It's a Wonderful Life

Bunker

2012-02-19T15:04:00.000-06:00

Less than one year ago, we were at the same hotel and the same church for my aunt Debbie's funeral. Now, here we were again to remember the life of her son, Morgan, who everyone knew as Bunker.

After the long car ride, Henry and Papa spent some time in the hotel pool stretching their legs and releasing a lot of built-up energy. This was good as I knew the longer Henry swam, the longer I got to sleep that night.

Morgan Ward {BUNKER} Breen, age 19, passed away on Friday, January 19, 2012, in Amarillo, Texas unexpectedly. Bunker was born March 2, 1992, in Amarillo, Texas. He was a life time resident of Tucumcari. He was a member of the Center Street United Methodist Church. He was a graduate of the Tucumcari High School Class of 2011. Surviving Bunker is his father, Emmett {CHIPPER} Breen Jr. of Tucumcari and his sister, Bridget Breen of Tucumcari; his grandparents, Kate Breen of Tucumcari and Shirley Martin and husband, Phil of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Bunker was preceded in death by his mother, Deborah Breen on March 10, 2011, and by grandfathers, Emmett Breen Sr. and Paul Ward. Also surviving are numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Services celebrating his life will be Friday morning at 10:30 AM in the Center Street United Methodist Church. Bunker's Graduating Class of 2011 will serve as Honorary Pallbearers.

Our Trip to the Zoo

2012-02-18T21:36:00.000-06:00

One of our many adventures during winter break was a trip to the Oklahoma City Zoo. Typically, a trip to the zoo lasts all of two hours. But today was an exception. I had to practically drag the boys to the car after exploring every animal in every zoo corner for over four hours. We even hit the play grounds and petting zoo.

Taking a gander at the lions

Sweet kisses from brother bear

Anyone home?

Getting excited while watching brother climb on the bronze elephants

His acrobatic skills are unbelievable!

Now for the real deal

This leopard was much too interested in Sam. Yes, there was a measly chain-link fence between us and the leopard, but this kitty looked determined.

Notice his interest...

The stare continues...

The stare gets increasingly intense as Mr. Kitty raises his head and begins to lick his lips

Here fishy, fishy, fishy

Henry wanted a closer look at the ducks

Depositing his pretend quarter

Wondering how the ducks suddenly relocated so far away

The birds invaded our stroller and it took quite awhile for us to coax them out. Apparently Sam had dropped some Cheerios. The Australian parakeets were big fans. They must not have Cheerios in Australia.

Five Years

2012-02-14T15:30:00.001-06:00

On January 13, Wade and I celebrated our five year anniversary with a kiss, one dozen red roses, and a one-week trip to Yellowstone National Park. Wade knew I was surprising him with something big, but I was actually able to keep Yellowstone a secret for three months. Yes, THREE months. The cabin, the flight, the rental car. Everything is booked. We can hardly wait!

The best day of my life

Winter Break

2012-02-09T18:11:00.000-06:00

I took the entire first week of January off work to stay home and be mom. It was heaven. And we packed as much fun and excitement into one week as we possibly could.

And somehow we even found time to get our ears lowered!

The iPhone is the only way to get Sam to sit still

That's enough, I said!

The cutest patootie in all the land

Farewell to the Man Cave and Denver Bronco Room

2012-01-20T06:24:00.000-06:00

Remember the Denver Broncos bedroom with the butterfly ceiling fan?

The BEFORE...

And, the AFTER...

Yes, that's Charlie perched high on Henry's curtain rod. Charlie is our Elf on the Shelf.

Perhaps you recall Sam's floor-to-ceiling brown man cave?

The BEFORE...

The AFTER...

Other renovation photos to come...

When Daddy went to Texas

2012-01-20T06:22:00.000-06:00

Can you believe that until December, I had never spent a night at home without Wade since we married almost five years ago?! I've spent nights away while traveling, but never had I been home and Wade gone. The boys and I decided to make camp in our bed the first night daddy was gone. We read books, watched Toy Story, listened to books on my iPhone and giggled until it hurt.

O Tannenbaum

2012-01-18T19:11:00.000-06:00

This was my attempt to divert Sam's attention away from the glass ornaments on our living room tree.

I thought perhaps if the boys had their very own tree, they might want to "play" with it and quit pulling the ornaments off our big tree. Wrong. They did, however, enjoy their tree. So much so that they insisted on re-decorating it every day. Sometimes multiple times a day. I helped them select the tree, but the trimmings were up to them. Of course they HAD to go with the giant outdoor colored lights. I mean, what other choices are there, really? And who could resist the red tinsel, green "glittery" star, and tree skirt featuring Santa and friends?!

As a bonus, I let each of them select two ornaments for their special tree. Sam's choices - a bright colored train and space ship. Henry's choices - a pink and white stripped candy cane, and...a giant frog sitting on a swing. Yes, a frog on a swing.

Morning Shenanigans

2012-01-18T18:53:00.001-06:00

As I believe I've shared in prior posts, big brother has made multiple attempts to reclaim his crib. This particular morning, I woke to giggles from Sam's bedroom. I lay listening for awhile until my curiosity got the best of me and I had to see what Henry was doing to make Sam squeal. This is what I found...

Not only had Henry invited himself in to Sam's crib, but he'd invited all of their animals too.

It was still early...and my flash was bright.

Henry had better not mess with Sam's blanket!

Everything is better with Mickey. Especially with a Mickey twice our size.

Breakfast with Mickey

2012-01-17T06:28:00.000-06:00

Last year, or maybe it was two years ago, Aunt Carolina gave us Mickey Mouse dishes for Christmas. Henry was elated when he was surprised with a cereal bar and Flintstones vitamin on a Mickey dish. Too bad I don't get this same reaction from Wade when I serve him a cereal bar.

Henry is such a good brother. He is mindful to point out Mickey to Mickey's #1 fan (Sam) every time he sees him.

This makes Sam very happy

Yawn

Yes! Milk in a Mickey tea cup!

He wasn't sure whether he wanted to drink it, or play with it. This seems to be the case with Henry's food most of the time nowadays.

Punching holes in his cereal bar. I mean, why eat your food when it's this much fun to play with?!

And just for grins...Henry with a tummy full of turkey...apparently this is the only photo I managed to snap during our Thanksgiving trip to Pampa and Dumas, TX.

Sam's clone

2012-01-11T07:19:00.000-06:00

We were unable to make the Riseling Christmas gathering in Blackwell, but I understand this picture surfaced during the family shenanigans. In the picture are my cousins Lesa, Jamie and Blake...and my double cousin (dad's sister married my mom's brother...it's okay, I promise), Craig. Does the 18 month-ish Craig remind you of anyone?

Sam at 18 months

And just look how handsome Sam will be...we love you Craig and Caitlyn!

We heart the CDL

2012-01-07T06:21:00.001-06:00

Sam's teachers surprised us with a Christmas gift - a CD full of pictures from the fall. Clearly, Sam loves going to "school" and has a wonderful time with his teachers and new friends. We couldn't be more pleased with the wonderful care both Sam and Henry receive from 8 to 5. It makes going to work a lot easier for this momma.

It's no wonder our Sam is the music man. It seems he gets lots of musical stimuli. Yay!

Listening to the guitar and playing along with his bells. (Notice all the orange...Game Day was Saturday. Go Pokes!)

Another day and more guitar.

Stomping the drum.

Mommy isn't even sure what this instrument is, but it sure looks fun!

Sam with Ms. Rachel

Going for a stroll around Theta Pond

Making his homemade "shaker"...or at least that's what we've been calling it. Sam loves to shake it, along with his booty, to the Mickey Mouse theme song.

Silly Sam

Our little artist, a talent he must get from his Great Grandmother Shirley.

All of Sam's teachers (and even other parents!) have commented about Sam's appetite. Needless to say, it's a very, um, healthy appetite.

Working on shapes with Ms. Bailey

More and more play. Thank you CDL for being such a blessing to our family!

Me and Sam at the CDL Thanksgiving family dinner. Since daddy wasn't able to make it, I got to partake twice. I had lunch with Henry at 11:00 and dessert with Sam at 11:30. And I was rolling (literally) to the parking lot by noon.

Reading books with Ms. Sandy, who authored our purchase at Hastings last night - Halley the Sheepdog.

Ms. Sandy's book

Sam's first field trip!

And his very brave teachers.

Christmas w/ the Wards

2012-01-05T07:12:00.000-06:00

Reflecting on Christmas I feel so incredibly blessed to be part of two wonderful families. We spent Friday and Christmas Eve with the Shaw family - Sid, Marcia, Garland, Carolina and Ricky. Ricky had grown another foot since the summer and towers over his mom and Marcia. He and Wade are nearly eye-to-eye. Uncle Bud and Aunt Jan also drove up Christmas Eve which was a special treat.

Then, Christmas Day was spent with my mom and dad, Ann and Omar. Grandmother Shirley and Phil came too, and Jodie, the boys' babysitter also stopped by that evening. It was a good day.

Headed downstairs to see what Santa brought. Hopefully Charlie, their Elf on the Shelf, told Santa good things...

Puzzled. Henry is still unsure of who Santa is exactly. Sometimes he said his elf, Charlie, was visiting Santa and other times it was Jesus. And I'm not sure how or who he thinks delivered the gifts. What I am sure of is this - I love these little boys with all my heart and it brings me great joy to surprise them with gifts on Christmas.

Santa brought Sam a dancing Mickey. Our little musician fell in love instantly. He and Mickey danced like rock stars all afternoon.

Still unsure of what to make of his new airplane and blue dinosaur. How did Santa know?

Santa surprised the boys with an old-fashioned slinky in their stocking. So fun!

Monster fingers and octopus tentacles were also found deep inside their stockings. Scary.

And more animals to play at the Little People zoo! That Santa is one smart cookie!

Since my sister found out she was having a girl, I've gone CRAZY. This is my chance to buy PINK. So, for Christmas, I bought Baby Girl Rosales something she needed, and several things she didn't...but who can resist a pink dress and polka-dotted tutu?!

One of my favorite gifts to give this year. I made both Papaw Shaw and Papa Ward blankets with the boys' pictures. A friend surprised our family with one of these last year and I knew it was something our sentimental grandpas would love. It was a hit.

Sam's new guitar from Aunt Ann. With the drums Henry got last year from Papa Bo, Sam's new guitar, and the keyboard we got for the boys, they could start a band.

Aunt Ann and Uncle Omar - Sam loves this. He wants you to come visit again soon so you can jam with him.

Mom surprised Dad (aka. Papa) w/ a Keurig. Now Ann and I don't have to drink decaffeinated, weak coffee when we go to Blackwell. Thank you, Mom. Truly, a gift to the entire family.

The polka-dotted tutu. Now she'll have a bit of orange and black in her closet.

And some pink.

What are you doing behind the tree, Sam? Breaking ornaments? The total number of ornaments Sam smashed this year = 10.

After gifts, we enjoyed a late breakfast, fully caffeinated, strong coffee and watching the boys play with their new toys.

Christmas 2011 was the first Christmas we hosted THE Christmas dinner. Everyone pitched in and everyone left the table full and satisfied.

The Meal:

Orange Sherbet Salad

Strawberry-Pretzel Salad

Relish tray - dill and homemade sweet pickles

Deviled Eggs

Green Bean Casserole

Mashed Potatoes

Homemade Cream Corn

Pork Tenderloin

Wheat Rolls

Dessert:

Chocolate Nice

Cherry Pie

Christmas w/ the Shaws

2012-01-04T12:51:00.000-06:00

The boys with their Papaw.

Watching Ice Age

My snuggle bug

Milk does Sam's body good. Our little bug goes through nearly two gallons each week! We should buy our own cow.

Uncle Garland lending a hand.

Henry checking on the donkeys, who were heehawing in the pasture.

I think Henry was a bit embarrassed when I made him wear Sam's Santa hat.

Sam didn't seem to mind.

A Toy Story dump truck! The only thing Sam loves more than Toy Story is Mickey Mouse. The dump truck was a huge hit.

Admiring his new treasure - the dump truck.

Another favorite - Little People Zoo. Sam was so excited that he showed everyone in the room.

Dragging it to show Daddy.

Finally got the zoo to Papaw. So proud of his new animals.

And more Thomas train! Mamaw and Papaw - we've been building tracks all over the living room floor since Christmas Eve. Henry has had so much fun "making GIANT tracks". Thanks for spoiling our boys rotten.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Sayonara 2011

2012-01-01T09:26:00.001-06:00

I don't think I've ever been more excited for a new year. The year 2011 was full of highs and lows, and to be quite honest, I'd be perfectly content with a very uneventful 2012. More uninterrupted time with family and friends. In fact, I'm praying 2012 will be just that. Life with very few valleys and a year to pause and count my blessings.

My valleys and peaks in 2011 -

A kitchen floor remodel in our old house on Connell Court.
Grandmother Shirley battling for her life after having open-heart surgery in Arizona.
Aunt Debbie passed away in March. Henry, Sam and I road tripped to New Mexico to attend her funeral and visit family.
I ran my first 5K - Remember the Ten in Stillwater.
I ran in my first marathon relay (my leg was the equivalent of another 5K) - the OKC Memorial Marathon.
Grandmother Happy battled for her life in ICU at Integris. I went to visit her the same day I completed my second 5K run in OKC. I feared that would be the last day she would be with us on earth. Praise God we were able to wrap our arms around her for another Christmas.
On my 31st birthday, my mom was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer. Let the battle begin.
Sam started "school" at the OSU Child Development Lab/Rise Program.
Minus a few accidents here and there, Henry is officially POTTY TRAINED. Yes!
I took a new job at the OSU Foundation.
Sam had an allergic reaction to what we believe was peanut butter and we made our first trip to the Emergency Room in 2011.
One of the best people I know, and a loyal confidant and friend, Katie...and the precious baby she was carrying...went to heaven.
Wade experienced hyper fibrillation and we made our second trip to the Emergency Room in 2011. He also got to have his first overnight experience in a hospital as the patient.
We moved (meaning we boxed, stored, unpacked, painted, installed, renovated, decorated...).
We experienced our second floor renovation, only this time it was our living and dining room.
My sister announced she was pregnant! Her baby girl is due sometime in late April/early May.
We hosted our first family Christmas. In our new home.

One of my favorite 2011 memories. Mom and Sam on Independence Day. Enjoying time with family in Grandmother Happy and Papa Bo's backyard after taking an afternoon swim.

An uber masculine kitchen

2011-12-30T15:07:00.001-06:00

Okay, so I feel guilty considering opening a gift a Christmas highlight, but it was so much fun watching our boys open this gift. They were on cloud nine and opening it definitely put them in the Christmas spirit. Although for awhile I think they enjoyed the box as much as they did the kitchen.

The anticipation was HUGE. Sam wasn't quite sure what to think of a package twice his size. He was definitely going to need big brother to help open.

They circled it several times before they were brave enough to begin tearing paper.

This gift was also the cause for great debate this Christmas. Papaw and Daddy weren't quite sure they wanted their bug squashing boys playing with a kitchen. Actually, they were quite certain they did NOT want their boys playing with a kitchen. It didn't matter how much, or how often I tried to convince them of the masculinity of this particular kitchen, they were not going to be fans. Period.

Despite the kitchen being BLUE, there being a BOY on the cover of the box (see green shirt on box), or the number of famous manly chefs on the Food Network...it didn't matter.

Once they got started, it didn't take long

It looks like a kitchen...

It feels like a kitchen...

It smells like a kitchen...(see boy in green shirt on box)

It MUST be a KITCHEN!!!

My little chef

And, the phone...Sam's favorite kitchen feature

And let us not forget the box!

My famous last words...look how happy your little chefs are, Papaw and Daddy. Now, aren't you glad you gave in and bought them a kitchen. And for peace of mind, below are some famous male chefs, who are not only burly men, but also make quite a good living in the kitchen. Cheers.

Moms - If your little man has a kitchen, please, PLEASE speak up. Leave your comments for Henry and Sam's Daddy so he can see how many other blue kitchens exist in our circle of friends/readers.

Bobby Flay

Guy Fieri

Michael Symon

Sam Talbot

Curtis Stone

Rocco DiSpirito

Johnny Iuzzini

Aaron Sanchez

Chef Emeril Lagasse

A Love/Hate Relationship

2011-12-29T22:12:00.000-06:00

Imagine...

2011-12-29T21:58:00.000-06:00

Life with two sets of twins. Can you picture it? I give you Andrew and Henry (two weeks apart) and Addison and Sam (two weeks apart). If this were your life. 7 days a week. 24 hours a day. I'm guessing you'd a) need some SERIOUS hormones, or b) keep boxed wine in your fridge.

Santa vs. Pregnant Woman

2011-12-21T13:18:00.001-06:00

So, it's obviously been awhile since I updated family and friends on our crazy life. There are many reasons for this, many of which I'll attempt to hash out via this blog in the coming weeks. But until then, I leave you with this painfully true depiction of Santa and a pregnant woman (stolen from howtobeadad.com).

momma said there'd be days like this

2011-11-10T08:37:00.002-06:00

Last month was a busy month...I'm taking November to catch up and rest up. One major October event happened the night of October 6. It was PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) night. And as PTO co-president, I was taking a small break from the work day to franickly tweak that night's agenda...when Wade called. Wade had planned on coming home early that night to meet a friend who recently bought our desk. His call was to let me know he wasn't feeling well and that he probably wouldn't be in any condition to help move the desk or attend PTO. He was either a) really sick because he wanted that desk GONE, or b) he REALLY didn't want to go to the PTO meeting. Either way, I was sorry he didn't feel well, but didn't think too much about it.

Then, I got another call about 45 minutes later. Wade had already made the 25 minute drive home and called to warn me he had the flu. In other words, I was on my own for the night. Dinner, baths, bedtime...I'd better pick up a 32 ounce diet coke on my way to pick up the boys.

Then, 10 minutes later. Another call. The first thing out of Wade's mouth was "something isn't right. My heart is beating really fast." Needless to say, I was soon on my way home. He was waiting on me as soon as I pulled into the driveway. He was gray and I was worried. As soon as we got to the ER they whisked him away and left me at the front desk to check-in. Panic was beginning to take hold. Was Wade having a heart attack? As soon as I was able to join Wade and the half dozen nurses and doctors poking and proding him, I heard the blonde nurse yell, "it's over 200!" What was happening?!

Thankfully, only minutes later, Wade's heart which for a time was beating over 200 beats per minute, finally returned to a normal rythum. The doctor confirmed it wasn't a heart attack, but called it hyper fibrillation. They kept Wade in the hospital overnight to monitor his heart and watch him closely. As long as it doesn't happen again, they say we have nothing to worry about. And no damage was done to his heart during his episode that afternoon. Good news. Crazy day.

While they were working on Wade in the ER, I kept thinking of Katie. I wondered if this was the room she was in before they flew her to OKC. There have been so many days/moments something has happened at work and I've wanted to pick up the phone to call her. And one day I actually did and was surprised by the stranger that answered. It was a wicked reminder. I miss you, Katie. And look forward to the day I'll see you again and meet your precious little baby. Not sure why, but I always imagine you with a baby girl.

To Infinity!

2011-11-02T19:58:00.000-05:00

I have to admit that I wasn't uber excited for Halloween this year. With moving and everything else going on, it was the last thing on my mind. But, we made it to the Sunnybrook Harvest Carnival and Henry had SUCH a good time in his Buzz Lightyear costume (which he picked out himself) that I decided we should partake in trick-or-treating the following night...at least for a little while. Besides, it would be a good opportunity to get to know some of our new neighbors, right? Ha. Let's just say Henry definitely made a first impression.

Ready for takeoff

Flexing his muscles

Buzz and our half-dressed zebra

You can see from the floors that one of our current home projects is the living room floor.

Buzz was VERY excited to run in to THE Cat and the Hat at the Harvest Carnival

Group hug

Henry's friend, William, came over to join him trick-or-treating. They had a blast and loved every minute. They traipsed over mums, plowed through grass, tripped over paving stones...all to be the first to ring the bell. And sometimes they enjoyed ringing it multiple times! I pulled Sam, our zebra, in the wagon through most of the neighborhood. That is until he decided he wanted to play too. I was so proud. He had been watching big brother and Will closely and quickly learned how to walk right up to the door, knock, and flash his dimples to win the very best candy. Candy that is now hidden high in the pantry. What was I thinking when I made the boys' dentist appointment for three days BEFORE Halloween?!

Doing it just like the big boys

The Cat just saw a ghost. And who was passing out pacifiers?!

Some of my favorite trick-or-treat moments -

When Henry told one home owner, "you're a WORM!" Good thing that neighbor had a sense of humor.
When Henry pointed out to another neighbor that he had a fly on his wall.
At one house, the man answering the door said to Henry, "Cool! Buzz Lightyear! To infinity!" Henry responded by firmly planting his feet shoulder width apart, thrusting his fist up in the air and yelling at the top of his lungs, "AND BEYOND!"
Watching Sam's little bottom waddle back and forth in his zebra costume while he tried to keep up with Henry and Will. Between the Harvest Carnival on Sunday night and trick-or-treating on Monday, poor Sam was mistaken for a little girl three times.

The BEFORE...

2011-11-01T04:35:00.000-05:00

Good news - there will be AFTER photos to share soon! And the walls are no longer Denver Bronco orange/navy, or floor to ceiling dark brown, or even florescent green and blue...or at least they won't be for long.

Yes, the price had been reduced. We're a frugal family and Financial Peace University (FPU) graduates...okay, so we never completed the series...but we did START the series and took away some great principles!

The kitchen. And rose (i.e. pink) colored back splash and walls. Two things at the top of my "to update/paint" list. I don't do pink.

The built-in kitchen desk

From the kitchen, looking in to part of the living room and one of my favorite features - the double-sided fireplace.

The pink utility room and another favorite - the safe room.

The very green half-bath...just off the pink kitchen

The very dark and also green dining room

Floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room. LOVE windows and natural light. Also love that I can watch my boys playing in our super sized backyard from the living room!

The double-sided fireplace from the living room. The two valance light fixtures were among some of the first things to go.

The stairs. Henry and Sam's favorite feature(s).

Henry and Sam's second favorite feature - the Jetta tub. It was only a matter of time before the boys were swimming in place of the bugs.

The Denver Broncos room. Or, what is now Henry's room...after two coats of primer and one coat of Believable Buff paint.

Yes, even the ceilings were Cowboy orange and royal blue.

Our F-R-O-G. Make that our Finished Room Over the Garage...or, better known as the "play room".

The upstairs bath. The former home owners definitely had interesting taste in paint. They painted this bathroom to match their shower curtain.

The cave. Otherwise known as Sam's room, which also required two coats of primer and a dose of Believable Buff.

The spare bedroom...and the butterfly ceiling fan. The butterfly ceiling fans are now at Habitat.

Our backyard and a favorite feature for the entire family. (A riding lawn mower is on the top of Wade's Christmas list.)

The truth about baby poo

2011-11-01T04:33:00.000-05:00

Forgive me, but I had to speak the truth to all my friends who recently entered the world of motherhood. Yes, these are all true...and laugh-out-loud funny. That, or it's 4:32 AM and I'm delirious.

And to think...this whole time I thought we were the only family who knew about The Houdini.

Double-click to enhance (if you dare).

NOLA

2011-11-01T03:19:00.000-05:00

On the eve of the 10-year anniversary of 9/11 I spent the evening packing my bags to board an airplane. Had I realized I would be flying on the 10-year anniversary of this dreadful day, I probably would have selected another day to fly.

Although security was on high alert (I had my first body scan) and I experienced more flying anxiety than normal, my plane landed safely in New Orleans the afternoon of 9/11/11. And a heavy sigh of relief was had by all.

The Association of Donor Relations (ADRP) International Conference attracted me and two co-workers to NOLA. It was my second time in the Crescent City. Both times for conferences, but this time I had friends with me. Abby, Andrew and I had a great time seeing all that was within walking distance of our hotels and adding inches to our waistline tasting all of the Cajun specialties. I must admit that I'm a meat and potatoes girl at heart, but it was fun trying some of the local favorites.

Our first night we ventured to Oceana for seafood grub.

I chose the Redfish Oceana. The signature dish. Yum, yum.

And this, my friends, is the whale of a fish. I couldn't even plow through half of what was on my plate, but it was delicious. Best Redfish Oceana I've ever had.

And for dessert, because I understand stuffing yourself is what you're supposed to do in New Orleans, it was beignets at the famous Café Du Monde. Or, make that powdered sugar with beignets on the side.

The powdered sugar madness

We attempted to walk off some of our white powder during a stroll around Jackson Square. Not sure it did any good.

And being in NOLA, what better restaurant to visit than Emeril's very own NOLA. Unfortunately, we learned Emeril has a number of restaurants in the area and the chances of us actually seeing him or enjoying a dish he'd prepared personally were slim to none.

For more highlights, visit Abby's blog.

OSU Homecoming Parade

2011-10-29T10:46:00.001-05:00

This was the Shaw family's first OSU Homecoming Parade. I can't believe I've been in Stillwater since 1998 and this was my FIRST Homecoming Parade. Shame on me.

The boys rode/walked in the Child Development Lab "float". It was chilly, but a good time was had by all.

Because we had both boys in tow, Ann joined us and helped us keep up with our busy bodies on Main Street. She rode the float with Henry while Wade and I pushed Sam in the stroller.

Sam started getting restless, so one of his teachers snatched a sucker for him. He is much more pleasant when he has food...in this particular case, a sucker was the closest thing we had to food.

Let's get this party started!

Moving Day

2011-10-13T03:33:00.001-05:00

It's 2:57 AM and I've finally conceded. I can't sleep. Too much on my mind. We're closing on our house(s) in less than 48 hours and I can't stop thinking of the many things left to box, tape, move, schedule, sign, you name it. In my former life (i.e. before motherhood), I was THE organization queen. It's been fun diving back into some of my former self. And I try not to think of all of the time I'm spending organizing and boxing just to simply unbox next week. I've moved from dorm room to apartment, from apartment to apartment, and from apartment to house. But this is my first house to house move. And, wow. We have a LOT of "stuff". Thank goodness I'm not a hoarder...I can only imagine how long it might take to sift through closets upon closets of treasures. And praise God we only have 1400 square feet to pack.

When I began boxing (over two months ago), I took my precious time wrapping every item and putting things in their appropriate box. Then taping and labeling so we'd know exactly where each box should go in our new home. Now...not so much. I'm cramming everything and anything into any hole, crevice, or soft spot I can find. I have no clue what's in some of our boxes. It may be a little like Christmas morning unpacking. Or, at least that's what I'm telling myself to make it seem less painful.

I look forward to capturing some of our move in pictures this weekend. No doubt our upcoming moving days will be full of emotion for me. I'm excited about making our new house a home, but it will be difficult leaving our current home. This was, after all, the first home I purchased. It was my "project" after Wade and I ended a year and a half long dating relationship. I thought our relationship would result in a marriage proposal (which of course, later it did), but there was obviously still much work to be done in both our hearts before that day would come. Several months after Wade and I broke up I purchased this home (December 2005) and threw myself into decorating and Hobby Lobby to take my mind off of him. (It didn't work.) Thankfully, it was only for a season and by August of 2006 I was planning our wedding. God is good. And His timing is perfect.

Then, eight short months after we married, I was pregnant with Henry. And then two years later, Sam. This was home during three of the most important days of my life. There are lots of memories here and moving will certainly be bittersweet. Not even to mention that we have the best neighbors anyone could ever ask for.

bed (un)rest

2011-10-05T13:20:00.000-05:00

Nights the past week have been INSANE at the Shaw house. Henry was sent home from school Thursday with the squirts and spent Thursday afternoon and the better part of Friday at home with me. And Sam has been battling ear infections. Ear infection, after ear infection, after ear infection. I'm terrified that soon our pediatrician is going to say the 'T' word (that would be 'tubes' for all you mothers blessed with children without ear woes). Needless to say, the combination of Henry's upset tummy and Sam's ears has resulted in several sleepless nights.

I'd like to offer a summary of our nights in pictures -

So, forgive me for neglecting my blog...I WILL re-engage once I catch some Zzzz's.

Climbing trees

2011-09-25T14:06:00.001-05:00

Just like mud and rollie pollies, all little boys gravitate to climbing trees. Henry had his eye on this particular tree all morning until I finally turned him loose to explore. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to climb it with him. And had it not been for Sam, I would have. It was truly the perfect climbing tree.

Disclosure: No children were at any time in danger of falling or breaking a limb (on the tree or themselves) during the time of climbing. Cross my heart.

steady...easy does it

wanting to climb high like brother

what was that?!

a kitty cat!

a peanut allergy???

2011-09-20T13:08:00.000-05:00

Henry and Sam are two lucky little fellas. They've been able to attend the first two OSU football games of the season. And, thanks to some pretty sweet gift cards I had stashed for a rainy day, both got new Cowboy jerseys practically free of charge.

Wade's cousin, Deral, and his beautimous wife, Becca, came from Pampa, TX to visit us over Labor Day weekend. A friend (thank you, Belinda!) made it possible for all six of us to attend the game. It was hot. Or, in the words of Henry, "EXTREMELY hot". But we made it until almost half time. With Henry and Sam in tow, and 95+ temps, I was fearful we may not even make it through the first quarter. The best part of the game...or at least the half we saw...were the touch downs and Bullet. Every time Bullet took the field after a touch down, Sam screamed and clapped and pointed. He drew his own crowd in the stands. It was quite a sight. And little did we know, as the game progressed, Sam's little body was preparing to fight off a raging allergy...

Could it have been the quarter peanut butter sandwich he snatched out of big brother's backpack?

Could it have been the popcorn...or the popcorn oil and/or fixins?

Maybe some of the special treats he found under the bleachers?

It couldn't have been the Gerber puffs...or could it?

Henry pretends to be bashful when I pull out the camera...but we all know he loves the attention.

So, after the game we all gallivanted to Orange Leaf for frozen yogurt. (We frequented Orange Leaf every evening during Deral and Becca's stay. They were HUGE fans. Watch out Pampa...you may be getting an Orange Leaf soon.)

After ice cream it was bath time, and soon after baths both boys passed out in bed. I wasn't far behind. Shortly after Sam went down he woke up fussy. Wade came to get me and said there was something I should see. I could tell he was concerned. When I went to Sam's crib I found my baby covered from head to toe in a rash and red welts. He little eyes and ears were swollen and only getting worse. Taking him to the ER was a no-brainer. We quickly gave Sam a quick dose of Benadryl and then whisked him away to the hospital. Thank goodness for Deral and Becca, who stayed with Henry at the house. The minute we walked in, the nurses immediately took us back. They took Sam's vitals and checked his oxygen levels...I think there was fear that his throat and airway would be next to swell. Vitals were good.

After a heavy dose of steroids, two prescriptions from the ER doctor, and two and a half hours, we left the hospital. Sam's swelling had subsided and the welts were gone. The rash was still covering his body, but that too was gone the next day. We don't have any answers yet, but we have a follow-up appointment with Sam's pediatrician this week. I'm guessing allergy testing is in Sam's future. Ugh.

The next week was the Foundation's annual family picnic. Or, this year, the family tailgate. Henry and Sam were excited to see Bullet again! The boys got to wear their new jerseys to school that Thursday since it was a Thursday night game...I caught them playing Cowboy football on our bed before we high-tailed it to the CDL.

At the picnic..."It's Pistol Pete", Henry screamed.

We didn't make it to half time this game...the boys were pumped full of energy and had way too much trouble sitting still. Even with all of the OSUF eyes and helping hands. We took our time walking back and had a jersey photo opt outside the stadium. Can you tell by Sam's expression how much he loves big brother? Ha.

Thanks for a great evening, OSUF.

the last taste of summer

2011-09-19T21:48:00.000-05:00

Nothing beats a blue Popsicle after some good, outdoor play

mom update

2011-09-16T12:55:00.000-05:00

Good news: Mom's tumor is shrinking and chemo is doing its job. Hallelujah.

Bad news: Mom's cat scan last week still revealed cancer in her lymph nodes, so no surgery yet. Her doctor said two more rounds of chemo and then they'll do another scan. Counts (especially her platelets) were too low to do chemo this week, but we're all hoping for the green light next week.

Mom's spirits remain high. God is teaching us patience and to continue depending on Him. I keep reminding myself this is a marathon, not a sprint...but, UGH. I wish my heart would listen more to my brain.

Until next time...

a weekend on the farm

2011-09-13T18:11:00.001-05:00

Okay, so it's really not a farm. Not even close. But it IS in the country. And we love it.

Henry has learned to spell and write his name. We are so proud. Almost as proud as Henry is when he shouts "H-E-N-R-Y"!

His "N" needs a little work...and his "R" is backwards...but we're still SO proud.

We are also proud of the chalk lines Sam can draw. Very artistic.

Sam chillaxin on Grandmother Happy's king bed after a diaper change.

He likes to hug the bed posts. Just like I'm told his momma did when she was a little girl.

salt & pepper

2011-09-12T07:47:00.000-05:00

There's no doubt where Sam inherited his skin color...and it wasn't from grandpa.

Team Lesa

2011-09-10T17:07:00.000-05:00

When I first got the email on August 29 telling me a group of teachers and friends from Blackwell were putting together a Team Lesa for the Hope in OK5K, I never expected there would be 70+ participants. And in such a short time! Our family, especially mom, was overwhelmed by the amount of support this morning. Thanks to all who came in person, all "couch participants", and all our out-of-town friends that emailed their support and encouragement. Today was an awesome reminder that we're all in it together and of just how much we need each other. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Go, TEAM LESA! If they had given medals to the largest team, Team Lesa would have won by a landslide.

Team Lesa's #1 fans

The balloon release...obviously :)

The star of Team Lesa and her boys, both in awe at the number of balloons floating to heaven

More of mom's #1 fans -

"a river runs through it" (those of you in this picture know to what I'm referring...as for the rest of you...don't ask)

Sam won the medal for youngest participant. He was very excited.

"I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord..." Jer. 29:11

Great Grandmother Shirley and Phil met us at IHOP for a refueling brunch

We got our ears lowered

2011-09-09T12:44:00.000-05:00

Henry and Sam got their ears lowered last week...they were both long overdue. Poor Sam wasn't quite sure what to think. This was his first hair cut. Stephanie definitely had her work cut (pun intended) out for her!

Notice the shirt (MY BROTHER DRIVES ME...BANANAS)

Cousin Matt and his iPad

2011-09-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

Wade's cousin, Matt, from Pennsylvania dropped by for a surprise visit. Matt is a pilot for Net Jets and was in Tulsa for a short 24 hours and decided to make the extra one hour trip to Stillwater for dinner. We're certainly glad he did. It had been 5+ years since Wade last saw Matt, and the first time for me and the boys. Matt introduced Henry and Sam to fables/books and games on his iPad...my iPhone is not nearly as interesting now. We look forward to someday meeting Matt's other half, Melissa, and their sweet baby girl, Rhiannon.

Peek-A-Boo

2011-09-07T21:03:00.000-05:00

My cup runneth over

2011-09-02T21:30:00.000-05:00

Thanks to laurenclarkphoto.com for the beautiful pictures...hope we can meet again soon for that walk.

ICE, the Trick Pony

2011-08-30T20:43:00.000-05:00

The last Friday of every month the OSUF family gathers for breakfast at 400 S. Monroe. (And it's Jeans Day - yay! But then again, every day is Jeans Day at St. Michael's Village - double yay!) This particular last Friday, we not only sported jeans and endulged in Joan's delicious grits, but we were treated with a show put on by one of our very own - Johnny Blasier and his trick horse, Ice. These names are not made up, folks. Ice can not only carry on a conversation with Johnny Blasier, but paints, lays down on command, rolls over, fishes, smiles for the camera, drinks from a water bottle, and my personal favorite, plays the guitar. Some of you may have seen Ice perform on the Jay Leno show or Animal Planet...maybe the video and pictures below will help jog your Animal Planet memory.

Our friends, Annie and Mary Kate

A bit unsure of Ice

Henry doing the touch and run

He thought Ice was pretty awesome. Thanks for the show Johnny!

School Days

2011-08-30T19:32:00.000-05:00

This year on the first day of school I thought I'd start the "first day of school" picture tradition. Before we loaded the CRV, I corralled the boys to the front porch. All I wanted was one picture of the two of them smiling. I was lucky to get both of them in the same frame. Henry was much to busy playing with his fishing pole to bother looking at the camera and Sam...well, Sam was Sam. It was like he could already sense that I would soon be dropping him off. He hates goodbyes.

Henry and his buddy were excited to spend their Mon - Fri together again. Look out trouble, here they come!

Pistol and Pete

2011-08-29T13:31:00.000-05:00

Did you ever know how INSANELY INVOLVED fresh water fish can be?!? What began as a quiet Saturday grocery errand to Wal-Mart, ended in a 10 gallon aquarium and Pet Co. shares.

The story -

A couple of weeks ago, Sam and Henry accompanied me to the Farmer's Market and Wal-Mart to do our weekly grocery/toiletry shopping. I had had a great night's sleep and was feeling rather spry, so in Wal-Mart, when Henry asked to visit the fish, I decided to surprise him. I told him that he and Sam could actually pick out and take home two goldfish! We selected the perfect glass bowl and carefully chose the best color of rock...to accentuate our goldfish's best features, and grabbed two types of fish food. One for every day, and one for special occasions. Next, we asked the nice college student/Wal-Mart clerk to help us catch our fish. Henry picked out a big gold one. And Sam chose a white one w/ black and orange spots. We decided to name them "Pistol" and "Pete".

We got home, unloaded groceries, and laid all of our new treasures on the kitchen table. Henry helped me dump the gravel into the fish bowl, and daddy filled it with water. Sam kept the fish company while we prepared their new home. Finally, we introduced the fish to their bowl and oohed and awed for about 5 minutes. Until Henry got bored and was ready to move on to the next thing.

We left the fish bowl on the kitchen table for the rest of the day, and moved it to Henry's room that evening. By the next morning, the water was already FILTHY! Seriously, fish...that's a lot of poop in 24 hours! Did we over feed? Or, are goldfish really that disgusting? They're really that disgusting. Or, at least koi are. Which is what I soon discovered we purchased. Instead of goldfish. Ugh. Who knew? Certainly not the guy at Wal-Mart.

And then I have an idea. I'm definitely not game for cleaning a fish bowl every day, and lucky us have friends with a pond in their front yard. Full of koi. Jackpot. I text my friend Rebecca...tell her it's her lucky day. She and Kyle have just won two koi. They comply and welcome "Pistol" and "Pete" with open arms.

But before Rebecca and Kyle can officially adopt our koi, we need to find Henry and Sam two replacements. Not that they would notice...they'd already lost interest. But let's face it. Wade and I had caught the bug and wanted to create an aquatic oasis. So I head to Pet Co. Anxious to find all the answers and upgrade to an actual aquarium for "real" goldfish. The college student/Pet Co. clerk helping me was careful to point out how much he knew about fish. And that he used to work at Wal-Mart and any fish I bought there would most likely die. AND that only beta fish can live in a fish bowl. All other fish, especially goldfish, need a filter. He assured me a 2.5 gallon tank would be large enough for another "Pistol" and "Pete". An hour later I left Pet Co. with a 2.5 gallon aquarium, complete w/ filter and light, and instructions to fill and run the aquarium at least 3 - 4 days before adding fish. So me, being the rule follower that I am, did exactly that.

Then, 3.5 days later, I go back to Pet Co., ready to select the perfect goldfish for Henry and Sam (or, Michal and Wade). Pet Co.'s #1 fish guru wasn't working that particular evening, so another college student assisted me. I shared with him that I had just purchased my 2.5 gallon tank, which had been running for 3.5 days, and that I was ready to select two goldfish. "A 2.5 gallon tank isn't nearly large enough for goldfish" was his reply. WHAT?! The rest of the conversation went something like this...

Me: "But the guy four days ago told me a 2.5 gallon tank would be PERFECT for two goldfish."
New guy: "Do you remember his name?"
Me: "No, but he had glasses and used to work at Wal-mart".
New guy: "Yep. He's new. He doesn't know much about fish."
Me: "Super. Then what fish will fit into a 2.5 gallon tank?"
New guy: "Betas."
Me: (Deep sigh)
New guy: "You need at least a 10 gallon tank for anything other than betas and maybe guppies."
Me: "Guppies? Seriously? Where are the 10 gallon tanks?"

Needless to say, I fell victim (again) to Pet Co. and left w/ a 10 gallon tank (including a bigger filter and bigger, better light), more gravel, and water drops...the drops are supposed to keep the water safe for our fish. Which at this point I'm wondering if we'll ever have.

I should add that you now can hardly see "Pistol" and "Pete" in their glass bowl.

And 3.5 days later, we head back to Pet Co. Wade went with me this time...I think he was scared I'd come home with a 50 gallon tank. We select four fish. Three pretty ones (I think I wrote the name down somewhere?), and one bottom feeder for good measure. None were goldfish. New guy confirmed goldfish were dirty and that there were cleaner fish we should select to minimize maintenance. I followed his instruction. Duh.

Henry and Sam selected two dinosaurs for the tank, as well as some green and purple plants. The tank looks beautimous. After all our work, it had better.

And the original "Pistol" and "Pete" are now swimming with other koi friends in a clear pond at Rebecca and Kyle's.

We're now taking name suggestions for our new fish friends. Please offer your comments, fish wisdom, warnings, etc.

Why mommies are sometimes late

2011-08-24T13:07:00.000-05:00

I give you a morning at the Shaw house...

6:00 AM - My alarm rings. I crawl out of bed and into the shower.
6:30 AM - I hear Henry crawl into bed with his brother. We laugh and giggle in Sam's room for several minutes and then head to the kitchen for breakfast.
6:40 AM - Breakfast is served. This particular morning it was cereal bars, banana and milk.
6:41 AM - I leave the kitchen for 1 minute. Literally.
6:42 AM - I return to an empty kitchen. Henry and Sam are now sitting comfortably on the couch enjoying breakfast, Mickey Mouse, and each other. Only half of Sam's cereal bar has actually made it to his mouth. The other half has been ground into the sofa.

Sam is obviously not a fan of Daisy Duck.

When no one is watching, Henry gives sugar to little brother.

Notice Henry's arm around Sam.

6:42 AM - I take a deep breath, tell myself "at least they're entertained" and realize now is my chance to finish getting ready. I leave the living room to dress and do my make-up and hair.
6:55 AM - I leave the bedroom midway through make-up to remove Sam's breakfast crumbs from the sofa. (The steam from Wade's shower was making me melt.)
7:00 AM - I return to the bedroom to find Henry and Sam in my make-up. And make-up rubbed into the sheets.

7:01 AM - I return make-up to bag. Say "to heck with my hair and make-up" and take Sam to get dressed.
7:02 AM - I change Sam's diaper and get him dressed for school.
7:05 AM - Sam poops in diaper.
7:07 AM - I change Sam's diaper again.
7:10 AM - I help Henry "go potty" and get him dressed.
7:15 AM - We refill milk cups for the road, pack bags for the day, pack my lunch and load the car.
7:30 AM - We head out the door. On time. Barely.
7:31 AM - Sam poops again.
7:32 AM - We unbuckle the boys and return to the house to change Sam.
7:40 AM - Sam is now wearing diaper #3.
7:45 AM - Boys are re-buckled and we're off. Fifteen minutes behind schedule. And finally, we stop at each and every cross walk between our house and the CDL for students with an 8:00 M-W-F class. There had to have been at least 500 of them.

Sweet Katie

2011-08-17T21:25:00.000-05:00

Katie was one of the kindest people I've ever known. She had a servants heart, sweet spirit, and was a true friend. I'm a better person having known her. Katie's love for life has been an inspiration to me countless times, and I will miss her deeply. Our monthly wine date will never quite be the same. Our group of four is now three, but we will toast to Katie. Always. The first Wednesday of every month.

I love you, Katie. Thank you for modeling integrity and grace, and for reminding me to embrace life fully.

From her obituary:

Katie Womack loved life, friends, and family! She had a passion for animals and nature, learning, traveling, and for her alma mater, Oklahoma State University. Katie’s adventures spanned the scope of family vacations to 49 states, backpacking across Europe, relaxing on tropical beaches, and being a faithful traveling fan of Oklahoma State athletics. Katie was such a good friend to many people and her influence on others will live forever. Katie was a new bride and spent the first year of their marriage making their house a home. She loved growing plants from seeds, planting her organic garden, and sharing her new Pioneer Woman recipes. Katie was committed to health and fitness and ran her first marathon last year with David. Katie fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith. She is now watching over her loved ones and rocking her baby in heaven.

Katherine Charlotte Reavis Womack passed away unexpectedly of severe heart complications on August 14, 2011 at OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City.

Katie was born September 15, 1981 in Shattuck, Oklahoma to Gary and Elodie Reavis. She grew up in Woodward and graduated from Woodward High School in 2000. She graduated from Oklahoma State University summa cum laude in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science degree in education. She would have received her Master’s degree in December. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church. She was also a member of Alpha Chi Omega social sorority and many campus organizations. On July 23, 2010 Katie married the love of her life, David Womack, in Cancun, Mexico. During their short marriage they enjoyed more happiness and love than most people do in a lifetime.

“Dud in the mud”

2011-08-10T21:14:00.000-05:00

The CDL has been closed the first two weeks of August and the boys have enjoyed some time at home with their new friend, Hadley. What a blessing. Henry and Sam LOVE her. Mommy and daddy love her too. But as much as we've all enjoyed a slower pace this month, the boys have been getting restless. So, Friday night we loaded up and enjoyed a night on the town. First stop was Chili's to grab some grub. Second stop was Hastings to play with the Thomas train. Next we treated Henry to some ice cream at Orange Leaf. And last but certainly not least, we drove out to Lake McMurtry to watch the sunset and skip rocks. Henry’s favorite pastime. Anytime daddy would skip a rock Henry would yell, “Whoa, that was a skipper!” As Henry threw, barely getting the rock to water, he would say in his deepest manliest tone, “Dud in the mud.”

It's no wonder Henry's rocks barely made it to water. The rocks he chose were equal to him in weight.

While Henry and dad had a their rock skipping contest, Sam and I enjoyed the cool (okay, slightly warm) breeze from the lake and the peaceful evening.

It's been so dry, the grass was crunchy under Sam's feet.

Ker plunk

It was a fun evening. One I look forward to repeating again soon. I’m even trying to convince Wade that a night...make that several nights...under the stars with the boys should be on our To Do list this fall. There's just something about spending a quiet evening near water. It's peaceful. It's calming. It rejuvenates my soul and never fails to remind me of the most important things in life.

Oklahoma heat wave

2011-08-10T09:01:00.001-05:00

Extreme temperatures have pretty much confined us to our AC during much of the day. And we’re all getting restless. Some days I think I’d actually opt for a blizzard over the wicked heat. To beat the heat and still enjoy some daylight hours outside, we’ve been burning energy outdoors in the morning. This particular morning we visited the local farmer’s market and then spent an hour playing at the nearby park. The boys LOVED it. Only problem is now EVERY TIME we hit the farmer's market the boys want to spend an hour at the park. Not a bad problem to have.

Monkey on the monkey bars

Big brother showing Sam how to go down the slide feet first

Henry is much too mature and cool to smile for pictures anymore. The top of his head is usually the best I can do.

Sam in a bit of a pickle

Becoming frustrated with this whole slide thing...I mean, what's the point really? You slide down, climb back up, slide down again...way too much work for our Sam.

Peek-a-boo AROUND the slide was more Sam's style

After the park, we treated the boys to a smoothie - Henry's favorite thing. How strange that a 3-year-old would rather have a smoothie than ice cream. But that's our Henry.

Sam and his pink cheeks thinks his brother is a riot

The sweetest pickles

2011-08-07T17:37:00.000-05:00

The fruit (make that vegetable) of my labor. And Wade’s. Poor Wade. As I was sealing the last jar of pickles Wade looked at me and said, “Do you know what this means, honey? We get our kitchen back! Now, you only do this once a year, right?”

Next year I’ll have to document and photograph every sticky step. This year, being a pickle virgin, the recipe called for my undivided attention.

He earned his wings

2011-08-07T15:39:00.000-05:00

Yes, after months of only going potty at school Henry FINALLY decided it was time to potty at home. Every day I would ask Henry, multiple times, “Henry, do you need to go potty?” And each time Henry would answer, “No, mommy. I went potty at school.” Or my favorite, “No, mommy. I went potty yesterday.” So, assuming this day would be no different, I asked Henry, “Henry, honey…do you want to try to potty?” And to my surprise, Henry said yes. I got his potty out, he aimed, he fired, and he DID IT! We celebrated, did a potty dance, and he got to get Buzz off the mantle and open him. It was a BIG deal. We have our good potty days, and our bad. But we’re finally making progress.

My hero

2011-08-07T08:34:00.000-05:00

There is a reason you haven’t seen pictures or posts in a long time. Technology, while a wonderful thing, has been my thorn this past month. It started when our internet connection became intermittent. Very intermittent. And of course the times we did have a strong connection were always the most inconvenient times…just before crawling into bed, just before heading out the door to work. So, I finally surrendered and called Geekabytes. And wouldn’t you know that the day Daniel Geekabyte was planning to come to my rescue, a neighbor’s house was struck by lightning and caught fire. A total loss. And the second house fire in our neighborhood this year. So, Daniel’s visit was delayed. Fire trucks prevented anyone from getting to our house. Even us. But when the smoke and fire trucks cleared, Geekabytes came. And for 24 hours we had internet again. Then our modem, which was apparently one of the “premier” versions (i.e. it was from the Stone Age) went haywire. A week later, Daniel Geekabyte returned. He explained that in addition to an ancient modem, we may also have a faulty splitter…whatever that is. We opted to replace the modem and cross our fingers. And for 24 hours we had internet again. Now it’s again intermittent and we’re back to square one. Suppose third time will be our charm.

But that’s not all. Oh yes, there’s more. So, during the last 24 hours of internet connection I decided to take the opportunity to download all of my pictures from my camera. And possibly update our blog. I connected my camera to the computer using the same USB cable, same method, same everything. And nada. Nothing happened. I repeated. And repeated. And repeated. And STILL nothing. Next I decide to purchase a USB/memory card during my Saturday morning trip to Wal-Mart. This should (fingers crossed) enable me to download pictures directly from my memory card to the computer. No USB cable required. Unfortunately for me, it didn’t work. You can imagine my frustration at this point. I was ready to take a sledge hammer to the family laptop. Finally, in desperation I begged Wade to make a stop at Best Buy during our date night. And praise Jesus for the Geeksquad. Not only did I discover my computer already had a memory card reader…and to think all of this time I could have just stuck the stupid card directly into my computer…but the Geeksquad got me up and running again. For FREE. I will forever be a loyal Best Buy customer after today. Thank you, Geeksquad. I am eternally grateful.

So what else have we been up to besides cursing laptops and the internet? Well, I’ll tell you…

· POTTY TRAINING. After months of being perched on our mantle, Buzz Lightyear finally got to come down and be united with our big boy, Henry. Although not accident free, and still struggling with pooping in the potty, Henry has definitely made significant strides. Hallelujah.

· I made homemade sweet pickles for the first time EVER. It was a two week ordeal and the entire house reeked of apple cider vinegar, but I did it. And they actually taste like my grandmother’s. Yum, yum. Every step was an adventure…especially because I didn’t have a pan quite large enough to contain all of the boiling syrup/vinegar…multiple pots, all boiling, some overflowing, and little room to do anything but pickles in our kitchen. But it was worth it…and we’ll be enjoying pickles for the next 12 months.

· We’ve been cleaning and moving things to storage. Let the staging begin. We’re hopeful our house will be listed in the coming months and we can begin our search for the Shaw family’s new home.

· We’re preparing for a garage sale. Enough said.

Round #3

2011-08-02T08:36:00.000-05:00

No chemo since June. Mom’s white blood cells are CRAWLING back, but at a snail’s pace. If counts have reached the 1500 threshold after blood work today then chemo will take place on Thursday. AND, there will be a shot that follows 24 hours later that should help w/ nausea. That shot, combined with the magic injections she’s now giving herself at home will hopefully keep counts elevated and chemo can resume on schedule. Every 21 days. It’s been so long since her last treatment that her head is getting fuzzy again. Although still fatigued and breathless after chasing Henry around the living room a couple of times, she’s feeling good. Just frustrated and ready to get another treatment under her belt. God is teaching us all to depend on Him.

Independence Day

2011-07-17T13:28:00.000-05:00

It hasn't always been a tradition, but over the last decade...give or take a few years...the Riselings (and now Wards) have had mini family reunions on the 4th. Afternoons are spent in the water and evenings are spent on mom and dad's back porch grilling burgers and lighting fire crackers. (Mornings are best spent sleeping in or lounging on the back porch in pajamas.)

This year was extra special. The entire Riseling clan (well, at least the aunts and uncles) were in Blackwell at some point, AND the Ward clan came too. It was double the fun, double the swimming, double the food...you name, we had double. Even double cousins!

Aunt Susan, Omar and their vino

Unlike the sleeping majority, Susan and Omar woke bright and early Sunday morning to "enjoy" a 30+ mile bike ride. I suppose they earned their wine that night.

What Wade truly thinks of his inlaws

Adorable Caitlin, Craig's girlfriend. We LOVE her, Craig. Hint, hint.

These two were inseparable. Henry thought everything Miranda did was the COOLEST THING EVER. He was her shadow the entire weekend.

Whilst taking a break from his marshmallows

My double cousins, Mollie and Craig

Ann and her hubster

A rainbow...after the surprise (and much needed) mid-afternoon shower

Sam thought the rainbow was beautimous...it made him smile

Mi madre y mi padre

Miranda and her shadow

The happy couple

Ornery doing a pickle dance...have you ever seen someone so excited about pickles?!

Aunt Mollie and Uncle Rob drove all the way from Austin, TX to join us. And we're so glad they did.

Awake from his nap and anxious to join the gang outside

Trouble. Love the expressions from Omar and Craig.

Just happy to be outside and enjoying the cloud cover

The doubles

The doubles (sans Mollie) in 2009

Henry in 2009. 14 months old.

More of the newly weds

Playing with what little hair Larry has left.

He really has a hard time being serious

Sweet Miranda

Uncle Larry and Sam telling secrets about Papa

Bright eyed and bushy tailed

A Roast for Sid

2011-07-15T12:54:00.000-05:00

For Father's Day, I told Sid that I would make him whatever he wanted for dinner and dessert. Good thing he picked roast...something I've come close to mastering. Unfortunately, the cherry pie that followed wasn't my best, but we ate it anyway. We couldn't let a homemade cherry pie go to waste. Even a mediocre cherry pie.

After dinner, Sid and the boys enjoyed some quality time on the living room carpet. Sam absolutely LOVES his Sesame Street music toy thingamajig. It makes him smile each and every time we pull it out.

Henry was much too intent on his Rescue Heroes to even notice Sam's elation to Sesame Street

mom update

2011-07-13T12:38:00.000-05:00

I talked to mom last night and here's the scoop...

She was originally supposed to have Round #3 on July 8, but due to low...well, low everything...they postponed her third treatment until July 18. Then, yesterday, she got a call from her nurse explaining that some counts were still too low and they would be postponing chemo again.

I understand there are three basic things they measure in her frequent blood tests - hemoglobin (oxygen level in the blood), white blood cells (the good cells that fight off infection), and platelets (helps your blood clot).

Mom's hemoglobin is very low, which explains why she is so weak and tires easily. Her white blood cells are also too low, but aren't as big a concern as her hemoglobin levels. Her platelet levels, while low a week or two ago, are actually okay now. As mom likes to put it, she can play with knives again!

The good news is that her cancer count is also down. The chemo is doing it's job...and then some.

It sounds like she'll have at least two more rounds of chemo before they consider surgery. Please pray specifically that her hemoglobin and white blood cell counts begin to rise so that she can continue blazing down the path to healing.

Until next time...

One Fish, Two Fish...

2011-07-12T20:27:00.000-05:00

Brown fish, blonde fish. This one has a water car. Say, what big fish they are! (lame, I know)

When they're not in "Happy's Pond" (what Henry calls her swimming pool), they're begging for me to put them in the tub. My fingers are staying nice and prune-like this summer.

Sam makes quite a wake in his waverunner...he's takes the water very seriously

With his life jacket on, Henry is fearless in the water

When the heat exceeds 100 degrees...oh, wait. It's done that for the last 15+ days! We like to retreat to the tub.

And instead of sun screen we smear Grandma's mashed potatoes over our nose and cheeks...nothing like swimming with dinner remnants floating in the water.

front yard shenanigans with sweet addison

2011-07-09T22:44:00.002-05:00

The Backcountry

2011-07-09T21:51:00.000-05:00

Henry has been BEGGING daddy to sleep with him...every night for the past two weeks! Daddy finally caved and promised Henry that when the weekend came, they'd build a tent in the living room and camp out...just the two of them...in the air conditioning.

When Friday night finally arrived Henry was so excited he could hardly stand it...or maybe it was me who could hardly stand it??? Either way, it was all we heard about from sun up until sun down.

Quite honestly, I'm not sure who enjoyed "camping out" more...Wade or Henry?

Ode to Jessi

2011-07-07T22:26:00.000-05:00

We first met Jessica at Chapman Childcare - Henry's first introduction to "daycare" in August 2009. We'd had a WONDERFUL nanny (you know who you are) up until that time and transitioning to childcare was difficult for mom...I'm quite certain it was much harder for me than it ever was for Henry. After three dreadful days and sleepless nights at Place A, we were blessed with an opportunity to attend Place B...otherwise known as Chapman. It was divine intervention. I went to visit Chapman in tears...very unhappy to leave Henry at Place A. Again, we'd only been there three days, but my gut was in knots. And you know the saying..."trust your gut"...well, my gut was telling me to get Henry the heck out of there! So, prepared to take every vacation day I had available until I found a good, wholesome Place B, I went on a mad search and was determined to find the best place for our little boy. That's when Chapman happened. I went to visit and when asked why we were looking to move our son to another childcare, I burst into tears. It wasn't minutes later that Mrs. Chapman received a phone call. And suddenly, the already full to maximum capacity childcare had an opening. Thank you, Jesus.

Henry started Chapman the very next day and soon after we met Jessica, who quickly became a favorite of Henry's. In addition to playing with Henry at Chapman, Jessica began babysitting for us that fall...once or twice a month so Wade and I could squeeze in a date night or two. Then, when Henry left Chapman to start the CDL and we simultaneously made the decision to search for a nanny for Sam, who was expected to arrive sometime in June of 2010, Jessica expressed an interest. Another answer to prayer.

Clearly, Jessica has been through much of our parenting journey with us. And now, she'll soon be experiencing her own parenting journey. No doubt she will be an excellent mother and a blessing to her baby girl. Thanks for blessing our socks off these past two years, Jessi.

When he thought no one was watching

2011-07-05T21:21:00.000-05:00

Tyler - Part II

2011-07-04T21:02:00.000-05:00

I found my camera! Yahoo!! And just in time for Independence Day festivities. In the meantime, here are the missing Tyler pictures.

Our first day in the sun and water...Sam was pooped after just an hour of swimming.

Sam slept so well after our first full day...makes me want to install a pool. Wade? What do you think?

Day 2 at the water park

And again...

It even worked on big brother.

Noticing a pattern?

I swear we did things...

WE MUST GET A POOL

Happy Birthday, Sam!

2011-07-01T20:52:00.001-05:00

Our baby boy turned ONE on June 16. Wow. Time continues to fly. It seems like we should be celebrating a 6 month birthday, not ONE YEAR.

Life has been so crazy this summer that we decided against a big birthday bash and instead celebrated with Mamaw and Papaw the Tuesday prior, and Grandma and Papa the day of...below are some memories of Sam's big day.

It's Mickey! FINALLY, Sam has his very own Mickey Mouse and can now stop stealing Henry's...Henry is so relieved.

Just kidding...Henry is confused and thinks he's received a second Mickey. Let the fighting begin!

Sam watching in disbelief as his brother attempts to claim the new Mickey as his own.

Birthday dinner = roast, carrots and potatoes

And let us not forget the cupcakes!

I wonder what he was talking about??? It was intense...whatever it was.

More Henry being Henry

He's had more than his fair share of sprinkles

The newlyweds

Still working...

Leftovers anyone?

Pre-demolition

Sweet boy after a spray down...and enjoying some strawberry icing residue on that bottom lip

And if you didn't get your fill of strawberry cupcakes, try a Nerf dart!

Reading Dr. Seuss on the iPhone

Can you tell it's past Sam's bedtime?

It just gets worse...

Goodnight, Sam

More belly laughs...

2011-06-24T21:11:00.000-05:00

...or at least that's the effect these have on me. Thanks for the belly laughs, JD.

Soulmates. But someone in the photo isn't so sure.

The cat is thinking of entering him into some more shows.

Clearly a win-win.

These two are considered the Brangelina of the monkey world.

It wasn’t until after the happy couple had their wedding photos printed that they discovered the ghostly apparition of Great Grammy Gertie manifested in lilac and complete disapproval.

“Honey, do you think we can get one of the neighbors to take a family photo of us? I have the perfect idea! We’ll all crouch 40 feet away from the pool, in the weeds and poison ivy, and we’ll have matching towels!”

If you put on your red/blue glasses, you can encounter them in 3D!

FINALLY! A photo of girls in prom dresses holding poultry that makes total sense.

Punks in Space.

Laugh and the world laughs with you. But, exert bodily noises and you sit alone.

I no longer need my anti-depressants. This photo cured me.

Sizzle on, Bacon Brothers, sizzle on!

Rare sighting of a migrating flock of Androgynous Wedgies.

What’s more awkward, the kid who is about to bash some skulls with the ominous shadow or the mystery hand holding the football?

When you’ve got Jazz hands like this, you can afford to be a little cocky.

Cancer Update

2011-06-22T11:48:00.002-05:00

Mom had her second round of chemo on Friday, June 17. We partied like rock stars the night before – it was Sam’s 1st birthday. I can’t believe my baby boy is actually 12 months old?!

Ann stayed with mom while she was receiving treatment (taxol and cisplatin/caroplatin) at OU Medical Center, which usually takes 4 to 5 hours. Mom sleeps during most of the treatment and doesn’t begin feeling the aftermath until 24 hours later. Per Ann, she looked much better than she did after her first treatment in May. Less gray, more color. Unfortunately, nausea and vomiting continues to be an issue, although slightly better than after Round 1 of chemo.

I called last night to check in and mom and dad were at the Blackwell hospital getting fluids intravenously. Just mom, not dad. Ha. She felt much better after receiving the magic fluids and promised to go sooner next time if her nausea remains uncontrolled.

Last week we were worried her second chemo treatment would be postponed due to her low white blood cell count. Apparently your count must be 1500 in order to receive chemo. Mom was scheduled for Round 2 on Friday (6/17) and on Tuesday (6/14) her white blood cell count was 1200. She had a follow-up test on Thursday and luckily her count had recovered and was above 1500. Whew.

Her doctor recommended I.V. fluids if vomiting continues. This will help keep white blood cells elevated.

This may be more information than many of you care to know, but for our other cancer fighting and pharmacist/doctor friends, below are the nausea medications she’s tried so far –

Ativan (Lorazepam)
Phenergan (Promethazine)
Compazine
Zofran
And there may be others…

AND, at the recommendation of our favorite Cushing pharmacist, she will soon be trying peppermint water. Thanks, Doug!

She is loosing her hair now, but we all love her stylish new wig. The hair color and style are very similar to what she was sporting before chemo. You wouldn't know it was a wig unless she told you...or you read it on my blog.

Although not quite as upbeat as she was one month ago, mom’s spirits are still great. We’re all taking this one day at a time.

Thank you for the phone calls, texts, cards, emails and prayers. (Feel free to leave comments for mom on my blog...she'll be reading from time to time.) I will do my best to continue posting to keep you informed.

That's my Funday

2011-06-20T20:57:00.000-05:00

It may have been Sunday for The Bangles, but Saturday was Funday for The Shaws. It was the first Saturday we've all been home in over a month and we spent it soaking up sun, heat, Zzz's and grocery shopping. It was the perfect "I don't have to Runday".

Our lazy day began in the crib.

Sam thinks his big brother is a weirdo...some days I tend to agree. Gets it from dad.

Cheek to cheek

Notice the bite marks on the bed railing. Henry had to leave his mark. Literally.

Telling secrets

Time to move this party outside!

Oh jeez this water is COLD!

What's the problem? It's not THAT cold, brother.

He's pretending to model for One Step Ahead...doesn't he make you want to go out a buy a kiddie pool?!

One of the few times he was actually still enough for me to snap a photo. We call him Lightning McQueen.

Henry thought splashing might be fun. Sam disagreed.

Handsome little devil

Our trip to Tyler

2011-06-18T20:29:00.000-05:00

Uncle Garland and Aunt Carolina invited us to join them for a few days in Tyler, TX at a family resort/water park. The boys were in heaven. Not only did Henry and Sam have fun running around the apartment like hoodlums for three days, but they tried every pool in the entire resort and were crazy spoiled by Carolina. They loved every minute. Henry felt like a big boy hanging out with his "Cousin Ricky" and is still talking about when he might see Ricky again.

Sporting speedo goggles on loan from Carolina

When he wasn't in the water, he was dreaming about it

Sam was so happy to be on vacation with family...he soaked (literally) up every minute.

I'm sure there are more photos. The question is where? I seemed to have misplaced my camera AGAIN. When it's found, there is likely to be a part II.

Some of the highlights from our trip include:

Sam's first swim
Henry's first water slide
Spending time with Cousin Ricky, who grew an entire foot since Christmas
Having absolutely no agenda
Having absolutely no cell phone service (a true blessing)
The weather. It was perfect. High 80's, low 90's most of our stay and clear skies...perfect for swimming
Catching up with Garland and Carolina

Low point = loosing Henry at Barnes & Noble. Wade was busy trying to sooth ~~Cookie Monster~~ Sam, while I was focused on making the perfect 8 ounce bottle. In all of the commotion, Henry concluded it would be a perfect time to wander. We found him 5 minutes later (it felt like an eternity) standing outside the store talking to a stranger. STRANGER DANGER. I'm certain the man was harmless...Garland walked up on their conversation and the nice man was actually concerned Henry was outside alone. But the "what ifs" that still run through my mind are frightening. I felt like a terrible parent for the evening, but woke up the following morning and saw Henry within arms reach, and felt thankful. Very thankful.

If you've ever lost a child, do share. My parent ego could use a boost.

Our own Emeril Lagasse

2011-06-18T12:32:00.000-05:00

...does Emeril even bake? Do you think he would approve of Sam baking brownies using a box mix?

Sam was quite disappointed when all of the baking (and licking the spoon) was over.

After we told him there would be more baking tomorrow

Savoring the last bit of brownie batter from his bottom lip

Believe it or not this is the same Sam just moments later

Hugs until next time...

Where to begin?

2011-06-17T21:20:00.000-05:00

I know, I know...creative title, huh. So much has happened since May 13.

(You know me and my lists.)

I turned a year older. Ugh.
Mom was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer.
I stopped running and started eating crap.
We took two trips to the OKC Zoo and became official Oklahoma Zoological Members. We have a card. Like I said, it's official.
We met Uncle G., Aunt C., and Cousin R. in Tyler, TX for a little vacation and a lot of swimming. I think our boys grew fins.
Wade turned a year older. He, he, he.
I started a new position at the Foundation. It was purely a lateral move from Director of Donor Relations to Director of Gift & Scholarship Administration. More on this later.
We've become serious about budgeting...or are attempting to at least move in that direction. We're ready for more square feet and are determined to be debt free before we upgrade.
Sam started school. Farewell to nannies who came to us M-F, 8-5. And hello school bells. Sam LOVES it. But we certainly miss our friends and pray they'll stay in touch.
I started running again and signed up to run the Dirty 30 later this summer. It's basically a 5K mud race. Should be a good time. And I get a new pair of sneakers out of the deal. Not bad.
Sam turned a year older. Sniffle, sniffle.
Potty training is...um...underway.

Some random shenanigans in pictures from the past month:

Flying kites with Papa

At the CDL/RISE open house. Henry loved showing off his classroom and enjoyed seeing all of the critters up close and personal.

Zoo trip #2

Sam LOVED watching the sea lions swim underwater

The new elephant exhibit was AMAZING. Henry had a ball climbing on the bronze elephants at the entrance.

I think Henry would have preferred to spend his time with the bronze elephants than to waste time on the real one.

Welcome to the world, baby elephant

More to come tomorrow...

The hardest I've laughed since cancer

2011-06-03T10:52:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure if it's because today is Friday, or if they are really THAT funny, but these had me laughing out loud. Thank you to my friends who know and understand my sense of humor all too well.

And yes, I'm admittedly poking fun. But we are all guilty of having at least one of these in our living room growing up.

These glasses came free with a purchase of Brut cologne.

Thoughtful Lance. Mirthful Lance. Two sides of a delightful coin.

Drake won Best Senior Mullet by a landslide.

That dude wore a tie for nothing.

The Purvis family made several stops along the Oregon Trail to document their six-month journey.

I wanted a shot like this for our wedding. Wade said no.

It's called a leisure suit, ladies and germs, and if you didn't have one in the early 70s, you were a big fat loser. My dad's was teal. He wore it with a silk floral shirt and a long necklace with a football player pendant that he got at that year's team banquet. He was THE MAN. (I'm such a lier...or at least I hope and pray I am.)

Once they had two or three, how did they ever find enough time to make more?

Olan Mills backdrop #4: Bucolic Meadow with Split Rail Fence. Is that an animal carcass behind her?

Bobbi isn't the first waitress to fall for her manager, but she and Dale both got fired from Shoney's.

Just a typical afternoon down on the plantation. In a business suit.

Dawn and her recently exhumed sister, Gorgotha, pose with Scraps.

This photo isn't discolored. The 70's really were that Orange...or so they tell me.

No comment.

Olan Mills Backdrop #11: The Library, one of their most popular themes, as seen in this photo of the young unabomber and his wife.

The Library might be more believable if the shelves weren't sloping downhill.

Olan Mills is all about versatility. The simple addition of a column turns this generic plantation into Tara, where apparently, someone opened a Hair Cuttery.

You'd think Pearle Vision would throw in another two pairs for free.

I got a $20 that says he drives a Camaro.

Yes. Someone spent money on this.

It's so cute when couples have matching hairdos.

B-52's, the early years.

Ever wonder what they were all looking at?

Our hurdle

2011-05-25T12:30:00.001-05:00

First and foremost, thank you for the outpouring of support and love so many of you have given to our family over the past week. No doubt you have provided much needed encouragement and prayer.

I've put off mentioning "it" on my blog or facebook...primarily out of respect for my mom, who didn't want everyone to "make a fuss" or to dwell on it. And second, because I'm still in a state of disbelief. Why us? Why my mom? But, then why not? If anyone can lick this, mom can. And in the aftermath of this week's tornadoes, when so many families are experiencing loss and deep heartache, I feel very blessed just to have each other.

My mom was recently diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer. On my birthday (May 13), mom had an annual appointment with her doctor in OKC. I had the day off and we planned to meet in the city for margaritas and a birthday toast that afternoon. Her appointment took longer than expected, but she assured me everything was fine. What a lier. Little did I know that she had just been diagnosed with cancer. Needless to say, she was definitely deserving of more than one margarita!

On the following Monday (May 16), results from her blood work confirmed the type. She had ovarian cancer. She was referred to an oncologist and more tests were scheduled. By the following Friday, we knew the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. This meant that before she could have surgery, mom would have to undergo several weeks of chemo. Chemo begins later this week.

I knew my mom was strong, but wow. Her attitude has been AMAZING. When asked how she's doing, her response is always "I'm great!" There will be tough days ahead, but as I said before...if anyone can lick this, she can.

Everyone be forewarned, she does not want cancer to become the focal point of all conversations...(and she probably hates that I'm blogging about it). She understands this will be a hurdle, but trusts God is in control. Thank you again for your support, your love, and most of all your prayers.