Lillian & Lucas: Lovin' Life

Birthday Celebrations

2011-12-19T08:04:00.000-06:00

Sunday was a day of birthday celebrations- we celebrated Trace's birthday with lunch at Mom and Dad's then had a family party for Lucas at our house in the afternoon.

Christmas #1- December 10, 2011

2011-12-19T08:01:00.000-06:00

Lillian and Cole "meditating"

It was such a beautiful day that the kids played outside all afternoon.

Twins: boots, jeans, and a white t-shirt

Kids playing "Dirty Santa"- no one stole a present- they each wanted to open a new one!

Holiday Traditions

2011-12-01T20:05:00.004-06:00

Decorating the Christmas tree was one of my fondest memories growing up. I probably grumbled about it as a kid, but as an adult, it's something I remember liking. Lillian and Lucas really like it! They like hanging the special ornaments each has and talking about when/where they got it. Lucas doesn't have as many memories as Lillian, but he is starting to enjoy this holiday tradition.

Our finished product

Something we also do each year is make a chain to countdown the days until Christmas.

A new tradition this year is my version of an Advent calendar. I've seen the idea in different places around the Internet. This is my take on it. I wrapped as many winter/Christmas books as I could find around our house. Many of these have been packed up since last Christmas. I managed to find 15 books. By picking up a few paperbacks and filling in with books from the library, I'll have 25 to start this on Dec.1. Here's how it works: each night someone picks one "present" from under the tree. The book that is opened is the one we read that night before bed. Since these are books they already have but don't always read, it seems like it's something new and we get to celebrate the season even more. This is my first year to try this but I hope it becomes something the kids look forward to and I can change the books from year to year as their ages and interests change.

Saturday Happenin's

2011-11-30T20:03:00.002-06:00

First Hunt

2011-11-29T20:02:00.000-06:00

Brent took the kids to sit in a deer blind last week. It was their first time to "hunt." Brent said besides the coughing, nose sniffling, and chip bag rattling, they stayed pretty quiet.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-21T19:28:00.000-06:00

Trunk or Treat with our good friends, the Coffmans. A special treat was seeing Roger and Brenda Lauban who came to see their extra "grandkids" all in one place!

Spiderman and Batgirl: weather was perfect, the night was beautiful, and the kids ate tons of candy!

Hiking in the Wichita Mountains

2011-11-21T12:14:00.001-06:00

Fall Break: Part 2- Houston

2011-11-19T12:11:00.000-06:00

We did so much in 2 days! Highlights were ice skating (a first for Lillian and Lucas), visiting the Space Center, Ikea shopping, and great food. Here's the story in pictures:

Fall Break: Part 1- Calvert, TX

2011-11-11T08:52:00.006-06:00

On our way to visit Heather and Jesse in Houston, we stopped in a little town in Texas called Calvert. Such a neat place! Lotsof little shops and unique architecture- worth the stop!

Our Buddy, Wade

2011-11-10T20:43:00.001-06:00

Painting Pumpkins

2011-11-09T20:38:00.001-06:00

Just Playin' in the Rain

2011-11-08T20:42:00.001-06:00

TMI

2011-11-08T20:37:00.000-06:00

This picture is a little blurry...probably because I was laughing so hard when I took it.

More Birthday

2011-11-08T20:34:00.000-06:00

She's 8!

2011-10-29T09:30:00.001-05:00

Lillian probably gets the award for the most birthday celebrations in one year. Since her birthday typically falls on or around Labor Day, we usually spend it with both sides of the family and have a friend party. These pictures were on the morning of her actual birthday at our house.

This gift led to the one waiting outside....a bike!

September Sunset

2011-10-29T09:15:00.001-05:00

Yes, I know this is October...I'm a little behind.

First Day of School 2011

2011-09-03T10:13:00.000-05:00

Lucas- age 3- Ms. Melissa's class at CDC

Lillian- age 7- 2nd grade in Mrs. Martin's class

August Birthday Weekend

2011-09-03T10:02:00.000-05:00

One birthday boy...Jackson, 5

Another birthday boy...Brady, 3

I took Lillian to the American Girl store in Overland Park. What a fun place! She picked out matching pajamas for her and Lanie as an early birthday present.

Lucas had this Jeep taken apart in several stages...we managed to keep all the pieces and he put it back together.

Early presents....believe me, there were tons more at the waterpark birthday party!

Cousin bath time

VBS 2011

2011-08-21T16:02:00.000-05:00

Unusual Happenin's

2011-08-21T16:01:00.000-05:00

A rescued hawk that has since been returned to the wild.

Celebrating

2011-07-23T07:40:00.000-05:00

We celebrated 10 years of marriage with a trip to Playa del Carmen last week.

They treated us like honeymooners: we had lots of extra amenities since it was for a special occasion. I loved the rose petals on the bed and the towel animals.

Project Finally Finished!

2011-07-11T13:03:00.002-05:00

A little background: I started a t-shirt quilt about 5 years ago. I wanted to preserve some of our college and Europe shirts before they were stained, holey, and too gross to use. With the help of my grandma, I pieced the blocks together and began the binding. I remember going to her house in Cheyenne, armed with my quilt top, needles, and Lillian. We made a good start to the process...but I never finished it.

Life happened. I was busy with school, Lucas came along, and the quilt was never a priority.

IT IS FINALLY DONE!!!

Meet Pete

2011-07-10T12:44:00.001-05:00

Pete- 6 months

He digs, chews, and plays. Great dog for the kids!

Stylin' cowboy

More Fourth

2011-07-09T12:42:00.000-05:00

L to R: Lillian, Wade, Grandma Retta, Lucas, Nathan, Granddad Connie

More 4th of July

2011-07-08T05:28:00.000-05:00

Our holiday weekend was jam-packed with activities...for many I have no pictures, only words. Saturday was an all day affair in Duncan at Faron and Chrisie's house. Good friends, good food, and good times! No pics of that...forgot my camera. I did use my new Flip camera so maybe I'll experiment about uploading video to here. We spent Sunday evening with my family, trying to beat the mid-day heat. No fireworks allowed down here in SW Oklahoma. We broke the law with a few sparklers, much to Lucas' chagrin. He's saving a rocket for one day when the burn ban is finally lifted.

Grammy and Wade

Laser Frisbee

Time to Explore

2011-07-07T05:18:00.002-05:00

One Saturday, I took Lillian and Lucas to Lake Ellsworth to throw rocks and pick up cans. It was hot and windy, but we needed something to beat the boredom.

fish head we found...see Lucas' foot for a size comparison...this is why I don't swim in lakes.

Father's Day 2011

2011-07-05T10:39:00.000-05:00

* I am FINALLY getting caught up on blogging!

sleepy kids giving Daddy their gift

Granddad Doug and Lucas

Lucas and Nuts, the dog cousin

Playing in the sprinkler...swimsuit optional

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T10:30:00.002-05:00

Our patriotic breakfast

Orange Beach, Alabama

2011-06-10T09:51:00.002-05:00

Digital scrapbooking design personalized with Smilebox

Recent Zoo Trip

2011-06-04T17:18:00.000-05:00

Lillian's Honors

2011-06-03T17:13:00.000-05:00

Lillian read 81 AR books this year- the 2nd highest in her class. She also received her class award for Academic Excellence. Way to go, Lil! 1st grade was a breeze; I know you'll love 2nd grade!

Flashback

2011-06-02T16:55:00.003-05:00

A big post in coming to document our trip to Orange Beach, Alabama, but in the meantime, here is a look back at past beach trips.

Lillian and Lucas- 2011

Lillian and Lucas- 2008

Lillian- 2006

He's a Doctor Now!

2011-05-21T14:56:00.000-05:00

My brother, Ty, graduated last Friday from medical school. He is now a Doctor of Osteopathic medicine and will do a 5 year residency in general surgery. Congrats to Ty and Lindsey on such a distinguished accomplishment!

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-20T14:48:00.002-05:00

The weather was so warm Mother's Day weekend that the kids spent most of it in their swimsuits. We spent Saturday in Duncan with Faron, Chrisie, Cole, and Ryan. We missed Charlotte because she was in the hospital after falling and breaking her pelvis.

On Sunday, we had lunch at our house with my parents and Trace, Sarah, Nathan, and Wade. Not many pictures here...wind was 30+ mph and temps in the 90s. Very hot!

1st Grade Picnic

2011-05-20T14:46:00.002-05:00

Lillian and friends celebrating the end of school.

This Made My Day

2011-05-09T22:08:00.002-05:00

Simple Mom

Scroll to the bottom of her post and read the end.

I'm one of those people who has "help." It all started as my little reward after starting a lifetime of daily injections for MS treatment. Then, after moving and starting a new job, I tried to make a go of it all on my own. And failed...miserably. Enter another cleaning lady and some organization to my chaotic life. I felt this great sense of guilt that I couldn't "do it all" like my mom always seemed to do. Sure, I wear many hats including working outside of the home, but so do many other people. I almost can't justify the expense. BUT...having someone else to clean the bathrooms and clean the windows gives me more time to enjoy my kids and do things I'd rather do. After reading the post on Simple Mom, I latched on to the idea we can't thrive if we are stretched so thin that we have nothing leftover for ourselves.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! Even if you don't hire help for your daily chores, take 5 minutes for yourself so you will have the opportunity to thrive.

Beauty and The Beast

2011-05-03T18:26:00.000-05:00

Found this on my little camera and realized I'd forgotten to post about this. Mom treated Lillian and I to Beauty and the Beast, the musical. It was in February at the Civic Center Music Hall in OKC. Another great musical! (Shrek is still my favorite!)

Just A Normal Saturday...

2011-05-02T18:11:00.004-05:00

Easter 2011- Sunday Edition

2011-04-30T20:53:00.004-05:00

The rainy weather forced us indoors for Easter Sunday. No one complained-some of the quotes overheard from the kids were "What's that?" as we drove over puddles of water on the road and "God finally sent us rain!" as they watched in wonder at the downpour outside.

Wade missed the early pictures since he was napping.

Easter 2011- Saturday Edition

2011-04-27T20:19:00.000-05:00

Saturday egg hunt: cold, low 50s, north wind, promise of rain in the air. 1000 eggs and approx. 15 kids= good odds that my kids will have a sugar high by the end of the day!

Early April

2011-04-26T20:07:00.002-05:00

An unusually warm day the first weekend in April brought out the sprinkler and swimsuits.

Later that night, the mud fight began.

This picture shows a happy boy; however, a shot of mud to the face resulted in a long night of crying from the damage. A trip to urgent care the next morning revealed no permanent problems and we went home with antibiotic ointment.

Fishing With Dad

2011-04-21T07:12:00.003-05:00

(taken with a phone; resolution isn't good)

Lucas kept track of "sleeps" until the fishing day. It was hard for a 3 yr old to wait for "7 sleeps" to fish, but the day finally arrived!

Lilacs A'bloomin'

2011-04-11T15:04:00.000-05:00

Our lilac bush has blessed us with abundant blooms this year...and with that comes the butterflies!

Mr. Handyman

2011-04-11T12:08:00.000-05:00

Our evenings have been spent working on this project: assembling a playset for Lillian and Lucas. Why didn't we pay to have it assembled?? Well, the $600 price tag for assembly was more than 1/2 the cost of the whole thing so we opted for the traditional approach- dad puts it together. My job has mainly been organization and hardware location.

This is what we started with... X 10! There were so many pieces!

At the time I published this post, more was completed of it but this was the most recent picture. The main missing part is the the part with the 3 swings and the rock wall. Hopefully, a picture of the completed project with be coming soon! There are 36 steps to the assembly and we're on step 27. Some steps only require 1 piece; others require 25 + pieces. We're hoping the time spent on it now will payoff when we can shoo the kids outside to play and not return 10 minutes later saying "we're bored!"

Wish us luck!

Spring Break: Part 3

2011-04-10T14:59:00.002-05:00

Finally getting around to this post! My sister, Heather, made a last visit to Oklahoma before moving to Houston. On Sunday, we all went to the Wichita Mtns. for the afternoon. It was warm and windy but we enjoyed the time together.

Lucas Learns How to Peel Carrots

2011-04-10T14:55:00.001-05:00

Lifesaver

2011-03-31T20:22:00.003-05:00

I couldn't have made it through this week without the help of my Crockpot! My SIL, Sarah, introduced me to the first book by this author, along with her popular blog, www.crockpot365.blogspot.com

I recently purchased the 2nd book from Amazon and was just as pleased with the recipes included. I'm inspired by the author's "thinking outside the pan" to get a hot and tasty meal on the table amidst work, kids, and daily chores.

(not a paid review...just my rambling opinion)

Spring Break: Part 2

2011-03-20T13:08:00.000-05:00

Friday: we went to the Wichita Mountains for the evening. I really enjoyed hiking around and the cooler weather. This creek bed fascinated Lillian and Lucas. Lucas was soaked by the time we were ready to leave; he rode home in his underwear! Speaking of underwear, beware of a photo further down the page- nature called!

Roasted Carrots- My New Fav

2011-03-19T18:33:00.004-05:00

photo courtesy of Google Images

4 large carrots, washed

1 Tbl olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Cut carrots in half lengthwise, then slice diagonally in chunks

Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay on a flat baking sheet. Cook at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until tender.

*This is perfect with fish and a salad!

Spring Break: Part 1

2011-03-19T12:40:00.002-05:00

Our Spring Break hasn't been exotic or glamorous but we have done A LOT in 5 days! So much that it will take 2 posts to document all of it. We tackled several house projects the first 2 days with Brent around to help. Our living room had a major transformation! Watch for a post soon on that one. Here is part of our day Wednesday:

We've had to investigate new parks and we found this one in Fletcher. Great walking trail and pond but the kids mostly liked the playground.

Thursday: we went to Cheyenne to visit my grandparents, Connie and Loretta. Grandma is doing great and we all enjoyed the day and the 90+ degree temps. Lillian and Lucas came home dirty and exhausted! Granddad fed Lucas' desire to go fast on the 4-wheeler!

It's been a great week; I even met up with my college roomie and friend who lives in Lawton. We live so close but never see each other. It was good to catch up. Good friends are the ones you pick up right where you left off as if it hasn't been a year since you've seen each other. She has a photography business here.

Playing Toy Story

2011-03-16T17:44:00.000-05:00

33

2011-03-15T17:30:00.003-05:00

I had a WONDERFUL birthday! It was more than just a day; it lasted all week! Brent sent me flowers, the kids sent balloons, students gave me cards and candy, and my family gathered to celebrate Saturday night. Great fun!

Thanks, everyone!

1st Grade Musical

2011-03-15T17:15:00.003-05:00

The theme for the 1st grade musical was dogs, dogs, and more dogs! The kids sang several numbers and acted out a simple skit about a "mutt" who didn't think he fit in with the rest of the dogs. Lillian was a beagle- brown ears and black nose. Her favorite part was the singing and she did NOT want a speaking part.

Lillian and her friend, Kaitlyn

She's in the back, with a brown shirt, and her hand over her head. Getting quality pictures in that building is a nightmare!

Great job, Lil!

New Links

2011-03-06T21:53:00.002-06:00

I cleaned up some of the links on the right side of my blog. I deleted a few and added a few. Check out the new ones! I always hate to delete a site I found with cool pictures and neat ideas but it seems like so many bloggers fizzle out and quit posting after a period of time. I'm kinda like that, too. I post regularly for a few days then get wrapped up in the business of life. I'm still around, just not in bloggy land!

Cole's 4th Birthday Party

2011-03-05T13:55:00.002-06:00

No pictures of the presents, the cool cake, or the other party guests...just cousins and the beautiful weather!

Huck Finn In The Making

2011-03-05T13:51:00.002-06:00

Lillian's Big Night

2011-02-16T17:40:00.002-06:00

Lillian as the 2011 Basketball Homecoming flowergirl, towering over the crownbearer.

Beautiful girl!

After her flowergirl duties, she changed for the dance routine she performed at halftime of the game. As always, she was the best on the floor! And had the best hairdo :)

More Snow

2011-02-16T17:39:00.002-06:00

Spoiled Kitty

2011-02-16T17:32:00.003-06:00

This is how our cat, Mittens, spent the snow days...in a warm sun porch, with a blanket and stuffed animals. Rough life...

How a Saturday Begins

2011-02-02T11:17:00.000-06:00

Lucas: calmly painting

Lillian glued to the TV- could be Phineas and Ferb or Icarly or Hannah Montana

Playing with the Fisher Price Little People I almost put in storage last week...that always happens. Just when I think they've outgrown something, it suddenly becomes a wonderful thing!

Snow Day!

2011-02-01T11:07:00.004-06:00

We're getting a little cabin fever this morning while Winter Blast 2011 continues outside...

View from front door

View of the patio...good thing we brought in piles of wood before the snow started!

We've watched tv, baked cookies, painted, built a fort, piled all sorts of toys in the living room, added wood to the fire, fixed cold air drafts, and wrestled...the whole time Lucas keeps asking to go outside and sneaks off to stick his foot in the snow drift. I snuck away to update the blog and figure out a plan for the rest of the day. And, possibly, tomorrow.

New Year's Eve and Another Christmas

2011-01-15T08:48:00.003-06:00

On New Year's Eve, we celebrated another Christmas with Heather and Jesse who couldn't be with us over the holiday the week before. I was particularly excited since I got to open another gift because Heather was the one who drew my name in the sibling drawing.

Brent and Jesse playing Xbox Kinect

BFF

2011-01-15T08:43:00.002-06:00

BFF=Lillian and Lydia

Christmas Day 2010

2011-01-01T10:35:00.004-06:00

We got to spend Christmas morning at home with our kids! It was the first time we've ever been able to do that with traveling to see other family. Unfortunately, Lucas came down with a stomach bug on Christmas Eve and spent Christmas Day on the couch, recovering. He stayed in his pjs all day but occasionally got up to run around with the cousins when we went to Duncan to have Christmas with Brent's family.

Grandma and PaPa bought the kids play guns and cowboy hats. Grandma made all of them chaps and vests to complete the outfit.

Kids dirty santa game

Merry Christmas from the Young's!

Christmas Eve

2010-12-31T17:40:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve at Grammy and Granddad's house.

Christmas Eve Eve

2010-12-30T17:24:00.002-06:00

Santa made a visit to my parent's house the night before Christmas Eve. The kids had varied reactions: Nathan warmed up to him right away, Lillian was a little reserved but couldn't quite wrap her head around the fact that Santa was really there, Lucas kept his distance.

Both boys were amazed at the resemblance between Santa and the dancing Santa they like to play with.

Enjoying the Moments

2010-12-29T08:14:00.002-06:00

Christmas baking

This year, our tree needed a twist to make it fit in our new house. I bought this tree to work with 10 ft ceilings in our other house. Well, in this house, the ceilings are only 8 ft. That posed a problem...

With some ingenuity, Brent decided to leave off the very top piece of the tree and I found some "picks" at a local store to finish off the top. (please ignore the paneling in the background. that will be dealt with in January!)

December sunset from our front yard.

A Boy And His Boots

2010-12-28T16:42:00.003-06:00

A story for you:

Last year, Lucas got a pair of boots from Grammy and Granddad for his birthday. He loved those boots and wore them everywhere last winter. When summer arrived, he switched to flip-flops, and the boots remained in the closet, waiting to be worn again. His new friends at his new school wore boots everyday- even if it was 100 degrees. Lucas, wanting to be like his friends, asked to wear his boots again, usually with shorts and a t-shirt. Around October, the boots started to look like this:

The toes were scuffed, the leather worn, and a small hole appeared in the toe. That hole grew and grew until his socks were visible. The boots that were once square toed were now rounded and splitting from daily use.

Being the good parents we were (are), we decided to buy him another pair (on sale) and wait until his 3rd birthday in the hopes that it would be too cold to play outside and, hopefully, preserve the new pair for warmer weather. While the new boots waited in the closet, his old boots continued to fall apart. The heels wore down, the stitching split, and the holes in the toes grew.

Finally the birthday weekend arrived and the new boots were given! They have already seen their share of wear. I managed to take a picture last week before too much damage was done.

The old boots will be treasured, a symbol of the passing of time and a little boy's love for his boots.

Christmas Lights in Medicine Park

2010-12-28T15:44:00.003-06:00

We haven't mastered the art of taking photos in the dark and capturing the beauty of Christmas lights but the one with the kids in the tree turned out pretty well. We walked along the river in Medicine Park with the McKeowns after church one night.

Children's Christmas Party

2010-12-28T15:40:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday, Lucas!

2010-12-19T08:20:00.000-06:00

Lucas turns 3 today! We celebrated with family last weekend to give more time between birthday presents and Christmas. The theme, of course, was Toy Story. Grandma Charlotte made the cake to showcase Lucas' latest obsession.

This Lincoln Log train set immediately took over the sun porch.

Birthday boy showing off the 3 fingers.

Lucas will have a 3 yr check-up on Tuesday. He is a happy, healthy kid and still brings us great joy. He has a fun personality and talks so much older than 3! He is into trains, dinosaurs, and Toy Story. He wears his cowboy boots everywhere (look for a post about those soon!) and likes to pick out his own shirts to wear. His best friends are Grady and Maverick, but he still thinks Lillian is the greatest and has grown quite fond of his cousins, Cole and Nathan. Happy Birthday, Lucas!

#4

2010-12-18T22:29:00.003-06:00

Lillian lost tooth #4 at school last week. She can offically sing "All I Want For Christmas Is My 2 Front Teeth..."

Basketball 101

2010-12-06T22:12:00.004-06:00

Lillian had a 2 day basketball camp last weekend. She loved it!

Kitchen Remodel

2010-12-04T16:44:00.004-06:00

Our kitchen is finished! Well...except for some painting that needs to be done above the cabinets. It is such an improvement from the original. Don't you agree??

BEFORE: note the butcher block countertop

BEFORE: harvest gold- be gone!

DURING: Brent removed the countertop and appliances himself. Don't you love the brick backsplash? It is my favorite part of the kitchen.

AFTER: New countertops, backsplash, appliances, recessed lighting, and decor.

MUCH BETTER!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-30T20:14:00.004-06:00

We enjoyed a busy few days for the Thanksgiving holiday! Here is the table at Mom and Dad's house:

Lillian and Lucas helped with cookie baking.

Brent and I pose for a rare picture together.

We also enjoyed Thanksgiving with Brent's family on Friday. I did some Black Friday shopping that morning and, in my tiredness, forgot to take any pictures.

Tooth Fairy's First Visit

2010-11-24T16:03:00.004-06:00

The wait is over! Lillian lost her first tooth on a Friday night, sometime in September. I didn't write down the date! Arggghhh......!! Since this picture she has lost a 2nd tooth on the bottom and both top teeth are loose. She will surely be singing "All I Want For Christmas Is My 2 Front Teeth...." by December!

(She left a note for the Tooth Fairy to leave the tooth behind for her tooth bank. The Tooth Fairy obliged.)

Pre-Move

2010-11-24T14:40:00.003-06:00

For my own benefit, I feel the need to document our final weeks at 1901 Twin Spires Trail. The next few pictures are for our family scrapbook and there aren't too many because we were too busy to take many pictures.

This is how we lived during the 2 weeks I spent packing.

Mom and Lillian painting her new room- it's lavender!

One special thing we did was let each kid do a Build-a-Bear to have as a "moving buddy". Lucas made a horse; Lillian made a kitten. Since their toys were packed and the transition unnerving, it made the move easier on both kids because their "moving buddy" was always with them.

Update

2010-11-24T09:08:00.002-06:00

Now that Thanksgiving Break is here, I MUST update this blog! The first thing I did this morning was to revamp my list of inspiration and fun ideas. When you have a minute (or 10) to browse these new sites, you will be in for a treat!

2 sites are by art teachers who cater to the 12 and under crowd. There are some amazing projects there and many would make good Christmas gifts for grandparents. My favorite is Zulily! It offers daily deals on top brand clothing for kids and women. Adorable stuff!

Has anyone else noticed the blogging world slowing down with the explosion of Facebook? I know some of my daily thoughts and musings have made their way to Facebook instead of here. Just an observation...

Rise and Shine

2010-11-06T19:28:00.003-05:00

Lillian's 1st grade class led Rise and Shine at her school's Monday assembly. She did such a good job reciting her lines! I enjoyed getting to see her on stage.

More Halloween

2010-11-06T19:17:00.002-05:00

We went to Grammy and Granddad's after trick-or-treating at a few houses. Nathan and Wade were there- they were dressed as Shrek and Puss-in-boots. SO cute!

Sunday- we went to Chickasha to visit my friend, Jennifer, and her kids. Her church was having a trunk-or-treat so we went to join the fun!

I had never been to a trunk-or-treat before, but I was so impressed with the coolness of an event like this. Every car was decorated and had games for the kids to play. They came home LOADED with candy! It was a fun night!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-06T19:13:00.003-05:00

Lucas at his school party- he's with his buddy, Grady

Before

During

This is what no nap the day of trick-or-treating will get you...

Kirkpatrick Fall Party

2010-10-26T17:19:00.003-05:00

Every year, my parents host a fall party in their haybarn. We have a big bonfire for hotdogs and smores, and kids of all ages hunt pumpkins in the pasture, along the creek, and in the hay.

Cousins- Lillian, Nathan, and Lucas

Football Weekend with Friends

2010-10-26T17:10:00.003-05:00

To watch the OU/Texas football game, we went to the Miller's house in the Marlow/Duncan/Bray vicinity. I, personally, didn't care a bit about who won the game but we wanted the kids to have a chance to play together so off we went!

"There must be somethinig wrong with this thing!"

Boys= mischief

Our girls of the group

A senior picture in the future??

Dirt

2010-09-25T16:14:00.001-05:00

This has provided hours of entertainment...and it's not going anywhere soon...

Labor Day 2010

2010-09-25T16:05:00.004-05:00

We enjoyed Labor Day by visiting the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. We took the kids to The Holy City and Mt. Scott. It was very windy that day, but we enjoyed walking around and the mild temperatures.

Birthday Celebrations

2010-09-20T14:56:00.000-05:00

Our family celebrates 3 birthdays within 10 days of each other- Mom, Lillian, and Sarah. This year, we hosted a combined birthday party on Aug. 29, Mom's birthday. We had pulled pork sandwiches and all the fixin's. Each birthday girl opened presents and we had our first large gathering in our "new" house.

Watch out for the 2 boys in the middle...

The newest addition- Wade Douglas- born Aug 19.

Owls!

First Day of School 2010

2010-09-19T14:50:00.000-05:00

We all survived...

Missouri

2010-09-18T14:37:00.002-05:00

As soon as we found out we had an offer on our house in Guthrie, we made plans for a quick trip to Greenwood, MO. It gave all the cousins time to play together.

Lillian and her "ducklings"

Brady

Fun with the lawn sprinklers

Underwear rules!

Finally!

2010-09-18T14:32:00.002-05:00

My last post was July 21???!?!!!??

In the last 2 months, we moved and started new schools, jobs, etc. It's been a whirlwind of activity but, hopefully, things are starting to settle down. We moved to Elgin, OK the last weekend in July. It was 105 in the shade and high humidity. We had tons of help and the move went smoother than expected. We moved from a new home to one built in 1979. You'll see lots of before and after pictures over the next few months! We have lots of things planned to do to cosmetically improve the house. The house sits on 5 acres, so the kids have had a blast exploring.

Be prepared for several posts over the next few days! I'm finally taking time to get this thing updated!

Moving Preparations

2010-07-21T19:55:00.003-05:00

Celebrating Brent

2010-07-21T19:52:00.002-05:00

Brent celebrated 10 years with his company this month. We were invited to a nice dinner where he received an award of recognition. Quite an accomplishment!

4th of July

2010-07-21T19:41:00.003-05:00

I'm finally getting around to making this post! The holiday weekend was hot, rainy, and humid. The few pictures I took reflected the moisture in the air. It stopped raining long enough to shoot fireworks. Lucas is sporting a black eye in this picture. I really never got a good shot of it.

Tulsa/Bartlesville Part 2

2010-07-13T22:18:00.003-05:00

We left Tulsa and traveled to Bartlesville where we saw Heather and Jesse's new house. As I was posting these pictures, I realized we didn't take a picture of them, together, all weekend!

Here's a sampling of what we did:

Train engine- Lucas was in heaven!

Kiddieland Park- all tickets were 25cents and usually took only 2 tickets to ride anything

Tulsa/Bartlesville Part 1B

2010-07-13T07:28:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, we visited the Jenks Aquarium.

Inside the shark tank

waiting to touch a stingray

Tulsa/Bartlesville Weekend, Part 1

2010-07-13T07:13:00.005-05:00

I have fallen behind on my blogging so this post should have been made 3 weeks ago. Since Heather and Jesse moved to Bartlesville, we can make one sweep of the side of the state and see 2 siblings in one trip. And that is exactly what we did!

We started by stopping in Tulsa to see Ty and Lindsey. They took us to a really cool park by the river Friday night. The kids enjoyed getting wet and playing on unusual playground equipment.

Father's Day 2010

2010-06-30T08:02:00.004-05:00

A fishing outing on Father's Day weekend...

Lucas catches his first fish...and has to kiss it.

Dads and kids

Cousins

Papa catches a big fish

...and the boys have to check it out.

Silliness

2010-06-30T07:48:00.003-05:00

Lucas loves to pull all the cushions off the couch and "make a tower" or "make a bridge". However, he has not mastered the art of putting them back on the couch!

We Have a Pool But...

2010-06-18T18:24:00.000-05:00

...a bucket of water has more appeal!

A Morning at the Park

2010-06-17T18:19:00.000-05:00

Ridin' in Style

2010-06-16T18:18:00.002-05:00

Lillian & Lucas: Lovin' Life

Birthday Celebrations

Christmas #1- December 10, 2011

Holiday Traditions

Saturday Happenin's

First Hunt

Halloween 2011

Hiking in the Wichita Mountains

Fall Break: Part 2- Houston

Fall Break: Part 1- Calvert, TX

Our Buddy, Wade

Painting Pumpkins

Just Playin' in the Rain

TMI

More Birthday

She's 8!

September Sunset

First Day of School 2011

August Birthday Weekend

VBS 2011

Unusual Happenin's

Celebrating

Project Finally Finished!

Meet Pete

More Fourth

More 4th of July

Time to Explore

Father's Day 2011

Happy 4th of July!

Orange Beach, Alabama

Recent Zoo Trip

Lillian's Honors

*Flashback*

He's a Doctor Now!

Mother's Day 2011

1st Grade Picnic

This Made My Day

Beauty and The Beast

Just A Normal Saturday...

Easter 2011- Sunday Edition

Easter 2011- Saturday Edition

Early April

Fishing With Dad

Lilacs A'bloomin'

Mr. Handyman

Spring Break: Part 3

Lucas Learns How to Peel Carrots

Lifesaver

Spring Break: Part 2

Roasted Carrots- My New Fav

Spring Break: Part 1

Playing Toy Story

33

1st Grade Musical

New Links

Cole's 4th Birthday Party

Huck Finn In The Making

Lillian's Big Night

More Snow

Spoiled Kitty

How a Saturday Begins

Snow Day!

New Year's Eve and Another Christmas

BFF

Christmas Day 2010

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve Eve

Enjoying the Moments

A Boy And His Boots

Christmas Lights in Medicine Park

Children's Christmas Party

Happy Birthday, Lucas!

#4

Basketball 101

Kitchen Remodel

Thanksgiving 2010

Tooth Fairy's First Visit

Pre-Move

Update

Rise and Shine

Flashback