it just keeps on creeping up

So, I'm feeling really sad. And old. Really old. I was doing a search on facebook and happened upon some kids with the same (rare) last name as some people I knew when I was a teenager. Turns out that those kids are the kids of the kids I knew! These kids are graduating high school and stuff. Wow. Makes me feel really old. Jenni and I used to always say we would never "be" old. Sometimes I think I operate in the mindset that I'm still college-age. When something happens I wonder who will take care of it or who will take care of me. Ha! I find myself saying things to my own kids like, "When I was your age...." Whoa! I've also caught myself thinking back to what my parents did in certain situations with me...because my kids are in the same situation! Ack! I'm feeling short of breath. My chest feels tight. Oh gosh, I think panic is setting in....I'm old!!!!!

hammer time

All I can think about is my sister and her family coming to visit for Christmas! We haven't been together for Christmas in 4 years! I'm sooooo excited! I'll be playing cards with Nate and Terri, teaching Zach how to walk, oh yeah, and playing with The Brat! Katie is not a brat all the time, but that's my loving, affectionate nickname for her. I'm excited!

an epiphany

I love the name of my blog. It fits me. I forget stuff a lot it seems. Sean and I went to Branson this weekend. I semi-lost our Silver Dollar City tickets. I misplace my ear warmer/headband thingy. I put a small sack inside of a larger sack in trying to create more space and then forgot what I did with the small sack. My friend Jenni would say this is typical of me, I guess. Sean says I do this quite often. I've noticed that my mother does this on a daily basis. Um, I think I misplace stuff in an organized way.

I had a good time with Sean this weekend. We never get a chance to get away except we do take some time away around our anniversary. So, this was pretty neat for us. We played dominoes...which I won 2 out 3 games! He's teaching me well I'd say! We shopped and walked around Silver Dollar City remembering the times we went as kids. I forgot how much Sean makes me laugh. Good times. Good times.

This is me trying to lighten the moment. We just got to the entrance of Silver Dollar City and realized I left the tickets in the van.

We watched the Christmas Carol in SDC...awesome show!

Sean standing up straight in Grandfather's Mansion!

Don't let your small children see this, folks! Don't worry. Frosty was not harmed in any way in the making of this photo. My husband is only pretending.

get-a-way car

Sean and I are headed out of town today for a fun little get-a-way weekend in Branson. I've had this planned as a surprise since October. I did end up telling him a few weeks ago so he could prepare things at work. This is just perfect timing. Sean had a super busy week at work last week. He needs some down time to relax. We haven't had a get-a-way just the two of us since our anniversary. So, we're excited! I'm looking forward to a few days with my bestest friend!

Christmas surprise!

Avalon is in the back on the riser.

At the front of the stage is Natalie Grant, Michael English, Casting Crowns, and Pure Energy.

My husband scored free tickets to the Casting Crowns Christmas concert at the new BOK Arena. What a great line-up: Casting Crowns, Michael English, Pure Energy (?), Avalon, and NATALIE GRANT, and Denver and the Mile High Orchestra! The three hour show was amazing! Natalie sang my favorite Christmas song, O Holy Night. Could it get any better? I don't think so! Everyone performed some traditional Christmas songs, but Casting Crowns and Natalie Grant sang a couple of original Christmas songs. Amazing...simply amazing. They were both very moving. Casting Crowns is deeply involved in World Vision. They talked about sponsoring children. Sean and I picked out a child for our family to sponsor. That's been on my heart for several years. I don't know why I never did anything about it. But, we made a commitment last night. It will be exciting! Here are a few pictures from last night...

Natalie Grant leading Christmas carols in front of John 3:16 Mission.

The whole crew on stage in the opening song.

Natalie Grant singing with Melissa and Jenna from Avalon.

we are the champions, my friend...

Last night was our church Chili Cook Off. Sean and I lead a LIFE Group on Sunday nights in our home. Our group decided to enter together with a Toy Story theme. You can't really see me in this picture. I'm behind the Prospector. I'm the tail end of the slinky dog. We had a lot of fun last night. Mr. Potato Head and I made the chili. It was kind of funny because last week our group had our own chili cook off. Anyone who wanted could bring chili to our group and we would vote on the best one. That would be the chili we would enter in the contest. Well, only Mr. Potato Head and I made chili. Everyone liked them both. So, one guy mixed them together and said we should just mix them and enter. So, we did! Our chili won 3rd place! Our group won 1st Place for Best Decoration! Sean and I got a lot of teasing and laughs being the slinky dog, but we had fun making our costume together.

Here's a picture of our prizes! A $10 Wal-Mart gift card for 3rd Place Chili. A $25 Wal-Mart gift card and a soap apron for Best Theme/Decoration! Awesome!

This is Sean and I in our interpretation of the Slinky Dog. I do have a little curly tail, but it's hard to see. That Buzz Lightyear doll is mine. Just so you know.

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I'm such a goof when it comes to giving gifts or surprise. I like to give things, and I can never wait. I like watching the person receive the gift and their reaction and all. Well, I wanted to surprise Sean this year by getting him an amp for Christmas. He's been looking and asking for one for over a year. So, I did. I got him a crazy, loud amp. Sean said it would melt concrete blocks. It's a Vox Valvetronic 100VT something or other. It has 2 speakers and is 100 watts. Pretty powerful. I couldn't stand it any longer. I forwarded him the email receipt last night. He didn't even believe me at first! He's pretty excited about it though. I had to order it, and it should arrive sometime next week. He kept saying, "Babe, I can't believe you bought me an amp." And I said, "I know. I can't believe I bought you an amp that you can't play at home."

Here's to an awesome night tonight! Sean and I have been trying to squeeze time in for each other here and there over the past couple of weeks. Tonight we have no other plans. So, here's to date night with my Sean!

you are in control

When all around me is uncertain
It's Your arms that hold me close
When I am frightened by the unexpected
I'll remember that You're in control

When my faith is weak and hope seems lost
I know You're love won't let me go
When I feel undone and lost in despair
I'll remember that You're in control

You are faithful
You are sovereign
You are in control
You are mighty
You are loving
You are in control

When my spirit's restless, I'll trust in Your promise
You'll fill my heart with Your peace
When those dark days come, I won't give up or back down
I'll remember that You're in control

You are faithful
You are sovereign
You are in control
You are mighty
You are loving
You are in control

You, God
You hold everything
You, God
You hold everything

i never would have thought

I'm procrastinating. I should be cleaning my room. It's cold and rainy outside. I just want to sit on the loveseat by my front window with a book and a cup of hot chocolate. And I don't quit thinking about it then my room will never get clean!

I went to a girls' convention this weekend. It was really, really amazing. There was so much hard work put into it. I was super impressed. I was asked to teach a breakout workshop. I talked about worship and music. It was a real learning experience for me. At one point I was encouraging one girl in particular to write songs and share them. I kind of stood back and listened to myself...I was thinking, "Tonya, you really need to listen to yourself." I just had one of those moments where I was challenging myself and didn't realize it until later. I've written several songs. Over the last several years, I just stopped though. I don't know why. Maybe getting married, family,...or maybe fear. Whatever the reason, I'm really trying to get back to myself, get back to my gifts. I wrote a song a week ago. I'm still polishing it up. I don't know how God wants to use me through music. But, I'm trying to find out. All of a sudden, I'm also teaching two girls piano. I've been spending a couple hours a week working on my piano skills and working with my voice...trying to stretch my range and get it back to where it was several years ago. So, this is all kind of new. Not really overwhelming...but I'm just going into all this very interested and watchful of what God wants to do and how He would want to use me.

We had a really, really good LIFE Group last night. I truly enjoyed it. The video we watched was good. The discussion we had was good. The people there are amazing! I don't know if anyone from my church reads my blog, so I have to be careful saying this...we had a lot of fun talking about our theme for our church's chili cook off coming up this weekend. I like it when people are laughing. It means they're not sad. It's fun to laugh with others. We did a lot of laughing last night. Good times. Good times.

Back to the girls' convention. I won a dance contest. All the leaders had to go up and do this Zombie Dance. I had been wanting a free t-shirt. They were giving all kinds of stuff away all weekend. I hadn't won anything. So, I decided this was my chance. And you know, in a dance contest...it doesn't matter if you're good. The one who is the goofiest and the craziest always wins. So, I had to do what I had to do. I got crazy. BUT, I got my free shirt, a Starbucks tumbler, and a poster! Woot! Woot!

long time coming...

I've been putting off posting. So much has happened in the last several weeks. Both of my grandpa's did pass away within about a week of each other. There has just been a lot of family stuff happening. Things are starting to get back to a routine pace.

The truth is I've just been lazy. The first three weeks of October were crazy and stressful, so I just took last week off. I took a break from doing anything. But now, the break is over, and it's time to get busy. Get busy with all the little things! Finish my sewing projects. Begin making Christmas cards. Finish replacing all the things I lost when I lost my wallet. The tedious, boring things need to be done!

I did make a pumpkin pie last week! My first time to try my mom's famous pumpkin pie! It turned out okay. It would have been awesome had I used traditional pie crust. I used graham cracker crust. Woot for me going out on a limb while baking!

My youngest son, Aaron, went to Washington D.C. last week on a school trip. Every year the school takes the 8th grade class to Washington D.C. Aaron had a blast. He finally called the day before he came home to let us know he was okay. So independent!

Because of all the family situations happening, my sister came to visit. I got snap a few pictures of my niece and nephew! They are both growing up so fast! Here's a couple pics, so I can share their cuteness!

one thing after another

It all started a couple of weeks ago...

My mom was scheduled to have shockwave therapy to break up a kidney stone. Before the procedure was started, an infection was found. She couldn't undergo the procedure with an infection, so now she will hopefully go in next week and have it done.

A few days after that, my grandpa, Kelly (dad's step dad), was admitted into the hospital. He has a lung disease and a few other complications. He began declining quickly. We went to visit him last Wednesday. He made a turn around on Thursday but has since declined and continues to get worse.

That same day my other grandpa, Jim (mom's dad), was taken to the hospital for a possible heart attack/stroke. He was taken to the VA hospital in Muskogee and then transported to Tulsa. While he was in the hospital, his house caught fire and burnt down. It's a total loss. I spent the day Thursday with my grandma at the hospital. Needless to say, my grandparents did not take the news well. They have lived in that house for 32 years. Everything they had is now gone, and they did not have insurance on the home. My grandpa was released on Saturday to go home. Today he went back to Muskogee for a follow-up and was admitted. He has some internal bleeding.

It's been a crazy time for my family, and I'm not sure when things will settle down. Hopefully...soon.

new direction

Along with scrapbooking and sewing and quilting, I have decided to take up a new hobby: charcoal/chalk drawing. I've always been interested in it. I think it's finally time to try it. I've been doing some research on what type of paper and pencils and things to buy. I've found some good sources on the internet. So, hopefully soon I will be able to post some of my pieces on my blog. I think it will be really fun. It seems like you can do so much more with chalk & charcoals. You can blend colors easier. You can practice more shading techniques than strokes or actual drawing. It also seems like chalk & charcoal art is more abstract. I did see some pieces, however, that looked just like someone had taken a picture with a camera! Maybe I'll be that good someday. I'm thinking I'm heading towards the more abstract works for my art. Stay tuned for the unveiling of my first piece...

just another manic monday...

and I guess I will be doing laundry to try and fulfill my boredom. I try not to be bored with the kids in school, but I can't help it. Who wants to clean and do laundry on their day off? Not me! Sara said I should be having coffee and lunch with friends and getting pedis/manis! Come on over, Sara! I do like having time to myself. It helps calm me down when I can have time for myself. I'm just as scatterbrained as ever but in a calmer way. Ha! We're all still adjusting to the kids being in school. I don't want to go back to homeschooling, but I just haven't quite figured out what to do yet on my days at home. Yes, I have a million things I could be doing...the dryer keeps buzzing at me this morning, reminding me I have already started laundry. I could be sleeping, clipping coupons, organizing closets, cleaning the showers, working on my quilting project, etc. All of it just seems silly. So, I guess I will just be doing laundry today until I think of something better to do. I am going to try and make an apple pie today. Woot for cooking!

randomness

band-aids. why do we really use them? if they were meant to protect our owies, then why do they hurt when taken off? how come most of them are small? why is there a standard size of band-aid, like everyone has the same size owie? why do they come in different colors? clear to hide our owies...bright, bold colors to show off our owies. and what about ace bandage wraps?

lost and found

So, I am always careful. Extremely, I would say when it comes to my wallet. I know where it is at all times. I could lose my keys and not bat an eye. No problem to replace those. But a wallet? My life is contained in my wallet. My proof of existence is in my wallet. It's not only about my existence and stuff, but about the church credit card I carry. It's about the missionary's credit and debit card I carry. I'm responsible for their money as well as my own!

Friday night, Sean and I were at the movies. Before the movie started, we got some quarters and were playing each other on this hunting game. Sean easily beat me! I think I got like 3 shots out of a million. I kept accidentally shooting the cows instead of the deer. Anyway, the movie was starting and so the remaining quarters went in my pocket. We found our seats, but I had to make a trip to the restroom. When I got back, I took the quarters out of my pocket and put them in the zippered pocket of my wallet.

Now, I don't know if the wallet ever made it back in my purse or if I set it in the seat...or did I put it in the cardboard box holder our popcorn was in. I left the movie because I just couldn't finish watching it. Sean stayed, but in the middle of the movie, he carries my purse out with him to the restroom. He sees me in the hall and hands me my purse. I zip it up and set it next to me on the bench. We go home and my purse sits on the dining table all night. The kids and I left after lunch to go run errands. I get to the ATM and can't find my wallet! It's not in my purse. As I drive back home to get it, I feel the panic rise...I remember the night before.

Everything is gone. I went back to the theater to look around. No wallet. I asked if I could look through the trash, but it had already been compacted. I was going to go back today and they would open the compactor. Aha! The trash company made a surprise trash pick up on Saturday morning. So, the wallet is gone.

It's gone. Dang.

ugh

I just wish it was Friday. That's all.

what a day

Well, nothing new to report. It's Labor Day. Mondays are always my day off though. The kids didn't have school today though, so I got to sleep in until 8:30!! Whoopeee! I love it! So, I'm looking forward to this day...just being lazy and enjoying it. I do have to do laundry...but I have a new washer and dryer so that makes it more fun! Nothing fun to update for today, and my dryer just buzzed (my dryer has a buzzer!), so I need to go fold laundry!

Chris Tomlin

Sean and I had the awesome privilege of going to the Chris Tomlin concert last night. This was a concert like no other. There were only 300 tickets available. The tickets were rather pricey, but 100% of all sales went directly to John 3:16 Mission. That's where my husband works. Over $8,000 was raised last night! Chris Tomlin is amazing! He didn't even have his full band. Two guitars and a keyboard. We filled the Cain's Ballroom with amazing worship. When Chris came out, of course everyone clapped, but we all just began worshipping. That's the kind of presence about Chris Tomlin. He told so many stories about his new album. Everyone at the concert got his new CD for free! It doesn't even come out in stores until next week! The songs and the messages behind the songs...you just can't even imagine. Seriously. Most everyone there was in tears as he shared the story behind "God of This City," and "Love." He closed with "How Great is Our God," and he sang the chorus in a couple different languages. To think that he is leading people all over the country in that song in their native tongue gave me chills. No matter what language we sing in, God is still being glorified and worshiped.

One thing he said I can't get out of my mind. When he was talking about "God of This City," he was sharing how the band that wrote the song (Bluetree) came to write it. They were in Thailand in a brothel. A true brothel. The band was walking the streets in a city in Thailand known for its darkness and coldness spiritually. A bar owner sees them on the street and asks them to play in his bar. The band says yes. When they realize it's a brothel, they begin playing and singing anyway...worship songs. All the while they are singing, the people in the brothel are doing what people in brothel's do. Chris says there's a video of it on myspace. The lead singer in the band just began singing from his heart, and thus became the song, "God of This City." Just thinking about that song in the context it was written...wow. Singing that over a city of sin and darkness. Awesome! But one thing Chris said was, "Thank God the guys weren't 'too Christian' to not play at that bar." I don't know if he was saying that tongue-in-cheek or seriously or what. But it caught my attention. That's all I could think of for the rest of the concert.

Chris's whole message last night was about love. Basically what he was saying and sharing was, "What are we doing about the Gospel? What are we doing about hurting people in the world? What are we DOING?" That reminded me of two weeks ago when I saw those JW's on bikes. They're doing something. J316 is doing something. What am I doing? What am I physically doing to show love to others? Sadly, the only answer I can come up with is nothing. There are many opportunities and needs all around me. I was challenged last night to find a need and do something.

well...

the kids are at school. the house is fairly clean and picked up. most of the laundry is done. i've read more of my books. played the piano. taken a nap. i've already checked my email 1,576 times and looked at facebook. i'm bored.

5 (FIVE) V

No matter how you write it, I've been Pastor John's assistant for 5 years today. I'm surprised he hasn't let me go! I remember the day he called and asked me to come and work for him. I was actually out job hunting and missed his call because I was in an interview. I went home for lunch and checked my messages. I've been trying to figure out my job ever since! The church hadn't even had an Administrative Assistant until John hired me. I love being involved at the church in this way. I enjoy helping the people. And there are those days where I just want to bang my head on my desk!

I don't know if I could work for anyone else after working for John and Kathy. They're really great. They have done so much to help me. Not just me, but my family too! They really do care about me. I have fun with them. I've watched them through a lot of things at the church. They are genuine, loving people. They embrace everyone with the love of Christ. Working as close as I do with them, all of our quirks have come out (I think they tend to overlook mine because they never say anything! So nice!). In looking back, I can't remember any bad times at work. I've learned a lot from being around them. I really feel like we're family. We really have a special friendship. I'm really glad for that. They are amazing, and I'm glad I get to serve Christ with them. I don't want to be anywhere else.

the big picture

I went home for lunch today, and on my way back to work, I saw the familiar pair of guys in matching pants, shirts and ties on bikes...talking to a guy they were passing on the sidewalk. That got me to thinking. Those Mormons might just know a thing or two. They have a plan to get their message out to people. What are fundamental Christians doing about sharing the Gospel? I know we have missionaries and various ministries. I have to admire the Mormons and the Jehovah's Witnesses (JW's). They are focused and determined. They have a plan...not only for other countries, but for right here in the Land of the Free!

It's crazy. What kind of plan do I have for sharing Christ? I get so focused and consumed with what is right before me that I fail to keep my mind on the bigger picture, that being that it's all about Christ and His Kingdom. I go about my day being so selfish. Some days I don't even leave the house. I know there should be balance and blah, blah, blah.

My cultish friends challenge me. Those Mormons and JW's are hardworkers. I want to be a hardworker for Christ. I need an open heart and open mind to see the big picture. I want to be Kingdom-minded. While everything should be covered in prayer, I've got to get up and do something about it. Lots of times we get moved and stirred in our hearts, and then what? That's it. We are just moved. We are never moved to action because we're lazy.

I'm making a plan of action. It's not about me. It's about Him. I want to be about Him and making Him known to others, the others right here around me.

on my own

I'm on my own this week. Sean is gone to New Mexico on a men's retreat. Unfortunately for me, he is with my sister and her family in the mountains! He promised to play with Katie for me and take some pictures though. I've been catching up on laundry and rearranging furniture. I've gotten a lot done just in a few days. Things are starting to fall back into place. The kids are in their first full week of school. We have no more travel plans for a while. We can get used to a routine now! Our summer was so chaotic. It was good, but just really busy. It's weird with the kids being gone all day. It's going to take some getting used to. I'm finding things to do while they're at school. It's just weird having some time to myself.

Girls' Night

Sean and I have had this fun weekend planned with our kids since April! Sean wanted to take the boys camping. Holly and I had a fun weekend planned of shopping, makeup and movies. We rented Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants because we were planning on seeing the sequel at the theater. We shopped and shopped but didn't find any good deals. We had manicures done. That was fun. This picture was taken at PF Chang, where we ate dinner. Holly had never eaten there. She really liked it. I had a really good time with her. We've never really done anything like that just the two of us. We did make a memory at the movies. I was stuck with the car for the weekend since Sean took the van to haul the boys and all their camping equipment. So, I drive up and find a parking space at the movies. We went to a matinee so not many cars were in the lot. We went and ate lunch and saw the movie. We were away from the car for a couple of hours. As we were leaving, the car started making a funny noise. I jump out and look at all the tires thinking one might be flat. No flat tire. I pull forward again, and the same noise happens. Holly jumps out and looks under the car. She says, "Uh, Tonya, there is a tire under the car." I was like, "WHAT?! A TIRE?!" I jump out and look under the car. Sure enough, there is a small tire under my car! I have no idea how that happened! You would think I would remember driving over a tire! Seriously! So, I lay on the ground and try to pull it out, but it's stuck. Putting the car in drive or reverse only drags the tire. The only thing that will work is to jack the car up and pull the tire out. I get the spare tire jack and decide this is a lesson for Holly. I make her lay on the ground with me and show her where to position the jack and how to turn the handle to raise the jack. As I'm showing her, I see this man walk up out of the corner of my eye. He's giving me this weird look. You know. An onlooker. This was an onlooker in awe. He says, "Everything okay? You need some help?" I say, "Oh yeah, we're good. There's just a tire stuck under my car. No problem though. Thanks!" While I'm still trying to get the car raised up high enough to get the tire out, Holly says the guy and his wife are now watching. I pull the tire out and throw it over in some grass. The guy comes back over and says, "Wow, there really was a tire!" Duh! I told you there was! So, that was our fun times. True story.

It's official!

It's official. We are no longer a homeschool family. Today was the first day of school for my kids at Wright Christian Academy. They were totally excited. I was excited for them, yet a little sad at the same time. I mean, really, we've been together every day for the last four years. So, I think a little sadness was permissable. I did cry after I dropped them off. Really I am excited for them. It's a great school. I know they will do great and make lots of great friends. I guess I would have felt a little better if the kids had at least acted like they were going to miss me! But oh well. We've been planning on this and getting this in our heads since March. So, we all knew it was coming. It just didn't really hit me until last night and this morning when they all got out of the van. It almost felt like their first day of kindergarten! I had Sonic drinks waiting for them when I picked them up this afternoon. They thought that was a nice treat. They were all full of stories about their classes and teachers. They loved every thing! They already even have lots of friends. Their closest friends go to our church, and now they go to school together. That's pretty cool. We're even carpooling. How crazy is that? I didn't know carpooling was even in my vocabulary. I'm still on the search for a few more school supplies. And ties. The boys have to wear ties on chapel days. They have chapel every Wednesday. Holly has to wear a skirt, but we already bought a couple. So, this weekend, I will be shopping for ties. The boys are even excited about wearing ties! It's going to be a great year!

On the way to school this morning, I was giving the Motherly First Day of School Address. Devon (the one in red) always has trouble remembering to zip his fly. No matter what. It seems like his fly is always unzipped! I even threatened to make him go without pants if I have to keep telling him to zip them! I guess that's bad parenting. Because I haven't actually had the nerve to make him do that yet. I don't want to get arrested or anything. Anyway, as we were walking out the door this morning, of course, Devon's fly is wide open! So, as he was getting out of the van, I said, "Devon, every time you leave the bathroom, make sure your fly is zipped!" That got me to thinking. I'm going to start a quote book of things said or overheard on the way to/from school this year. It will be even more fun when we carpool with the Hilton's next week. So, I will be posting random quotes from the quote book.

It's going to be a great year!

good-byes

Sean, the kids and I went to Langley yesterday to spend a little time with my cousin, Bo. He's leaving today for San Antonio. He joined the Air Force. He seems really excited about it. I'm glad! I'm really proud of him. I think he will do great. It's really sad to see him go. As soon as he's completed basic training, he's off to a tech school assignment. My sister and I grew up with Meghan and Bo. They actually did live with us for a while...they were over at our house all the time. They are both just like my little brother and sister. Meghan just got married, and now Bo is leaving for Air Force. I can't wait to hear from Bo after he gets settled. I'm feeling just a little emotional today, I guess. I love my family! It's hard when you're really close to your family. My sister and I really close. I'm glad that she and Nate are doing what they love, but I'm really getting tired of them living so far away! Zach and Katie really need their aunt Tonya! Just a few months until I see them all again though. Hopefully, I'll see Bo around the holidays. You really should always make sure the people you care about most know that you care about them.

fired

my family is probably going to fire me if I don't get our house back in order. I need to do laundry. I'm in the middle of rearranging furniture and throwing stuff out we don't need. It's pretty much a mess, and I have little time to work on it. if they do fire me, I hope I get to keep my pac-man game.

the wedding

We made it through the wedding weekend! Terri and Meg and I got to spend a few nights together. We kidnapped Meghan and brought her to mom and dad's house. We stayed up late watching movies and eating chocolate and popcorn and talking. It was a beautiful wedding and of course, Meghan was beautiful!

This is me, Meghan, Bo and Terri. Meghan and Bo are brother and sister. Bo was Meghan's Martin of Honor. That's what a male Maid of Honor is called.


Sean was an usher for the wedding. That is a picture of my Carrie Underwood hair. I loved the hair, but the makeup was a bit much. Meghan, Holly and I went to have our hair and makeup done for the wedding. Oh, and Katie went with us too.


Here are the girls!


The "sisters"!

Meghan and Bo!

It was a crazy weekend, but we all had fun. Meghan had a great day, and that's all that mattered! It was good to spend some time with Bo, too. He's leaving in a week to go to Texas. He's joined the Air Force. I'm so proud of both of them.

need more Katie!

There has been a lot going on over the last month! Holy moly! I think things may finally be slowing down a bit. My sister and her two kids went back to New Mexico about a week ago. It was awesome having them here for a couple of weeks! I really miss them!!! I had a lot of fun with Katie and Zach. Terri and I didn't get to spend as much time together as we normally do, but we had a lot going on...the kids and the wedding! Katie is really growing up. She is communicating better and completely ornery! She's crazy! But I love every minute with her!

This is me with my niece and nephew, Katie and Zach. They are beautiful and fun and crazy...and I miss them!

This is Katie playing on the back porch at my mom and dad's. She thought it would be funny to play in dad's watering bucket. Then she kept ducking down so I couldn't take her picture.

This is Katie eating cake at the wedding. Did I mention what a nut this kid is?

This is Katie getting her hair done for the wedding.

the wonderful world of katie

This is my niece, Kaitlyn. She's pretty much amazing. My whole family went to the Tulsa Zoo last Saturday. Sean's company picnic was there at the Zoo. We walked around so Katie could explore all the animals. I had fun just watching her. Monday night, the kids and I went up to my mom's to spend the evening with my family. Katie wanted me to race her all over mom and dad's backyard. So, I did. She's a nut. Terri is leaving in a few days. I'm going to miss them a lot. I'll just have to hope Christmas comes soon! They are coming back to Oklahoma for Christmas.

In the meantime...Meghan is getting married on Friday. It's here. After all this time! I decided to take Holly to get our hair and makeup done on Friday morning. That should be fun! Tonight and tomorrow, we will be decorating the church! Wow! Busy times ahead!

whoa

I dropped some pudding on my computer keyboard. It still works though. I thought this was pretty blogworthy news.

New Mexico

This is just one of the reasons I love going to visit my sister in New Mexico! This is a picture of Hermit's Peak...which I have climbed! The mountains are beautiful no matter what time of year you go. I must admit I'm falling more in love with that place each time I visit. I don't know if I could ever live there, but it is getting tempting. I didn't even fight altitude sickness this time!

The kids and I went to visit my sister this past weekend. She was coming out to Oklahoma for a family wedding and needed help driving out with the kids. My kids wanted to go out and visit before they start school...so, everything just clicked! My mom came along...she never passes up a chance to see the grandbabies! We had a good time out there. I enjoyed playing with my niece and nephew, hiking, playing cards with my sister, thinking time while I drove. It was pretty cool.

I did have quite a bit of time to think. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing! I've come to realize more and more that the old saying is true...sometimes what we want most is the very thing we're afraid of actually having. Freedom is something I've wanted for a little over 2 years now. I'm finding it. I couldn't get a hold of it for a while because I was afraid of it. I'm talking about emotional and spiritual freedom. I can just see now that I as I give up control and give more of myself over to the Lord, well, the more free I am, the less inhibited I am. I wonder why I don't ever go after more things I'm afraid of.

For Life

I've started the Body For Life challenge. I've completed two days now. Wow. Two whole days. I have 82 left! I'm determined to finish. It's a little difficult, but I sure feel a lot better about what I'm eating and how I'm taking care of myself. I'll keep updating from week to week. I want to document my progress.

a wedding shower

My cousin, Meghan, is getting married next month. My cousin, Jennifer, and our mothers and I threw her a shower last weekend. We decided on a luau theme as you can tell. It was pretty fun!


This is the food area. Jennifer put together all the food stuff. She's good!


These are my cousins. Meghan and Kyle (Bo). They are brother and sister. They're pretty much like my brother and sister. Bo leaves in August for the Air Force. I'm sad he's moving, but I'm really proud of him.


Meghan and Jason (the groom) open their presents!

The wedding is getting closer and closer! I can't believe Meg is getting married! The shower was fun, and it was fun to do it for her.

a post full of pics!

I just wanted to share a few pics today just to show what we've been doing lately...

I took the kids swimming last week. Holly is on the left, and Aaron is on the right. The girl in the middle, Macrae, is Holly's friend. Notice that Devon isn't in the picture...he likes to play by himself. We always "pool-sit" for some friends when they are out of town. That's the perks of having friends with a pool!

This is my husband. We took this at the river. He's working on an assignment for his school. I joined him for this assignment. He took his guitar (note the strap across his back), and we sang "God of This City" and prayed over Tulsa and its leaders. It was a neat experience. We took the picture to send to his professor. We also slapped lots of mosquitoes!

Sean and I went to watch the WCL Championships last weekend. We saw the WCL in February when it came to Tulsa. It's a mixed martial arts fighting league founded by Chuck Norris. Seriously. The guy in the middle of this picture in black, bending over, that is ol Chuck. He was there. It was pretty cool. We saw an actual knock-out! This guy was out cold! After Sean reassured me the guy wouldn't have any brain damage, I was fine...I wanted to see another one! When the guy fell, his head bounced off the mat! Whoa!

memories

It's strange. Memories are almost always tied to an object. Sometimes memories are tied to a person or words or even a place. I visited my home church tonight. It's no longer the building I knew growing up. Well, it's still the same structure and in the same location, but the whole inside has been completely restructured. The pews are gone. The classrooms are gone. Even the bathrooms were moved. I was baptized in that building. The baptistry has a leak in it. So, I was one of the last few to actually be baptized in it. I even taught Sunday School in a few of those old classrooms. It's just a building. Sean and I drove into the parking lot, and I tried so hard to hold back the tears. The old building that was the fellowship hall, actually the original church, and where we had youth service is now gone. The doors to the church have even been replaced. The building is so sentimental to me. I kept telling myself, "It's silly to cry over this!" But the building reminds me of so many important people and times in my life. It's hard to get used to the change.

join the quorum

Well, I've had blogs before. I like blogging. Sometimes I don't even mind if people read what I blog about. It's not so bad sharing your life! I got away from my other blogs and that silly xanga. I've decided I need to start blogging again. I need to start a record of my journey...record the things I learn. I like having something to go back and remember. I may need a good laugh one day! So, here I am getting started. Awesome.



Sean and I just got back from Foursquare convention. I've always wanted to go to convention. It was everything I expected. I got to visit with some people I hadn't seen in a while. The sessions were great. I was really challenged by the word these people spoke. Sean and I are in full-time ministry. That's our desire. We get tired of doing stuff, sure. One of the speakers called for people to receive prayer that were contemplating quitting the ministry. There were so many people that went to receive prayer. I just sat there with my mouth open. I was challenged by their boldness. By stepping out, all their peers and colleagues knew what was really in their heart. I was challenged by their honesty. It's okay to be honest and open. It's okay to ask for help. I think somewhere along the way growing up in church we were silently taught that Christians don't have problems. If they do, then something is wrong! We all have struggles. We all have problems. We all have things to work through and overcome. Christian is a term that describes us in that we know where to find help and freedom. It doesn't leave us exempt from life. Several of us at convention kept talking about this most of the week. The church just doesn't teach new Christians well. We lead someone to the Lord and then lead them to believe all their problems will go away. No one is real with them.



We have to be real and honest with people. We just have to learn and teach how to overcome hangups and struggles. We have to learn and develop our prayer with the Lord. People need to be taught better in the church. I haven't come up with a practical solution yet. Sean and I are working on that. Sean is getting me fired up about this. He's really passionate about teaching these kinds of things.



Here's a few pics from convention:

This is me by the welcome sign in the rotunda of the hotel. We stayed at the Hilton-Americas in Houston. It was pretty fancy. No one left mints on our pillows though.

This is me with the Samples. They used to pastor my homechurch when I was very small...like 6-8 years old or something. I was young. Mary used to teach the children's church. I remember her teaching us songs. It was pretty cool to see them.

This is Sean and I on the airplane. We were waiting for the plane to take off! We taxied out to the runway and sat for an hour. They had to fix some mechanical problem. Then because of a storm we got re-routed to Houston. The plane didn't have enough fuel for the new route, so we had to go back to the terminal for more fuel. So our flight that should have taken a little over an hour really took about 2 1/2 hours. No problem though...Sean and I just read and talked.