I was so inspired from my 5k yesterday I recruited Tuesday and we met the RunHers group out at Hefner for a special event called Martha Stewart Moves, it was to celebrate her new show on the Hallmark Channel and everyone in the group got a free running shirt, apron & wooden spoon just for coming! We had an easy 2 mile run, photo opp and then went to Panera for breakfast.
Pretty pink sunrise!
My family was just getting up when I got home! I feel like a marine or something, lol!
Today is the day I have been preparing for, for months, my first 5k!!! I was so nervous this morning I felt sick to my stomach. I did get up on time with plenty of time to spare and ate 1/2 a Pure Protein Bar and drank some Gatorade, then Lori arrived and we rode to Hefner together.
The atmosphere was great, tons of people everywhere all smiling and casual. We had to use the disgusting port a potties after all our Gatordade but there were so many people there they had to bring in a bunch of 'clean' ones so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.
We warmed up and stretched a bit and then everyone started lining up. I had major butterflies in my stomach but distracted myself with getting my music cued up. It seemed surreal when they fired the gun to signal the start and just like that my body started moving.
There were people of all abilities there, I got past the first water station and over the bridge and there were people on their way back! I was a little shocked by that, but just kept pushing myself and plugging along. There was someone on the other side of the bridge that signaled us to turn around because we were at the halfway point, that felt great and I just kept moving.
My goals were to run the whole thing without stopping and to try to complete it in 30-35 minutes. There was one point right around the lighthouse when I thought....I am going to have to walk for a minute...but I kept moving a little slower and once I got around the curve I saw the finish line and that was the most amazing feeling ever, because I knew I was going to make it! I pushed myself to the finish and reached both of my goals, my time was 33:50 and I finished pretty much right in the middle 36th out of 71 females and 6th out of 10 for my age group. I am just thrilled to have done it, it felt amazing!!
After I crossed the finish line, they immediately handed me water and I kept walking and panting trying to catch my breath. They wanted me to stop so they could get the timing tag off my shoe and man was that annoying cause I could barely breath and just wanted to walk a minute and catch my breath! I waited there for Lori and we hung out and just enjoyed the moment and watching the others cross the finish line and finally we decided we needed a picture at the Finish Line, so here we are, looking sweaty but very happy!!
This has been a great week so far, the kids were out of school on Monday & Tuesday, we went to see Nanny Mcphee Returns and it was super cute.
Page took his DRE final on Tuesday and aced it! I know that is a big weight off his shoulders, he has been working towards that for months and studying like crazy to memorize his drug matrix. We are very proud of him!
We kicked off our weekend tonight with the Fall Picnic up at the school. The kids had tons of fun and Page and I got worn out from chasing Mikey around, lol!
Today proved to me that no matter what you have going on in your life or how overwhelmed you may feel, life does not slow down for you!! First up was the baby shower for one of my very best friends Amy, who is in from Houston, and I am a co-hostess! Needless to say, with everything we have had going on with the funeral/company etc. I did not have my baby shower ducks in a row!
I was up early and dashed to the grocery store to get the ingredients for the Strawberry Spinach Salad I was bringing (thanks, Rachel for the recipe!!) and then back home to put it all together. Then a mad dash to Target to grab napkins and baby gift (The First Years BabyPro Sterilizer and the cutest outfit ever!!!) and then a drive down to Norman to Amy's cousin Shana's house...which is absolutely gorgeous btw!
Amy is one of those disgusting women that looks like a twig that swallowed a basketball when she is knocked up, it's naseating...especially to someone who looks like a beached whale when she's pregnant...not naming any names or anything.
Here is the glowing goddess with the babies sporty onesies. This child is going to be so confused trying to decide whether to route for OU, OSU or LSU?!
Hostesses
After all the festivities I headed back home and managed to squeeze in a 3 mile run and then hung out with the family some more.
Today was a busy and emotional day. We have lots of friends and family here with us and lots of other friends and family brought food by &/or came to the service. I also did a lot of cooking, hoping to have plenty of food for all the hungry people stopping by to offer condolences, luckily the service wasn't until 3. Page was in get 'er done mode all morning and barely sat down for 2 seconds to let anything sink in. The service was lovely and though Page was going to speak, he found himself too emotional to do so. The chaplin for the Police Dept. was happy to step in and actually did a really wonderful job.
Becky told me that her mom loved red roses and blue carnations so that is what we had put in her casket spray and a lot of people took a keepsake flower from there after the service. There were a lot of pretty flowers. I was so thankful to have my friend Marsha there representing Memorial Park, they did a wonderful job and Marsh has always been like the den mother to whatever group of people she is with, she has a real gift for nurturing and empathizing with others.
My neighbor, Jennifer, was kind enough to watch Mikey for us but we took Chris and Lex with us to the service and my mom and dad drove up too. Even though it is such a sad occasion it was really great to see and spend time with family that we rarely get to see. Everyone came over to our house after the service to eat and visit. Lexi loves her cousin, Jessica, and she was such a great sport and played all kinds of games with her. Here are a few pics from today, but first a photo of Page's beautiful mom and handsome dad from their younger days.
Look what we saw today! It seemed as if it were right over our house! The kids thought grandma sent it to them from heaven...sounds great to me!
Today was a very shocking and sad day. We were doing our normal things, Lexi Dance Class, Chris Swim Lessons, Page LEDT training from 8-4. Chris and I had left swim lessons and gone to Academy, and we were just leaving when Page called and said we needed to get home right away. Dispatch had actually called him to let him know that EMSA was on a call to a certain address and the last name was Hussey and wanted to know if it was a family member of his. Well, in fact, it was him momma and she had just had a massive heart attack, out of no-where, and they were on the scene trying to revive her. We rushed home as fast as we could, we were luckily less than 10 minutes away, and Page was then free to go right over. He seemed slightly hesitant to rush out and I think it's because he knew that this was it.
Chris was pretty upset, but I finally got him down to bed and then I waited and waited and Page never called. I didn't know whether to call and possibly interrupt something or just keep waiting, and then some of his out of town family members started calling wanting to know what was going on, so I finally called. Page answered and very calmly explained that his mother had passed away and that they EMSA crew & the doctor's at Edmond Memorial had worked on her for over 2 hours to no avail. Apparently, at no time did they ever get her back at all, so it sounds like she died instantly. I felt so helpless and really wanted to be there with Page, but he said he felt I could do the most good by being with the kids. I can't imagine how he must be feeling or what it was like to stand by and watch people you work with trying to revive your loved one. I waited up for him and we talked for a long time. Page is so strong, but I worry about him focusing so much on being the rock for everyone, that he doesn't actually grieve himself. One thing I know for sure, is the world lost one wonderful lady tonight. Patsy Ruth Hussey, we will never forget you or what you meant to all of us. May you rest in peace and be reunited with all of your loved ones forever. We love you.
Well, I mentioned fast tracking and today I went for it and I met my goal of running 30 minutes without stopping! I know it wasn't 3.1 miles but I am close. I will use my remaining time to get my distance in and then my time down.
For the daily cuteness, I have Lexi sharing her after lunch treat with her little bro....she really didn't have much of a choice, he was following her around like a puppy & squawking like a chicken for some of that candy! She is such a little mother though, she was glad to give him what he wanted and we were all happy and ready for some quiet time ;)
What is it they say about the 3rd child being the most difficult one, lol? Lil Mikey is so cute and sweet but you turn your back for 2 seconds and he is into something, your purse, the trash, dumping your drink on the floor etc. Today it was the dishwasher, he may always be looking for something to get into, but isn't he cute?!
Notice the glasses....guess he'd already been through my purse ;)
On a side note, I am rocking it with my running!! Yesterday, Lori and I did W5D3 at Mitch Park. The weather was amazing, cool, & you could feel Fall in the air. We ran 25 minutes without stopping....may not sound like a lot to some, but when you are starting from 0 it's a big deal, man! We are going to have to fast track a little bit to be running the 5k in just a little over 2 weeks! I plan on running again tomorrow and then back to Mitch on Sunday morning if I can drag my butt out of bed before it gets too hot!
Today, Miss Mae had to miss school on only her 4th day, but she had an appointment (the first of 3) to get a cavity filled and they had her take baby valium last night and then again this am. She was totally bummed about missing school, but I didn't really notice her acting funny or loopy with the valium. She did great with her procedure and we were standing at the checkout counter paying and scheduling and she was kind of jumping around being hyper...well, because of the valium her balance wasn't very good and she fell forward and conked her head on the desk!!! She was fine, but they stood there watching her like a hawk after that and suggested I hold her hand on the way out ;) It seems like the Valium makes her hyper and silly more than anything, and apparently off balance...good to know.
She insisted on wearing her new outfit to her appointment today and here she is being all sassy, working it to the max.
She sure is fun.
Today was a big milestone for the kiddos, but especially for Lexi, who went to school for the very first time today. It is so bitter sweet. I can't believe she is old enough to start school already :( And Mr. Chris will only have one year of elementary school after this one & then it's the dreaded middle school!
Lexi Mae - 1st day of Pre-K
I was all prepared to go in with her this morning and have a formal goodbye, but her teacher shooed us out of the classroom immediately! I was quite perturbed! She has to realize this is their very first day ever! When Chris had his first day his teacher read us The Kissing Hand and then dismissed all the parents. I felt jipped! I even said, 'I'm just going to get a quick pic' and she was like 'I'm going to have to close the door'. Abrasive much?! Not the best way to start out. She seemed nice on information day...I will try to keep an open mind.
Chris of course wanted us out of sight ASAP so that wasn't a problem, lol. I was lucky to even get him to somewhat smile for a picture ;) He is getting so 'grown up'!
Here is my big 4th grader, man I feel old!
My two big kids.
Today was also Doc's birthday so after work we went to Boulevard to celebrate, which is always fun. Love these ladies! Happy Bday Doc!
The kids getting slimed one last time before we had to leave for the airport.
Traveling is hard, especially with kids, but at least they are cute! They are also happy because they ate about a years supply of sugar today...how much longer? Just a little while, here eat some Skittles...jk (sort of ;)!!!
Um....I don't know.
Sweet little muffin <3
I want to bite these, is that wrong?!
Lexi is zonked & I love the way she has Pandy buckled in with her.
We got home around 9:30 pm and it was right back to reality, Page's sister called and told us that his mom had fallen and broken her arm, so he headed up to the hospital right away. I hope she will be ok, will keep everyone posted!
Today was our last full day in Orlando so we decided to head back to Islands of Adventure for one last hurrah. The kids started the day their usual way, with a swim - it never got old the whole trip, which is pretty cool.
As soon as we got inside the park in was more fun with water. Mikey kept darting off randomly so Page was chasing him around. He starts running and just keeps going! No telling how far he'd go if we let him continue!
Making a break for it
Daddy is hot on his heels
Gotcha!
Next up we went on Poseiden's Fury
After that adventure, we returned to Harry Potter land!!! It was still packed and crazy, but we spent a little more time there and got some souveneirs etc.
Lexi & I in front of the Hogwarts Express!
Looking for a souvenier inside the joke shop
Pretty things inside the candy shop
Flight of the Hippogriff
Chris picked out his souveneir a $30+ 'real' wand...here are some weird wizards.
Goodbye Harry Potter Land....we will never forget you!!
We decided it would be theraputic for Chris to re-visit a ride that terrified him when he was 4 & he was game for it, so we all hopped aboard the Jurassic Park River Adventure to face some old demons.
This was the sight that had him screaming at 4....don't judge, he was really into dino's at 4 & I didn't know about the scary part :)
He handled it much better at 10 & Lexi did fine too! We all got soaked but it was very welcome with the intense heat of the day. We let Mikey play on one more splash pad and then the whole gang went to see Mat's show one more time. Sergie and the whole crew put together an entire choreographed routine making fun of Gary Laurent the MC & all his mannerisms etc. Everyone, including Gary, got a big kick out of it, they did a great job putting it together!
Lexi had been dying to get her face painted so we made sure we found a spot on our way out. Unfortunately we got the crabby, pregnant make-up artist....but fortunately, she did a great job and Lexi loved it!
My beautiful, sunny, super-hero girl!
On our way out of the park we stopped in City Walk and ate dinner at the Bob Marley restaurant, it was yummy, especially the Jerk Chicken & Yucca Fries!!
Mikey started his meal with a bunch of oranges (from the bar, again, don't judge) ;)
It's a love/hate relationship
We were all tired and struggling to entertain the kids while we waited for the food, but we managed ok.
Excuse me ma'am, I'm going to need to see your license and registration please...
Apparantly Lexi was NOT ready for her close-up
Who are these guys?!
These two look like they are having a deep convo
Leaving Bob Marley's
Lexi did not want her daddy to have guys night without her ;)
We finally got her convinced and in the car and she was asleep in approximately 2.5 seconds. Once I got back to the hotel and laid the kids down I started the daunting task of getting us all packed up for our departure tomorrow. I also realized we way overestimated our consumption of Mountain Dew/snacks etc. so the cleaning ladies will be getting a bonus. Tomorrow is going to be a long day, it's never as much fun going back as it is coming in, so wish us luck!!
Page & Mikey were so worn out from our adventures yesterday, they decided to hang out at the hotel and chill while the rest of us loaded up and headed over to Universal Studios! I have to admit I was a little slow getting around today too, but I did eventually got it in gear for another day of fun. Luckily, the vibe today was MUCH more low key than yesterday. I rode over with Mark & Christie and we stopped off at a little cafe for a quick bite before we me up with Mat, Jaci and all the kids in the Woody Woodpecker play-zone. The kids were having a total blast. I snapped this picture of Lexi which reminded me so much of one I had taken of Chris 6 years ago in this same play area.
Chris - 6years ago, man how time flies!!
Ever & Lex bouncing around
The big hit of the day for the kiddos was definitely the Woody Woodpecker Nuthouse Coaster, they rode it over and over again...& thanks to Mat, they had Fast Passes so they waited for 0 minutes in line :)
Looking a little Emo here, but I am loving this picture of our crew
After this we rode lots of indoor rides - The Simpson's, Men in Black, ET, Jimmy Neutron - all really good. The kids ate Churros and stood under the misters, it was a great day.
We were going to ride Jaws, but it started lightening and they wouldn't let anyone out on the water....so we had to settle for a quick photo shoot with Jaws instead.
Lexi is pouting in these pictures because she wanted her head to be in Jaws' mouth. I had a talk with her and we finally settled on a picture with a random giraffe.
Good Buddies
At this point we were all pooped and much to my dismay, we went straight from the park to the restaurant where we were meeting all the crew from Mat's show. We had been sweating and rained on all day so we were not looking our best but oh well, good food/friends win out every time.
We met at this place called Tu Tu Tangos, which has very yummy food and drinks! The kids had their own table and then the "grown-ups" had a huge table right beside them.
Page & Mikey met up with us at the restaurant after their day of rest.
Dave trying the old 'hold the baby trick' to get the belly dancer to come over to our table
Hey it worked, good job buddy!
Lexi, saw the different ladies dancing, and not to be outdone, she decided it was time Lex-Effects joined the party....I think she won that contest, all eyes were on her as she busted out her awesome moves.
Becoming one with the music
Proud papa (look at Dave still working it in the background, lol)
We love Florida!! Yeah for Mat!
Today was a little nuts. The kids started off the morning with cereal in a cup :)
AND THEN!!!! with getting slimed at the pool, which if your a kid is a totally awesome way to start your day! Notice the humidity fogging up my lens?! I took this picture standing right outside our room so we were literally right by the pool.
Thanks to our lovely friend Katie, we had two 1 day park hopper passes to WDW, so we thought we'd be all cool and maximize our time/money/tickets and buy 2 more park hoppers and bonsai through two parks in one day!! Well, let me tell ya, that was a very lofty goal....our experience was wonderful and horrible all at the same time, lol. We didn't even get to Animal Kingdom until 2:30. We thought it would be cool to eat at the Rainforest Cafe so we made reservations and the last one they had was at 5:30 which meant, even though the park was open till 7, we only had 3 hours inside before our reservations. It was a little bit overwhelming, I have to say, but after a while we relaxed a bit and had some fun.
First up was The Oasis Exhibits which are tropical garden pathways with different animals and birds inside, just as you enter the AK park.
Animal Kingdom is really beautiful and relaxing, and it seems just like yesterday I was pushing Chris around there in a stroller. The top two things on our list were the afternoon parade and the jungle safari.
Here they go again with their silly faces :0
It was sooooo hot & humid, we were all sweating to death. The boys went to check out a show call It's Tough to Be a Bug, which is inside The Tree of Life, a 14 story/50 feet wide, man-made tree with over 325 animal carvings on the outside of it!
While they were in the show, I took Lex (and Mikey) to get her picture taken with some of the characters, which she absolutely loved! Christopher was always freaked out by them and hated taking pictures with them.
Minnie & Miss Mae
Pocahontas was so pretty and sweet & I swear that looks like her real hair!! But is that even possible? There's no way!
The boys finished before we did so they snagged us a good spot for the parade which Lexi loved. All the people at the park kept saying Hello Princess to her, because she was wearing her Ariel crown...they have been trained well, very well.
After the parade we got some really expensive ice cream and then we headed off to my favorite part, The Kilimanjaro Safari ride!!!
The ride was really bumpy but I did manage to get a few good pics.
Nile Crocodiles
A rare look at a family of Hussey's
After the safari we bought the kids each a souvenir and walked through the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail as we made our way out of the park to make our dinner reservations.
One more view of The Tree of Life
Expedition Everest over in the Asia area, we never even made it over there, maybe next time.
The A/C in The Rainforest Cafe was a very welcome change, it felt amazing!
Silly daddy was trying to get Mikey to make a squishy face
Success!
Lexi's new love, Pandy
Next stop, cause we're crazy like that, was Magic Kingdom!
Waiting for the ferry over to MK
This place was made for Lexi! OMG, she was in absolute heaven and I swear every employee we passed from the shuttle drivers to the people in the parades acknowledged her with "Well, Hello Princess"! It was pretty awesome and she loved every second of it.
Here is one of the first of many attempts to get a picture in front of Cinderella's castle....how do like that pose she's striking, lol!
First thing, the kids wanted to get their souvenirs so Lexi got a Minnie/Mickey balloon & Chris got a light up sword. Then we rode Prince Charming's Regal Carousel & waited in line FOREVER to ride Dumbo the Flying Elephant.
Next up was the Mad Tea Party teacups, which was one of the kids (and my) favorites ;)
Next, we met back up with Page, who had been wrangling Mikey and was feeling really bad/overheated. I suggested he & the kids go into an air conditioned building/ride and Mikey and I went to buy him a Sprite. It sounded like a solid plan but they had to wait outside in line for about 30 minutes grrr! Anyway, they finally rode Peter Pan's Flight and Page drank some Sprite and felt a little better but was really just grumpy and over it at this point. I was bummed to find out It's A Small World was closed for re-modeling :(
We decided on one last hurrah before the parade, so we split up again and Page took Lexi to meet the Princesses while Chris & I went to ride Space Mountain, which was awesome! It was so cool inside and the line was in an air conditioned building...ahhhhh!
Sleepy boy isn't having nearly as much fun as sissy!
Chris & I met back up with Page & the gang and we convinced Page he would feel much better after hanging out in the A/C of Space Mountain (plus Chris really wanted to ride it with his dad). We decided to scope out a good spot for the parade and have them meet up with us there.
We tried a few more times for the castle pic on the way ;)
Mikey pooped out on us
Epic fail!
One more souvenir while we waited
The boys joined back up with us and Page was still grumpy, but as soon as he saw the look on our little girls face while she watched the parade, his mood did a complete 180. He said afterward, that her face made it all worth it, lol! She was amazed and even the characters on the rides were looking down at her and saying Hello Princess, it was awesome!
On our way out we grabbed some popcorn & a slushie and then it was shuttle, ferry, car & ugh we were beyond exhausted!!! We kept getting turned around on our way back to the hotel and going in circles! We felt like the Griswalds, Look Kids, Big Ben, Parliament! But the kids of course were crashed out in the back. We finally made it back to the hotel and got our turn to crash for the night, WHEW! What a day!
Today was awesome!! Mat got us all set up with a private VIP tour of Universal/Islands of Adventure! We got an escorted tour through the whole park with our tour guide, Ashland, who was super cool! Plus we got priority entry into any ride we wanted and didn't have to wait in any lines. I have to say we got the evil eye a few times when we zoomed past people for the Harry Potter ride!! Some of those people waited for 90+ minutes in the heat and we walked right into a back door of an air conditioned room! It was very awesome....for us anyway!
Look out, we have arrived
But it's all good because we are incredibly cute
Everywhere we went, Lex busted out her Lex-Effects dance party moves, she was a big hit. This is while we were waiting for our VIP tour to get started.
Super cool VIP's
We started in Seuss Landing and rode The Cat in the Hat
Here is Chris hatching an egg
They had what they call Baby Swap areas where one person can wait with the kiddos while the other one rides a ride and then you swap - Genius!! Mikey enjoyed being able to stretch his legs once in a while.
Love Lexi's face on The Cat in the Hat ride!
Next up was the High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride
Our great kids, having a blast

We stopped by Mat's Aggro Circus to say hi and check out the amphitheatre, which I am very familiar with since Page did the Mat Hoffman's Crazy Freakin' Stunt Show for several years. I actually couldn't wait to see how this show compared to the first show, but after a quick visit we headed out for lunch.
Lunch was at Mythos, which has been voted best theme park restaurant every year since 2003! It was truly awesome, both in appearance and quality/taste of the food!
Deliciousness!!!
Lex-Effects second performance of the day :)
Mikey napped in his stroller while we ate lunch and then we went to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which is what I was most excited about! It was so cool, but incredibly crowded. All the shops etc. there almost made it seem like you were actually at Hogwarts...you and a couple thousand other people, anyway, lol! They had Honeydukes, Hogsmeads, Zonkos Joke shop & Ollivanders, where you could let a wand 'choose' you. The lines, however were out of control ridiculous to get in there so we skipped it for now....we are definitely coming back here later. The Forbidden Journey was amazing, a really cool virtual reality type ride!! And the kids really liked The Flight of the Hippogriff.
A sea of people!!!
After HP we went to see Mat's Aggro Circus, which was awesome & is prolly on You Tube if you want to check it out! It's a totally different vibe than when Page did it, but still super cool.
Next up, we rode my very favorite ride of all, The Hulk, which goes from 0 to 40 in 2 seconds!!

I knew Chris would love it, and Page and I had to practically force him to get on it, but he absolutely loved it and wanted to go again and again!! Everyone started to lose steam at this point, but Chris wanted to ride one more ride before we left, so he and I went on The Dragon Challenge - one time on each dragon! Apparantely, there are 3 times on this ride where you come within 18 inches of the riders on the other dragon, you can really tell in the 2nd picture!
(Stole this pic from Coaster Image.com - Thanks!)
Right as we got strapped in for the 2nd Dragon, it started pouring down rain and we were being pelted in the face with rain (front row), it actually kind of hurt!! I couldn't open my eyes the whole ride and I got off the ride looking like a drowned raccoon, lol.
The walk out of the park takes forever, that's definitely the worst part. We headed back to the hotel to clean up and then ran errands to get some cereal, snacks etc for our room, which adjoined with Mark & Christies so we could open the doors and have one big happy family!. Ate at Subway in the hotel and chillaxed for the rest of the evening. The pool thing is pretty awesome, the kids don't want to get out of it and it's open really late, good thinking Nick Suites!!
Somehow we managed to get out of the house, through the airport, on & off 2 planes, pick up the rental car & check into our hotel with no one losing their sanity or their lives. We had so much gear, I'm not sure we could have handled it all on our own, so thank you Owen's & Hoffman's!!! The kids loved the hotel and couldn't wait to go swimming so dinner was interesting. Then our delightful husbands rounded up all the kids and took them to the pool while Jaci, Christie and I got to hang out & decompress! Love those men! Here are a few pics from Day 1 of our crazy adventure.
Ever traveled as a posse of 12? It's not boring, not boring at all.
Daddy immediately switched himself into Airplane Mode & the big kids got plugged in.
Will he actually sleep? That is the question.
Sweet Feet
Inside the rental car on the way to the hotel and THIS is when they decide to sleep, lol! Poor Mikey's neck!
Snack time while the big kids check out our new digs.
Checking out the Ducks on the way to eat dinner
Page & his awesome faces, he really cracks himself up
I am totally sucking in here, lol!
What is with my family & their silly face making?!
Et tu, Lexi?
At least we can count on Mikey for some consistency!
Someone's in heaven!
Chris & Jet practicing their perfect dives
Ever & Lex having a good time of their own
Some really tired 'grown-ups' ;) (and one Master Escape Artist baby).
Whew these kids are wearing me out. Needless to say, I did not get much packing done today! My lil monkey's are amped up about going on vacation tomorrow!
Ok, can we please pause for a moment and reflect on Mr. Diapy Buns lavish lashes?! Women pay good money for lashes like these! Eat your hearts out all you Latisse users out there, lol!
Sweet, cute boy!
Sleep?! Mother, surely you jest?
This week has been crazy, trying to get everything ready for our trip to Orlando and continue with all our regular activities and keep up with running! Today I did C25K week 4, day 1!! I really think having planned workouts for 9 weeks has helped me be able to stick with this! Plus I feel so much better and I am definitely looking more toned (still get anxiety over the thought of getting in a bathing suit though :\)!! Love this program!
Got a little bonus at work-woot! Got some vacation clothes & necessities! Page doesn't work his extra job at the hospital tonight and has LEDT instructor school tomorrow from 8-4 so hopefully we can tag team the final packing etc. since we leave on Tuesday! We are all really excited and looking forward to this and it's going to be extra fun going with the Hoffmans and the Owens! The kids are most excited about the hotel we are staying at the Nickelodeon Suites Resort!! It does look pretty awesome, especially for a kid!
Can't wait, I'll do a post about the trip after we get back!
Kim & I met Mom & Dad in Shawnee today to drop off Jewel and Dad snapped this impromptu family photo in the Walmart parking lot (note the awesome truck in the background),lol! These are some of the most important ladies in my life no matter where we are!
2 sweet red-heads!
Mom & Dad took us to lunch at Cracker Barrel, yum!! Here is a sweet pic of lil Kaylee, she seems to be such a happy baby!
Took the family to the "Rocket Park" aka Chitwood park tonight and they had a blast. Mikey just runs around like crazy when he's on the loose, it's a non-stop chase! All his pics are blurry because he's like a streak of lightning ;)
Wheee!!!
Love that smile :)
And here's our long-legged lady, Miss Mae
Christopher was here somewhere, probably trying to avoid having his pics taken at all costs, lol. We were finally able to tempt him with the promise of ice cream. Yay for family nights!!
Well, Page had finally convinced me to go to the Chiropractor where he has been going (Jackson Chiropractic) today & I have been absolutely terrified! I know that they know what they are doing, I'm just afraid that I will tense up at just the wrong moment and cause myself nerve damage or something! Anyway, I went and the office was very nice, very friendly staff & I had x-rays taken, met the Dr. (very nice & funny) & then had my first adjustment. I was a sweaty freak the whole time! Guess what, it didn't even hurt!! The lower back adjustment actually felt great! Anyway, I have all kinds of issues with my spine and neck, apparently, but we will review the X-rays together on my next visit.
The 2 older kids also both had dental appointments today and Lexi has 8 cavities!!!! They are all in between her teeth so each one is affecting 2 teeth! I about fell over when then casually told me the news. I am already sweating (yes, more sweating) dollar signs-ugh! They are prescribing her baby valium for the 3 different visits...more dollar signs, gulp! Chris, thankfully, was cavity free. Lexi will now become a nightly flosser ;)
Page went to the Chiro at 5 and then Christopher went to Maddy's swim party at 6:30-whew-what a day!
I have spent a lot of time (and money) at Target and Walmart the last 2 days in the yearly search for the sometimes impossible to find items on this years school supply lists. This is my first year to buy for 2 kids since Lexi is starting Pre-K :( sniff, sniff - and that just added to the fun and adventure of it all, not!
I really don't know what makes me feel compelled to document all the minutia of our day to day life, but I keep telling myself one day I'll be glad I did. Some may call it OCD...Here are just a few more of the many examples of my OCD-ness ;)
I love Lexi's backpack! I didn't want her to have the same Princess or Dora backpack as every other little girl and I found this one for only $5!!!
So there you have it, one more item checked off my to do list and one more duck placed neatly in the row. I have problems, I know.
Page has been in CIT school all week, so life has been a little more hectic than usual. On Wednesday & Thursday, Lex & Mikey stayed at Ms. Destiny's. I did still manage to get my 2nd & 3rd run's in, so I am on track for running every other day - yeah me!
Today, our neice Leslie, her boyfriend Jeremy and their new baby girl, Stella came to visit us! She is an absolute doll, just see for yourself!
Lexi had to have her turn holding baby Stella
Leslie with her new addition
I made The Pioneer Woman's Mini Meatball Sliders again & I love, love, love them!! This lady is talented beyond belief, check out her website if you haven't heard of her.
I also made a Manderin Orange Cake or Sunshine Cake...it's a cake that goes by many names but always delivers the deliciousness! The photoshoot Lexi had of me in the kitchen doesn't quite deliver the way PW's does.
And of course she had to get a self portrait in there.
Mikey & Daddy joining in on the fun before he had to leave for his Evals at 5:30.
The best picture of the day, though, was taken my Leslie...baby Stella trying on Lexi's swim goggles ;)
Enjoyed hanging with family today that we rarely get to see + of course sweet Stella!!
Miss Jewel went with me to the grocery store today and $338 later, we came home with a Watermelon and many other fun treats ;)
I started cutting the giant watermelon in my kitchen and watermelon juice & seeds are flying & dripping everywhere, it was a disaster! I banished all children outside to eat the offending melon and then washed my hands and grabbed my camera to capture the insanity. Jewel's pic is my favorite, she is really enjoying that melon!
Today something unbelievable has happened....I started the Couch to 5K program and did my first run/walk!!
I am super excited to have my workouts planned out for the next 9 weeks and my friend/co-worker Lori and I are going to run the Geico Freedom Run on 9-11-10!!
The workout went pretty well and I actually am looking forward to the next one-WEIRD!!
Here is some info about the program in you are interested.
I have also discovered Active.com and if you friend them on Facebook they post tons of great healthy articles everyday!
Goals are good.
Page was off today, yeah!! We all got to spend the day together & we started it off with a big FAT bang - yes, we had Donuts-eek! I always feel like I'm eating the worst food in the world when I eat a Donut!
Mikey experienced his first dip in the little pool with Daddy and the kids and he loved it! I think Chris got as big of a kick out of him as we did, it's written all over his face in these pictures ;)
Unfortunately, the smiles did not last, later in the afternoon, Chris scalded his hand trying to pick up and move a scalding hot bowl of Ramen. I don't think I've ever heard a sound like that come out a human, it sounded like a yelping dog or something!! It was horrible! We had him put his hand in a bowl of cool water and I had to go get some Dermaplast because we didn't have any...grr..hate being unprepared! It bubbled up a little but he is going to be ok, very scary though for all involved.
Later, I met Kim in Choctaw to pick up Jewel, she is spending the night with us, and I got to sweet lil Kaylee Renee, this little girl has some seriously full, pretty lips!
Sweet little thing!! Page has been excited for weeks about going to see one of our favorite bands with some buddies tonight at the Winstar casino - Better Than Ezra!
I was green with envy that I didn't get to come along!!! He was home super early and said the whole concert was super short and they were all bummed! They spent more time driving down there than listening to them play! Of course, they sounded amazing as ever. I don't know why they cut it so short, maybe a casino thing...or maybe the universe was punishing him for leaving his wife behind with all the kids...hehehehe, Just Kidding!!!
So if anyone needs CPR or any information on Blood Borne Pathogens, I am your girl! We all got re-certified at work today. I've been lapsed for about 2 years but it all comes back pretty quickly. I do wonder though, if I were ever truly in a situation where I needed to use it, how would I react?! Would I jump right in or stand there stupefied? LOL! I hope to never have to find out, and especially not with one of the kids, but it is definitely good to be in the know on such things.
I am hearing a lot about Scentsy products lately wherever I turn and now that Tuesday is going to be selling it, I think I will have to try it out. My neighbor, Jennifer let me try one of hers out tonight and I can see how you would get hooked right away...smells fabulous!!!
Since Page is in school all week, Ms. Destini has been watching the kiddos on the days I have to work. It works out so perfectly that Lexi has Eliana to play with & now Mikey & Ian are getting to an age where they can hang out a little bit too!
Great week so far, Page is in LEDT Instructor School this week so we are enjoying having a 'normal' schedule where he is home with us in the evenings and we are getting more family time! He has also started going to the Chiropractor for his neck/back. When he was about 17 he had to have surgery for terrible scoliosis and had to have a Harrington Steel Device placed along his spinal column. Luckily, he hasn't really had any major back trouble since then, but apparently the device has taken away the natural curve in his neck & he is now having some neck pain and headaches. Dr. Jackson says his back is in remarkably great shape and thinks he can help get at least some of that curve back through manual adjustments-yeah!
And this guy just goes around being cute all the time, even though he is a menace and into EVERYTHING!!! Calgon, take me away!! JK, his cuteness makes up for it...at least for now.
Pool mania is already sweeping the neighborhood, today we were joined by Brooklyn & Delaney for an afternoon swim!
I forgot to post about another adventure we had several days ago with these two! Ms. Jennifer was nice enough to keep an eye on Mikey while Page & I + all the kiddos went to see Despicable Me! Super cute movie, even shed a tear or two, what is it with these tear jerker kids movies?! Anyway, we all enjoyed it and had a nice time - two thumbs up from all of us.
One of Page's buddies has given us a little above ground pool and the kids are thrilled. We've had it for a while but after a few failed attempts, Page got it all dialed in and the kids were ready to go! They stayed outside for hours playing in that thing...hmm, I think I'm gonna like this :)
Well, for the first year in a while, we skipped the 4th of July parade this am. Page had to work at the bank and it was a little rainy. When the kids realized we skipped it they were completely devestated...I really didn't think they'd care that much, but clearly, I was wrong! It took a while to talk my way out of that one!
For lunch we had Earls BBQ and it was FANTASTIC!!! Of course Page has to work today- ugh! This whole 3-11 with Wednesday, Thursday off thing is for the birds! Anyway, we at least got to enjoy lunch together before he left.
Sooooo goood
Mikey kept trying to escape in all of the pictures
Later in the evening we went over to hang out at Kerry's - Tuesday & the kids came over too and all the kids went swimming and we ordered pizza. The kids were having so much fun swimming they almost didn't want to go to the fireworks, but we managed to talk them into it eventually. Page was going to stop by and watch the fireworks with us but, alas, he got tied up on a call and couldn't get there until they were over - BOO!! We missed having him there :(
Yay for fireworks!
Happy 4th Everyone!!
Today was an awesome day! The girls at work bought me Qdoba for lunch AND we all got to go out to The Cheesecake Factory after work! We sat out on the patio and the weather was lovely and the company was wonderful, pretty much one of the best days ever ;)
After the deliciousness, a few of us went on to Groovy's & Nova. When we first got to Groovy's there was nobody there but the manager gave me a drink for my bday and let us stage some fun shots behind the bar ;)
They play such awesome music at Groovy's, it's no wonder that place has been around forever!!
We moved onto Nova which is a completely different vibe but we still had lots of fun. We hardly EVER get to do a girls night!! Melissa's cousin, Blake, was the DJ at Nova tonight & he was playing really good music too.
So that's it until the next time all the stars align and we are all free at the same time. Love these girls!
Have I told you lately how much I love this cute, little muffin?! He is so happy & fun!!
Plus he does this funny thing with his tongue all the time and tries to see what's going on with the camera when you are taking his picture. Totally fun, like I said!
Today was the day!!! A day of awesomeness with lots of Edward, Jacob & Bella! Tuesday & I grabbed some food first at Poblano Grill & then headed to the theatre. Just like last year, there were people of all ages lined up at 5:30 for the midnight showing of the new movie. This year, though, we got lanyards with ID's & a free $10 gift card for the snack bar...as I said, a day of awesomeness ;) We thought we were going to have to sit in the front row again but we found 2 seats at the very, very back/top...actually much better than the front row! At some point in the evening I spilled my coke all over the floor and I'm sure everyone was cussing me as they walked noisily back & forth on the sticky floor! I even went and got someone to clean it up but it was just some kid with a dirty mop who just swiped it back & forth and spread it all around...thanks guy.
The rest of the evening was wonderful! In between the movies we just walked around and stretched our legs, went to the bathroom, snack bar etc. We saw people who had even had t-shirts made for the occasion! Loved the whole night & can't wait to do it again! The only thing that sucks is the last book will be split into two movies and the first half of it won't be coming out till 2012 I hear!! Till then I guess we'll just have to re-watch the DVD's to get our fix.
Even though we have more activities than usual going on right now, there is still a summer vibe in the air. A slower pace of life, not having to get up everyday and rush around to get off to school, have homework done etc. We are all enjoying that and the kids are still loving their swim & dance classes. Chris is already getting to jump off the diving board after only 5 or 6 swim lessons! He was nervous & excited all at the same time but after one or two times it was all excitement & he couldn't wait for his turn to come around again. He managed to lose his goggles the very first week of lessons so we had to get him another pair. I told him if he does that again it's coming out of his allowence so we'll see how that goes.
After swim I had a hair appointment with Tuesday and the kids played while we did hair and then they got trims of their own.
Hannah ended up coming home with us and as soon as we left their house we had to rush home so Lex could get changed and then rush her to dance class. After that we went to Red Box and got The Tooth Fairy, Dear John & Alice in Wonderland (with Johnny Depp) I don't think Lexi is really liking it. Tuesday gave me a copy of her grandmother's cookbook (she is an amazing cook) & a jar of her homemade strawberry jam for my birthday and I love them both! I can't wait to try our some of the recipies!! Tomorrow night we are going to the 'Twilight Experience' where we will watch the first 2 Twilight movies and then at midnight we will get to see the new one! I am so excited, I can't wait! We are going to have so much fun!!! I am still celebrating my bday -lol! And the girls from work are taking me out Thursday night so it is really more like a birthweek - hehe!
You say it's your birthday....it's my birthday too! AND I am old!! I am trying to come to terms with that, but it is a process ;) It's what's on the inside that counts anyway....right? This is how I look, now that I'm old (in black & white to camo all my increasing lines & skin imperfections) but here I am none the less.
Lexi & I went for our 2nd annual Mom & Daughter bday Mani/Pedi's. She was pretty patient because mine took way longer than hers. I was hoping they could pamper her a bit more but they don't do too much with the little ones for some reason. I absolutely love having a sweet & girlie daughter that I am blessed to be able to share these things with!
Lex getting a mani
Here are the results of our pampering.
Lexi taking my picture (in some very harsh lighting -lol) at Fish City where we went to have lunch after our mani/pedi's. I tried a free sample of their oyster nachos (never would have ordered these just from the name alone) and I can't believe it but I actually liked it? The oyster part was fried and very tiny and then the chip was piled up with a yummy chipotle tarter sauce & pico de gallo. I may be an old dog but I'm still trying new things ;)
Lex needed me to take her pic too of course
We went home and chilled with the rest of the family and then Page had to go to work - BOO! We decided we would meet up at Outback on his lunch break and it was kind of a disaster. We met atthe restaurant right on time and we were getting out when Christopher told me he didn't have any shoes on. What?! Are you serious?! How does that even happen?! Page had to drive all the way home and get Chris some shoes so we were about 15 minutes into his lunch hour by the time we got into the restaurant :( We got settled and ordered our food (which took forever) and we had just started eating it when he got a call and had to leave right in the middle of supper! I was so bummed and totally feeling sorry for myself, eating by myself with the kids on my bday....after we finished eating I ordered dessert and about that time he came back and had a few more bites. He said next year he will take off for my bday and said he wished he had done that this year...that made me feel a little better so I didn't pout too much ;)......even though he has to work the hospital tonight too and won't be home till 4:30 am. I guess I should probably be feeling sorry for him instead of myself and thank God I have such a hard working hubby! The wisdom of my age is beginning to show!
This morning the 2 older kids & I met the McAlister family & some of their other friends & family at the AMC movie theatre to celebrate Ana's bday. We all went to see Toy Story 3 - it was so wonderful and I totally cried at the end ;)
After the movie we all met back in the food court for Chick Fil A, presents & birthday cookie - yum!
Happy Birthday Ana!!!
When Lori asked me to take these pictures after her wedding I was super nervous, but we were both pleased with the way they turned out. Congratulations guys!!
Yesterday & today we had our Luau Open House at SSC & it was busy & fun! Rachel & I went & got spray tan on Tuesday night so I look freakishly brown in these pics lol! Doc is not happy in this pic...she just got some very disappointing news right before we took it :(
Leslie with her delicious food:
Pretty ladies - Gillian & Rachel
Lori & Jimmy also recently decided that they are getting married tomorrow so we all celebrated her last day as a single woman after the work party!! Lots of fun girl time.
Bachelorette Barbie
Taking over the stage
Good friends
Today was the first official day of SUMMER & it was a very busy and exciting day for the kiddos. Christopher had his first swim lesson at the YMCA and was immediately hooked, he loooooved it.
Here are a couple of pics of him with his class - he is in the beginning class for his age group so he is a 'Minnow'.
Mikey had his 15 month WCC at the same time as swim so Page took him to the Dr. and his stats are: 25.4 lbs (50th percentile) and 32 inches (75th percentile). He had to get 3 immunizations today, but everything else looked perfect and he is a healthy little muffin.
Mr. Mischief
Miss Mae had her very first ballet/tap class today and she was beyond excited. She had so much fun and all the little girls looked so cute. The parents don't get to go inside :( so I snapped a few pics before they closed the door and tried to sneak a few peeks through the window between my attempts to wrangle Mikey.
Beautiful Ballerina
Spent the first part of today with Page, hanging out before he had to go to work at 2:15. The kids were very excited to give him the cards etc they got him. I was taking pictures this morning of Mikey's new scrunchy face and used up all the battery on my camera so I didn't get any Father's Day pics of Page at all, hate it when that happens...being totally unprepared, that is.
Anyway, I can still post the pic of Mikey's new face at least ;) Not sure what he thinks he's expressing when he does this, but I think it's hilarious!
Who's super cute?
Oh yeah, it's me!
After Page left, we headed down to Mom & Dad's for an early dinner and had a nice time hanging out there. Mom & Mel did take a couple of pics, so I at least have a few picture of Daddy opening his gifts & a few with us!
Terrible fake smile here, I promise I really was happy-hehe!
Opening my gifts - yipee gift cards & chocolate 2 of my favorite things!
As quickly as all the Flash Flooding stuff happened & as deep as that water got, it was crazy to me that the very next day the streets were almost completely clear! Lexi & I have been going around everywhere trying to find ballet/tap shoes in her size & we had no trouble with the roads except for a couple of miles on Edmond road they still had blocked off and that was just because we had to sit in traffic.
Today was a great day, we started it off with a brunch at Martha's with some of our friends. Martha went all out making everything you could possibly imagine, even animal shaped waffles for the kiddos, and it was all delicious!!
We brought her a pretty plant for being such a wonderful hostess and enjoyed getting to Don, Myrna, Spencer & Mindy, Mat, Jaci & the kids, Mark & Ever & of course, Martha. The kids had a blast playing together and Mikey and Spencer got all the attention ;) Then Mark invited the big kids over for a play date with Ever & I went to the grocery store. Crest was having a big Meat sale and I ran into like 3 people I knew there!
Christopher Mendez called and invited Chris over for his bday party today so Chris was pretty much having the best day ever. We went to the store to get Christopher M. a bday present and then after we dropped off Chris, Lexi & I went to the mall. We finally have the right size in her ballet/tap shoes! I found 4th of July outfits for the kids + a few more things ;) and Lexi got a classic movie she's been wanting for a while and she watched it as soon as we got back home!
I haven't seen the newer one but I get the impression that older kids or adults would like it better than the little ones.
I know I'm a big dork but I just had to take a picture of Lexi's little ballet/tap gear!!! I think I'm just as excited as she is ;) She will be attending the Summer Session at Studio J & if she likes it we may continue in the fall.
Here is your daily dose of cuteness.
The weather craziness continues, except now with Flash Flooding! It has been raining cats and dogs and areas all around us are flooded with 9 to 10 inches of water! We are super lucky, our backyard looks like a lake but I don't think it's going to come up to the house or anything. This girl in the first video was actually trapped in the water which was only several feet deep but had a very strong current! Many families homes were completely flooded!
This video is from people right here in Edmond being rescued from their flooded homes by boat!! I have never seen anything like this!!
Here is a link to photos and news coverage of today on The Oklahoman's website:
A good friend of mine lives in The Valley and will likely lose all furniture + a lot more. Page was out there working by Sante Fe High School where lots are cars were flooded out and of course he got completely soaked too :(
Crazy Weather!!
I met Mom & Dad in Shawnee at noon to pick up my babies! It was so good to see them! We missed them very much! However, we definitely experienced a new level of productivity in their absence ;)....on Wednesday, Page got the go to the Dead Center Film Festival to see the premier of Mat's documentary - The Birth of Big air, which is awesome!!
Here is Mat on opening night with Spike Jonze
I didn't even know OKC had a film festival, much less that we have had one for 10 years!! Here is a link to their website.
On Thursday Page, Mikey & I went out for a very quite dinner to the Olive Garden & then went by Office Depot so I could get supplies to make my new project....my 'Work' binder. Since I'm only in the office less than 20 hours a week, I am doing some work from home and need to have lots of info at my fingertips sooooo......after getting some inspiration from Rachel, I thought this would be the perfect time for this project! And guess what?! I actually completed it!
On Friday I spent 4 uninterrupted hours cleaning out the garage and it looks fantastic!! The kids aren't going to recognize it...but I'm sure they'll enjoy trashing it again-lol!
Page had his first Evals at County for his DRE certification on Friday & Saturday nights! He is excited about it but I was so bummed we only had one kid and could have easily gotten a babysitter but alas, no date night :(
The kids had a blast at Nana & Papaws! On Monday they took them to the Splash pad and on Wednesday they took them to Sulphur. The water at Sulpur is super cold so Lexi kept having to snuggle up to get warm...here are some pics that they took.
We are officially Orlando bound in August, got the tickets on Friday!!! We are beyond thrilled but we are going to wait a while to tell the kids because they will be ecstatic & bugging us to death with the countdown...& August is still a long way off!
They are all settled back in & had barely rested at all before the neighbors called and they were whisked away to Chitwood park. I wish I could get some of their energy!!
Now that he's gotten this walking thing down, Mikey is all over the place! He is also teething & drooling all over himself ;)
Still cute with drool on my shirt ha!
Look at all my teeth...& I'm still getting more!!
I love to look at my books!
Cute lil walker!
I'm getting all the attention but I miss my bro & sis :(
