The Oklahoma Edgingtons

Sweet friends and BLESSED BOX playtime fun!

2012-01-26T23:37:00.001-06:00

Nothing keeps our little ones down...or in! Lydia and her friends, Miss A, Miss E & Miss L wanted to have a “picnic” yesterday. It wasn’t TOO cold but cold enough that they were all shivering, but smiling! They’re so cute and fun…we have GREAT neighbors!

Here’s Sadie and the C-Man---he’s so cute!

The greatest invention ever made is the CARDBOARD BOX! This box gave the kids 2 hours of uninterrupted fun, giggles, smiles, creativity and imagination. Everything a mother could ask for…Briggs and Lydia did great together!!! (which isn’t always the case) And I even got to take a little snooze on the couch…thanks kids. And thanks to whoever invented cardboard boxes…Mothers everywhere THANK YOU!

HI....My name is Maria....and I'm a readaholic...

2012-01-25T09:10:00.002-06:00

Ok, you know you're a read-aholic when you even dream about reading. My dream last night was that the world was ending---no electricity, flooding etc... and the biggest worry (after getting my kids taken care of, of course!) was, "What am I going to read after the battery dies on my Kindlefire?!?!?!?" I'm even obsessed with reading in my dreams! :)

Mommy’s MK Getaway

2012-01-15T22:11:00.002-06:00

Every January Mary Kay has a Leadership Conference for the directors…it’s always so fun, educational and seems to come at just the right time….when Mommy needs a little break and also when Mommy needs everyone to miss her a bit! I always do ok for the first day or so and then I can’t wait to get back!!! These pictures are of my friends and I at a MK Rocks the Runway banquet that we earned…it was AMAZING!!! Not only did we have a FABULOUS dinner, prizes, a DJ and dancing, but they also did an incredible fashion show as well as a design contest. They had 4 of the top design students from one of Atlanta’s fashion design schools compete in making formal dresses out of…..Mary Kay Products!!! The pictures are below…they don’t do the dresses justice but you get the idea. It was really beautiful and fun!!!

The last picture is of the view from our hotel room....yep, the CNN Headquarters!

Oh...almost forgot one of my favorite parts----Pentatonix performed for us and we even saw them on the escalators...how cool! They're SO talented!

p.s. The only downside was that my luggage got lost….I flew back in Wednesday and just barely got it back yesterday. At least it got here!!!

Mary Kay in Atlanta

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Another Lydia mess…

2012-01-15T20:31:00.001-06:00

Lydia asked, ever so kindly, if she could wear one of my necklaces----so, since she asked nicely, I let her wear one and then walked out of the bathroom, thinking she was coming with me. That was my mistake! She brought me this mess a few minutes later. Ahhhh Lydia. Never a dull moment and the stories NEVER end!

It only took half an hour to get it back to this!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2012-01-03T03:14:00.002-06:00

2011 was a good year…hard work for Chuck, busy stuff at home, tough to say goodbye to Chuck’s Aunt Leslie and also my Uncle Paul, many special family memories but mostly many, many, many blessings from the Lord. We feel very blessed to have a healthy family, great home, Chuck’s job that he is so gifted at, lots of love and mostly grateful for out testimonies of Jesus Christ and his eternal gospel.

Many of you know how overwhelmed and swamped Chuck has been at work….well….be AMAZED because he completed 60 reports from Dec. 1-Dec. 24th! Seriously….BE AMAZED!!! That was his Christmas gift to all of us…the best gift ever because now we have our Daddy back! No more 80 hour work weeks!!! BEST-GIFT-EVER!!! Looking forward to a great 2012 and we wish that you have the Lord’s watchful hand over you and all the blessings you desire for you and your families!!!

NEW YEAR HUGS TO

YOU ALL!!!

SO glad to welcome 2012!

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Here are some fun pictures of our New Years Eve Party….fun kids with their funny friends!

Week after Christmas in MANHATTAN…Kansas, that is! :)

2012-01-03T02:40:00.001-06:00

Ok, the photo album for this one is SO big, but I couldn’t leave any of them out….it was SO, SO fun! Here are some of our favorites:

~Bunk Buddies….Lydia and Ella! These two played AMAZINGLY well together…dress up, tea party, everything! Aunt Celeste finished their sun room as a play room and it’s THE BEST!

~Ice Skating & Hot Chocolate….can you say Winter Olympics? Maybe Sessions/Edgington style….which means going really slow, holding onto the side and falling a lot! p.s. I was the official photographer….no ice skates for me…that would be REALLY bad!

~Exploring Fort Riley’s Train, play grounds, cemetary, Cannon Hill & Tanks & Army Trucks---notice the sign that we saw AFTER that said “please don’t climb on tanks”. Ha ha! (notice the picture of Ella reading….in the middle of the trail up Cannon Hill! Now that’s my kind of girl…one who will sit down and read ANYWHERE!)

~Playing at Pillsbury Falls…so fun and the kids didn’t even mind that it was 50 degrees outside and they played in the water anyway! It’s a natural ford in the creek and we also did Donuts….much to Celeste’s and my dismay! Chuck even brought the car close to the edge of the falls….I was NOT freaking out, by the way!

~Picnic in the park with jalepeno venison summer sausage…mmmmm!

~Donuts at Varsity Donut….um yeah…they have a maple bar with bacon crumbles on it….DIVINE! Who knew? They also had a square donut called The Flat Tire with oreo crumbles on it…the kids LOVED it! Donuts were followed with Bowling and we passed by the art museum at the university and they have a CHIHULY! http://www.chihuly.com I LOVE his art….check out his website and look at his unique, amazing art!

~Sleeping in, yummy food (nanaimo bars, apple cider, gingerbread pancakes---mmmm!), watching movies, reading….just a WONDERFUL time! Colette even barred the door so we couldn’t leave..can’t wait to see them again. They are truly some of our favorite people….like I said on FB, I couldn’t have picked a better wife for my brother and I would pick her not only for a sister in law but also as a friend. Love them! Thanks for a great week!!!

Sensational Sessions Cousins!!!

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Ahhhhhh Christmas!!!

2012-01-03T01:27:00.002-06:00

Christmas is always a wonderful time of the year---this year was especially wonderful because a dear friend of mine, Melissa Hammer, told me about a book last year that helped her family have a more Christ-centered Christmas. Kathie bought it for me earlier this year---I read it in November and LOVED it.

It truly made a big difference in the spirit of our home and the focus of our Christmas. I felt the spirit so strongly all month long and my emotions were so close to the surface that I cried over and over! Sheesh!!!

Below are pictures of the highlights of our month---

~Downtown Carriage Ride in the princess carriage…ON THE COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR so far!!! But luckily mom thought of everything---new ear warmers for everyone and hot chocolate to warm us from head to toe!

~Looking at lights in the “shi-shi” neighborhoods and I found the Nativity Scene I want…all white, about half-lift-size and simply elegant! I’ll save my pennies for that one!

~Christmas Party at Church where our friends the Milligans were Mr. & Mrs. Claus

~Christmas tree decorating---there was a little altercation about “who” got to put the star on top of the tree, so…..we had BOTH of the youngest Edgingtons do it! And the proof is in the pictures! I have looked for a LONG time for a Star with the Holy Family for our tree topper…I LOVED this one and was so, so, so happy to find it!

~Highlights from Christmas Eve Nazarene Supper with the Milligans…

-Mary—aka—Lydia chasing the 3 Wisemen to get the “gifts they forgot to leave with the baby Jesus! “Hey….give me my gifts!”

-Wiseman Briggs wrapping his “robes” around him like a loincloth!

-Megan chose to be the Donkey this year…she informed us all, during her talk in Sacrament Meeting, that she ALWAYS had to be Mary---even when they had Christmas Eve with us last year! So, Lydia was Mary this year and LOVED IT! And I must say that Megan was THE CUTEST Donkey E-V-E-R!

-The wisemen, as if on cue, pointing to the star---and we got a photo of it! Briggs looks hilarious. And don't you love the "gifts" they made? :)

-Lydia not being able to say “Joseph”… she pronounces it “Jovis”! Hee, hee!

p.s. Lydia’s pregnant belly was too, too cute! And even better was when she whipped the pillow out of her pants---there are not secrets anymore!

-The Milligans made really cute sheep…don’t you love their little sheep hats?
-It was so funny....we laughed way too much...it was quite the sacrilegious Christmas Eve Nativity. But the memories sure are great!

~Christmas Morning “haul” and the stockings

~Our newest nativity that the kids sanded and painted...it was so fun to have them work on it together and see their excitement about the end result. My sister, Heidi, told me about a website called www.pickyourplum.com where they have GREAT deals on crafts and fun gifts. We got the “kit” for $3.95! I think it’s my favorite one to add to my collection…it’s simplicity and the sweet hands that made it are my favorite!

Christmas 2011

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Bittersweet Utah Trip…another hard one

2012-01-03T00:36:00.001-06:00

We got some very sad news on Dec. 11th that my Aunt Susie’s husband, Paul Pace, died in his sleep. Susie and Paul are amazing people….a TRUE love story. Susie was the one who introduced me to Mary Kay and is one of my favorite people….Paul is also one of the most incredible, real, Godly men to ever live. I drove out with my parents and Lydia. The funeral was very difficult yet beautiful, full of the spirit, love, deep emotions, great memories and laughter---just as Paul would have wanted it. It is always hard to go to funerals, but wonderful to see family. They are one of the most precious things we have!

Paul A. Pace

| Visit Guest Book

"Papa"
Paul Allen Pace, 42, passed away December 10, 2011 in Magna, Utah.
Born September 3, 1969 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Married the love of his life, Susan Renae Sessions, September 20, 1991 in Salt Lake City, Utah; later solemnized in the Jordan River Temple. He adored his children, grandchildren and was very proud of them. Loved to hunt and fish, was an amazing cook and a good gardener.
Survived by his wife, Susan; children: Chris (Kelly) Dowland, Jeremy (Allison) Dowland, Annie Brooks, Sarah (Ryan) Welling, Ryan (Josie) Dowland; grandchildren: Gabi, Isobel, Lorelei, Meredith, Cole, Hailee, Sophie, Kysen; mother, Ruth Bisel Lopez; brother, Dwane (Konnie) Burden; sister, Donna Jensen. Preceded in death by his father, Jay Lopez; brother-in-law, Dave Jensen.
A celebration of his life will be held Friday, December 16, 2011, 12:00 noon at the Spencer 2nd Ward, 8059 West 2700 South, Magna, UT. Viewings will be held Thursday, 6-8 p.m. at McDougal Funeral Home, 4330 South Redwood Road and Friday at the church, 11-11:45 a.m. Interment, Valley View Memorial Park.

Utah 2011

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The above pictures are of the short but wonderful time we spent with Grandma Kathie & Aunt Kimmie, and of Grayden’s 1st birthday party. It was so nice to see everyone and we rarely get to be there for cousins birthday parties…what a fun time! p.s. The Warnocks are doing a remodel in their home…it’s going to look AWESOME!

OKC Legoland!

2012-01-03T00:10:00.001-06:00

In Downtown OKC this year, they had a fantastic lego display of the OKC skyline…it was amazing! My favorite was the Heart Association Red Dress and the Chesapeake Energy Arena where the Thunder play…the stadium was incredible!!! The kids loved the ferry boats that were remote controlled. They even had a place where we could make our own little lego creations…not sure why but I felt the need to create a sweet little wedding arch. I’m a bit of a hopeless romantic. Fun times for Family Night!

Legos Galore!

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Happy TURKEY Day!

2011-11-26T15:06:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday…I love to cook but I don’t have to buy and wrap gifts! I love that part about Christmas, but I love just being with family and friends and enjoying good food.

Because we’ve had such a crazy past 6 weeks, we opted not to go to Dan & Celeste’s house. Major SAD face! We REALLY wanted to go but it was just too much. We missed our cousins a lot and can’t wait to see them at Christmas!!!

We invited our great friends the Milligans over and one of Lydia’s favorite friends from church, Delene. She was her substitute teacher a few times and she LOVES her…Lydia calls her “my happy teacher”. It was a nice dinner with special friends!

This is my pieced together pie crust. Since Chuck is eating Gluten and Dairy free, I tried really hard to make dinner that he could eat and enjoy but that everyone else could enjoy too! That said, gluten free pie crust is SO hard to work with that it takes FOREVER to roll out. 3 hours to make 2 pies! Sheesh! By then it was so late that I was exhausted and ready for bed, but they also take much longer to cook so I was up REALLY late cooking them. But………………I fell asleep and one of them cooked for 4 hours! Toasty yumminess!!! Blaaa! So, instead of attempting more gluten free crust, I figured Chuck would be ok with just one pie so I sent him to the store to get pie crust (I was NOT even going to try making regular crust!) and they were out of the rolled out ones so he brought some that were already in the pie tin. And hence here is my pieced together crust. We put the smiley face mouth on so that it would kind of cover up the seams. So….it’s been a pieced together Thanksgiving but we all still have a smile on our face!!!

p.s. it was a YUMMY PIE!

2011 Thankful Lists

2011-11-21T23:54:00.001-06:00

When I was growing up we made Thankful lists every year in November. As I’ve gotten older my list gets longer and longer and I really need several pages! We live such a blessed life!!! One of our kids….who will remain un-named, did a little “eye roll” when I pulled out the Thankful Lists tonight. The comment was, “I can never think of anything to put down.” I tried really hard not to take it personally and I was literally biting the inside of my cheek so I wouldn’t cry. It made me sad because we truly are so blessed and have we not taught our kids to be grateful? Then it all clicked for me as I watched ALL 4 kids write and write and write and realized-----oooooohhhhhh…..THAT’S why my Mom did it every year!!! Thanks Mom & Dad for teaching me gratitude and giving me SO much to be grateful for! Here they are…

Chuck’s presentation…incredible!

2011-11-21T21:45:00.002-06:00

Chuck gave a presentation at the Oklahoma Autism Conference---Chuck’s mom came into town and my mom was there too…it was so neat! He did a great job and at the end he had Sadie sing “There’s a Hero”. He ended with saying that those who have autism, their parents and teachers are all heroes. I sat there thinking, “Wow, that’s my husband!” It was really neat. What an amazing man, husband, dad and advocate for the heroes of autism!

Chuck’s presentation…incredible!

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Funny photos

2011-11-21T21:10:00.001-06:00

Lydia fell asleep in the office while watching a movie…poor girl, she was tired!!!

Sadie was cleaning her room so Grandma Kathie could sleep there and these are all the water bottles and cups she had in there…good grief! Funny picture though!

3 weeks of crazy, busy INSANITY!!! But it was worth it.....

2011-11-13T22:01:00.004-06:00

Ok, the insanity is almost over! Why is it that insanity is SO FUN? I’m completely exhausted but happy….here’s why……………..

(UM….this would be Lydia’s contribution to the blog tonight….ha, ha!!!) twgftwftcfxcwdrcqdxafqgfvqgfvfgffft`yrftfgtgfg1htfy1tfggtgtgfgftgttghfftx5 sxtdtrdswrtq6tw6t2wq77yqw qgyaeyswyuqwyuiqyuqqyquyquyqyeytqy7qubhbhvbh fhbhbfhbhbhbgfRGT46TTERETRVETR43ET43676376T366676746363EY GRCXGYRT6 6TETRETTRFEDRRWR CR FRD TRFDFDTFDGDFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFSHGHFGFGSHFSHGH HSHSGHGSFHGSHJSHWSFFGTSXV5C6RDCEXFRR545F 5RVC4RECV43C G C5RX 5R 5 X CE55WR5S5EDRW5ERE5W5EE45Q6Q56Q56E5WQ6W 5Q6 5675W56Q6CWCWQCXCR5R4 W WEQ45Q2W266666666666666666666666666666666666666666222222224444444444444444444WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW R (THANKS LYDIA!)

Ok….once again….here’s why…….

In the last 32 days, I’ve been gone for 18 of them! MK Fall Camp in Utah (with 2 extra days to see family), attending Aunt Leslie’s funeral (which we wouldn’t have misses for anything), 2 Birthday parties---Liam’s and Briggs’, Halloween, Annual Sisters weekend with my mom and sisters (in Virginia this year----SOOOOOO MUCH FUN! Love, love, love my sisters!), an overnight conference in Dallas with my awesome NSD, Tammy Crayk that turned into a guest event here in Edmond making it a 3 day wonderful but busy time….and…..my MK Annual Christmas Open House on Monday and Tuesday night….whew! Needless to say, I’m EXHAUSTED but so happy with all of it. And that’s just MY schedule….Chuck’s typically INSANELY BUSY schedule was even more crazy with a move of his office into a bigger space, adding a new neuropsychologist, Young Men’s Youth activities, dances, meetings etc… and he has a HUGE presentation tomorrow to possibly 600 people AND he has a State Conference Friday and Saturday that he presents at twice! STOP THE MERRY-GO-ROUND…WE WANT TO GET OFF! Our kids have been AMAZING through it all—Sadie has been extremely helpful with babysitting (which she is SO happy about….not!) and the house wasn’t in too much of a shambles either! One perk? Our kiddos seem to LOVE us MUCH more since we’ve been so incredibly busy. They give us big hugs and kisses and are SO happy to see us when we get home…hope that lasts.

I think we are working overtime this month to prove our family motto that we have at the top of our blog----

WELCOME TO OUR CHAOS! WE DO LOUD REALLY WELL AND MAKE CRAZY LOOK GOOD!!!

Really, really, really glad it’s over. And the prize? Grandma Kathie is coming to visit Thursday…can’t wait to relax and enjoy time with Grandma. We always have so much fun with her!!!

JACQUI, MARIA, KAREN, TAMMY, JOANN & KELLEY---loved those desserts!!!

This picture is of my unit members and I at lunch with Tammy---we went to the most AMAZING place…Jim’s Italian in historic downtown Edmond. Doesn’t sound very Italian but the food was fantastic, well priced and they also have a glass blowing shop that you can watch them blow the glass! They have all the glass pieces displayed….just gorgeous! It was a Saturday so they weren’t blowing glass but we are definitely going back so we can see it. What an awesome place…would recommend it to everyone. Aside from food, the time with Tammy and the consultants was GREAT!!! Tammy is amazing and these women are some of my FAVORITE people ever...love, love, love them! So blessed to have you ALL in my life!

2011-11-07T09:35:00.003-06:00

BWWWWHHHAAAAHHHHAAAAAAHHHAAAA! I AGREE!

Happy Halloween!!!

2011-11-06T21:12:00.001-06:00

Here are our cuties at Halloween…what a fun time of year!!!

Trick or Treat 2011!

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Sadie’s blankets for Spencer

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

Spencer Blankets

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For Sadie’s Young Women’s Personal Progress Project (it’s a little like the Scout Eagle program) this year she made blankets for the Primary Children’s Hospital in honor of our sweet cousin Spencer. You can read the details in the pictures but it was really sweet….love you Spencer and you too, Sadie!

Liam is 11!

2011-11-06T14:18:00.003-06:00

Can I just tell you how cool Liam is? Not only is he kind, has amazing hair, a beautiful smile, loves to laugh, is super smart, etc. etc. etc…… but he also agreed to let me go to Virginia ON HIS BIRTHDAY to be with my sisters. What an awesome man!!! He had his buddies over for pizza, games and movies and the 2 things he asked for were a CTR ring and this awesome RC plane thing with a video camera! He was happy!

For his cake, I wanted to do something fun but what do you do for an 11 year old? He doesn’t really want a cutsie character cake but I love doing something creative and fun for them so…..

We baked money into the cake! Sadie and I wrapped them up in wax paper and the boys were SO excited when they cut into the cake to find money! Seriously, who gets paid for coming to a bday party? :)

Briggs Birthday---BIG 7!

2011-11-06T14:06:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday sweet boy! (and I couldn’t figure out how to get Liam’s bday photo off so Happy Birthday to Mr. Man too! )

Briggs had a party at the school playground…his favorite place to play….complete with a pinata, power rangers cupcakes and lots of friends and gifts. The best part of all was a surprise visit from Grandpa Sessions! Loved having you there, Grandpa!!!

Briggs!

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Family pics from Utah Trip

2011-11-06T13:16:00.008-06:00

Chuck and his Dad & Mom
Chuck's brother, Dave with the most cool hair ever! :)

Beautiful sisters---Kellie and Kim
Dad & Jeff, Chuck's younger brother--he can fix anything!

Kathie, Carl, Jeff, Kellie, Kim, Dave, Chuck and Zach & Sammie---awesome family! Missing Andrew...he's the best!
Maria, Grandma Davie & Chuck
Chuck, Grandma Davie, Kathie and Uncle Bob
The "U" that Jonathan freehand painted on their lawn. Jonathan, Chuck, Madison & Grayden and Collin & Ethan. Super cool niece and nephews!
Grayden and Madison at the Halloween Party at David's work
My Halloween Costume---the sign says, "David's FAVORITE sister-in-law!" Hee, hee!
Ethan ----Buzz Lightyear had a helmet and the costume didn't come with it...so they found one! :)
We got to visit my Grandpa & Grandma Sessions...what a special visit with 2 very special people. LaDawn, Grayden, Ethan, Naomi & Chet Sessions and Maria

Utah Trip #2---Remembering Aunt Leslie

2011-11-06T13:03:00.003-06:00

Our second Utah trip was bittersweet because we got to see A LOT of family but it was for Aunt Leslie's funeral. What an amazing, loving, spiritual, family focused, wonderful woman. She put up a courageous fight with Breast Cancer for 10 years and most of us didn't realize how sick she really was because of her attitude and contagious smile. The funeral was beautiful, touching & sad but also a lovely tribute to a lovely woman. Our prayers and thoughts are with you Uncle Delane, Dan & Jordan, Alison & Rich and Katie & Travis and Grandma Davie & Kathie. Love and hugs to you all!

Utah Trip #1

2011-11-06T12:38:00.002-06:00

October has been a whirlwind month for us. After our weekend at Mom and Dad’s, for Conference, 10 days later I went to Utah for our Mary Kay Fall Camp and to spend a few days with my sister, LaDawn and my Oklahoma Sisters, Lori & Melissa. I also got to spend time with the best in-laws ever. I’m so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life…we ALL are blessed! We stayed at the Zermatt Resort in Midway for our conference and I was in HEAVEN! Wow----Utah at it’s finest!!! p.s. I couldn't get the conference pictures from the last post out of this slideshow, but I guess they're my favorite people too so that counts!

Favorite Utah People

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General Conference tricks

2011-11-06T12:27:00.001-06:00

Twice a year our church has a 2 day conference that is satellite broadcast around the world—it’s called General Conference and I LOVE it! We are spiritually fed and given direction and guidance for our families and lives. I look forward to it every time. We’ve started the tradition of going to my parents house for the weekend which is so fun. We have activities and games to keep the kids attention (and lots of candy!) but sometimes they get a little crazy (big surprise) so we came up with a great solution this year….

Bwwwaaaaahhhhhaaaaa! If only I could do this more often!

This is a balloon guy that had the shield of faith, breastplate of righteousness etc…. Briggs thought it was so cool!

Gross & Silly!

2011-09-25T23:16:00.001-05:00

Ok so one of the fun things about having a pool are all the “surprises” we find in it. We’ve had ducks swimming, frogs, even little snakes…gross! But the worst was when the kids found this dead rat! I couldn’t even look at it….nastiness. For some reason, looking at it in the photo isn’t as bad as looking at it in real life. Ick!

My friend Karen gave Lydia a box of Tinkerbell stickers for her birthday….she was so excited and I was too until I realized that there are about 750 tiny little stickers in the box!!! So…we have found them EVERYWHERE….stuck to the carpet, the tile, on her dresser, on the bottom of our feet, on our shoes, clothes….everywhere! And yes, I’ve taken them away, told her to put them only on paper, hid them….everything! Ah…love, love, love stickers. These pictures were just too funny not to share though. Cute Lydia!

Liam's Cheating On Me!

2011-09-25T22:14:00.004-05:00

These are just 2 of the funnies that the kids said this week....the ones that I actually remembered to write down. They keep us in stitches!!! :)

Liam's funny-----

We were just explaining what kind of doctor Uncle Dan is (to Liam) because he wants to be a doctor too. Chuck said, "He delivers babies and takes care of girl parts. It's called a gynecologist." Liam's response.... "He does? I'm not doing that......but maybe Sadie could be a 'girlnecologist' and take care of guy parts!" We laughed so hard!!!

Lydia's funny---

Lydia can running into the kitchen and yelled, “Daddy, Liam is cheating on me!” We looked at each other quite perplexed and asked her why….she answered, “Because he’s been hiding that sugar cookie from me and I want it!”

Well, miss Lydia...I would have to agree! :)

Love at home?

2011-09-18T19:29:00.002-05:00

As I talk to other moms I realize that we are not alone in the dilemna of feeling Love at Home. :) In our church we have a song that says, "There is beauty all around, when there's love at home...." When I was growing up we heard someone change the words to, "There is beauty all around, when there's NO ONE home!" That became our unofficial family song, much to my mothers chagrin! Now, as a mom, I realize why she was frustrated (and sometimes, why it's true! But don't tell my kids that!) because we try so hard to have a home filled with love and kindness......yeah right! :) I cherish those moments that everyone is kind and happy now and I'm constantly trying to figure out how to make them come more frequently. So we've created the SFF!!! (I'm trying to make a close correlation to BFF!) SFF stands for Secret Family Friend!!! Tonight at dinner everyone got an assignment for a SFF---here's what it said:

Congratulations! ________________________ is your

Secret Family Friend! (SFF)

For the next 2 weeks you should show extra love to _____________through your actions. Don’t judge, criticize or talk mean to them…..watch for good things they do and the positive things about their characters. Spend "special time" with them. Write them little love notes and do secret acts of service for them. Most importantly, PRAY for them! We’ll report back in 2 weeks.

Good luck!

I am hoping that this will work....I'll keep trying....and trying....and trying! :) Sorry Mom for all the grief we gave you....and thank you even more for never giving up. :)

Salade Nicoise!

2011-09-14T01:27:00.002-05:00

Feeling nostalgic about France and reading a book about Provence where the author includes recipes. Yep, my mouth is watering on every page!!! So, this was dinner last night. Yum, yum, yum!!! I really think that I may have been born in the wrong country….my heart is in Provence!

Bon Appetit!

Families CAN'T be friends!

2011-09-14T01:12:00.002-05:00

Ok, if you read the Mommy Rant post, you know that last weekend was NOT a great one. One of the moments was Briggs being less than kind to Lydia so we had a little chat about it. I left the room when we were done for a brief moment and when I came back Briggs said, " But Mom, Families CAN'T be friends!" I just laughed and laughed and laughed!!! That led to the conversation about how my brothers and sisters are my best friends. But let's be real...were they always? No.....and that's a whole other post.......but, I have to say that I really do have the best siblings in the world. And if I found that perverbial magic lamp and got my 3 wishes, one of them would definitely be to live closer to all of them. I know my parents worked really hard to help us be friends and although I'm sure they were ready to throw in the towel at times, whatever they did paid off because I can honestly say that my siblings are some of my most favorite people in the whole world! I can't wait for Briggs and all of my kids to realize that Families CAN be friends!

Briggs & Lydia moments…must share!

2011-09-14T01:10:00.001-05:00

After Lydia’s birthday party I couldn’t find the pink hairspray that we used to color Caroline’s hair……um……found it! Briggs---future artist or vandal? We went through the whole “if this was someone else’s home, they could have called the cops on you” deal, but how do you do that when he’s so stinkin’ cute? And when he was just being curious? He didn’t love painting over it, but I think he learned his lesson….I hope!

This is Lydia making “hot chocolate” with our Christmas mugs…she loves them and is actually just pouring water back and forth but the cute part is…………

……that she is free-styling it! I couldn’t resist taking a picture…..bwhhhhhaaaaaahhhhhaaaaaaa!

Mommy RANT!!!

2011-09-11T14:28:00.005-05:00

Ok...I need to vent! It has been a weekend from you know where when I am having momentary reconsiderations of my "dream" of being a Mom. Not to worry...I'll get over it, I still love my kids, wouldn't trade them for the world (at least for the moment :)) but man....Motherhood is not for wimps and this weekend I'm feeling VERY WIMPISH!!! So, you have been warned. If you can't take it or don't want to hear it, DON'T read on. :)

How is it that after you pay for soccer uniforms, cleats, new ball, team costs AND get up EARLY on a Saturday to be at the game, then you let them play for a few hours so they could enjoy their weekend------BUT, when they are asked to put THEIR things away and do THEIR jobs and help for 1 hour in cleaning and organizing the garage because of the mess THEIR toys make, they give you ATTITUDE beyond ATTITUDE and you are the worst parent ever?!?!?!?!?!? How is it that they do 1 little thing in said garage and then think they are done? So you have to go find them not once, not twice, not even 3 times----but 4 times and ask them through gritted teeth in a very psychotic voice to get back downstairs and help finish the job!!! I love teenagers, I love teenagers, I love teenagers.....if I say it enough will it become my reality?

How is it that my 4 year old is a demon? And then an Angel? And then a Demon? And then an Angel and so forth and so on--------and all of this happening about UMPTEEN times every day? I can't take it! I'm literally going to loose my mind due to Dr.Jekyll/Mr.Hyde-itis! :) I realize that it's because she has SOOOOO much personality and spirit that it just is BURSTING from her little 4 year old body, but really.....what is a Mom to do when her favorite Demon words are "hate", "stupid" and "shut up" (but that one is only used when Mommy can't hear), all of which are NOT allowed at our house. We've tried time out, pepper on the tongue, soap on the tongue etc... She doesn't really care. And then 2 seconds later her Angel words are "I love you", "I'm using my princess voice", "I'll help you" and "please". I'm SO CONFUSED!!! I guess patience, love, screaming into pillows and a few tears here and there ought to help me handle things! Oh, and don't forget my favorite Mommy Song by Hilary Weeks----she sings it to the tune of "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music and the chorus goes...." Bedtime & naptime and Bedtime & Naptime....Bedtime & Naptime and Bedtime & Naptime.....etc, etc, etc. So...that is also a saving grace. But the greatest saving grace? WALMART!!! Who knew that I would ever be SO excited to go to Walmart, alone, for a few minutes of peace and solace. I don't even mind the grumpy checkers or people who park their cart in the middle of the aisle. It's all good....because I'm having my Mommy Sanity Moment and I'm alone. And when I come back....I'm ready to handle just about anything!

OK.......whew.....I feel so much better! Got it off my chest and lest you think I'm in need of serious psychiatric help (hmmmmm.....) or that my children are in danger of being grounded for the rest of their lives (bit of a detour here----who came up with grounding? I mean really...who suffers more with grounding? The kids or the mom? :)) here are all the things that I absolutely love about them:

Sadie---she has the gift of love and forgiveness. I've never known anyone to apologize so quickly and so often. She is fast to realize when she's been a little snippy or mean and works to make it better immediately. She also is the most amazing helper around the house. I honestly don't know what I'd do without her. She's so responsible---does her homework & practices her piano without me asking her, gets up on her own for school, does her jobs and even goes to bed on-time on school nights. She is truly a GOOD, AMAZING, PRECIOUS Daughter of God and I'm so blessed to be her Mother.

Liam---I love how open Liam is to learning but also talking. He has such a bright mind and asks the most amazing questions that lead to GREAT conversations. I love that he's figuring out how to keep his room clean (on his own...sometimes!) He also is very aware of the spirit and how it whispers to him. He's great with his Scouting & Soccer and lately I've watched him spend time with Lydia and Briggs---actually playing with them and taking time to be a cool big brother. You should see how Briggs looks at him---he truly adores him in those moments. Liam is a STRONG, SPIRITUAL, DELIGHTFUL Son of God and I would be so sad if I wasn't his Mom.

Briggs---Briggs fills our home with hugs and laughter. He says & does crazy things, loves freely, says kind things and is constantly on the move. It's hard to find him most of the time because he has such an inquisitive mind---he wants to learn, explore, move and HAVE FUN! His teacher gave us the best word to describe him---EXUBERANCE! The dictionary defines it as: abounding invigour and high spirits; full of vitality. Enough said! Briggs is always the first to compliment me---he notices when I have a new outfit or do my hair different and tells me I'm beautiful all the time. Every mom needs a Briggs. Briggs is a SWEET, LOVING, EXUBERANT blessing in our lives and I love being his Mom.

Lydia--Well, what can I say----Lydia is just a Mini-Me! So I guess I'm getting what I deserve so all I have to say is, "Sorry Mom & Dad!" :) I remember my Mom telling me many times that Grandad Metge said that I had so much energy and determination (and was a little wild) but that if she could channel all of it in the right direction I'd turn out great. I don't know about the great part, but I do know what he was talking about now. Lydia is a child who loves to color, dance, imagine, sing & play and has those moments of divinity when she runs up to pictures of Christ and says, "Jesus! I love him!" She wants to learn and honestly, I think the Lord has a big work for her here on this earth and so He made her extra tough, extra independent and extra headstrong so that she can do whatever it takes to serve Him and complete her mission here. I know she'll do it too because when she puts her mind to something, there's no swaying her. It's tough as a 4 year old, but GREAT as a teenager who knows and loves the Lord. Lydia was the missing piece in our family that made it complete and gave us a reason to work extra hard at making our home a piece of heaven here on earth. Blessed doesn't even describe how I feel about being her Mom. (remind me of that in a few minutes!)

Well, there you have it. My rant is complete and ended in tears of joy and gratitude and being trusted with these special spirits. I think my Father in Heaven might be a little crazy (no offense!) in trusting them to me, but he must know something more about my abilities that I do. I'll just trust in Him, pray for patience and keep remembering that Motherhood is not for wimps! And hopefully one day, my kids will feel the same about me, as I do about my Mom. This quote says it all:

“Mother is the name for God

in the lips and hearts of children."

--William Makepeace Thackeray

Strawberry Shortcake Birthday Party!

2011-09-05T22:57:00.001-05:00

What a fun birthday for little Miss Lydia! She LOVES Strawberry Shortcake so that was the party theme and my most amazing friend, Caroline, dressed up as THE Strawberry Shortcake! She was THE BEST! “Strawberry” greeted all the guests with strawberry candies, had their picture taken with her and then we played a find the strawberries game, had Story Time with “Strawberry”, then cake & ice cream and presents. Whew! I took an hour nap after words…so tired but had a great time. Thanks, Caroline for making the party SOOO much fun!

SCHOOL DAYS!

2011-09-05T00:10:00.001-05:00

I just realized that I forgot to post the pictures from the 1st day of school so here they are! We’re finally at 2 schools instead of 4 like last year! HOORAY! My life is SOOOOO much less chaotic. I LOVE it and the kids seem to be enjoying school too.

I know, I know…there are 3 pics of Lydia and only 1 of everyone else, but she’s so darn cute and it WAS her first day of pre-k, so I’m justified, right?

Lydia is 4!!!

2011-08-28T22:17:00.001-05:00

Happy birthday to our cute little firecracker!!! How lucky are we to have her as part of our family? She fills us with laughter, teaches us patience, loves Jesus (she ran up to a statue of him in the store the other day and was so excited that she almost knocked it over!) has never-ending energy, loves life and is a precious child of God. We love you, Lydia!

For her birthday, Lydia wanted to go see Gma & Gpa (if only she could have seen ALL of her Gma’s and Gpa’s---that would have been AWESOME!) and it just so happened to be the same weekend as Yoder Days (how convenient! Birthday wishes coming true AND Mom’s Amish fix appeased!). We had a fun Saturday but Lydia took a late nap after being out in the hot sun all day so she couldn’t sleep that night! This is her on her birthday eve around 11 pm…excited and NOT tired!

This is one of her presents---she’s been wanting a big girl bike forever! Sadie made a cute scavenger hunt for her to find it, which was really fun. The skirt she’s wearing is one the Gma Sessions made her….sparkly eyelet! You’ll have to click on the picture to make it bigger so you can see it…it’s so cute! Lydia was VERY excited to wear it to church today. Thanks Grandma!

The BIG BIRTHDAY GIRL! (I made these cupcakes & frosting gluten & dairy-free so that Chuck could eat them and no one even noticed! They all wanted 2nds---who knew?! YAY!)

Is it possible to be an Amish Mormon?

2011-08-28T21:16:00.001-05:00

Ahhhh….my obsession with the simple, slow-paced, peaceful life of the Amish has been appeased for the time being. We went to Yoder Days this weekend and I loved every bit of it. I was the crazy one with the camera trying to sneak photos while people weren’t watching. I didn’t want to offend, because I know they don’t like their photos taken (it promotes vanity, so they don’t do it….smart!) but I am really just enamored with these people who live such a life of conviction. As a Mormon, I realize that we are different in many ways---we don’t smoke, drink, our intimate relationships are saved for marriage, we go on missions, we attend church for 3 hours on Sunday!, we dress modestly etc...and the list goes on. But the Amish do all this AND……they don’t use electricity, don’t have cars, grow much of their own food, run farms, don’t wear makeup etc…, etc…, etc…. AND….they are very happy! (and calm---we’re thinking of asking them if they’d do an Amish Calm Children Summer Camp---sign me up for FOUR slots! ) So, my question is….can we start an Amish Mormon town? I think we could combine the two culture’s very nicely!!! Learning to sew my families clothes might be tricky and I'm pretty sure they WON’T want me without makeup (scary!), but I just love everything they stand for. Anyway, my pictures are simply an admiration for living such a life of simplicity in an all too complicated world. I applaud them for their conviction and for making it work!!!

Gpa Gary, Lydia, Gma Tish, Liam, Sadie, Briggs & Chuck

Briggs on a pony ride---I thought it was funny that for once, when we called, “Brigham!”, it wasn’t a name that was out of place or “old”. He fit right in!

Lydia and Gpa with cute Amish boy #1---he didn’t know what to do with me taking pictures….he tried to hide in the photo with Briggs, but I got him in this one!

Seriously, have you ever seen anything cuter?

Amish Grandpa, Chuck, Dad & Mom

I think this one might be my favorite….these girls were SO cute! We were watching the Draft Horse competition and all of us had homemade ice cream---delish! Mine was accompanied by a positively heavenly rubbarb pie. Wish I’d taken a picture of that!

Amish Auction…this was SO cool!

These quilts went for anywhere from $500-$900 which was really sad! One of the Amish ladies I talked to said that they typically all go for over $1000 and that the highest she’s seen is $6,000! That’s not normal though. I really felt for these Amish women who spent so much time and effort on them though, and the prices were down this year. But I’m sure the buyers were thrilled---they got a deal!

Amish Teeny-Boppers!

Amish Stud!

How cute is she?

This one was just precious….

I got up the guts to ask if I could take their picture because they were so cute…all matchy, matchy. That would be me if I was Amish! (but the dresses would be red!)

Cute little purple, matchy family

Lydia…trying to be Amish! Pretty darn cute!

Ok, I’m done….Just LOVE these people!

Lydia painted her nails!

2011-08-07T20:44:00.001-05:00

I took a nap today and Lydia came in to wake up and show me her pretty nails….she told me that Daddy painted them for her. I was impressed that he did that for her and commented on it later…he had no idea what I was talking about! Apparently she did it herself…I wasn’t sure if I should be impressed or mad! She didn’t make a mess at all---I’m actually a little scared!

One more Seminar photo….

2011-08-07T20:38:00.001-05:00

Forgot this one….and how could I? Such a cute one of all of us at the big company awards night. I got to represent our unit on stage----amazing women!

I love Mary Kay Seminar!!!

2011-08-07T20:34:00.001-05:00

Every year Mary Kay does a big awards night, training weekend and just FUN girl time….we just got back and had a BLAST!!! Where else do you get to dress up like a princess? (Thanks Carolyn for letting me borrow your gorgeous dresses!) Our MK unit had our best year in over 3 years and it was fun to be be rewarded for all of our efforts. Here are just a few pictures to share the fun weekend with you….

MK treats us so well!!! Our National Sales Director, Tammy Crayk, gets a limo sent to the hotel to pick her up and she always has those who earned awards ride over with her…FUN! These amazing women teach me so much about my business and how to be a better woman (everyone except for the Limo driver! )

L to R—April Madsen, Brenda Bennett (my hero—she’s the Mom, Mormon & MK Director extraordinaire!) Carrie Carlile, Jalene Weston, Allison Cheney (my “offspring” directore—LOVE, LOVE, LOVE HER!), Tammy Crayk, Krista Johnson (my other hero!) & Me

So they have a Royalty Reception with music and yummy food. I of course, went straight to the cheese table! This was all we had time for though because we got there late due to the limo overheating---must be due to the CRAZY heat we’ve been having!

Jacqui, Maria, Tammy, Joann & Darcey with our Unit Award—we did the $300,000 Circle of Achievement which means that we sold that much in retail product….that’s a lot of lipstick!

WOW! These are all the prizes I earned…fun!

Me and my sweet Susi…we are kindred spirits!

Susi and Nicole…amazing women!

Carrie, Allison, Maria, Susi & Nicole---these are the fabulous directors in my future national area…WOW!

Me and Allison on the “pink” carpet…she is one amazing woman who never gives up and was the Queen of Sales in our area….what a thrill to see her crowned! She is a dear, dear friend and an inspiration to all“

Maria and Joann---she used to work at our Dr.’s office and Lydia still calls her “my doctor”!

This is my favorite picture because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these women. Joann, Jacqui, Maria & Darcey—had a wonderful time with them! I’m so lucky to have them in my life! (We missed those who couldn’t come…it wasn’t the same with out you---you know who you are!)

Maria and Tammy---what a wonderful mentor! Lucky to be trained by the best!!!

Do I like Brunch?

2011-07-30T11:16:00.005-05:00

We're having an unusually lazy and quiet Saturday morning....ahhhhh....it's SO nice! No games to run to, no church activities, no MK parties.....wow! Don't get me wrong---I love all of those things, but sometimes it's nice to have a lazy morning. Especially since I'm going to our MK Seminar next week and will be gone for 4 days---today is family day! :) (although we're missing 2 cute family members----Sadie and Liam are in Utah with G & G Sessions----but I'm pretty sure they aren't missing us! Too much fun with cousins and family there!!!)

So, there's this yummy French Toast Souffle recipe that I've been wanting to make forever. It's in the oven as I type this and it smells DIVINE! Briggs keeps coming downstairs asking what smells so good! :)

As you can tell from the time on the post, it's almost 11:30 am so yes....lazy is the right word for this morning!!! I told Lydia that breakfast was almost ready and then said, "Actually, we're having brunch." She answered, "Do I like Brunch?" I of course laughed and told her YES! Who doesn't like brunch? It's the epitome of living life to the fullest and taking time to smell the roses along the way. I think our lives are all too busy so sometimes-----a Brunch Morning is the best answer...especially when it involves French Toast Souffle and homemade raspberry syrup! (Thanks for the recipe Kaye B.!)

French Toast Souffle--

8 oz. cream cheese

1 stick butter

1/2 cup maple syrup

6-8 cups bread (I used french bread...yum!)

6 eggs

1 cup milk

Topping:

Powdered Sugar

Boysenberry, Blueberry or Raspberry syrup

Melt cream cheese, butter & syrup in a sauce pan. It will be lumpy. Grease 9 x 13 pan and break up bread. Mix cream cheese mixture with bread in pan. Beat eggs and milk, then pour over bread. Bake at 350 for about 45-60 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and pour syrup over top. Enjoy!

Raspberry Syrup--

1 package frozen raspberries (10 oz)

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 T. cornstarch

1 T. water

Combine sugar and water in saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the raspberries and bring to a boil. Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and then slowly add it to the boiling raspberries, while stirring. This will thicken it. Serve warm.

p.s. ......and yes, it DID taste as good as it looks! MAGNIFIQUE!

Our sweet Spencer…we miss you!

2011-07-24T21:40:00.001-05:00

June 22, 2001 to July 20, 2006

We love you so much-----Can’t wait to see you again, little Buddy!

Spencer Family Night

2011-07-24T21:38:00.001-05:00

Liam gave a talk on Sunday in Primary about Temples and why they are special to him….it was so precious and all about Spencer and being able to see him again. It was so great that we had him share it for Family Night.

Orange is Spencer’s favorite color so we always have the ribbons in orange and the balloons are white because he is our special, little angel watching over us all in Heaven!

These are the things that we are going to work on as a family so that we can do what’s right---Pray, personal and family prayers; Read the scriptures daily; Smile because God gave us so many things to be happy about and a positive attitude makes life so much better!

Sadie writing her love note to Spencer

Liam’s love note to Spencer

Briggs…deep in thought about Spencer---he always wears his orange shirt on this day too, because it is Spencer’s favorite color!

There they go!!!

Cousins that LOVE SPENCER!

Sadie posted this as her FB profile pic

Our Favorite Superman, SPENCER!

2011-07-24T20:54:00.001-05:00

Today’s blog post is all about a special little man, Spencer. He is our nephew, cousin and sweet spirit that returned to our Heavenly Father 5 years ago this week. It’s so hard to lose a loved one, especially when they are so young, but I am so grateful for families and for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many of you that read this are not members of our church so I hope you’ll indulge me a bit to explain Temples and that aspect of our religion that gives us hope and peace, even during very trying times.

One of the most touching and important parts of our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, (you know us as Mormons! ) is that we believe that our families can be together forever. Our church website www.mormon.org says

“In temples, Church members participate in ordinances designed to unite their families together forever and help them return to God. In the temple, members:

Learn eternal truths.
Receive sacred ordinances, including those that bind husband and wife together for eternity, as well as join children and parents (Malachi 4:5-6).
Provide ordinances such as baptism for those who have died without the opportunity to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:29; 1 Peter 4:6”

Knowing this about “mormons” helps explain why death is not the end for us and because of this, we have a great hope that gets us through losing a loved one. On the anniversary of Spencer passing away, we go to our temple here in OKC and do a special family night where we talk about what we need to do to stay close to Heavenly Father and Jesus, follow the commandments and do what is right so that we can return to them and be a forever family. We also write a few things that we are going to work on being better at (kind of a promise or commitment to Spencer) on balloons and then we let them go…sending our love up to sweet Spencer.

These are pictures from when we did it a few years ago. Notice Lydia kissing Spencer’s photo….she did that all on her own. It was so tender. I’ll do another post with the Spencer family night we did this week next.

Pink at the Park!!!

2011-07-13T01:33:00.001-05:00

One of my director friends organized a Pink at The Park fundraiser for the Mary Kay Foundation with the OKC Redhawks and it was fun but it was SOOOO HOT! Really…..112 degrees here in “Bake City” USA and that didn’t include the heat index with humidity. SHEEEEESSSSHHHH! I honestly can’t blame Sadie & Liam for not wanting to come but Briggs and Lydia were really excited to go and they got spoiled rotten! Footlong corndogs, pretzels, cotton candy, snowcones and a $10 refillable soda---really? I paid $10 for soda? YEP! And it was worth EVERY PENNY because we refilled it SO many times…we just needed liquid!!! The kids really had a great time---free t-shirts and Redhawks hats and the best part? A night out with Mom and Dad, of course!!! (I refuse to add up how much we spent---those vendors at the ballpark are thieves! But they’re smart thieves!!! It was so hot we were willing to pay just about anything!)

Here’s the group at the game—pretty in pink!

Joann, Janice, Bernie, Maria & Mary

Date Night with Mom & Dad!

Awwww….I really like this picture!!!

4th of July at our favorite place!

2011-07-10T21:28:00.002-05:00

Colette, Lydia & Briggs

Sadie and Trieste

Grandpa and Grandma

Briggs and Ella

Liam and Lily

Patriotic Briggs….wearing his Italia hat!

Cute kids at G & G’s house

Ahhh….this is more like it….CRAZY FUN kids at G & G’s house!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY USA!!! Last year we went up to Kansas to spend the 4th of July weekend with Grandpa and Grandma Sessions and we seriously couldn’t wait to go again this year. It’s just so much fun to be there (and I love it because I can relax and have my Mom take care of me….is that so bad?! There’s just no place like home (especially in Kansas!)….even if it’s not the home I grew up in. Home is where Mom and Dad are! Then we got an extra treat and Celeste brought the girls down so we got to see them too!!! (We missed you Dr. Dan…sorry you had to work!) Our kids have so much fun together that they didn’t even want to go to the city’s firework show…they just wanted to stay at Grandma’s and play and do our own fireworks! Which were pretty awesome---thanks Chuck! That was a great weekend Mom and Dad…we love you so much! Other highlights of the weekend were Grandpa’s caramel corn (always!), going to the Exploration Center and seeing the CSI exhibit, pancake breakfast at the church, the Raptor Center (see below), playing the ice cream game on the NEW Wii!!! (Skipping rocks was awesome too---who would have ever thought that MY parents would have a 60” TV AND a Wii!), having old-fashioned Chocolate Soda’s and just hanging with family….so awesome!

Bird Refuge---WOW!

2011-07-10T21:06:00.001-05:00

We got to visit the Eagle Valley Raptor Center in Cheney, KS while we were visiting Grandpa and Grandma Sessions. It was AMAZING! The kids are still talking about it 4 days later. They got to feed a Turkey Vulture (Sadie LOVED having it rip the head off the mouse!), hold a Hawk, pet a Perigrine Falcon and get their picture taken with Wazoo the Bald Eagle! WOW! It was pretty amazing! STRONGLY suggest you visit!

Father's Day thoughts...

2011-06-19T11:04:00.005-05:00

I feel bad that I've been sick because I didn't get cards in the mail for my Dad or my Father In Law...they are coming, guys! So, I thought I'd write a bit about each of them to ease my guilt a bit...and so they know how great they are.

My Dad----If you don't know my Dad, you should! You are really missing out on a one-of-a-kind guy. He is funny, crazy, opinionated, smart, fiercely

patriotic, brave, con

victed in his faith, service minded, a hard worker and all around great. One of the things I love about my dad is that he has always been willing to do anything for his family. From quitting his job of being an undercover narcotics officer

---because it was too hard on family life, to going to school AND working 2 jobs to complete his degree, to agreeing NOT to look for jobs out of state and move his wailing teenage daughters away from their friends, to being willing to drop everything anytime we call to help us out. He is always there for us---ready to serve us, make us laugh, tease us, save us from the water snake that I swear was a rattlesnake, embarrass us, make us the best caramel popcorn in the world etc...... He is a wonderful dad and I love him! Thanks for everything, Dad!

Picture 1---My Dad at HS Graduation...so handsome!

Picture 2---My Dad now---told you, fiercely patriotic! :)

Picture 3---My Dad in true form! Crazy and eating a ding dong! (I'm not saying anything else, Dad!)

Papa Carl--aka my amazing Father In Law.

I have been truly blessed to have the most amazing in-laws EVER!!! Chuck's Dad is such a giving, caring man. Chuck and I went to Jr. High together and were an "item" back then, and his Dad was always so loving and wonderful. He said that he knew then (his mom did too) that we would be married one day. Yay that they were right! Carl is one of those men that has a genuine love for his kids...he too would do anything for them. He's a hard worker and can fix ANYTHING! I love it when he visits because not only do we get to spend time with Papa, but I get things done around the house! He stripped, stained and varnished our kitchen table so that it wouldn't get water stains....I love telling people that he did that because it was such a labor of love and it's a little piece of him in our home. Dad, you are a wonderful man with so much to offer and share with those around you. We love you!!!

Peritonsillar what???

2011-06-19T10:48:00.004-05:00

So this has been an interesting week at our house. Sunday night I started getting a sore throat and felt weak and achy...."oh no", I thought....I'm getting the flu or strep. Ha! I wish!!! It actually did start out as strep and then progressed into what is called a peritonsillar abscess. Waaaaaaayyyyyyy worse than just strep! I could barely swallow...every time I did it felt like a knife was cutting my throat---yep---lovely, right? Finally went to the Dr. after 3 nights of not being able to sleep well and I had simply had it. He gave me some serious anti-biotics (yay!), steroids to reduce the swelling (whew!) and Lortab to help with the pain (hooray!!!!!). It's now Sunday morning and I'm almost back to normal. I still can only eat soft foods...bread is even too much. Still a little swelling and throat pain but thank heavens for medicine---sooooo grateful! Thanks to everyone who was so helpful-----Jessica, our sitter, who was a LIFESAVER and really went the extra mile with helping me out this week--you are amazing, Jessica! Karen & Anne for bringing dinner and watching my kids so I could sleep and recover. Jennifer & Paul, our friends who are a P.A and ENT Doc who gave me great advice and helped me understand things better. Netflix for having old episodes of Flashpoint online so that I could have a distraction while I couldn't sleep because of the pain. :) Lynn for bringing me chicken noodle soup---it tasted so good and felt even better on my throat. My Mom for coming this next week to help me with the kids so that I can catch up on the week I lost. My AWESOME family who really picked up the slack, let me rest, got along most of the time and even kept the house semi-clean! Chuck is and always will be the best....so helpful, understanding, calm and loving. I'm really blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people---love you all!!!

Last day with the Geislers

2011-06-18T19:08:00.001-05:00

Had a great time…come again!!! (and these photos are the only proof that we have that I was actually a part of this fun week because I took all the photos…..I was there, though! Promise!)

Geislerama fun at the Edgington’s!!!

2011-06-18T19:05:00.001-05:00

Our best friends, the Geislers, who we knew in Stillwater, (and now live in Utah---traitors! ) came out for a week and we had THE BEST TIME!!! Swimming, watching iCarly, swimming, going to the Zoo to see the new baby elephant that Mommy took a TON of photos of (can you say obsessed? I loved the elephants when I was little so it was amazing to see the new baby, Maylee!), swimming, playing for the day at Frontier City, swimming, laughing, watching movies, swimming and just having the BEST-WEEK-EVER! Thanks for coming out, guys….you are THE BEST!!! Wanna come next week?

Geislerama!

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LOTS OF NEW POSTS!

2011-05-28T13:07:00.002-05:00

Attention----check "older posts". I've added pictures from clear back in March!

School’s Out---Graduation Day!

2011-05-28T13:01:00.002-05:00

The happiest day, other than Christmas, of our kid’s year has come!!! SCHOOL’S OUT!!! They are all SOOOOO happy! And I’m SOOOOO excited that I don’t have to get up at 6:30 for a few months!!!

Liam had his 5th Grade Graduation and received quite an honor from his classmates. They vote on one girl and one boy from their class that exemplifies good citizenship in their class, on the playground etc… They chose Liam!!! His teacher was really impressed because he’s only been at the school since January. WOW----he is a special guy!!!

Liam and Mrs. Shulke---she was amazing in helping Liam transition from 4th to 5th grade in the middle of the year. We were all a little nervous for the first month or so but he has worked hard and done amazing---straight A’s and he tested into Pre-AP Math for next year. What a little man! Love you Liam!!!

Briggs & Corey---they’ve been in the same class together for the last 2 years.

Now this is more like it! Briggs and his friends being…well, themselves!

Briggs and Daddy

Mrs. Berckman and Briggs---she is a great teacher!!!

1st Dance Recital!

2011-05-28T12:02:00.001-05:00

Lydia had her first dance recital and she was SOOOOO cute!!! Her favorite part, of course, was that she got to wear makeup. She IS her mother’s daughter! Her costume was really cute and I’m glad they had a hat as she is the only one with short hair in her class. But…the short hair is “growing” on us. We actually had it cut to shape it up a bit and really like it….when I see pictures of her hair longer, it just doesn’t seem to fit her personality. I think we’re keeping the short hair for awhile! Who knew that when she cut her hair she was really making it to fit her spunky little personality!!!

http://youtu.be/e3gLbz7KDC4 Here is the youtube link for one of her dances…she’s the second from the left. Please ignore the giggling mommy---I just couldn’t quit laughing because they were SOOOOOO cute!!!

Tornado party?

2011-05-28T11:41:00.006-05:00

On May 24th we had 5 or 6 tornadoes come through Oklahoma. It was quite scary after the devastation in Joplin, MO on Sunday. Some friends of ours from Stillwater, who now live in Joplin, had their home leveled! But they are all safe and ok, thank heavens!!! So, our weathermen were watching the tornado situation very carefully and predicted 24 hours in advance that all the elements were right for severe weather. Now, I'm the first to admit that our meteorologists are like kids in a candy shop when this crazy Oklahoma weather gets exciting. Sometimes it's a little over the top but I realize that it must be hard because if they don't warn us, we're upset. So....tough job!!! But this time....they were simply amazing!!! So much so, that the governor, Mary Fallin, did a statewide conference call with all the big wigs and the meteorologists on Tuesday morning---they decided to close EVERYTHING at 3 pm----government offices, public schools, the universities etc....so that everyone could get home and to a safe place in enough time. And it's a good thing they did.....the tornadoes started hitting right around 5 pm and two of them were close to major freeway systems. If everyone would have been on their way home, the death toll would have been much higher. Sadly, at least 9 people lost their lives in this terrible storm.

The power that a tornado has is unbelievable. We were watching the weather to see if we should go to the shelter and when we saw this happen LIVE on tv, we decided it was time to go!!!

We grabbed our 72 hour kits and went to the school. We must have been a sight to see....everyone had matching RED backpacks (our 72 hour kits) the kids had their bike helmets on (for safety), we all had our pillows and we packed the car up and left. Our neighbors probably thought we were going on vacation!!! But....I am SO glad that we have been counseled by our church leaders to have those 72 hour kits. The were AWESOME! We got to the school and the kids settled down into our little corner and had snacks & water, books, coloring books and crayons, a blanket etc... and then when they power went out, they pulled out the flashlights and everything was great! It literally was a Tornado Party! Lydia even asked our sitter if she would come back tomorrow for another tornado party. :) The next day she also asked when the next tornado party was going to be....she obviously wasn't too traumatized!!! The pictures at the top of this post are of our "Party!" I'm so thankful for God's protecting hand!

This was an amazing moment...the chopper pilot watched as this family crawled out of the rubble. They'd been in their storm shelter and it obviously saved their lives. The pilot was really choked up at the miracle he witnessed! Needless to say, we are getting a storm shelter...and soon!

Music Mania!

2011-05-27T21:05:00.004-05:00

Sadie had her band concert and choir concert last week. She did a great job at both....had a short solo in one of the choir numbers and sounded beautiful. We were really impressed with the quality of music and how good both groups were. I'm so glad she is involved musically...it really is one of her talents.

Liam also had his 5th grade program and he had a solo too...everyone was calling him Justin Bieber....he did a really GREAT job! http://youtu.be/bNcIWuWfFRA Here's the youtube link for it...Liam is the 3rd soloist at the beginning.

Briggs also had his Kindergarten Graduation this week where they sang some fun songs including "Oklahoma" from the musical...that's our state song and those kindergarten kids sure loved singing it!!!

15 Wonderful Years!!!

2011-05-23T00:05:00.001-05:00

Another big milestone for us….May 9th was our 15 Year anniversary…whoa, whoa, whoa! So, to celebrate, we spent the day together (not sure when the last time is that that happened!) shopped, went to a movie, went to Shiki---a yummy Japanese Hibachi restaurant, and lastly we bought an outdoor patio set! I’ve wanted one FOREVER and finally got it! Mother’s Day was on the 8th (poor planning on our part….we have Mother’s Day, our Anniversary and Chuck’s birthday within one week!!! I try to think of it as my week of celebrating my FAVORITE THINGS! My marriage to my amazing husband, being a mom to my awesome (and crazy) kids and Chuck’s Bday---he’s always worth celebrating---BIG TIME!) and my favorite memory was having dinner out on the patio with a cool breeze blowing, fresh flowers on the table, dinner that Chuck and the kids made and my cute family surrounding me. It just doesn’t get much better than that!

OH WAIT…..It DOES get better! I surprised Chuck with Josh Groban tickets!!!! He’s been one of our favorites since the beginning and YAY---he was in Tulsa on the 20th!!! What an awesome concert….his voice is unreal. It fills every corner of the room with an amazing depth and richness. It was powerful and wonderful all at the same time!!! And plus he is FUNNY! We laughed so hard. What a fun, special night! So…for our 10th Anniversary we saw Il Divo, our 15th we saw Josh Groban….just so you know, Chuck, for our 20 year anniversay I’m holding out for Michael Buble in Paris! (no pressure, honey!) Thanks for an unforgettable and wonderful 15 years….I can’t imagine forever with anyone else!!! Je t’aime!

Mommy went to Time Out!

2011-05-22T23:37:00.002-05:00

One of my FAVORITE things to do is go to a yearly women’s conference called TIME OUT FOR WOMEN. To make it even better, my mom, two sisters---Anita and Heidi---and Celeste (Dan’s wife) who is as good as any sister EVER was----were all here too! We had a great time and learned a lot (just up until the time that I got a weird flu virus! It only lasted about 12 hours but was horrible for that 12 hours!) but the best part was being with family and getting my cup filled. Loved it!

Ok, just kidding…there was another best part! My FAVORITE singer, Hilary Weeks, was there and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her music. My sweet friend, Marie, even got her autograph for me…thanks Marie! Hearing her sing was definitely a highlight of the conference! Here are a few links to my “favorite” songs of hers…you’ll laugh AND cry! http://youtu.be/6I8FCgaoaG8 (This is the laughing one…) http://youtu.be/HCVT88Dz_CM (this is the one that is my favorite…for when I’m having a hard time and just need to know that my Savior is there for me) http://youtu.be/GeXA4A8INJ4 (and this one just sums up who Christ is to me--love it!)

MK Career Conference in Frisco, TX

2011-05-22T23:06:00.003-05:00

Every spring we have a Career Conference for Mary Kay…this year it was in Frisco, TX which in addition to spending time with my AWESOME consultants and getting lots of great training…I also had my first trip to IKEA!!! Ok, I’m officially in love! We are seriously planning a trip during the summer so that I can spend an entire day there! Can’t wait!

Monday Mountain of Laundry!

2011-05-22T23:02:00.002-05:00

I think this is more than our normal “mountain” but it sure feels like this every week….laundry never ends! The sign in my laundry room says, “Laundry…loads and loads of FUN”! It’s my reminder about how much FUN I’m having!

Here's a fun clip of a song by my favorite, Hilary Weeks that really goes along with how I feel!

http://youtu.be/x1Yj5Zykg9I

Oh...here's the little video clip she did for the TOFW conference (pictures and an explanation above). She intro's the next group at the end so just ignore that....

http://youtu.be/6vNbNRTjleI

More photos with our Cousins at Bouncin’ off the Walls!!!

2011-05-22T22:58:00.001-05:00

Aunt Kimmie & Aunt Kellie

Kelsie & Sadie

Liam…surfin’ the slide!

Lydia---so happy to be sliding over and over and over again!

Sadie…backwards fun!

Briggs…monkey man!

Landon and Liam

Dave, Chuck, Landon, Liam & Jana

Liam, Zach and Parker playing in the BBall inflatable

Gabby and Aunt Kellie

Slide trains!

Briggs & Lydia---resident CRAZIES!!!

2011-05-22T22:50:00.001-05:00

Here are a few pictures of Lydia and Briggs in all their crazy cuteness…..as you can tell from our new family picture at the top of the blog, Briggs is quite the little Monkey! And he’s teaching Lydia all he knows…..

Here they are after Lydia’s recital—they insisted that I take this photo. Sillies! (more pictures to come from the recital)

Pillow “Spiderman” and She Rap…they are so crazy!!! They keep us laughing non stop!

Briggs is also my little lovebug…he picked all of these little clovers to surprise me, right around St. Patrick’s Day, and then put them in the kitchen sink window sill so that I could see them! He’s always doing sweet little things like that for me….what a sweetie!

This is Brigham’s Leprechaun trap. He made a “Leprechaun Hotel” with a sign that said FREE GOLD! The sneaky leprechaun visited their kindergarten classroom the night before St. Patrick’s Day, made a little mess, and left a cute note as well as some GOLD for them! He was SO excited about it. His teacher is the best!

Sadie is a TEENAGER!!! Auuuggghhhhh! :)

2011-05-22T22:35:00.001-05:00

Sadie was given an award at the end of the year Academic Assembly…she was the Most Improved Math Student in the 6th Grade! This was so exciting for her as she has worked really hard with her tutor…the amazing Mrs. Pawley----we’d be lost without her. When I called her to tell her we both got really emotional. Sadie really deserved this award!

Unbelievably, Sadie turned 13 in April!!! I still can’t believe we have a teenager. Sheeeshhh! She had a fun party with her great friends complete with a cake that a lady at church made. Sadie is REALLY into cakes and weddings (she is just like her Aunt LaDawn!) so having a fun cake made for her was a happy surprise!