Chemistry

Has this ever happened to you? I hope not.

If you are in the mood to laugh...watch this.

Meet me at the corner...

of Tobi and Mac.

Yet another reason to come to Oklahoma.

If you look closely you can see water dripping off the sign, it rained again today.

Rain, rain....GO AWAY!!!!!

Well, it has been a very wet June. The first few rainy days were sort of fun to stay in the house, play games, do art, experiment in the kitchen but after a few WEEKS of rain we are all going stir crazy. We are all ready to get out and enjoy some sunny days. Instead of griping about the rain I thought I would use this post to try to think of some good things that have come from all this rain.

1. I have not needed to water my tomato plants at all, they are huge.
2. We have made countless trips to the library to get new books and have already reached all of the goals for the summer reading program. :)
3. Our five year old has mastered use of the mouse and keyboard and can navigate all around the Webkinz site.
4. Time to catch up with old friends on the phone, I love you all!
5. Cuddle time on the couch with the kiddos.
6. Sleeping in, due to no swim team practice.
7. Plenty of time to write blog posts. :)
8. Even more time to read blog posts.

I guess there has been some good that has come out of the rain, but all in all I am ready for the sun to shine.

Book Bargains

This seems like the week to tell you about all sorts of bargains. If you are a John Piper fan you will be glad to know that ALL of the books in his online bookstore are $5 today and tomorrow. Adam sent me a long list of books that he is interested in . You might wonder why he wouldn't just log on and buy these books himself. Well, both of us have one weakness when it comes to purchases. I love shoes and he loves books. So in order not to overdo things we have established accountability to each other in these areas. Neither of us are permitted to purchases shoes or books without consulting the other. I am also not permitted to buy music CDs either. I am notorious for buying the worst CDs for the one song I love. We have many CDs that prove this point. With itunes available this is no longer as big of a problem, I can buy that one song I love for less than a dollar. The whole shoe and book thing really deserves it's own blog post ...maybe soon.

So back to the book sale, it seems that any book available in Piper's online bookstore can be purchased for the next two days for $5. No gimmicks...just some great deals for some serious summer reading. I was just looking and many of these are hardcover books and some even include an audio CD as well. I guess there has been quite a buzz even amidst the Piper staffers, you can read his blog post about the hoopla.

If you don't even know who John Piper is, never mind...but he is worth looking into. If you were going to read just one Piper book I would recommend Don't Waste Your Life.

Are there any other Piper fans out there?

Movie Time

Last week I took the kids to the to see the new Nancy Drew movie. Emma is a voracious reader; however, it is hard to find new books for her to read.(If you have any book recommendations feel free to leave them in your comments.) I had been trying to get her to read a Nancy Drew mystery for a year or so. Whenever I can get Emma started in a series it is great because once she gets into it she will practically devour the entire collection. I am not sure where she gets this obsessive tendency? :) Well, when we saw the preview for the Nancy Drew movie I knew it would be a good motivator for her to read one of the books. I told her that if she read just ONE Nancy Drew book I would take all three kids to see the movie, less forty eight hours later she had read one and was starting another. Mission Accomplished. Just as I had promised off we went to the local movie theater, the movie was cute and we have a new Nancy Drew fan on our hands.


Well, that brings me to the point of my blog post. While we were at the movie theater something caught my eye. FREE Movies. Yes, I was thinking the same thing I thought when I saw the free Root Beer float sign, "nothing is free". Sure enough it is true. All summer at AMC theaters nationwide there will be free kids movies every Wednesday morning(except July4th, which happens to be on a Wednesday). Check out their website and enter your zip code to see where the nearest participating theater is. OK, so maybe these are not the newest releases, most of them are movies that have come out in the last 6 months or so, but if your kids are anything like mine they will watch the same DVDs over and over again. It will just a be a good reason to get our of the heat(or the rain) and enjoy the big screen. Plus at a price like this, you can actually afford to buy the kids their own popcorn and drink. :) I forgot to mention that for $3 you can buy a kid's pack with a small drink, popcorn and a small candy treat, PERFECT! For $9 plus the price of my diet Coke we are all set.

She loves her vegetables...

not just any vegetables, Veggietales that is.

This week it was the youngest set of toes' turn to make the musical selection. This was no easy decision for a five year old with a passion for singing vegetables. She finally settled on the "Jonah was a Prophet" song.

Laura has turned us all into Veggietales fans, we can sing endless silly songs and laugh and laugh. Our favorite is the Veggie Rocks album, some of the best of the Veggietales sung by Relient K, Superchic[k], Newsboys, and others. It is worth a listen.

Also for those of you die hard Veggietales fans out there, the sequel to Jonah is coming out this winter. "The Pirates Who Don't do Anything" will be coming to theaters everywhere in February of 2008.

For now, sit back, pause my music player and take a trip to Nineveh.

Where are you?

We had so much fun with this last month we wanted to post it again. If there are any of you who didn't get a chance to sign the log book last month, now is your chance. Don't be a "lurker", we love to know who is reading our blog.

Reformed Luddite

I was once described by my tech-savvy brother as a Luddite. Of course I had no idea what this was and had a hunch it was not a compliment. Apparently the Luddites were a group of people that fought technology during the industrial revolution. I admit I DO NOT embrace change, it takes me awhile to warm up to new things, especially high-tech electronics. I remember when we first started talking about getting a DVD player, I thought a VCR was just fine..."who needs this new fangled contraption?" Of course we got one(or two) and now I can't image not being able to watch special features, skip scenes and replay my favorites.

Well this last week I had a Luddite moment. A few months ago we downgraded our cable to basic(and I mean BASIC) programming. We basically go the local networks, PBS, the Spanish channels and a few public access channels. With school out and the deluge of rain that we have had in this summer I decided we might need to upgrade for the summer months. I called the local cable company sure they would be excited to upgrade my service(read:take our money). Well, the guy on the other end of the phone was ready to sell all of the best new features in digital cable. This is when I broke out into a cold sweat and could feel my blood pressure rise. He informed me that upgrading to the digital cable would make much more sense and it would even cost less than just getting the expanded basic cable I used to have. He informed me that the technician would be out to hook it up bring me my new box and give me a tutorial and show me how to use all the features....whoa! This is when inner Luddite came out, I told him that I wasn't interested in anything that needed a tutorial. To sum it up, I ended up just getting the simple old fashioned cable.

To all of you non-Luddites, I know my fear of technology might not make sense to you. Am I the only one who gets a new cell phone, digital camera, or other gadget and feels overhelmed that you will never figure out all that it can do? The funny thing is once I get the hang of the new device, it usually enhances my quality of life . I guess that is the whole point. :)

Hey little bro, don't worry there is hope for me. After all I am sitting here writing a blog post on my new MacBook with my wireless mouse and talking on my Bluetooth ear piece, aren't you proud? Baby steps....

No Dumping

Have you ever seen the sign "No Dumping" and wondered why that would be necessary. I never really paid much attention to those signs until recently. After moving to Oklahoma these signs have almost become humorous to us.

First of all we realize that is NOT free to get rid of stuff. Our city is very strict about trash removal and there are not a lot of options for things that don't fit in your "legal" trash cans.

We have been doing some major trimming of branches, bushes, and other vegetation. When we first moved in we had to rent a flat-bed trailer from the base for Adam to haul off our various greenery. As he was driving down the road @ 45 mph with the trailer I think some of the limbs may have blown off in the Oklahoma wind. You may be surprised that Oklahoma had so many trees and that they actually needed trimming, I was. Rich, yet another reason to come visit... trees. :) I digress.

Well, a few weeks ago we were doing a little more trimming and had a dilemma. It was not enough of a load to rent the trailer from base but it was definitely more than what would fit in our two allotted "legal" trash cans. I am thinking this is when illegal dumping becomes an option. So I convinced Adam that we could cram all of these limbs into the back of our car and take them to the transfer station. He was skeptical and said they would never fit. Guess what? We did it. I thought you would like to see a few pictures of this. The kids said that the back seat felt like a jungle. :)

The other reason that I am convinced that people feel compelled to "dump" is the cost. I alluded to this a few paragraphs ago but you have to pay to get rid of things. With our original batch of limbs, we had to actually cut them which was a lot of work. Then we had to rent the trailer, load it, and then when we got to the transfer station we had to pay to get rid of them. Even with all of the limbs crammed into the back of our car we had to pay to dispose of them.

The trip to the transfer station was an educational trip of sorts. We saw some unique things.

As we looked into the backs of all of the trucks waiting in line to dump we thought of all the stuff that once was valuable to it's owner now was either broken, unwanted, out of style or otherwise undesirable.

Here is another picture of an interesting carload we saw beside us. I think this guy probably garbage for people, I should have gotten his number. :)

The other funny thing we saw as a Hummer H2 filled with junk unloading it. Illustrates another point, everyone has trash.

As we were backed up to the dumping zone, I looked inside the big building that hold all of this smelly trash, it really almost made me gag. I looked up and in the windows of the transfer station the workers had written inspirational messages in the soot that had built up on the windows. We enjoyed seeing their encouragement to all that came to dump legally.

I leave you with these few point that I learned from dumping.

1. We all have trash.
2. Purging is work and it costs.
3. We can turn a dirty situation into something inspirational.
4. Oklahoma has trees.

Aqua Jets

This year was our first year to have the opportunity to put the kids on a summer swim team. When we started the season we had 30 toes enrolled to swim...that quickly changed. It was quite obvious to us at the first practice that the team was not as developmental as we had hoped. Laura was reduced to tears within the first five minutes. She is still having fun cheering her big brother and sister on.

We have already had two meets and it has been such a blast to watch the kids compete and gain confidence. At the second meet they both stretched themselves and tried new things. Emma swam the individual medley relay and Andrew swam backstroke. Both of them were nervous as the heat was about to start but were so proud of themselves when it was over and they had overcome their fears, I was swelling with pride.

Laura had asked me if she could dip her feet in the pool, I thought that would be fine. Well, within about ten minutes I looked over and she was fully clothed and soaking wet. It was pretty cute but I was not swelling with pride... smiling on the inside instead. :) Her coot.

Here are some pictures from the last meet. Go Aqua Jets!

Here's Mine, What's Yours?

ESFJ - "Seller". Most sociable of all types. Nurturer of harmony. Outstanding host or hostesses. 12.3% of total population.

Free Jung Personality Test (similar to Myers-Briggs/MBTI)

I have been an ESFJ since the first time I can remember taking this test. I am curious as to what you are? Feel free to post your type in the comments.


Thanks Scrappy Mom for this link. I think it is funny that we are both ESFJs.

Pleasure or Pain?

Today I was chatting with Andrew in our room. I was folding clothes with my back to him and he said, "this looks like the thing that they used to whip Jesus". I quickly perked up and thought "what in the world could he be talking about?" I turned to look and he was holding this...

Don't be scared... it is just my Mr. Happy Head Trip Massager. I love getting my scalp massaged and this thing makes it even better. Here is the description from amazon.com.

Product Description
Product Description: Spine-tingling bliss. The Tingler gently massages the scalp, touching acupressure points to create goosebumps and shivers of delight. The Ultimate Massager. "This is better than chocolate." "My kids love it - puts them to sleep." "Amazing! Best massage tool ever!" The Tingler is a copper conduit of healing energy. It softly massages acupressure points and sensitive nerve endings causing a heightened, blissful activation of the senses, awakening your brain while relaxing your whole being. Lots of folks say their headaches disappear. All we know is that it's the most divine, relaxing, goosebumpy, erotic, friend-making, healing Head Massager ever made. If you want something that gives you goose-bumps and exhilarating, toe-curling pleasure that you can still do in public, this is it! The Tingler massages millions of nerve endings in your scalp and produces stress relieving, brain awakening endorphins. The first time you use the Tingler, don't try it on yourself. Have someone do you. Return the favor. Lower it on the head, careful of the eyes!! Think of it as a big hand with long nails. Twist, turn, raise and lower slowly - back of the neck and top of the head are amazing! Adjust the wires any way that feels best: tight, or loose. Practice, play, experiment, have fun!

If you like getting your head massaged you should try it. I gave all of the kids a head massage after I assured them it was not a torture device. They mostly just giggled the whole time, I think it tickled more than anything. Maybe you have to be older and more stressed out for it to have the relaxing effect. :)

got book?

Monday is here again. I am not sure why I am surprised, it comes after Sunday EVERY week. I guess the time just passes so fast, that is what shocks me.

This week our musical selection was made by our first born 10 toes, Emma. I love her selection. This is song by Southpaw that we discovered last week as we were surfing the internet looking for the 66 books, 1 story song, that I referenced on Saturday. This song, "Baby got BOOK" is a Weird Al type rendition of "Baby Got Back", with a Christian twist.

Enjoy.

Don't forget to pause my music player before you play the music video. Are you enjoying that? I hope so, I am. It gives me inspiration while I am writing posts.

Happy Father's Day

My Dad is a mender of toys, a leader of boys; changer of fuses,
a healer of bruises; a mover of couches, a healer of ouches;
a hanger of screens, a counselor of teens; a pounder of nails,
a teller of tales; a dryer of dishes, a fulfiller of wishes.
(JoAnn Heid)

I am so thankful that my kids have such an amazing father. We have been blessed beyond measure.

He is the glue that hold us all together. He is... our anchor, our provider, our protector, our biggest fan. I can think of many times when he is behind the scenes so that one of us can take center stage. I am so thankful for this man. He has modeled unconditional love to all of us in a way that helps us get a small glimpse of the Father's love.

Happy Father's Day babes, I love you with all of my heart. I do not feel worthy of your love but you still lavish it upon me. Thanks you for always leading by example and being willing to get down in the trenches and meet us where we are. You almost always put yourself last and put our needs ahead of yours. Thank you for your servant leadership.

You are our HERO! We love you.

To all blog readin' dads out there, Happy Father's Day to you too!

66 books, 1 story

We sang a song called Everything Fades this week at our Vacation Bible School. It was an awesome rap type song that taught us the books of the Bible. We even learned hand motions. I might finally be able to learn the books of the Old Testament this way. The very last line of the song is "66 books, 1 story". With that as my inspiration I want to share with you in a nutshell about our week.

1 amazing church

2 horses(really, live horses, at church)

40 toes from our family

5 days

6 grades(k-5)

749 people total

569 kids

65 volunteers

115 wranglers(teachers)

6,374 dollars raised for the upcoming Mexico mission trip

51 decisions to follow Christ

100s of new friendships formed

1000s crafts made
66 books
1 story
1 Supernatural God

Below is one of the other songs we sang this week. It was amazing watching over 500 kids sing and worship together. There is just something awesome about that.

Don't forget to pause my NEW music player before you watch, I mean listen to the video below.

i'm lovin' It

Have you ever poured a fountain drink that didn't taste quite right? Diet Coke has a hint of Root beer? We have a joke in our family about dispensing a fountain drink. It is not as simple as putting ice in a cup and pushing the cup against the lever and letting the precious brown liquid flow in to the cup. First, you dispense some ice and check the amount of ice. It's never correct on the first try, so you dump a few cubes out and then add a few more. Sometimes this process is repeated until the right amount of ice is in the cup depending upon atmospheric conditions and the type of cup. Hot weather means more ice, Styrofoam cups mean less ice. In our family there's a winter ice ration and a summer ice ration. Then you serve a small amount of soda in the cup and taste the mix to make sure it's alright. As I perform this ritual I often think these actions resemble tasting a vintage of wine (not that I've done that but I've seen it done.) If the mix meets your approval you commit and fill the cup. Then you take a few sips, because sips are free, and refill the glass before proceeding to pay for your drink.

Well today Charlotte, Laura and I were having lunch at McDonald's. I went for refills and at the soda fountain I and met the Coke man. He was measuring the mix ratio of the fountain. I love to know how stuff works so I asked him about what he was doing. I first asked him if he was cleaning the fountain and was disappointed to hear that he wasn't. Have you ever wondered how often those machines are cleaned? I have, and it kind of disturbs me, I have issues I guess. Then the Coke man and I discussed ratioing a soda fountain which was cool to learn and appeared more technical than I expected. I returned to the table smiling and told Charlotte there was someone at the soda fountain she'd like to meet. Uncertain what I could mean she went to the fountain and before I knew it she was laughing and chatting with the Coke man.

As it turns out McDonald's has a contract with Coke to handle everything about their soda fountains, with the exception of cleaning them which the Coke man said they do themselves. I laughed as Charlotte and the Coke man discussed the many companies who handle their own soda fountains and the Coke man explained that's why they never taste quite right. It was quite a moving moment for Charlotte to talk to the "expert" and have all her suspicions confirmed.

So next time you enjoy a soda at McDonald's know that the ratio of soda water to syrup is professionally set. (I can't believe this is another post about soda but this even made us laugh and of course when we sat back down at our table we said, "we're bloggin' this.")

Learning from B-dog

I love when the kids teach me lessons. The times that they do something that reminds me of a lesson I've learned and forgotten. Or when they do something that shows they are listening to the lessons we're trying to teach them. I love to receive a sign that they get it. Andrew is in the family spotlight for one such act today.

You have to understand two personality traits about Andrew to appreciate this blog post. Andrew does not like to share. Charlotte and I have been praying for Andrew to become better at sharing. We have spent a decent amount of time trying to decide how do you teach someone to share. Lacking any sure fire solutions we have prayed that he'll learn how to share. The other personality trait you have to understand is that he loves money. We joke and call him "Alex P. Keaton". Andrew loves to have a few dollars in his wallet. He has been like this from the time that he was young. Here's an illustration, one day Charlotte pulled up to the McDonald's drive through window to pay and found that the twenty dollar bill she had in her wallet was missing(this was before you could buy EVERYTHING with a debit/credit card). "That's funny, I thought I had a twenty" Charlotte said. Andrew, then two/three, from the back row of the car said "I have a dollar in my wallet, Mom" (uh-oh) and he handed her the missing twenty. Knowing that Andrew is not good at sharing and that he loves money you're ready for the rest of the story.

The kids are attending Vacation Bible School at our church this week. They are having a great time. One activity they are participating in is raising funds to support a family missions trip our church is taking to Mexico this summer. Everyday the kids bring in money to help the kids in Mexico. One day the goal was set to ensure that each Mexican child at the church the missions trip will support receives a Bible, another day the goal was to raise enough funds to install a bathroom in their church. Well Andrew has been quite moved by this endeavor this week. He came home tonight and our selfish little man unselfishly found every penny to his name and set it aside to take to VBS tomorrow. I was so proud of my little man and so thankful to see our prayers answered. Charlotte was so moved she offered to match his gift.

I'm not sure what the Lord has in store for Andrew. He has always had a love for China. He even told someone he was from China once, they didn't believe him :). And he's had a heart for lost souls. Once he almost got in a fight with his friend who would not repent and ask Jesus into his heart after Andrew shared the gospel with him. He may need some work on his delivery but Andrew is teaching our family that we need to have faith like a child and boldly proclaim the good news of the gospel.

Geek Speak

This post is primarily for those who are blog authors. I am not sure if you have noticed that YouTube has added an additional feature to embedded videos. After a YouTube video is viewed on your site it will now give a scroll bar of other videos that can be viewed from your site. Not all of the videos that are offered are related to the one you have embedded and you have no control over which are listed and some might not be a subject you would like shown on your site.

I found a way to disable this YouTube option on the John Piper blog.

To disable this feature add &rel=0 to the URL in the Html code. If you are not sure what the URL is, it is the web address set off by parenthesis. The web address is listed twice and the second time it is telling the the video to be embedded, this is where you want to post the &rel=0, right before the parenthesis.

If you have no idea I what I am saying, I am sorry to bore you.

I have gone back and edited all of my YouTube embedded videos and it worked. I was actually shocked. If you watch something on your site that you have embedded you will see what I am talking about.

We just want to keep our blog clean and "child friendly" and would hate for someone to view something inappropriate from our site.

Personal Policies

The best thing about the blog is the relationships that have been fostered. Old relationships have been renewed, current ones strengthened and new relationships have been formed. It has been fun making a few new "blog" friends, one being Alycia. I hope that one day we will be able to meet... how fun to think of that. For now we will have to relate across oceans and blog posts. Adam joked with me and commented that it appears I am even extroverted on the internet. :)

Alycia has tagged me for a Personal Policies meme. She wants to know my personal policies - not moral rules, like "Do Not Kill," I'm talking about the silly policies we impose on ourselves, like "Never eat anything you can't identify," or "Don't step on sidewalk cracks."

At first I didn't think I had any of these sort of policies, but once I started going...LOOK OUT! My kids may have actually been better equipped to write this post.

1. When it comes to snail mail, I ALWAYS open the good stuff first. Who wants to open bills or junk mail when you can open a handwritten note?
2. This applies to email also. SPAM is always last.
   
3. When I stay in a hotel, I prefer it to have an interior hallway. I am not thrilled about opening the door to my room and wondering what kind of weirdo could be lurking outside my room.
4. We ALWAYS buckle...no exceptions, even just to cross the parking lot.
   
5. We always pray before our meals, even if we are out at a restaurant. If we don't one of the kids usually reminds us. Adam always jokes around and tries to convince we us need to say grace before dessert too.
6. In the kitchen, there are food counters and non-food counters. I don't like food to be prepared in the area I normally try to keep dry for papers, cell phone chargers, etc.
   
7. In our house if it is your birthday you are the BOMB! It is all about you. It is fun to honor the birthday boy or girl and shower them with love, presents, kisses, hugs, etc.
8. A cold diet Coke is the first thing I consume each and every morning...no exceptions.
9. I only drink Diet Pepsi in case of emergency such as no diet Coke is available.
10. At our house cleaning up after yourself is BIG. Adam once gave me a notepad with a funny saying on the front cover. It said "Clean up this mess and I'll let you live." I still laugh when I look at it.
    
11. The toilet paper has only one "right" way to be attached. It would only make sense to have to paper coming over the top. Adam is still not sure about this one, but he does comply.
    
12. In our house 10 is the magic age for piercing and it is only permissible for girls on your earlobes ONE time. Period.
13. Being on time is big with us. We try to be on time and appreciate when others are as well.
14. The left-hand side of the bed (from the perspective of someone standing at the foot of the bed, looking at it) is my side.
15. I can not go to sleep if there are any bumps in the sheets, everything has to be neat and smooth. Call me the princess and the pea.
16. I do not ever leave the house until all the beds are made. There are 50 toes and four beds.
17. I am even happier if this has been done before breakfast.
18. I hit snooze a LOT. I am not sure if I have EVER gotten up the first time the alarm goes off. I got a new alarm clock last year and soon realized it turned completely off after one hour of snoozing...this was not good.

It is now your turn. Don't feel like you have to list as many policies as I have, I realize we(I should speak for myself, I) have some freakish tendencies and that many, if not all of you are more laid back. I am tagging Kate, Meggo, Katie, Julie, the Gough's, the Stringer Zoo, the Soldier's Wife, Scrappy Mom, Mommy to four Js , Sheri and for those of you who do not have a blog feel free to leave a few of your personal policies in your comments.

Have great day and don't forget to Buckle Up. :)

Oklahoma Rising

It is hard to believe that Monday is already here again. It is time for our weekly music selection. This week Andrew got the chance to choose what song he wanted to put on the blog. He will be taking you on a tour of our great state of Oklahoma.

It is funny, we have only been back in Oklahoma for about 10 months, but Andrew is a Sooner through and through. He has become a huge OU fan.

We are living in Oklahoma during an exciting time in their history. This year they will be celebrating their 100th birthday as a State. This is a stark contrast to coming from a part of the country that is over 400 years old. Nonetheless, it is exciting to be a part of this year long celebration. The kids have come home belting out various Oklahoma tunes....

"Oklahoma! Where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain

And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet

When the wind comes right behind the rain..

"Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner",

"It's Oklahoma Rising..."

This is a new song that was written and recorded by Jimmy Webb and Vince Gill to commemorate Oklahoma's Centennial.

Welcome to the Great State of Oklahoma. Have a look around y'all.

The Blues

Today we had the opportunity to go to the local air show. It started out looking like it was not going to be a great day for an air show but by the time we had driven to base the clouds had cleared and the sun was out..we even have the tan lines to prove it. We went armed with sunscreen, ear plugs, water bottles, ready to have a fun day in the HOT Oklahoma sun. I know I mentioned this a few days ago, but I am telling you it can get really hot in Oklahoma, temperatures over 100 are not that uncommon. It is dry heat...right? Dry or not, it is hot.

The kids all love to go to air show they love to tour the planes, sit in the cockpits(esp. Daddy's), but the best part of all is watching the planes fly, that is after all what they were made to do. We had the privilege of having the U. S. Navy's Blue Angel Flight Demonstration Squadron as the headliner today. "The Blues" do not often come to Oklahoma, so this was a special treat. We are a Navy family stationed at an Air Force base so it is great to have some fellow shipmates aboard NAS Tinker. :) I don't know what it is but I just feel like a kid again when I watch these guys fly. They do some amazing maneuvers all the while making it look so easy. Some of our non-military friends came along with us today. I was so proud to show them around the flight line, I am actually shocked that I know the difference between a F16, F/A-18, C-130, KC135, C17, E6, E3, I could go on and on, but I won't. Air shows and Change of Commands are probably two times that I am brimming with patriotism the most.

It was a very hot day and were all drenched(and that is not an exaggeration) with sweat. We were all thankful for the water stations set up where you could refill your water bottles, hose your kids off, or both. It was a great way to beat the heat while we were waiting for the Blues.

The time we were all waiting for finally arrived. The Blues took center stage. And as usual...they never disappoint. The level of professionalism and expertise that is displayed by the Blue Angels is inspiring. We stayed around after the show and got autographs and thanked them for an amazing show. The kids even got to take a picture with the CO Blue Angel #1.

Seven weeks ago today, 21 April 2007, there was a accident near Beaufort, South Carolina and LCDR Kevin "Kojak" Davis Blue Angel #6 was killed during an air show. The Blues took a week off to remember their fallen angel and refocus and then they went right back to their jobs. I so appreciate their dedication to our country in promoting the Navy and Marine Corps Aviation. We remember LCDR Davis for his service to our country by making the ultimate sacrifice. You can see a video tribute to him below.

Call to prayer

I saw this video a few weeks ago and wanted to post it today. This story breaks my heart. Please take a minute today and pray for Jeseca and her husband and sweet little boys. Today is their 11 year anniversary and I can hardly imagine enduring what they have gone through. Jon's last blog post was a few days ago, so I am not sure of the latest update on Jeseca's health. You can read more about Jon on his website. It sounds as if the doctors have given her days left to live.

Lord, please heal Jeseca if it is your will, please take away her pain and give her peace. Thank you for the 11 years of marriage you have given them. If it is your will to take her home to be with you please provide comfort for her husband and children that she leaves behind. Thank you that NOTHING is impossible with you and that your will is perfect. Amen

We came , we saw

We conquered.


WARNING! Rich and Mel, read at your own risk. Not responsible for emotions that may result from the reading of this blog post. :)
If you drive that RV out here, I promise to take you to Happy Hour, my treat.


Mission accomplished. This will serve as the debrief. Am I married to a pilot, or what? I couldn't possibly leave you hanging to wonder how the free float night went.

We had a great time at Sonic. All went according to plan. We arrived early and parked in one of the before mentioned favorite three spots. Some friends who did not get one of the prime spots even came over to join us. It turned into a tailgate party... what fun. We saw friends, enjoyed yummy floats and did this all in fine Oklahoma style... from the tailgate of our Ford truck. Katie P. It wasn't the same without you. :(

We took these pictures as we were leaving, "our" normally quiet Sonic.

It was hopping and as you can see there was gridlock in the parking lot. It was a great night and fun was had by all. We were even able to pose with the cherry limeade...who knew?

I am looking forward to your comments and wondering how many of you made it and what kind of mayhem you encountered.

I am also wondering if we can go more than a week without posting something about diet Coke or Sonic. :) I highly doubt it.

Thirsty Thursday

Yesterday as I drove by "our" Sonic I noticed a sign that said FREE root beer floats, I had to drive by a second time to read the fine print. You know how nothing is ever free, there is always some catch. It said free root beer floats on June 7 from 8 PM- Midnight, while supplies last. WOW...that sounds like a pretty good deal. That spurred on various comments and concerns from the kids.

Some of our questions were...

-I wonder if we can ALL get a free float, or just one of us?
-I wonder if we can each order two FREE floats? Which I quickly informed them they could not, esp after 8 PM.
-I wonder if it has to be a root beer float? or can it be another flavor like, Coke or my favorite, diet Coke?
-I wonder how crowded it will be?
-Is it just "our" Sonic? or all Sonics?

The kids are very attached to the Sonic by our house and don't like to patronize any other Sonic, I too am partial to "ours". We are very loyal customers, plus they practically have our order ready when they see us driving up.

My favorite was how one of the kids felt that is would be best if we got there at around 7:45 so we were all set to order at 8PM and so that the "while supplies last" was not an issue. That was the child that is my clone. :) That's my girl.

Well, this afternoon we went to "Happy Hour" and I decided to ask the friendly carhop about the so called FREE floats and clear up some of our issues. I have some good news to report, it is NOT to good to be true.

THURSDAY June 7th from 8PM- midnight ALL Sonics nationwide will be giving away free floats(10 oz.), any flavor, even diet Coke. One per person, sorry Andrew! :(

The skeptic that I am had to wonder, WHY? Are they hoping we will feel bad just driving up and getting a car load of free floats and feel obligated to by something else? Do they think that after we try one FREE float we will not be able to drive by without resisting the urge to order another one? I am not sure of their reasons, but I know one thing. We will be there at 7:45 just like Emma suggested ready to order.

If you want more info or want to see where the closest Sonic is click the banner above. Sorry Alycia, I know there are no Sonics in Japan...YET.

On the Sonic website there is a fun game where you can practice taking orders at Sonic. The kids might like this.

Here she is

Thanks for all of the comments yesterday, Emma loved hearing from all of you. I am sure she would equally love to hear how you like the new look. I think she looks too cute.

We were really excited that Adam's schedule changed and he even got to accompany us to the salon. Emma was so brave, she was a little nervous but told us she felt as if there was no turning back.

Ever since she has gotten it cut, I have been catching her get a glimpse of her reflection anywhere she can, car windows, mirrors, etc. It is cute. She told us that she LOVES it. We think she looks older with this new cut, our little girl is growing up... way UP. It won't be long before she passes me by in height.

Here are a few more pictures from our trip to the salon.

Here is Emma with her 11 inches to send to Locks of Love.

Emma's cute new "do". Thanks Stevie, for giving Emma such a cute haircut.

Hair Today...

...GONE tomorrow.



We wanted to take a moment to pause and document Emma's long hair. She has been growing it out for the last 2 years, I can't remember the last time she got it cut. She started growing her hair out for ballet so that it was long enough to wear in a bun. Well, that turned into "maybe I should grow it out for Locks of Love". That is exactly what she has done. The problem is...in the process she has grown quite attached(no pun intended :) ) to her long hair. In some ways I think it will be hard for her to see it go, but in others ways, it will make life easier. For one, it will be a LOT cooler in the Oklahoma sun without all that hair. Tomorrow is the big day, she is donating at least ten inches. I am so proud her, she is really excited to donate her hair and be able to help someone else.

Here is a picture a friend of mine took last week after she flat ironed her hair. I will post her "new look" tomorrow. I know she will look adorable.

Music Monday

This summer you can tune in every Monday for a musical selection by 50 toes and we will post the video here for your viewing pleasure. We will give all of the 5o toes, 10 at time, a chance to choose a different genre of music. You will get to know more about us and a glimpse of our different personalities through our favorite tunes. I guarantee you will be in for a treat.

This inaugural week, the tallest of the 50 toes did the choosing. Adam is really a rocker at heart and Relient K has been one of the bands he has been enjoying lately. The music is great but their lyrics are even better.

Tune in each Monday for a new song.

The Story of Us

Twelve years ago today, we began the journey called marriage. It's been a wild and fun adventure that we could never have imagined. There have been highs and lows. It hasn't always been easy but we have discovered more and more each year how perfect we are for each other. We'd both say that we love each other now more than we ever have. We've learned how our weaknesses are complimented by the other's strengths. Through the years we've enjoyed writing "the story of us" together. We're the heroes and unfortunately at times the villains as well. But I can't imagine writing this story with anyone else. I am greatly blessed to have Charlotte as my wife. I thank God for bringing her into my life (this thankfulness is easier some days than others.) May we look back after the next twelve chapters of the "story of us" have been lived and continue to savor the blessing of marriage.

Happy Hour

If it is between 2:30 and 4:30 PM any weekday afternoon, you can most likely run into me at our local Sonic. This is "Happy Hour" at Sonic which means that all fountain drinks are half price. I pull up into one of my favorite spots and this is such a ritual that I almost always pull up into one of three spots, am I the only one who is such a creature of habit? Then I push the magic button order my Route 44 Diet Coke with easy ice. I have learned over time at Sonic that if you do not specify "easy" ice your drink is almost 90% ice. If the kids are in the car with me I am usually feeling generous and order them a drink too, a small cherry limeade slush is usually popular with them. A new addtition to Sonic since we lived in OK last time is the fact that you can just pay with your credit card right on the menu, it is way too easy. Now this is the best part...in just few minutes the friendly carhop is practically running to my car with my little(I mean extra large) afternoon treat. If you are not familiar with my Diet Coke obsession read Vitamins in a Can?

I do not go to Happy Hour every day, probably only four times a week or so...enough. Not all Sonics have Happy Hour and not all advertise, sometimes it is just for the regulars who happen to be in the know. :) I am hoping that the kids aren't mentioning to their friends or teachers that their mom looks forward to Happy Hour every day, they might start to wonder.