ROAD TRIP TO OKC

After discussing the cancellation of our Branson trip and the whole MIL situation my friend Shandolynne said well lets just go to Dallas or KC this weekend instead. I said, "Well if we went to Dallas I would want to stay longer than a day and a half and what are we going to do OKC?" Of course she named off several things and at this point it didn't even matter where we went as long as we just went somewhere, anywhere to get away from our busy lives even if only for a day or two. Martez said, "lets go!" Off to planning I went BUT we had one little hitch......the fence that fell the weekend before HAD to be fixed before we could leave town so the dogs wouldn't get lost! We fixed the fence the night before we left. It took much longer than we had anticipated because it rained and rained and then you guessed it....it rained on us off and on the entire time we were fixing or maybe I should say attempting to fix it until we get a NEW fence. I was standing in mud over my ankles and my flip flops (YES I was wearing flip flops!) kept getting stuck in the mud. I wasn't about to get my pretty tennis shoes all muddy! Did we give up? NO! We obviously REALLY wanted to go out of town! Of course we then find out that his Grandmother who I just adore was having a birthday party the next day (heaven forbid they invite us ANYWHERE with more than 24 hr notice) and Martez said, "we need to get away so we are only going to one event.....the birthday party or the family reunion?" I said, "You make the decision I don't care either way but we either go to OKC this weekend or Branson next weekend. I NEED to get away and I am tired of rescheduling everything b/c your family always invites us at the VERY last minute!" He decided to call and talk to his Grandma who said, "she'd rather us go to the family reunion and just bring her a nice present there!" lol Yeah for Willie Mae! Then I make a dumb comment to Shandolynne about our early departure Saturday morning something to this effect............"Are we going to be able to get up in the morning and by "WE" I mean "YOU"? We laughed b/c well neither one of us could be described as punctual esp. her!!! hehe! Love you Shan! Bad comment on my part b/c she arrived at our house ready to go and we weren't even awake yet! Oops! Can I say open mouth, insert foot!! We got off a little later than planned but who cares b/c WE WERE OFF! So we are driving along and who calls but my MIL all "hurt and offended" that we weren't going to his Grandmother's birthday party THEN she has the balls to talk about my family AGAIN and how we "always" do stuff with my family and never attend their family gatherings. He then asks her to name a family gathering THAT WE WERE INVITED TO and did NOT attend and of course she couldn't name one! He told her it had nothing to do with my family and they weren't even involved in this and half the time his own family doesn't invite him to stuff and when they do it is always at the very last minute and he didn't want to be around a bunch of fake people anyway! Woohoo! He explains that we just need to get away for a few days and do something fun. She then says she didn't feel comfortable at Isaiah's birthday party and basically my family is stuck up! (You have got to be kidding me! Shoot the horse!) He got ticked and said she had no reason to feel that way b/c they try to talk to her but she just secludes herself and she had no reason to be hurt b/c it was GRANDMA's birthday party and he had already asked her about it and she was fine! Needless to say he ended the conversation and was not in a good mood which apparently turn his foot into lead and well........................

First of all I must say you could drive a truck between the officer's two front teeth! Not kidding! We'd never seen anything like it! That was beyond gap it was like a miniature version of the Grand Canyon in his mouth! Second of all when my husband gets nervous and all police officers make him nervous, he gets a severe case of diarrhea of the mouth. He proceeded to argue with the cop over the acceptable amount of speeding! He kept saying, "well how fast can I go?" The highway patrolman said, "the speed LIMIT is 75." Martez would ask again, "yes but how fast can I go?" They went back and forth and I was saying, "Dear stop please!" He would then say, "but how fast can I go?" I was like HELLO the speed LIMIT is 75 quit asking how fast can I go?!?!?!?! Good grief what part of speed LIMIT don't you understand! He then said, "I thought I could go 5 over the limit and not get a ticket." The officer said, "WELL you were going 8 over and I can give a ticket to anyone going at least one mile OVER 75 mph! Do you really want to argue about this?" This entire time I am listening and secretly panicking BECAUSE I forgot to put the new insurance verification in the car! Crap! I had just got my tags about a month before and I had put the second verification into my purse which would've been fine IF I hadn't switched purses to come on this trip! I gave him the old verification promising over my husband's angry mumbling that we really were insured I just didn't put the new verification in the car after I got my new tags! This whole time the kids are saying, "hi officer!" and he is saying "hi guys!" The patrolman returns to his car and we all sit talking about the officer's teeth and fingernails trying to keep Martez calm which didn't work too well! I kept saying well the insurance ticket can be dismissed after we get home and send in the right verification! The officer returns and tells Martez to slow down, explains the LIMIT situation again and to get the 5 mph over thought out of his head............THEN proceeds to give him a freaking warning! YES BUT are you kidding me! No tickets for speeding or no insurance! I thought for sure with all the arguing, this pit stop in our trip was not going to end nicely but I guess our children's looks and great personalities wiled the patrolmen and he went soft and gave us a break! Thank you Elijah, Isaiah and Quinlynne!



FINALLY we arrive and went to see the Oklahoma Capitol and of course took some pictures!

NEXT was the Omniplex - Oklahoma Science Museum! I must say I loved the Omniplex!!!! Totally hands on learning for children of all ages including 32 yr old kids! We went to the Planetarium where Martez fell asleep and started snoring several times, the little kids play area, the giant tree house exhibit, weather exhibits, dinosaurs, space, rock walls, sound, electricity, energy, puzzles, gymnastics museum......................you name it..they have it and we ALL loved it!!! EVERYONE should take there! Another plus is it really isn't expensive either.....I think it was just $10 or maybe $13 dollars for everything and the little kids were free! Who doesn't love free! Don't we all cringe a little when our wee ones pass the free stage! Ha!

He's got the whole world in his hands!

What a smile!

The Planetarium was not as exciting as we thought!

Shandolynne loves a nice John Deere!

Shandolynne loves the different earthquake wave demonstrators but this one is WAY more "EXCITING" than the others! I think it's at the "focal point"!

Somebody find my girl a man, please!!

AKA A sleeping child will remain sleeping until awakened by another loud child!

Never wake a sleeping child!

A child running in my house will stop once they are stopped by an unbalanced force which would be MOM!!

Now time for some more fun at the gymnastics museum:

That night we went to eat, took the kids swimming at the hotel then me and Shan left the kids with Martez and went for our usual trips to Sonic (I think she is addicted to Sonic! No Seriously!) and Wal-mart. We get back and the kids are asleep.....woohoo Baby! He is so good!

Now that is just too cute!

Next morning off to breakfast at Crackerbarrel which I must say was a VERY long wait and then the service was terrible!!!! Off to the OKC Zoo.............where we got to see the elephants with the trainers. I think I was more excited than anyone b/c I LOVE elephants. They are so cute and HUGE!! You know I took pics right?!?!?

This girl needs some serious "support"!!

True case of "Monkey see, Monkey do"!

Feeding the ducks and fish

Elijah loves the gorillas, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes.......................I don't know if there is an animal he doesn't love! Among the 50 professions Elijah has in mind for his future, Zookeeper is one he actually stuck with for a long time along with a trainer at Sea World and to be the next Steve Irwin!!

I love this picture! True admiration!

He said, "Mommy take a picture so it looks like I am IN the aquarium!"

I said, "Okay but don't forget to hold your breathe."

He's too funny!



We left hot and tired and came home! Not a long trip but fun and very needed! Thanks Shan! I realized after getting home and looking on the internet that we missed a whole entire side of the zoo ................................ guess we have a reason to go back now. How we missed it I don't know but we had fun regardless!

CALGON TAKE ME AWAY

The past two months have been soooooo crazy busy that we just NEED to get away! We decided to take a much needed trip to Branson. We love Branson b/c you never run out of new things to do or see and it is not too far from home PLUS we get to see my Grandma on the way! We picked a date and I made all the arrangements. We would leave on June 12th and return the 15th which worked out really good since my parents were also going that weekend so we could see my Dad on Father's Day. After all the arrangements are made and about a week before we were to leave, my MIL informs us the family reunion is that weekend. Last minute of course!! She had told us several months back that the reunion was this summer but I guess we were supposed to leave the entire summer free until she notified us of the date or run all of our plans through her. I think Martez didn't care whether he went or not but she had to make it an issue of my family vs hers like always!! SO we or I guess I should say "I" had to cancel all the arrangements!! I WAS NOT HAPPY! I swear she acts as if we freaking live with my parents! I work with my Dad and my Mom watches the boys so we have to see them everyday but it isn't like we are throwing parties and eating every single meal with my parents just livin' it up. She always says, "You always do things with HER family!" The only time my ENTIRE family is together is for major holidays and birthday parties or dinners! Other than that we are too busy with our own individual family units! Besides the fact the reason we go to those occasions is b/c we ARE INVITED unlike the many things that his family gets together for where WE are NOT invited. We can't show up to things we do not know about and I am sick and tired of rearranging our plans for every LAST MINUTE invite. I swear she waits until the VERY last second to tell us about "plans" so that she can complain when we are unable to attend! GROW UP.........and that Bible that you throw into every one's face...maybe you should actually read it and take it for what it means not for what you want it to mean when it is convenient for you!

Sorry guys but I am so sick of her talking bad about my family! She constantly says they are stuck up and won't talk to her! HA! You have got to be freaking kidding me! ANYONE who knows my family KNOWS they are the complete opposite of that! My family members will talk to anyone and have conversations with complete strangers unlike her. I am so tired of my family attempting to talk to her and her acting as if she is scared to talk to them then turn it all around on them! FOR INSTANCE, my children's birthday parties...........IF she shows up at all she always "gets lost" and is ALWAYS late not just 15 minutes late but end of the party late and then she secludes herself and talks on her freaking cell phone! Example: Isaiah's 3rd bday party was at the same park it has been at for the past three years but somehow she didn't know where it was at! The party was from 6 to 8 pm and she finally graced us with her presence at 7:40pm then she ignored my parents' attempt at a conversation with her, sat with everyone for about 10 minutes then went on her little way to a park bench at the opposite side of the park and talked on her phone LIKE SHE DOES EVERY YEAR! What a Grandmother I tell you! And Martez can't seem to see why I think she wants nothing to do with me or our kids......I guess this is her way of proving him wrong....what? WAKE UP! So I tell everyone when they ask why she walked off that she is secluding herself but somehow it will be MY family's fault! Martez walks over to ask her to come back to the shelter and she says and I quote, "I just don't want them to see my teeth because it's embarrassing!" Her teeth are falling out and she hides them as much as possible which I understand but it is funny how she takes the blame for her seclusion THEN but I KNEW it would come back on my family......................you'll hear the end of this story on the road trip phone call!

I AM HATING OKLAHOMA WEATHER TODAY

So today I awoke to yet another storm. Although it is nice to sleep in with the sound of rain and the dark room, what is up with the torrential rains. I am fine with rain but whatever happened to light showers or sprinkles. Lately it just pours and floods and I am sick of it. I like not having to water the flowers and set the sprinkle for the yard but come on it doesn't take downpours to do that. It flooded my newly potted plants in the front and made the dirt come out and now they are dead. The past two mornings I have had plans to go get the remainder of the items to finish up my pretty flower beds and yard but it has been pouring both mornings and then the ground is too saturated to do anything. This morning I woke up to yet another storm and when the electricity started to flicker I lit some candles but then the storm stopped. Suddenly a few minutes later the back storm door blew open and the wood back door flew into the house with rage. I looked outside to see the tree waving every which way and turned on the TV to see what good 'ole Travis had to say about the weather thinking maybe there was a tornado warning. The storm continued for a while then passed. Later on that afternoon Elijah came running to me saying "Mommy mommy our tree fell down!" I went to look and sure enough half of our tree was down laying over the east side of the fence in the back. When I went outside to get a better look and when I looked to the right/south our fence was completely down just from the wind and I was looking into the neighbors mess of a yard. Our chairs, dog toys, sand/water box, and all the outdoor kid toys were strewn all over the place. I then wondered what happened to the huge tree in the yard behind us b/c it looked smaller but I shrugged it off thinking I just thought there was a bigger tree there. Later on I heard chainsaws so I climbed on the weight set to take a look and there WAS a huge tree in that yard but now it was laying in their neighbors yard and had plowed down the tree house, swing set and fence on its way. So we spent the entire afternoon with our attempts to clean up. We thought the tree wasn't that bad but once we realized the part that had fallen was pulled up at the roots and the other half is wobbly now so we may end up and lose the whole tree. My dad came over and helped us jimmy-rig the fence to get it up until the ground dries a little to do a permanent fix but we had to do something so the dogs wouldn't get out. That was fun let me tell you! I was standing in water up past my ankles - in my flip flops of course - with Tez and Martez holding up portions of the fence while my dad tried to make it stand on the other side. Conveniently my mom had worn dress shoes and was unable to walk in our yard or I guess I should say our "moat" to help so she looked at all my scrapbooks! Fun times!

BODY DYSMORPHIC DISORDER

Good news and bad news to follow. The good news is Samson has brought new life to Moose. They play and play. Samson loves to play tug of war with Moose. Samson also likes to play keep away. He grabs one of his toys and runs like the wind around and in between things like a little lightning bolt. He is super fast and although Moose obviously has more strength, speed is not one of his better known qualities. Moose tries to catch Samson in order to get the toy and it cracks us up while watching. Here is where the bad news comes in. Sadly I believe Moose has body dysmorphic disorder! lol He will be chasing Samson around and when Samson runs through a tight space Moose will be running as fast as his short little legs will carry him and then suddenly stop and get stuck. It looks like trying to stuff a hot dog into a pinhole - it won't work! He just gets stuck then barks and barks. We just laugh and think "did you really THINK you would fit through there!". Sadly thinking is not a prominent quality of his either. He really has no idea of his size. Poor Fat Pat! The picture is of Moose trying to fit into baby Samson's new bed!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAMMY!

Today we went to my friend Tammy's birthday party. She turned 43 and how sad is it that instead of starting a small fire they had to just get a 4 candle and a 3 candle! Ha! Love ya Tammy! Anyway we had a good time! Her cake was absolutely amazing in fact I think it may be the best birthday cake I have ever had. It was an ice cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery and it was GOOD! As you can tell she is a football nut mainly an OU and Dallas Cowboy fan but she loves football and vows to make me understand the game one day! Good luck with that plan Tammy! They always have birthday parties at her Grandpa's house which is perfectly fine with me b/c their is always swimming and plenty of BBQ and Daddy Bob's ribs are AMAZING as you can tell...

He is just too cute for words!

Just having some fun!

We kept telling the boys to pee in the bushes outside and Isaiah looked so cute I just couldn't resist taking a picture! I think he enjoyed peeing outside b/c he went pee about every 10minutes and each time he would waddle over baring it all to the party so we could help pull up his wet swim trunks! You all know I have many pictures of that too but I won't be posting those pics they are saved for the scrapbook o' blackmail! My kids are going to hate me when they are older and realize all the embarrassing moments I have captured!

THE LAND RUSH

I keep forgetting to write this down so I remember it for Elijah. My mom constantly tells me to write down the funny things the kids say and I do when I am scrapbooking IF I remember so that is why I blog some things so I remember. Towards the end of the school year the older elementary children had pioneer days and walked to school with their little covered red wagons and their pioneer gear on. For some reason that day my mother picked up Elijah and she said, "Oh Elijah was it cowboy day?"
He answered in a tone as if she was crazy, "No Meme it was PIONEER day! The older kids got to recreate the land rush. That is where the pioneers lined up then raced to get free land!"

My mom replies with "I know what the land rush is Elijah. What else did you learn today?"

Surprised yet curious he says, "Oh yeah you are old huh! Did you and Papa get any land in the land rush?"

What else could she do but laugh and say, "WELL I'M NOT THAT OLD!"

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY BABY!

My little boy turns 3 today!





I could go on and on about how crazy it is but well wait maybe I will a little! It is just crazy to me it literally feels like I just brought his little chicken leg butt home. I love everything about this boy even his attitude which at times I hate but he wouldn't be "him" without it. He's had his troubles starting off with his droopy eye and crooked smile caused by them pinching some nerve during my c-section but they told me it would go away. The eye returned to normal but he was left with his ornery little crooked mouth that's only detectable when he smiles, laughs or cries! But again he wouldn't be Isaiah without that ornery crooked "I didn't do nutting momma!" smile! He had to have a circumcision revision at about a year and a half but without it I don't think he would have found his beloved little toy! He he! After a long eleven months with ten ear infections and dozens of antibiotics we were told he was almost deaf and the doctors warned us he might have permanent hearing loss BUT he had tubes put in his ears and his adenoids taken out and passed his first hearing test 6 months after the surgery. You can not comprehend my joy when the fear of permanent hearing loss was erased and I knew my little boy would be okay. He may need some speech later on but I am perfectly fine with that. His speech just keeps getting better and better and the times I wish he would just stop talking I have to think at least he is able to hear and talk. He is adorable, handsome, ornery, stubborn, loud, sneaky, hot-tempered, bad but hilarious and he is my little boy. I pray there aren't as many complications in his future although I know there will be so I must pray for the best result to those complications. He loves music, dancing, and he LOVES cars. He is so much like his daddy it freaks me out at times. He is a true mini-me for my husband! They are funny together and he is his daddy's boy! I just can't believe he is three and I am frightened yet excited for the changes ahead! Sometimes I wish my boys weren't so darn handsome....it is hard having such cute kids...hey I am in NO way biased....they are going to be heart breakers and I pity any scandalous girls who will enter their lives b/c they will have to deal with me! Ha! I will literally beat them off with a stick or bat or whatever is handy! lol Quit laughing you all know you would do the same for your kids! Happy Birthday Baby Momma loves you!

At his birthday party

"YOU RANG MOMMA!"

My son.....he cracks me up! First you should know that all boys play with their pee pees from a very young age. Awkwardly Isaiah never really did until after his circumcision revision at almost a year and a half. Ever since that surgery he has grabbed on to his pee pee and rarely lets go! It annoys me at times but he is obsessed so it verges on humorous. This morning I got him out of bed, undressed him and told him to go potty then to get on my bed and I would get him dressed. Meanwhile I went into the kitchen to start his breakfast and feed the dogs. When I walked into my room he says, "You rang momma!" I said, "What?" He said, "Look you rang momma!" My sight was as follows......my naked almost three year old boy laying on my bed with his pee pee in full salute and his hands under his hips lifting his pelvic area into the air with MY WEDDING "RANG" ON HIS PEE PEE! Need I say more - I sure hope not!

MOUNTAINS IN MY GARAGE?

This month has absolutely crazy and I don't know if it will ever end...I mean it is really crazier than our normal crazy! lol First thing you should know is I do on average about 4 or 5 loads of laundry per day! Wow! Even saying it stresses me out! Well I was out of laundry soap for two days then we had the stressful prewedding Friday then the wedding on Saturday, THEN today is my dad's birthday so we had a mini party with the remaining family in town for the wedding so needless to say laundry has piled up. Tonight I went into the garage to start on the mound and as usual Isaiah followed me. He then proceeded to run up the mound of laundry singing, "UP THE MOUNTAIN" then he would run down saying, "DOWN THE MOUNTAIN!" This repeated over and over...up the mountain, down the mountain....he was having fun but I was annoyed that even my two year old knew mommy was behind on laundry so I said annoyed, "Get in the house!" Sad I know!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

Today was my Dad's 63rd birthday! We had a small family party and it was nice to have relatives still in town from Mikala's wedding yesterday to celebrate with us. My Mom's brother and sister were in town and Mom pulled out boxes of old picture for us to see. It was hilarious looking mainly at pictures of my Uncle Terry and Uncle Russell....wow how times have changed their looks for the better!!! Ha!

Mom got Dad a little puppy cake especially for him and wait until you see what he did.....he ended up not eating it because he is a huge chocolate cake fan! Ha! Attention Mother: I don't think diabetics are supposed to have a personal cake for their birthday unless it is sugar-free!!!! Hello!

Now you know where I get my sick humor!

My Mom with her siblings Uncle Terry and Aunt Joyce were here from Illinois

MR. AND MRS. CASEY

Weddings....you all know you dread them but can't wait for them either. I dreaded watching my niece Mikala get married for the simple fact I thought I would be a blubbering idiot. She was my baby doll. She was the first grand baby born when I was only 10. I never feel old except when I watch her life....I thought wow I am old when she graduated then went off to college and now I had to watch her join the married world. Hopefully she will put off having children for the mere fact of making me a Great- "great" Aunt! lol That could cause a breakdown! Just kidding secretly I can't wait to see if we could finally have another girl! I had seen Mikala's dress but had yet to see her IN the dress b/c of scheduling conflicts in the beginning then I decided I didn't want to see her in it until her wedding day. Wow my eyes are welling up just thinking of my first sight of her in her dress!

My little baby doll was a picture of beauty standing there just looking like a princess even more beautiful than the day she was born. I have to tell you besides my two children - my brothers three girls were the prettiest newborns I've ever seen. Of course my boys and his girls were all c-section babies so they had the advantage of no cone heads and stress of the vaginal birth but they were some cuties!! Every thing about her was beautiful...her smile, her hair, her complexion and her dress! Isaiah thought so too! She was sitting on the floor and he just walked over, laid down in her lap and said, "you so pwetty!" while playing with her necklace. A very cute unplanned moment and of course if you know me you know I took a picture.......

I have stressed about her getting married b/c I feel more protective of the girls and she is so young but I have now accepted the fact that she has to live her own life no matter what her worry wart aunt thinks. Although I haven't expressed any of my concerns over her marriage to HER since one it really isn't my business but I also didn't want to ruin her excitement and I knew I just had to deal with it on my own. I didn't cry and I was proud! I think I was more nervous about Isaiah being in the wedding and praying he wouldn't flip out! I did so good! I almost cried when she first walked in but I didn't. My favorite part of weddings is watching the groom's reaction when he first sees his bride and her reaction shortly afterwards.

They were both crying and it was so cute! I did manage to keep a dry eye until she read her vows then I just couldn't help but cry with her!

Pretty good looking crew!

Wedding all over now onto the reception.

The First Dance

I am so glad she got to have dancing! Isaiah was happy too! He started dancing at the beginning of the reception and I am not sure if he ever stopped! It was so freaking cute! He was cutting a rug and then there was Logan my nephew who dances like Elaine off of Seinfeld which is hil-ar-i-ous!

The reception was fun and now they are on their honeymoon both virgins until marriage that could be a tricky one! Oh I really shouldn't have added that.....but I did! LOL