FRIDDDDAAAAYYYY

Today the weather is gorgeous! It’s supposed to get up to 84 degrees today. It’s been this way all week long. What a blessing to have a true fall, and a warm one at that. Oklahoma is known for never having a real fall. It usually goes straight from summer to frigid rainy yucky conditions.

I ran with my sis yesterday around the lake, and it was so peaceful. We stopped every so often to break up the run with crunches, lunges, or plank holds. I get bored just running non stop and I’ve not done it in a while, so I was sure I wouldn’t be able to keep up.

Today I feel so good and am glad I have my sis to partner with in my running endeavors. We’re going to do it twice a week. So now if only I can stay motivated. I’ll let you in on a secret … I’m lazy. I’m very lazy when it comes to exercise and staying healthy. I know I should do better, and want to … but don’t. So I’ve got to make myself do it … if not for me, than my little boy.

He told me today that he gets lots of good exercise on the playground at recess everrry day! He drove the point home to me, that my exercising is influencing good choices for his life too.

I’ve made very good tips this week, but not enough to sustain our family. I know God will bless the fact that I’m working hard, but know that there is something else out there for me other than waiting tables. This I feel is a temporary fix, to be able to work around my son’s school schedule. There has to be something that will allow me to work around his schedule, and still be able to make a living. What I’m doing now is not supporting our dual income needs. The blessing is that I have faith God is going to reveal it all to me in His time. I just have to keep pluggin along.

And lastly, my new sister-in-law is pregnant! I guess they got pregnant in Maui on the honeymoon, in July. They’ve been keeping it a secret, and just told us this week. I’m very happy for them and can’t wait to meet my new little nephew or niece. I have a feeling it’s going to be a boy! Dark skinned, long eyelashed, brown eyed beautiful boy … can’t wait to meet you little one!

I hope you all have had a great week, and have had the chance to recognize your blessings.
Have a wonderful weekend!

Just another Manic Day

Saturday was one of the busiest days I think I’ve had since I was in college, when I was rushing from a full day of classes to my part time job. Saturday’s schedule wasn’t just busy, but quite active. Lots of running with no sitting—practically all day.

Starting bright and early I drove out with my son and sister to a race track about an hour away to shoot a couple of kids at their motor cross races.
This was taken while it was raining, so it was a little overcast. For 5 hours I ran from place to place getting the right angles to shoot, for three different kids. Who needs the gym right? It was a mix of showers, with hot sun and humidity that felt about 110 degrees. By the time I was finished, I was muddy, sweaty and in desperate need of a shower.

My son was in awe of all these kids, and their bikes. It was so cute to watch him take it all in.

Afterwards we drove the hour back home, stopped briefly to get a present, and kept on moving 45 minutes in another direction for a birthday party. It was a full day of driving to say the least. The party was held at one of those outdoor race tracks, with indoor arcade games. I think we had our share of racing for the day too!

Since we got to the party a little late…like an hours worth, we missed the cake and presents, but still had time to jump in a race car on their little track.

My anxious five year old strapped in tight next to me, because he knew I’d take the turns tight. I drove like a bat out of ‘you know where’ for the second time that day. I love racing and it was fun to go as fast as I could, while still maintaining a safe drive. After all my son was with me. He was screaming, “Whoo Hoooo Mommy!” the whole time. I think I actually beat my husband’s record.

We spent an hour there… mostly indoors, playing the arcade games, to beat the heat. My son is an amazingly lucky little dude who always gets tickets streaming out of every game he plays. In one hour he racked up 170 tickets, which was enough to bring home 5 toys.

Then we drove home so that I could get ready for my future sister in law’s bachelorette party, which I was already behind the curve ball on. I’d been planning it for weeks and was not going to let myself stop even for a minute to rest. All I had time for was a quick shower, and makeup and hair. Was I ready to sit, eat, and have a relaxing evening or what?

We started out at The Mantle, on the patio, for appetizers. The only down side was the very very loud speakers, which was blaring folk music. From there we went to two other places for a night full of fun and dancing.

I invited my token platonic guy, Walter, who’s been a friend for close to 15 years, to keep an eye on all us ladies. I always have a standby guy at bachelorette parties, just incase it’s needed.

Plus that way we all have a platonic, never gonna think of anything more than friends, dance partner for the night. Walter was like a bouncer, baby-sitter, dancing dude all rolled into one. Who wouldn’t love that?

PLUS he’s about 7 foot tall, so no one would mess with him. Did I mention he’s usually the life of any party too? It was a great bonus. Not too long into the evening, my Cousin, Ross, also stopped by. So we had two male body guards…it was great!

I think Mindy, my future sis, had a great time and I am so happy to be welcoming her into the family! It was a huge blessing to have my own sister, my future sister in law, my mother in law, and some of our friends and extended family join us out. We had the best time. Some of us had too much fun!

My sister and I designed T-shirts for the night, which were a hit. I will post a picture of them later. They were very cute and we all got comments on them all night. Now that’s it’s Monday, I’m ready for the weekend. I leave for their wedding, in Maui, in 4 days!

Ahhhh! Now I have to get crazy busy packing and preparing for a fun filled trip! I’ll keep you updated while I’m there!

Woke up

After these all night and morning,

we woke up to a few surprises.
Surprise # 1:

but I chose to focus on Surprise # 2:

Then I called the cops…
This is what I get for living near Hud housing with kids that are out for the summer, roaming neighborhoods looking for trouble.

Our neighborhood gets vandalized weekly and the police are so understaffed that they can’t do anything. So my husband and I have decided to get a infrared camera to post under the eaves of our home, to catch the little buggars who feel they can egg our cars, write bad words or obscene gestures on our driveways, race down our streets/through our yards, and bash and uproot our mailboxes. Maybe then the police can do something.

Today’s Tornado Alley is on Overdrive

I stopped counting at 7 tornado’s today. These severe storms were well out of the danger zone as far as my area was concerned, but the news just announced that the entire west half of the state is now under a severe tornado watch till 1 a.m. tomorrow morning.

At one point near Orlando, Oklahoma (I didn’t even know we had an Orlando in our state) I saw two separate tornado’s on the ground within miles of one another. It was reminiscent of the famous May 3rd storm that hit OKC a few years ago. Thankfully neither funnel lasted on the ground for very long, but the clouds looked so dark and full that I was sure if they’d stayed on the ground…they too would have joined forces and could have done some major damage.

Pray that we’re done for the day, and the rest of our state can breathe easy. They’re still rolling up north, and I hope those dissapate and stay gone for the rest of the night. I pray the rest of the state won’t have to worry about storms in the middle of the night.

Every state has it’s weather calamities…California and earthquakes…Michigan and it’s freezing weather…etc… but it’s days like these that make me focus on reasons why I love living here…because tornado alley in overdrive is one big reason NOT to like it here.

Good Day

Does anyone else feel Spring in the air? YAAAAAY it’s the first day of Spring and I’m soooo happy. I feel that today is the first day of a lot of rebirth and growth in my life.

It’s funny how a little breeze with a warm sun can make you feel so full of life. These are the days that I am so thankful to God for. Even though I know each day, whether warm or dreary, are days to be thankful for….secretly these nice days are the ones I revel in.

My spirit is at peace today with the wind howling through the buildings and trees. I’m serene when I hear birds chirping in the sky, as long as none of them poop on me! Seeing kids out with their families in play is such a sign of good times ahead. It’s so depressing to see no activity outside, because everyone’s stuck indoors…..but NOT today! Can I say YAY again?

Now I get to plan my garden! Anyone else want to leave an AMEN??

Spring Rain

So this morning, in the  middle of the night, it sounded like my roof was being pounded by softballs.  I’m pretty sure we had hail and then some.  It’s been raining and cold all day, which has made everything soggy and frigid.

I’m all for a  Spring Rain…but what happened to Spring?  I know it’s not ‘technically’ spring…yet, but come oooonnnn lets get a warm rain going.  It feels like the dead of winter.

Is anyone else going crazy with all this winter still hangin on?  It’s making me cranky!  How’s that for an uplifting daily blessings blog post?  HA! 

40+ kids

So we had another day at children’s church with 40 kids. With all the sickness circulating, the other couple that teaches called in sick. Hence…we combined the both groups and my husband and I had to be really creative in captivating their attention.

I have to give my husband a huge KUDOS. After the lesson is taught, and we pray thanks for our snack and our fellowship, it’s time to entertain to keep their little minds and bodies from going crazy. That’s a really hard thing to do and it could be overwhelming for most people. It used to be to me…now it’s nothing. Especially when we promise even the simplest of rewards, like a hand stamp, for being good during our time together.

Toward the end of class, once the coloring projects were done and the kids got even more restless…my husband called them all over to line up at the wall for a game of heads up 7-up. I so did not remember this game, since I hadn’t played it since Kindergarten, but my husband has excellent recall and had all the kids captivated.

I only had to give one child a time out…for banging paper rolls over the heads of other kids. He sat quietly and peacefully and didn’t act up one time afterward. So he too, got a stamp on his hand for choosing good behavior once he was disciplined.

It’s been a great day. Other than children’s church we’ve:

**Played outside..as the weather has been beautiful this weekend. It’s been in the 60′s and 70′s this weekend. We’re under a tornado watch right now…but it is that time of year.

**We re-arranged my son’s room so that he has more play space and floor room.

**Played UNO.

**My son and husband are currently watching Nascaar…my son’s favorite new passion.

Now the evening’s winding down, and the weather’s cooling off (we’re expecting snow tomorrow). I hope your weekend has been as relaxing as mine and I wish you a great start to your work week tomorrow.

Happy March! YaY! Spring’s almost here!!!

POST NOTE….did I say Yay earlier?  This must have been before being glued to the television waiting to see if we were going to get mowed down by the multiple tornado threats.

Dear Lord, can we please skip all the tornadoes this season and get straight to warm spring weather?  Thank you.

Rain Check on Valentines Day

My husband is such a quirky but love-able guy. For anyone that knows him, they always ask me…’does he make you laugh…like…all the time?” I just raise my eyebrows and give them the answer they want to hear, “uh huh.”

He’s the guy who sings a song lyric when something happens that similar to a song. He’s the guy who always has the quippy line in a group that will inevitably make everyone laugh every time. He’s the comedian. And not the annoying kind either…he’s just genuinely likes to laugh and makes others do so too. His voice is louder than most, so even when he’s trying to be quiet he can be heard across a stadium. When he gets on the cell phone, he proceeds to get louder…like someone can’t hear him. LOL. I shake my head most days.

At home, he’s a little more subdued. The energy it takes to be him, is exhausting I think. He’s actually a loner, like me. He’s not ‘that’ guy at home, and I’m glad I would need a serious break from that energy at home. Yet, he still finds funny ways to make me laugh. With a comment about something, in only language he and I speak. When you’re close, you speak your own language that no one else is privy too. It’s something just for two.

He does things he knows will annoy me just to get me out of my grouchy mood. You’d think it would back fire, and although I may growl and bark, inside I’m laughing because I know it’s all in good natured fun. So does he.

He’s always the one who does things to surprise me. Take for example our honeymoon: He saved for a year to be able to afford the nicest 5 star hotel in Disneyland so we’d have a honeymoon to always remember. Although we could have never afforded something like that, and probably never will again…he toiled and slaved extra jobs to save up and pay in cash.

He makes mental notes of things I like, and when my birthday or Christmas roll around (even if it’s 6 months later or longer) that gift will be wrapped and waiting. He knows I never buy for myself so it’s a safe bet that he’ll get me something I wouldn’t buy for me. He’s a thoughtful and generous guy.

Most days I feel like the neglectful one in our relationship. I don’t feel like I measure up in comparison to what I should be for him. So this Valentines Day I asked my mom to keep my son overnight, so I could surprise him with a date night just for us two. This is something we don’t do much of because of our schedules. He works most week days and weekends, so it’s hard to get couple time.

Great idea in theory, but my son came down with an extreme case of Bronchitis plus there’s an ice storm. So last night, Friday night, our date night got canceled. I feel so bad that I couldn’t do something special for him … again.

I know we’ll reschedule it soon. All that really matters is that our son gets better and we’re home safe…all three of us together.

If you’re wondering about the picture above. That was my Valentines Day card from my husband. It read, “I love you from the bottom of my heart!” What’s so ironic about this card, is that he’s done this exact thing to me….and I’ve had that exact expression on my face. He couldn’t have found a more perfect card. Again he’s ‘that’ guy who has the right thing to say, to make everyone laugh. He makes me laugh and I love him.

*post note — he just walked in and commented on the card I posted, “Hey you look hot there.”  (rolling my eyes)

Update on my son…

It’s no wonder everyone and their dog has been getting sick lately. It’s 70 degrees one day and 30 degrees the next. In a few more days, it will warm back up to high 50′s and then probably more 60′s.

Everyone I know has had severe severe health issues from the flu to bronchial infections. I got some of the former a week ago, so I’m just blessed to only have had minor stomach issues. It’s a wonder I wasn’t stuck to the bathroom like most of my friends and family were. I was very blessed to have gotten over it quickly before it even began. And just in time to begin the care taking involved for my son.

Thank you to all of you who have left such sweet comments, and have prayed for my son’s health. It is always such a relief knowing I have a support network of prayer in blog land.

We just got back from the doctor. After a chest Xray and a nasal swab, his ped dr determined it’s not the flu…whew. However the orignial diagnosis stands…bronchitis. Since his fever is being so persistant and he allergically reacted to his last antibiotic, he’s changed him from a z-pac to cephzil. At this point please pray that he doesn’t have an allergy to the new antibiotic. If the cough doesn’t subside by Monday, they’ll put him on an inhaler.

Tylenol seems to be going a good job of getting his fever back down, however after it’s four hour duration it’s back up into the lower 100′s. Thank you to all of you who will continue to pray for his recovery. I pray God blesses you in return.

I want Spring

Yahoo reports that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow…aaaaaaaaaaaaah! I am so chilled this winter and it’s not like we’ve had a horrible winter either. It’s been unusually warm with highs of 59 degrees or as low as in the 30′s. Still 30′s aren’t bad considering other parts of the country or world are 30 below zero, like Canada, where Coach Sauter is from.

Blazer’s Hockey Coach Sauter, interviewed in the Oklahoman Newspaper today, said this about the weather he’s experienced:

JC: So, what’s the coldest you’ve ever been?

DS: I remember one year around Christmastime, it was 40-below or more for 10 days in a row. Unfortunately one of our young cows … got stuck inside the bale feeder, and she froze perfectly solid.The only way we could get her out of there after the cold snap was my brother chainsawed her in two.

My husband who read this at the kitchen table this morning, busted out laughing. I knew in few seconds I’d get play by play commentary on what he was reading. And sure enough he told me about Coach Sauter’s childhood experience, watching his brother saw a cow in half due to freezing temperatures. He couldn’t stop laughing and blurted out, “That’s awesome!” Then he saw our son and remembered a four year old may not think it was so funny, so he quickly added in a voice that tried sounding caring…but couldn’t quit accomplish it through his laughter, “Poor cow!” He continued to giggle to himself.

My husband’s humor always amazes me. His story definitely put the weather in perspective though. Okay so 6 more weeks of winter….aaaargh! I’m ready for beaches, warm breezes, sunlight streaming through my windows, and color exploding through my gardens and world. Spring is obviously my favorite time, even with the threat of tornado season, but I’m going to have to find things I like about winter to last me the duration of this season.

Things I like:

–I love to wear my winter white soft fuzzy scarf, hat, and gloves

–The sunrise over the snow first thing in the morning

–snuggling

–hot chocolate

AAaaand, that’s about it. Anyone out there have any more pluses for winter so I can cure my winter blues?