Parkes Family

Happy Birthday Lucas!

2012-02-11T16:32:00.000-06:00

Lucas turned 3 on February 10th and it was a birthday party year!

I consulted YouTube to learn how to make the tissue paper poms and I am posting them at the request of my sister. Decorations were sparse, but they generally always are. I like parties that don't leave me all stressed out before they even begin!

Early Friday morning, before Howard went to work, Luke opened his presents. His favorite presents were the clearance toys I bought a few weeks ago. The toys that he was least interested in where the one's I paid full price for - how ironic!

Friday afternoon Luke helped me decorate his cupcakes. He originally wanted a Diego party, but since we couldn't find a cake topper, or even toys to put on it, we scraped that plan. Luke was in charge of picking things out, so we had sports themed plates/cups, and Spiderman cupcakes. He was happy!

I forgot to write out the invitations for his nursery classmates, and since I wasn't very motivated to have ten 3 year olds over, we had one family come. We had a nice time and were not overwhelmed. Our 4 kids and their 3 kids made a nice amount of people for a party atmosphere.

The day before his party he wanted to pose for the camera. This is his new favorite pose.

January (and a little bit of February)

2012-02-03T12:23:00.001-06:00

Howie had a birthday and was crazy excited about his present, a boy's dream - a B.B. gun.

This was not a b-day party year, so we went out to dinner of Howie's choosing (Red Lobster) and had cake (Angel food). The weather has been great and we've been able to go out into the wooded area behind our house to shoot. It's been fun.

Howard got off of work early yesterday (he's been working long hours lately). We've also had incredible weather, so the boys got some energy out before dinner.

Just a little while ago I heard a rustling in my bedroom. It's laundry day, so for the few hours the laundry sorter was empty and Dash managed to get stuck. This was a first for him - and too funny not to take a picture. He was truly stuck!

A few days ago Erin wanted me to take some pictures of her and Dash, so I thought I would share those too. We curled her hair in sponge curlers the night before and she felt like a princess with the ringlets all day. Her hair was curly like this naturally when she was little, but now it's straight like mine.

December

2012-01-01T21:04:00.000-06:00

I had finals at the beginning of December and Howard was very busy with an exercise at work. Then the whirlwind of Christmas festivities fell upon us.

To recap December:

I bought a new red dress for the Squadron Christmas party (but it was canceled, grrr) and got a new hair do at the end of November. I also earned high A's in both of my classes. It was my first semester back to college since 2000 and I'm LOVING it!!!! I'm studying history and hope to become a DoDEA teacher by the time Howard retires in 10-12 years.

Erin had a speaking part in the 3rd grade musical - she was Reindeer #7.

Jack anxiously awaited Christmas.

While on Christmas break he decided to sleep in the living room one night. Luke also joined him.

This is Jack's "bed" he made for himself.

Howard was off for a little while and dutifully took care of the kids with me. Howard also worked on some home improvement chores (fixed a screen, and re-sealed a door), as well as yard work during our warm front that was here (65F for about 3 days). Winter break was filled with bowling, the park, the library, the YMCA, and lots of sleeping in and staying up late. The best part has been watching "I Love Lucy" as a family every day since Christmas. Howard bought me the complete series and it's now one of the kids favorite shows.

Jack gave us the BEST expressions when he opened his gifts. It was like he got the best present each and every time he opened one.

The kids each got to open a gift on Christmas Eve (not pjs). The 24th was our big dinner like usual, while the 25th was reserved for a buffet of appetizers all day while we played with our new toys. This year Christmas was a lot different. We had church in the late morning, but then we spent the evening downtown at the City Rescue Mission. It was nice seeing our friends who live there and working the dinner shift. We are blessed each and every time we go there to help.

This is the most excitement we are probably going to get for a while from (an almost) 10 year old Howie.

Erin was thrilled with her gift as well. This was her first year knowing the secret of Christmas.

*wink wink*

Luke was more excited for his pillow pet than he was his train table. Oh well.

New Year's Eve

Luke was the only one who didn't make it to midnight - he made it to about 11pm though. New Year's Eve was spent having an "I Love Lucy" marathon.

BTL Graduation

2011-12-01T11:02:00.000-06:00

For those who did not see my facebook post, this is Larry and Jack. They are best buddies at the City Rescue Mission.

We met Larry last March when we started working in the kitchen and gained a new friend (actually several) in the process. Jack talks about Larry all the time and is always excited when we see him. Larry recently found employment and will be moving out of the Mission to be reunited with his wife (who also graduated from BTL a few months ago).

Last night we went to Larry's graduation from the "Bridge to Life" (BTL) program. It is about a year long (self paced) rehabilitation program through the Mission. Larry is special, as are the other graduates. He really did accomplish something great! Larry was one of the speakers last night and shared with us his story. He was a drug addict for 27 years (meth, heroin, etc - just about everything), in prison for 23 years, prison escapee, etc. He hit rock bottom last year on a high speed chase from the cops through OKC. Because of the City Rescue Mission - and most importantly the Lord - his life has been restored and he has hope. His slate has been wiped clean and we are privileged to call him friend.

The BTL graduation was the best graduation I have ever attended and I hope to attend many more while we live here. It was filled with celebration, worship, prayer, scripture, and personal stories. Not too many dry eyes were there last night. The Lord is working miracles in the lives of His children - it's an awesome thing to witness. The people we have met at the Mission have enriched our lives in innumerable ways. We don't bless their lives with our service, they bless ours!

Black Friday

2011-11-26T16:48:00.000-06:00

We had the most awesome Black Friday this year! It was actually the best and most fun I've ever had Black Friday shopping. We went prepared and that made all the difference in the world. Fortunately we didn't get anything big - I think that helped a lot too. We only had a shopping cart at one store. Being able to maneuver in Walmart and Target without a shopping cart made a huge difference and contributed to our speedy checkout.

Here's a little timeline -

6:00pm - Dropped Howard off at Toys R Us and he waited in line. Lisa and I went back to her house to get the kids ready for bed and finalize Black Friday lists
7:00pm - Got in line with Howard, Levi watched the kids
9:00pm - We were in the first group of 50 people to enter the store. Howard waited in the checkout line while Lisa and I shopped. Picked up 5 items, out in 10 minutes.
9:10pm - Howard went to Target to wait in line, Lisa and I drove to Walmart.
9:30pm - Waited by the 1 item I wanted (legos) while Lisa browsed a few items. Out about 5-10 minutes after the 10pm sale started.
10:30pm - Joined Howard in line at Target
12:00am - Howard worked his way to electronics while I got the toys on our list. He had to wait in the electronics line in the store, so we didn't get out until about 12:40am.
1:00am - Our list was complete, but we browsed the mall a little. Picked up some boots at Macy's for myself.
2:00am - Back to Walmart for a price match
2:30am - Back at home in bed.

Favorite stories -

- A food food truck pulled up to the front of Toys R Us and Howard and I were able to enjoy some hot chocolate together.

- Met some awesome ladies in line at Target! I wasn't able to get an item at Toys R Us, so I asked Walmart to price match. They wouldn't. One of the ladies knew the Walmart manager personally and put in a phone call to him and fixed the problem. We didn't even ask her to do it, but are glad she did! The best part was that instead of getting the sale price matched for $24.99 (leapster) we got it for $15 because the box was damaged. Once again, we didn't even ask for it, but that's what they did.

- While at the mall there were male models in swim trunks in front of one of the clothing stores. Naturally we're shopping for swim trunks in November (haha). Anyway - they looked exactly like the models that are on the posters in those stores. I heard one lady squeal "Oh My G--, they're real!" yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking, but I didn't say that out loud. I was in the middle of a conversation with Lisa and Howard, but when we saw them I went speechless. That's never happened before to me. It's pretty funny in hindsight. The picture below is a similar representation of what we saw at the Columbia, MO mall.

Jack's Birthday Celebrations

2011-11-14T14:21:00.000-06:00

Jackson had his birthday several weeks ago - October 25th to be exact. Howard has been either in the field or TDY for the past month and was home for a brief 16 hours the weekend prior to Jack's 5th birthday. We celebrated early with presents and cupcakes so Howard could participate.

On Jack's actual birthday he was able to bring snack to pre-school. We made mini-cup cakes. Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting (from a box, and tub) Yeah - I'm a great homemaker that way. Ha Ha!

It was so cute watching his class sing happy birthday. A class full of 4-5 year old children are so cute!

The Saturday following his birthday was his big birthday party. Since it was so close to Halloween, we dressed up in costumes and decorated the house in spiders and cobwebs. The kids had a lot of fun and I was relieved when it was over since I was doing it solo.

We also had a spider cake with eye ball cupcakes. It's safe to say after having cake for 3 days within a week, I'm still not ready to eat a bite of cake.

Myriad Botanical Gardens

2011-10-17T22:32:00.000-05:00

After the Taylor Swift concert on Saturday night, Erin and I walked through the downtown Myriad Botanical Gardens before we went to our car. The gardens had been closed for a long time due to renovations, but just reopened. I was so impressed with it I had to take the family back ASAP!

Here the children are waiting for the wave fountain to splash water on them.

Get ready...

Get set...

Go!

I tried taking cute pictures of each child, but they are in that awkward photo stage.

I love Jack's goofy face.

While I was snapping away at the kids, Howard asked a passerby to take an impromptu family photo. Turned out the passerby was a photographer scoping out the place. Lucky us! Too bad not all the kids are looking, but at least Luke isn't hiding and everyone has their eyes open. I've really lowered my standards to what is acceptable photography with 4 children.

Luke rolling down the hill. If only he had made his legs straight, then he would have gone much faster.

Gorgeous view of the gardens!

This may seem random, but my Okinawa friends will appreciate it! The renovated bathrooms have this hand dryer which actually dries your hands. These are all over Japan.

It spells GROW. This was in the Children's Garden area.

It's amazing how a random piece of metal art can be so entertaining. I have so many pictures of the kids doing crazy things on this.

My stud muffin!

I had to keep yelling at the kids because they kept putting their hands in the photo or jumping in. We were loosing daylight fast and Howard was having difficulty with the camera settings.

The Crystal Bridge changed colors throughout the evening. There were also lighted rectangles embedded into the sidewalk as well as lighting under benches and along the walk paths to light your way. There were a lot more interesting things, but not enough time to blog about it all.

The temperature dropped fast tonight and the winds really picked up. I can't wait to go back!

Father Son Camp Out

2011-10-17T21:14:00.000-05:00

This weekend while Erin and I had our lovely girl time, the boys were able to go on the church's father/son camp out. They went to Red Rock Canyon State Park, and Howard said it was even better than the Chickasaw Natl Rec Area. As soon as we have time time and good weather (who knows when that will be?) in the same weekend, we will go back as a family. Since Howard had to leave right after work on Friday, I was in charge of packing. I did great except for one thing - I forgot to pack pillows. Sorry boys! Erin and I are looking forward to more father and son outings, we enjoyed the peace and quiet!

Luke was camera shy.

Howie loved the rock climbing. According to Jackson, they "climbed a mountain".

Howard assisted with another boy. The boy's father was up the wall on the other side keeping everyone safe. If you notice carefully, Howard is doing it without ropes or anything. Maybe not the safest thing to do, but I was impressed. Although, it's only impressive AFTER he did it and told me about it in the safety of our home.

This is what you get when a 9 year old is in charge of the camera. (Plus 20 more of these poses.)

Brotherly love. They may fight and tease each other until I cry, but I know they love each other very much.

Concerts

2011-10-16T18:00:00.000-05:00

Last week Erin and I were able to go to a concert on top of the Union parking garage at OU. I parked right under the concert and when we walked up to the top level, we were surprised to get a close preview of Phil Wickham rehearsing. We arrived early since it was a free concert and we wanted to make sure we had good seats.

It was a benefit concert sponsored by "Wishing Well", a non-profit org promoting awareness and activism in supplying people with clean drinking water.

We enjoyed the wait with perfect weather and a cozy spot on the curb.

Since we arrived early, we were able to sit in the front row - it was amazing. Erin got a little tired, but I was a mean Mom and wouldn't leave, so I let her lay on my lap. This is how close were were, and I wasn't even using a zoom or anything! The roof-top was packed with people, so we were extra thankful for good seats.

Our second great adventure was the Taylor Swift Concert on Saturday, Oct 15. The tickets were her birthday present in July. I nearly cried when Taylor Swift came on. Not because I was excited to see Taylor, but because I was so happy to so how happy and excited Erin was. It was like Christmas for me!

The opening act was a guy named David Nail. I had never heard of him, but he was really good.

The second act was the band, NeedToBreathe (yes, I wrote it correctly). I had heard one of their songs before, and enjoyed them as well.

Erin and I got all dressed up, we curled our hair and did our make-up. I'm so glad I could go with her!

The venue was very high quality. The video and audio were excellent! Here is Taylor, as seen on the large screen next to our nosebleed seating. Taylor is looking toward our section. I think she was staring at Erin directly! :)

This tree was near the back side of the arena. It was a nice treat for her fans in that section.

I had no idea she could even play the piano. She is one talented singer/performer! And very quick at changing clothes too! I think she changed about 7 times, maybe more.

During the finale, she sang "Love Story", which is Erin's favorite song. Overall we had a wonderful time! Taylor Swift is a good and tasteful performer, very family friendly!

My only complaint would be that I purchased our tickets from stubhub.com (NEVER AGAIN!) Our seats were sold TWICE! Fortunately for us, my tickets were scanned first, so we entered the arena without any problem. The other ticket holders had a problem, had to buy an additional ticket, but made it to our seats first. I wasn't mad, because in reality the seats were equally hers. The arena upgraded the other woman and Erin and I were able to sit in our assigned seats. I'm glad the other woman received an upgrade in seating because she told me that her and her daughter were in tears initially and of all the hassle they experienced. Monday morning, stubhub.com will be receiving a call from me!

Here is a nice playlist of a few of the songs we heard at both concerts. Enjoy!

Air Force Ball 2011

2011-09-25T20:42:00.000-05:00

Howard FINALLY invited me to the Air Force Ball. Most years I've either been pregnant, breastfeeding, or Howard was deployed. I'm very grateful we had the opportunity to go. Our kind neighbor watched the children and even took a few photo's of us before the ball.

Navy blue turned out to be a popular color for dresses (and uniforms, lol) this year at the Ball. Everyone looked beautiful and I was happy to blend in with all the other girls. Fortunately no one had the same dress on, they were all unique. The best part of getting ready was when I got my nails done. Erin went along with me and also had her nails done. I love having girl time with her. Once I had my hair done, I was hands off for the kids. I wouldn't even let them kiss me good-bye. My kids can really get excited showing affection and I wasn't about to let them ruin my hair or make-up. They were good sports about it and didn't complain too much.

(My dress fell just below my knees and I had sparkly silver 4" heels and a matching clutch.)

At the beginning of the ceremony, the speaker explained in detail the significance of the empty table in the front of the ballroom. It represented service members from each branch who are MIA. I couldn't get through that without crying. Our table was filled with some wonderful people who were very easy to talk with and dinner was delicious! Pictured below is our place cards along with a bracelet to remember a fallen soldier. Each bracelet had a different name, date, and location of battle.

After the dinner and speakers was dancing. My feet were killing me after only a few dances, but we enjoyed ourselves anyway. The USAF Band of Mid-America played and we were seriously impressed with their talent. Howard is not much of a dancer, so I had to fly solo when everyone on the dance floor started line dancing. Luckily they were dancing the only line dance I know. That was my favorite part! Luckily Howard danced a few slow dances with me. :)

Afterwards we went out for ice cream at Braum's and shared a sundae.

School

2011-09-09T14:02:00.000-05:00

We're in the swing of things and I'm playing catch-up a little on the blog. These photos are a couple weeks old, but they're still good. I started school a week after the children did. I have not been in school since Spring 2000! I was really nervous, but now that I have a few weeks under my belt, I'm feeling good about things. I'm taking one Online class, Reading Literature and Writing Argument and one classroom lecture, U.S. History 1865-present. I am so grateful that I have spent the past 11 years reading American history books, keeping up with current events, and writing on this blog (since 08). It has helped me stay focused academically. Sometimes motherhood makes my brain feel like a wet noodle, but I now have a renewed confidence in my abilities as a student! I'm not 100% sure yet, but I think I want to major in American History and one day be a high school history teacher. ( I change my mind a lot, so this is subject to change.) Howie told me he wants me to be his teacher. I don't think I'll graduate in time if I take it slow, but once Luke gets into school I might be able to kick it into high gear. Time will only tell.

I have a renewed appreciation for Howard working and providing for our family. He has to associate with many different people every day. Not everyone is nice, but he has to deal with it anyway. Since I have been a homemaker the past 10 years, I have primarily surrounded myself with family or friends who have similar values as myself. I like nice people. You don't have to agree with my religion or politics to be my friend, just a common level of respect. I learned recently at school some people lack the type of respect I am referring to. It's okay if people disagree, but do respectfully please! I obviously need to grow a thicker skin when it comes to criticism. Constructive academic criticism is one thing, but negative and rude is not acceptable!

[I'll stepped off my soapbox now.]

Here is Jack on his first day of school. He loves school so much! His teacher is WONDERFUL!

The first full week of school was spirit week and we all had a great time on "Wacky Day".

Some people thought Howie was a girl, I think it's time for a hair cut.

Erin is just a little bit of everything! I tried to tease her hair, but because of the length, it went horribly wrong. I didn't tell her that, so I just did something crazy and she was happy with it.

Jack was the only kid in his class that did crazy hair. His teachers LOVED it!

This n' That

2011-08-24T11:59:00.000-05:00

Howard took the last week of summer break off. We did some fun things, worked on a project, and took it easy.

Howard built an extra shelf in the laundry room.

We went to the water park as a family and got a sunburn. We all wore sunscreen, we just forgot to re-apply. I don't have any pictures of the water park because I didn't think it would be a good idea. Also, now that our kids our old enough to enjoy the big rides, we had a blast! Howard and I took turns with the big/little kids and had so much fun! Although, I think I had more time with the big kids, which meant I had more fun!

Jack started pre-school. No tears from him or I, it was a good day.

Everyone was ready for the first day of school. It was nice for Howard to be home and a part of all the activity in the morning. Luke even had a backpack on in this picture. He was MAD when everyone was dropped off and he wasn't!

Ever since I took the kids to get their annual pictures taken a few weeks ago (it was a disaster for Luke), he has hated getting his picture taken. He's yelling at me for taking his picture here.

My helper.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2011-08-08T19:51:00.000-05:00

We were given baseball tickets a while ago and finally used them at the end of July. OKC has a minor league team and their field is downtown. It's a really nice ballpark. I liked it because it wasn't huge like the Dodger's Stadium in California. I like to get in and out of places quickly. Our seats were originally behind home base. I'll be honest, I don't really like baseball (or sports in general). I would much rather spend 3 hours in a museum than be at a sporting event. I think the kids feel the same way. They enjoy plays, musical events, and museums almost as much as I do. It was hot and boring, so after the second inning, we decided to call it quits and go home. Half-way out of the park we noticed a knoll across the field...and it had a playground. We ventured over there and ended up staying the whole game. There were fireworks at the end, but they were right over the knoll, so we had to move. Instead of going back to our seats, we sat in the nosebleed section (it was empty) and we had a great view of the fireworks (and a wonderful breeze). We wanted to sit close to the exit so we could get out quickly. With 4 kids, you always need an exit plan. Sometimes I feel like Jason Bourne searching for a quick escape.

The grassy knoll

It's easier to enjoy the game when you are not confined to hard seats.

Playing with Daddy.

Our sanity!

Jack met some teenage girls and he chatted with them all night. He's a ladies man!

The fireworks!

Happy Birthday & Baptism

2011-07-24T22:23:00.000-05:00

2 weeks ago we went to my sister's house and brought home her girls for the week. We planned it so they would be here for Erin's birthday and my sister came to pick up her girls and came to Erin's baptism. This was not a "birthday party year", but we had an enjoyable time.

Erin only received a couple of presents, but her Taylor Swift concert tickets (for October) really sent her into a whirlwind! Shock, excitement, happiness! Good call on Mom and Dad's part. (It also means we have less toys to pick up.)

She requested chocolate cake this time. Thank you Duncan Heinz for making it special!

Howard's father, Sam, is visiting for Erin's baptism. The kids adore him and love the stories he tells.

I loved having my sister and her family visit, but their visits are always too short. They each have a little thing called a job, so I guess I'll let it slide.

Erin was radiant in her dress! I'm so happy Lisa french braided her hair (since I don't know how to). It made life easy after she was dunked.

Our attempt at a family picture. Luke was on the other side of the foyer. Who knows what Jack is trying to do? Howie was trying to avoid Erin. This is a typical family photo!

Erin's dear friend, Danielle, was also baptized. It was her actual birthday and I'm so happy they could share this day together.

Summer Fun

2011-07-18T21:16:00.001-05:00

Several weeks ago I took the kids down to the Chickasaw National Rec. Area. We had a nice time! We've done lots of other things this summer, I just gave up taking my camera everywhere.

What I've been up to

2011-07-18T20:57:00.000-05:00

Clearly I'm not the greatest blogger these days, but I'm a pretty good Mom.

EXCEPT when I let my brother-in-law babysit...

...or when he passes gas.

...or when I'm distracted by 5 other kids and the littlest one gets into the makeup.

I just got back from my sister's the other day and brought home two souvenirs; her daughter's. We love having the girls here, but it has given me a taste of more kids. It's testing my limit slightly. I went to the Natural History museum today and it seemed like I spent the whole time counting six heads to make sure no one got left behind in the previous exhibit. We had a nice time and I loved not having a stroller to push around. Luke is a great walker when it comes to things like that. I get annoyed when I see 4-6 year old children being pushed in a stroller. They have legs and should use them!

Happy Anniversary, Father's Day, and Birthday Howard!

2011-06-24T14:10:00.000-05:00

So this is my life, every year between June 17th-22nd.

Anniversary

Father's Day

Howard's Birthday

All of these photos are "old", but since I didn't take one single photo this past week, it'll have to make do. Enjoy!

Anniversary

This is from our trip to Tokyo in 2008.

We've been married 11 years now and in spite of our short engagement and some skeptics, we're still married! So there [sticking out tongue]!

Father's Day

Howard's a great Dad. He loves his kids and isn't afraid to show it!

Here are just a few things that make him a special Dad...

He has given all of our newborn babies their first "bath" in the hospital. One time a nurse was going to do it and after some coercing, Howard finally got his way and took over!

He teaches the kids how to tie their own shoes.

He teaches the kids how to ride a bike.

He is very involved in Cub Scouts and supports Howie very much in this endeavor.

Happy Birthday

Howard recently turned 34. I love him dearly and here are just a few reasons why...

He is my personal handy man and is very good about completing his "honey-do" lists.

He serves his country proudly and does a great job supporting his family too!

He buys things for me...like a house.

He's there for me when I need him most and loves me unconditionally.

Adoption Update

2011-06-06T12:17:00.000-05:00

Many of you have expressed an interest in our adoption journey. So here you go...

We were having home visits with a sweet young girl, age 11. She was well behaved, kind, and got along well with the children. On paper she was perfect for us. We ended up having about 4 visits with her, 2 day and two overnight visits, as well as meeting with her therapist. Even though everything seemed right on the surface, something just wasn't "clicking". I still can't quite explain it, but after careful thought and prayer we have decided to stop visits with her.

Of course there are underlining issues that are private that were a factor and with those we felt we were not equipped to handle the amount of attention and care that she deserves. It is our hope and prayer that she is matched with another family quickly so that she can have the family life she desires.

As we began this journey, we have constantly reminded ourselves that it is the Lord's will and not ours. We will do our part (and endless paperwork) and the Lord will provide...or he will not. Sometimes "not providing" is His answer. Time will only tell and we will accept whatever the outcome.

With this we are considering the foster care route as well as traditional adoption. Once again, we will have more DHS appointments and paperwork. Hopefully we can make some progress before another deployment slows us down.

Under the Bed!

2011-06-03T13:54:00.000-05:00

I was putting away clean clothes in the boy's room during nap time...but Luke was no where to be found. It must be a two year old boy thing...because Howie and Jack would do this same thing!

Jack under Howie's bed, 2009.

Howie under my bed, 2004

This is a picture of a picture because 1) my scanner is not working and 2) our computer crashed in 2007 and I lost the digital copy.

New Mexico

2011-06-01T16:37:00.002-05:00

Our nephew, Tobey, graduated high school last week, so we took a trip down to Las Cruces, NM for a quick visit with family. Most of the trip consisted of hanging out at the pool with family. The Parkes family is really trying to get rid of our terrible farmer's tans.

Pic #1, Jack getting ready to hit Luke
Pic #2, after the fact
Pic#3, keeping Luke quiet

Luke LOVED the pool. He had no fear by the end of our trip. To some extent, I wasn't happy about that, because I think that a healthy dose of fear can keep kids safe. We had to watch Luke extra to make sure he stayed safe!

Here Luke is counting on his fingers with Howard before he jumped into Daddy's arms.

Notice Jack...he hung out near or on the stairs the whole time. He has an unhealthy dose of fear when it comes to swimming.

I have a feeling Luke will be swimming independently before Jack.

Erin had a blast!

Silly boy!

My favorite picture of the grad with his brother, Tommy.

Luke did so well potty training on our trip. I wasn't going to press the issue, but he insisted. He actually stayed dry they whole drive home. I can't say the same now that we are back home. It's like he forgot what a toilet is! Luke is mad at me while I took this picture...he's not going #2.

One morning we went down to Old Mesilla and looked at the shops. This mini mug is in memory of my mom. She had a huge mug collection.

Jack was so excited when he saw this picture frame. He thought it was a TV leapster.

Another day we drove out to Elephant Butte Lake. It was AWFUL! The wind was so bad that we left after about 45 minutes even though it was a 90 mile drive each way. Howard said it was comparable to the wind and sand in Iraq. We ended up getting stuck and having to be towed out (so thankful for the angels who had a tow hitch to get us out), and had our picnic in the van because it was unbearable. We salvaged the rest of our day by swimming in the hotel pool and going out for Chinese food. If you notice in the above picture, the wind is really pushing on the tents and I took this picture from my van. Luke and Jack were out of the van for about 5 minutes before they got back in. You know it's bad when a toddler and preschooler would rather be in a vehicle than play in the sand at the lake.

The Organ Mountains as we left Las Cruces on highway 70. What a sight! This picture doesn't do it justice!

Sorry to the family members who were on the trip to NM and I didn't post your picture. I tried to include everyone, but some of the pictures I have either didn't turn out or they were not flattering. I thought you would appreciate that. Sorry!

White Sands

2011-06-01T14:56:00.001-05:00

On our way home from our trip to New Mexico, we stopped at White Sands National Monument. We only stayed an hour, but it was well spent! The weather was perfect (75F) and it was a glorious day! My only regret is that we didn't plan more time there.

They were so excited to get on top of their first dune!

I'm amazed at the brilliant blue sky. I did not enhance or change any colors!

Please ignore my lack of hairstyling skills, but I'll blame the wind on that (and traveling). Hehe.

The sand was so fine and felt so good to play in.

Sliding down was fun too, but the consequence was a lot of sand...everywhere!

Going down, Jack style.

Even running down was fun because the sand molded to your body.

Zoo-fabulous!

2011-05-23T16:19:00.000-05:00

We took a trip to the OKC Zoo on Saturday.

On the drive there we had to wait for a mama duck to cross the road with her babies. It was such a cute sight!

Our first attraction was to visit the new baby elephant. The mama was in Tulsa where she had a few hot dates with the papa. Then she was pregnant for like 2 years...that would suck!

Erin was all grumpy because she wanted to be in the picture all by herself.

We were all ready to get wet at the water play area in the kids zoo area, but it was shut down due to plumbing problems...we were really sad about it! Most of us had swim clothes on too!

Luke goin' down the zip line...don't worry, Howard only moved his hands for a quick picture.

The goats really liked my kids!

We loved the slide...we all took turns!

Brotherly Love

2011-05-23T15:39:00.000-05:00

The boys have an AWESOME bed! It's a full bed up top, a twin bed in the hide-out, and a twin trundle. We also have a toddler bed for Luke.

So why do they have to all sleep together?! This happens regularly although sometimes it's in different combinations.

Sometimes they are all on the top bunk, or two will be in the toddler bed and one on the floor next to the toddler bed. It's always a surprise when I check on the boys before I go to bed.

Just Lookin'

2011-05-19T14:30:00.000-05:00

When I'm not looking.

Lookin' for something.

Don't worry, I cleaned the counter.

Camping

2011-05-18T11:14:00.000-05:00

These just happen to be in chronological order. I'm too lazy right now to do it any other way.

Now that Howard is finally home for some warm weather and the kids are getting older, I really wanted to go camping for my birthday. Well that didn't happen, so I decided Mother's day weekend would be a good time. I obviously didn't know when Mother's day was when we scheduled this trip, because we didn't change the date. We went this past weekend! And, it wasn't warm while we were there either. I guess it's better than being miserably hot. Although we look forward to going back to get in the rivers, lakes, and natural pools at the Chickasaw National Rec Area. It was SO BEAUTIFUL! As I was packing for our trip, I realized we were terribly underprepared, so I had to get some Amazon and Walmart shopping done for us to go.

Erin sitting around the campfire. With the Oklahoma wind, we never knew which chair would get hit with the smoke. It was terrible!

Luke in his new kiddie camp chair, all bundled up!

This was the river behind our campsite.

Dash had to be tied up or on a leash at all times. He didn't like that!

I'm not much for cooking out in the wild, so we have cold cereal when we camp, but I make sure I buy the good stuff that we normally don't eat. We also eat simple sandwiches for lunch, and had foil packet dinners that I had prepared at home.

About a 10 minute drive from our campsite was Lake of the Arbuckles. We were wishing we had a boat when we went there.

Skipping rocks!

Silliness!

One of the natural pools. The water was so clear, I was wishing it was warmer so we could jump in. I don't like swimming in lakes, but this was different. I could see the bottom of it.

Both afternoons I ended up going on a long walk with Dash (by myself...heaven!) I walked along a trail that followed this river.

Here I am almost at the top of the summit. I know it's not very high up, but the last time I was this high up what when I was in a tall building in downtown OKC. It's pretty flat in the metro area, so this was very refreshing!

The second night we had very nice camp neighbors. The Mom brough 5 boys for a birthday party sleepover...and they were all Howie's age. Here we are at their camp site and Luke is attempting to smile on command. He's normally not this challenged at smiling.

This is just a picture that I like.

On my walk on day 2.

These rock wall and bridges were built by the CCC during the Great Depression.

Jack was in charge of packing toys...of course he brought his dinosaurs.

We played lots of Slap Jack and a little Uno.

Most of the trip was great, mostly because we were in a beautiful place. But I learned a lot about my kids while camping...they are deficient in outdoor common sense. Howard and I were very frustrated with them, but we know it's our job to teach them the skills they need to be responsible outdoors in nature. It's just hard sometimes to do it without yelling. We also got a few ticks on us, but were able to get rid of them quickley. Since there were no bugs flying around annoying us, we forgot to apply the bug spray. I know better now.

We will definitly go back. I can't wait for school to get out because it's close enough for day trips.

I LOVE Flowers

2011-05-08T14:58:00.000-05:00

First off, I want to say I am in no way trying to be boastful in regards to this post. Amazing things are happening from a small idea that I had and God took over and turned into into something more. He gets all the credit!

Our family volunteers at the City Rescue Mission two Sunday's a month in the kitchen. It has been a wonderful opportunity to show the kids how to serve others outside of our comfort zone. It has also been wonderful for me because it has given me a greater sense of accomplishment. Cleaning house and changing diapers just isn't as fulfilling as I would like. I love being a homemaker, but I also want to do something that has more immediate results.

On Thursday it occurred to me that all the mother's at the homeless shelter will probably not be getting anything special for Mother's day. That just broke my heart. I wanted to do something, but we don't have hundreds of dollars to spend on these people. Then the idea came, how about we get some flower shops to donate their left over flowers at the end of the day and we could give each Mom a single flower.

Friday morning I started calling without much luck, but a kind florist suggested I call a wholesale florist. I hadn't thought of that, so I proceeded to make some calls. Not much luck, until finally a wholesaler said okay. He donated 100 iris'. Everyone else I called told me to call back on Saturday.

Saturday morning came and I made phone calls while Howard did the leg work. Howard went to go pick up some flowers, but accidentally went to the wrong place. What a blessing! The wrong place (after initially saying NO on Friday) donated 100 carnations! To make a long story short, blessing after blessing poured out! We were given hundreds of flowers, greenery, baby's breath, ribbon, and wrapping! So in the end we aren't just able to provide a single flower to each mother as planned, but a small bouquet.

In all we made 164 bouquets!

Saturday morning...this was just the beginning!

Finishing up the last of the bouquets.

All ready to go!

Erin loves flowers as much as I do!

Just for fun!

Cuteness

2011-05-06T09:06:00.001-05:00

I should just rename this blog..."All about Luke", but it's still the Parkes Family. Luke just does really cute picture worthy things. Jack on the other hand is a crack up to talk to. Everyone should have the opportunity to talk with Jack. But talking doesn't make great pictures unfortunately.

Dinner attire for the evening...swimming casual.

Nap time just couldn't wait so Luke decided to curl up to some nice cold concrete and flooring supplies. The lamp base was his pillow.

At the Science Center over spring break he bumped his leg, so he made it all better by kissing it.

This is for real at the Science Center. It's right up front next to the handicap parking.

My birthday dinner at Red Lobster.

Glad 29 is over, that was a very hard year. My birthday was hard emotionally. It was my first without the parents. My sister's made it special with phone calls that my Mom would normally make. I was doing well until about a week before my birthday and then the emotions just came out unexpectedly. I am not writing this for sympathy, but more for awareness. This is something people just don't talk about, but it's perfectly normal. If anyone wants to talk to me about their loved one who has past, even if it was 20 years ago...I will be a listening ear. I now know that each passing day doesn't get better or easier. Some days are good and some are bad...it's a craps shoot. My heart and mind have been so full of things that I want to share, but I'm not sure how to express it. I've obviously been in a blogging funk, but I'm starting to think it's not such a bad thing. What I have shared so far is just the tip of the iceberg.

My Mom and step-Dad's wedding anniversary is tomorrow. They were married in 1988. And then it will be Mother's day. My heart is heavy right now. Not just for myself, but for my step-Dad. Now that both of my biological parents are gone, it's nice that I have back up. I'm almost at the 1 year anniversary of my Father's death. Also, May 13th is the 15 year anniversary of my Grandmother's death. She died on the Monday after Mother's day. No disrespect to anyone else's Grandma, but I was blessed to have the VERY BEST Grandma in the world. Seriously...no one was better than her. Some say time heals all, but I miss her more now than ever before. When my Mom died, it only made the hurt of missing my Grandmother worse. It was like she died all over again because the link I had to Grandma was gone.

This month kind of sucks.

I recently attended a viewing of Howard's co-worker's 11 year old daughter who passed away from CF. It was very difficult to see a perfect little child in a casket. It really makes you reflect on how we choose to spend our time and what kind of difference we are making in our spot of the world.

Happy Birthday to Me...Yesterday

2011-04-20T09:56:00.000-05:00

Isn't she cute?

She was 6 lbs, 8 oz and born on Easter Sunday at 9:07pm at Riverside Community Hospital...

30 years ago!

In case you were wondering, yes that's me! Can't you see the resemblance?

I didn't even know this picture existed until about 2 years ago. I'm sure glad my Mom found it.

I'm having difficulty downloading my pictures to my computer, so this is as good as it's going to get. Howard surprised me with new sunglasses and flowers. He also made me a delicious cake. It's kind of a big deal because it would be like me changing the oil in his car for him. I could do it, but it's not my thing...and I would have to follow step by step instructions and it would probably take me 2 hours.

My birthday was bittersweet. It made me miss my Mom (more). I wasn't really expecting the sad emotions to come back so strongly, but I felt the love from family and friends yesterday so that really helped.

3 Kids in a Box

2011-04-16T20:20:00.001-05:00

Apparently a 5 1/2 " screen is better to watch a movie on than a 40" flat screen w/surround sound.

Better Color Representation

2011-04-13T11:32:00.000-05:00

Here is a more true to life color of our office area during the day in natural sun light. Much better than the lime green you see in the other photos.

It's Done! (almost)

2011-04-09T21:58:00.001-05:00

Before

During

After

We're not 100% complete. We still need to do some touch up painting, hang up all of our art work, and put in the transition molding from the tile to the wood. We also have to sell our old desk that is strategically out of this picture, but still in the middle of the room. We also would like a rug in front of the couches, but that will be a little while until we can find the perfect one.

We love our new living area!

Blah!

2011-04-04T14:49:00.000-05:00

I have a lot to blog about, but I just don't feel like it.

That's all for now.

Flash Back Friday - 1936

2011-03-25T10:16:00.000-05:00

Bevins Family 1936

Iowa

This is my grandmother's family. My grandma, Charlotte, is standing in the back on the right side. She was about 13 in this picture. I inherited her mother's sewing machine (Beulah is the adult standing in the back). Great grandpa Tom is holding his daughter Lois, in the front. She died from illness at the age of 2 1/2. My great-grandmother had a total of 10 children, but only 6 lived to adulthood.

Spring Break - Park Clean Up

2011-03-23T15:20:00.000-05:00

Wednesday of spring break was low key. We brought home one of Erin's best friend's from Okinawa, Katie Buck. Howard is good friends with her father, and I am good friends with her mother. We were stationed together in Spokane, and again in Okinawa. This day we went to a local park for a cub scouting activity. Howie worked while the rest of the kids and I played.

Howie with his good friend, Jacob.

Katie and Erin

Jack...being himself!

Luke is getting to be so fun at the park now that he can explore more on his own. He's so fun!

Look at my big boy climbing!

I LOVE this picture! He climbed up the tube slide and his expression is just priceless!

Deep in the Heart of Texas...Part 3

2011-03-21T17:40:00.000-05:00

Sea World

Thank goodness for the Here's to the Hero's program, otherwise this trip would have been a lot more expensive. We still had to pay for one kid, but $42 for a family of 6 is AWESOME! Of course we still had to pay for food, but we didn't cringe every time we fed our kids because it was so cheap to get in. I am SO thankful for the military programs that businesses offer, it is such a blessing to our family!

The Sea Lion Show

We sat in the splash zone and didn't get a drop on us.

The Dolphin Show

We sat in the splash zone and once again, didn't get a drop on us.

It was my favorite show which featured a clown, trapeze artists, synchronized swimmers, high divers, and the traditional swimming trainers/jumping dolphins.

Shamu Show

It was sad to think that just a year ago this happened, which is why none of the trainers got in the water with the animals. but it was still fun to watch.

We sat in the slash zone again and didn't get wet...we got SOAKED!

The bottom left picture shows just how wet my camera and us got. The top right is me soaked. The center picture was at the end of the day. We had a very fun, but exhausting day.

Deep in the Heart of Texas...Part 2

2011-03-21T12:26:00.001-05:00

Riverwalk

We enjoyed our stroll along the San Antonio Riverwalk during our spring break trip. 10 years ago (in June) Howard and I were here for his Basic Training graduation. We ate at "Dick's Last Resort" and that's why we decided to return. Although if our memory served us better we probably would have skipped it all together. It's better when you don't have kids and we probably won't go back with them again, but whatever...we had fun (kinda). You see, Dick's specializes in rude waiters, rowdy patrons, and making fun of each other. Our kids LOVED their hats and the waiter's antics, and I sure got a kick out of the hot pink MEN'S t-shirt pictured on the bottom left of the collage. It was very eye catching to see it worn my some of the male waiters.

Deep in the Heart of Texas...Part 1

2011-03-17T21:44:00.000-05:00

We are on Spring Break and since our original plans of visiting California at this time were moved up because of my Mom, we decided to take a trip down south for a few days. We arrived late Friday night (when I say late, I mean 1am Saturday). We were able to play Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Tuesday was the trip home. Without further delay...

Our Trip (part 1)

They say everything is BIGGER in Texas!

Some random stranger's pizza.

Sorry it's so grainy, I had to zoom in extra because I took the shot clear across the room. I didn't want to look like a freak taking pictures of people eating their pizza weird.

We opted for the modestly large pizza, and still had plenty left over. It was SO good. I highly recommend Big Lou's Pizza in San Antonio. We were lucky and got there early for lunch on Saturday. They said wait times get up to 3 hours on busy days.

What would be a trip to San Antonio without a visit to the Alamo?

We were a little board, but we can only blame ourselves for taking 4 kids and expecting them to be interested in something they knew nothing about. Oh well, at least we tried.

Obligatory family picture...

So we weren't technically supposed to take pictures inside the Alamo. My flash was off and my camera was hanging on my shoulder. Can I help it that I "accidentally" pushed a button without looking? I was very impressed with this shot! The other "accidents" didn't turn out so well.

As we strolled downtown we saw this and knew Jack would love it. It would move and roar, it was a wax figure!

Our favorite activity was the Hall of Mirrors. The lights would change colors and the first time was rather difficult to get through, but very fun!

Here Erin walked into the mirror. Ouch!

Once we came out of the maze we were greeted with CANDY! Of course it wasn't free, but we're suckers for sweet things.

Howard had a great time picking out his candy!

Our last stop before we hit the Riverwalk was a service members Christian Society offering A/C, free snacks, drinks, and games. We LOVE free and ended up spending over two hours there. It was run by elderly couples sharing the Christian message. Our favorite "missionary" was their pet dog. Luke LOVED him! This is just one of the many pictures I took of them loving on each other. We enjoyed a few games of checkers, chess, and darts. We also got to add Howard's hometown pin on their maps they had of service members.

Broken Arm...take three!

2011-03-09T16:21:00.000-06:00

The last time she hurt her arm, we thought it was broken, but it wasn't. Although she did have to wear a splint for a few weeks. Last week she got into a fight with the trampoline...and she lost. I'm just grateful that Howard was the one who took her to the ER and her doctor's appointment. She goes back in three weeks to see how it's healing. She re-injured her last break...the radial head. I love her glow in the dark flower.

Nap time and a mess!

2011-02-28T13:50:00.000-06:00

When it was time to put Luke down for his nap today, I thought he was just playing quietly in his room. I guess he decided to put himself down for a nap early...on the top bunk!

In other news, we had an exterior pipe burst Saturday night. This was our first experience of something bad happening that we were 100% responsible for (no warranty or base housing maintenance to the rescue!). Thankfully the carpet is now dry and the plumber has already fixed the problem. We were afraid that it was going to cost thousands of dollars, but were happy to only have to pay $150.

Erin noticed the carpet wet in an area we hardly ever walk on. I was so happy she found it (after the frenzy of stopping the water!)

Facebook

2011-02-24T14:14:00.000-06:00

I've noticed that I haven't posted anything substantial in a little while. I think Facebook has been sucking out all of my current events. For those of you not on FB with me, here is a little recap...

1. Howard and I are in the process of purchasing a new desk. It's not in stock, so we wait...

2. We are also in the midst of selecting a nice color/affordable price for laminate wood flooring for our office area. It's a high traffic area and it shows bad on the carpet.

3. We get our tax return on Friday, so #1 & #2 can be purchased as soon as we make up our minds.

4. Howie earned his Wolf Badge in Cub Scouts last month and is now a Bear.

5. I attempted home hair cuts on Luke and Jack two weeks ago...bad idea! I have hair appointments scheduled for all of us on Monday afternoon.

6. The weather here is cRaZy! One week it's 75F, the next week it's a blizzard, then 70's again, and today a morning hail/thunderstorm that literally jolted Howard and I out of bed at 5:30am!

7. I've started attending a Grief Share support group at a local church in my neighborhood. I've gone to two meetings so far and plan on finishing the 13 week series. I've been having dreams about my Mother and Grandmother on a regular basis since January (several each week). Some have been good, but some have been bad, hopefully this helps.

8. Howard has been studying like a mad man! He tested for Tech Sgt on the 11th and is currently studying for his CDC's (which is work related). Since he cross trained into his new job, he has a much smaller time frame in which to complete his requirements.

9. I've been reading about Church History a lot lately, very fascinating!

10. I'm teaching a Home Organization class for Super Saturday for church. I'm really excited about it!

11. Our adoption paperwork started expiring, so we had to renew a bunch of paperwork. Not happy about that. On the bright side, there is an Adoption Fair this Saturday that we are going to with our children and we can meet and get to know children waiting to be adopted. We are VERY excited about that!

12. Howard and I won free tickets to see a movie last week, so we had a last minute Tuesday Date Night. We enjoyed it so much, that we are getting another sitter this Friday for another date. We don't date nearly as often as we should, we just make sure the kids go to bed early so we have time together.

Flash Back Friday - 1985

2011-02-18T08:35:00.000-06:00

When my parents divorced, my Mom, sister, and I moved next door to my Grandma's house. We lived there from 1985-1987. Here I am reading to my doll, "Baby Linda" when I was about 4. I love reading!

True Love

2011-02-14T12:31:00.002-06:00

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.

~John 3:16

Flash Back Friday- 1982

2011-02-11T13:23:00.000-06:00

Riverside, CA 1982

Mom, Lisa (hugging our dog, Anji) and Tina in the diaper.

We are in our front yard. The house next door behind us is our Grandma's house. It was wonderful living next door to the best Grandma in the world!

Welcome Terrific Two's

2011-02-10T13:52:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Lucas!

He was really excited to open his first present, but was slow to open the rest.

Howie was anxious to use his pocket knife to help Luke get his presents out of the packaging, but Luke wouldn't let him help. He insisted Daddy did the work. I love his "thoughtful" expression here.

At breakfast we let him play with the most annoying ball in the world. You can't tell, but his arms are shaking violently. He had a blast!

After lunch it was time for cake. I love Luke's face here, he really wasn't sad. I don't know what he was thinking.

Daddy was over on my right side trying to get Luke to smile...it worked!

He blew out the candles without any help! What a big boy! Last year, he wanted nothing to do with his candles.

He loved his homemade banana cake so much that he had seconds. I don't ever remember another child of mine having seconds on birthday cake. I tried a new recipe and it was a success!

The great thing about today is that the kids are home from school on yet another snow day. And Howard is home also because he has a promotion test tomorrow. It's customary in the Air Force to get the day off before the test. Good day!

Another Snow Day?!

2011-02-09T20:58:00.000-06:00

This snow day was different. The kids were on restriction from all electronics and the wind chill prevented them from going outside.

They really used their imaginations...

...at Dash's expense.

He seemed to enjoy it at first, but eventually jumped out of the shopping cart and quit playing along.

We also played beauty shop with Erin tonight...

...Luke insisted on having curlers too.

He took his out after about 10 minutes, but Erin's still sleeping in them. She's going to have beautiful hair tomorrow and no where to go...

It's ANOTHER snow tomorrow!

The Story of a Chair

2011-02-06T18:57:00.002-06:00

When my Grandma died, my Mother inherited all her stuff. Now that my Mom is gone, all that stuff was up for grabs. I was fortunate to be able to get this lovely step-chair, featured on the left side of this photo dating back to 1964.

Update: I just learned from my Uncle Rick that my Grandmother received this as a housewarming present when we was 6 years old in Iowa. It is 58 years old.

This photo was taken in my Grandmother's dining room, but for as long as I could remember this chair was always in the kitchen. It was next to the stove, under the rotary dial wall phone, near where the ladies are standing in the photo.

It doesn't look too bad here, but it definitely needed some work! It was a rusty little devil!

The chair top was nasty and we learned that it wasn't original, because it didn't match the back rest.

As I took it apart, I could hear my Mother yelling at me to stop, "Don't mess up my chair, it's fine just the way it is!"

Mommy's little helper.

Once upon a time, this beauty was yellow. Who would have guessed?

The finished product!

I originally pictured in my mind using a sparkly ruby colored vinyl to fix it up, but I decided to keep it neutral for two reasons. 1. To keep with the original style and 2. I love redecorating when we move, so I need to have it blend in to any decor. The vinyl came from the remnant section at the fabric store and we used chrome spray paint on the chrome and tan paint on the steps and trim. The black tread needed to be replaced, so we (read:Howard) taped it off and sprayed black truck bed liner on it for the rubberized look.

Okay, here's the truth. I took it apart, bought the supplies to fix it up, sanded for about 10 minutes and turned it over to Howard to finish. He did a beautiful job! It's a family gem worth more in memories than in value. Thank you to Ted and my sisters who let me have it. It will be used and loved very much.

Wedding Bells

2011-02-06T11:34:00.002-06:00

On February 5, 2011 our neighbors, Amber and Charles, were married in a beautiful ceremony. And when we say neighbors, Amber lives right next door and Charles owns a house a few doors down. This is a new development so everyone in the neighborhood is new. That's how they met. When we returned from our vacation in April, Amber and Charles were dating. I knew right away that they were right for each other. A few days before Charles proposed, I was bugging him and asking, "when are you going to propose? It's obvious that you're made for each other!" He lied and said he wasn't ready. Howard told me recently the Charles felt so bad for lying to me, but he had to so he could keep it a surprise. No hard feelings, I understand. I love weddings! I seem to cry at all of them now. Even looking at wedding pictures brings tears to my eyes. I'm so happy that we could go and share in their happiness!

Charles is in the Army National Guard and will be leaving for a year very, very soon. :(

Best kiss of all time.

He should have received an award! It's blurry and I was competing with the professional photographer (notice the black line near her veil), but I had to include it!

Mr. & Mrs. Charles Gather

The cutest flower girl ever!

The Pastor was announcing that it was time for us to move into the annex where the reception would immediately follow. the wedding was held in a wedding chapel. It was one of the prettiest places ever! makes me want to get married again (to Howard of course!)

The cake was so pretty and actually tasted decent too! The fondant wasn't too hard, it was perfect.

The wedding didn't start until 7pm, so we were in for a late night with the kids. Luke fell asleep right at 8pm and we eventually laid him under the table on my coat. I picked this picture because Howard didn't know I was taking a picture right then. I think it's funny because we all know he can smile, but he looks like one of those guys that don't.

We curled her hair.

This was Erin's creation, C (heart) A

Right before Amber threw the bouquet, I gave Erin a stern talking to. Last time we went to a reception she bawled her eyes out that she didn't catch the bouquet. I told her she better not cry or she would get in trouble and I told her she probably wouldn't catch it, but an older and taller person might.

I was wrong! Erin caught it! It was so exciting and I was so happy for her. Definitely no tears this time!

Jack was making silly faces to keep us entertained. We didn't know anyone there besides the Bride and Groom, so we chatted it up with an elderly couple we shared a table with. There were a lot of old people there, but they were all really sweet!

Jack and Erin danced with the Bride and Groom for the dollar dance. Once the dance was over, the bride stuck all of the dollar bills in the top of her dress and her husband pretended to pull them out with his teeth. I wish I had a picture, it was too funny!

We had such a wonderful time and were so happy we could go. We almost weren't able to because Luke and Jack weren't feeling well, but we medicated them really well and hoped for the best. I was also very nervous because I knew there wouldn't be a lot of children there and I didn't know how kid friendly it would be. The kids did great! In all I think there were about 7 kids there (and 4 were mine!). The kids were specifically invited, so it's not like I took them because I didn't want to get a sitter.

The only sad moment was during the wedding toast. Amber's mother was given a tribute because she couldn't be there for the wedding. She passed away about 18 months ago due to cancer. My heart ached for Amber last night.

Hopefully we'll have a new baby in the neighborhood in about a year or so. Now that would be great!

Natural

2011-02-04T08:51:00.000-06:00

This is how Luke has been spending his days. He now comes and tells me when he poops or pees in his diaper and he likes to be nude whenever I let him. Sometimes he falls asleep naked and I have to sneak a diaper on him. Unfortunately he doesn't like his potty seat or toilet. I'm not ready for this journey, but I guess it's not up to me. Diapers are SOOOOO much easier...less laundry, less mess. I think I'll be ready this summer when he can play in the backyard naked and I won't have to worry about ruining my carpet. Wish us luck.

Snow Day #2

2011-02-02T20:08:00.002-06:00

It's another snow day...HIP HIP HOORAY! I love snow days! Howard's home too which makes it extra better!

Another pajama day for me, yippy!

It was too cold for Luke to go out and play with the big kids, so he got the next best thing. We brought it inside for him on a baking sheet.

Erin also LOVES snow...to eat!

Howard bundled up and shoveled/salted the driveway before the kids had a chance to pack it down.

Where did my flower bed go?

Since last year's blizzard wasn't normal here, I heeded every one's advice and didn't buy new gloves or boots for the children this year, thinking that we wouldn't get a lot of snow two years in a row. I was wrong. We got really creative. Howie wore my snow boots and Howard's gloves. Erin wore Howie's boots from last year and my gloves, and Jack was able to squeeze into his gear from last year. It was so cold, they were only out for about 25 minutes.

Erin made a small snow fort for little critters. How thoughtful!

Howie's favorite activity was to throw big chunks of snow in the air and punch them into powder.

Sorry that some of the pictures aren't that great, but I wasn't about to go out and get cold. I like my warm house very much!

What to do?

2011-02-01T09:52:00.000-06:00

It's a blizzard...and you know what that means in Oklahoma?

No school + no work = sleeping in!

Snow Ice Cream for a breakfast treat. Yum!

8 cups of freshly fallen snow

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

Mix well, serve immediately

No worries this time, our trampoline is secured to the ground. We bought the tie downs after last year's incident.

Look closely at the street names. "Calm Wind" & "Still Wind". Seriously?! What a joke. Anyone who has ever been to Oklahoma KNOWS that's not happening! The wind here is crazy. I took this picture from my dining room window, this is behind out house.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Spring Fever

2011-01-28T18:45:00.001-06:00

It was 75F today. We had a nice cool breeze to accompany it and after school the kids and I went on a bike ride to the park. Dash tagged along too. He's a quick learner, running next to me as I rode my bike (he was on a leash). The kids had a wonderful time and we were so happy to be blessed with a little heat wave in January. The weather man is calling for snow on Monday.

Erin was posing for all of her pictures and showing off big time. I was afraid she was going to hurt herself or fall. She tends to do that.

Jack was pretending to be in jail. I remember doing that when I was a kid.

Dash was on high alert the whole time. He about had a heart attack when we walked down to the water. There were ducks and geese everywhere.

Luke was showing off his new shoes to a random playground kid. He has been showing them to everyone.

I love the vivid blue in contrast to the orange. It was so pretty today!

Now that they were able to get out of the house and not bother each other, they played so well together. As winter drags on, so does our patience with each other.

I love watching the Canadian Geese fly. They hang around OKC in the winter. They're fun to watch.

Our housing area is on the upper right of this picture, but we are further back. We come fishing (catch & release) here when it's warm.

I love my baby!

Love him too, he's getting so big!

The Happiest Place on Earth

2011-01-25T13:16:00.000-06:00

It just dawned on me that I haven't blogged about our day at Disneyland. While in California we worked very hard going through my Mother's things (and all of her parents/grandparents things). It was wonderful spending so much time with family and going through old pictures and memorabilia, but we took a day to just relax. I've been there a million times, living so close and all, so it brought back a lot of memories of my Mother going there. I was sad on the inside most of the day, but stayed happy on the outside for the children. They had a wonderful time and can't wait to go back.

We went with my sister and her family. It was nice having 4 adults. We were able to go on rides with our spouses that we normally wouldn't be able to do unless the kids were teenagers. Howard and I are so used to parenting without the help of extended family, it was a wonderful treat.

Tea Cups...my old age has lowered my tolerance for spinning rides. I made sure I rode with Luke so I would be in the "slow" cup.

There were hardly any lines that day. We went on a Tuesday, it was awesome! I think back on waiting in line for hours on end in my younger days. No.Thank.You!

My FAVORITE picture all day. Lovin' Luke's fist bumps!

My 2nd Favorite picture. My niece, Nadia, is a couple weeks older than Jack. She is precious!

One of the few pictures of me.

Enjoying Toon Town

In line for Pirates of the Caribbean. I think it's weird that they added Jack Sparrow to it. Now the new generation will think the movie came first...not the ride. What a shame. We tried to make dinner reservations in the restaurant inside the ride, but it was booked. Next time we'll be sure to make reservations when the park opens.

Another favorite.

Don't ask me why Luke is raising his hand, I don't know why.

On our way into Small World. It was well done, but a disappointment for a longtime fan hesitant of change. They changed the song and decorated it for Christmas on the inside. I was surprised and a little sad. (BIL-Levi was kind enough to share a picture...see I'm on the far right.)

Outside of Small World...beautiful lights!

Still Learning

2011-01-24T22:33:00.000-06:00

I finally learned how to add post dividers to my blog. I'm slow at this! Glad to have it done so I can go to bed. Looking forward to adding more recipes to my recipe box and also adding a project page at the top of the blog tomorrow. This is some fun stuff!

Happy Birthday Howie!

2011-01-19T20:46:00.001-06:00

Howie turned 9 years old this morning! Crazy how fast it goes by. Only 9 more and he'll be 18. WOW! We opened presents at 6am (gift cards, and a Wii game aren't good picture moments). Since today was such a normal day, I tried to make it special. I took Burger King to school for Howie and Erin's lunch. Their school has an awesome eating area for parents and children. It's called the "Cub Cafe", since their mascot is the Saber cub. I think Luke and Jack had the most fun eating lunch at school today.

It's Erin's half birthday today...they are exactly 18 months apart to the day.

I love his silly face!

Brotherly love.

Howie requested a white cake for his birthday, but I think white cake is gross, so I suggested Angel Food cake, since it is also white. He happily agreed. I was relieved! At the last minute I googled a frosting for it and whipped it up. It was SOOOOOO amazing! We were literally spooning it into our mouths. Although it's one of those things where you can have too much of a good thing. Several of us got tummy aches (including myself). It's similar to divinity, but slightly different. If you love divinity this frosting is for you, but if you don't like divinity then stear clear of this.

Just in case you didn't know, Howie is 9 years old. Howie insisted that I take this picture. I like it!

Luke ate ALL of his cake, and was saving some for later on his face.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2011-01-15T08:57:00.004-06:00

Janice Marie Simmons was born on January 15, 1951 in Iowa to parents Lorne and Charlotte Simmons. She had an older brother, Rick, who cared for her deeply. At the age of 12 she and her family moved to Riverside, CA to make a fresh start since her parents had divorced and remarried each other. After several years it didn't work out and they divorced a second time.

1951 about 6 months old

1953
With her father and brother.
Jan was a spit fire when she was little. She would stand up to her Dad when he did something that she didn't like.

She once shared with me a funny story...
When she was a little girl she thought black babies were so much luckier than white babies. Black babies got to drink chocolate breast milk, but all the white babies got was plain white breast milk.

Ted's grad night, 1968. High School Sweethearts.

While in high school, Jan worked at Kentucky Fried Chicken.

She also started smoking at the age of 16. She once told me a story about going out in the unofficial smoking area and taking a smoking break with the teachers at Ramona. Times sure have changed!

1969

Senior Class Picture

It snowed in Riverside during her senior year, and she ditched school that day. She said if it ever snowed while we were in school we could skip that day too. It didn't snow again in Riverside for another 40 years...2009. (At least not that I'm aware of.)

1972 Jan with first husband and pregnant with her first daughter Lori.

She was married on Feb 14, 1971.

Jan and Lori, about 1977

Jan and Lisa early 1980

June 21, 1980

Married the boy next door...literally.

She met my father while she was living with her mother after her first divorce and my Dad moved in next door. She moved in with him, had my sister Lisa, got married, and then had me in 1981. She told me that she purposefully waited to marry my father until after she had Lisa to prove that she married my Dad because she wanted to, not because she had to. They divorced in 1985 and we moved next door into Grandma's house until 1987 when she reconnected with her high school sweetheart, Ted. We moved out of Grandma's house and into a rented house with Ted. That same year she became pregnant, but later miscarried. On May 7, 1988 they were married on a mountain top. We were all so happy, Ted was a keeper! That same month we moved into the house she would live in the rest of her life. In December 1988 she had my brother Jody. During this time, she worked for the Riverside County Welfare department, but because they wouldn't give her more than 6 weeks maternity leave, she decided to quit her job and open a home day care business. She successfully operated it in her home for the next 20 years, until she was physically unable to care for the children anymore.

Halloween 1989

She loved listening to oldies music. She would call in to the local radio station (KRTH 101.1) so much that she won several thousand dollars in cash prizes in her life. She was a devoted fan!

Lori's HS graduation, June 1990

Jan is holding her only boy, Jody. She always said that if she would have had a boy first, she would have stopped having babies. She loved Jody very much, but I guess he was a lot harder than her three girls.

early 1990s

Jan is on the left holding Jody, and my beloved Grandma is on the far right. She passed in 1996.

Also pictured is myself, Godmother Linda, and sisters Lisa & Teresa. My mom and Grandma had such a close relationship. They talked every day and were best friends and they always lived in the same zip code...92504. My mother cared for her mother the last months of her life. The last full day they shared together was Mother's day 1996. Grandma passed away the next morning. My mom was by her side, reading to her and loving her on that very special Mother's day.

In late 2002, she was diagnosed with COPD. She finally quite smoking after 35 years, cold turkey. It took its toll on her body and she was forced to wear an oxygen tube for the rest of her life. We were all so proud of her that she was able to beat the addiction. We were blessed to have her for another 8 years.

May 2005

Grandma Jan with Erin and Howie

May 2009, this was our last visit with her alive and active. We were planning on going out in March of this year to visit her, but that obviously got bumped up sooner.

May 2009

Out to dinner in Riverside, CA at her favorite restaurant, Ancho's.

As a child and as an adult, everyone told me how much alike I am with my mom. I look like her and I act like her. Honestly, I didn't like hearing that. I fought it. I wanted to be my own person. As a teenager I found my mom to be quite annoying. Now that I am older and she is gone, all those "annoying" qualities are now endearing. We are both stubborn and it makes me sad that we didn't have a closer relationship. We had a good relationship, but it wasn't as close as she had with her mother, and that saddens me. Now I must move on and work on my relationship with my own daughter. I will cherish the good times I had with her, appreciate her ~~annoying~~ endearing qualities, and not take people in my life for granted. She was a very good woman, but sometimes it was hard for me to see that.

Thank you for allowing me to honor my Mother on her 60th birthday. Every year on her children's birthday she would sing the Happy Birthday song. It didn't matter if we were living in the house or in Japan. She sang it! Now, we will sing to her today to celebrate her life.

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday dear Mom,

Happy birthday to you!

I love you!

Saying Good-Bye

2011-01-10T13:11:00.003-06:00

Make sure your speakers are on.

This was taken from my journal...

My mom passed away last night at 10:59pm on December 29, 2010. She was 59 years old. Her birthday was in two weeks. She was taken off of life support around 10:15pm and slowly faded away peacefully. She was medicated to ease any possible discomfort. Ted and Jody held her right hand, while Lisa and I held her left. Lori would occasionally hold her hand as well, but would frequently caress her foot and leg area, or move up to her head and stroke her hair. Linda also was there by her side touching Mom's hand. We kissed her forehead, gave her gentle hugs, and generally tried to keep close physical contact with her as she slipped away. Her heart was strong, but as the oxygen left her body, she noticeably changed color and lost significant body heat. She went from her pale, but alive self, to an ashen yellow color. Her nail beds turned purple and when we finally were able to let go and walk away, her forehead was cold as we gave her one final kiss goodbye. Her hand was still warm when we left because of our body heat. Howard and I were the last to leave her side, it was very difficult to walk away. In all we had Ted Elliott, Jody Elliott, Lori Rich, Lisa Ozanich, myself, Linda Cayton (her best friend), Tony Elliott (whom I might add, offered up a wonderful prayer that provided much comfort over my Mother.), Howard Parkes, Levi Ozanich, Keith Elliott, and Elena (Jody's girlfriend).

The Funeral

2011-01-10T13:05:00.001-06:00

January 6, 2011 was a beautiful day for a funeral. It was well attended and much easier emotionally for me than the night she passed away. If anyone would like me to email a picture of my mother in her casket, I have them. Out of respect for those wishing to remember her alive, I will not show those publicly.

Her final wishes were to be buried with a satin pillow and a blanket to keep her warm. We honored that.

Lisa, Ted, and Tina. Ted is the best Dad in the world. He married my mom when I was 7.

My 22 year old brother, Jody.

Some of the grand kids. (l-r) Nadia, Jackie, Erin, Howie, Luke (in Howard's arms asleep), and Jack (not shown) is sleeping on the pew next to Howard.

Jody and Lisa

Ted saying his last goodbye.

Closing the casket.

Funeral services were held in the chapel on the same grounds as the cemetery, so we walked behind the hearse. It was very peaceful.

A view of Mt. Baldy in the background.

She was laid to rest next to her mother, Charlotte.

My mother's children.

Lori, Lisa, Jody, and Tina

(It's a bad idea to have two cameras going at the same time!)

During the week prior to her funeral we all cleaned the house and went through many things. I came across a poem that my Mother had written about her Mother. I read it at the funeral.

Mother looks so frail & weak

It's about her health that I speak.

The day will come that she will go

But in the meantime, I worry so.

Her speech is slow and her mind's not quick.

I wish she weren't so very sick.

We want her to stay

For Which we do pray.

As God will decide

And he'll be on her side.

My sister Lori also asked that this scripture be read, and so the Pastor read it for us.

Proverbs 31:10-31

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Missouri Trip - Merry Christmas

2011-01-10T09:32:00.000-06:00

Sorry about the delay, but I'm sure everyone understands!

We spent our Christmas with my sister, Lisa and her family in Missouri. It snowed Christmas Eve and Day. It was wonderful having a white Christmas!

It was rather difficult getting a picture of the kids playing in the snow. They were everywhere.

I think Dash enjoyed the snow the most. He is wearing a little fleece jacket I made him.

I love how his ears flop when he runs fast.

Luke is too precious!

Santa came!

Christmas drive down the road from my sister's house.

Christmas sledding at the local sled hill.

I stayed home with Luke and cleaned up the present mess while everyone else went sledding. Howard was in charge of pictures, but I think he had too much fun and forgot to take more than one picture. We forgot hats and gloves, so that is why Jack is wearing pink gloves. We borrowed from the cousins.

I spoke with my Mom on Christmas day, but she sounded weak. We went home a day early, Monday, which turned out to be a good thing. I also called my Mom and talked for a minute while we drove home. That was the last time I spoke with her. Late Monday night I got the call that she had went into respiratory arrest and was in the hospital. I'll save the rest for another post...

Obituary

2011-01-03T17:56:00.000-06:00

Janice Marie (Simmons) Elliott of Riverside passed away peacefully on December 29th in Riverside, CA at the age of 59 with family and friends at her bedside after a long battle with COPD.

Jan was born on January 15, 1951 in Cherokee, IA. and lived there until the age of twelve when her family relocated to Riverside, CA. She graduated from Ramona High School in 1969. She also attended R.C.C.

Jan worked for several companies, including PacBell and Riverside County Welfare Services before deciding to open her own Home Daycare business, which she operated successfully for over twenty years until her retirement. She was also a homemaker while her children were small. Jan's hobbies and interests included candy making, sewing, crocheting,camping, digital scrapbooking, genealogy, and farmville.

In May 1988 Jan married her high school sweetheart, Ted Elliott and joined families to include 9 children. Jan is survived by her husband, Ted Elliott, daughters Lori Rich of Riverside, Lisa Ozanich of Missouri, Tina Parkes of Oklahoma and son, Jody Elliott of Riverside. She is also survived by her step children, Ted Elliott Jr, Kevin Elliott, Kelly Elliott, Kasey Cohick, and Keith Elliott. Eight grandchildren, Howie, Erin, Conner, Jackie, Nadia, Jackson, Claire, and Lucas. She is also survived by her bother, Richard Simmons of Tennessee; her nephew, Brian Simmons of Riverside; niece, Melissa Kenny of Missouri and her best friend for 29 years, Linda Cayton of Crestline. She is preceded in death by her Father and Mother, Lorne and Charlotte Simmons.

Funeral services will be held on January 6,2011 at 2pm at Pierce Brothers Crestlawn Cemetery 11500 Arlington Ave. Riverside, Ca. 92505. Cemetery info 689-1441. All are welcome to attend. Ted 951-543-7955

Pray

2010-12-28T19:37:00.000-06:00

Just last night we found out that Tina's mom went into respiratory arrest. She has brain damage and is now on a ventilator to breath for her. If she is taken off, she will die. We just got back from Missouri from celebrating Christmas with Tina's sister's family. We are now packed and ready to head off to California to say our last good-byes to Grandma Jan. Lisa and Levi will be meeting us shortly and we will be caravanning there. When we are all in Riverside, then we, as a family, will make the final decision on when to take her off of life support.

We ask for prayers of safety and comfort during this difficult time.

We are grateful for the financial resources and time off of school and work that make this trip possible. And we are especially grateful to know that we have a Savior, Jesus Christ, who can take away all pain. It is very likely that Tina will have lost both parents prior to the New Year.

Hug your parents and children a little tighter and make sure you tell them, I LOVE YOU!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-22T09:33:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas!

It may not seem like I am in the Christmas spirit, for lack of holiday posts, but I do have the spirit!

On the day after Thanksgiving (and after we were done Black Friday shopping) we decorated for Christmas! This is the first time that we've put lights up outside since Howie was a baby. I'm so glad we did. It's so pretty!

Erin usually has the honors of putting up the star (or angel, whichever we use that year).

After many failed attempts on her part, Howard had to step in and finish. We have a new tree this year, so that's why it was difficult.

Howard and I are HUGE fans of live trees, but because of our move to Okinawa we went artificial (one year in Oki, many of our neighbors did NOT have Christmas trees because of shipping problems! So sad!) Anyway, we replaced our pathetic tree last year after Christmas and scored this one for $17!!!! I'm only a fan of skinny trees because we never know how big our house will be from one year to the next, and it takes up less space. Eventually we will have a large tree, but not for many years. We also have a 2ft children's tree for all of their homemade ornaments. It's in the kitchen. Love it!

We will be going to my sister's for Christmas this year and we are so excited to share it with them. It's wonderful being so close to family. 7 hour drive is close!

One Last Christmas

2010-12-20T16:13:00.001-06:00

Grab your Kleenex for this one! This is my favorite "new" Christmas song. Normally I'm old school (Bing Crosby, Perry Como, etc.), but this just pulls at your heart strings.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Flashback Friday

2010-12-17T08:27:00.004-06:00

I saw on another friend's blog her flashback Friday and I thought I would give it a try.

December 2006

Oh how Erin LOVED to play in the rain!

Life

2010-12-08T18:35:00.000-06:00

This is my life...

I have children...

They left their mark in my dining room!

These are just for fun!

We're Stuffed Like a Turkey!

2010-11-26T09:12:00.006-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving. We had a FULL HOUSE! 6 adults and 10 kids! We all fit and still have LOTS of food left over. It was delicious and worth all the time I spent in the kitchen. We were so blessed to have our wonderful friends and family come for a visit (and they were a great clean-up crew!)

Billie

My super helper in the kitchen! Howard and I were married at her home in California. They met on his mission and have been friends ever since.

Lisa - My Sister and BFF

Zach - working on the turkey, he was such a wonderful helper!

The organized chaos...all the adults served the kids and some kids were even done eating by the time we were able to sit down. It was worth the peace and quiet to make sure the kids were happy before we decided to sit down. The kids were surprisingly good...happy day.

Yes, I exist.

I have been cooking for about 2 1/2 days. I love it, but I'm glad the marathon is over.

Jackie - My 6 year old niece.

My favorite picture of the day. She was in a turkey trance chowin' down.

Erin & Ava (good friend, turns 9 on 11/26)

Silly girls!

Deacon - 4 years, one of Jack's BFFs

See food anyone?

Love this picture of Howie (don't judge the iPod).

On the menu-

Brined Turkey

Brown Sugar Ham

Amish White Bread (rolls)

Green Bean Casserole

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Veggie tray

Jello Orange Mousse

Canned Corn

Canned Cranberry Sauce

Pumpkin Roll

Egg Nog Pumpkin Pie

Apple Crisp Pie

Banana Cream Pie

Blue Moon

2010-11-21T18:47:00.001-06:00

It's a Blue Moon tonight!

Took this with my Nikon...doesn't look very blue to me. Ha ha!!!!!

He's HOME!

2010-11-14T09:05:00.002-06:00

Howard's home early! Not really if you count that he was supposed to be home last week, but hey...a day earlier than scheduled is good. I found out Saturday morning that Howard would be coming in at 5:40pm that same night. I didn't tell the kids and told them a big fat lie. I said we needed to "practice" going to the airport so we could see how long it takes to drive there and find the area where Daddy would be coming out on Sunday. I also told them we had to take our signs and ask security if we could have them there. Since there are a million rules at an airport, the kids totally bought the story. We arrived less than 5 minutes before Howard came out (I know...good timing on my part.) I had the kids line up and "practice" holding their signs. That's why the kids are not at all enthusiastic about this picture.

As I was taking pictures, another person came over and whispered in my ear that he was coming. Yeah, I'd say the kids were stunned! They didn't move at first because they didn't know what to think, so I nudged them and told them to run to Daddy. I said, "You won't get arrested, the security people understand!" (This summer we had issues at security when we were waiting for a friend and my kids got the evil eye and a talking to from TSA for crossing over a white line.)

I was so excited to take pictures of the kids, I forgot to run up to him and kiss him. I finally came to my senses and walked up to him and gave him a big kiss. The crowd cheered and clapped! It was kind of like a movie (but with a small crowd). It was sweet seeing strangers cry too. I admit, I've been that person crying when someone else comes home. I was really surprised because Howie cried. It was so sweet! I must be heartless...I didn't cry. It was more of a sense of relief!

Our Happy Family!

Secret Project

2010-11-14T09:04:00.001-06:00

Here's my secret project that I started and finished on Thursday. I'm normally a copycat crafter, but this was all my own idea (although I'm sure you could find it somewhere on the internet).

The letters are cut out from felt and the yellow is 1 package of bias tape. I picked an appropriate font and printed it out on paper. Then I pinned the letters to the felt and cut. Sewed everything together and viola... super easy!

Welcome home in blue.

Happy Birthday on the reverse side in burgundy.

Now I don't have to make a new sign every time Howard comes home. I like having multi-purpose things.

Updated Hair Do

2010-11-04T16:42:00.000-05:00

Here' s a better photo than yesterday's.

I don't look yellow.

Great Music!

2010-11-03T23:21:00.004-05:00

These two are married...so cute! He's her back up singer! Love it!

New Favorite Song (for now)

2010-11-03T22:20:00.001-05:00

New Do & Just Because

2010-11-03T21:55:00.000-05:00

I hate taking pictures at night, but I really wanted to share my new hair cut. I can't wait to make it cute tomorrow. Howie did a decent job on the picture...and I'm super tired...I had a long day with bad news. Howard won't be home next week. :(

Just because he's cute!

P.S. All 5 of us got haircuts today, and I think she did the best job we've ever had done. She's a keeper!

Peek-a-Boo!

2010-11-02T22:18:00.000-05:00

Every day Luke LOVES to play peek-a-boo. It's his FAVORITE game! Sometimes he covers his ears, or his eyes, or hides somewhere. Everyone gets in on the act, "Where's Luke?" we all ask. He loves it when we call for him and "can't" find him. Sometimes he's really good at hiding and I get nervous and search frantically for him. Most times it's really obvious. Just in case you can't find him, he's hiding under his towel behind Jack. Also, Jack was so funny because he thought I was taking pictures of him, but I was really trying to get Luke to peak through the towel.

Peek-a-Boo!

"I'm smiling for the camera!" For real, he was.

Oh no! Where did Luke go?

There he is!

My bathing beauty

Wearing only a towel can get chilly!

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T21:41:00.002-05:00

Today was the children's Primary program. They did great! Howie and Erin had their parts memorized and Howie even sang along to the songs. He usually never does. Erin always does. I wish I could have taken pictures in the chapel, Jack was just too adorable! I love Sunbeams, they're the cutest!

Erin posing in her Halloween dress I made for her.

The neck ended up being a little wide for her, so I'll pay more attention to that next time I sew a dress for her.

I LOVE her boots. She originally was going to be a pirate for Halloween, so I bought her some nice boots to go along with the costume we already had. I love the boots so much, I've ended up buying her, like 4 outfits, just to match the boots!

Trick-or-Treat...Smell My Feet...

2010-10-30T21:54:00.001-05:00

On Saturday night we went trick-or-treating as a family in our neighborhood. About an hour before we left, our whole neighborhood lost power. That was fine, until it got dark. Luckily I had a super powerful military flashlight of Howard's that I was able to use. Probably the last 15 minutes of being out the power finally came on (by that I mean street lights!) We were so glad because we had a Charlie Brown show we intended on watching when we got home.

I made Howie's Grim Reaper costume (super easy, and only 99 cents a yard).

Erin's was recycled from last year (her wishes).

Jack was a dinosaur (surprise surprise).

Luke was Jack's Batman costume from 2 years ago that he never wore because Jack had issues with dressing up when he was 2.

He was so serious the whole night, I don't know what his problem was. And yes, I know he's in desperate need of a hair cut!

Jackasaurus walked the whole time, I'm so proud of him.

Erin got to wear some makeup tonight! I love it when I have an excuse to put makeup on her. Her eye lashes are to die for when she wears mascara!

Howie became very annoying with his scythe! I eventually had to take it away from him; it was driving me nuts!

The Mommy

2010-10-30T15:20:00.001-05:00

I'm feeling a bit vein today and thought I'd post a picture of myself. I do of the kids all the time, why not me? Howie was my photographer, he's doing pretty well!

Our Beautiful Sweet Pea

2010-10-27T16:40:00.003-05:00

Per Howard's request, here is a little sampling of Erin's many faces. She loves the camera! How did I get so lucky to have such a beautiful daughter?

Happy Birthday Jackasaurus

2010-10-26T13:53:00.003-05:00

My dino- child is now 4! He's a crack up and we're so thankful he's in our family! There's never a dull moment when Jack's around. In case you didn't know, he loves anything and everything dinosaur related!

I know this is blurry, but I LOVE his expression in this photo. It's Jack's personality shining through! Later in the day he received a birthday card from my mom in the mail and took all the stickers out that she send and put it on his new scooter. He LOVED the stickers!

Jack also LOVES puzzles, especially dinosaur puzzles. He got started right away. His were small and simple, the large 1000 piece puzzle is what the older kids and I are currently working on. Hopefully it will be done and put away before Howard gets home.

Like his Lego T-Rex? I had to put it together for him. He took it apart later in the evening...an hour of my time crumbled to pieces in a matter of seconds!

He tried to blow his candle out about 4 times, but for some reason he just couldn't do it. Erin eventually did it for him. He's been super sick the past few days and he slept most of his birthday. I felt so bad for him. He posed for the pictures and that's about it. I think he only took one bite of his cake.