmas Day at my house with my side of the family (Mom, Dad, Vick, Eric, Blake, Chloe, Ashlee, Jason, Tyler, Steve and Pam). Menu: Honey Kissed Ham and Turkey from the Hamlet, sweet potato casserole and rolls I made, scalloped potatoes and broccoli cheese casserole my mom made, baked beans, dressing and cranberries my sister made. Dessert was pecan pie from my mom and chocolate cream pie and peanut butter balls from my sister. Yummy! Look at all the presents just for my sister! Don't worry. We all had about the same amount. Way too much, but oh, so fun!

New shades for Vickie and Chloe:

Me and Jason goofing with my camera while we wait our turn to open a gift.

Chloe showing off her OU red coat. Yep. She looks good in OSU orange and OU crimson.

I love this photo of my nephew, Blake. He is cracking up.

Ooo! A magic mouse from Nanny and Papa. So exciting!Mom got the biggest box.
Tyler, Mabel, and BlakeOpie wearing my new scarf that I love.

Hey, a good photo of Steve and me.

Okay, so that's it. Loads of random photos from our very busy, fun Christmas. I'm ready to see some of your Christmas fun pictures, so blog away.

Happy, happy, happy

2009-12-16T23:48:00.003-06:00

Don't you love awards? I do. Even the simplest praise delights me. I'm supposed to list ten things that make me happy. I am going to exclude the family and pets because they are obviously at the top of the list.

1. My Sunday School class. I love seeing my four-five and some six year old friends. They make me laugh and they are a joy to be around.

2. Trying a new recipe and liking it, or laughing about how awful it is.

3. Babies. I love the way newborns are so floppy and helpless and they just get better.

4. Reading the Bible and having a verse jump off the page. Some of the verses in Psalms feel like a warm blankie wrapping around me and giving me a hug.

5. Laughing at a good joke with friends, even if it's aimed at me. I do too many goofy things to not laugh at myself! If you can't laugh at yourself, you have to be one miserable person.

6. A long soak in the tub, complete with candles filling the air with a wonderful scent, a drink, snack and book. I mean it when I say a long soak in the Jetta. Pure decadence.

7. Dessert. I seem to be on a pumpkin cheesecake kick right now. Yummmm

8. Singing. Oh, I do it so badly, but I love to sing. I really crank up my volume when I'm in the car.

9. Staying up late and sleeping in. The joy of having grown children!

10. Taco Bueno. I eat this stuff once a week. When our fam comes home from vacation, it's the first place we go to eat. I think they lace their bean burritos with crack.

So, that's ten random things that make me happy. I think I'm supposed to ask other people to list some things that make them happy, but I'll let you decide if you want to do this. Do you have ten things that make you happy? Well consider yourself gifted with the "Happy 101" and blog about it. Who knows? You may make someone happy with your list. :) I'm happy just thinking of things that make me happy.

Snowman in the Refrigerator

2009-12-14T00:05:00.002-06:00

Whenever I open the refrigerator door, this is what I see:Very cute, right? Gets better. He talks and sings. He only says nice things. I like that in a snowman. The best thing about the snowman is every time I hear him I am reminded of the two adorable girls who gave him to me and I have to smile. Thanks so much, Lily and Ella. You were right, Ella, when you told me I was gonna love it!
Now, if he would only clean the fridge for me....

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-09T15:21:00.000-06:00

Santa's Little Helpers

2009-11-30T22:13:00.003-06:00

Why, oh why, do I get such pleasure out of putting silly clothes on my poor pooches?

"Did you say treat? Well, that'll sure make my ears perk up!"
"Do you think this plaid makes me look fat?"

With the festive outfitting of the pups, I declare the holiday season to be in full swing. Now, get out there and shop 'til you drop.

Turkey Talk

2009-11-28T16:06:00.004-06:00

We headed to South Tulsa to celebrate Thanksgiving at my sister's house. Ashlee and Jason celebrated with his mom and dad this year. Emily, Blake's girlfriend was also with her family. We had a whole bunch of food and a lot of fun. We also celebrated my dad's 69th birthday and Blake's 21st birthday. Played TriBond, which I love, but didn't win, and also HoopLa which is played as a team against the clock. It was hard, but we laughed ourselves silly.

Chloe was the only one who realized I was taking a picture.

Vick and Mom making the gravy.

Wonder who Tyler is talking to? "Hi, Katie!"

Eric carving the turkey. Yum!

Hope your family enjoyed Thanksgiving and had a chance to count all your blessings. Friday, it was time to get up and shop. Tyler headed down to Texas to see Katie. I went shopping Friday morning with Ashlee and Jason, but didn't buy any Christmas presents. Anybody else having trouble getting motivated this year? I'm usually kickin' it by now...

Home

2009-11-25T10:42:00.001-06:00

Aww.

You're a mean one..

2009-11-21T20:15:00.002-06:00

Getting myself in the Christmas spirit, whether I like or not!

I think Ashlee has the N-Sinc and Christina cds. Oh well.

Wordless...

2009-11-18T08:38:00.001-06:00

Opie & Minnie in the 'hood

2009-11-16T16:07:00.006-06:00

You know it's cold when the dogs don't even mind wearing their hoodies inside. Think it might be time to turn the heat on. Brrrs.

Turn the heat on. NOW!

Ross and TJ Maxx both have great deals on fun clothes if your dog needs them like poor Opie. His cute fleece hoodie was only $4.99 at Ross. The selection is hit or miss, but sometimes the hunt is fun.

People, let me tell you 'bout my best friend...

2009-11-12T21:32:00.005-06:00

So, I kept the granddog last weekend while Ashlee was jet setting around. Bonus - the Boy came home for the weekend. Always glad to see his good lookin' face. Here's how Preston looks when he sees Tyler:

It's almost impossible to get a good picture of Preston because he is WILD around Tyler, all blinky and wiggly.

Here's what he looks like when Tyler leaves:
Not really. This is today. I was on the couch catching up on some TIVO'd shows and when I looked down, Preston was patiently(?) waiting for me to pet him, his big old floppy head resting on the sofa cushion. If you would pet him 24/7, it still wouldn't be enough. Gotta love that quirky, needy granddog of mine. After Ashlee and Jason, I think I'm his favorite person, although he has told me a couple of times today that Ash and Jase were dead to him. He has definitely spent too much time with me. Just sayin'....

Reading is Fundamental

2009-11-06T21:21:00.003-06:00

My sister, The Reading Specialist, was named Teacher of the Year at McAuliffe Elementary. Here's the official photo and announcement from the schools web site:

McAuliffe Teacher of the Year
Vickie Winden - Reading Specialist
2009-2010 Teacher of the YearReading specialist Vickie Winden, left, receives a bouquet of flowers from Principal Rita Martin after being named the McAuliffe 2009-2010 Teacher of the Year.

McAuliffe's Teacher of the Year is......Vickie Winden. She is currently serving as our Reading Specialist and has done an amazing job meeting individual needs of students! We are so excited tthat she will be representing McAuliffe Elementary School, 6515 S. Garnett! She is a pillar among us!

She has an extremely difficult job and she does it well. Congratulations, Miss SmartyPants! I am very proud of her.

Here we are at OSU/Walkaround

Wordy Wednesday

2009-11-04T10:42:00.006-06:00

On this day, 21 short years ago, a beautiful blonde haired, blue eyed Blake arrived in the world and totally capivated his Aunt Pam. I love him more than words can express. He is smart, adorable, and sweet. My sister's firstborn. What my sister would like if she was a boy. :)

My nephew. Just a joy. Can't wait to see what the next 21 years hold.

Blake and me in front of the Beta's homecoming float.

HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY!

No Tricks Just Treats

2009-11-01T21:29:00.014-06:00

Why is it so fun to pass out candy? I love it. I had a few favorite kiddos stop by. Can you guess who they were?

Elphaba the witch from the musical Wicked

A super ninja - hiiiiyaaa! Hudson was cracking Steve and me up.

Aww. Kayli and Hudson showing some sibling love. I think Noelle did a super job with the green makeup.
Alee is a great Tinkerbell. When she was getting out of the car, this is my one-sided conversation with Steve because he was watching the Sooners: "Aaaaa! Alee's dressed up as Tinkerbell. She looks so cute." ...Pause... "Oh my goodness! Her wings light up!"

I have the ability to turn the cutest little Disney character into this:
Vampire Tinkerbell!

Even Red Power Rangers like Isak are powerless to resist the lure of the vampire:

Hey look! Barbie popped in for a photo op! Oh, okay. It's Kristy, but c'mon, she looks like Barbie, she's that pretty. Yes, she's also super nice. You really would like to hate on her, but you just can't. Can you tell in the photo that Isak's helmet thing lights up, along with Tink's wings?

How the dogs spend Halloween. Imagine loud, high pitched barking. If I left the door open, they were okay. Steve wouldn't let me keep the door open. Imagine loud, high pitched barking.
I think these masks are really eerie. I just bought them to take funny photos of the dogs, but decided to put one over this lamp. Kind of freaky isn't it?

Kayli, Hudson, Isak, and Alee's candy and prize bags in a special spot on the table: Do you think my obsession with skullies is weird? I only like the fun, cute ones, not the bloody, snake covered skulls.

Here's the other mask on the full candy tub - 6:00PM:

Candy tub at 8:15PM:

Four 3Musketeers and a candy wrapper.
Another Happy Halloween.

Halloween Costume Antics

2009-10-31T01:23:00.010-05:00

Ahoy, there mateys! Feast your eyes on the fiercest canine pirate to sail the seven seas: Lest you think Yellowbeard, aka Preston, is easy to photograph here are a few outtakes:

Here's Jason - where's the pirate dog?

Oh sure, Jason and Ashlee look great. Yellowbeard, however, is doing the eye blinking thing.
Blinking and being all wild-eyed crazy, Preston, not Jason. Jase always looks cute.
Looks like Yellowbeard "yo ho hoed" with one bottle of rum too many. :) Let the professionals show you how to pose. One frame for each of them is all it took.

Minnie the Mighty
Opie the Awesome
Tinkerbell and Peter Pan
One really aggravated Tinkerbell.
Letting me know how they really feel about wearing costumes:
Post-costume resentment:
If you think the dogs tolerate the costumes without an incentive, think again. They all received their pirate treasure. Milk bones and Halloween toys to chew to bits. Preston removed a foot from his toy before they left the house.

Happy Halloween Everybody! Post those costume photos. Hope you enjoy your treating as much as I do!

Hope I bought enough candy.

2009-10-30T09:18:00.003-05:00

Last year I had to turn my porch light off at 8:00pm because I ran out of candy. I bought three of the gigantic assortment bags at Walmart that cost $12 or $13. That's a lot of candy. I bought a little bit more this year. Hopefully it will last until at least 8:30pm. We'll see. Happy haunting everyone.

Rain, rain, go away.

2009-10-29T17:35:00.004-05:00

Come again another day. Not really. I love the rain, I just can't believe how much it has rained. Turned me into a big old slug today. Didn't accomplish anything today except picking up my Kindle and reading. Shame on me. Here's a photo of my back yard and it's not foggy, just a good downpour.

If you look closely, you can see the rain.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I might just take a nap.

Woofless Wednesday

2009-10-28T20:17:00.004-05:00

God's Paintbrush

2009-10-27T13:27:00.007-05:00

Yesterday I opened the back door to let the dogs out (6:00PM) and was greeted with this beautiful site:

The sun was starting to set and the last bit of light was hitting the top of one our few trees that survived the ice storm. Delightful.

I then headed to the front yard to get some photos of the leaves before they all fall from the trees. We have nice landscaping in front, but only have Japanese maple trees, so most of these trees belong to the neighbors.

This was my maple tree yesterday (it's a little blurry, sorry):This is the same tree today. Look at the rapid color change. Amazing.

Last rose of the season:

Happy fall. I love this time of year.

One year ago today...

2009-10-26T12:26:00.007-05:00

Minnie was attacked. Thanks to excellent vet care, she is practically as good as new. That is, as new as an old dog can be. Here she is as Ariel before:

After:

And now, pretty much back to her old self:

Minnie is really more surgical tape, pins, and staples than dog. :)

Just be aware not all dogs are friendly at the dog park. The dog who attacked Minnie had never bitten anyone/anything before. Minnie was on a leash right by me. Scary.

Three days before Minnie was shaved down to the bone, my mom had her head shaved for surgery. She also made a complete recovery. Amazing. Both have had several haircuts since then.

Also, does this song from the movie, "Halloween" give you the shivers? It's so scary! Any songs scare you?

Reason to love October:

2009-10-25T22:00:00.007-05:00

Derek Jeter in a New York Yankees uniform - the best looking uniform in baseball. Yay for October.

Here's to you New York, New York! The Yankees are Steve's favorite team. He says God wears pinstripes. And, well, who doesn't love NYC? Broadway, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Macy's shoe department.....

Yeah, I wear clothes, so what?

2009-10-22T21:39:00.003-05:00

Opie chillin' in his sweatsuit. Ashlee bought him the golden retriever puppy toy. Opie refers to it as his "goldie voodoo". He has named it "Preston" and he bites it hard. Hmmm...
Enjoy Opie's handsomeness.

His name is OPIE

2009-10-20T22:05:00.007-05:00

So, how long have Opie and Minnie been going to Strathe Veterinary in Owasso? Long enough for the groomer to know his name is Opie, not Odie. Of course, because of her brush with death last year, everyone from the interns to the vet techs, receptionists to the vets know Minnie. They are all glad to see her, despite the fact that she tries to bite them all. She's really scary with her whole two or three remaining teeth.

Before grooming:

After groomage:

Token granddog photo:

Feels just like I'm walkin' on broken glass....

2009-10-19T17:04:00.010-05:00

What does this look like to you? Abstract Art? No. Ice? No. It's the dumb old Pyrex lid for one of my Crock Pots. This is what happens when you try to clean your kitchen. Some days you are just better off going to Taco Bueno.Looks like I'm getting a new Crock Pot. Score! Is it weird that I'm excited about the possibility of a new Crock Pot?

While we are on the subject of cooking, are you guys messy cooks? I seem to get every pot and pan I own dirty, plus 10 or 12 serving dishes. Yeesh. I need a sous chef and/or dishwasher. Don't tell me it would be easier to clean as you go along. Puh-leeze! I'm already dangerous in the kitchen. Last thing I need is something to distract me from the stove. Again, Taco Bueno is a good option. Notice the unbroken Crock Pot lid. Here's what my kitchen looks like on a typical cooking night:

At least I tidied up. Oh, okay, I didn't clean the kitchen until the next morning. Give me a stinkin' break!
This is my favorite dish towel. Only because it's so sad, so true.

Time to go start dinner. Sigh.

OSU Walkaround

2009-10-17T00:35:00.024-05:00

Friday was Homecoming Walkaround at OSU, so Ashlee, Jason and I headed to Stilli-town to see the Boy, the sights, and eat some food. The weather was perfect for being outside. The sun was shining, but it was chilly - my favorite kind of day. The theme this year is "Branded for Life".
Emily, Blake, Tyler, Ashlee and Jason in front of the Beta float for the homecoming parade. The Betas have never done a float before and I think this looks great. This is the float in daylight.

Here it is at night.

In front of the Fiji house dec. Good grief! Could our mouths be any bigger?

This house dec was an art theme, so Ashlee liked it a lot.

Ashlee looking awkward because she accidentally touched the paintbrush while she was pretending to paint with it. The paintbrush was motorized so it moved by itself.
I can't believe the detail in these house decs. Love all the timepieces. All the watch hands moved. Cool.

Pistol Pete driving a semi and running over the Missouri Tiger. Can you guess who they are playing tomorrow? Eric and Vickie

I think this was my favorite house dec. The colors were phenomenal.

The fishing guy was motorized and looked like he was getting pulled into the water, the hot air balloon went up and down, the stained glass windows opened, and...

...the panels opened to reveal Bullet. Pretty awesome.

Mmm, roasted corn on the cob.

Ashlee creeping in on the photo and sneaking a bite of corn.

My adorable nephew and my cute sister.

Don't you love it when someone creeps in on your photo?The Boy and I are in front of the Beta float.

Tyler, Blake, and Blake's caramel apple in front of the Beta float. I told them to act like sorority girls when they get their photo taken. Ashlee and Emily mocking the sorority girls who were having their photo taken in front of the float. Silly, cute girls.
A good time was had by all, but it was time to ride off into the sunset. Good night all you little cowpokes.

BOO!

2009-10-15T20:02:00.003-05:00

Wordy Wednesday

2009-10-14T09:33:00.011-05:00

Since I'm rarely without words, I can not do a "Wordless Wednesday" post. Plus, my photos aren't good enough to print without a sentence or two explanation of said photo. Katie Karn does the best "Wordless Wednesday". Her photos are always delicious and need no words. Also, check out Stacy's blog and her corn stalk photos. Beautiful! Instead of "Wordy Wednesday, I probably should have titled this post "Bags and Boots and Bedding, Oh My!"

Steinmart had their 12 hour sale Saturday and well, the boots just begged me to purchase them. Really. I could hear them calling as soon as I walked into the store. They were loud. I had to put them in my shopping bag to quiet them down! When I spotted the orange purse and realized it was 50% off the SALE price, plus it was a perfect fall color, it somehow managed to hop into my shopping bag and snuggled up to the bronze boots. I had to buy the purse to keep the boots happy.

My sister had snagged a couple of free tickets to the Holiday Mart Sunday afternoon at Union High School, so she invited me to go with her. I didn't think I would buy anything, but I ended up buying a couple of gifts for other people, some dip mixes for the holidays, a baby gift, and a couple of things for me, including the turquoise purse. At least the bag was on sale.. .

This is my new bedding. I'm normally not a "blue" girl, but I do love this particular blue/brown combination. It's not turquoise or robin's egg blue, just a soft French blue. Thanks for the bedding, Mom! I love the pom-pom fringe on the throw. It adds a little whimsy, don't you think?See, told you I'm too wordy for a "Wordless Wednesday". That's just the way I roll.

Bad to the bone...

2009-10-05T23:35:00.012-05:00

I had bunco at my house last night. Thought the dogs needed to look good for the girls, so they have new collars. Not just any collar, SKULL collars. Of course, they are so shaggy you can't even see them...

Unless you look down at the dogs like this:Here's some fun decorations purchased from Target and Walmart to get me into the Halloween mood. Like the cool card in the photo frame (It's a scary crow with a dangling eye, my personal irrational fear)? Check out a great site on Etsy called The Painted Peep Show. The site belongs to a terrific graphic artist. He is currently working on canine notecards and Christmas cards. Check him out, help the local artist community. It's a good thing!
The cute beribboned basket came from Hobby Lobby. Love it.
What's Halloween without a couple of skulls? This is actually a black table runner - don't know why it looks grey.

Last, but not least, homemade Pumpkin Cheesecake! Mmmm. I think it looks as pretty as it tastes.

Is that a dark cloud hanging over me?

2009-10-01T15:48:00.006-05:00

Going to pick up the granddog for his visit and noticed how dark it was outside for 12:30PM. Plus, what happened to the cool weather? It was muggy and windy. Look up and there's a huge dark cloud that seemed to follow me to Preston's house and all the way back home. It was weird. Only one dark cloud contrasted against the whitest, fluffiest, cotton candy clouds. So strange, but so pretty.
Can you tell how dark the cloud is at the lower right side of the photo? A few white clouds, then nothing but blue sky. Have to love the weird Okie weather. Oh, about the tree in the photo below. It belongs to my neighbor across the street and it has always been dead looking on the top, even in spring when it's covered in leaves and tons of birds perch on those branches around dusk. Yikes! It's so creepy. You just know those birds are waiting for a chance to peck your eyes out. [Insert a big shudder, brrrr, here. ]

Last, but not least, a token photo of the granddog. He's peeking around the door. Actually, "Big Yellow" is just blocking the doorway so "Little White" and "Medium White" can't get into the family room. Crazy, needy, adorable dog!

Feeding my flock

2009-09-28T13:54:00.003-05:00

Preston came over to visit today. This is how I feed him:

He only gets a cup of food at a time because of his irritable bowel syndrome. He has a bowl at home that has three prongs in the middle to help slow down this chow hound. When he's at my house, he likes to dine where else? The dining room. I throw the food all over the floor. It reminds me of how you would feed a chicken, if you're brave enough for that sort of thing. Now when I feed him, I always say, "Here chick, chick, chick." Preston loves it.

Here's Minnie trying to eat Preston's food. I give her a little pile of food but she always goes under the table and snags a few pieces that belong to Preston. Good thing Preston doesn't have food sharing issues.

Here's her little pile of food.My dogs think they are getting a treat or maybe they just like the idea of cheating Preston out of food.

Hard Knock Life

2009-09-25T22:58:00.004-05:00

Tough work to be canine in the Baskins' household.

Indian Giver (Shoes, Indian Shoe Giver)

2009-09-23T10:57:00.009-05:00

What happens when your friends go on vacation to a place filled with Smoky Mountain treasures? Well, they bring you:

(Sing this sentence to the tune of "Shiny Little Surrey With the Fringe on the Top" from Oklahoma) Shiny little sandals with the fringe on the top!I can't be sure if they were bought as a joke or not, but who cares? I had contemplated buying some Jessica Simpson sandals that were similar, so I am thrilled and will enjoy wearing these fun shoes. I am, however, worried about how much Steve will love these shoes. The wearing of his knee high moccasins (yes, don't even go there) and these sandals has already been a topic of conversation. Gack.

Oh, and pumpkin butter? Woohoo! Bring on the fall, y'all.
Also, I have begun a new blog for my Sunday School class. Here's the link: http://exploringfunatfriendshipbaptist-owass.blogspot.com

Ridin' the Storm Out

2009-09-21T19:59:00.003-05:00

It was a dark and stormy night.......

Can you see the little bats flying right above the tree line on the right side of the photo? For some reason, bats don't scare me like birds.
Enjoy the stormy night.

Sylvia, how do you call your lover boy?

2009-09-14T22:47:00.010-05:00

"Come here, lover boy!" One of my favorite lines, actually two lines of a song from Dirty Dancing sung by Mickey and Sylvia called Love is Strange. I've always loved a man who can dance. This is how I'll always remember Patrick Swayze - nobody puts Baby in the corner. Yummy.

Retail Therapy

2009-09-11T16:04:00.003-05:00

Dillard's - 70% off sale.

Three shirts, three dresses, one animal print cardigan, and one pair of shoes.

Material girl, indeed.How cute are these sandals? $15.00. Love 'em.

New Offices

2009-09-08T20:59:00.009-05:00

Prepare yourself for an extremely long post. Ashlee and I both have brand new offices. She moved into the new addition to the high school so her art room is brand spankin' new. We all helped her move her fridge and microwave Saturday so here is Mrs. Osborn and her "mean teacher" look. Yikes. Not only does she expect her students to follow this rule, Mrs. Osborn heeds her own advice. Man, would you look at all that room in her storage closet!
Gotta love Elmer's Glue - it's the best.
So, here's my office/craft/sitting room:

"P" is for "Preston"

My desk, paintings, and light above magnet boards.
The cute lucite desk lamp was a spur of the moment purchase three or four years ago. It was a really good deal and I guess I was just waiting for my office to appear to have a place for it. I haven't decided whether to put the blinds back up or leave the window bare. Since it's upstairs, you can't really see in too well because of the trees. You also can't see any houses (at least in the summer with the leaves on the trees) from the window, so you feel like you're in a park or something. I also like the pop of green from the trees, so I will probably leave it as is.
My awesome cabinets.
My cowhide rug. Love it.

Closet/Wrapping Center

Orchid that I've actually kept alive for over a month. Amazing.

Thse birds are so cool. They were a gift from someone dear to me. The only problem was that they were green and pink with gold accents. I primed and painted them white. Now they kind of

remind me of something Jonathan Adler would do. They are sitting on my desk. The only kind of bird that doesn't scare me. :)

Clocks to help me dream of jet setting around the world.

My fab light hanging above my magnet boards.

Don't you wish your doggie was cute like me? Don't you?
I love sitting here and reading. It's a modern room, but it's really a soothing, cozy room. I think it's so fun. Thanks Ashlee for all your help. It would still be unfinished without your input.

Practically Perfect

2009-09-04T18:33:00.006-05:00

This is yet another photo of my office-in-progress. The wall is actually two or three shades darker than the photo and the oval mirror is picking up a shadow from the door. More photos of the completed office to come. What do you think? Of course, I would rather have positive feedback, but if you don't like my super cute wall art, that's okay. I can take constructive criticism.

Members of the Cabinet - Part 2

2009-09-01T00:22:00.003-05:00

I am so loving my cabinets since I put the doors on them. The dogs were once again forced to model the new furniture. They didn't mind too much. The storage boxes are awesome and poor Ashlee put all 18 of them together and it wasn't easy.

How much is that doggy in the window?

Of course, with the installation of a couple more shelves, someone couldn't fit into the cabinet anymore. Oh well. The sofa is more comfortable. How do you like those dark grey walls? The color is called "Intellectual". I'm not sure if I bought it because I liked the color or the name of the paint. The color is great with all the white furniture and pops of green. More photos of the office when it's finally finished.

Members of the Cabinet

2009-08-30T20:28:00.005-05:00

Well, really, what did you expect from me? These are the cabinets (before I installed the glass doors) for my new office space. Can you believe my dogs would sit in the upper shelves? Good dogs. I'll post more photos when I have everything on the walls. Don't you love the green I painted on the back of the cabinets? It's called "Lucky Bamboo" and I think it's great. Looks like spring.

Mmm.....

2009-08-22T09:38:00.002-05:00

Homemade blackberry cobbler. Yep, made it this morning because I couldn't sleep. Breakfast of champions.

Ikea, I hear you calling my name.

2009-08-18T01:19:00.000-05:00

Ashlee and I decided we wanted to make one last trip down to Dallas before school started. She needed some things from Ikea, so away we went. We drove down Thursday afternoon, checked into our hotel and went to Hobby Lobby for some beading supplies. Ashlee is into making beaded key chains. The Geiger girls (well, one Geiger, one Johnson) came over after work and spent the night with us. Poor Isaac. Every time Ashlee and I go to Dallas, he has school or a scheduled activity. This time, he was celebrating his softball league's championship win. Yay, Isaac!
So, the girls beaded and we stayed up talking and laughing until 3:00a.m. and the girls had to leave at 5:30a.m. Poor Kristen. They were headed to Houston to visit family. Wish they could have stayed longer. Love those girls.
Ashlee and I wanted to visit the Nasher Sculpture Center again.

(http://www.nashersculpturecenter.org/)
It was great because we saw some new things. It's hard to believe all this incredible artwork is from one private collection. What a gift to the city of Dallas. If you have any interest at all in art, it is definitely a place to visit, probably sans young children. Most of the sculptures make you want to touch them and you aren't allowed, a difficult rule for me to follow!
Here are some photos from our visit:

Look, my glass is full of Ash! I wanted her to stand behind it so you could tell how tall the sculpture really is.

This is a de Koonig sculpture and I have to say it scares me a little. Reminds me of some scary horror movie monster. Intriguing, but not one of my faves.

Me behind a Barbara Hepworth sculpture.Food from the cafe at Nasher. I had a delicious chicken salad and Ashlee had a pecan tuna salad sandwich.
After we left the sculpture center, we stopped by Ikea. You lose all sense of time inside that gargantuan store. We took a break from shopping and had a treat. It was a lovely little dessert called a Princess Cake.
A dessert fit for royalty.We bought several things Friday night and we headed back Saturday morning with a plan. Boy, did we get a lot of stuff. You should have seen us loading all of our things. It was a hundred degrees and Ashlee bought a filing system/cabinet that was in several boxes. There were a few tense moments. We all know how I love the heat. Any way, I had decided that I needed to turn one of the bedrooms into an office/craft room for me. This is all the stuff I bought:
This is an artist's rendering (comes in handy to have an art teacher daughter) of what the completed room will look like after we paint, organize, and get the cabinets, desk, and sofa. Had to order them online because we didn't have enough room in the Durango.

Thank you for the shopping plan and the sketches, Ashlee. Can't wait to get started on this room. A little advice: try to go to Ikea any day except Saturday and before the back-to-college rush. Whoo boy, it was a mad house.

In honor of Ikea's birthplace (Sweden) I have chosen a song by those fabulous songbirds from the land of Swedes, ABBA. Get down with your bad self, all you dancin' queens!

Wicked Part Deux

2009-08-05T23:40:00.008-05:00

Ashlee and I went to see Wicked tonight. She didn't think it would be that great because of all the hype surrounding the show. Hah! I knew she would love it and I loved it again.

We began our night with a dinner at one of our new favorite places to eat, Bonefish Grill. Delicious! I normally do not enjoy fish, but I love this place. I love the metal art work they have on the walls. It's backlit with tons of little lights and down towards the bottom of the photo it says "Bonefish Flats".

Tonight we started with "Bang Bang Shrimp" and I had swordfish with spinach, gorgonzola and bacon, along with zucchini and garlic mashed potatoes. Ashlee had scallops and shrimp with mango salsa with the same sides. Wish we would have had room for dessert, but there was just no way. There is no picture of the shrimp-we started eating it almost before the waiter could put it on the table. Yes, it's that good.

On to the PAC!

We arrived with time to spare so we wandered around and looked at the art. Ashlee was looking at one particular sculpture and said it reminded her of Barbara Hepworth's work. Well, it's because it was. It's fun to have my own personal art tutor.

Here we are waiting for the show to begin:Those flying monkeys are really creepy! Didn't like them when I was little and watching The Wizard of Oz on television, don't like 'em when I'm at the theater watching Wicked. Shudder, shudder.Love the dragon, love the Emerald City map. I think Ashlee must be from Oz since she's so tiny and her favorite color is green and she loves emeralds so much her wedding ring is an emerald. It's also her birthstone. Plus she married an OZborn. Okay, so Jason spells his name with an "s" but maybe it used to be spelled with a "z" before his family left the Emerald City. I'm just sayin'...

On Weddings

2009-08-04T16:34:00.016-05:00

Our family really enjoyed the Thomas (Cody & Jordan) wedding this past weekend. They did several unique things and it made me think of a "best of" list from some of the weddings I've attended.

Best View of Bride and Groom: Cody and Jordan. Her father performed the ceremony and stood in the aisle, so that the bride and groom faced their guests. Cool.

Best Flower Girl: Macey Kirkpatrick - she was super cute.

Best Bell Ringer: "The bride is coming!" Logan Kirkpatrick - look at how much he's grown in three years!Best Ring Bearer: Tyler Baskins at Cindy and Robert's wedding - he was 10 years old and sooo cute.

Best Soloist: Katie Baskins' Uncle. I could have listened to him all day.

Best DJ: Ashlee and Jason's wedding because as independent Baptist churchgoers, it was unheard of to actually have a dance. He was surprised by how many people actually danced and had a good time. Ashlee and Jason also had a great playlist.

Best Dance Solo: Well, you know I have to choose Tyler, ice, ice, baby.
Best Food: Kristen and Isaac Johnson. I hear Ben Hastings had wonderful food but I had to attend a school function with Tyler, so I can't put in on my fave list.

Best Bridal Bouquet: Ashlee's very traditional lily-of-the-valley because it suited her, smelled great and just so happens to be the month of May's flower, her birth month. It also photographed really well.

Best Invitation: Hands down, no contest, Ben Hastings. I still have it because the colors were so beautiful and it was just a great invite.

Best Cake: Well, Ashlee and Jason's cake is my sentimental favorite because it came from Ann's Bakery, who also made my wedding cake, along with my first birthday cake. I never got to eat any of it though! The groom's cake was also quite beautiful. I thought Jordan and Cody's cake was delicious.

Best Get Away Car: Kristen and Isaac Johnson. Don't remember what it was, but it was a cool, classic car. Like something out of a 40's movie.

Best Program - Chris and Martha Slayden had a really pretty program that was imbedded with flower seeds. You could plant it. It was a pretty taupe or brownish color. They misspelled Kayli's name, though!

Best Exit from Ceremony: Jessica and Taylor Hagan - the wedding party all did a little dance step. Very fun.

Best Bridesmaid Dresses: Kristen and Isaac's wedding. Maybe it's because Ashlee looked so adorable in it.

Most Beautiful Wedding Party: Ashlee and Jason. Who can go wrong with those sweet, beautiful girls? And the guys were pretty stinkin' adorable also.

Best Ceremony Site: Kristen and Isaac Johnson. That church was very pretty.

Best Groom Reaction: Cody Thomas. When he saw Jordan's silhouette through the doors, he was all teary eyed, which prompted most of the guests to start reaching for tissues.

Best Wedding Dress: I liked Ashlee's because it had straps that criss crossed in back and it was all princessy and perfect for her. Kristen Johnson's dress was gorgeous and very "Kristen" plus I haven't seen any other dresses similar to Ashlee and Kristen's dresses.

Best Things I Hadn't Seen Before: Joanne and Curtis Martin-Salt covenant. Ashlee and Jason also did this and I love the symbolism. The parents joining the bride and groom in prayer. Cody and Jordan's parents did this and I thought it was very sweet. Eco-friendly confetti that dissolves in rain and doesn't hurt the environment that we used at Ashlee's wedding.

Best/Worst Photographer: Ashlee and Jason's photographers because they were very innovative for three years ago and worst because they were kind of abrasive to some of the wedding party. But the photos don't lie. They were good at their craft.

They might be responsible for Ashlee's trademark jumping photos. She loves to jump in photos. Best Looking Bride and Groom: Of course, it's Ashlee and Jason! Why did I choose them? Well, look at them! They are beautiful and I'm totally unbiased. Now, these are just "Best" from weddings I've attended and because I had so much fun at my own daughter's wedding, I'm horribly biased towards it. I'm sure you all have your own lists and things you love about weddings. What are some of your favorite wedding things?

I have to say my three least favorite wedding things are:
1. Lonnnngggg, wordy indulgent ceremonies
2. After the ceremony photos. Take those family photos before so everyone can enjoy the reception.
3. People who arrive LATE. Gack.

Happy Birthday Infinity

2009-08-03T09:09:00.032-05:00

Because of all of our insane schedules, we weren't all able to get together for Chloe and Tyler's birthdays until Sunday. We actually have been celebrating all month long, but Chloe still needed her present from Jason and Ashlee and my sister wanted to give Tyler his present. We headed over to my sister's house and the four "little" kids went swimming. Nobody else would brave the cold water. Mabel got in on the action. She floated around with the kids for a little while.
Of course, we had to eat. Mmmm, Hideaway Pizza.
Little Kahuna - chicken, sun dried tomatoes, bacon, alfredo sauce. My fave.
Friday night Ashlee, Jason, Tyler, Steve and I were eating dinner and we were talking about that dancing wedding video on YouTube. Tyler says "When I walk down the aisle..." and Ashlee and I died laughing and started teasing him because, well, the groom is always waiting at the front of the church. In his defense, the YouTube groom did dance down the aisle. So Ashlee was telling the story again because she thinks it's so hilarious and she's laughing and my sister said she would be Tyler's train bearer. That sets up this long series of photos. Tyler had said he was going to dance in to some ridiculous song and so around the pool they went. Maybe it was one of those "you had to have been there" moments. I love their synchonization and the smiles on their faces. You can tell they are just having fun together. I am definitely not the "fun one" in my family. That title belongs to my sister.
This picture cracks me up! The golden birthday kids.

Jason and Ashlee gave Chloe this cute Frankoma Pottery elephant mug. It was made in 1991, Chloe's birth year. She's old enough to register to vote, so the elephant is perfect. Purple Vans and cash for Tyler. Can you feel the love tonight? Tyler kissing Jason kissing Blake. I love my goofball family.
Mabel was paralyzed by a belly rub. Chloe finally got her wish: she gets to wear glasses. Don't you love her Coach frames? The cake was from Ludgers. Heaven on a plate.
The birthday kids plus a creeper. 18! 20 Gangsta style.

Retro Lunch!

2009-07-30T17:45:00.011-05:00

So, remember how I said I found Ebay sort of addictive? Well, here's another purchase from my favorite place to buy new/old stuff:
Look at the Dick and Jane book. The copyright on the book is 1962. Old as me! Big thanks to my sister for the great book.

This is the lunchbox I had when I was in first grade oh, so many years ago. I never had the girly princess type lunch box. Mine was always some kind of Peanuts lunch box. I could always read better than most of my classmates (don't ask about doing math at the chalkboard - yeesh the nightmares!), so I loved that the thing had cartoons on the sides.

I saw it when I was looking for Steve's Roy Rogers lunchbox and it immediately threw me back to elementary school. First grade at John Ross Elementary in the pre-fab in Mrs. Jordan's class. My teacher was short, had a big black beehive hairdo, kitkat glasses and a laser glare that would pin you to your seat. Fortunately, I was too afraid of her to ever get the stare. I did, however, receive swats from her. She had to leave the room and told us to be quiet or the whole class would get swats. Hard to believe but I was actually quiet; some classmates weren't. I received the class wide swattage. Enough about my first grade adventures. That lunch box has magic memory power if it can throw me back to first grade and this:
Had to have that lunch box. Bidding was strong but I was not going to be outbid. Don't regret it for a minute. I love that Peanuts lunch box with it's intact thermos. When I pick it up (which I've done every day) I automatically swing it a little just like when I was six years old. Oh the power of my Peanuts lunch box.

Thank you, Charles M. Schulz and the Thermos Company for creating a lunch time masterpiece.

Wickedly Delicious

2009-07-28T23:31:00.004-05:00

If there is any way you can get tickets, go see Wicked. Thoroughly entertaining. I won't give any details except to say it's not easy being green.

Say hello to my little friend

2009-07-27T23:13:00.004-05:00

I am totally girly and squealy when it comes to actually wanting to touch amphibians of any sort. That being said, every year it seems like we have one little frog/toad hanging out around our patio and snagging a june bug dinner and I like looking for him every night. This year's model is just a little guy, probably around 3-4 inches long. I love the way this particular little froggy/toad comes out around 11:00-11:30pm every night. Probably helps that I leave the porch light on to attract more bugs for him to eat. Yes, I leave the light until around midnight just for my little toady friend. Don't worry. My neighbors behind me leave their backyard flood light on all night every night so my little porch light doesn't bother them. Toady Dude really did not appreciate the interruption of his dinner plans that taking these photos required. Oh well. His grouchiness is kind of cute, don't you think? I also attempted to take photos of the bats that come out at dusk every night, but they are just too fast. Better to just sit back and enjoy the show. Happy hunting, little friend.
Nature is cool - from a distance, of course.

Little, Medium, Big

2009-07-27T11:58:00.002-05:00

Dogs in Bandanas

Cowboy Up

2009-07-23T23:30:00.009-05:00

I finally found a good gift for Steve's 50th birthday and had to wait to have it shipped to me. When he was five years old, all he really wanted for Christmas was a pair of Roy Rogers gloves. Yep, he got them. The unfortunate thing about the gloves: his mom saw a mouse going up the curtains and grabbed the first thing she could find to smash the mouse. Now, don't get ahead of me! Never in a million years would I try to grab a mouse going up a curtain, but that's what she did and yes, it was with Steve's precious Roy Rogers gloves. Isn't that sad? Well thanks to Ebay, I was able to find a pair from the late '50s-early '60s that were still attached to their orginal tag and never worn. Score!
Who's Roy Rogers? He's the original television singing cowboy, along with his cowgirl wife Dale Evans, his horse Trigger, her horse Buttermilk, and their dog Bullet. I don't remember ever watching it, but Steve does. While trying to locate the gloves on Ebay, various Roy Rogers items popped up in the search. In addition to the gloves, I also found a vintage Roy Rogers dress up outfit for a little boy. It is a cute western shirt and pants with chaps attached. They are from the early 60s and probably made some little cowpoke very happy. Last, but not least, I found a lunch box complete with unbroken thermos. Competition was rough for all these items and I actually won the lunch box in the last couple of minutes. Whew! By the way, I find Ebay to be sort of addictive.

I couldn't find a decent card. I had bought one, but my sister-in-law bought the same card. Great minds think alike. Anyway, I saw this cowboy postcard and thought it was a perfect card for my wannabe cowboy/mountain man/redneck husband. Happy trails to you, until we meet again. Don't forget your riding gloves.

More 20 on 20

2009-07-21T11:25:00.008-05:00

I decorated Tyler's car for his birthday. Not too much. Didn't want to aggravate him when he rolled into the church parking lot. I did put 20 large balloons in his car. He thought it was funny. I'm glad because it could have gone either way.

20 on 20

2009-07-20T08:43:00.004-05:00

Twenty years ago, Tyler came into this world kicking and screaming. He was a skinny little guy.

Even at an early age, he was a shoe freak. Good looking, chubby little guy.
I love his senior pics. They were fun. Lisa's photography. Awesome.

He's always been a little goofy.

My cute little cowboy during OSU homecoming festivities.

What a good sport - being a VBS captain when nobody else would step up. I love my VBS lovin' boy.

Happy 20th birthday, son. See you tonight.

Went Skydiving....

2009-07-18T19:58:00.012-05:00

Well, I didn't go skydiving. My niece and nephew did. Today was Chloe's golden birthday. She turned 18 on the 18th. It's hard to believe. We had to wait a while for their turn, so I took a lot of photos. Here's all the cousins minus Tyler (still in Ecuador), plus Emily, Blake's girlfriend throwin' it. Blake and Emily are not acting gangsta enough.The skydiving place was in Cushing, OK. It was a nice facility. Here's a link to their website: http://www.oklahomaskydiving.com/
My sister, Vickie, Chloe the new Adult, Blake, and my brother-in-law Eric
Birthday Girl, my dad (Pa-pa), Blake, and my mom(Nanny)

The Birthday Girl and me

I think Emily and Ashlee look a little bit alike, especially since their haircuts are similar.

Ashlee jumping out of the plane, complete with cool new handbag.

Guess Emily and Ashlee got too close to the plane's propeller. Should have read the sign, girls.

Token dog photo. Nikki, the hangar dog.
Here comes Chloe!
Here comes Blake!
Wheeee! That was fun!
One relieved Pa-pa to have the grandkids back on terra firma.

We all met at The Savoy restaurant for breakfast-best cinnamon rolls and pecan rolls in Tulsa, then headed to Cushing. My dad did not want to watch his grandkids fall out of a plane, but changed his mind at breakfast and I'm glad he did. We were all fine until the two people before Blake and Chloe (They only take 2-3 at a time). The last guy passed out in the air and their landing was a little rough. Then, because he had passed out, he was just laying on the field. Scary to see, but he was fine. He was a pretty good sized guy and a smoker to boot, so to jump out of a plane in a tight harness put extra pressure on his circulatory system. It took 28 minutes for the plane to reach 10,000 feet, slow to 85 miles per hour, and drop the kids out the door. Chloe ordered a video and I can't wait to see her in the air. What a great way to celebrate your 18th birthday. We all had a great time. Oh, and I don't like this song, but Chloe and Ashlee have been singing it since Chloe decided she wanted to skydive. Happy Golden Birthday to the best niece ever. She's everything you would wish for plus so much more. Don't be jealous. Well, you can be jealous, just don't hate because she's not your niece.

Always Entertaining

2009-07-17T10:26:00.003-05:00

Why does this photo make me smile every time I look at it? FYI: that's a chicken treat, not Opie's tongue. Silly dog.

Busy Baby

2009-07-15T21:45:00.003-05:00

Don't hate me because I get to babysit this yummy boy! Man, he really moves fast now. Here he is going after my dogs. They were exhausted after he left - they aren't used to Caleb being able to catch them. Busy, busy, busy boy.

Baby on a mission-must get Opie and Minnie. Here he is after he pulled himself up. Strong little guy. Don't you love his cute outfit?

Look at me rolling my tongue. Pretty cool, huh?

Where's the frog? Oh, there it is!Caleb looks like a little surfer dude. Handsome little blondie.

If loving shoes is wrong...

2009-07-12T12:19:00.001-05:00

I don't want to be right! So, I decided to clean out the closet because I have bought/received several pairs of shoes for my birthday and my "buy a pair, get rid of a pair" motto has been ignored long enough. Time to get tough. This is what remains of the shoe collection:

Summer shoes and/or brightly colored heels. I love the black and white canvas over the door shoe holder.

Most of my brown and black heels (the two containers above the shoes contain linens and my 25+ years old sewing machine).

Tower of red shoes. Love it. Can you really have too many red shoes? I think not.

Of course, this does not include any boots or assorted winter shoes neatly lined up on the closet floor. No more room left in the closet. They have to rest on the floor. Maybe the best thing would be to have an entire closet just for me, but Steve insists on using the closet also. Oh, well. It would be nice to have a closet reserved for shoes only. Shelves and shelves of pumps and peek toes, sandals and boots, oh my! Who says I don't dream big?

Stylin'

2009-07-09T11:59:00.007-05:00

Want your dog to look extra cool and also help a fantastic organization? Purchase a couple of these cool bandanas for your pooch. They slide onto your dog's collar, so no messy knots and lost bandanas. All you have to do is contact Casey Largent at kacie0982@yahoo.com and she can give you all the size, patterns available and pricing details. All proceeds go to Sooner Golden Retriever Rescue, so you will be helping great dogs like my granddog, Preston, find their forever homes. The SGRR site is: http://www.sgrr.org./

Here's Opie and Minnie sporting their new bandanas Ashlee bought for them:Want your dog to be happy like me? The blue camoflage bone print is rockin' cool!
Is your dog a diva with a bit of edginess thrown in? Then the sparkly pink hearts and cross bones is the perfect choice!

Half a Century....

2009-07-08T00:28:00.007-05:00

Yeesh, I'm married to an old man! On 07/07/59, Steve giddy-upped into the world. These photos remind me so much of my nephew, Josh. Hmmm.Just a quiet celebration - his mom is on vacation and his brother and wife were recuperating from their gigantic family get together, so just the fam, dinner (no chicken!) and lots and lots of candles. Look at the smoke coming off that cake. And yes, he blew them all out in one breath. If Steve eats dessert, he likes plain yellow cake with chocolate icing. Pleh, but hey you only turn 50 once and if that's what you like, that's what I'm going to make. At least the frosting is real chocolate buttercream. Yum.

Happy 50th Birthday. Takes a lot of fingers to represent the big 5-0. Of course, Steve would not give me any 'tude in this photo. I told them to represent and bring it. Maybe when you turn 50 you just can't be that cool. :) (That's Preston a few steps above the kids. Silly dog.)

Seducer, your name is...

2009-07-02T19:20:00.005-05:00

JETTA!

Oh, how your massaging jets are beckoning. Your perfectly aligned armrests immediately soothing tired shoulders. A jetted soaking tub is a beautiful thing.

After I've ironed a few million more shirts, pants and shorts, I will happily drag myself into that tub for at least an hour because I can. Ahhh, the decadence.....

Got Cake?

2009-07-01T09:26:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday, Jason!

Preston when he thought he could have cake:

Preston after he found out he couldn't have cake:Maybe I'll give him a marshmallow for Jase's birthday. Poor dog.

Food Allergies Stink!

2009-06-29T15:03:00.006-05:00

Hi, my name is Preston and I'm a foodaholic. I'm sad because I'm allergic to everything except my stupid prescription dog food. Because of an allergic reaction to some kind of treat or food earlier in the week, my eyes are all swollen and I don't feel good. I had to get a shot today. Wahhh. Upside: my celebrity vet, Dr. Lewis (see him on 6 in the Morning), said I could have marshmallows when I take my Benadryl. Score!
This is me at my G-Ma's house. She takes good care of me and feels sorry for me. I'm even resting my little head on her favorite Brookstone pillow.
Is it time for another marshmallow?

VBS - Day 5

2009-06-26T15:02:00.019-05:00

I'm back! After yesterday, I was worried about what Friday would bring.

Well, it brought awesome almost-first grader friends, fun, and fabulous boy skits. I am so very proud of the girls and guys who volunteered to be captains for being terrific examples for the little kids. They were all so nice and went out of their way to have fun with the younger kids.

Reasons why Friday was a good day:

The plain cake doughnut (they were out of coconut cake doughnuts) that I bought at Daylight Doughnuts and snarfed down before I headed to church. Amazing how a little sugar can perk you up.

Diet Dr. Pepper. Amazing how a little fizzy, caffeinated drink can perk you up. :)

My semi-clear sinus passages. Thank you, Jesus, for Excedrin, Claritin, and Benadryl.

Pre-gluing part of our craft. (The two big blisters on my pinky from the hot glue not so great.)

Dancing, singing, and laughing with my super fun class.

Seeing my Pastor jump up, spin around, get up, get down. It's fun to see him enjoy the kids and be able to loosen up and have fun. All you people who object to a pastor having a good time, ignore this comment.

Falling while jumping up, spinning around, getting up, getting down and not hurting myself.

Note to self: Don't try the above with flip flops that stick to the carpeting in church. What a big klutz. Did I quit after I fell? Nope. Why stop if you're not hurt? Carry on, goofball!

No upset kids.

Last day I have to help my class spend their tickets. YAY!

Rico the Penguin didn't sneak up behind me.

Pastor's voice was back.

Teens who helped by being verse listeners and shopping helpers and anything else that was asked of them. You guys were great all week. Your parents should be very proud.

Having a child remember that Mary had extreme joy when she found out she was going to be Jesus' mother. That was Wednesday's story and I couldn't remember what "extreme" it was.

Every day the Bible story had an "extreme" theme.

Monday - Abraham - Extreme Trust

Tuesday - Josiah - Extreme Obedience

Wednesday - Mary - Extreme Joy

Thursday - Peter - Extreme Forgiveness

Friday - The Good Samaritan - Extreme Love

The cute baby girl skit. Almost made me cheer for the girls - I said ALMOST. Cute, chubby little babies with cute, smart moms and good editing by the great Cody Wilbanks.

The awesome Indiana Jones skit performed by the boys. Even the girls loved it and wished they could see it again.

The cool shirt Everett wore:

I am VERY grateful to my helper for the week. My fun, kind, sweet daughter. Wouldn't have made it through the week without her and the iced vanilla coffees from McDs and iced berry chai drinks from Starbucks she brought EVERY day. Mmmmm.....

Also, thanks to all the volunteers this week. Teachers, helpers, crafters, store keepers, registration ladies, snack girls, money counters, sound and light guys, etc. VBS only works because you are willing to sacrifice your time and energy. We totally rocked VBS this year. Bravo to all of you.

And last, but not least, who's going to win, boys or girls?

Can you tell by Austin's expression? BOYS WIN! Should have taken a picture of one of the girls in my class. She was crying. Happens every year. The thrill of victory. The agony of defeat. Girls have won three years in a row. It was time for the boys to enjoy a win.

It was really close and the money will be divided evenly between the kids in Ecuador and South Africa. Awesome!

Be cool.

Sorry about the randomness of the sentence spacing. I have tried over and over to space my lists correctly and then when blogger publishes this post, I lose lines and gain lines in other places. Argh!

VBS - Day 4

2009-06-25T14:05:00.006-05:00

I'm not going to lie, today was a day of frustrations for my class and for me. Once again, the craft involved glue dots. Pleh. My class can't handle the dots! Thursday is just a hard day. Everyone is tired. Friday is always better.

On the positive side, here's some of my cutie boys singing and one is even jumping and dancing. That's my kind of boy.

Boy captains cheering on the boys. Go boys!

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch.

Poor little Kyle Lou Who. The Grinch stole all his money. One of my favorite moments was when Everett and Kyle joined hands and sang a little song. So funny! The boys have been super clever with their skits and even the girls were laughing with them. Unfortunately, the boys are down by $147.00. Nice work, girls. Our missionaries are the winners. We'll have to see what tomorrow brings. Hopefully it will be a victory for the boys and clear sinus passages for Mrs. Pam.

Poor Pastor - his voice isn't getting any better.

Rico the Penguin - Yikes.

Hanging out with super kids is so fun.

Jupiter Jumps are fun.

Reasor's donuts can't compare to Daylight Donuts.

Tomorrow is a better day.

VBS - Day 3

2009-06-24T14:00:00.008-05:00

Day three of VBS and I'm starting to feel the fatigue creep onto my shoulders and weigh me down just a bit (didn't get a nap yesterday). My class rocks and they are very good. Just a few who aren't able to pay attention. No big deal. We zipped through our crafting, snacking, storying, versing, shopping etc., etc.

Two reasons why I would like the boys to win:

What did you bring us, Uncle Tyler?

Silly String Wednesday

Sorry, girls. That stuff is really nasty.

There's still a lot of time left for the girls to come back. Since I have more boys than girls in my class and since this will probably be the last VBS Tyler and Matt will participate in, I would really like to see the boys win. I love their energy The boys have worked very hard (girls too) and I'm proud of all the captains. Just FYI: The boy captains have been on their own - no help from the captain's parents (at least, not from Tyler's parents). The only money I have given to the boys was $20 to Brady and Colton for carrying out some trash to the dumpster for me and I bought a cake. The rest has been earned by those hard working boys. GO BOYS! And if the girls win, well that's just fine and dandy! Everyone wins when we give to missions.

Pastor's voice sounds super funny.

I'm still a little scared of Rico the Penguin

Helping my class shop with their tickets is still my least favorite thing to do at VBS.

Getting to act silly and watching the kids have fun is the best.
Teaching about God's extreme love is awesome.

Be cool until tomorrow.

VBS - Day Two

2009-06-23T13:37:00.005-05:00

Day two - what happened to my class? We only added one child today, but it felt like more. No, they weren't bad, just a little whiny and demanding. No big deal. Eleven boys, five girls. Ashlee and I both laughed about the difference we see between the boys and girls when we have craft time. Messy/clean, precise/lucky to land on paper. Oh, boys won today and are up by about $52.00. The captains are working so hard, both boys and girls. The boys in my class were all in a circle, jumping up and down when Pastor announced who had won today. They looked like they just won the NBA championship. So cute. The girls weren't too upset, there's always tomorrow.

Rico the penguin still freaks me out.

Pastor is already losing his voice.

This is the girl's table. Notice the trash is in the bowl, stickers neatly placed on foam.

Same craft, boy style:

Who wants to see a pie in this handsome face?

I'm going to try to take a nap. More tomorrow. Chill, friends.