"Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain"

And boy was the wind sweepin' down the plain this weekend!

As we've all experience at one time or another...Blogger won't let me post pics. So, I'm tired of waiting. I will post this and add pics and video to my video plog as soon as Blogger will let me, so be sure to check there! (sorry about some of the photos, I have enhanced them yet)

Saturday we headed to OK about 10am, got there around 12:45pm and, believe it or not, we were actually heading to our first activity before 3pm! We went straight to Orr Family Farm where we rode numerous carousel rides, took a train ride around the farm, Riley had his first pony ride, went through a petting zoo area, played on the playground and just had an all around good time with 'the fam'.
After the farm we head to Ted's and I finally had a Sangrita! It was yummy, but yes, I am weak and couldn't finish...but have no fear, Melissa was there! Then back to the crib for some fun in the sprinklers...Tiki Style! Oh, and I can't forget the beer chugging and fun pics!

Sunday morning we took it slow then drove to the pool. It was opening weekend and crowded a H-E-double hockey sticks, but we toughed it out...for 30 minutes or so! Seriously though, it was a blast (Riley's first time in a 'big pool'), even if we did get kicked, splashed, jumped on, run over and hit in the head with a football!. Then back to the house for more sprinkler fun (Mr. Tiki took the night off though) and a cookout! Cheddarwurst...YUMMM!

Monday morning we went to the park, which was windy, but fun. And we ended our trip with lunch at Boomerang, which is one of the first places we ever at in OK, I believe.

Finally, we said our 'so longs' (cuz it's going to be SO LONG before we see them again) and came back to the Lone Star State. It was, of course, an amazing and unforgettable weekend, but definitely bitter-sweet. We're really going to miss having them so close, but I just keep reminding myself of the beautiful place they are heading...and that they'll be back before we know.

M, B, B and B - We have completely enjoyed the last few years of visits to OK...your first apartment there, getting Wyatt, building the new house, the birth to my first beautiful niece, participating in her baptism (Chris becoming her Godfather), celebrating her 1st birthday (oh what a night!), the arrival of my fun, daring and adorable niece #2, our July 4th tradition (which will not end, just paused for awhile), and our final weekend (for a short while) in Oklahoma. Thanks for the fun times, great food (the homecooked meals are the most memorable - breakfast almost every morning and I'll never forget the Diet Coke Chocolate Cake or green eggs and pink biscuits), and closeness we've shared the last 5 years. We love you all so very much and we'll SEE YOU SOON!

'Curious George'

Or should I say 'Curious Riley'?


















He just LOVES getting into everything! That chair to the right is blocking a corner of our living room that he likes to explore...he'll even crawl under the chair to get there (hence the blanket). And to his left we have all of our electronics...cable box, receiver, dvd player and game system...we have doors to block them, but you can't work the cable box if the door is closed, so often he will decided to change the channel, or turn up the volume REALLY HIGH! It's so hard to get mad though, he's exploring, he's learning, and when he 'accomplishes' these things, he's so proud of himself, I can't help but be proud. So, I just thought I would share another 'Riley Moment'.

We're heading out for our last visit to OK...I can't express how excited I am! Look for TONS of pics, and probably video, of our visit. It's going to be a blast!

Friends

We've all gotten the email that talks about friends that come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. And when we read it, we all can think about certain friends who fit each profile.
I've got friends I talk to every day, every week, every month, some that I only talk to once a year, but they are all dear friends. I have friends I see often, friends I see rarely, and I even have friends I've never met. I have a friend turned sister-in-law, I have a sister-in-law turned friend, I have a friend in my brother, and a friend in my husband.
I also have a new, rare breed of friends, my 'online' friends. My friends who read about my life over the internet, who know all the amazing things my son does, who know when I'm down, who know when I'm happy, who give me advice and encouragement when I need it, and who share their lives with me as well. It's amazing to me how close I feel to you gals, how much we know about each other, and most of you I've only met once, briefly. I love hearing about the places you live...Japan, Alaska, Utah, Canada, Oklahoma...about the purses you make, the couches you buy, the commercials your kids laugh at, the way your sons love to play with 'balls', and of course, the wonderful world of 'Mel' where I get to read about my precious, beautiful nieces and feel like I was almost there.
So this post to you, to all my friends, near and far; friends I've know for years; friends I'll know for years to come; friends I've never met; and friends I've met just once. Thank you for being there, thank you for caring about all the nonsense I type on this blog and thank you for sharing your lives with me. To what I hope is many, many more years, states and countries of blogging...Cheers!

Picture Time

Pony ride at Peter Piper Pizza for a friend's birthday party. When it's over he starts rocking, like he wants it to keep going!

















And then on to a race car ride! He liked the lights on the dash, that's what he's looking at.

















My little brother and me at his 24th birthday party...yes, it was later in the evening!


















With my Best Friend (and brother's wife), Stephanie.


















When my daddy holds him like this Riley sits up so straight, I think it's so cute!


















Anybody for a game of B-Ball?

















With the light of my life, my precious prince, on Mother's Day.
























Mr. Mischevious - he had such a good time playing with that laundry basket though!






















2nd Pro Haircut - This time I got an 'after' photo!

My Birthday

For my birthday this year I wanted to do something different, something besides going to a bar or having a party and getting drunk (since we've had so many birthdays recently that involved those things...not because they aren't fun things to do!), something that I could include my son in as well. So I decided to go to the Richardson Wildflower Festival.
My birthday started about 5pm on Saturday actually, when we went to go have my birthday dinner at Olive Garden with my parents, brother and sister-in-law. My mom gave me this neat balloon that sings to you, in an 'Elvis' manner, it's too cute! And they all gave me very sweet, personal birthday cards. Then we came back to our house after dinner and just hung out. I drank half a bottle of wine at dinner and...unfortunately...continued to drink for the rest of the night. A couple of friends came by later in the night, so we stayed up until after midnight...but we had a good time.
I started my birthday-day off being allowed to sleep 2 hours late while Chris took care of Riley. When I got up I was greeted by a dozen red roses and a breakfast bagel. We ate breakfast, took it easy, played with Riley, then headed out to pick up Danny & Stephanie. Chris got me a Gretchen Wilson cd and a sticky pad thing for my car, but he wanted to get me another cd and couldn't remember what I wanted, so we headed to Best Buy for me to get the new Pink cd (I also grabbed one of her older ones). My mom had asked us to stop by her house because my grandma was there, so we stopped by there for about an hour and a half; ate lunch, visited, and watched some 'AFV'. Around 2:30 we headed out for the Wildflower Festival.
The Wildflower Festival is mainly about music, 'budding' songwriters and artists as well as famous ones, there are TONS of food booths from Hooters to funnel cakes, booths to buy 'stuff' from like jewelry, hats, paintings, t-shirts, wind chimes, etc. and they had a kids section so Riley got to pet a chicken and goat (older kids were able to climb a rock wall, play in a bounce house, get their faces painted, etc.).
I guess the main events we witnessed were a very cool 'art guitar' auction, the 'Calipso Tumblers' and Jimmy Vaughn. Riley did amazing, not one complaint, he loved looking around, watching everything, and even got to walk around some!
After the festival we went to a local park and played some basketball and played with Riley on playground. We got home, finally, at about 9pm, put Riley straight to bed, and we weren't too far behind. I read for about 45 minutes, but just couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.
Overall it was a great birthday spent with friends and family...what more could one ask for?

















Family Pic at my birthday dinner this year


















Riley at the petting zoo area


















Here is a p icture of the 'Calipso Tumblers'...check out the guy on bottom...NO HANDS!


Check out 'My Video Blog' or 'My Vidoe Site' for some new videos...including one of the 'Calipso Tumblers'.

Video Update

There's a new video up of Riley playing on slide and in back yard!
Check out 'My Video Site' under links.

OK, so I followed Melissa's lead and created a video blog, I put it at the top of my links. I will start posting my new videos there so be sure to check in often!

Hump-day Quickie

Just thought I would say hi! Nothing too exciting going on in my life...well, that might be a lie. My mom has been bed-ridden since Friday with a complication from her broken ankle...she has developed a blood clot in her calf so she is taking blood thinners, and waiting for test results she should get any time today to find out if blood is thin enough to go around the clot and NOT cause a heart attack, etc. Doctors are 99% sure my grandfather (PaPa) has lung cancer, so we're waiting on more information there...the waiting is so hard! My grandma had shoulder surgery, and complications that could not have been predicted, but she got out of rehab center yesterday and everything seems to be fine with her. And me...well, I'm a little overwhelmed with everything going on, but overall I'm doing okay. Mother's Day was amazing...I can't bleieve it was my second one! Riley gave me a beautiful necklace; silver family in the center of a gold and diamond circle, and he loves it when I wear it. We went to my grandmother's for a big family gathering, but since my mom was bed-ridden, she couldn't be there, so we stopped by her house afterwards, and when we got hom, Chris and I just caught up on some shows on DVR, and Riley actually hung around watching then with us, sitting in our laps! I have a few pictures, so I'll try to post soon.I'm going to try to go to DMV to get my license renewed (it'll be ONE YEAR expired on Sunday! I'm so bad!) and find the library to get a new book to read. Excited about the weekend, for my birthday we're going to a 'festival' on Sunday, so I'm anxious to see how that goes...and the following weekend we're going to OK to visit Mel and fam one last time there!

I hope everyone is doing well...its hump-day (Mels' favorite!), so enjoy it!

Happy Mother's Day

'M' is for the Miracle of Being by Turlough O'Carolan

M is for the miracle of Being.
O is for its origin in love.
T is for the tenderness of seeing.
H is for a home no wind can move.
E is for the ecstasy of living.
R is for the recklessness of giving.

This poem spoke to me because 'M' is not only for the miracle of being, but a woman that many will miss this mother's day...a woman who taught her granddaughter and her grandson's wife a lot about being a mother...a lot about love...and a lot about life. This year we remember those lessons and we remember 'M', beloved wife, MOTHER and grandMOTHER.

And to my own mother...Mothers and daughters ought to be friends, but there is a lot that gets in the way. Yet the storms tend to pass and our love conquers. So we must be patient, and fight, if we must, with the knowledge that love will endure. You have taught me so much, you have given so much, I could never thank you enough. And even more so for the absolute, unconditional love you give my son, your grandson; we are very lucky to have you in our lives. We Love You.

Video Update

I've uploaded 2 new videos, so check out 'My Video Site' under links!

"VIdeo Killed the Radio Star"

Eureka! I've found it! I've finally found it! A FREE site that I can post video too! I'm so excited, can you tell?
I can post a max of 10 videos, no more than 2 minutes each, on this site FOR FREE! As you can imagine, I already have 10 up, and 2 more ready to post. I just delete the old and add the new.
Take a look and be sure to tell me what you think!
www.dropshots.com/slayerag


And here are a few pics from our trip to the lake on Sunday for my brother's 24th birthday.

















'Ball' he says! (nice stroller, huh Mel?? :) )

















Danny, Stephanie and Bailey shaking off the water!

















Riley couldn't just watch the doggies in the water, he wanted to join them! He is such a 'water baby'...I helped him wade in the water but he just wanted to keep on walking while continuously saying, "Wa wa...Wa wa...Wa wa" Can't wait until he can REALLY get in! (it was still a little chilly)


















I just think it's so funny when my dad holds him like this!

"You don't get to call me a whore."

I know, I'm a couple of days late, but I LOVED this episode. I loved seeing McDreamy jealous, I loved watching Alex save the baby, and I loved finding out McVet is 'scary and damaged'. I loved seeing Denny get angry, I loved the hillbilly family and I LOVED the Callie peeing scene! (who knew she had that body under her scrubs?) I loved seeing Harold (the MILF dude from 'American Pie') guest-star, I loved Christina's 'cheery' attitude and I LOVED the fight! Way to go Mer! You tell him, sista! Thank you, Melissa, for getting me hooked on 'Grey's Anatomy'! I cannot wait until the next episode!

Easter - Wait! Is it already May?!

Yeah, I'm WAY late, but I can't NOT post about it!
Basically, we went to the zoo with my parents, brother and sister-in-law. Afterwards, we went to a park, had a picnic, played on the playground then went back to my parent's house for Riley's first Easter Egg Hunt. I haven't spent an Easter with my family in several years, so it was a special and fun day. I did forget to have Riley see what the 'Easter Bunny' left him on Easter morning, so we enjoyed his 'loot' on Monday afternoon!

Enjoy the pics!















Family Shot in front of Giraffes...doesn't it look like we're in front of a back drop?!?




















Riding an elephant...just his size!















Mommy and Riley in front of giraffes














Mommy and Riley in front of Zebras...these were Riley's favorite, he kept calling them 'Doggies', it was so adorable!














Riding' in style





















Cute pic at park...love the sandals!















Off to a good start.













So happy he found another egg!














They're everywhere! Sneaky MaMa and NaNa!




















Found Another




















Last One
















Anything else hiding inside my basket?






















Gift from Aunt Mel & Family - each egg was filled with jelly beans or gum drops, so he held each one up and shook it!
















Happy Bunny Ears!

















With his spread - Easter basket from NaNa and Grumpa; Easter basket from Mommy and Daddy...I mean, the Easter Bunny...Easter present from Aunt Mel & Fam, and Easter basket from Grandma and Joe 'The Candy Man'

Rock-A-Bye Baby

Rock-a-bye Riley, upstairs all alone
A strang man in your room, through the window he's come
Your cries they awake me, they give such a fright
But After 50 long steps, you're lost in the night.

This is just one of the hundreds of fears I must have that keep me from putting my son to sleep in his own bedroom. I honestly don't realize the fears, but I know I have them.

The 'excuses' I give are:
1) 'It gets so hot up there during the summer because heat rises'...true, but he has a ceiling fan.
2) 'He's so peaceful sleeping'...selfishly we love to see him right before we crawl in bed at night, and I love to wake up to his smiling face in the morning saying, "MaMa"
3) 'It's SO FAR AWAY'...and it is, but I need to lose weight, so a few extra flights of stairs every day won't kill me.
4) 'We're going out of town and he'll be in the same room as us, we don't want to confuse him'...Yeah right, nice try...NEXT! (hey, I'm being honest with myself here)
5) 'He cries, he's so afraid of his room'...of course he is, he's never in it! I know, in my heart, it will be a difficult first few days, or weeks maybe, but it has to be done.

I know the truth, I know the facts, I know what has to be done, now I just need to get Chris in with me on this and maybe we can overcome the challenge together. It's so funny that just sitting here typing this makes me want to cry. It's not funny, it's sad actually, how attached I...WE...have become to having Riley in our room. I don't know how to explain it, but his bedroom really does seem so far away, it may as well be in our neighbor's house. My dear, intelligent sister-in-law suggested (months ago) that I sleep in the guest room upstairs during the transition, not only to be closer to Riley for his sake, but, and probably more so, for my own.

So I will make the committment that I really will try, very hard, to start putting Riley to sleep in his own bed, for naps and nighttime, sometime during the month of May...and hopefully it will be habit and norm by the end of June. Scouts Honor.

BIRTHDAY WISHES

May is a month of MAYHEM for me when it comes to birthdays! So, I wanted to just give a SHOUT OUT for everyone right here, right now!

May 5: Happy Birthday to Alaire...a dear, sweet friend...May God Bless You.
May 6: Happy Birthday to Victoria, I hope it's a great one!
May 7: Happy Birthday to my 'baby' brother...turning 24 years old!
May 9: Happy Birthday Bob...and wishing you many more to come.
May 10: Happy Birthday Jeremy, Make it Rock!
May 14: Happy Birthday Garrett, we'll see you Saturday!
May 17: Happy Birthday Poppa...may it be filled with many blessings.
May 18: Happy Birthday Grandma..we hope you are feeling well enough to enjoy it!
May 25: Happy Birthday April...like a fine wine, you get better with age.

Happy Birthday To All...and To All A Great Day!!!

This Too Shall Pass

My son screams like a little girl. It's sad, but true. He just likes to scream, for every reason or for no reason at all, doesn't matter, as long as it involves screaming. And I mean high pitched, high octave screaming. Not 'I'm Mad', not 'I'm hurt', just 'I like the way this sounds'. But of course, when I hear a scream, my heart still sinks at the thought of him hurting himself...what has he done this time, I wonder, as I run to his aid...only to find him laughing at the Zebra he put in his ball popper. So I remind myself, I CHANT to myself, this is just a phase, it won't last forever...This Too Shall Pass.