So, I am at my first NBA game tonight! Pretty fun stuff. I've been to some exciting college basketball games before, but not an NBA event like this!

I'm in OKC watching the Thunder lose to the Utah Jazz. Nevertheless, it's still fun to watch. There are lots of people dressed up since it's Halloween night.

Hope the Thunder can turn this game around!
Sent on the Now Network� from my Sprint® BlackBerry

a personal vacation

One day towards the end of September, I woke up and decided I wanted to go visit my sister and her family. I gave my work about two weeks' notice that I would be gone. Set up getting a free ride with my parents who happened to be driving that way....and I went! I spent 10 days in the mountains in New Mexico, and I wish I could already go back! It was beautiful!

We went to the International Balloon Fiesta, visited a pumpkin patch, took my niece to pre-school, played and played, painted pumpkins, went hiking, picked raspberries....it was an awesome, relaxing time!

Nate, Terri and I are painting our pumpkins.

The kids and I are resting from picking raspberries.



Katie loved taking pictures with my camera!

Here I am at pre-school with Kaitlyn. (Katie is on the left)

Katie, Terri, Dad and me at the Balloon Fiesta....we were waiting for the night glow and fireworks.

Terri, Kaitlyn and me on the hayride to the pumpkin patch.

Sisters!

(and the pumpkin rolled over to the side of the picture is courtesy of my nephew, Zach)

Terri and I racing Nate on pedal carts at the pumpkin patch. Sadly, Nate won. It is hard to pedal one of those cart things in that kind of altitude. I took 3rd place.

Katie, Zach and I posed for a picture at the entrance to the pumpkin patch. And I am telling Zach we cannot roll the pumpkins off the hay and watch them bust open on the ground. Although it would have been fun.

And here I am at the balloon fiesta with this fine storm trooper...who actually talked and was bossing people around. Kind of a weird experience.

My sweetie niece, Kaitlyn

It was a fun, fun trip! I took off and left Sean and the kids at home. My first time to get away like that. It was awesome to just relax and not have to worry about anything. A time of good, good rest that I needed. Can't wait to do it again!

inspired by Fergie

I've been working on my fitness. And I've lost a total of 10 pounds over the last month. I'm pretty proud. I'm even more proud that I can wear clothes I haven't been able to wear in a while. And I will keep going.

it's magic, magic, magic

Just an update of sorts. No big news. In other news, my boys are attending Catoosa schools this year. Aaron is playing football. Devon is focusing on his grades. They started classes on Wednesday. So far, so good. We'll see what this year holds.

Holly starts her senior year on Thursday. I can't believe she is a senior. We are planning her senior pictures. She is playing volleyball this fall. Lots of stuff going on with her! Can't believe this is her last year of high school!

In other news, I have only been fishing one time this summer. I didn't catch anything.

In more exciting news, I haven't read any novels this summer. I guess I need to work on that!

And to top it all off...in just a few weeks, Sean and I will celebrate our unofficial anniversary of being together 8 years. I can hardly believe it. 8 years. Holy fire.

And in other news, more news to come!

The "eyes" have it!

The eye is the jewel of the body. (Henry David Thoreau)



You never know how you look through other people's eyes. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)



It is better to trust the eyes than the ears. (German proverb)



The eyes are the mirror of the soul. (Yiddish proverb)



Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts. Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust. (Proverbs 4:23 Msg)



Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have! (Matthew 6:22 Msg)

It's interesting what you can see in someone's eyes. Most of us can tell by looking at someone's eyes whether they are happy, sad, angry, or confused. But an Iridologist can see much more! According to Wikipedia, an Iridologist is "an alternative medicine technique whose proponents believe that patterns, colors, and other characteristics of the iris can be examined to determine information about a patient's systemic health."

I've been dealing with one issue specifically but have been too fearful to go to the doctor for treatment. So, my boss suggested I go see Phyllis. Phyllis. My boss tells me she looks in people's eyes and addresses any health concerns she sees. Just by looking at your eyes. I'm thinking my boss is a wacko. And I can just see him dropping me off at her house and getting locked in her basement. But I was wrong. It wasn't quite that creepy. My boss had suggested me seeing Phyllis several times. Last week I finally gave in. What could it hurt?

I just have a huge hang up about someone staring into my eyes. What will people see? Will she cast a spell on me? Will she see more than just physical issues? Will she see my hang ups? Will she wonder why I haven't waxed my eyebrows or mustache?

But I went. Phyllis looked in my eyes. Wrote down several things. Two pages front and back actually. And the crazy thing is that the health concerns she had were things I really have trouble with. How could she see all that in my eyes? And she only looked for less than 5 minutes!

She does this eye-looking in a health supply/vitamin store. She suggests certain vitamins and supplements to take to help with whatever concerns she writes down. I ended up with a couple of things she suggested. I've almost been taking them a week. And I know it's crazy, but the supplements are helping!

I found this chart online. I guess this is how Phyllis looks at the eyes to know what to write down.

My friend keeps calling her a witch doctor. I'm not sure she is an actual witch doctor. But she helped me find some natural things to take instead of some crazy medicines from the doctor.

Craziest thing I've ever done. I'm out of control I tell ya.

now and then

This is my sister, Terri, and me. We just finished painting the dog house for my dog, Brownie. We were pretty proud of our fine craftsmanship.

This is my sister and me. Christmas photos obviously. Thanks, Mom, for not making me wear red tights!

Here we are on my wedding day. I couldn't find the picture of my sister and me on her wedding day.

I miss my sister. Her birthday is Friday. The big 30!!! We always have fun together...playing cards, watching movies, quoting movies, laughing. It didn't always use to be that way. We fought all the time growing up. We definitely had our own thing going on. I was mean to my sister. She pretty much hated me. She will probably say she still does...to torture me. She always tries to get me to believe I was adopted.

Somewhere during our college years, we started getting along and spending more time together. She is an important part of my life. We don't talk nearly enough. She gets mad when I don't return her calls. I hate missing out on her kids' lives. My brother-in-law is a riot, and I hate that they live so far away.

Best memory of my sister? One year she made me a card for my birthday. She had spent a lot of time on it. It taught me a very humbling yet valuable lesson. I was rude, horrible and mean. I didn't appreciate her card at the time. I'm pretty sure I made fun of it. But, I still have it. She made it. For me. Took time and thought to make it just for my birthday. Terri is awesome. I love her, and am so glad she's my sister.

get a room

Sean and I decided to spice up our date night Friday night. Ahem. We went bowling. Sean really does enjoy to bowl. I enjoy the first game. Because by the end of the first game, I am so stinkin frustrated that I suck and Sean is beating me. But this time, I did pretty good. I think I even laughed during the second game. Yes, that's right. I said second game. Actually we bowled 4 games! By the time the night was over I had bowled a 134. Amazing all-time high score for me! Thank you, thank you.

There were two younger couples bowling next to us. Couple #1 had to encourage each other between each turn with disgusting groping, drinking shots, and slobbery kissing. Oh, and dancing! How could I forget the dancing! After about an hour or so, the two girls were pretty much wasted. Remember these people were already there...and drinking...when Sean and I arrived. They were having quite a bit of trouble walking. Don't ask me how they kept up the game. I never did look at their scores. I was too busy being entertained by their shenanigans.

So, I just bowled another strike and tried to get Sean's attention. But I couldn't. I follow his eyes to see these two girls kissing and acting reallll crazy! What do you do when you see stuff like that? Look away? Stare? Offer breath mints? Seriously, I'm not sure. I decided to see what their boyfriends were thinking about this. One boyfriend was bowling and turned around to talk to them...saw his woman kissing another woman...and walked over immediately and pulled her off! I don't know if the girl was mad or embarrassed. She started crying. Her boyfriend had to help her walk out. I'm not sure if the girl knew what she was doing or not.

Maybe after so many shots, it's hard to differentiate between males and females. Her friend and boyfriend did both have dark hair. Maybe she just got confused. Or maybe she really wanted to kiss her friend. That was a girl. Maybe the Katy Perry music videos inspired her. I'm not sure. I was a little scared to go talk to them. I didn't want to be next!

I just don't think girls kissing girls is right. I know there is some hot stuff going on right now with girls doing all that social kissing just for the fun of it when they go out. Just seems silly. It's one thing to do it for attention. It's another to do it because a person thinks they are gay.

Or. Maybe the boyfriend was just jealous he wasn't getting any kissing action.