Happy Halloween!!

It might be easier for me to recap our weekend in pictures. We had a great weekend, had tons of fun, but I am glad it is over and I can come back to work to rest!! We had one of those weekends where I felt like we were going and going.


Bryan and some of his co-workers dressed for Halloween. Bryan is wearing one of his old BDU tops from his days in the OK National Guard.

This sweety was one of our first visitors. This little one actually lives on my street. I asked her mom how old she was and she's 7 months!!! I realized after they left that obviously the 7 month old wasn't going to get her candy so her parents were just using her to get to the goods!!! :)


Whitney, Katie, and Jesse came by. Jesse's costume was a little too hot to wear but I loved his little onesie. It says "This is my costume."

Some other cuties....

Of course we also had to get a picture of the football player and this soldier. Many of the kids came with pillow cases!!! I feel for their teeth later on!!!!


Brooklyn and her family came by. Ava was the cutest Dorothy and Stella was Cinderella. I mistakenly called it a princess costume earlier in the week and was promptly corrected!!

Guyla came by with Caleb and her husband Keith. Caleb is such a sweet, polite boy. I enjoy seeing him. (This was later into the night and I was getting just a tad bit tired, thus the highly medicated look in my eyes!! :) ).Bryan and Keith met for the first time and they really seemed to like each other. I think they talked more than Guyla and I.


On Saturday I had several coupons that I had to use at JCPenney's and Bath and Body Works and Victoria Secrets. I made a list of seriously 10-12 things I needed to get done and I don't think I accomplished half of them Saturday afternoon. I hate that because I still have those things hanging over my head. Norman was just a crazy place to be Saturday due to the OU/Nebraska football game.

We ended our Saturday evening with a Sunday School fellowship watching the OU game. This is Todd Chapman with his 3 children.Robert Smith, Bryan, Joe Don, and little Jake.

When I went back to take a picture of this little guy, it looked like his room had been turned upside down!!!
This is Jackson, the little boy of our friends who hosted the fellowship. His dad called Bryan on our way home to tell him the UNBELIEVABLE outcome of the Texas Tech/Texas game. Jackson then got on the phone to talk with Bryan. Bryan said all he could actually understand from Jackson was TOUCHDOWN!!!


Side note: The outcome of that football game was AWESOME!!!


I hope everyone had a great weekend!! Tonight Bryan and I are going to a church wide prayer meeting for our country. Pray tonight and tomorrow and GO VOTE if you haven't already.

Oh Happy Day!!!

My new refrigerator was delivered today and the old one went away!!!!!

I did not intentionally mean to get the "backsides" of the delivery guys. I was truly trying to just take a picture without them knowing!!

They had to move my table and chairs and take a basket out of my entry way in order to maneuver the refrigerator in. I noticed they also did a little extra redecorating with the wreath on my front door. As I was observing them, I saw where one of the guys had hung our door wreath on my tall lamp!
Who knows....it might be a new idea for next year!!

I took a picture of the refrigerator while it was empty because this could be the last time we see it that clean.I had to bring several things up to the office to refrigerate because ours would not be entirely cool for 4-6 hours. It is crazy to be this excited over a new frig. I feel a little dorky. :)

Now no more excuses for eating out!!!!!

Weekend Update -- Belated

I am so behind on blogging it is not even funny!!! I will try to catch up on reading and commenting on your blogs tonight after church. I have had a few other priorities to keep me busy. Bryan and I (mostly Bryan) have been sick. Bryan came home early on Monday and stayed home yesterday. He had a severe migraine and "digestive" issues. He is better today and went on to work. On Monday we both went to bed around 8:45 p.m. and didn't get up until 8:00 the next morning!!

I'll try to be quick in catching my blog up to date. I had a nice Friday night. I drove out to Tuttle to attend a benefit Indian Taco Salad dinner for a church member who has Carcinoid Tumors since 2005. The community was raising money for he and his wife to travel to Switzerland for some intense radiation I believe. Please pray for Jimmy Waggoner. He needs healing and relief from his pain. They leave around Thanksgiving for Switzerland.

Bryan stayed home to prepare his Sunday School lesson but I had a nice date anyway. My nephew Will met me and ate with me.
There was also a silent auction and I won the basket of coasters and notepad Will is holding. Afterwards, we walked across the street to the high school football game and met up with my sister, Jennifer.It was a perfect night for football. Just a little cold, but not freezing!! Great hoody weather. Jennifer is very involved with the Band Boosters and at 3rd quarter they always feed the band snacks or a small meal. I helped her while I was there and I loved loved watching and listening to those high schoolers. It made me feel old!!I think the uniforms are pretty nice! Don't you!!

I did get to watch Katie and Jesse for a little bit on Saturday while Eric and Whitney ran some errands and then I fed the whole family, except Jesse :) , dinner. Saturday was just a great day. Katie and I bought two small pumpkins earlier in the day for her to "decorate" later when she came over. I am not creative at all. She wanted to carve them but I persuaded her to use a black sharpie. I just didn't think I could help her carve a pumpkin and watch an infant at the same time. Too overwhelming! And Bryan was working on our fence and keeping our dog from running away which is a whole different blog. Please don't hold the poor creativity against me. At least I worked to make a memory!! These pictures didn't turn out to well due to all the shadows but you can see the pumpkins and a little fall decor at my house. The big pumpkin is suppose to represent Bryan and I!! HA HA

Jesse was just wonderful to take care of. I rocked him and we played with him. It was great! Look at this smile!!!!!
You can't tell in this next picture, but one time when I walked through the living room, Jesse was awake in his carrier and I'm so serious, he was watching the football game. I know he was!!!!

His dad was great in every sport so I just know Jesse will be!!!

Whitney drove Eric back to Ft Hood Texas Sunday night and his flight to Kuwait leaves sometime this week. Thank you for your prayers, comments, and thoughts for this family.

Dinner Dates

My cousin Eric is back home for 4 days before leaving for Kuwait. They had family pictures made last night and we met them afterwards for some dinner at Coach's. It was so great to see Eric!! Bryan and I are so blessed to be a part of Eric, Whitney, Katie, and Jesse's life. We are grateful any little amount of time we get to see Eric before he leaves on Sunday.

Hasn't the little man changed!!!!

He's the cutest thing. Believe it or not, he was really looking at me as I talked to him or he might have been eyeing the sparkly necklace I was wearing. He would just watch me. At one time, he went a little cross-eyed on us and we all just busted out laughing. I don't think Jesse appreciated it!! Word on the street is I may get to babysit Jesse and Katie for a few hours on Saturday afternoon. I'm am so excited!!! Any time I can get with these 2 is great!!

Eric and Jesse

I loved this father/son picture. Eric leaves on Sunday. Please pray very hard for Eric, Whitney, Katie, and Jesse. I cannot imagine what it would be like to leave your family for 10 months. Pray for Whitney as a new mom that she will have strength and energy and emotional balance as she takes care of Jesse and misses her husband. Pray for Katie as she has had many adjustments the past few months.

One praise, Eric told us he does get 2 weeks leave during those 10 months!!!

You Might Be a Redneck

IF you use your refrigerator freezer as your actual refrigerator.

Before I left for Arkansas last week, our freezer quit freezing. Luckily we have a deep freeze in the garage. We caught it in time and it wasn't a big loss of food. We knew we had to do some serious shopping for a new refrigerator soon because the refrigerator was not cooling as it should. Weeeeellllll, while I was enjoying a great time in AR, the refrigerator went completely out on one of Bryan's longest days and he didn't get home until past 9:00 p.m. to find this out. The refrigerator had cooled down so much that a can of biscuits exploded in the door!!! Bryan had a mess on his hands for sure. The funny thing is our freezer stays cooler than the refrigerator did but it just doesn't freeze. So all refrigerated items are now in our freezer of the refrigerator. Make sense??

I'm so thankful for all the research and price comparison Bryan did on new refrigerators. He made it to where all I had to do was walk in the store, look at 2 models, and decide. We are getting a black bottom mount (I'm not sure if that's exactly the right "appliance" lingo).

The bad thing......the store called yesterday to tell me it was on back order until next Tuesday, October 28th!!!!! I told him no problem unless my freezer quit refrigerating!!!!! Needless to say I have not made any huge meals for Bryan and I. Our left over storage is very limited!!!

I guess it could be worse. This could be our situation............

How did people make it in the olden days? :)

Arkansas Awesomeness

I had a great time going to craft fairs last week but I have had my share of craft fairs, festivals, and extravaganzas to last me for a while. I found so many neat things, Christmas gifts, and great bargains that it is impossible for me to write or show them all in one post. The road trip with Bryan's mom, her friend, and her niece was great. We had tons of laughter and came home with inside jokes that no one will find funny but us!!

I love love love NW Arkansas.I think it has such pretty scenery. I stayed in Bella Vista and there are curvy, hilly roads with trees galore. Just a beautiful drive! The above picture was actually at the War Eagle Mill.

On Thursday morning we went to the Bella Vista Craft Festival and then went to another craft festival close by. I saw so much cute Razorback merchandise that I think I was nearly converted over; nearly but not quite yet!! But I will pull for you at times!!

I found some really neat Fall decor at Bella Vista. Here are just a few items.

I was so excited to meet with Kelly on Thursday evening at Abuelos.

Isn't she just beautiful! I truly think expectant mothers are some of the most beautiful women. Their faces are just glowing with excitement. I really appreciate Kelly taking time out of her week to see me. She had worked some very long days and I'm sure she was tired. Her visit was so refreshing for me. It was so fun to sit back and just talk. I think she is missing an ear because I'm sure I talked it off.

Kelly got me this wonderful Willow Tree figurine called Angel of Prayer and encouraging card. The front of the card reads "God can work things out"

It means so much to know people are really truly praying for Bryan and I and they are not just saying empty words. Kelly blessed our food at Abuelos and spoke the most eloquent beautiful words to God for Bryan and I. I am blessed she is my friend!!

On Friday morning we went to War Eagle. I got some Christmas presents there and I also came home with some groceries. I can't wait to eat all of this!!

On one of the days we went to an estate sale and I bought this old rocker!

Believe it or not, it fit in Donna's van. I bet we looked like the Beverly Hillbillies with all our purchases and a rocker to top it off.

On Friday night "the group" ate at the Fish City Grill. The food was delicious but I didn't take pictures. Some in "the group"

Left to Right: Cindy (Bryan's aunt), Karen (Bryan's cousin), Donna -- in the green shirt (Bryan's mom), and Gayla (Donna's best friend). I laughed so much with Donna and Gayla. It was a blast!

On our trip home Saturday we stopped at Oops!! I remembered Kelly mentioning it on her blog before and I called her on Friday to get the directions. It just so happened it was on the very road we would take to go home!! Yippee!!! I got so much stuff there but I saved boocoos of money!!! I got Christmas ornaments for $1.80!!!

Then in Siloam Springs, AR we stopped at the DaySpring Card outlet and I spent over 2 hours in that store. The money I saved there was unbelievable. I'm sure Donna and Gayla got tired of hearing about it. I got some notepads for the ladies in my Bible study group. They normally cost $7.99 but the outlet had them for $2.00. I bought 12. On this purchase alone, I saved $71.88!!!!! I also bought at least 4 Christmas gifts. I would drive back to Siloam Springs just to shop at this store. If you live in the area definitely visit this store!!

On this trip I bought a lot but a saved a ton!! I had more pleasure in knowing the dollars I saved than I think the actual item!! It is also a big relief to get some Christmas presents taken care of. Maybe I should relocate to NW Arkansas!!

Here I Come Arkansas !!!

I'm pretty excited! I leaving this afternoon for NW Arkansas with Bryan's mom, her friend Gayla and a cousin Karen. We are staying with some family in Bella Vista and then hitting the big ole craft festival in the area. This year the ladies have decided to stay closer to Bella Vista and not go to Warr Eagle. I've been there before too and enjoyed it. On this trip, I hope to find some Christmas gifts if possible or maybe a little somethin for myself!

I'm just as excited for Thursday evening!! I'm going to get to see Harper Brown Stamps's mom a.ka. Kelly Stamps! I still remember parts of our conversation when we last met in April. Kelly and Scott were so kind and accepting of Bryan and I. Oh how God has moved in Kelly's life and is sending this precious baby girl to Scott and Kelly!! Praise and Glory to Him!!! I know Kelly prays for Bryan and I daily and I just can't wait to sit and talk!

Children ...

When Bryan and I were dating, he painted me this picture and gave it to me for Christmas.
He addressed/signed it using our nicknames! I forgot about this. The fascination of early love; don’t we do the cutest funniest things sometimes.

I had put the painting up, storing it until I could decide where to put it. It has not hung on any wall since we moved to the OKC metro 6 years ago. When Bryan painted the picture in 1995, it was suppose to represent the children we wanted once we married and made it through college. I had wanted 2 children and in 1995 I had 1 boy name and 1 girl name picked out.

I took this painting out during the week I was reorganizing and cleaning closets a few weeks back. This picture struck me in a whole different new way than its original meaning. Although it may sound strange to some or maybe I am making more out of the painting than necessary but I relate this painting now to the 2 tubal pregnancies I had and the 2 children I never saw born. I thought it so neat that 13 years ago a painting was made by my future husband with two children and now today could represent the path of our journey over the past 1-½ years. It was also neat to see the relative closeness in size of the children. Had I carried each to term they would have been very close in age and size!! Instead of making me sad, I felt like my heart leaped inside. It was comforting to see the painting in this way. When I pulled it off the shelf and realized all of this I thanked God for this moment of comfort He gave me through this painting!! It was soothing.

I shared this with Bryan and then hung the painting in our bedroom on the wall of my side of the bed. I see it everyday. I have to admit, since I’ve hung it, it has not always had that comforting feeling it had when I took it off the shelf but I am determined to beat any sadness or darkness that may creep into my emotions and mind. It is staying on the wall!

I think some of our family and friends may be getting anxious and wondering when we are going to adopt or what we are going to do. The truth is, we don’t know. We just don’t know. It is unbelievable how many things you have to work out and think about and consider. There is so much unknown. At times we feel we are just going to go forward and begin the process right now even though we do not know “the process” and then at other times we do not quite have a peace of mind or sense God’s direction.

I have periodically been reading on this book which is a great resource for adoptive families. Steven Curtis Chapman and Focus on the Family recommended it
I know my God is not the author of confusion so we wait until this cloud passes. In March 2008 I felt I wanted a Caucasian infant. Bryan has felt maybe we should try for a 10-12 month old. But at other times he has said he doesn’t care. Recently I have been exposed to a little girl adopted from China and then a bi-racial little girl adopted as an infant. This is a relative of Bryan's who was adopted. She is beautiful and absolutely precious, so polite and very well mannered. I met her a week ago. Both have touched my heart because you see immediately the beauty of adoption in them and their parents. I love that!

So you see we just don’t know and we wait for God’s direction. There have been specific times when Bryan and I had to make big decisions and we just waited. Waited for God and the peace that He brings in clarity. At these times God has rewarded us beyond our expectations!!

At church I facilitate a ladies bible study on Sunday nights. Right now we are doing Jennifer Rothschild’s Walking by Faith and we are on our 3rd week. This is such an appropriate and timely study for me to be doing as I wait on God for direction in my family. I am grateful for God’s sovereignty and perfect timing.

I am making this study a priority each day so if I do not blog everyday or post on your blog everyday, please do not give up on me. I’ve made a rule for myself: No blogging until I have done the day’s homework.

I apologize for such a long post but I had a lot to get in.

p.s. I am still called "Babydoll" or "Babs". Bryan is not called Chickabee (he has a different name now) !!! :)

Wacky Wild Weekend !?!

I'm not sure what to title our weekend. It has been strange, indeed. I thought about taking a picture of me in black due to the fact OU LOST ON SATURDAY!!! I was upset and disappointed. I was late getting to Ada and listened to the first half on the radio driving down the interstate. Never listen to a major game as you drive in traffic!! How in the world could our defense have given Texas 3 - 1st downs just from penalties!!! Frustrating!!! I was able to watch the last 2 quarters with Bryan at his parents'. Needless to say, it put a damper on the rest of the afternoon. We were frustrated and yelling at the players as if they could actually hear us through the TV!! We are definitely nervous now for Bedlam against OSU!! We might have been #1 prior to this weekend but I think it was only because we had not had any major competition until this past weekend. A friend of mine waved her Texas flag at me last night as she was walking out the church and I told her she was not acting very Christ-like!! :)

Let's move on to more positive things, shall we?!

Bunco was tons of fun and great laughs!! I like being a sub and hope to someday be in a group permanently. It was pj night. I felt a little strange driving across town in my pajama pants and I'm thankful I didn't have a wreck wearing animal print pjs!!
That would have been a sight. My pjs weren't that exciting but I was comfortable.

Here's a picture of Rachel, Emily, Melissa, and I. Aren't Melissa's pjs the best!! I love them. They were definitely my favorite!

I never win anything but on Friday, I held the Bunco Bear at the end of the games and I won the grand prize (I guess that is what you call it).

Thanks to Melissa for taking my picture. I wore my glasses because after all it was pj night and I usually have my glasses on when I wear my pjs. I forgot to get a picture of the prize but it was a grouping of painted letters reading "Harvest Welcome" or I could reverse it to say "Welcome Harvest."

My friend Niki is going to be a grandma for the first time and she is ecstatic!!! Can you tell???
We saw Bryan's MeMaw on Saturday evening. She is in rehab and seems to be doing well. She looked so much better than last Sunday. Her color is good and she can talk a lot better, I think. She does have a cough and they are giving her breathing treatments and watching for pneumonia. Thank you for your prayers for her recovery.

Happy Birthday, Bryan !!!!

Bryan and I celebrated his birthday tonight (we are now the same age!), with beans, taters, cornbread, and carrot cake from La Baguette Bakery in Norman. His mom is making his traditional red velvet cake this weekend. He loves this carrot cake so I made a mad dash to Norman after work while he was in class. I hope you had a wonderful day, Bryan. I was thrilled to spend the evening with you! May you have a wonderfrul, prosperous, and blessed year! I look forward to what this next year has in store for you!!

I barely got this picture for my blog so I didn't get a picture of him with his gifts. But I got him a gift certificate to Academy, 2 camo shirts, and 1 dress OU shirt. To bad I couldn't get him to model them for the blog!!!


Bryan was born during the OU/TX game so we are going to Ada this weekend to watch the game with his parents, visit MeMaw, and celebrate their birthdays. This is always a major game for us. I'm a little anxious to get it started and get it over with!!! Wish us luck!!

We've had a good evening relaxing with each other watching The Office and the SNL political special. Did anyone watch that? I thought the debate skit was Hilarius!!

I'm subbing in Bunco again tomorrow night. The theme is pajamas. I'm pretty excited. It provided a great excuse for some new pjs. All of mine have shrunk and are to short. My new pajama pants are animal print. I guess now I need to find some type of house shoes to wear. I normally go barefoot around my house but tonight I've scrubbed my feet and redid the polish. I have the ugliest feet!!