A Look Back At Our Summer: Part 1

As I start this post, it is 65° outside, and I have the windows open in the house.  It's chilly and I love it.  I am so happy to have this break from the crazy heat we've had over the last 3 months.  I'm not ready for winter, but I am looking forward to fall weather.  

We have had a lot going on this summer and I meant to post about different activities.  It obviously didn't happen so I think I'll just do a review of summer in multiple parts. 

Part 1! 

The official kickoff to summer always starts with Memorial Weekend.  We met my friend Ashley and her family in a small town called Mulhall.  This is where her Dad grew up, and the town has a big festival called "Mulhall Days" that everyone attends.  We had a lot of fun.  Well, we had a shaky start, then it got to be a lot of fun.  Madison had been battling a lot of congestion and just as we got on the road, she was nibbling on apples.  Combine that with drainage and we had a throwing up incident to start the road trip.  Thankfully we had her daycare backpack with us which is always stocked with two changes of clothes.  Dan and I performed a quick clean-up/wardrobe change and off we went!



The town has two beautiful schuptures of longhorn cattle. 
Madison had fun taking pictures on them although this one was a bit tough to sit on.


My in-laws, sister-in-law and nephew came over to hang out with us and do a little grilling.  I bought a slip and slide for Madison and our nephew Davyn to play on.  They had a blast running more than sliding down the mat and then jumping into the puddle of water at the end.  We had a great time and the food was tasty!



Our sweet nephew and Madison.  They have been 'best buds' since she could
walk well enough to keep up with him.  Just too cute!


We were so spoilied in Lewisville because there were 3 very nice parks within blocks of our home.  We do have a tiny play area in our neighborhood (more to come hopefully), so we have enjoyed searching for the best park in Oklahoma City and Edmond.  There is one smaller park on the north side of Lake Hefner that is really nice.  It is new and very shaded so that is nice when the sun is blazing at 10 am.  Madison and I made a break for the park when Dan started mowing the lawn.  The we closed out the afternoon with our first visit to the neighborhood pool.  Let's just say this was the first visit of many during the summer.  It's a great place for the kiddos and we took full advantage of it.



Notice the odd things sticking to her legs and arms.  My daughter has an absolute fondness for stickers.  These were stickers off of pool noodles and a boogie board I purchased that morning at Wal-Mart.  She felt they would be more fun on her than the noodles.   




My cutie pie!




Sweet heaven for me.  Madison woke up early from her nap and wanted to snuggle with Momma. 
I didn't mind at all.

Pool fun.  Looks like a rough life for her doesn't it?

 Later in June, Bank of Oklahoma held a Family Picnic Day at Orr Family Farm in South Oklahoma City.  I had read about this place but I had never been there.  Madison was in heaven.  She got to ride a merry-g-round, feed animials, ride a pony and a train, and jump on a huge 'pillow.'  It was a blast.  We didn't want to leave but nap-time was calling. 

I can't wait to go back this fall for their holiday activities.  They have a lot of events till Christmas.  What a fun place. 

We had our neice and nephew out for a sleep over and had a great time.  While Davyn and Madison played together, Sierra and I painted our toes and cought up on reality shows that we both like.  We loved having them out and I can't wait to have them visit again.

Madison and Davyn made a fort in the living room.  Unfortnatly, it didn't hold up well.  I walked in to find them huddled in the fort, playing her MobiGo.  Just too cute!

Our sweet niece.

Just a few more pictures to finish this post. 

If there is a bounce house near, she will find it.  This kid never stops jumping.

She got bath bubbles for her birthday.  They are a hit!

We took advantage of the windy day to fly her kite.

A Look Back At Summer: Part 2

I wanted to get Madison involved in an activity during the summer.  I found a few dance studios in the area with summer sessions.  I enrolled her in a 3/4 Tap and Ballet class.  It was a one month session and fit perfectly into our schedule.  It was a lot of fun for her.  I loved watching her do the things I used to do in my dance classes. 

Here she is modeling her two new outfits for dance class.  She loved the tap shoes.

She's ready for her first class.  Just needs a snack first.

We tried to get a goo shot of her in her outfit, but she wasn't cooperating.

In August we took a much needed family vacation.  We went back to a place in South Texas Called La Torreta Resort & Spa.  It is on Lake Conroe north of Houston.  We had stayed here once before when Madison was 1.  It is a nice place to relax and extremely family friendly. 

The best part of the resort is that they have 4 pool areas.  They have a tiny one for babies, a kids splash pool with a dumping bucket, a pool with 2 water slides, and a large rectangle pool with a raised pool for adults.  They also have a lazy river.  We would just move between all of the different pools throughout the day.  Madison had the most fun in the rectangle pool.  She loved jumping off of the side to us.

Just a few pics from the vacation.

I love this pic.  She's upset with me over something.

We were eating lunch by the pool and a teeny, tiny green frog jump on the lounge chair next to Madison.  She checked it out and then had to get a second look....once she grabbed her grilled cheese.

Future career.  Maybe if we get her to hold the club right!

Time to leave.  She wasn't mad about leaving.  She didn't want her picture taken.

She insisted on carrying her purse with her when we checked out.  I love it!

On our way home.  A side note, I am proud to say that I mad the monkey pillow she has her head on. 
My first big sewing success.

We stayed in Dallas for the night and I took advantage by setting up a play date with my friend Ashley and her cutie pie, Payton.  It was so much fun watching the girls play together.  I look forward to more of these. 

Running Update - I'm still alive!

I am sorry I haven't posted anything new in awhile.  We have just been so busy these past few weeks.  I thought it would be good to give you an update on my running progress.  Dan and I have just crossed over the halfway point on our couch to 5K running plan.  We had a big obstacle to get past earlier this week.  We had back-to-back days of 11 minute runs and I was nervous about it.  I know, it's just 11 minutes but I am not a runner.  I'll walk fast any day, but running is another story.  I'm happy to report that we did it and I even showed improvement on the second day.  Yeah!!! Today was a 13 minute run, and I really felt good throughout the entire run.  The hill we run up didn't get me like it has so I was pumped when I got back to the house. 

Happy dance time!!! 

The next few weeks will be challenging.  I have a short work trip and Dan has a guys trip that will throw a kink into our running schedule.  I'm not worried about him though.  He'll be fine.  I think he may be a robot in disguise.  We had run our 1st 11 minute run Monday morning and then he played volleyball Monday night.  He was really sore when he got up to run Tuesday morning.  I totally thought I'd easily stay up with him and that he'd be hurtin' by the end of the run.  Was he?  No!  Of course NOT!!!  As our timer went off to signal the end of our running time, Dan said to me "Wait for me outside" and then proceeded to run around the block again at a faster pace.  REALLY?  Is he for real?  I'm sucking in air and he'll run some more.  Geez!!!

So much for hurting after the run.

Oh well.  Our first race is September 23rd in Dallas and I'm excited.  I had to estimate my finish time for the registration site.  I entered 45 minutes.  I'm more about just finishing the darn thing at this point rather than completing it in a certain amount of time.  Baby steps people.  :-)

I'll post pics and info once the race is completed.  Oh and for those of you wondering who was with Madison if we were running together, Mom is in town.  She was on Madison duty for us.  No worries there.

-LeAnn

Blessings

Yesterday would have been Dad's 67th birthday.  I checked on Mom to make sure she was doing OK.  I was happy to hear her sound like her cheerful, normal self.  I wasn't sure if she knew what the date was, since she's traveling a lot the dates can slip away, but she did.  She asked me if I had wished Dad a happy birthday yet.  I was happy to report I had.  My heart was relieved to know she was doing well.

As yesterday approached, I kept reviewing the last year in my head.  July 3rd of last year is when Dad stopped breathing in a hotel room and scared Mom and my Aunt Trisha to death (understatement).  The tumor in his throat was bigger than we thought and it blocked off his airway when he was laying down.  Mom called me when we were at a Frisco Rough Riders baseball game.  I was trying to hard to stay calm around all those people.  We left soon after the call.  I just couldn't be there.  It was too much.

The next year would be an amazing, awful, scary, emotional, trying time for our family.  However, the one thing that held steadfast for us through the whole thing was God's love and support.  I titled this post 'Blessings' because that is what a lot of things were during this time.  We were blessed to have found a wonderful home group who provided a lot of love and support.  We were blessed to realize it was time for Dan to look for another job.  We were blessed that he was offered two good opportunities in Oklahoma City.  We were blessed that the decision to move was an easy one.  We were blessed to go through the selling process so quickly in a housing market that was struggling.  We were blessed to discover I could work part time from home for the company I worked for in Dallas.  That was a HUGE blessing.  It gave me the flexibility to drop everything and go to Little Rock when needed.  I would work from the hotel and then  go to the hospital.  It was a big relief to be able to do that.  We were blessed to have a easy discussion with Mom about Dad's wishes and her desires should Dad decide he was though fighting.  We were blessed with a compassionate team of nurses who took amazing care of Dad.  We were blessed to have a very caring nurse who recognized that it may be time to just make Dad comfortable and switch him to comfort care.  She is an angel on earth to me.  We were blessed that the coordinator made the switch so easy for us.  We were blessed he passed peacefully.  We were blessed to have amazing support from our family and friends during this time.  How wonderful they are.  Dan and I are blessed to have an wonderful family doctor who was watching us closely to lend her support as we went through this time. 

I realize that I listed a lot, but it is what I know.  We are incredibly grateful and humbled by the strength and enormous love of God.  Dan and I look back and can clearly see his plan working perfectly for us.  It was tough to live through but exactly what we needed, as we needed it, to get to today.

There is a beautiful song by Laura Story called Blessings.  I first heard it after we moved.  I cried so much through it because it fit that time perfectly.  It still moves me to tears today.  I highly recommend taking a little time to listen to it sometime.

Happy Birthday Dad!  I love you.

Run LeAnn Run!

My new running shoes!

Dan and I have been trying to get motivated to work out more and eat healthy.  We have made changes to our diet, and we have even started creating a meal plan for each week.  The meal plan has really helped us with grocery shopping budgets and made the 'what's for dinner' run around a breeze.  It feels really good to know that we are also showing Madison how to make good meal choices. 

Now to the whole 'work out more' part.  We have been riding our bikes more, and I have been trying to work out once I get off work.  However I didn't want to burn out, and I wanted to see better, faster results.  My solution....running. 

I may have lost my mind!

I have never enjoyed running.  I remember having to run at the end of cheerleading two-a-day practices and hating it.  We trained more than the darn baseball team.  I know this because the guys would drive by as they left practice.  They were usually laughing at us.  Gotta love high school boys.  Anyway, all I would think as I ran was "How much more do I have to do this?"  I hope you are sensing my severe disdain for running.

Well fast forward several years to last July 2012.  I started checking out fitness pins on Pinterest (yes, I'm obsessed) and found a Couch to 5K running plan.  I know I will not run a half marathon.  That is just way too much running for me.  However I can handle a 5K.  I think.

I told Dan about my discovery, and he liked the sound of it.  So we are now training together to run a 5K.  I'm very excited to run with him.  This will be a fun, I hope, thing to do as a couple.  We've just started the plan so it is very easy for him at this point.  I am about to DIE after two minutes of running.  That's OK though.  I have a goal and I'm going to stick it.  (I think I can. I think I can)

I have two 5K runs picked out for us.  The first one is in late September in Dallas.  It is an Oktoberfest run at White Rock Lake.  This one seems right up our alley.  They'll serve beer once the race is over.  How can we pass that one up?!?!?!  The second race is here is Oklahoma.  It's called the Mud Run.  It is an obstacle course and 5K.  It looks awesome!  Messy yes, but who cares.  That's what a shower is for.  Dan's pumped about that one.  It is in late October so I  hope it isn't too chilly.  I'll keep my fingers crossed. 

Keep us both in your prayers as we tackle this new challenge.  If you hear of a woman who just sat down on a sidewalk in North OKC and refused to get up, well it is probably me.  I most likely decided to forget running and go get a banana split.  So much for healthy! :-)  (My love of banana splits is another discussion)

Pinterest Has Created A Monster! (but in a good way)

I have been a pin freak these last few weeks on Pinterest.  I have become addicted to that site.  I have seen so many fun ideas from it and have tried a few at home.  Some with better success than others.  Oh well.  I've enjoyed each project and learned a few things along the way.

I want to show two projects that I tackled last weekend through this week.  Project #1 was a makeover of my trusty filing cabinet.  Project #2 was reorganizing Madison's closet.  I took a lot of pics of Project #1.  It was a learning experience.

Project #1 - Filing Cabinet Makeover

My little black filing cabinet is a necessity in my office but just didn't go with the new desk and shelves we bought after moving in.  I had looked at covering it with contact paper but didn't like the options out there.  On Pinterest, I saw a pic of a makeover someone had done and loved the idea.  It was from a blogger out of Dallas.  Here is the link to her blog 'Little House in the Big D.'  I headed out to Michael's and picked out the scrapbook paper I wanted to use.  I found the spray paint at Home Depot.  Their selection was the best and prices were a lot better as well.

Step 1:  Take off handles and clean with damp cloth to remove dust.  I didn't even try to figure out how to get the lock off.  I decided to just spray paint over it.  Lazy, but I'm OK with my decision.  :-) 

Step 2: I started spraying with a primer first but the can clogged. I decided to try just using the brown spray and it worked fine.  I used three coats on the entire cabinet.  It took about a day and a half to apply all three coats.

Step 3:  I started putting the scrapbook paper on the bottom drawer.  I had to layer 2 sheets to cover each drawer completely.  I was a little forgetful on how to modge podge correctly.  I forgot to apply a layer to the drawer first and was stumped for a bit because my paper wasn't sticking when I applied the glue to the top of the paper.  Silly, but I figured it out and had plenty of paper to start over.  On the blog I referenced, she used a hot glue gun to secure the side of the paper around each drawer.  I couldn't get that to work for me so I made a trip to Target and bought super glue formulated for metal and paper.  It worked perfectly.  Then I applied 3 layers of modge podge.  I let each layer dry completely before applying the next one.

Step 4:  After letting the modge podge dry on the bottom drawer.  I started the whole process over on the top drawer.  It went much faster.

Step 5:  I attached the handles back to the cabinet. 

Step 6:  Final placement.  I put it back in the corner of my office and put my accessories on top just were I need them.  Perfect!  It has its imperfections, but it works perfectly for me. 

Project #2 - Reorganizing Madison's Closet. 

Madison's closet had become a big mess, and I just didn't know what to do with it.  I wanted to keep toys and bags where she could get to them easily, but the floor of the closet was almost covered with stuff.  I saw a pin on Pinterest, and it really got me thinking of ways to open more space in her closet.   I also liked the blogger's decision to make it easier for her daughter to access her stuff.  I wanted to do that for Madison.  She's getting to be a  'big girl' and enjoys picking out her stuff.  I'll just include the finished pics below.  OK.  I'll fess up. I was so excited to get started that I forgot to take before pics.  Sorry.  

I went to Target and Lowe's to get all of my organizing goodies.  It took me about 3 hours to put the shelves together and redo her closet completely.  I even sorted fall stuff into special areas so we do a quick inventory in September and determine what she needs without digging around a lot. 

The best thing about this project is that Madison loves it.  She was so excited to see the changes.  She can even reach her crayons and chalk now (I may regret that later).  You can check out the blog that gave me my inspiration by clicking this link.  Enjoy!

Madison's 3rd Birthday

I know I am a little late on this, but better late than never!  Madison turned 3 on June 4th.  We had a 'Purple' party for her at a local gymnastics gym.  After last year's heat, I wasn't taking a chance for an outside party.  We would take this fun inside.  Mom and I scouted out the place in April.  When they turned on the light for the room, I knew it would be perfect.  My little monkey would have a blast climbing on everything. 

We had several family and friends that attended her party.  It was perfect!  We were so happy to enjoy the time with everyone.  It was a fun filled time for all. 

 

A friend made the cupcakes for her party.  She did an amazing job.  I love the butterfly for Madison's cupcake.  It was beautiful.

Pizza time!  The kids loved the little treats we gave to them.  Each water bottle had lots of goodies in them and then had a fun set of glasses on the outside.  I got the inspiration from Pinterest.  Love that website!

Madison sporting her glasses and special birthday shirt.  Cool kid.

My little climber.  Wish she didn't climb so well.  :-)

Happy Birthday!  We surprised her with lots of balloons (these weren't all of them) the morning of her birthday.
She loved the '3' balloon.  It stayed in the house for weeks because she loved playing with it so much.