Wednesday, February 25, 2009

I fixed it...

So my relatively new LG washer has been backing up lately. Therefore, last week I was loads and LOADS behind in my laundry. So I decided I was going to fix it myself. So I unscrewed the cap on the little catch all tube and it is clogged with all sorts of nasty smelling stuff (mainly sand and some of Marty's chewing tobacco that accidentally got washed). And then I released the excess water in the drain thing. (Sorry for the lack of professional terms.) I got it all soaked up. Cleaned everything up and started a load of clothes. I came back in the kitchen a little later and noticed water slowly creeping half way across my kitchen floor. I panicked and Marty was not pleased to say the least.

We have a stackable washer and dryer so we had to undo them, take the dryer down off the washer and carry it further into the kitchen and then I had a HUGE nasty, mess to clean up. Four hours later we had things back in order.

The only good thing that came of this is that I haven't liked the wood laminant in the kitchen and laundry so now we get to replace it with tile.

Here are a few of the samples. We like the one on the far right.


In other good news the washer repair man is FINALLY coming today to look at my washer. I vow to never fix anything myself EVER AGAIN!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

My First Pageant

I know what you are thinking, but the answer is "NO!" My grandmother, mother and I were asked to judge a local beauty pageant this past weekend. There were four different age groups, but we had the oldest girls. It was SO much fun!


We arrived and got out of our vehicle and my mom was like, "I'm nervous!" I looked at her and said, "You're the one that gets to judge people, why are you nervous?" There was a lot of hilarity mostly at the expense of another judge who was perhaps the snootiest person I've ever met in my life. Snooty people used to really bother me, but with age I've just taken on the attitude that you can act like that, but I'm definitely going to call you out on it.

For example, said snooty lady just so happened to have gone to high school with my uncle and my dad. Upon my grandmother pointing this out, snooty lady went ON and ON about how they were SSSOOO much older than her. Only my mother kept me from saying, "Really? You don't look ANY younger than them." There were various comments that I didn't get to use, but we had a good laugh nonetheless.

I was never in a pageant. I realize they are called "beauty pageants" for a reason, but the girl I was rooting for who was the most poised and eloquent during the interview ended up getting 2nd runner up. She just acted so mature to be in high school. I was pleased with the outcome, though.

Hahaha...although, another discovery we made is that I am the "Simon" of the group. We all awarded our highest points to the same girls, but my grandmother and mother's scores were much higher than mine.

Here are the three of us. We took several pictures and none of them turned out great.



Gma & Me (My bangs are doing something weird here. I just got a new haircut and am not convinced that I like the bangs, yet.)

Oh well, it was a fun experience! Maybe, we'll be asked to do another one again soon!

Friday, February 20, 2009

Cookbook Swap


I am swapping: Automatically...Light! Easy Low-Fat Recipes Using Time-Saving Appliances And The Heatproof Oven Bag

See Ty & Lindsey's blog otherwise known as Sweet Simplicity if you are confused.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Organization

Although you cannot currently tell by walking through our house, I LOVE to be organized. Since buying our first house I have all of these ideas...small remodels, redesigning my closet and turning a couple of awkward knooks into functioning spaces. In my many Google searches I came across www.organize.com They have EVERYTHING you could possibly want from closet systems to pretty photo boxes. So one of these days I will get my house in order and maybe my closet will resemble some of the ones on this site. A girl can dream anyways...

Monday, February 16, 2009

A Valentine's Anniversary...

Well, three years ago on Valentine's weekend Marty popped the question.

It's still hard for me believe. I knew it was coming because we had been ring shopping in November and he was so excited the day he ordered my ring he couldn't help but tell me. It was just such a magical time in our lives.

I remember going into the ring store, I was SO nervous! I remember shaking and sweating...

It was so strange to me. I was the girl who never imagined her wedding day until I actually got engaged. I never thought about what kind of ring I wanted either. In my head I was going to graduate, move to OKC and work for a PR Firm, live it up with my girlfriends and worry about that whole "marriage thing" when I was in my later 20s.

Then Marty came along and my plan changed. I've always heard that God laughs at our plans and our situation helped me understand that.

After we went ring shopping I noticed every single girls' hand who boasted an engagement ring. It was CrAzY!

I won't go into the L-O-N-G story of our actual engagement, but it was so sweet and of course, I cried. Marty had to change his "plan" several times do to different circumstances, the weather, etc. But, he nailed it!

Here we are Sunday morning-the morning after he popped the question.

Valentine's Day fell during the week that year so I was at OSU on V day, but he sent me a dozen red roses and I felt like the most special girl in the world.

I hope you all had a VERY Happy Valentine's Day! Ours was very low key. Marty asked me what I wanted to this year and I told him go skiing. So, we are going skiing next month with the Spencers! We're so excited!

Friday, February 13, 2009

My Home Away From Home

I don't know why, but I have always loved Oklahoma City. I guess maybe because I thought I'd always end up there after college.

When I was in school and Marty came to visit we went to OKC almost every Saturday for our date night. It was also the place where my friends and I attended Broadway shows and concerts, went ice skating and did our shopping.

This past weekend I went to see a few of my very favorite people who still reside in the city.

I left work early and got to Oklahoma City around 6:45 p.m. and Whitney and I went to a new yummy Asian Bistro known as "Buddha Tao". We had A-MAZING sushi and then hung out Friday evening.

Saturday we spent shopping and then preparing for one of her friend's 80s themed birthday parties. It was down in Bricktown in this small art gallery. I can't believe the 80s are actually coming back. We went to several stores Saturday that were filled with neon colored shirts, paint splattered belts, a rainbow assortment of tights and everything else that hideously reminds us of the generation we grew up in.

On that note, here are a few pictures from our night! Whoever decided straighteners where in and crimpers were out anyways?

Sara, Whit & Me


Sportin' the Shades

Strike a Pose

Sunday morning I met Becky at a little place called the 501 Cafe. Brunch was so good! I love discovering new little eateries and this is one I will definitely go back to!

And yes, my hair is still crimped from the night before, but I tried to cover it up with a hat. I washed it before church, promise!



I met my cousin, Cade, who play basketball for OU and his girlfriend at church in SW OKC. I had never been to the southwest OKC Life Church and it always gives me butterflies when I'm traveling alone and navigating for myself, but this is something else I love about the city. I feel like there is so much to explore and see. I know people who actually live in OKC maybe don't feel this way, but I just think every time I'm there I learn something new...

Church was REALLY good. If you've never been to a Life Church they broadcast all over the U.S. You can visit http://www.lifechurch.tv/ for more information or to watch a lesson. It is a nondenominational church that I attended some in college. The messages are great! We sang a song Sunday that went something like "Great God, greater than us all, forgive us we have made you small." It just got me to thinking, "How true!". I think I sometimes try and put God in this little box reserved for Wednesday evenings, Sundays and right before I fall asleep and He's SO much more than that! It just seems like it happens so easily! It's like I only take Him down off the "shelf" and out of the "box" when I need Him for something. Does anyone else do this? Anyways, the service was great...

All cleaned up and somewhat normal before church.


And I am SUPER impressed with my cousin's girlfriend. He is a very attractive, talented yet humble, Church of Christ boy who I have always thought of as a younger brother...so I was a little apprehensive when he told me he had someone he wanted me to meet. But, Morgan, was the sweetest, most beautiful and down to earth girl I have ever met! Plus, she goes to OSU, what's not to love?!

Here they are...adorable, right?


I then made the long journey home to my parents to pick up little Tykester.

Here he is taking a break from pestering Lily. They're both doing weird things with their mouths.

After leaving my parents, I was then on to see my wonderful husband. He had picked up the house, put away laundry, vacuumed and done dishes. I am one lucky girl!

Monday, February 2, 2009

I Promise...

This past weekend Marty and I attended an I Promise marriage seminar by Dr. Gary Smalley. It was good and not what I expected at all. It was a lot more humorous and laid back than I originally thought it might be.


Everything they covered sounded like such simple concepts, but made so much sense. For example, they demonstrated "the hoola hoop law" in which you are only responsible for the person inside the hoola hoop. You cannot change anyone outside the hoola hoop and therefore you need to work on yourself first and foremost.


I was a little suprised however at all the negative feedback we got when I told people we were going. One of my close friends was like, "So, is everything ok. I mean are y'all having problems?" And then a family member was like, "People in town are going to be talking..." I was thinking, "Seriously?!" There were 18 couples from our church that went. Hasn't anyone every heard of being proactive?


Regardless, I think Marty and I both walked away with things we thought we could integrate into our daily lives and we got to spend some quality time with some of our favorite couples from church.


It's amazing how weekends like this remind me just how grateful I am for my husband. He has a willingness that I've never known in another person. His sense of humor never ends and he is simply my other half. As much as I love him, it never hurts to be reminded of how truly blessed I am to have him in my life.

Friends...

Mid-January Adam, Kristen and Caden Spencer came to visit us. I was so excited for a girl to come for a "hunting weekend". We usually have lots of boys which I enjoy, but it's nice to have a girl to visit with and help some in the kitchen.


We were super lazy, but we did give Adam and Kristen the tour of Canadian (it didn't take very long). We took them to the Soda Shop and the Cattle Exchange which are a must if you're ever in town.

Tyke could not figure out what all the commotion was coming from the kitchen sink.

It was Mr. Caden taking a bath.


After his bath, all nice and clean.


The boys with their harvest...



For some reason we waited until late one evening to take pictures-please excuse our hottness.

Me & Kristen

Caden making his way to Tyke.

Is he not the cutest little boy ever? He is so sweet too!


Marty, Tyke & Adam...don't they look cute in their pj's???


Hehe...they are all mine girls.






A Hunting We Will Go...

The last three weekends we have had company in to duck and goose hunt. It has been so much fun!

The second weekend in January, Stephen and "Big Lee" came to visit. I haven't gone hunting as much this year as last year. I think Marty's a little upset I haven't taken more pictures, but it just seems like there has been more going on the weekends.
That first morning it was 25 degrees and the wind was blowing so it was COLD. The boys had a great morning and bagged 27 birds including snows and everything. I'll have to get that picture from Stephen since I wasn't there.

The next morning we went to a new place and their were ducks and geese everywhere! But, it was a HUGE body of water so it was a little harder to hunt. I think they only recovered five birds, but they shot a few more that we simply couldn't find.

Here's a group of geese.

And a huge group of mallards.
Stephen setting up decoys.

Stephen shot his first speckled belly and he was so excited.


Did I mention he was excited?

Marty

Headed to the truck...


The Boys


I love this one...