Sunday, April 15, 2007

Backyard

















Living Room


































John is so handy--the TV looks like a frame on the wall!



Kitchen




Giant Pantry


This pic is great, because it makes it look like we cook a lot.

Entryway




Master Bedroom




It's pretty plain in here....but it's HUGE! Lots of room for a fun project someday!

Master Bathroom

















The Master Closet--A Walk-in, Wrap-Around Dream










The Office




















Still some work to be done in here. We have lots of framing to do to make it have more of a "Sooner" feel.
And I really need to figure out how to get this camera focused....sorry so blurry!

Guest Room/Faith's Room




As you can see on the bed, Faith has made herself at home. Under the covers....

Guest Bathroom


















Extra Room




For now, it's just an extra room. Despite the treadmill, nothing happens in this room!!

Laundry Room


Believe it or not, I love this room. I actually kind of enjoy doing laundry, and this kind of room is a dream!

Friday, April 13, 2007

Friday the 13th

I had a totally weird, awkward experience today. One of our former interns asked me to come speak to her Principles of PR class at UCO. Like an idiot, I agreed (because I can't say no, even to an intern). So I've spent the past few nights putting together a presentation about PR, my company's PR, my job, how I got there, etc. And I've been not looking forward to it all week long.

It was at 11:00 this morning, so I drug myself across campus in the freezing, pouring rain to arrive at the classroom 30 minutes ahead of time. I waited and waited outside the room, and I started to get worried about 10 minutes before class and there were no students and no teacher. Finally, the intern came and grabbed me--they'd switched rooms and she'd forgotten to pass the word on. By the time I arrived, class had already started and they were basically sitting and waiting on me. So, my brilliant plan to hook up my computer to the projector and have a little time to consult with the professor about what he was looking for failed. I had to start talking the minute I walked in--with no presentation.

I kept getting flustered and felt completely unprofessional as I tried to communicate my notes without the visuals I had painstakingly put together. I'm sure the students were looking at me like "she's a PR professional? Maybe I need to change my major".

The question and answer session was MUCH better, and I began to gain my confidence back. But, by the time I left (with a parting gift no less!) I was pretty sure the whole experience had failed. Sigh...I do great in front of the clients, honestly! I don't know why a bunch of 20-year-olds can get me all flustered.
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Friday the 13th turned out to be a pretty exciting day--Baby Adcox finally arrived! Donovan "Van" Michael Adcox arrived this evening. I can't wait to head to the hospital to see him. Congrats, Brooke and Derek!
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And speaking of babies, this week was also a terribly sad week. I know many of you have been following the story of Harper Hawley. Her amazing parents, Zach and Haley, have been through so much since Harper got sick several months ago. Lots of time in the hospital, scary nights at home, so many different doctors. Harper passed away on Saturday.

If you get a chance....visit Harper's blog sometime. Read her Dad's beautiful posts about her battle, and see how God can work even in the most desperate situations. Read the amazing comments from people across the country, who have been praying for the Hawley's for so long. I know her parents are incredibly sad, but at the same time joyous--she's not in pain anymore. And they already have someone waiting for them in Heaven.

How can one week be so full of joy, and so full of sorrow?

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Dreams and Fried Chicken

A quick post before our office heads out for Eischen's!! I'm so pumped. Fried chicken and okra....can't beat it. We're celebrating 3 birthdays (not including mine, which is next week) so we're having an office fun day. I opted to follow-up next week with cake. Or cookie. Or both, I'm not picky.
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I had the most horrible dream last night, and I woke up in a cold sweat. I don't remember everything about the dream, but I remember I was in the scene of a horror movie...in a submarine. For some reason I was touring a submarine (which I would NEVER do, ever in real life) with a couple of the restaurant owners I work with. Then while we were inside this old, leaky submarine this killer/monster figure jumped in, closed it up and made it sink to the bottom of the sea. And it kept creaking and dripping water and I could just tell it was going to flood and I was going to drown, not to mention all the claustrophobia issues that were making my skin crawl.

Nothing happened, but I still woke up breathing hard, in a cold sweat, and panicking like crazy. Maybe I've been watching too much "Lost", I don't know. Crazy....my heart races just thinking about the dream!
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Speaking of dreams, check out this story about a guy who dreamed a phone number, text messaged it, and then ended up falling in love and marrying the girl!
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Monday, April 09, 2007

Weekend at IKEA


Yes, here are the purchases from IKEA. All the way to Frisco: about $60 in gas, 7 1/2 hours total trip (after a few missed turns) and we purchased tupperware and a lamp shade that did not fit my lamp once I got it home.
Sigh.
However, we did stop by Galleria furniture on the way home, and ended up finding a dining set we love for a better price than we could have found even at IKEA. And much better quality.
But, it's always fun taking road trips with John!
I have officially unpacked every box in the house. All done...and it's a huge relief. I feel so much more at peace. Plus, I did something yesterday that I don't like to do. I purged.
No, I didn't make myself throw up. I purged all my junk, all the things I've collected over the years, all the sentimental items that don't mean anything to anyone but me. I threw away countless boxes and picture frames, and old notes, and silly figurines, and candles, and candle holders. I put rugs and blankets in boxes for giveaways. I went through and made sure I was storing nothing but essential day-to-day items, and photos. So when you walk through my house, you won't find piles of things anymore, or open decorative boxes to find lots of little junk.
I read an article in "Real Simple" magazine over the weekend, about clearing your mind of clutter. It starts with clearing your house of clutter. And she suggested throwing 50 things away (or giving away). And, magazines/catalogs only count as one thing. Then you're supposed to write it all down, so you can feel light and free when you look at the list. I didn't write every little thing down, but I did write several things and I'm up to 35 things--that I recorded. So, I'm thinking it totals 50. I feel lighter already!
Anyone seen "Blades of Glory" yet? Oh my gosh....John and I went on Friday. We laughed so hard we cried. We thought it was better than "Talladega Nights", though some disagree. So hilarious.
Pictures to come....

Friday, April 06, 2007

a very, very, very fine house

Nothing like the sound of "Dawson's Creek" and the smell of paint fumes in the morning to make you appreciate a lazy Good Friday off of work. But a dark, quiet house all to myself--this I haven't had in a long time. And not at all since we moved in.

I haven't updated in a while, I know. I mentioned before that this was the most inopportune time to move--work has been CRAZY. I've been to Tulsa three times since last Saturday. Meetings are falling out of the sky. It's been fun to have different people stop by every night to see the progress we've made in unpacking, and fun to eat a few meals in the new kitchen.

This house is perfect. Even more perfect after last night when John (and me!) stayed up and painted the guest room. There was a horrible shade of yellow on ONE wall and I knew I couldn't stand it for much longer. I hesitate to say it was a "problem" with the house because this house is perfect. The owners took wonderful care of it, it was spotless when we moved in, it's beautiful.

Did I mention it took 5 days to close on the house? Did I mention we moved everything in HOPING sales would go through and papers would be signed? Did I mention I will be closing my Bank of America checking and savings accounts I've had since I was 17 because of the incompetency of their mortgage department? Did I mention I'll be writing numerous letters with our realtor to the Oklahoma Realtors Association and Bank of America, and maybe some others I can think of because of the inexperience, incompetency, and and utter lack of responsibility certain people showed when representing the poor woman that bought our house?

But, it all worked out! Not perfectly, but as we soak in the 3-foot deep tub, or cook mac and cheese on the gas stove, or feel the bedroom ceiling fan blow cool air, or stare at our beautiful fireplace it makes it all worth it.

Today, as I mentioned, I'm off work for the holiday. My plan was to paint, but I guess that's done (and it looks great!). Now I guess I'll HAVE to catch up on DVR. And I suppose I'll need to unpack the office. And prepare for my trek to IKEA tomorrow!

Ok, ok...I might try taking some pictures of the house to post. I was trying to wait until it was perfect, but that may be a while! Moving has been incredibly stressful and incredibly exciting all at the same time...I promise those of you who are packing boxes, house hunting, keeping the toothbrushes out of sight for potential buyers--it's all worth it. And once you're in your new house--take a moment to breathe it all in, paint fumes and all.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Disaster Areas





















































The Pod arrived on Monday, and it is pretty much packed. Aside from a refrigerator, a mattress, a dresser, a few odds and ends boxes, and some end tables we're good to go. As you can see, Faith has been about as big a help packing as John is.
John worked with a few guys last night to load things up--how do people move without family and friends, really? My only complaint is that they took the couches--and I really wanted to watch the new episode of "House" on the DVR. Sigh....guess I'll either sit on the floor to watch it, or just wait until this weekend. But it's the first new episode in weeks, so it's hard to wait!
The last picture was taken on our way home from Ada last night. The most beautiful rainbow I've ever seen--it was a full arch (so big I couldn't get it in one picture) and bright and colorful. There were even two other faint rainbows on either side of it. I thought I looked like a dork with the window rolled down taking pictures, but there were several others doing it as well! Beautiful.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Over the Hill

Last night John and I went out to dinner to celebrate my friend Tara's new job. We were all sitting around Bahama Breeze, chatting into the wee hours of the early evening.

Some of the topics we discussed:
-third trimester pregnancy woes
-college savings plans
-investing in oil companies
-30th birthday parties
-health plan benefits
-prescription medication
-diets

These are my college friends, so we have seen each other through things like midterms, 4 a.m. pizza, roadtrips, wedding planning, study groups, and ordering water at restaurants to save money rather than because it's healthier.

Next stop: nursing home.

Friday, March 23, 2007

Bad Photography

Ok...I just got the camera yesterday. I will work on learning how to make the pictures brighter and more focused. Give me a bit....sorry they're such bad pictures!

TGIF...A Day in the Life at the Office
















Welcome to my office--come on in! As you can see, we are an office of colorful, creative people...let me introduce you.


Christopher and Katie are usually the first people you'll see when you arrive. They work with movie studios and sometimes movie stars and are often doing very important things. We only get to see them at birthday celebrations, because everyone comes out for cake.


The next office you'll see is Jana. She's been here almost as long as I have. We're tenured, because we've been here more than 3 years! Jana just had a birthday yesterday, and she's struggling with the number. But it's not as old as John will be in September!!!
Also--Jana will soon be my new neighbor, as she lives in the same neighborhood we're moving into.



Next you'll run across Jeanna. Jeanna is taking a half day vacation today, which is why she can smile so brightly. The rest of us are not speaking to her.


Keli is the newest addition to the team, and I am SO thankful she's here. She wouldn't smile for the camera because she said her hair looks like crap. But it doesn't....




And here's my little corner of the world. It's a mess, but the view of downtown is nice today.
So....there you go. Here's where I spend most of my time during the week, and the people I spend it with. Lisa, Cherri, and Michelle are all gone today, otherwise I'd have their smiling faces as well!
Oh yeah....thanks, Dad, for the camera! I can now post more pictures to the blog!

Thursday, March 22, 2007

All the Australian Yummies...Throw another shrimp on the barbie

Well, I think Julia liked her present. Oh well if she didn't because I liked it. I bought tickets to the Keith Urban concert this summer. Just me and Julia and delicious Keith.

Which led to a really strange discussion with John last night about the list of guys I think are "delicious"....but that's a whole other subject.

Anyway, July 2nd will be a great day for me (and Julia). I bet he puts on a great concert. I hope he won't be in another stay at rehab during that time...

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Hate/Love Relationship

Things I hate:
1) The girl on the Quiznos commercial who says "and that's what real women need" and then gives that horrible screeching laugh
2) The sounds of people drinking. It's that gulp sound that send shivers down my spine
3) Wasted time on conference calls

Things I love:
1) Driving to Walgreens with "Oops...I did it Again" on the radio (ok, my CD) to pick up a pint of Ben and Jerry's
2) Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream (thanks, Honey, for discovering that for me!)
3) Eating half the Ben and Jerry's pint in one sitting while watching the series finale of "Sex and the City"....the one where Carrie gets Big

Hey--I deserve a little ice cream and a guilty-pleasure TV shows after ALL THE PACKING.
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Also, Happy 21st Birthday to my little sister, Julia. It was yesterday. Man, I got her a GREAT present. A present that benefits more than just her. I'll tell you all about it after I give it to her tonight!

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Passed Inspection

So, inspections went great! Only one thing to fix on our house, only one thing on the new house and both were under $10 to fix. Now...all we have to do is sign the papers and get the keys.

It was so great to meet the people that are moving out of our new house. They talked our ear off, and are leaving us with a whole "packet" of info...warranties, paint colors, neighborhood names and phone numbers, pizza delivery numbers, alarm codes...she's thought of everything. Then, while we were there one of the neighbors came over and we met her and she is wonderful. Looks like we're going to have a great neighbors!

I took lots of pictures of the new house...but I'm not going to post anything until we get our stuff in there. Otherwise...it's just weird. But trust me...it's beautiful!

Packed and Ready

It has been a whirlwind of boxes and packing tape lately. I'm proud to say I have most of the house packed up. The usual culprits left to be packed (a few dishes, a few key pots, blankets, lamps, and of course the garage that John hasn't touched) but we're getting there!

Our home inspection is today. Pretty sure everything will go well, as our current house and the future house are both less than 5 years old! Makes moving much easier.

Anyway, things are looking up. Much easier than I imagined. I'm ready to head back to work, after having several days off. I was already scheduled to be off work, as originally we were supposed to be in Colorado.

Well, I guess I'll sign off for now. There's a really great early episode of "Full House" on TV right now, and it's almost time to head over for the inspection. And I promise...only 9 days until we move and then maybe I'll start talking about something else!

Friday, March 16, 2007

March Madness

By the way....last night I was TOTALLY in the lead for March Madness brackets. Thanks a lot, Duke and Notre Dame--my Sweet Sixteen is totally screwed.

March Madness, St. Patrick's Day, and Saturday--it's what DUI lawyers call the perfect storm!

Yeah, I stole that joke...

Playing Dress Up

I have really good news, everyone.

I am skinnier now than I was in high school.

It's true. Guess how I know? I still have my PROM dresses! I know, it's pathetic. But I still have them and tonight when I was packing (yes! packing! two rooms--DONE!) I came across them and I tried all three of them on. They were all very loose...which means I've actually lost weight since high school. How is that even possible?

Oh, wait, I know...I shifted the weight from my abdomen area to my BUTT and thighs. Ha!

Guess what else? I took my wedding dress out of the bag and tried it on, too. My best friend was over, and she missed my wedding so I felt like I needed to show her how beautiful it was. And, oh, it was beautiful. I asked, but John told me I couldn't sleep in it. I think I completely embarrassed him, but what's new? Too bad I had to put it up. It was loudly whispering "wear me, wear me, don't put me back in the bag".

Have you ever seen that episode of "Friends" where the girls wear wedding dresses around the house? They do the dishes, eat snacks, and visit with each other--all in white. Every once in a while, I think girls need to do that. Our friend Eric asked me how old I was, because he didn't think 25-year-olds played dress up. But...we do. Ok, I do. Stop laughing at me, you know you ALL wish you could wear your wedding dress again. I won't be 26 for another month and I haven't signed my giant mortgage yet so I feel that warrants a little juvenile behavior.

Anyway, I did pack up the office and the guest room. Yes, I'm packing all the easy rooms first. Because I don't even want to think about the kitchen. We officially have 13 days until moving day. And 12 days until closing.

I'm not stressing out, I'm not stressing out, I'm not stressing out.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Welcome Home!



Well...if it all goes as planned, this will be our new house! We looked at it several weeks ago, and then visited it again on Monday night. And it is perfect. Even better than the house we "lost" over the weekend. Plus...it has a 3-car garage. So, John is giddy. That was on the wishlist, but not a sticking point.

The best part--the current owners are ready to head to Texas, so they agreed to close at the end of the month. So we will not be homeless or crashing any of your houses. We'll just move right on in to our new home!

I keep holding my breath and getting butterflies, because I really love this house and think this will be it. For a long time. 3 bedrooms and a study mean plenty of room for a growing family (someday, not now, don't worry, no announcement). It's got a big backyard, a spacious kitchen, and two sinks in the master bathroom. How can you ask for anything more than that?

I think we're going to feel at home here. There are so many families and kids running around the neighborhood. Very friendly. Everything just feels right...

So, I will begin my packing adventure this weekend. We could not have picked a more inopportune time to move, really. It's going to be a CRAZY couple of weeks with how busy work is for both of us. But, we'll get it figured out. I just may not get unpacked and set up until May!!

So....here's the house. Keep your fingers crossed and say a little prayer everything continues to fall into place.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Homeless

Well, it's official: we sold our house!!!

We are overwhelmed and so thankful. We were just commenting this weekend that TWO houses on our street went up for sale, making the total number of houses for sale in our neighborhood close to 30. We were not only competing with houses for sale by existing owners, but also with brand new houses sitting empty and waiting for new owners and houses being built. It's been a long road (we put it up for sale the week of Thanksgiving), but we just needed a little sunshine and warm weather. And a lot of luck...

Of course, we haven't closed so we still have inspections and appraisals and such to get through. So keep your fingers crossed that all works out. The house is only a year and a half old, so there shouldn't be any problems!

Oh wait....I forgot to mention that we have to be out of here by the end of March. YIKES! That's less than three weeks! We can totally pack and get out of here in that time (we have a lot of stuff but not THAT much) but we have to do this other little thing of finding a place to go. We were ready to make an offer on a house tonight that I've been keeping my eye on for 6 weeks...and, of course, it sold LAST NIGHT. I am really bummed...but we'll find something.

I'm just worried now about where we're going to go between the time we move out and the time we can find and close on another house. We've had a couple of people say "feel free to stay with us", but you know how that is. We'd rather just find a house!

It's a good problem to have, especially after three ice storms and four months on the market.

So, that is our weekend in a nutshell. I will try to keep everyone updated during our frenzied search....but forgive me if the blog doesn't stay too updated. I'll be too busy packing boxes!

Friday, March 09, 2007

Sorry--we've been busy saving money



Ah...your daily cell phone camera image to enjoy. Come on....it's been a long time since we've posted a picture of our baby!

Well, we got an awesome phone call yesterday from our insurance agent. I guess I should back up....Monday night's Financial Peace University class was about understanding insurance, and making sure you're getting the most out of your policies, saving money, etc. Not the most exciting topic....but lots of good information.

Well, John, being the insurance guy he is gave our insurance company a call the next day to go over everything and see if there were any discounts to be found or changes we could make to save a few extra bucks. I think after going over everything he found about $15 a month we could save. Hey--it's savings.

Well, then they called him back yesterday. Apparently, they reran some numbers, put in a few different scenarios, looked at our driving records, considered our long-standing patronage etc. And we now have a BETTER insurance policy with our same low deductibles, and they are saving us a CRAZY amount of money a month. Yes, insuring two new cars and with John's beautiful record from his early driving years we were spending a lot of money on insurance. But we are now going to be practically a car payment richer each month. Ok, more than half a car payment richer. It's that much we're saving

A lot contributed to it. Mostly I'd turned 25, neither of us have current tickets on our record, we are accident-free (knock on wood), we're long-standing customers. But we'd never questioned our payments before and never examined everything. We are now paying about 1/3 what we'd been paying all because of a phone call!

So, call your insurance agent and see what you can do. It's worth it, I promise!

In other news we are cooking a lot at home. It's been so nice to not eat out. And since we were spending the evening at home last night cooking, I decided to clean out our closet. WOW....doesn't seem like I got rid of that much stuff, but the closet looks great, we have tons of new hangers, it's organized, all my shoes fit on the shoe shelf, and I got rid of a lot of purses. And since I was going to be giving those away, I went through and cleaned them out (removed trash and mints and chapstick, etc.). I ended up finding a $5 Wal-Mart card, a $20 Kohl's card, about $120 in spa gift certificates, and a $1 bill. Not to mention the new found organization my mind has gained. It was a productive evening.

We're spending the weekend resting up. I have to work A LOT next week in the evenings, and then Friday we're off to Colorado on our snowmobiling adventure!

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Baby's First Book Club

I cannot wait to get a new digital camera. This camera phone isn't going to cut it for much longer!

Today I attended the baby shower of my friend Brooke. But it wasn't just any baby shower--it was a book shower. To fill the new baby's bookshelves with all the imagination and power and new worlds that books open up. From ABC's to "Where the Wild Things Are", Brooke got lots of great books for her new baby. Of course, it would be helpful to know what she's having and what the names are (so I know if I need to get Angelina Ballerina books or Ira Sleeps Over) but that is their secret for another 6 weeks....I can't wait to meet that baby!

It was all very appropriate, since Brooke is the one that started our book club. I kept telling her that today was baby's first book club...

I didn't get any pictures with Brooke, even though it was her shower. But I did get to see baby Riley and her mom, Laura. I love all these babies! Look at how beautiful she is...


















Friday, March 02, 2007

TGIF

So, John and I are going snowmobiling in Colorado. Found a cheaper place. Robin will be joining us, too...should be quite an experience!

Anybody not skiing during spring break that might have some skit pants or boots I could borrow to stay warm? I'll take good care of them, I promise. Leave me a comment or e-mail me if you wouldn't mind!

It's been a weird week...on Wednesday I finally broke down and had some steroid injections in my knees. My joints have been more out of whack than normal lately, and these shots were directly into the joints and are supposed to relieve pain and stiffness for up to three months. I have to tell you....I feel worse than I did before. Apparently, removing pain from those joints have magnified pain in several others. I'm giving it through the weekend before I call back and say "help me!". In the meantime, forgive any snappy attitudes I might have. I'm tired and irritable and in pain!

I was late to bookclub last night. I felt so terrible. I could have sworn it was at 7:00, and I even remember thinking "7:00 is kind of late...they should have done it at 6:30". Sure enough, it was at 6:00. I was half an hour late, and I hope I didn't let Courtney down! But, I hadn't even read the book which is totally against my book club philosophy. But, the group convinced me it's a book I should read. And I HAVE to read the next one, since I'm picking it!

Red Robin tonight...yeah!!!

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Are you supposed to stop, drop, and roll for an engine fire?

We got the best news last night in the mail. Turns out the love of my transportation life, my 2006 Nissan Altima has been recalled. Apparently is has a tendency to drain oil too fast and start engine fires. I can't tell you what a blessing this news was.

Huh? What? Why is that a blessing? Because to compensate for the danger I've been in for the last year, they are offering all sorts of perks! First, we take it in to be inspected on Monday. They will replace the part, and if the engine is damaged in a certain category, we get a brand new engine! And then, they will do an oil and fluid change for free.

And the best part: whether we keep this engine or get a new one--they have extended our warranty! We currently were on the standard 36 month, 30,000 mile warranty. But now we automatically have an 84 month, 100,000 mile warranty!!!

So, as you can see, I like to look at things from the bright side. And I'm not worried about the fires at this point. We're already scheduled to go in on Monday, and if it catches on fire this weekend we'll not only get a free new car but we could have a nice lawsuit on our hands. Just kidding....and, boy, are we glad we didn't purchase that extended warranty. Sometimes being frugal can pay off, who knew?

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Happy Birthday, Little Blog!


That's right....this little blog is two years old today. Can you believe it? It started out as a place to post pictures of our new house as it was being built...and now it's the perfect place for my ramblings about celebrity fashion. And who knows, maybe we'll have pictures of another new house at some point! Love it, hope you're not bored.

Good news for us: we've paid off the Lowe's card since we started FPU. And last night we did a ceremonial cutting of the card in front of everyone in our class. Yay! It was fun, not hard. We will be cutting up our only other credit card in about 6-8 weeks!
So there's your excitement for the day!

Monday, February 26, 2007

And the Oscar goes to...

Thoughts from the Oscars...

I just love Ellen Degeneres. She is so fun and refreshing and just seems like someone you'd want to be friends with. Plus, she dances just like I do at home...dorky. I hope she doesn't end up like Rosie O'Donnell. You know, I really loved Rosie when she had her talk show and seemed like the Queen of Nice and such an uplifting person. Then she got all weird and mean and gross....I hope Ellen just stays fun.

Plus, I have to say it, her girlfriend Portia de Rossi is BEAUTIFUL!

Did anyone else think Reese Witherspoon looked coked out?

Seriously, how beautiful is Jennifer Lopez? She is just beautiful. And she always has the best gowns at award shows. I don't know that I would wear her everyday clothes, but her gowns are beautiful.

And my last fashion comment...Celine Dion's dress when she was singing on stage was gorgeous. I wish I could find a picture of it (it wasn't the one she arrived in). Although it looked like she had just come from getting a face lift...

How annoying was the whole Al Gore thing? I haven't seen the movie, so I'm not criticizing that. But everyone kept making jokes about how he was elected President...blah...blah...blah. Hello, that was 7 years ago. I think it's time to move on, especially since we've had another election since then. Get over it!

I think the length of the show is out of control. I was asleep a little after 10:00, so I missed most of the major awards. I'm not saying don't honor the people who work hard (sound, costume, etc.) but I think they need to figure something out that cuts down on the time.
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I made a little trip to the Coco Flow Cafe today. Actually, that link is more about chocolate fountain rentals than about the cafe. But it was a lovely (albeit expensive) little coffee shop that just happens to serve giant (albeit expensive) truffles. I got a peanut butter chocolate truffle and a Frozen Hot Chocolate beverage treat. Plus it has free wireless internet and is not far from my office. I may just have to take a working break some days!

Ok...I guess that's it for a Monday. As you can see, I've been catching up on the Oscars on my lunch break!

Friday, February 23, 2007

A Weekly Renditon of Randomness

Sometimes I write these long drawn out blog posts and then I stop to think about it and I never hit publish. That's what I spent all day doing today, and now I just decided to write something else.

So, it's another edition of everyone's favorite....Random Thoughts for the Day:
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If you've ever been on iTunes, you know there is a section that's called "just for you". Basically they keep a record of the music you've bought, and then suggest other songs you might like based on your taste.

One of the top 10 suggestions for me today was "Stars Are Blind" by Paris Hilton.

Apparently I need to get new taste in music, if that is a suggestion for me.
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Once again, I am out of money. This budget thing is really hard. I'm used to just spending whatever I want. Luckily I scrounged up enough money today to go to Moe's with the girls in the office. I probably would have taken a loan out from a co-worker if I had to because rarely do I pass up Moe's...
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We are headed to Missouri this weekend to visit my grandparents. Just a quick trip for the weekend, but I'm all worried because we have to leave Faith (our cat) and there are supposed to be tornadoes tonight. So my sister is babysitting for us. It's so nice to live near family. I hope there are NO tornadoes tonight and that the severe storms just pass us by.
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John and I are hitting the movie theatre this weekend to see Reno 911: Miami. Yes, as you can tell, our taste in movies is not what you'd call...intelligent. But we love the TV show, makes us laugh every time. So, we are going to make it our first trip to the theatre in months. You can judge us now...
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I've had a great time this week catching up with an old friend over e-mail. I am so bad about keeping up with people and staying in touch. And this particular friend is one I haven't seen in quite some time. But I've enjoyed catching up and enjoy the friendship we've had for so long.
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I have to be very careful when I attend "home parties". You know the type--scrapbook parties, Arbonne, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef. I'm easily impressed and think I need to have "one of everything". But, with this new budget I just don't have the finances, even though I want it SO BAD. I did buy a couple of small things at a stamping party I went to (so I can make my own greeting cards), and last night was the first night I didn't buy ANYTHING at a home party. But I wanted stuff....but I had absolutely no money to give it! I'm turning over a new leaf. It's a weakness I must get under control. ;+)
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Ok...that's about it. Now, over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go!

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Free Lunch

Yesterday John and I met for lunch at our favorite little spot, Hideaway Pizza, near my office. We go there quite often....it's the best pizza around.

Anyway, they are celebrating their 50th Anniversary. During that celebration they are letting their customers spin the Pizza Wheel. Basically, you order your food like normal, and your waiter will then hand you a certificate for one spin on the wheel. So, if you spin and get 25% off, it's good toward the food you've already ordered.

Well, after ordering drinks, an appetizer, and a pizza I headed up to spin the wheel. And, guess what? I landed on 100% off! So, we got our meal for free!!!

Head over to Hideaway Pizza and see what you can get for free! I'm not sure if they're doing it at all locations but definitely the one on Western. I love free food...

Monday, February 19, 2007

Losing a Friend

My heart is very sad today, but at the same time full of joy. Yesterday, I lost a friend of mine. Jacob Crabbe passed away yesterday morning. He would have been 27 in March.

I first met Jacob when I was in middle school. He went to church with me, and I hung out with his younger sister, Kristal. It was easy to see how he could steal my heart....he was older, athletic, and had an unbelievable way of charming anyone. I think my heart melted the first time he kissed my hand. It was such a gentleman's thing to do.

Jacob was always quite a ladies man. He loved the ladies, young and old alike. He could get any woman to do anything he asked...it was always a simple hug, a mischievous smile, or a kiss on the hand. I wasn't the only one who fell for it, trust me. My husband, John, often commented that Jacob could get more lip from me than he could!

Jacob had this amazing way of remembering everyone he met. He also had an unbelievable capacity for love and friendship. I don't think he came across anyone's path that didn't fall in love with him and count him as a very special friend.

I mentioned that Jacob was quite an athlete. For as long as I've known him, he was an accomplished star at the Special Olympics in Stillwater every year. Many newspaper articles were written about him, many medals were given. He loved competing with his friends from around the state.

There's so much more I could write about him....but I could never do him justice. I could never describe for you all how loving, how kind, how sweet, how wonderful Jacob was. He could brighten your day from across the room. He was so very, very special.

I am so sad that I won't be able to visit with Jacob. Or listen to him sing Jesus Loves Me in church. Or have him kiss my hand, or draw me a picture, or teach me about his letters and numbers. That I won't have anymore hugs. But I am so joyful because every time I remember him, I will smile. He is one of those people that brought nothing but pure and total joy. His lifelong battle has ended, and I'm thankful that he's in a better place. I sure hope they have Special Olympics in Heaven.

Please keep Jacob's parents, sisters, and niece in your prayers.

Friday, February 16, 2007

New Look

So....what do you think?

And before you tell me you don't like the new look, keep in mind I've been playing with new designs for days. DAYS! It's taken me a long time to figure out how to work HTML. So, basically, you'd better like it!

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

100 Things About Me!

Just when you thought I was out of things to say...I had noticed that on several blogs I read that people are listing 100 things that say something about them. Do you know how hard it is to think of 100 random things about yourself? I worked all weekend on this...it's random, but enjoy.

And, by the way, because this was such hard work I think I might take a few days off from blogging.

1. I am a self-diagnosed chocolate addict.
2. I go to bed at 10:00 every single night
3. Because The Daily Show and Stephen Colbert are on
4. And because I’m generally a very tired person
5. I am extremely annoyed by people who say things like “once you have kids you won’t be able to do that anymore.”
6. I love my job….i’m lovin’ it…I love my job
7. All my husband has to do to end a heated discussion between us is to flare his nostrils
8. I sweat the most when I am freezing
9. I fall asleep to the TV in our bedroom
10. I am ok with that fact
11. I am extremely annoyed by people who say things like “TV in the bedroom is bad for marriage”
12. We wouldn’t be happily married if we didn’t have 2 TV’s
13. John and I agree on 4 shows to watch together: House, The Office, Scrubs, and Reno 911.
14. I live much of my life based on morals I learned from “that one episode of Friends…”
15. Ok….a few morals from the Bible, too. :)
16. Guilty pleasure: Girl Scout Cookies
17. I ate 5 GSC this weekend
18. I prefer my house to be at 72-degrees
19. My husband prefers it to be around 62-degrees
20. So we compromise on a bone-chilling 68-degrees
21. Which brings me to the first hate on my list: I hate getting out of bed and out of the hot shower on a really cold day
22. I could eat kiwi all day long
23. It takes less than 10 seconds (John has timed it) for me to change out of work clothes into pajamas.
24. I wear my pajamas every second I can
25. I do not wear jeans, work shirts, or shoes when I am at home—I only wear pajamas
26. My sister surprises me with her natural ability to lead and manage
27. I feel naked without a cell phone
28. I feel close to naked without an iPod packed in my purse and ready to travel
29. I am in two book clubs
30. That’s a little stressful because I can’t start reading EITHER of the books until I finally finish my “fun” book I’ve been working on for 5 weeks.
31. I love living in Oklahoma because it’s affordable
32. I believe the University of Oklahoma Sooner football team will win the national championship…every year. I truly believe that, deep down in my heart.
33. My best friend is the complete opposite of me, and I love her for that
34. I can tell her anything….anything. Even when it’s something she doesn’t want to hear
35. I am blessed, truly blessed, to have a friend like that
36. I couldn’t choose who would be my sister….but I did choose to make her my friend and I don’t know what I’d do without her
37. I have two very supportive parents
38. My mom is the most amazing person I know
39. My husband does not know how to put laundry in the hamper
40. But he always takes the trash out
41. I laugh WITH (not at) my husband almost every hour of the day
42. I visited my dad at his house in Minnesota over the weekend and it was -10 degrees outside…I don’t know how these people live there
43. My favorite color is red
44. It is a theme in every room of my house
45. I love Christmas….but it is also the most stressful experience of my year
46. All I wanted to do in high school was be on stage singing and dancing
47. Now that is my worst nightmare
48. I believe in God
49. It is a blessing to believe in God
50. I hate fast food Mexican restaurants
51. I ate fried okra for the first time last spring, and now I get it every opportunity I can
52. It has been 44 days since I ate a potato
53. My favorite TV show changes weekly between Grey’s Anatomy, Lost, and House
54. My favorite song of all time is “I Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore” by REO Speedwagon
55. They are, quite possibly, the best band of the 80s
56. I am a cat person
57. I am not a dog person
58. Nice to look at, happy to support those who have them….but I don’t want a dog
59. But I do adore my mom’s dog
60. I do not like to cook
61. Because I’m not any good at it
62. And because it takes much more time than I really want to spend
63. I take a lot of vitamins
64. I’m hoping this makes me healthier and happier in the future
65. One of my top 3 embarrassing moments involves cheerleading tryouts freshman year of high school
66. It’s pretty embarrassing to even admit that
67. I am non-confrontational
68. I have a hard time letting go when I mess up…I tend to punish myself for a long time
69. I love spending time with my in-laws
70. I have two awesome nephews
71. My nephew Easton is the smartest kid I know
72. My nephew Mason is a master basketball player
73. I am interested in politics
74. I question my political affiliation….but not enough to change it
75. My favorite place in the whole world is Las Vegas, New Mexico
76. I thought it was New York City, but then I remembered Camp Blue Haven in Las Vegas, New Mexico
77. It is the most beautiful place in the world, also the place I was baptized
78. I have always been thin, but weight has always been a mindgame for me
79. I used to be a Girl Scout and camp all the time
80. I don’t camp anymore
81. My husband and I did NOT like each other on our first date
82. Neither one of us can explain why we accepted a second date…but we both agree pity had a lot to do with it!
83. I am sad that Anna Nicole Smith died because her show on E! used to be my guilty pleasure
84. I am in a constant search for the perfect jeans
85. I’ve come close, but I’ve yet to find them
86. I do not agree with leggings under mini skirts
87. Really, I don’t believe in leggings at all
88. Or mini skirts
89. My next career will be working at IKEA
90. Kissing and sex scenes in movies make me VERY uncomfortable
91. I may not understand Brad Pitt, but I really enjoy looking at him
92. I am currently enrolled in a program called Financial Peace University and it’s frustrating because we’d been practicing it for 2 weeks and then I went to the Mall of America and IKEA…..and I had no money to blow. This budget thing sucks.
93. I’m an unpacker…if I stay in a hotel for even one night I unpack everything. I actually use the dresser drawers
94. I can’t stand water on my face
95. I have tried the scrapbooking thing, and I made an awesome scrapbook. But it is an expensive habit, and a lot of work. So now I just put photos in albums
96. I am altogether a very lazy person
97. Soap scum is my enemy
98. I hated my red hair until I was in college, but now I like it. Well, I’m not happy with the length, but I like the color
99. I hate Reality TV (yes, even American Idol)
100. I am blessed beyond imagination

Monday, February 12, 2007

Weekend at Dad's

Well, we're home from a very quick, very cold weekend in Minnesota. We had a lot of fun, and I'm so glad we were able to be there this weekend. My dad has put together a list of "50 Things" he's thankful for in his 50 years on his blog, Positively Blessed. You should check it out!

Enjoy a few photos...it's nice to be around people with digital cameras, since we don't have those anymore!
















Here we are at his surprise birthday dinner. The surprises just kept on coming throughout the weekend! I think he had a pretty great 50th birthday.
















Me, Dad, and my sister Julia.





















They made him stand on his chair and dance while we all sang Happy Birthday! He was a good sport about it!
















The table of party-goers...they have very nice friends up there in Minnesota!

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Surprise!!!

My dad turned 50 on Thursday of this week. I meant to send a card, but I didn't. I did call him, and he said everything was pretty low key. He kept saying that's what's great about being 50--you can be low key and relaxed instead of making a big deal out of everything.

Little did he know we'd been working a surprise for him. My sister and I, along with a friend of his from Oklahoma, flew up to Minnesota on Friday evening. Dad's wife, DeAnna, had told him that her mom was coming in town and they needed to pick her up from the airport. It wasn't until we were about 10 feet away from him in baggage claim that he knew we were there. From the look on his face, he was totally shocked...speechless...and that doesn't happen very often with my dad! :)

DeAnna had also planned a surprise party with many of his friends for Saturday night. Once again, he had no idea. So it has been a weekend of surprises for Dad...I think he's overwhelmed!

It's hard to see anything here, due to the fact that my eyes are frozen over. This morning when we got up it was -10 degrees outside. That is unacceptable. Ridiculous. MOVE AWAY PEOPLE!

But we braved the cold for two very important reasons: IKEA and the Mall of America. My next job will be at IKEA.

More to come tomorrow! It's been so fun seeing Dad and spending time with him....sometimes life's little surprises are unexpected. Sometimes they are very well planned!!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Friday, February 09, 2007

Giving it all up??

Ok, so I was just kidding about snowmobiling. Apparently, it would cost the two of us $360 for 3 hours. Is it just me, or is that a lot of money? Am I crazy? I think I would prefer to visit the shops, drink hot coffee, and grub at some of the tasty restaurants I'm sure are in town. Sigh...we'll see. We still have a few weeks to determine what we're going to be doing.

My last post was so funny, because Cary and Brooke both commented....they know what I went through. They were on that trip with me and Brooke even gave up the rest of her ski time on the trip to hang out with me! Although, I'm thinking she was a little tired of skiing anyway....but I can't be sure. Cary also gave up a lot of ski time to spend time with me...it ended up being a great trip. You know, aside from that whole falling down the mountain screaming and a broken knee thing...

I bought a book this weekend called "The Writer's Pocket Muse". It's a book full of ideas for what to write about when trying to tell your life's story. There were some interesting topics and I think I might start using them for the blog.

I have carefully considered giving up the whole blogging thing, mostly because I feel like I am really boring and I have nothing to say. Or....I have a LOT to say, but not sure if this public internet thing is really the appropriate place to share! Many people think blogging is like a live journal. And it definitely is...in a way. I admire those who share every thought and feeling on their blogs...I just like to write fun stuff and the occasional prayer request.

Anyway, back to giving it all up. I thought about it. Nothing too exciting is going on. So, I may take more trips down memory lane like I did the with ski post. Which really is more about why I hate skiing than memory lane. You get the picture.

If it goes well, I will continue blogging. If not and you hate some of the next few posts, just remember: at least I'm not reporting on what I ate for lunch.

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Hitting the Slopes

Well, we are back on for our Spring Break trip to Colorado. Which is good, because I wasn't sure where to go and really didn't have enough time/money to plan something big on such short notice. We're going to South Fork, Colorado. Some of you may know this area, as it was featured in the classic movie "National Lampoon's Vacation". You know, where they stay in a tent, then Clark ties Aunt Edna's dog to the bumper and forgets about him....that's the town we'll be in!

Of course, we'll have much nicer accommodations. We'll be staying at a friend of the family's vacation house. It will be a tight squeeze (4 kids and 6 adults!) but it will be fun. Then, John and I will go snowmobiling! Because if you think I'm ever going to ski again, you're crazy.

The first and only time I went skiing was my sophomore year in college. I went with church group from Norman and we went to Breckenridge/Keystone/Vail. Since it was my first time, I decided to enroll in ski school for some helpful tips. But I figured it couldn't be too hard since 3-year-olds ski.

My roommate, Laura, and I both took ski school and we were the oldest students in the class by about 10 years. Which made the whole experience that much more humiliating, considering the kids picked it up right away and I could NOT figure out the snow plow thing...

Finally after a few hours we decided to try a slope with the rest of our gang. Up we went on the ski lift, I was so excited. We got to the top, everyone just took off. I was a little nervous, so I decided to take it slow. But there was no taking it slow. I got started, and lost control of my body. I started flying, literally flying down the mountain and speeds I can only imagine registered 80 mph. Flying....couldn't turn, couldn't stop, just flew like I was on a ski jump. And I screamed. The whole way down, screamed bloody murder. When I finally got to the bottom of the mountain (keep in mind I was skiing a green) I made myself fall so I could stop.

Then I promptly headed back over to the ski lift because I was convinced I could do it better. Somehow, my friends got me to go even higher, to a blue course. We got off the lift and off they went. Not me....I started inching along trying to keep from flying without control as I had before. Then, all of a sudden, as I was getting the hang of it my skis locked together, twisted my leg around and sent me into a pile of skis, snow, and mind-numbing pain.

Yes...it gets better. I couldn't move my knee, it hurt so bad. I couldn't move it to get down the mountain. So they called Ski Patrol/Emergency services to come get me. Then they strapped me onto a toboggan, covered me with a bright orange tarp, and skied me down the mountain. Past my friends and past the 12-year-olds I'd taken ski school with.

I was in a knee brace for several months after that, and spent the rest of my time in Colorado limping around the shops. Thankfully I had really great friends that took their time off skiing to hang with me....

So, I will not be skiing again. Ever....it was the most terrifying experience I've ever had. It was awful and it hurt. So...we'll try to keep from killing ourselves on a snowmobile instead!

The End.

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Feel Good Movies

You know the type...those movies that make you smile, make you laugh, leave you feeling a little happier than before you watched them. Today, TBS (which ALWAYS plays good movies) is playing two of the best..."Father of the Bride" and "Father of the Bride, Part 2". I don't care how often I see those two movies, they make me laugh every time. I just love them.

I was trying to think of some other "feel good movies". Let's see if I can make it through a top 10 list (no particular order...just as they come to me):

1. Father of the Bride/FOTB Pt. 2
2. My Best Friend's Wedding
3. When Harry Met Sally
4. The American President
5. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
6. Meet the Parents
7. Sixteen Candles
8. The Wedding Singer
9. Christmas with the Krank's
10. While You Were Sleeping (and I'll throw in "You've Got Mail", too)

I think these are 10 (12) movies John and I will always be able to sit down and watch together, which is rare. Makes me wonder why we waste our time with dirty comedies, depressing dramas, and heart-racing horrors. Steve Martin, Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks, and Julia Roberts are almost ALWAYS safe bets...

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Staring blankly at the screen, my mind is filled with thoughts of...well, nothing actually!

I have started this blog entry several times over the last few days, but keep failing to get through it. I feel incredibly uninspired to write, and I can't think of anything interesting, witty, funny, angry, annoying, or insightful to say! There is nothing on TV this week, work has kept me swamped, and we've spent most of our time at home in the evenings. So forgive me for struggling a little on the writing end...is there anything I should be writing about?

What has been going on in our life this week? What few random thoughts are spinning through my head? Well...here goes!
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John started his new job today! With a commute to get used to and an earlier wake up time, he thought he'd get a new bedtime. He thought he'd go to bed at the same time as I do. After keeping me up for a while, throwing off the schedule, and realizing he doesn't go to bed at the same time as 10-year-olds I think he's back to his normal midnight lights out.
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I chopped my hair today. Well, Sally chopped my hair. I think it's cute so far, but I have yet to style it on my own. We'll know more tomorrow....if I'm wearing a hat next time you see me, then it isn't working out.
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I finally watched the movie "Rent" this weekend. I'd seen it on stage, and have loved the music for a long time. But I hadn't seen the movie. It wasn't bad....it's much better on stage, but you can't beat the soundtrack. While it features a totally different lifestyle than I've ever experienced, the whole thing is really about love, support, and friends. It's pretty inspiring, and I've been thinking about it all week. I might write more about it later, we'll see.
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Anyone still have Christmas candy leftover? Luckily, I'm not much of a snacker so I can make my candy last for a long time. I'm still munching on Reese's Trees, which taste much better in February. Hopefully the chocolate Santas will be gone before it's time to start eating the ears off chocolate bunnies.
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I've been carefully shopping for a great new outfit over the past few weeks. After months of looking for the perfect pair of cream-colored pants (because cream-colored pants is not something you can enter into lightly), I found them. I bought this beautiful pair at Ann Taylor, and I finally got them back from the tailor today. If I could shower in those pants, I would. I might wear them every day, who knows. You can't put a price on a great pair of pants!
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Seems there was something good coming out of my weekend stomach flu--I lost 1.8 pounds at Weight Watchers! I'll pay for it next week, I'm sure, but it was fun to see the number on the scale.
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We were planning on going to Colorado for spring break vacation, but it looks like that is going to fall through. Any suggestions on where we should go? We want to get away to someplace that's not in Texas or Missouri. We already have the week off work, so why waste it?
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Ok, that's it. I need suggestions on 1) what to write about and 2) where to go on vacation. I'll try to become more interesting tomorrow.