Mimi's Treasured Moments

Wordless Wednesday - Cheers!

2011-03-30T12:41:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday, Ruby!

2011-01-21T17:36:00.002-05:00

I realize I am a day late, but I decided to post a birthday greeting to my precious Ruby anyway. She is a big 2 year old and the first thing she said when she got up yesterday was "I need presents." She gets it already!! She does have some presents coming but she'll just have to wait a few days to get them. If anyone remembers Annie as a toddler then they will know what I mean when I say looking at Ruby is like a visit to the past. She looks exactly like her mom did, both beautiful girls. Love you, Ruby!!

Finally, the end of 2010

2011-01-17T11:08:00.006-05:00

Thought I would post just a few of the MANY pictures I took of our family Christmas and finally wrap up 2010. Katie had my blog made into a book a couple of years ago and I would like to have the rest printed so I need to at least have some pictures of all of our holidays. Enough, on with the pictures...
I really don't think Sam is aware that this is an Oklahoma Sooner Santa hat. I plan on keeping this picture to torture him with in the future.

Brock is ready to open presents, I really think he just wants to rip the paper off the boxes, not that interested in what is inside them.

Max always opens his gifts behind the TV. I just realized this year that he does this to keep everyone else away from his stuff. I just thought the sharing spirit was alive and well at our house...

The kids gave Greg a new television for the kitchen. He likes to park himself at a chair pulled up to the kitchen bar and watch TV away from the chaos in the living room. Now he can do it in style.

I made all the kids a scrap book of our Disney vacation. I made it on Scrap Blog (thank you Cari for cluing me in on this awesome site) and then had it printed for everyone. It was great fun to do. I hope we take many more vacations that I can make books about!

I thought these trains would be great gifts for the three toddlers. You would think I would recognize the "danger" potential of toys by now. Heidi's favorite thing about this train is her ability to launch herself off it.

Ruby's favorite gift was her new boots. She is already a little fashionista, especially where shoes are concerned.

Can you tell these two "Hiccups" are ready to train some dragons?

Rock band in training!

A finally Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

For Lacy...

2011-01-14T13:43:00.007-05:00

Okay, Lacy, you are right. I still love reading the blogs of others and my intention was to get back at it myself. Then I looked at my blog and saw that I had not posted since October! It couldn't have been that long, I am sure that blog goblins are playing tricks on me. Regardless, I am going to try posting a little more often, hey, it helps me remember what has been going on around here. Since it is still January, I feel completely justified in posting about our Christmas. I will try to limit the number of pictures and also limit myself to 2 (maybe 3) posts. Thought I would just do a quick recap of our family participation in Christmas programs. There were several featuring the children and I will grace you with those pictures. Our adult choir joined with other choirs in our community and presented a Christmas musical at Crystal Christmas this year. Wish I had pictures of this (not of me, huddling under a blanket in the choir) but of the living nativity (Mandy was a glorious angel) and looked quite angelic I might add. It was fun, very cold, and also meaningful to be a part of this production. Sally also joined me in the choir. So I will move on to the children's programs, not all of them, but a few highlights...

Ben's preschool put on their annual Christmas celebration in the evening so all of the proud family members could attend. Doesn't he look so angelic?

Of course, you cannot play the rhythm sticks without first putting them in your ears, probably helps tune them or something...

Of course, all stars get a little weary of all the attention, so you must just turn your back and ignore it (no he is not picking a wedgie).

Our children's choir at church performed "Baa Baa Bethlehem." It was one our kids put on in Yukon many years ago, but it was just a cute and the message is timeless. Max is the"silly shepherd who needs a shave," Emily is "Fussy the complaining sheep" (and may I add that she had her character nailed!) and Sam was a "student" in the choir. I couldn't have been a prouder Mimi!

I also got to travel to Owasso to see some other special little people do a special performance in December. You'd think I would feel a little sorry for Pa, since he has to work so much and couldn't go, and I did, a little. It certainly didn't keep me home. Lily is getting ready for her special line, she is such a perfectionist.

Ella also had a line, while cousin Cooper held a sign for her. Cooper is not nearly as enthusiastic about performing as Ella.

Thought I would leave you with the group picture taken after my tree was trimmed. It perfectly summed up the evening. There was joy, frustration, grumpiness, silliness, noncooperation, and just lots of great memories!!

The Big Apple!

2010-10-22T10:52:00.007-05:00

This fall, Greg and I got to visit New York City with some good friends. This is our third trip to the city and we got to see some things we never had before. Of course, you could go to NYC for years and still not see all the city has to offer. We had a great time.
For some reason, my husband loves to make purchases from the street vendors. Here he models a lovely cap, which was one of his bargains. He also purchased a "Rolex Sub Mariner" watch for about $20. Yes, he knew it was a knock off, but "looked cool." :)

Our hotel was right on Times Square, here Greg and Bruce are deciding what we need to see first. Talk about sensory overload, it can be overwhelming!

Elmo was roaming the streets giving people photo opportunities. I have some grandchildren who LOVE Elmo so I thought they would get a kick out of this picture. As we were posing for this picture Elmo whispers in my ear, in a foreign accent I might add: "One dollah fo pichur."

This was our second visit to Ground Zero. It will be amazing when it is finished, but we were there about a year and a half ago and there hasn't been a great deal of progress since then. We gathered that some of the native New Yorkers are frustrated by this since a skyscraper is thrown up in a year and it has been nine years since that terrible day in September.

My sweet husband was nice enough to take the train across the river to Hoboken, NJ to visit the home of the Cake Boss. Emily and I love to watch this show together. It wasn't too bad for Greg, because we got quite a few treats from the bakery! Emily and I also got matching shirts. Didn't get to see Buddy, but Chef Mauro was working out front and we got to visit a minute with Buddy's mom!

I had to post this picture, it was taken in a riverfront park in Hoboken. I thought it was some kind of modern art sculpture until I realized it is a toy. Yes, a playground toy. Quite unique, too.

Greg and Bruce, both being in the oil and gas industry found this sign quite hilarious. It says "Gas drilling in New York could contaminate the drinking water for millions of people." They said it just goes to show that New Yorkers know absolutely nothing about drilling for natural gas!

The other two time we have visited New York there have been street performers. Good way to make some extra money, I guess, but these guys had a different angle. For a small donation. you could pose for a picture with their pets. You can imagine my reaction, this picture is taken from over a block away with my zoom lens. I draw the line at snakes, in the country or the city!

We took a boat ride around Manhattan Island. While there we saw the Coast Guard, armed and ready for any suspicious looking activity. The guide said the UN was in session so security was pretty tight. Another thing New Yorkers aren't too fond of, the UN. He said all it does is make problems with traffic and closed roads and such.

The Soup Nazi (the one Seinfield based a character on) is back in business! Apparently he had to close up shop for awhile because his fame from the TV show made him so popular there was no way he could accommodate all of his customers.

This is a pet hospital and I swear it is as big as our local one. it offers all kinds of pet care, from check-ups to surgery to private in house rooms, even intensive care. The tour guide said the animals get as good or better service as some human hospitals give, all for a dear price of course. I loved my pets, but I don't know if I could justify going into debt for their health care.

This picture was taken from the top of The Rock (the Rockefeller Building). The Empire State Building is in the background. We have never made it to the top of that one, never wanted to fight the long lines.

We got to attend a Yankee's game. Before the game started there was a ceremony honoring George Steinbrenner. Many old Yankees were in attendance, such as Yogi Berra and Don Mattingly, it was very cool. Frank Sinatra Jr. sang the national anthem and he sounds a lot like his dad. And the Yankees beat Tampa Bay!

I must admit that the sight of Lady Liberty never fails to give me goose bumps. I thank God that I am lucky enough to be an American!

Bug Hunt, Soccer, and Homecoming!

2010-10-20T10:34:00.004-05:00

I know it is Wordless Wednesday, but I still have some serious blog catching up to do. Two posts this week and it is only Wednesday, gotta be a record for me. Some of you "old" Woodward alums probably remember the 3rd grade bug hunts. Well, I got to attend another one with Emily. We took the hike to Crystal Beach and those bugs had to beware!

Emily in action!

Emily is fortunate to have Mrs. Lucas as her teacher. She is so wonderful, we all love her!

Emily and her buddy, Lizzie.

Max and Sam played Kids Inc soccer this fall and got to be on the same team. It did make is easier on the fans. Sam was just about the youngest on the team but that didn't slow him down any!

I think you can tell from the look on Max's face that he takes his soccer seriously!

Last Friday was Homecoming. There were many festivities which I, of course, forgot to take my camera to. The parade was a free for all of candy gathering. We were just happy to get away with no injuries. But the only picture of got was of these two before leaving to see the parade. We had a great time even if I didn't get to record anything for posterity. I think the grandkids were relieved to have a respite from Mimi's photo opportunities...

Catching up!

2010-10-18T13:19:00.010-05:00

I have been a terrible blogger lately, okay, worse than that, totally pathetic! It seems I always have something so important (to me) to do that I have not been on the computer much at all. But as I was doing my blog lurking, I still really like reading other peoples blogs, I decided to get with the program. I must confess that I have an ulterior motive. Our computer crashed this summer, with a disastrous BANG! Fried hard drive, lost all my information, and I was so depressed. FYI - there are places send your hard drive for retrieval, but lets just say that you could purchase several new computers for the price they charge for that service! I have not been very consistent with backing up my pictures so I lost a lot! I know, I know, I am now backing them up, twice! But I am getting off track, luckily, all of the pictures posted to facebook or my blog are still safe, so I am going to be a better blogger, if for the only reason that it will help keep my pictures safe. Having said that, I plan on posting several times this week, and the posts may be long and boring, but I WILL have a pictorial record of the family. I may even print these blogs, Katie did one for me and it was terrific! Okay, so the family took their annual Labor Day Camping trip to Canton, which is the subject of this post...

Greg's Uncle Edgar and Aunt Caroline joined us for this trip, and we were so excited. It had been years since we had seen them.

Ruby made the rounds, too bad she gets no attention. Here she is sitting on Grandma Vena's lap, playing with MY IPhone.

Now she is on Nanny Rice's lap...

For some reason Ben didn't think Pa Rice needed a nap, but it seems he can sleep through anything these days....

Brock could find mud in a seven year drought, of course, since this is right by the water spigot it wasn't too hard too find.

Pa's truck is absolutely filthy, so it is a good thing the girls were handy to wash it off!

Max found this lovely fish skeleton near the lake, he always seems to locate disgusting items everywhere he goes.

Don't know why, but throwing rocks into the lake is a favorite past time, luckily no injuries resulted in the said activity.

Ryder and his bike..

Apparently, this is Ben's bike, he just has to have a handy energy source to make it go.

Four of the grandchildren have September birthdays, so we celebrated during the weekend, Lily-7, Cooper-5, Max-8, and Heidi-1.

Three of the birthday kids, Heidi wasn't cooperating.

We do have a big number of munchkins running around the place.

The cake was enthusiastically enjoyed by Ella and Sam!

Heidi had a small cake all her own, which as you can readily see...

she really enjoyed!

Swimming at the Wayfarer

2010-08-11T11:04:00.004-05:00

I have three extra little munchkins this week. Annie's surgery recovery has been rough! So the kids and I came on back to Woodward to try and give her a break. Last night we thought we would take the kids to the water park for the evening. It is half price after 6 and they stay open until 9, what a bargain! Nothing went according to plan, of course. The water park was suspiciously empty around that time and when Mandy went to check it out, someone had defecated in the water! Who does that? I mean, it wasn't even in the kiddie pool! I think this happens fairly regularly, come on, people! Well, I digress, so I'll get to the point of this post. With several carloads of children an alternative plan had to be made and quick. It is times like this (and only times like this) that I wish we still had our pool. Since the pool at Boiling Springs closes at 6, it was decided that the pool at the Wayfarer Inn was the only option. This takes me back, when we first moved to Woodward there were people that bought season passes to the Wayfarer Inn Pool. Anyway, it worked out fine and everyone had a good time. Sally, the kids, and I even took part in a rousing, and lengthy, game of shark! And folks, I still got it! I ruled the pool, no matter what Sally says!

My grandchildren insist on wearing goggles, even though I try to discourage it. Someday, these "goggle" pictures may cause some embarrassment.
Heidi loves the water, but she needs to get a little bigger.
Sam has not figured out that it is impossible to duck someone quit a bit taller than yourself in only 2 feet of water. Notice that both swimmers are modeling fashionable goggles.

Another lovely, flattering goggle picture.

Gotta get those goggles just right.
Emily learned how to send a stream of water into your face using just her hands. It could be rather annoying if you happened to be a poor sport. Notice the goggles, again.
Sam is being attacked by a ferocious shark, but his eyes are protected. Shark Week made an impression.
Such a cute happy little mermaid! Bye for now!

A Little Bit More Disney...

2010-07-21T12:39:00.007-05:00

Greg has been giving me grief about not posting more on my blog. Actually, not only is he giving me grief about my blog, he is griping at me because the girls are not posting as much as he would like either. A couple of them, who will remain nameless are not posting at all! Facebook has replaced the blog in their hearts. But still, why gripe at me? Still, girls, you know who you are, your dad is quite displeased with your lack of blogging. Okay, with that said, I decided to go for one more Disney post. I have been compiling all of our pictures so I can put them on a disk for everyone and I have to admit I have laughed out loud at some of them. I realize that you probably had to be there to get the humor, but I decided to post some of my favorites so I can look back at them when I need a laugh...

The woman in the middle is funny looking on her own, but who is that creature in the background, Josh?

Does two pair of glasses mean four eyes, or just an attempt not to loose one pair?
When I first looked at this picture I just thought it was a cute pic of several of my grandchildren with a couple of extras thrown in until I really looked at Ella and Ben. They may have had their picture taken too many times, because they have taken posing to a new level.
This wasn't overly humorous until I realized how long Max wore this ridiculous sticker on his forehead (they were passing them out to everyone as they entered the park). Here he is in Minnie's house...
in Mickey's house...
in Mickey's pumpkin patch...
and standing in line for a ride. Sadly, I could have posted a few more of him sporting this prize winning head adornment.
As we were sitting and waiting for the Spectro Magic parade at Disney World, some of the cast members (aka employees) handed out hula hoops to keep the kids entertained. This pic does not do justice to Sam's abilities. He "hula hooped" so hard core that I believe shock waves rippled through the crowd. Don't know when I have laughed that hard! Too bad I have no video.

Would you call this overacting?? Sally is terrified, Ben is just mad at Bruce for trying to eat them!
My wonderful daughters showing how terrified they were standing outside the Haunted Mansion. We don't think Katie got the memo that she was supposed to be scared, we're not sure what she was trying to communicate at this moment...

I think the kids may do a better acting job than their mothers. The are terrified of the dinosaurs in the T Rex restaurant, Downtown Disney, by the way.
Ryder was just too cute on this day, he followed his dad around and copied everything thing he did, from leaning on objects to squatting, well you get the picture. Jason's little mini me.
One of my favorites! As Chad said, "Ben will be king!"
Does anyone doubt that Ella is rather dramatic?
I just have to say, I don't know why but this picture makes me smile. And it was not taken in Florida, but aboard the USS Alabama in Mobile. Greg loves to drive on vacations for two reasons: 1 (and most important) It saves money and 2 He can schedule little side trips to educate and broaden our horizons!

4th of July - Part 2

2010-07-17T18:32:00.005-05:00

Hey, it is still July, so I can legally post about the 4th. Actually, this post is about July 6th. Bert and Sally had us out on the 6th for a cookout and another round of fireworks. There were quite a few in attendance, and we ate, visited, watched more fireworks, and had a great time.
Emily has a four wheeler and she gave quite a few rides around the place. Of course, she is the ripe old age of 8 and therefore quite capable of driving the young ones around but don't ask me where that pose came from....
I believe Ella decided she would be better off wearing protective headgear. She is one bright little girl. :)

There were so many sparklers, there was no waiting until dark...
and I think there was about a dozen boxes of them left over.
Firecrackers, beware!
Max had some firecrackers that were supposed to explode underwater and since that might traumatize the new fish in the pond, Lucy the mastiff volunteered her water dish.
Ruby loves sparklers! I should have sent a few boxes home with her.
Here is our little pyromaniac in action. Don't be alarmed, yes that is a propane tank, and yes we did make him move far away from said tank.
The younger ones loved the snappers, but they proved to be the most injury activity of the evening. Why you ask? Well, when one child thinks the best way to pop these little items is by stomping them to death and the another child frantically tries to grab up the unpopped little suckers to hurl them on the ground, lets just say tears were shed and leave it at that.

I thought Brock did so well and was really a good boy, but when he got a little fussy his mom just stuck him in the car (just feel the need to add that we were all outside right by the cars) and put a Mickey Mouse Club DVD in the player. Even I will admit, he loved it and was instantly the happiest kid at the gathering!

Fourth of July Fun!

2010-07-10T15:33:00.003-05:00

It has been a busy July around this place, but that is the way we like it! We got to celebrate Independence Day a couple of times this summer and the kids thought that was pretty cool, two days of fireworks. What could be getter than that? On the actual 4th of July we were fortunate to be invited to Chad's parents for homemade ice cream and back yard celebrating.

Ryder and Ben have become great buddies. They even played on the teeter-totter with no negative side effects.

Pa and Sam are having a serious discussion, so serious that Sam hasn't even noticed he is sitting in a Sooner chair. We may convert him yet.

I told Ben he had to smile with his mom before he could go light off more fireworks.

Ryder is not the bravest of fellows, but he wasn't afraid of any fireworks, but his very favorites were still the quiet snakes.
Who needs a punk when you've got a torch?
Sally thought she could rescue a rocket from a tree. She hasn't lost her climbing skills with age!
Yes, it is July, and yes, the great grandparents were freezing. Don't be fooled, it may have been pleasantly cool, but not that cool.
Ben is quite fond of loud booms!
Brock was just happy to have his mom home from church camp.

Someday Heidi will not be so happy to dress like her mom.

The Karn family get ready to light some sparklers to top off the evening. All in all we had a great time!

Disney Overload!

2010-06-02T23:19:00.002-05:00

Many of you know that the Whiteley clan took a caravan to Florida recently for a week of Disney fun! There were 18 of us (the babies didn't make this trip) and we had a blast, it was exhausting, but still a blast. I am having trouble getting all of my pictures off my camera (there are about 650 of them so if you are reading this, you are probably glad I haven't been successful yet) but I have some so I decided to go ahead and post. I combined them into a slide show (yes, it is amazing that I can actually do this). There are around 40 of them, but if you are brave enough (and have the time) you can get a glimpse of what our week was like.

It would be impossible to relate all of our adventures into this one telling. Disney has 4 theme parks and two water parks and we hit as many as we possibly could. They are all great, but my favorite is still the Magic Kingdom - there truly is something magical about that place. :) We flew in Dumbo; splashed down a mountain; went on a safari; floated down a jungle river; dined with Dinosaurs; body surfed; met princesses, fairies, Star Wars characters, and Mickey & crew; traveled back in time; flew with Peter Pan; explored Everest; just to name a few - whew! I get tired again just thinking about it! But what great memories, getting to share this trip with those we love so much.

I will probably have more posts on this subject when I get all my pictures figured out, so beware!

Take me out to the ballgame, and other fun stuff...

2010-05-18T09:57:00.003-05:00

On my recent trip to see the Owasso bunch, besides getting to work on Ella's new room, I got to attend one of Cooper's t-ball or should I say baseball games, because I think he is ready for the big leagues.

Baseball stars have to be ready for photographs, you never know when you fans will require you to pose for one!
This third baseman was always ready for the action, he seemed particularly skilled at running from third base to home. He always beat the base runner, he just didn't always have the ball.
And Coop's base running skills are extraordinary, just look at that form!
Some of the fans were not as enthusiastic about the game as I was, Brock is fairly thrilled to be back in the car...
Ryder wants a snack...
and Ruby found a snack!

We also had to have an early 5th birthday party for Ella, the "birthday cookie" may look a little forlorn, but she thought it was great. After all, she loves those cookies!
And anyone who knows Ella, knows that her enthusiasm just bubbles out of her. She makes the gift giver feel quite special with her excitement!

Ben's Birthday!

2010-05-16T09:00:00.004-05:00

Our little "big" man turned 3 this past weekend. It was a rather rushed party, but you can't let a big milestone like turning 3 pass without some fanfare. The Cake Lady came through with another awesome cake! Ben loves the movie "How to Train Your Dragon." He had a dragon cake, which he ordered, and got several dragon gifts, dragon sheets, dragon books, dragon pajamas, I guess you get the picture. He was quite excited, and any of you who know Ben, know that he is not shy about being in the limelight!

The cake tasted just as good as it looked and had a few little finger holes where it had been sampled just to make sure it was delicious.
The Cheaps have their own, yes I said their own, Moon Bounce, and Miss Heidi found that she rather enjoyed it, too.

The pinata was a little stubborn, until the bat was handed to Max and he made fairly short work of it. You can see the kids (and maybe some adults) were quick to gather up the loot!

Ben absolutely refused any help in the gift opening department. Now that he is the ripe old age of 3, he is quite independent, until it suits him not to be...
As you can see, Ben, along with brother Sam, and buddies, Carter and Cole, thought the birthday celebration was a success!

Ella's New Room!

2010-04-25T23:57:00.003-05:00

I made a quick trip to Owasso last week. Brock was getting ear tubes (they had to be there so early that I think it qualified for the middle of the night) so I went to help out with the other kiddos. The trip turned into a multi-tasker. Not only could I do a little baby sitting, I got to see Coop play t-ball and also contribute something to Ella's new room.

The last time I was at Ella's house, she and I slept in their upstairs room. This is one nice room. It is quite large, with two dormer windows and it's own bathroom. Apparently, after I returned home, Ella wanted to continue sleeping up there (she is a brave little girl). This resulted in a family decision, move Ella's bedroom upstairs and Ryder could finally have his own "masculine" bedroom. I'm sure he will grow to appreciate this in time.

The upstairs room is so large and also serves as a guest room so Ella only gets to claim part of it as her own. This actually worked out quite well since Ella wants her own "house" not just a room. Her dad made her this cool loft bed (under the direction of mom) that fits into one of the dormer windows complete with ladder, she got to move her "stuff" into house and Mimi provided the outside walls. Actually, I just provided the labor not the supplies. It was a fun project made even more special because Ella loves it so much.

This picture was taken during the process. The only thing Ella didn't like was the fact that she didn't get to participate in the actual painting. She picked out what she wanted her house to look like and then settled for painting on the wood scraps. These little gems of art were supposed to be for her cousins, but I forgot to pick up the ones that were Woodward bound. Ella will probably keep them and deliver them herself. No, those are not horseshoes painted on the wall, just be patient and you will figure it out.

Ta Da! The finished project! It took a little persuasion to convince her that, no, she did not need an actual door at the entrance to her house.
I have always loved these kinds of projects, getting to do them for grandchildren makes them so much more special!

Those are some BIG HORSES!

2010-04-12T14:40:00.007-05:00

Since I was a little girl, I have been in love with horses. When I was real little, I pretended I WAS a horse, then I played with every kind of horse toy I could get my hands on, then I moved on to collecting horse figurines. No, this does not mean I was an accomplished horsewoman, just the opposite, really. The folks did finally get me a little paint pony and I rode her every chance I got. I fell off regularly, got some wicked saddle sores, but I treasure the memories. I continued to ride her when I was probably too big to do so (my daughters delight in making fun of pictures showing long legged me on a short little brown and white pony). Apparently, there was not too much damage done, because Honey lived to be over 30 years old.

Okay, so the reason for that little walk down memory lane is this - Express Ranch. This ranch is right outside Yukon and is amazing. It is completely fenced in white with Angus cattle grazing in the pasture, a beautiful mansion on the hill top, all sorts of nice outbuildings, and this amazing barn housing an award winning team of Clydesdale horses. This facility is open to the public. The cost is my favorite, free, and I have secretly been dying to visit. Sunday afternoon, I had my chance. Three of my grandsons were with me and I convinced them that life would not be complete without a trip to see these huge horses. They agreed, so my parents, three little fellas, and I all climbed into the car and headed for the ranch. Now, it doesn't take very long to see this attraction, but it was worth it to me...

This is the barn that is home to the Clydesdale horses. I will say that these animals do live in the lap of luxury.
Before we entered the barn, the boys had to examine this "horse" made out of used horseshoes. It was pretty cool, and the closest Sam would get to one of these animals with a smile on his face.

This big fella was getting his feet cleaned, but I think you can get an idea of the size of him. He could probably be a little intimidating if he wanted to, but he just stood there lifting up his feet before the little gal even asked him to, like he was royalty or something. :)

This is Jake. This is also where the trip went sour for Sam. Jake was just calmly looking at all of his visitors, snorting and stomping. He probably wanted to come out to visit, but Sam thought he was trying to break out of the stall to attack! Sam was done with the horses right then.

I did manage to get him to join his brothers in a little walk behind the big barn. They had this cute little stage coach sitting right next to a pen with these tiny little ponies. I think a couple of them weren't even as tall as my leg, and I have short legs. Sam decided he could handle a horse if he was about the size of a dog, maybe.

Ben discovered this little statue on our way back to the car and insisted on having his picture taken on it. All in all, a nice little adventure if you have a half hour or so to spare.

11 Kids + 16 Cups of Easter Egg Dye =

2010-04-06T14:21:00.004-05:00

Most of you are probably thinking the answer is "MASS CHAOS" and you are not far from wrong, but the answer is also " a lot of fun!" One of our family traditions around this time of year is to gather all of the grandchildren together for a huge egg decorating "eggstravaganza." I think I boiled 10 dozen eggs (I honestly did keep thinking about all the hungry children in the world and we are dying 120 eggs).
As you can see, there is quite a crew gathered around our dining room table, and this is not all of them!
This is the first year that I noticed the "artistic side" emerging in the children. They were very particular about how they decorated their eggs.
The young ladies are wearing the latest fashion for egg dying, better known as Mimi's old tee shirts. They really don't think it is fair that the boys can go without shirts. Don't worry girls, this is not the last time you will think the boys got the best end of the deal...

Lily spent a great deal of time studying her subject before she committed to a design. She is definitely my little artist.

As you observe these two young men busily beautifying a few eggs, you may be thinking to your self, "Man, Max looks so grown up." Let me clarify that what looks to be an early display of chest hair is really just the remnants of a rub on tattoo. I'm hoping that is the only kind of tattoo he ever sports...
Ben said he was just telling "My boy, Max" how pretty his eggs were, but I secretly think he was trying to wipe the dye off of his hands.

This was as close as we could get Ryder to the egg decorating. He must have been suffering from "artist's block" that day. Brock did actually do some dying, but I was helping him, so, hence, no pictures.
Even Heidi got into the act, but she did have some pretty good assistance.
Writing on the eggs with crayon was a very popular part of the process this year. Max is concentrating hard on his creation (probably trying to write OSU, go figure).
Emily is not to be out done in the crayon department...

even Ruby is prepared to make a few crayon marks, she just has to "taste" the egg first.

But I must say, Ben had the most unique approach, put the egg in the cup of dye THEN proceed to make your mark. I, personally, think that with these brilliant children in control, the future is secure. Have a great week!

Great Grandparents are good for lots of things...

2010-04-04T22:21:00.002-05:00

My grandchildren are so fortunate to still have great grandparents that are an active part of their lives. My parents were able to spend Easter weekend with us this year and it was so special. I thought I would begin my Easter posts with this one (and, yes, the plan is to have several posts concerning Easter, but you know what they say about plans...). Just thought I would list a few things that my grandchildren do with my parents.

Great grand parents are good...
to play Nintendo DS with because no matter how good or bad you are, they are probably worse...

to cozy up to while watching television, who knows, you both will probably fall asleep...
to snuggle under a blanket with, because they are always cold, too, no matter what the weather...

and, of course, to have your picture taken with, especially on Easter Sunday morning when everyone is looking their best!

Guess Who?

2010-03-18T17:14:00.003-05:00

I have had every intention of being a better blogger, but obviously I have not followed through with action. I have been rather busy, but lets face it, I probably could find the time to blog but let it slide. I have not even been reading the blogs I love to follow and heaven knows that is one of my favorite past times! I thought today, we would have a test. Just to see how good you can match the captions to the pictures. The captions are we follows:

A."I get to play t-ball this summer and my dad is my coach. It will be fun because I am awesome!" (this is a direct quote, the boy doesn't lack confidence)

B. "We are at our first Boomer Basketball send off. We love it and not just because we got to leave school early!"

C. "Dancing lessons are the greatest!"

D. "Waaaaa! Something stinks back here!"

(Incidentally, the hands do not mean that the Boomers are #2 - they mean Seth Heckart, the favorite player is #22)
That wasn't too hard, now was it? :) By the way, Ben hates all smells, he can't even stand it when he goes to the bathroom himself...

Have A Great Week!

2010-03-07T18:05:00.002-05:00

I have been a terrible blogger lately and I'm not doing much better today, but I did want to post a picture of my precious 6 month old granddaughter!

Heidi and I hope everyone has a fantastic week!!

Brock Turned 1!

2010-03-01T10:57:00.004-05:00

Actually, he turned 1 on the 23rd, but we didn't get to celebrate until last weekend. He was not overly impressed with his party - he really likes his mom and isn't too sure about being the center of attention. But I'm sure he will get over his "shyness" , after all he does have Whiteley blood flowing in his veins. Brock the Rock is such a precious gift from God and I'm so thankful we live close enough to share in all of these special moments!

Pa made Brock his rocking chair (it was being finished the night before we left of course). He thinks this one is his masterpiece. He has been wanting to make a two tone chair and finally, over ruled me and did it. I have to admit, it looks pretty sharp.
Brock wasn't too impressed with opening his presents. He spent most of the time looking at the cards (I'm sure this is just an indication of super intelligence) and messing with the wrapping paper while mom opened the gifts.
Max is such a good big cousin. He loves Heidi, but isn't too crazy about the drool that comes along with her.
Brock got this super cute fire engine from his Papa Genie and Nana Lisa, but I don't know how much he got to enjoy it. It was being hogged by the other children because they thought it was the coolest thing ever! Fortunately, no one discovered how to fill the water tank!

Brock liked his birthday cake, but was a little reluctant to get his hands dirty. He was happiest when daddy was helping him out with a fork. His first year rocketed by, and I know they will just continue to do so. I love you, Brocky Boy!

Big Boys Don't Wear Pull-ups, Even the Lightning McQueen Kind!

2010-02-17T21:55:00.003-05:00

I just had to post this story for posterity (and Ben's embarrassment later on). He has been doing really well on his potty training. Actually, I think he has it mastered, but the waking up dry from naps and nighttime, I'm not so sure. He might actually be able to do that, but I am not willing to risk my mattress at this time, so I make him lay down in pull-ups. This makes him spitting mad! But I persevere and insist. Today, after I finally convinced him that, yes, he was taking a nap, and yes, he was wearing a pull-up to bed, I ventured down the hall to check on him. The door to my room is closed, I had left it open, and when I tried to open it up I found it to be locked. I knew that Ben was probably sound asleep and I didn't want to wake him up, so Sam and I gathered up some screw drivers and the lock picking began. It was successful, so we made our way quietly into the room and this is what we found....

a pull up, dry, and thrown on the foot of the bed...
and a sound asleep Ben, going commando. I am also happy to report that the mattress was nice and dry at the end of the nap.

Wordless Wednesday - Takin' It Easy (In The Chair Pa Made Me)

2010-02-10T23:31:00.002-05:00

I'm In Love!

2010-02-07T21:21:00.003-05:00

With a 69 3/4 inch tall, 25 cubic feet of kitchen appliance better known as "The Refrigerator." Okay, maybe not technically in love, but pretty close after about 4 weeks of living out of ice chests. I've been trying to look on the bright side, it could have been summer which would have ratcheted the misery of "ice chest living" up a few notches since we did just put them on the back porch and they stayed pretty cold. And it only took Greg about 5 1/2 hours to set the thing up. Some people would allow said appliance to be delivered and set up by those who sold the item, but not at our house. We must rise to the challenge of "doing it yourself" once again. Let me stress that I am just explaining and not complaining. I'm thrilled that we are refrigerator owners once again.

I do love this little man - he is demonstrating how much he loves the new fridge with lights and buttons.
Isn't it lovely - I'm hoping this one has a life span of at least 20 years.
I couldn't resist posting a picture of the inside as it will probably never look this organized or empty ever again. Now that I am no longer so melancholy about refrigeratorless living, perhaps my blogging will improve, too. :)

Hooray for Nintendo DS!

2010-01-27T17:10:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Ruby Ann!

2010-01-20T11:08:00.003-05:00

I cannot believe it has been a year since we met Ruby Ann Harrel face to face. She has grown so much and is so precious. We get to celebrate with her this weekend but I could not let the actual "day" go by without saying a special "Happy Birthday" to my sweet girl. What a precious gift from God you are!

She was not nearly as impressed with her trip home from the hospital as the rest of us were to have her there.

Ruby and her precious mama, at Christmas. Do you think Rudy looks like she think she is being squeezed with love? Her chubby cheeks always look like that! :) I love you girls!

Flashback Friday!

2010-01-15T18:38:00.004-05:00

I just thought, that since everyone has been posting old pictures on Facebook this week for "Way Back Week" that I would post some REAL OLD pictures today. :) If for no other reason than to prove that, yes, there was color film way back in the day because these two pictures are of me. Let's just say that this was more than a few years ago and let it go at that. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Six months old
2 years old

10 Things that make me happy!

2010-01-09T14:48:00.003-05:00

When I first read about this challenge (thank you, Dawn) - I thought, oh my goodness, homework! It will take me forever! Then I reevaluated. Too often we take for granted those things that being us so much joy and it will do me good to spend some quality time contemplating on happiness. I basically think I am a happy person, but that is because I am so blessed and really have so much to be happy about. So here goes ( Dawn, I hope you are not taking grades)...

1. My truest happiness comes from my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I have been a Christian for many years, but the older I get the more I have seen Him work. But I realize, He has been working all along, I just wasn't paying attention. Particularly in the last few years, I have seen His hand in my life and the lives of my family. I know all things are in His hands and that gives me a happiness that I can't even put into words.

2. My husband makes me so happy. We will have been married 35 years this summer and I can hardly believe it has been that long. I mean, I'm not old enough to have been married that long, have I? Greg is such a great example of what a Christian husband and father should be, always putting the girls and me above himself. He works hard and just loves us all unconditionally. He is also an amazing source of information, like trivial information. He is like a sponge, absorbing everything he reads or sees and loves to impart that to all of us. I may give him a hard time about it, but secretly I really enjoy his lessons.

2. To say that my daughters make me happy seems like an understatement. I know that I have the 4 best daughters in the world. Yes, there are 4, and while they are quite different they also share many wonderful traits. They have grown to be strong Christian women, despite the mistakes their parents made, who are such great mothers and wives. I couldn't be prouder! It makes my day (and I do talk to them every day) just to hear their voices on the phone. I love you girls so much!

3. My grandchildren! You knew that was coming, didn't you. I don't even know how to begin. I did not know it was possible to love something that you didn't give birth to so much! These kids are the 11 cutest and smartest kids in the world! Of course, I am not prejudiced. When the door flies open and I hear the stomping of little feet and a small voice yelling "Mimi, I'm here!" or on the phone a precious voice says "Hi, Mimi, I love you." my heart just zings! No other word to describe it.

4. My son-in-laws. I have to include these young men. I have seen God working in their lives in the years that they have been in our family. They all work hard and love my girls and are striving to be what God wants them to be. I love them all very much. Also, they had a little part in providing the above mentioned grandchildren - I couldn't be happier.

5. I have to just lump the rest into friends and family. My parents, in-laws, sister and her family, and brother and his family are such a vital part of my life. I have aunts, uncles, cousins, too many people to name, that are so important to me. I love hearing about their lives, their kids lives, oh, just their lives in general. It is so awesome that in this technology age we can keep so connected to people, even those who live far away. We get to share in things that other wise we wouldn't be able to. I have friends that are just like family to me. Even if you go awhile without talking or seeing each other, just knowing they are there makes me happy. I wonder if this is getting too sappy?

I used the first half of my "10" things to post about those huge areas they probably make us all happy, the second half I will devote to some everyday areas that I probably just take for granted, but when I think about them, give me a great deal of happiness.

6. Personnel emails or letters. Don't get me wrong, some email forwards are funny and I do enjoy reading them, but I love actually hearing from people, reading a message written especially to me. I am one of those people who love to get those long newsy Christmas letters (yes, I know those aren't written just for me, but it feels like it). I love hearing about peoples lives. I almost wrote Facebook (pathetic, I know), because I have gotten in touch with people I have not seen or heard from in years, some since I was in High School. And it just plain makes me happy to hear from them.

7. Books. I love to read! I guess I should qualify and say I love to read fiction. I love to get lost in a book, escape into someone else's imagination. I love mysteries, even if they scare me. I guess maybe I am happy scared?! I particularly love to read in the bathtub, so consequently, I have to buy my own books (Greg just cringes at this) but by the time I am finished the pages are kind of crinkly. At last count I had over 700 books under my stairway - so if you need to borrow one - come on over!

8. Blogs. Love 'em. Guess you would call me a "blog stalker" because I don't have to know the person to read their blogs. Some people are so creative and funny that their posts just brighten my day. I love to read about creative ideas, see pictures, and hear other peoples perspective on life. If I am feeling a little blue, there are a couple of blogs I read that always make me smile, sometimes even laugh out loud!

9. Sweets. You could probably tell this by looking at me. I have been trying to control this a little, so now, when I do let myself have a treat it makes me particularly happy. My granddaughter, Emily, and I feel the same about sweets. One day, we were riding down the road in the car and she said, "Mimi, you know what?" Of course I replied, "What, honey?"
"When I am in heaven, I'm going to eat sweets everyday!" WooHoo! A girl after my own heart. Sweets may make me happy here, but in heaven I can have them everyday and still have a perfect body!!

10. Creating things. I really didn't know how to put this into words. I almost said crafts, but I also love to draw and sew. I like the sense of accomplishment when I have completed a project. I also like to make things and give them away (particularly to my daughters). For some reason I think I need to help them with their holiday decorating by providing them with little mementos I have made with my own two hands. We have a group of women at church who meet once a week. We call the group CPR. It stands for Crafts, and Relationships. I love these women. They are part of the friends I mentioned above.

I probably could easily name 10 more things, but as it is, most people probably quit reading a long time ago. Did I mention that I feel an innate sense of happiness when I complete an assignment? Hey, I would like to read about what makes other people happy, so consider yourself challenged. Better quit, I think I have typers cramp...

Wordless Wednesday - After 3 kids, shouldn't Jason be used to this by now?

2010-01-06T17:50:00.001-05:00

One Last 2009 Christmas!

2010-01-05T10:00:00.006-05:00

Since we have already rung in 2010, I really felt like I couldn't wrap up last year without posting our last Christmas celebration that we enjoyed on December 27. We all gathered in Yukon at Greg's folks church. We were able to use their Family Life Center and it made for a great day. No worries about what the grandchildren would break or tear up and lots of room to run off that childhood energy. There was still plenty of snow on the ground and I can only say I am thankful that we were spared that storm.
I think you might call this the intellectual table, notice none of my immediate family are sitting right there....

As usual, we had plenty of good, fattening, food.

Cute little Ruby never minds taking time to eat - she takes after her Mimi.

I am still trying to get a good picture of Max, and he is still trying to foil my plans.

Of course, you can't have a Christmas party without gifts.

Uncle Josh got a "head lamp" which Ben tried to take over, unfortunately he thought he could stomp the light. It didn't work out so well for him, but he kept trying.

Jennifer's little guy, Luke, has figured out how to eat on the go. He has his mama trained well.

Don't Sally and Brandon look intense. Emily got a cool paper airplane kit for Christmas and these two "engineers" are attempting to out do each other. I never did hear who was successful.
Granddaughters never get too old to sit on Pa's lap.
Ella got this cool bag from her Nana Lisa and I'm pretty sure she might have kept such a tight hold on it that she even slept with it.
Another great thing a gym is for - a rousing game of Dodge Ball. I did notice that the adults made the kids do most of the dodging.
Even clean up time was fun.
I just love this picture, but I'm really not too sure what Brock thought of the whole thing.

More Christmas Celebrations!

2010-01-03T15:40:00.007-05:00

Like most families, we had several Christmas parties. The first of which took place the weekend before Christmas. The Woodward crew made the trip across the state to Owasso where my brother and his wife opened their home to the Rice Family Christmas. Everyone was able to attend and it was great for the family to get to be together.

Of course, there was a game on the television which did not go unwatched!

There can be no Christmas party without presents...and Ben must also be rubbing the top of his head. I'm afraid he may go bald, extremely prematurely!
Mom and Dad must have been good this year (of course they were), because they had their fair share of presents....

or maybe it just seemed that way because my dad spends more time opening one present than most people spend decorating their entire house for Christmas. I think it goes back to his childhood when he usually received one or two presents. He said he and his siblings re wrapped and unwrapped their gifts all day long and it was just as exciting the tenth time as the first. Now that is what I call getting enjoyment out of Christmas. Most kids these days wouldn't have time to do that much less want to. Simpler times... well, let me get back on the subject.

Of course, there were wall to wall kids - 14 age 7 and under. And our family likes it that way!

My great niece likes her babies and really likes the baby's bumbo chair. Lily doesn't need a bumbo chair when she has her dad.

I just had to post this picture. Brock looks so happy and he is actually sitting on my lap and not his mom's!!
I think these two are in the process of solving major world problems, but I could be wrong....
My parents got some of the great grands these cool wands. They make these metallic shapes float in the air. They were actually quite popular.

As you can see, Hunter and Hannah are enjoying practicing their "magic" skills.

The aforementioned great grands' mothers felt that these cool toys needed to be "tested" before the kids could actually participate in the fun.

And tested...
And tested...

until they were finally convinced to help their kids give the toy a try.
Can you tell someone got a dart gun for Christmas? Poor Heidi!

Okay, Okay - don't freak! No one shot Heidi with the dart. She was fussing so her dad stuck the dart on her forehead so the photo op. Look how happy she is here. She really is happy most of the time. Guess I will end this lengthy post for now - I still have one more Christmas one to post.

My Christmas Present!!

2009-12-30T14:35:00.002-05:00

Not exactly wordless Wednesday, but I thought I would post a picture of my Christmas present from my wonderful husband. Okay, I really did ask for one, so he did good. I love it! It is a beautiful lilac color. And, I might add, the first new bicycle I have ever owned. Oh yes, I had one as a child. My dad got one from my cousin. He did work hard refurbishing it. It was painted, after he finished, a weird yellow and pea green, probably colors we already had on hand. My dad was Mr. Fix-it and the color of the bike was suspiciously the same color as our station wagon. Don't get me wrong, I did love that bike - it was very special to me. My parents didn't believe that because I think I left it laying behind the car and it got crunched...but that is another story. There are even some bikes in Wal Mart that look amazingly like that first one (although definitely not the same color), complete with the kind of back fender others can sit on while you pump them (my sister spent quite some time on the back of my bike). So here she is.....

Ta Da!! I'm thinking of naming her "Bobbi" after my very good friend who LOVES the color purple. I haven't taken her on her maiden voyage yet, I'm a sissy and it has been too cold for me!

Another reason I haven't taken that first ride and quite possibly the best part of the gift is the new seat (which has not yet been installed on the bike) . I am loving this new bicycle seat, being more than a little blessed in certain parts of my anatomy, this will make bicycling a bit more comfortable!

The week after Christmas....

2009-12-29T12:45:00.005-05:00

is always a little sad for me. I think a tree without presents under it looks so lonely. But it is also a reminder of new beginnings. The new year is just around the corner and it is sure to be filled with blessings and wonderful possibilities. Our family enjoyed several Christmas celebrations, but this one features the festivities at our house.

Just goes to show - babies really would be happy with wrapping paper and boxes for Christmas.

We got Ben this cool race track (he loves cars) and of course, Mimi forgot the batteries. Just a little advice - don't do this! I had to go to the Quick Stop for some and 4 C batteries cost me $14!
Heidi got her first lunch on Christmas day - not exactly turkey and dressing but she loved it anyway.
Ella loved her gifts and she likes to give hugs as "thank yous."
The Cheap boys got a Wii and the Super Marios Brothers game. It was played literally all day - they tagged teamed it, played individually, just about any way you can imagine with only a brief pause for sustenance.
Santa brought Cooper some inflatable swords. What was he thinking?!
There are some old stories that have been in my family for generations and I have taken on the task of putting them in book form along with illustrations. This was my first attempt and I will say that I have a new respect for book illustrators. Not only am I not that great at it - I am slow! It took me half a year to do just one, I hope I still have grandchildren who like kids stories by the time I am finished with this project.
We gave the oldest kids video cameras. They were a hit, but it was like having Candid Camera around all day - they were taping everything!! The only plus is, the way the picture zoomed around, you couldn't tell if it was overly embarrassing but you might get a serious case of motion sickness.

Our resident photographer was busy, so keep looking for Katie's posts - her pictures will be much better than mine!!
Happy New Year, everyone!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!!

2009-12-24T14:20:00.002-05:00

I love my Christmas card picture so much this year that I just had to post it one more time - Thanks Katie for the beautiful job. I have had several people request the names of the cast to I thought I would list them here:

Shepherds - Ryder Karn and Ben Cheap (these guys were interesting, to say the least, they thought their staffs were weapons)

Angels - Lily Harrel, Ella Karn, and Ruby Harrel

Wisemen - Sam Cheap, Cooper Harrel, and Brock Karn

Joseph - Max Cheap

Mary - Emily Nelson

Baby Jesus - Heidi Luthi

We actually have some of that white stuff on the ground around here and it is quite cold! If you are traveling, please be careful.

It is truly hard to believe that Christmas 2009 is upon us. There is so much for which to be grateful. As we spend time with loved ones, open gifts, eat good food, and just enjoy the season, I pray that we will all remember the true reason for the season. The birth of Christ Jesus is truly the first Christmas gift. His journey from the cradle to the cross was for each of us and I pray that you may know His comfort and peace. May you all have a Merry and Blessed Christmas!

Christmas Programs...

2009-12-15T16:50:00.003-05:00

I love them! Perhaps I just love the people who perform in them. :D I was fortunate to see several of said programs this year. I am also very upset because I seem to have lost the pictures from our church program. Max and Sam had lines and Emily sang a solo, but I have no pictures, agh! Some would say I have picture overload anyway, but I cherish those recorded moments. Oh well...
Max always appears less than enthusiastic to be performing so I had to post a picture where you can tell he is actually doing the motions to the song. Usually he is so subtle, that you can hardly see his mouth move, much less see any arm motions.

Emily seems to enjoy programs of any kind, she just doesn't really enjoy dressing up for them. Her mom bribed her to get her to wear a dress to her school program, she got to change right after.
Lily and Ella are singing a Christmas song at their church. Shy Lily is getting quite good at performing and Ella is just a natural, she loves it.
These two little guys were the cutest audience members at Westwood Early Childhood's Christmas program. I don't think Ben will ever have performance anxiety.

Sam takes performing very seriously (notice how his eyes are even closed during this sleeping motion). He sang every word, did every action, and completely refused to smile. When I asked him why he replied, "Mimi, we're supposed to be singing, not smiling!" Guess he followed directions.

Slip Slidin' Away!

2009-12-12T20:03:00.002-05:00

You would have thought that we had a major storm this past week, the way the kids wanted to play out in the weather, but all it takes it a little ice to provide some major entertainment! It was also extremely cold so the ice stayed around awhile. We have some terrific new neighbors who just happen to have some precious boys that my grandsons love to play with - so life just doesn't get any better!

There were a few spills (actually more than just a few)...
some speed skating...
more spills...
and some tricky skating. :D The fun lasted awhile, but there were enough crashes tears were involved and a decision was made to take a break from skating. If you'll notice Carter in the background, he is actually running to get his bike helmet. Now this guy is thinking - nothing like a little head protection when you are risking life and limb on slippery ice. You can't tell, but most of the driveway was clear (that is why I would get so close to the skaters) and the boys had to utilize this little strip as their skating rink. They were so funny, they knew it was almost Christmas because of the ice on the ground and they just know that we will have snow before Santa comes. I hope they don't have some secret info.......

Ho! Ho! Ho!

2009-12-09T12:13:00.001-05:00

Is it Santa? Is it an Elf? No, it's Max! #1 Ornament Hanger!

2009-12-02T21:24:00.001-05:00

Deck the Halls!

2009-11-30T10:02:00.002-05:00

When I was kid, putting up the Christmas tree before Thanksgiving was unthinkable! If your family decorated for Christmas before turkey day, you were definitely lacking in some "holiday etiquette" and were probably not thankful enough for your many blessings. Of course, we kids knew how incorrect this was and begged to put the tree up early, but to no avail. Now, we're the adults and we can put the tree up whenever we want. And it seems that we do it earlier and earlier every year. But I hold to the belief, that Christmas decorations are so beautiful (and so time consuming to put up) that one needs to enjoy them and be thankful for them for as long as possible! Thus, our family continued our tradition of decorating the big tree before *gasp* Thanksgiving Day. And we had a great time doing it!
I still know some folks who make the trek to the Christmas tree lot and pick out a lovely, living tree. I even know some who journey to the countryside and cut down their own tree. This is an interesting tradition since trees always look smaller in their natural habitat. I am reminiscing on the one time we did this and that little "Charlie Brown" like tree took up half of our living room! But our tradition of constructing a tree from all the separate pieces is still fun and I am convinced it probably takes more time than cutting down your own tree. Notice, I have many helpful hands this year. Emily is going to love me for the plumbers crack picture someday!

I have been on the hunt for a new Christmas tree star since last year. I just wasn't happy with our old one. Actually, I purchased a couple (don't tell Greg) and put it to a vote of the masses. I did have a favorite and, luckily my constituents (the kids) voted with me and we put up the gorgeous new gold star.

I have to give the kids credit this year. They did an awesome job decorating. In 2008 the ornaments were in clumps, festooning mainly the lowest tree branches. This time they are evenly spread out and spaced. Of course, all of the children were very conscious of placement, because if they messed up, Max made them rehang their bauble or he did is himself!
Happy just to be decorating!

We always try for a group picture after the project is complete. And I'm happy to say, they were running true to form, posing so prettily for the picture. Notice Ben and Ryder couldn't even break from tree trimming to smile for the camera and Ruby's mom didn't even put her in the picture! If your decorating was half as fun as ours was, I know you had a great time!! Now, I am going to need some help decorating the three other trees I put up...

A Bandaid and a Kiss!

2009-11-13T10:28:00.002-05:00

Don't you just love those days when kiss and a bandaid will fix anything! Ben stubbed his toe this morning (I think). Anyway, he was quite upset, as you can tell by the face. I, myself, could find no marks or scrapes, but I am confident that, internally, he was in great pain. But the Scooby Doo Bandaid did the trick, the kiss didn't help quite as much.

Look at those eyes of agony...

then the bandaid that might as well have been a cast...
and life is good! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Go Rockets!!

2009-11-09T09:32:00.004-05:00

This past weekend we finally got to see our little soccer players from Owasso. And we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day! It was warm, a little breezy, perfect soccer weather! AND Ella and Cooper were awesome, of course!!

There's a new coach in town...(Josh got to fill in for the absent coach and he did a smashing job, I know we won)

It's Cooper on the breakaway...
No, it's Ella...
No, it's both of them!

Now we come to the players favorite part, exiting through the tunnel and...

snack time!

All in all, we had a great weekend and I'm extra glad the holiday season is starting so we can see the Owasso bunch a little more often. Have a great week, everyone!

Not Exactly Wordless Wednesday...

2009-11-04T13:57:00.003-05:00

The girls started a tradition when Emily was born to do an "Aunts" t-shirt for each baby. It is really a keepsake, they don't wear them much, but they are fun to make and actually pretty cute. Well, after ten babies, the ideas were getting in rather short supply. The theme is "If you think I'm fill in an adjective, then you should see my aunts." I believe someone suggested (that someone shall remain nameless) the saying "If you think I'm an oinker, you should see my aunts" (Remember, Heidi's dad is a sow farmer). That was vetoed, so we went with the always appropriate "princess" theme. I get the privilege, mainly because I took the picture, of posting the finished product.

I'm sure it is obvious that we have Sleeping Beauty, Belle, and Cinderella in the design.
We thought the onesie was plenty big, but the way Heidi is packing it on, we had to get the picture. Wish Aunt Katie had been around to take it, my attempt is pretty pathetic.
Heidi is starting to smile, a lot, but Mimi is a little slow with her shutter finger, actually she is a little slow in many areas. But I know you can see the remnants of her precious little grin. She is smiling because she knows she is the prettiest princess around and there is nothing her aunts can do about it! :D

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T20:26:00.007-05:00

Another Halloween has come and gone. The time certainly flies, especially when the days are as hectic as this one was. It was perfect Halloween weather, beautiful, hardly any breeze, and just a hint of fall in the air. It was even more perfect because, since this year "trick or treat" fell on a Saturday, we got to have all of the grandchildren together. They love it and so do the grownups, but you wouldn't believe my house after getting 11 children all spiffed up and ready to greet the evening. Whew! It still kind of wears me out just thinking about it. We also had our "Kid Fest" carnival at church, which was a great success. Lots of fun activities (I must admit, I am rather popular at this event because I give away goldfish and thanks, Dawn for all the help, I would not have survived without you, literally). The last news I received there were over 800 in attendance and I believe it! But it makes it all worthwhile to see such a good turnout as this is our church's gift to our community.

This year we had quite a variety of spooks in the family. There was a headless horseman (I'm afraid this is just the beginning of Max's trip to the gross side of Halloween), a Knight in Shining Armor (or Prince Caspian as Sam called himself), a dragon (which I am relieved to report the knight resisted the urge to slay), a member of the Ninja Dragon Elite Force (and yes this was Emily), a cute little teddy bear (Heidi was completely oblivious of all the activity around her), Elphaba (one of the witches from the Broadway musical "Wicked"), Frankenstein and his brother, the mad scientist (who only briefly wore his glasses), two of the cutest "Wonder Women" you have ever seen, and of course, Spiderman. We had a great time and yes, I did send goldfish home with all of them, much to their mother's dismay. They can't complain, I provided bowls, food, and a talk about the short lives of goldfish. :D

Ben, modeling his best "dragon face."
Guess who? Max actually left this contraption on the entire evening, personally, I think he loved grossing people out. The top of the neck was pretty graphic with exposed spinal column and blood.
Prince Caspian looks very handsome, if I do say so myself.
Basically, Heidi just tolerated the night, but she still got her own goldfish.

The Dragon Ninja demonstrates an elite fighting stance. She does take karate, don't you know?
Ella loves to have a mean witch's face, even though Elphaba wasn't particularly mean.
These two were just too precious. Ryder even tolerated his costume quite nicely and Brock, the mad scientist was just hilarious!
Cooper loves being Spiderman. He kept shouting "Cheese" for pictures like you could actually see his smile...
How cute is this chubby Wonder Woman? My sister made this costume for her granddaughter a couple of years ago and Rudy got to put it to good use again, though we did have to squeeze her into it.
Beautiful Lily's costume, on the other hand, had to be taken up to fit her slim self.
One last picture and I will close this massive post. Obviously, the crew was running out of patience with all the picture taking and was anxious to gather some candy. Hope everyone has a blessed week!!

Five Little Pumpkins, Sitting On a Fence

2009-10-30T18:23:00.003-05:00

I mean counter top. For the last several years, we have grown some pumpkins. Actually, they have grown themselves. Right in the place we displayed the ones the fall before. Did you know that if you just let your pumpkins disintegrate on good old earth - there will be a pumpkin patch in that place next year, you don't have to do a thing! God always has the best plans!
What do you think, some budding artists in the group? I think so - particularly the two on the left. Ben thought these were the prettiest pumpkins in the universe!
Painting pumpkins helps Ben find his "Happy Place."
These artists "plan their work and work their plan."

Attack of.... Cujo??

2009-10-27T09:14:00.003-05:00

I have long given Mandy and Chad grief about not letting their boys have a dog. They really want one. Chad had a dog named "Fish" when he was a kid and Mandy had just about every kind of pet you can think of (except reptiles of course, gotta draw the line somewhere). We were at my parents this weekend and the boys love to play out there. They were having a great old time, when this little fella comes romping over to visit. Sam really wanted to be brave, but basically was terrified. I guess you can understand it, after all, this was one ferocious beast!

To give them credit, after awhile and much coaxing from me, there was finally some petting involved. Come on, guys, these boys need a dog!

Happy Birthday, Sally...

2009-10-21T16:39:00.003-05:00

the best birthday present I ever received!! 27 years ago today. You are a wonderful daughter, sister, wife, and mother. I am so proud of you and thank God for you daily! I love you, honey, and you will sleep again someday. :D

Fall A Days!

2009-10-19T16:23:00.002-05:00

Last weekend was annual Fall A Days in Woodward, so Emily, Ella, Sally, Heidi, and I ventured to the Fair Grounds. We had a nice time, saw some really cute bows (Leia is talented) and spent some of Pa's hard earned money (he had to stay home with Ryder and Brock). The weather was great, also.

Emily demonstrates her award winning slide technique!
Did you know that now you can make your own pixie stix? That is if you have the time and someone to bankroll you. This was quite a hit with my girls.
A free fan and a pixie stick - what more could you ask for? I cannot believe I did not get a picture of Miss Heidi at her first Fall A Days. I am a horrible Mimi!

I'm Not Bragging, but...

2009-10-11T16:50:00.004-05:00

Okay, I am bragging, but since I'm really bragging on Katie, I think that is legal. I just had to post a picture of my new "Wall Decor" in the dining room. I think you would really have to go some to find anything even equal to it. Katie provided the idea, pictures, and most of the actual physical labor, the grandchildren the inspiration, and the saying is a line from a poem by my favorite poet, my wonderful father. I just love walking through the dining room now and of course, updates will be easy since I will just have to switch out one picture at a time, as they grow. Someone asked me what will I do if more kiddos arrive? I assure you, that will be no problem, we can make it work! I hope everyone has a great week!!

Wordless Wednesday - I Am a Fan of the Kewpie Curl and I Will Not Apologize for It....

2009-10-07T14:26:00.002-05:00

Fall Is In The Air!!

2009-09-28T18:24:00.002-05:00

I love fall! And the weather around here has been perfect. I also love fall decorations, even Halloween (as I believe I mentioned before). I am also somewhat of a procrastinator. My husband loves to garden and try his hand at growing things - sometimes with great success, sometimes, not so much. A couple of years ago, he was given some seeds to grow giant gourds. We saw some painted ones in Branson and they were amazing, so he was going to grow some and I would do my part by painting them. I was excited about this project. Greg planted a couple of hills of seeds and the vines took off! They spread out over the ground, up the wall, onto the yard. I thought "Wow, I'll have more gourds than I know what to do with!" Wouldn't you know, these giant gourds are awesome, but out that big ole vine, we got one gourd. Then you have to wait at least a year for it to dry out before painting. I must admit - I kind of forgot about it. I know, how do you forget about something that big? Some people can forget almost anything and I fall into that category.... but after tripping over the gourd in the garage, I got busy and painted that sucker up. I love this kind of thing. I am using the gourd as another Halloween decoration, so I tried to make it appeal to my grandchildren - seems I only do things that appeal to my grandchildren these days. Don't know how I did anything before these little munchkins were around.

Here is Sammy posing with the green gourd a couple of years ago...

The finished product!
In case you can't tell, the costumed ghosts are "Trick or Treating" in a haunted village.

Happy 6th Birthday, Lily!

2009-09-26T08:47:00.002-05:00

(Just realized I forgot a title, so I added it a little bit late) I just wanted to post a special Happy Birthday to my six year old granddaughter, Lily! Lily you are such a sweet, caring, beautiful little girl! I can't wait until we can have another art lesson. I just know you will be my little artist. I love you!!

Happy Birthday to my Wonderful Mother!

2009-09-23T11:46:00.003-05:00

This might as well be wordless, because nothing can adequately communicate how I feel about my mother! God blessed me and my family beyond words when He gave us to her and then allowed her to be part of our lives for so long. Happy 81st birthday, Mom, I love you!

Wordless Wednesday - Pass the Soap, Please...

2009-09-16T13:52:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday, Max!

2009-09-14T18:15:00.007-05:00

Max turned 7 yesterday. It was a busy day and I didn't get a chance to post any pictures then. He officially had a birthday party this summer a month early so he could have it at the swimming party. But we couldn't let the real day slide so we loaded up and went to the local bowling alley. We had a fun time and I realized once again why I made a B in bowling when I took it during the old college years.

I actually did spend some of Greg's hard earned money on an OSU jersey, and it was a big hit!

Ben was so proud that he actually got to wear "real" bowling shoes!
This is Sam's celebration mode after he made a strike - you should have seen him when he did poorly...

There is this nifty little chute contraption that helped Ben bowl. It is a pretty clever invention and suited Ben's skills quite nicely.
I feel the need to post some pictures of the championship bowling form that runs in our family. Emily actually looks almost normal when she bowls...
I think Max ended up on the floor after each attempt...

but this is one takes the prize - Sam's unique approach!

And it must have worked for him, because he had the best score out of all the kids. Guess you could probably tell from the picture.

I am a terrible Mimi! Cooper was 4 Saturday and I didn't even say a thing about it! I love you Cooper, wish I could have been with you on your birthday!!!

Action, Camera, Roll 'Em!

2009-09-11T16:50:00.007-05:00

No one has ever accused my grandchildren of being camera shy! In fact, they would like for my camera to be their new "best" toy. In order to keep them happy and protect my camera, we had our own little "photo shoot" on our recent camping trip. I would like to point out that these expressions were their own ideas (you probably realized that I would never have thought of the "Sneaking Barbie" pose :D ) I think I might have some potential Oscar hopefuls in this group. So with no further ado, let me present "Camping Memories" starring Ella, Sam, Ben, and Max!
Sneaking, Barbie...

Frightened...
Sweet...
Mad...

Happy...
Sad...
Scared...
Furious (bet you would never have guessed)...
Happy (he has been practicing this, he has to be happy to get what he wants)...
Sad...
Baby face...
Last, but not least, Max's self portrait!

Heidi Beth Luthi!

2009-09-10T16:37:00.002-05:00

I know that Katie has already posted pictures and mine are pathetic in comparison, but I still had to post a couple. Heidi is precious and petite - 6 pounds, 6 ounces. Just as a little side note - Sally's labor progressed nicely (not nearly as long as Emily's). We were shooed from the room and were sitting anxiously in the waiting room - waiting for news! Then Mandy began receiving unusual texts - "Congrats!" "Hear Heidi has arrived !" - Oh, yes, people in Woodward knew of her arrival before those of us in the waiting room. Sally just happened to send some text messages out before we even knew Heidi had made her grand appearance! Modern technology! :)

The newly expanded Luthi family!

One proud big sister - she loves to cuddle with her new little sister - she thinks that's her job. She can't be convinced that dirty diapers are really her chore...

We'll Be Right Back After These Messages...

2009-09-03T14:22:00.004-05:00

Everyone who knows me, also knows that I am not an immaculate house keeper. And I am always looking for excuses to escape the dreaded "chores" we all must do around our houses. If you cannot avoid these little activities, it is always nice if you can find short cuts to make them more tolerable. When we were in Branson and making the rounds of all the many shopping arenas, I stumbled upon a Fuller Brush store (genius that I am, I've been telling people it was a Stanley product - obviously my brain matter failed me again because this is a Fuller Product). As I'm browsing the products the manager starts giving me a sales pitch on his bathroom clean - Bathclean - quite and original name. This wonder product will actually melt off soap scum and hard water build up while you have a cup of coffee ( or tea or coke, etc). I'm a little skeptical, but as I am always looking for a way to make my already easy life a little easier, I purchased a few bottles. I had to get more than one, they weren't that big and if they are in the demand the manager claims who knows when I'd be able to get more?! May I just say, to those of you who hate scrubbing sinks and tubs, have soap scum or hard water residue, or if you have, heaven forbid, ever taken a razor blade to those shower doors - You need this product! (This may be my last post because I may just throw this computer across the room when it starts underlining my typing and I don't know why!!!!) Back on subject, I am actually going to post before and after pictures. I cannot believe I am letting the world see the state my utility room sink was in, but here goes.

Perfectly innocent, attractive, purple cleaner...
Spray it on the disgusting build up. You realize I was just letting this faucet get in this condition so I could be ready to "test" any available products.
I let it set while I busied myself with another chore, I am a champion multi-tasker.:) Came at that faucet with a wet rag and BAM! I realize that the sink needs one more shot at it, but this didn't even require any perspiration.

The utility room sink is used for everything from cleaning paint brushes, tools, hands, to freezing ice cream. I know, I know, it is disgusting, but not for long...

Impressive, right? That's my commercial for now, aren't you glad you spent your valuable time looking this post?

Wordless Wednesday - American Idol, Woodward Style!

2009-09-02T13:57:00.002-05:00

Okay, just a few words - the kids love these cheap microphones and insist I take their picture while performing, not sure about Ben's necklace, though. As you can see from their heartfelt melodies that a couple get performance anxiety and a couple do not...

I just realized that Sam's microphone is actually a light saber. :)
I
Whoa - Ben also has a pink microphone. Real men aren't afraid of pink!

Home Again...

2009-09-01T17:11:00.002-05:00

I feel as if I have been gone forever, actually it was only nine days - wait, that is pretty long, especially to be without the Internet. We spent last week at Branson, MO. We go every year and love it. Greg and I have decided we like it there because when we look around we really feel young. :) We were joined by good friends, Mark and Tammy, and we had a wonderful time. The weather was perfect, it was Southern Gospel Week at Silver Dollar City (which we love), we took in several great shows, there was plenty of good food, and the shopping was excellent. You can't ask for more than that!

There was plenty of time for the fellas to catch some much needed television (even though we didn't watch Big Brother once!).
The guys even shopped with us some. Now that I've done laundry, cleaned house, and completed a few more of those mundane chores, perhaps I'll have time to actually catch up on my blog stalking...

So you think you can dance...

2009-08-21T11:55:00.002-05:00

Yes, they can! Two of my favorite girls are starting dance lessons for the first time in a couple of weeks. Emily has been taking for three years and we have loved watching her perform and now we will have two more dancers in the family. Actually, we have many more than two dancers but I don't imagine the boys will be too proud if some of their "dancing videos" make the rounds someday. I made Emily a dance bag to carry her gear, so I decided Ella and Lily must have one also. Technically, I really didn't make the bags, I just bought the bags, attached the ribbons, and had them monogrammed. My wonderful sister-in-law gave me the the instructions for this a couple of years ago. I thought they turned out pretty cute. The girls are excited so I wanted to give them a little sneak peek.

I love you, Ella and Lily!

Wordless Wednesday - I Spy With My Little Eye!

2009-08-19T11:44:00.000-05:00

Mimi To the Rescue!!!

2009-08-17T17:01:00.004-05:00

I've still got it! Okay, when you hear the entire story, you may not be very impressed.... School is starting this week and the grandkids wanted to get out the big water slide. We have to squeeze all of the "water fun" we can out of this week. Now the slide has just been laying folded on the sidewalk for awhile and has never been completely dried out. We all go outside, my helpers and I, and begin the process of tugging, pulling, and unfolding the slide. I'm busy getting the hose and extension cord necessary for the entire operation. I knew the slide had some mud and leaves on it, requiring some basic house keeping - the I hear the screeches! Not quite screams, but definitely a distress signal and the kids are all standing on the porch. You can imagine what I thought, mountain lion, snake, at the very least a rabid dog or cat. Let me introduce you to the culprit......

the ever menacing, totally threatening, garden snail. That's right folks, the slide was covered in these little guys. I think the children thought they were vampire snails and I possessed the "courage of a hundred men" as I began jerking them off the material (it was kind of gross as they were attached quite firmly in places). Max figured out pretty quick that he over reacted and immediately began assisting me (I'm sure he wants the first part of this story kept on the down low). But Emily, Sam, and Ben were pretty much just observers - taking the opportunity to point out the random renegade snail. This from Sam - my snake wrangler - I was shocked! :) The snails were disposed of and the water hose hooked up and the group spent a good 30 minutes enjoy the slide, about 5 minutes longer than it took to set it up - oh well, guess I needed the exercise! I plan on reminding some little people of this story when they try to bring creatures in to my house - especially those scaly, legless kind!

Wordless Wednesday - Always Protect Your Head When Playing a Gameboy!

2009-08-12T19:33:00.001-05:00

Summer Vacation is Over?

2009-08-11T08:17:00.005-05:00

I always feel like summer is over when I officially start baby sitting again (and obviously my lack of "techno" skills is back, notice the underline I have never figured out how to stop). Mandy reported to school yesterday and it is not even officially the middle of August! Someday, the school is going to want to take them from the womb, right into school, and keep them all year around. Just thought I'd post I post a few swimming pictures from Max's party. I just realized I do not have one picture of the birthday boy swimming - I think he was just a blur, running around the pool, having fun.

Ben is a true water dog. If you tell him you are putting him under water, he doesn't care for it much - but he loves it if he has gone off the slide and the diving board.

Ryder likes the water also, but he wants to be left alone to play on the steps - do not carry him around in the pool!Ruby stayed in the water the entire two hours we were there. All Annie and Josh need to do is put a large swimming pool in their backyard. Then when Miss Ruby gets fussy, just take her swimming! I think that could work.
Sam is demonstrating in ability to turn a front flip off the diving board. Pretty good job! FYI - this old woman also attempted this same stunt - didn't quite make is all the way around, but was able to prevent myself from drowning and was extremely thankful that I was the only one with a camera at this little event!
I don't know about his form, but Chad has still "got it" - this is the tail end of the gainer he just completed. (Remember a "gainer" is when you do a back flip, after you have jumped off the board facing the front - at least that's what they called them back in the day)
Cooper's little lips were turning blue and his fingers and toes looked like prunes - still we had to force him out of the pool at quitting time. He would never willingly stop swimming on his own.

Ben has a unique sliding style.

Ben really did enjoy going off the diving board - he just needed a little extra "push" from mom and the security of dad waiting in the water.

Poor Brock -he just had to sit and watch the fun from the sidelines with Pa. I think his mom thought her hands were too full with the other two, for some reason...

Birthday in August!

2009-08-07T13:29:00.004-05:00

Man, it seems like I have been away from the blogging world for a long time! Between no Internet, a lot of company (which I loved), and watching "Big Brother" :) it seems I have not been on the computer much at all. I have decided to remedy that and I will start with a "Max" post. Max will turn 7 in September. He has always wanted to have a swimming party. Hey, it's still hot in September, right? Unfortunately, the local swimming pools won't stay open just to accommodate Max, so he talked his mom and dad into letting him celebrate a month (actually more than a month) early at Boiling Springs Swimming pool. The weather was hot and the water was refreshing, just perfect for a birthday party.

Max is genetically wired against taking a nice smiling picture. I tried, oh how I tried. This is just one of the many failed attempts at a pleasant picture.
Time to blow out candles. From looking at this picture, you'd think he was camera shy...

The wind actually gave some assistance in the blowing out of the candles.

Apparently, icing is not just for cakes anymore.

Ben would like to demonstrate to his big brother Max the proper use of a napkin in table etiquette. After dessert, we all went swimming and had a great time. I have some swimming pictures to post later, luckily, I was taking the pictures so you won't be forced to see me in a swimming suit...

Wordless Wednesday - My Kind of Eater!

2009-08-05T13:01:00.001-05:00

Arggg!

2009-07-29T20:05:00.007-05:00

I have no Internet at home and it is about to drive me crazy. We have to get a new router. Greg finally called it in and after not being able to communicate with the on duty tech, he was finally put through to someone in Wichita. Greg has enough trouble communicating with people here in the good old USA, so hook him up with someone from India and you can forget it. The new router is supposed to arrive Friday. I didn't realize how dependent I am on the computer until now (even being very technology challenged). In case you were wondering, I'm at Mandy's house. I just had to look at my new header. Katie - you are awesome! Thanks and I love you!

2009-07-29T20:05:00.003-05:00

2009-07-29T20:05:00.001-05:00

Flashback Friday - Rodeo Days!

2009-07-17T21:22:00.002-05:00

Things have been very busy around here - we've had company most of the week. I love it, but I have not been on the computer at all. I just thought I would post a quick "flashback" post, since it is rodeo. Some of you may be unaware that I was once a cowgirl through and through. That could possibly be an exaggeration, but I did spend many a day riding a little welsh pony named Honey around the countryside in my youth. One summer we even brought my "steed" to town so I could exhibit my horsemanship in the annual Yukon Rodeo Parade. This lofty occasion necessitated a shopping trip to the local western wear shop, of course. As you can see, I looked quite spiffy in my "Rodeo" attire, complete with bolo tie and now cowboy boots. My parents explained that the purchase of expensive boots for one appearance in the rodeo parade was much too extravagant for the family budget so I made do with moccasins. Apparently, the moccasins went well with my little brother's outfit, since he sported the frontiersman look complete with fringe. Please notice the saddle, we purchased it unfinished and my dad died it red and tooled our last name "Rice" into the leather. What a sharp saddle it was, even if the rider's clothes (or perhaps bare legs) became a lovely shade of red after spending much time in close contact with it...

Looking back, I realize that Honey carried quite a burden when she hauled me around (it looks like my feet might possibly drag the ground if it weren't for those stirrups for stick them in). But Honey was up to the challenge and together we even rode in the Rodeo's "Grand Entry" that year! My wildest dreams were realized when I got to live the life of a "real cowgirl" for one brief moment in time.

White Water = Woodward Style!

2009-07-09T12:24:00.005-05:00

Okay, so maybe we're not quite on the level of White Water, but Woodward has a new pretty cool water park. I must admit, I was skeptical - I didn't really know what their plan for a "water park" in Woodward entailed, but it turned out really nice. I know I mentioned Sam invited me to go with them on his birthday and I reluctantly agreed (after a quick trip to Stage to see if there was a bathing suit that would give me a modicum of security for a public appearance). There was about 450 in attendance that day and it really didn't feel very crowded at all. We all had a lot of fun!

There is something for the entire family (except a diving board, sorry no board).

Ben made his Aunt Sally carry him around for awhile. She's a soft touch, I think we all are as far as Ben is concerned.
This is one of the smaller slides, but Max manages to flip and flop around on it anyway.

Sam had to pass a short swimming test to go down the big slides, and he did with flying colors. Here he is demonstrating his ability to swim under water which is how he passed the test.

In the middle area there is a huge bucket of water that periodically dumps gallons of water on unsuspecting (and suspecting) by standers. Here Max waits for it, waits for it...
Bam! Actually that is Sam under the deluge which is actually quite refreshing on a hot summer day.

The little bitty kid section was closed for resealing on this day and Mandy didn't think that Ben would enjoy himself. But as usual, kids like to make liars out of their parents and it didn't slow him down at all.

He has his own method for going down these slides and it was quite effective.

Even Mandy demonstrated a proficient sliding technique. There is a definite advantage to being the one who brings her camera every where, you don't have to be in any pictures! I had such a good time that I'm sure I will go again. Buy you might not recognize me, I'll be the one hiding behind my sunglasses and the biggest floppiest hat I can find...

Wordless Wednesday - Not Everybody Loves Firecrackers!

2009-07-08T10:36:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday, Sammy Boy!

2009-07-07T13:09:00.002-05:00

I am interrupting my July 4th posts for this one for a special boy. Five years ago today, God gave us Samuel Gregory Cheap. I cannot believe how fast time has flown. He is such a grown up little man. Sam is sweet, smart, and funny. He always entertains and and makes us smile. I love you, Sammy T. Tiger!

Sam is holding his newest cousin, Brock Coleson. He loves being one of the oldest and taking care of little ones.

He started soccer this past year and was quite the little competitor.
Sam never gets tired of clowning around...
or hamming it up for the camera.
Loud noises used to send Sam into a tizzy. He is better now, but he still thinks that Uncle Bert's headphones are a must on "firecracker day."

Well, Sam called me and asked me to go to Woodward's water park today for his birthday. Ugh!! I don't usually do public bathing suit appearances, but since I could not turn that sweet boy down, I guess I will venture out this afternoon. I hope my sunglasses will be enough to keep me incognito. Maybe I can find a large, floppy, hat...

Fourth of July, Part 1

2009-07-05T22:38:00.004-05:00

As usual, I took way too many pictures on the 4th. It occurred to me that rather than have one gigantic post, I can divide it up into about three and I can avoid several things. One, no one would be so overwhelmed that they just skip an epic sized post for lack of time to read it, two, I don't really have time to compose a post of this magnitude, and last and most importantly, I can have something to write about for several days and thus avoid getting nagged by my daughters about my poor, dull blog. So, I decided that this first entry would be about food. Food seems to be the center of any celebration our family takes part in. Chad's wonderful parents once again opened their home to us for the Independence Day celebration. It's great! They have a super nice yard, live close to town (right across from our church) and have the added advantage of being outside city limits, allowing the kids (big and little) to blow up things (with fireworks, of course) to their hearts content. Greg smoked ribs on his smoker, which we have had for several years, and has now been used a total of three times. But they were delicious, making me think he needs to break the old cooker out a little more often. And what is July 4th without homemade ice cream - you have to eat some. Add Lanus' cookies and brownies and cupcakes and the meal was perfect!

Sally had to sit down and stretch out so Heidi could have enough room beside the ribs and ice cream!
Ben had several bowls of ice cream. I think he is telling his Granddad that he would really like some more....
Sam actually likes air conditioning, but came outside for ice cream, probably because his mother wouldn't let him take it inside.
Chad prefers ice cream in a cup. He insists you get more. I think he really gets more, notice he has a cup in his hands and one between his feet :)
Can you tell - it is dark outside and Greg is still eating (I'm afraid we were all guilty of that)

Max was to involved in the firework side of things I don't know if he even ate anything. I did catch him drinking some Coke, but that doesn't take near as much time.
Basically, Ben ate his ice cream and then begged off of every one else. He is my kind of eater! He is not even above a little bribery. How could anyone turn that down! That's one post down. It is now about 11:00 Sunday night and I think I am still full from yesterday. That is what I call a successful holiday!

Wordless Wednesday - Pucker Up!

2009-07-01T23:29:00.001-05:00

2009-07-01T23:28:00.000-05:00

The Gift that Keeps on Giving...

2009-06-26T19:24:00.003-05:00

This is sort of a flash back post. I regularly give my daughters trouble about not allowing their children to have pets (I know, not you, Sally). It got me to thinking about my own childhood and what great sports my parents were about animals. I mean, we had a great number of animals pass through our lives - no cats, though, for some reason my dad just would not have cats around. So I thought I would travel through my pet memories...
The very first dog we got was a Cocker Spaniel named Dumpy. I was five years old and dad brought her home from work in a box. When she practically flew out of that box I think I nearly fainted from shock. Actually, we named her Dumpling (think that was the parents idea) but I could never remember it and I christened her Dumpy. Kind of sounds like one of the Seven Dwarfs doesn't it? We had her until she was about 14 years old.

We had a number dogs become members of our family - there's not enough room to post pictures of them all. Here my sister, Debbie, poses with Cinder, a Dalmatian we had for years. She was a beautiful dog with a yen for freedom and a real need for obedience school. She often would escape the back yard, elude us for hours by running the neighborhood, keeping just out of our reach. It drove my mom nuts!

We got quite a few special pets at Easter time. Yes, we were those people who would purchase the blue, green, and purple chicks and ducks, keep them for awhile, then donate our grown and not so cute poultry to a local farm. One year we even got geese - it's not too obvious from the picture, is it? :D They were a fun pet, until we left for the weekend and came home to find two geese, drowned in their water tub! What?! Yes, these geese drowned!
Then, of course, my favorite pet, a horse named Honey. I was a member of the "horse fanatics." I read every horse book I could get my hands on. I knew my life would be complete if I just had a horse. I don't think my daughters agree that she was a real "horse." But to me, ponies counted. I realize that she looks really burdened in this picture. What she lacked in height, she made up for in spirit. She took me many a mile! If I feel like humiliating myself more, in July I will post a picture of me and Honey when we were in the Yukon Rodeo Parade. My outfit was quite stunning! And one of the best things about Honey was that when we got her....

she had a baby named Barney! We used to have to chase Honey down to catch her, but Barney did his own chasing. He loved everyone, he loved to be petted, loved to be fed, loved to follow right on your heels, and love to take a nip out of your bombosahaha if you weren't paying enough attention! I just don't want my grandchildren to miss out on the great memories that pets can add to your life! So, come on girls, do I have to start giving puppies as birthday presents? You know, Sam's is in a week and a half...

Wordless Wednesday!

2009-06-24T13:30:00.001-05:00

I'm just one day late!!

2009-06-18T09:13:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was the birthday of the first man God placed in my life. And I thank Him everyday for giving me the earthly father that he did. My dad just had his 82nd birthday. I always run late, but I did have an excuse, besides taking care of precious Ruby, I went to Yukon yesterday so my sister and I could take my parents out to eat to celebrate dad's birthday. He got to choose the place - so he chose Fur's cafeteria. That's right! When I was a kid, we never got to eat at a cafeteria because you were charged by the item and when you got to the cash register we always picked way more than we could eat - so I guess you could say we ate ourselves out of the opportunity to eat at cafeterias. But now, it is one price no matter how much you get so that makes cafeterias very attractive to my dad. The food was pretty good and we ate a lot. Dad even got TWO desserts, but hey it is not every day that you turn 82 years old!

I cannot say enough about my wonderful father. He gave so much to his family. We always knew how much he loved God, our mother, and my sister, brother, and me. I always thought he could do anything, fix anything. I never knew that sometimes other people came to your house to repair items, I thought all dads did this. He graduated from Oklahoma University with an Electrical Engineering degree before computers and even calculators (he used a slide rule which I am guessing you young people have never laid eyes on), he built the house my parents live in, wouldn't own an automatic transmission vehicle for the longest time because standards were easier to work on, he is an artist, and a poet, and an all around wonderful person. He has read to us, played with us, cried with us, laughed with us and just celebrated life with us.

Easter Sunday, circa 1954
Another Easter picture, year unknown, taken with one of those automatic flashes that you are never quite sure will work.

Church Halloween party, Dad made his own costume, of course, a Derby jockey.

As the family has grown, Dad just enjoys us more - Cooper, Ruby, and Lily with their great Pa Gramps.
Dad, with the love of his life. They have been blessed with over 60 years together.
I love you, Dad!

My First Wordless Wednesday!

2009-06-17T09:30:00.001-05:00

Hi! Mom and Dad!

2009-06-16T12:13:00.001-05:00

We have had a little visitor this week. Ruby's family went to Disneyland, so she got to stay with Mimi and Pa. I got in trouble for not posting pictures for the family to see, since everyone knows that I have taken several :) I guess we're just been on the go so much. Ruby has things to do and places to see. Sorry, Mom,I don't even think she has been homesick...

Halloween in June?!

2009-06-15T12:22:00.002-05:00

Mandy and Sally were invited to a girl's night out costume party last weekend! Of course, who do you turn to when you need old junk that no one has around the house - that would be me, of course. I probably could have outfitted everyone invited and then some :D And some of my treasures date back to my junior high days (i.e. my junior high cheerleading sweater, circa 1966, and no it isn't rotten) I give to you.....

A Fairy Princess and Brangelina (unfortunately - no multi-racial dolls to complete the outfit, but that would have made it perfect)

The last cruise post...

2009-06-11T21:51:00.004-05:00

I promise. I just had to write a little bit about Victoria, Canada. This may be the most beautiful city I have ever visited. And it is the only city I have ever visited outside the borders of the good old United States. It has beautiful gardens and a wonderful climate. Our guide told us that they have a very temperate climate, mild in the summer and winter, with only about 2 inches of annual snowfall. They don't need air conditioning and no one has it. The day we visited the temperature was about 85 degrees and the people were walking around as if they were melting!

There are beautiful historical houses in Victoria, not necessarily large but very pretty. Apparently, if your house is on the historical list, you can do any kind of remodel inside that you desire but you have to keep the outside historically accurate. They are pricey also,with ths small ones starting at around $500,000.00.
Victoria has a world famous garden located just outside of town, but they have some inside the city that are just beautiful. Mandy is looking at the "Monster" tree inside one of these. They replant flowers four times a year and we visited the same day they were replanting.
We took our tour on a pedicab. This is a little like a rickshaw, that holds four people and is powered by a bicycle.
This brings me to the point of my story. We had made no plans in Victoria, thinking we would get on some type of tour when we exited the ship. Sure enough, there were several options waiting on the pier, vans, limos, buses, and yes, pedicabs. Immediately this young man approaches Greg, offering a "Tour of the City by Pedicab." Greg, smiling, intends to give him an easy out replying that he knew that our group would be a fairly heavy load (i.e. me and him) and we probably needed to find other transportation. The young man then insisted that it would be no problem, peddling us around town. He even went so far as to say, "I had four people your side (meaning Greg) just this morning and did fine." :D We were still dubious, but he was so insistent and being a college student probably needed the money, so we agreed. (Later Chad told us he heard a conversation between our guide and another. Our young man apparently thought maybe he was taking a fare from another guide so he offered our group to him. The stunned guide said, "No thanks, I don't have the legs for that!" What can I say? Gotta love honesty!) So we climbed in and off we went - sometimes very slowly up hill and very quickly down hill - seeing beautiful Victoria up close and personal. Our guide worked hard, sweated a great deal, gave us some great information, and was a good sport about the entire thing. So kudos to Kevin! who insured that two overweight people didn't have to miss out on a great time!

The government building in Victoria is beautiful at night. This picture does not come close to doing it justice. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Food, Food,and more Food!

2009-06-10T08:13:00.003-05:00

I really think I could get into the Wordless Wednesday posts, but I do have trouble not "using my words." (Please ignore the underline) I know I mentioned all the food on the cruise. Just thought I would post some eating pictures. I have conveniently left out any pictures of me "eating" and I refuse to say how much I gained on the trip and leave it at that....

You can even sample things before you commit to a plateful....

The best desserts....
Believe it or not, they were napkins on the boat...

Good to the last drop, right Sarah? :)

Just as a side bar, we have a special person in great need of prayer, my cousin, Sherry. She is one of those special people who even though is suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and Wagner's syndrome, never complains and always has an encouraging word for others. Please remember her in her health struggles. You can read a touching tribute to her by my niece, Amy, by linking to Kain's blog. God truly blessed our family when he made Sherry a part of it.

National Geographic, here I come!!!

2009-06-08T12:24:00.005-05:00

Okay, maybe not, but I did get some great shots. This post is dedicated to the wild life we saw on the cruise. I have always been fascinated by whales, I still have a whaling book that I received when in about the 4th grade. These incredible animals just took my breath away when seeing them in person. But they weren't the only cool wild life that we saw......

Victoria, Canada is known for their beautiful gardens. They have a beautiful one right in town where the ducks and peacocks are so tame, they eat right out of your hand. Shelled peanuts are their snack of choice.

This leopard slug was the only animal that we actually saw living in the Tongass National Rain Forest in Alaska. My grandsons are probably the only ones that appreciated this picture. :)
There are around 30,000 bald eagles living in Alaska. They are magnificent. The guide informed us that you could fit a Volkswagen into their nests, which weigh over a ton.
These seals' favorite place to sun tan is on these harbor buoys. They spend a lot of their time fighting for the best seat - the bigger you are the better your seat!
We saw two types of whales on our whale watching excursion. There was a family of "residential" orcas living in this harbor. They call them residential because they only feed on the salmon, therefore the seals and other ocean life do not vacate the area. This is the best view we had of the orcas, but there were quite a few of them living together.

But my favorite was the amazing hump back whales. I got some great pictures, but that is mainly because I just kept snapping away and didn't know what I was getting until I checked them later. You just get so carried away watching them that it is easy to forget that you have a camera in your hand.

Of course, you only get to see part of the humpback at a time, first their back and then their huge tails as they dive. Unless you get really lucky....

And we did! This is a young humpback whale that breached out of the water, right in front of our boat. Truly spectacular! You could hear our excitement from miles away! Our guide was excited, too, he told us we were really fortunate to see that at this time of day! Wow! I was so excited to actually get a picture since I wasn't even looking through the lens at the time - probably just accidentally snapping. Some people got to see whales from our cruise ship, but I was always in the wrong place at the wrong time. I didn't get to see dolphins or bears, but I can't complain about what I did see!

I think I can stretch my cruise pictures into about five posts!

Land, Ho!

2009-06-06T13:44:00.004-05:00

We're home! As of about 3 am this morning. Now for the fun stuff, unpacking. doing laundry, all those things we so look forward to after being gone a week. I decided to just post a little fun thing today, then get serious about the "Alaska Trip" when I have more time. Just a warning - I took over 300 pictures :) Not to fret, I probably won't post them all.....

We have discovered that we LOVE cruises! What a way to vacation and I recommend them to everyone. I have comprised a top ten list of what makes a good candidate for a cruise passenger.

You might love a cruise if.....

1. You love to see beautiful examples of God's handiwork in our world today. ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING!!!
2. You love meeting new people from all over the world. Most of the crew is from other countries and they are always smiling and happy!
3. You enjoy a little friendly competition (golf putting, hula hooping, volleyball, singing, etc) that result in prizes.
4. You like to watch shows, such as music, magic, comedians, etc. You can also be a part of shows with dancing and karaoke if you so desire or just watch others make spectacles of themselves.
5. You like to venture into the unknown, excursions to whale watch, snorkel, kayak, fish, zip lining through the rain forest to just name a few. (And, yes, people did snorkel in the Alaskan waters and loved it!)
6. You love having someone besides yourself pick up the clutter in your state room SEVERAL times a day.
7. You do not have to clean even ONE bathroom for a solid week!
8. Your room is vacuumed EVERY DAY and not by you!
9. Your bed is immaculately made every day and an adorable little "towel" creature is left on the sheets to greet you.
10. You love food -a lot of it- every single day - prepared by someone else, served by someone else, cleaned up by someone else, and eaten by you!

Below are pictures of a few of the cute little animals that Widoodoo (our Indonesian steward - who by the way laughed out loud every time we called him by name) left to greet us every day.

Manta

After some discussion, we decided this was a lobster.
Peacock or turkey, you decide.
Puppy
Elephant

I'll be back on after I recover from post vacation chores - somehow - Widoodoo passed on the opportunity to be one of our vacation souvenirs :D

Memorial Weekend 2009!

2009-05-27T22:15:00.004-05:00

It seems like forever since I have been on the computer, well, maybe not forever but it has been over a week and that seems like forever for me. Life has been crazy busy, but that's how we like it. Bible School started this week and we had one of our annual camping trips this past weekend. Some scoff when they find out we only camped at Boiling Springs, but we had a great time, doing what we like best, talking and eating. :) And though it was nice to be able to run to town, a town we are very familiar with, to get things we need, I for one really did the camping thing, including showering in the lovely campground (i.e. insect infested) bathrooms. When I say insect, I really mean mosquito! They were out in force and I think they won the war, but we did not retreat. It is always great to have the family together. Below are a few highlights of the weekend...

One of our favorite past times - sitting in lawn chairs, doing nothing at all...

Comparing bellies, Josh thinks his rivals baby Heidi - he may be right....
Eating, eating, and more eating - who cares if you get s little frosting on your face, it is so worth it!
Celebrating birthdays, four to be exact, Emily, Ella, Ben (who appears less than enthusiastic about the cake, but is really mad because he had to wait on others before digging in), and even Katie had the big 28 this year.
She may be getting older, but she hasn't lost her "stuff" as she demonstrated with her traveling bicycle act. She may take it on the road....
Poor Brock shows just how much he needs a hair cut, modeling his six inch mohawk!

We even took an educational hike on the walking trail - notice the preschool geniuses reading the information board...
Can you see the awe on the faces admiring the actual "boiling spring" which I think now is man made so as not to lose the bubbly namesake of the park.

Future chefs practicing their mud pie skills....

And a future gardener honing some mowing abilities. He was quite proud of his bubble mower and howled to high heaven if anyone even looked at his machine sideways.

We had a great time and now that the laundry is all done, I appreciate it even more. Tomorrow we leave for a week to take an Alaskan cruise (the preparation for it is one of the reasons I have not been on the computer). I know it will be great and when we get back, maybe I can have some quality computer time...

Should I be offended ?

2009-05-14T10:03:00.003-05:00

Awhile back Greg determined that we needed a new riding lawn mower. He was right - the old one was falling apart. He had been checking out new mowers and I could tell by the glint in his eye that this was going to be a doozy and it was. I have been known to occasionally mow with the old one, so I thought I would be able to enjoy this new mower - WRONG! I have been told repeatedly that this was too much of a machine for me, it would go too fast, too quickly, and I would probably lose control and BAM! Obviously, the mower and I were an accident waiting to happen. So I graciously ceded to my husbands better judgement and have not ventured on this mower. Then.....the other day, Greg and Max were going to do some work outside. Pa runs in and shouts "Get the camera and come outside!" This is what I found...

Max, tooling down the driveway as big as your please....

executing perfect turns.....

maneuvering all sorts of angles....
and just enjoying his time on the mower.

Now, I ask you - Max can drive this machine and I can't! I guess we all know what my husband thinks of my driving skills - Hmmmm.....

(don't anyone get upset - there were no blades involved)

Finally, Slide Worthy Weather!

2009-05-11T12:05:00.006-05:00

Some of you know that we are filling in our swimming pool we have out back. It never got much sun and never got very warm. When the girls were younger, they didn't care and swam anyway, but the last several years the pool was nothing but a money vacuum. Plus I didn't want to have to constantly be worrying about little children wandering back there so thus began the two year process of filling it with dirt (it's not finished yet). I have secret plans for a new pool back there at a later date - but we'll keep it on the down low for now. I wanted to get something fun for the kids to play on, so Max and I got on the Internet and wallah! we found the perfect toy. It's been in the garage for weeks and every time the sun was shining the kids wanted to get it out. Well, last Friday the weather cooperated and the new "slide" was initiated. The weather wouldn't have been warm enough for me, but those grand kids didn't seem to mind. The "banzai" slide got mixed reactions, but basically I think it was a successful purchase, now if I can only figure out how to set it up without a huge crew for assistance....

Greg and Mandy were elected "slide" erectors - they both excel at reading and following directions. A skill which I am sadly lacking.
Mandy even had to climb to the top to get things "just right." Getting wet wasn't in her original plans, but sometimes things go awry.

The slide even came equipped with squirt cannons - just to make sure no one in the vicinity stays dry!

They were even amazingly cooperative when it came to being patient with each other on the climb up!
Some preferred to watch from a distance.....
Some preferred the small, less challenging slide...
Some opted for the traditional "feet first" approach...
Some liked to be squirted with water during their descent....

Some took a running start.....

While others leaped high in the air and almost gave their Mimi a heart attack at the thought of them flying off the contraption! Basically, a fun time was had by all. It's a good thing, because it has been chilly and rainy every day since Friday!

As a side note, I organize my pictures on my computer (if you can call it organized) by year and season. This is the first time that I have "playing in the snow" and "swimming" in the Spring of the same year. Only in Oklahoma...

Dr. Newhart's Neckup Checkup and Awanas

2009-05-08T15:47:00.004-05:00

As I believe I mentioned, last weekend was crazy busy, but especially Sunday. We have the children's musical Sunday morning, Emily's dance recital Sunday afternoon, and the Awanas program in the evening. Just typing that made me tired all over again! And of course, I had my camera snapping away at each occasion. Actually, Chad and Mandy took the Sunday morning pictures because I helped with the production this year. I was sitting behind the grand piano prompting the performers when those perky lines eluded them. Everyone did a great job and I was proud of each and every one! I love kid's musicals, they give all the children a chance to get up in front of an audience and have a good message to boot.

All of the kids sang "Come Now is the Time to Worship" at the beginning of the Sunday service. Sam isn't old enough to participate in the musical, but this he got to do. Here he is, intently watching the director, as he stands between two of his good buddies, Caden and Carter.

Emily had three lines and she spoke up so well.
Max had a line also and I was a little worried but he did absolutely great. He also got to be a wild animal in one scene and I think that was his favorite part.

The kids got awards during the Awana program. Here is Sam standing up with the rest of the "Cubbies."

Emily and Max are in Sparks. The Sparks sang "Hey, Jesus Loves Me." Which is a great song and kids love it!

This is vintage Max (look at the face) after he received his Sparks certificate. I think that kid may be an entertainer someday. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Happy Birthday, Emily and Ella!

2009-05-05T14:23:00.004-05:00

May is a big birthday month for our family. Emily was 7 on the 3rd and Ella is 4 today. I went to see Ella last week for her preschool graduation and to celebrate her birthday just a little early. She has been wanting to go to Build a Bear for quite some time, so I thought she really needed that for her birthday. Don't know why they call it "Build A Bear" cause none of my kids have ever built a bear... and Ella was no different. She built Lucy the Lamb and was so cute.

I could barely get her to stand still in front of the store for a picture, she was ready to get busy....

After Lucy got a special heart put inside her and all the stuffing completed, Ella got to give her a bath - without water, of course, but that didn't seem to bother Ella.

Here we are with the finished product. Quite a cute little ballerina lamb!

They get to select two outfits for their new friend. As Emily would say, "Ella is addicted to the Little Mermaid" so Lucy had to get a Little Mermaid costume. We didn't realize until later that Ella really wanted it so she could have a red wig for herself, which she proceeded to wear around the mall the rest of the afternoon. I always wanted a red headed child in our family :)

Last weekend was so busy, Emily didn't get to celebrate her birthday until last night. We had a cook out at her house and the rain paused enough in cooperation - the kids even got to play outside.

Emily loves bakery cookies, so we had those in lieu of a cake.

I think her favorite present was this cute little pig Chuck found for her. It snores, grunts, breathes loud and begs for a bucket of slop.

Sally and Bert gave her a bow and she loved it. That's my little princess for you.

I love you, Emily and Ella! You are both such special little girls!

It was bound to happen...

2009-04-27T12:53:00.002-05:00

Many of you know that we got some much needed new carpet last summer. Of course you remember, I talked about it enough on here. Well, My family has been so great in supporting my carpet paranoia. It's been about ten months with no spills, mud or dirt tracks, and such. Today - the pristine days of my lovely carpet ended. Ben initiated and the sight wasn't pretty. So much so that I didn't even take a picture. Being close to two, Ben is thinking about going in the big boy potty. Maybe not so much thinking about actually going, more like not wanting to wear a dirty diaper around after the deed. Pa was in charge of the boys for awhile this morning while I went to a funeral. I really appreciate him doing this for me, but when I came home they were all outside (Pa being inside) and were a muddy mess. They had to strip down in the laundry room for a much needed clean up. I knew the stench coming from Benny boy was not just mud and he didn't care for it. When I asked him if he needed his diaper changed he got so excited, ran into the living room, plopped down on the floor, and SQUISH! out the legs and onto my beautiful carpet (ugh!), When the carpet has been initiated with baby poo you know it is no longer really new, Okay, enough for my venting (I did get it cleaned up, by the way). I went ahead and posted a couple of pictures about other more pleasant subjects.

Emily's teacher was one of the six finalists for Teacher of the Year in Woodward and Emily was asked to say a few words about her at the district wide reception. Emily absolutely loves hher teacher and it was easy for her to think of a nice speech. We were so proud of her. She decided what she wanted to say, memorized it, and said it beautifully. Here she is, ready to go except she did wear shoes.

I tried to snap a pic during the event, as you can see, but it didn't work very well. She just held that microphone and spoke like a champ. She said she wasn't even nervous. The next day at her school, they honored Mrs. Barnes with an assembly and Emily got to speak again.
You know spring has arrived in Oklahoma when those lovely storms come to town. Yesterday was one of those days. We got over three inches of much needed rain, along with some wind and hail.
It looked like a winter storm had hit for awhile, there was so much small hail. Here is a picture of Greg's new work pickup out in the storm. I just posted a picture of it because you can never tell when he gets a new vehicle - it's always the same make and color. He says I should appreciate this trait...wonder what he means by that :)

Broadway, Baby!

2009-04-24T22:44:00.004-05:00

I thought I wouldn't post today, but Sally and I just finished watching our community theater presentation of "Annie." It got me to reminiscing and I decided, might as well do a flash back post, since I now conveniently have all of my folks old slides on my computer. :D The production we saw tonight was excellent and really enjoyable. The one I am posting about, not so much. I'm sure it was one of those excruciating events, enjoyed only by the parents of the little performers who participated, and even then it was probably a little painful. I know my strong suits and acting has never even come close.

Now, back in my day, elementary schools put on elaborate productions. A lot were not politically correct (my parents have movies of me dancing in black face and braids, ugh!) One year we square danced and had dresses made out of paper, crepe paper. I'm pretty sure the boys didn't wear paper, but we thought we were "too cool for school.'' At the risk of pointing out the obvious, I played the part of an adopted gypsy girl. It needed to be obvious that I didn't belong to the dark gypsies, hence the blond hair. Yes, it was sprayed blond, and it may not have been actual spray paint, but it made my hair so stiff that it felt like it was. My friend standing next to me played my grandmother - noticed the stiff silver appearance of the hair. Oh, those special effects. My mom made my costume - back then I don't think I knew any kid whose mom couldn't make their costumes. If you wanted to be in a play (and everyone did) your mom had to dress you appropriately.

Oddly enough, I don't remember much about the play except that I was this adopted gypsy girl, who after some tense situations, got to stay and live with her gypsy family. Sounds quite riveting, right? Okay, so maybe it wasn't Oscar worthy (or maybe not even Tony worthy, after all it was a musical) but we had a blast. We practiced the little bit of time during music at school, we all learned our lines or else, and there was just one command performance. Sweet memories of the good old days! I remember when I thought the good old days were when my parents were young. I am really enjoying having these old photos at my fingertips to inflict on everyone in the blogging world. Next time, I think I'll embarrass other members of my family.

Finally...

2009-04-20T09:36:00.007-05:00

beautiful soccer weather. During the spring and the fall we get to spend about six Saturday mornings at the soccer field. We are privileged to get to watch six games each Saturday. Sometimes they do leech into the afternoons, so let's just say we feel like permanent fixtures at the NWOSA fields. Occasionally, the games coincide so we get to run back and forth between fields like maniacs. I've learned alo about soccer, since I'm not overly familiar with the game. Some would say I still have a lot to learn :) And I swear, the weather is worse in spring soccer and it ever thought about being for football! Last Saturday, however, was gorgeous. Armed with camera and lawn chair, we hit the fields. I snapped about 116 pictures (that is not an estimate but an exact number) and ended up with a few that were worth keeping. Oh well, sports illustrated won't be recruiting me anytime soon.

The game as finally clicked with Max and each game he gets better. He is literally a speed demon but up to now had been satisfied to lope along beside the other players. If you know his parents at all, you know how completely frustrated they have been with him. He has finally decided to get with the program. He is on a team with several of his good buddies and it is really fun to watch them.
Up to this season, the teams were coed, but this spring there were enough girls sign up to have an all girls league. I know there are some girls who play great with the boys, but this has been great for Emily and her friends. They have to step up and not rely on those speedy aggressive boys :) They haven't won a whole lot, but they are improving every week. Bert is coaching her team and Emily is excited about that.
Sammy boy is in his second season. He still pouts when he doesn't score (he does a lot of this), doesn't like to get kicked in the shin, and really likes the after game snacks, but he is coming along. He is already doing much better than he did in the fall.

Pa and Ben just have a good time goofing around. Here Ben thinks he is mashing Sam, and I guess that's what's happening. Ben is a pretty good sport about spending about four or five hours at the soccer field every Saturday!

Flashback Friday!

2009-04-17T16:35:00.003-05:00

This flashback is for my husband. For some reason he finds this picture hilarious and didn't really think I would post it. Obviously I have no pride. Greg swears my boots are on the wrong feet. I think, surely not, I have to be around eight or nine years old. I may have gotten this outfit for Christmas. I suspect this because my Dad always painted our front picture window during the holidays and you can see Rudolph in the background. Not everyone could "rock" this outfit and stand in such a way that it appears the boots are on the wrong feet! :) Sometime I may get up the nerve to post a picture of me when I actually did ride in the rodeo parade on a pony - it is not pretty!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!