Oh how good it feels to be clean....

As some of you may know, this past week was fall break and we had been planning a camping trip for the last few months. The whole family packed up and traveled to Natural Falls, in eastern OK, with some friends of ours from church. We left out Thursday morning and made a day of the trip which took us almost to the state line. The kids did well on the trip although they were anxious to be there from the minute we got in the car. We stopped in Tulsa for lunch which was a nice break in the trip. We arrived mid-afternoon to find we had 2 awesome camping spots. The entire campground was really great, wide open and roomy. Since our friends have a pop-up camper they just spun theirs around on the slab and we had a great little mini-camp between our campers. We had a great fire pit which we kept pretty busy with fires in the morning and evenings. The weather couldn't have been more perfect with cool evenings and mornings with a nice warmup and sunshine during the day. Friday morning we hiked up to the natural falls which was really pretty and just about the right amount of hiking for the whole gang. Even Addi was able to make the trip and did a surprising amount of walking on her own. Our friends have 3 boys so Addi was a little outnumbered but she loved all the attention. Being the youngest and the only girl, she pretty much gets everything she wants and then some. After our hike it was time for lunch, then our afternoon consisted of time at the camp playground which was great, games with our friends, snacks, and just hanging out at camp. Next thing we knew it was time for dinner. Yes you guessed it, we ate well on this trip. The boys were always hungry and we were challenged to fill them up. Our friends introduced us to dutch oven cooking with a great mexican casserole dish which we loved. Our friends are relative experts in the area of camping, and I mean camping without amenities. I admit I am a little spoiled with my camper which connects to running water with a bathroom readily available. Anyway we had a blast cooking and eating which consumed a great deal of our long weekend. On Saturday Mark and I took the opportunity to take our friends and our own children to New Life Ranch, which is the place where Mark and I met. For those who have never heard of this place, it is a Christian camp in eastern OK that is an awesome place for kids, families, retreat groups, and just about anybody looking to have a great time in the great outdoors. We got to eat lunch with some of our friends from our camping days back in the summer of 1995. After lunch we took a little tour of the new stuff at the ranch and wrapped up the day with some canoeing which was by far the kids favorite part of the day. After a little freshening up we drove to Springdale, Arkansas, and met Mark's parents for some chicken at the infamous AQ chicken house. As long as I've known Mark, this was my first trip to the chicken house and boy was it good. The kids ate like horses and we got our money's worth. Sunday was just a lazy morning spent mostly eating, packing up, eating, loading up, eating, and heading for home. The trip home was long as they usually are when your vacation is over and you're thinking about the week ahead. I can truly say that it was a restful and rejuvenating time, spent with good friends, just taking some time to appreciate all we are blessed with. It's back to the grindstone this week as we finish out the fall semester. I know that before we turn around again the holidays will be upon us. It seems we are in for some real changes in the weather this week. As I sit at my computer composing this it is storming outside and it looks like snow with the ground covered by hail. We drove through the front on our way home today and the temperature dropped about 15 degrees between Tulsa and OKC. It was nice to unload in the cool. We arrive home safely around 5:00 and had everything unloaded by about 6:30 but it will likely be days before I have it all really put away. I am saddened that the trip is over as I usually am but have great memories and stories to tell for it. I am happy to say we escaped with our most severe injury being a spill Garrett took into the concrete picnic table. In his haste to roast his marshmellow he tripped on the concrete pad and went nose first into the concrete bench. He is still quite swollen and bruised and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it's broken but we'll see. I guess we'll be in for a trip to the pediatrician later this week. Having broken my own nose as a child, I know there is nothing they can do about it until the swelling subsides anyway. We were just happy to get it to stop bleeding which proved to be quite a challenge in Garrett's state of drama after the fall. I knew he was going to be ok when about 45 min later after some recovery time in the camper he wanted to know when he could have a smore. All in all, an awesome fall break!!

Ah, the light at the end of the tunnel

These pics are a flashback from almost 1 yr ago at each of the kids bd parties. As we are currently planning this years parties I was reminiscing about last year. My how time flies!


As you can see, it's been a while since I made time for an update. These last several days have been even busier than usual. It seems that Mark and I both take on a great deal of assistant responsibilities rather than volunteering to direct or lead as the primary person. However, much like the position of 1st runner-up in the Ms. America competition, these assistant positions have the important duty of taking over in the event of the primary being unable to complete their duties. Such has been the theme of this past week. Tuesday was our week to host cubscouts which entails presenting the lesson, preparing a craft, providing a snack, and organizing a game. All the prep and the meeting only lasts 1 hr. Wednesday evenings Mark and I both serve with our AWANA program at church. Both of our respective class leaders were gone which left us in charge. Thursday was soccer practice which we don't normally have to lead but once again the head coach was gone so Mark had been asked to help. Friday evening brought about the dreaded school carnival which we had 2 shifts to work, one for each of the boys. Logan's class was in charge of the "jail"where people could pay to throw people in jail and the prisoners or their representatives could post bail. Garrett's class was in charge of go-fish where the kids fish over the wall and someone clips a prize on the pole. Saturday was home maint and cleaning with a soccer game stuck in for variety. Sunday rounded out our craziness with an afternoon spent traveling downtown to watch the Centennial Parade.





It seemed that few people knew about the parade when I told them I was going but it was plenty crowded, let me assure you. It seemed as if all of OK was downtown today. The weather was pleasant except for a little wind. Thanks to some friends who arrived at 11:30 and saved some space for us we did have a spot. What they didn't know was that after the parade staff closed down Broadway which was part of the parade route, people would be allowed to move their chairs to the median of the road. This created a big problem for us and our ability to see. We ended up fighting for a view amongst hundreds of other spectators along the latter half of the parade. In hindsight I would recommend going early enough to get a spot toward the beginning of the parade as the route was a lengthy one and the participants were obviously tired by the time they reached our area. Having now watched the parade on tv I see what we missed as all the main performances were at the beginning as well. Along our part of the route there were several greater than 5 minute lags between floats as well. It made for a really long afternoon. I don't regret going as it was such a special event but it sure would have been nice to have watched it on tv from the comfort of my living room.








This week promises to be more relaxing as it is fall break and school is out wed-fri. We are leaving on Thursday for Natural Falls in the eastern part of the state. We will be going with some friends and camping for a few nights. Next weekend I should have an exciting report with some good fall pics.

Back in the saddle again....

Here are a few of the long-ago promised picks of Garrett's soccer team and a few action game pics. All in all the season is going well, if it would just cool off. It just isn't right to play fall soccer in the 90 plus degree heat. The pic to the left is Addi Grace at the Great State Fair of OK. She, Auntie KK, and I took a Thursday off and headed to the fair for some fair food, yummy! The pic of Logan was taken at the choo-choo park in Yukon last Sunday afternoon during a family outing. And last but not least is Garrett in his chef hat. Garrett's class has been studying community helpers this week and got to walk to the highschool today to visit the kitchen and see the cooks in action. I think it was his favorite activity at his "new school" so far this year. He has an upcoming field trip to Chester's Party Barn which will likely be a new fave. Logan is alive and well after just 24 hrs of antibiotics and will likely return to school tomorrow. We are just trying to stay afloat under the load of homework from just 2 days gone. Boy they work hard in 1st grade! Well it's off to the bath and bedtime routine. Until next time....

The no-good, terrible, horrible, neverending, very long day...

Well my day today began around 1:00 am at which time the hospital called to inform me that there was an emergency surgery that would finish around 1:45 am and would need my services for recovery from anesthesia. I knew I was on call and had just had that 'feeling' that I would be getting a call so I wasn't really very surprised. I arrived back home around 4:45 am to find my entire household in my bed. For some reason I was wired and couldn't go back to sleep. Anything and everything on my plate kept running through my head. I did manage to go back to sleep about 1/2 hr before Mark woke me up to send me to my own bed as I had crashed on the couch. I again managed to return to sleep about 1/2 hr before I had to get up to get Garrett off to school. So at 8:00 I delivered Garrett to prek and Addi to daycare as I was supposed to be at work today. Logan came home from school yesterday with a 101 fever which hadn't resolved so I ended up staying home with him. After settling Logan on the couch with gatorade, a nest of blankets and pillows, and a movie, I proceeded to start my typical morning cleanup routine which seems to take me from one room to another without finishing the original task only to find more work to add to my to-do list for the day. After vaccuuming the wood blinds in my bedroom (see what I mean, did that really need to be done in my sleep-deprived state) and finishing some more practical housekeeping tasks I made a doctors appt for Logan and headed for the bed around 11:30 am. At 1:30 pm my alarm went off to get us to the doctor on time for our 2:00 pm appt. I had to wake Logan up as well and we made it promptly at 2:00 for what I would later find out was a 2:15 appt. At 2:50pm after a very long wait with a miserable febrile and very nervous 6 yr old and watching another family who had arrived 20 min after us but already gone back, I finally lost my cool and headed to the receptionist to see what the holdup was. That's when I learned that our appt was technically at 2:15, the same as theirs, (but what about the fact that we arrived 20 min before them?) Finally at 3:10 we made it to an exam room. At 3:20 we promptly saw the PA (Wed is our pediatricians day off, convenient!) The PA felt like considering the duration of Logan's illness process (going on a month now) and considering that he just finished antibiotics last week we should get a chest xray since he sounded coarse (important medical terminology) on his right side. Now being a nurse who uses important medical terminology I can tell you that calling lung sounds coarse is what you say when you're just not really sure whether there is an inappropriate sound in there or not. Anyway I was ok with the chest film because he has this terrible, lingering, junky cough that continues to produce nasty phlegm (is that how you spell that?) So around 3:40 we had a chest xray which Logan performed beautifully through, holding his breath at precisely the right moment. Then around 3:55 we were informed that the PA would also like bloodwork, so I prepared Logan for his 1st venipuncture which took place promptly around 4:05. Logan was a real trooper thanks to the "freeze spray" ( I've worked in pediatrics for 10 yrs and haven't seen this stuff, but it was COOL, literally!!) The spray either really relieved the pain from the stick or was so distracting that Logan didn't even know when it happened. He did awesome and at 4:15, 2hrs and 20 min after our journey began we were on our way to Sonic for a free ice cream with the coupon we earned at the doctor's office. Mind you our prescriptions were emailed?? or something to Walgreens and we will have the results of our bloodwork on Friday?? I don't know what that's about. I hope it's not serious!! Oh yeah, our diagnosis was mild pneumonia with instructions to be diligent with the prescribed antiobics, mucolytics, fluids, and rest, rest, rest. And so it goes that Mark and Garrett have gone to church for AWANA and Addi, Logan, and I are off to Walgreens to get our meds which weren't ready when Mark stopped by on his way home from work despite the ever-effecient emailing system of delivery. Tune in next time for the long-ago promised pics......

A girl's getaway...

As many of you know, I took a long-anticipated trip to California last week and arrived home late this past Tuesday evening. My sister and I took off for a little girl time and traveled to Mountain View, CA, which is very near San Francisco. My sister's former roommate is doing some travel nursing there so we had free accommodations which was great and very economical (especially considering the price of everything out there). We flew out of OKC last Thursday morning and arrived home late Tuesday evening. Despite all our anxieties regarding the air travel, it went exceptionally well. KK (my kids name for my sis) prefers to keep one foot on the ground at all times and although I used to enjoy flying (before kids) this was the first time I have flown in almost 10 yrs which was prior to children and all the security changes since 9-11. We really couldn't have asked for better, except maybe 1st class seats, as all our planes were on time and we had smooth takeoff, flight, and landing each time. We covered some serious ground during our 4 full days in Cali. Pictured above are some of the sights we took in, including the Golden Gate Bridge, the ocean, the Harley Davidson shop (for my hubby of course), and many others including Muir Woods, Union Square, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, China Town, Coit Tower, Golden Gate Park, Lombard Street, Ghirardelly Square, and Alcatraz to name the highlights. We also drove the coast on Scenic Highway 1 with stops in Santa Cruz and Monteray. This was my 2nd trip to California as Mark and I flew there for a wedding many yrs ago. I think it was probably the most touristy place I've even been at least as far as the international draw of people. As Caucausian females we were definitely in the minority. I heard far more languages than I did English it seemed. All in all we had a great time but boy was I ready to come home. Seeing all that certainly provided me with one great appreciation for the way it is here. San Francisco was the most crowded and claustrophobic place I've ever been (I haven't traveled many places). I could have kissed the ground to be back amongst the wide-open spaces.

So I'm sure you're all dying to hear the continuation of the home saga and how my family fared while I was away. Well despite a few frantic phone calls, ok nervous calls, things went smoothly as far as I was aware. All my hard work and preparation paid off and although I have been assured I was missed, the day-to-day functions were accomplished. Once again I have to brag on my husband who did for the most part remember even the least important details that make the most important influence on a child's day. Addi and Garrett were certainly aware that I was gone but it was my oldest with the best concept of time that really felt the lengthiness of my time away and was the most clingly when I came back. As I've said before distance does bring a fresh appreciation for what we take for granted everyday.

Many thanks and kuddos to the grandparents who stepped in in my abscence to ease the burden of caring for a busy household and braving the rigors of the elementary school drop off and pick up and on and on. I certainly appreciate the help and the peace of mind I had while I was gone knowing that the only people who love my children as much as I do were in their midst and providing for their needs.

It is now Thursay afternoon and after a little over 24hrs since arriving home I almost have my home back in order. I return to work tomorrow and for the 1st time in almost 3 weeks since Mark and I's travels began we will try to regain some semblance of routine. Although I valued my time away it was hard for me to relax for one important reason and that is that my place is at home. It was fun to hang with the single girls but nothing can change the fact that I am a wife and mother first and foremost. Before I get too sentimental I should go as the work of my identity is calling... the ironing awaits and the school pickup routine starts in <1>

Single parenting....

Take a deep breath.... This has been my mantra for the past 4 days as I have been floundering in the the midst of life as a single parent. As some of you know, Mark left last Tuesday evening for his annual fall foliage tour (aka men-only-motorcycle-mania) to Colorado and the surrouding areas wherever the road takes them. He, his dad, and some guy friends have been touring on their motorcycles and camping in and around Durango, Ouray, and I lost track of the others. Meanwhile back at the ranch in Piedmont the kids and I have been holding down the fort and learning to appreciate what it means to have a good dad or lack thereof. My workload hasn't changed so much as I am the CEO of the day to day busy work, ie laundry, dishes, cooking, diapers, groceries, boo-boo fixer, housework, chauffeur, etc BUT what we have lacked is the easy-going flexibility that holds us all together. It has become painfully evident that the thing that I sometimes criticize my sweet hubby for is the very thing that we miss the most when he's gone. Daddy is the go to guy who just takes everything we dish out and loves us anyway. He is far more patient than I and is as most dads are, "the fun one." I've always worried what would happen to the children if something were to happen to me, thinking in my vain way that that would be the worst possible scenario. However, this week I've been thinking about what would happen to my kids without their father. This house would smell, the kids would be dirty, there would never be clean underwear, they would know paper plates as dishes or the McDonald's playland as family dinner, but they would know, patience, humility, kindness, gentleness, and most of all unconditional love. I don't say this to say that they couldn't learn that from me but to acknowledge that maybe I could do better to focus on the big picture and let the little stuff go. A little reflection on what's important in life.

Well I didn't intend to do my journaling on my blog but now you know what's on my heart. The kids are doing great and the week has really been uneventful, thank you Lord. Logan had his first cubscout meeting last Tuesday which went very well and he is already reading ahead in his guide on how to be a stellar scout! Garrett played his 1st soccer game today and was done about halfway through the game but he stuck it out. Now they don't officially keep score at this age but my team coparents are I are proud to say we came out on top 9-7. Garrett is still working on scoring his 1st goal. He is one of the youngest players on the team and there are 2 girls that are each a year older that are really good. But we're all about having fun... Addi as usual was along for the ride and keeping things interesting along the way. She had a meltdown at the soccer field as I was carrying her, the soccer ball, snacks, chairs, and dragging the ice chest for the team about 1/2 mile across a tall grassy field to the farthest field which is where the littlest guys play, go figure?? I actually set her down so I wouldn't drop her when I passed out as I was a little overdressed due to the fact that it had been cloudy and cool all morning but the sun decided to come out just in time for our high noon game and make it unpleasantly warm. Such was the highlight of my Saturday unless you count cleaning the shower which is yet to come tonight.

We have been enjoying the cooler weather these past few days and it is really starting to feel like fall. School is in full swing with spelling tests, bookorders, show and tell, homework, fundraisers, etc. Oh to be the parent of preschoolers again! Each stage is exhausting just with a different set of struggles. I think it was actually easier just enduring the sleepless nights and diapers. I don't have any pics this week as my camera is in Colorado with Mark. I haven't let him take my good digital camera in the past but he begged this time as it takes much better pics than dispoables so I agreed with the understanding that if anything happened to it I could get a new one. The travelers will be making their way home sometime tomorrow just in time to start another busy week. I will be leaving for my trip to California with my sister on Thursday so everyone can pray for my children and my hubby. They will do fine, I have no doubt, as we have both grandmothers lined up for shifts starting the night before I leave until the night I come home. Who knows, maybe they'll still get a small taste of life without mom and realize what goes on behind the scenes...

Labor Day Weekend 2007

It has long been a standing tradition in my family to spend Labor Day weekend at the lake to celebrate my birthday. The past few years have proven to be challenging with that regard as the family was forced to sell the place at Lake Texoma where we had always gone. We have recently started going to Ft. Cobb lake which isn't Texoma by any means but is still the lake. It is also closer which is great when traveling with a camper and 3 small children. We were blessed to recently inherit our very own camper which Mark has now mastered pulling with the addition of new tires, special mirrors, etc to his truck. My parents took their new used 5th wheel camper to the lake early last week to save our waterfront spots and we took our camper down last Wednesday evening. By Friday afternoon we were all present and accounted for including my grandparents in their camper. We had a great weekend swimming, eating, skiing, eating, riding waverunners, eating, and eating some more. As you can see the kids were little waterdogs and even Addi warmed up to her life jacket by the last day. We had one last hoorah Monday morning before we spent the rest of the day packing, driving home, cleaning and unpacking. It is now Tuesday evening and thank goodness I had the day off because I am just now wrapping up the weekend cleanup and laundry over 24 hrs later. The end of this weekend really signals the end of summer for me so I am now ready to get on with the school year and the fall weather. Even though the warmer weather will likely be around a few more weeks it seems I always lose track of this time of year and look back wondering where the days went. Soccer and cubscouts start officially next week which will fill up our already busy schedule. Mark has a trip planned to Colorado with his dad which has turned into a somewhat annual occurence. I am having the good fortune to go on a little trip of my own this fall which is my biggest birthday present from my hubby. He got to go to San Francisco some years back when I was largely pregnant with one of our children and couldn't attend. So it is payback time and I have the perfect opportunity to travel to California with my sister. Her former roommate is living there so we can stay for free. It will be the longest time I've ever been away from the kids so say some prayers for Mark. I'm not to worried about the kids but Mark is definitely in for a long 5 days. I will of course have prepared all meals, provided plenty of clean clothes (in sets labeled with each day I'll be gone), and have every hour of the day covered with assistant childcare in the form of friends and family but he will still need your prayers!! Tune in next week to see how we are faring without Mark. I of course will be going it alone as we moms just suck it up and do. I have to admit that I will be glad for his safe return as when he is gone I do realize how much he really does help. There's nothing like time away to make us appreciate what we have is there?