I LOVE getting to go to Kentucky. Not only is it a beautiful state with soft rolling hills, green lush grass, and immaculate horse farms everywhere; it is home to my best friend of many decades (yes decades)!! We don't get to see each other as often as we like because who could make a weekly drive or 
flight to see each other? We live 13 hours apart, have 5 kids, 2 husbands, and 1 dog all between us:)
Last weekend I flew to Lexington to see Andrea. The first night we were there we drove out to Versailles KY to a little winery for "Boots in the Bluegrass". This was a military/work benefit sponsored by Jeff's work. That might not be totally accurate as I wasn't paying too much attention to the details. Hey, I was on "vacation"
right?! I did get the "boots" part and rocked out my Oklahoma cowgirl boots in the Bluegrass state.
Truth be told we were all freezing. We didn't stay too long there as we were all cold and there just wasn't enough food left that was to our liking. We made our presence known (or rather Jeff did) and we left to find more grub to eat somewhere else.
Almost everytime Andrea and I are together you can be assured Japanese hibaji will be on the menu at some point. Last weekend was no different. On our "date night" we dressed up and went to eat at Asuka (very delicious). We both enjoy having someone else cook our dinners for a change. That's always fun to watch people get shrimps 
thrown at their faces and sake poured in their mouths. Who doesn't like to hear the "Japanese Egg Roll" joke every once in awhile? For those that eat at these types of places regularly you should totally know which joke I am referring to.
You know what's also great about having Andrea as your best friend? She can sew. And, I do mean, SEW folks. She has such a sweet, caring, and giving attitude about her 
talent. She found some fabric in her sewing room (there's quite a large collection of fabric in there to chose from) and in her "spare" time of this weekend she personalized and sewed us matching infinity scarves. Now, if that's not an awesome best friend I don't know what is!
What were Daddy's exact words while I was gone to Kentucky over the weekend? "While Momma's away, the boys will play!"
Play did they ever. Just in the few days that I was gone Steven was able to squeeze in: 2 days of school, football practice, Dolphin Tale 2 movie, dinner at Texas Roadhouse, a football game out of our town, a swimming pool birthday party, an OU football party complete with 3 families (that I was unaware that was going down in our house while I was gone), a double header baseball game, and many other little tiny things throughout the weekend.
Parenthood is 50/50 or both people giving 100/100 (however you want to look at it). Steven gets to do his fair share of time away with trips. That's when I step up. I love how when it's finally my time to go somewhere for a few days he steps up with no complaining. I know he gets tired as he is not used to being full time worker, mom, and dad all at the same time. I am grateful for a husband that goes above and beyond while Momma is away.
The boys were spent by the time I got home on Sunday. Which only proves to me that Steven did a pretty fine job while I was gone.
That means I can leave more. Right?!
A lot of people I know love adventure. They CRAVE adventure and want to experience new life decisions and choices all the time. Call me boring, but I am pretty content where I am in my life. I am happy and I am secure and I do like adventure but it doesn't have to be something that is an everyday, or even an every year, kind of thing. Well, we are about to embark on one of our Biggest adventures since being married over 14 years ago.....
We bought 1.1 acres to build our "dream home", "lifetime home", "home that we never want to leave home". (You may call it whatever you wish. Let me clarify here...I am not saying we will NEVER move from this home but this is where we want to raise our boys for the next 15 or so years. We don't want to move again until they are both graduated from high school. Then, we can rethink things. We might still be there on that dream lot. We might not. That's a long way down the road.
All I can say for 100% certainty is that this is going to be a mighty adventure friends. 1.1 acres up on a beautiful piece of land in Owasso. This lot overlooks the back of the Catoosa hills and partly the Port of Catoosa. You can hear 
tug boats pulling into the port. There's a slight breeze 24/7 due to the direction of the lot and the fact that you are on a hill. There is room for a pool (one day) and room for many a football, kickball, soccer game in the backyard. It is everything we have been wanting and praying for for over a year now. God has provided and we are super thankful.
The building process will not actually begin until sometime in 2015. We MUST sell one, or both, of our current flip houses before embarking on this journey.
Right now our lot will continue to just look like this for awhile. Who cares though? It's ours and that's all that matters at this point in the game. Hopefully, I can say that a year from now too when I am about to pull my hair out during the decision making process of building and designing our own home. Oh, did I forget to mention that? Yes, Steven and I will be building and designing this home ALL BY OURSELVES. Lord have mercy! 6321 N Ridgeview Rd in Owasso OK. Make plans to visit now:)
Weekends around our house used to be relaxed and fun and time to spend together as a family. Here in about 2 months hopefully it will be that way again. Weekends are still fun and we still are together as a family but they just aren't as relaxed anymore due to Will's sporting schedule. Every Saturday is filled with football and then OU football watching whenever the game is on TV. Sunday's are double header Fall Ball baseball games for his BAYB team, the Bulls. He loves baseball and Fall Ball is a great way for him to keep "fresh" and get to play some different positions 
around the field that he doesn't normally get to play during Spring Ball.
Friday started off with our most relaxed day of the weekend. We picked the boys up from school and it was play all night in the backyard. Daddy and Owen agains't me and Will in a little football action. This is a sweet picture of Owen and Daddy memorizing and discussing a play they were going to use on Will. It didn't work:) Owen dropped the ball every.single.time.
Saturday was Will's 2nd Lincoln football game. It was raining and very chilly and his teeth were chattering 
walking onto the field. It didn't take him long to warm up though! I LOVE watching Will play football. This has probably been the most exciting of his sports and where I enjoy seeing him excel and thrive. He practices hard with his team, gives 100% even when he's tired, and shows up to every practice. He gives it his all but has really held back physically until Saturday. This is his first time to play tackle and is only just 7 years old. Finally he broke free on Saturday, with the help of some other amazing 7 year old players, and scored 2 touchdowns and 2 extra points. This Bixby team they were playing were huge. Like literally, some of their players would almost PICK UP our players and throw them onto the field. It was awesome to watch our boys rally back after being down 20-13 almost the whole game. 4th quarter touchdown by Will and the score was now 20-20. Another 4th quarter touchdown by Kylan and extra point by Will and BAM our boys won 27-20. It was thrilling and the rest of Saturday I was hoarse but it was so worth it:)
Saturday night Steven and I were blessed enough to get to go out on a date night. We don't do a ton of these so when
we have them they are enjoyable to the extreme. We had 3 hours so we squeezed in Shogun's (because I like to watch someone else cook MY dinner sometimes) and Starbucks. We got some much needed time of discussion about some major life decisions we are embarking on (more on that topic in another blog), and we of course talked about our children because I think that's what most parents do while out on a date!
Sunday arrived and we did some much needed yardwork and sand box filling in the front and back yard. The boys and dog just ran around outside for hours observing Steven and I doing all the work. Then Will went to work. He worked for 3 hours or so on the baseball fields. His first game he got a 
HOMERUN but the team still lost. The second game was a victory and we rewarded on Will's hard work (but mostly just because I didn't have time to cook dinner) with a dinner out at IHOP. Don't ask me why but Will has been asking for IHOP since he saw one in Florida back in July. We don't normally eat there and so I really have no clue why he has been craving it so much. Talk about a weird combo? 
This child ordered pancakes, sausage, bacon, and wait for it....mashed potatoes. Another shocker? He ate the entire thing and even stole a few bites of my pineapple.
Another weekend has come and gone and I just sent Steven off with the boys to start the next school week. Hope it's a great one and I hope yours is too! Happy Monday!
If you've known me for any length of time than you know that I am surrounded by boys. Big boys, little boys, small boys, loud boys, quiet boys, and fluffy boys. I am the ONLY girl in all this craziness and I am beginning to get used to it after almost 8 years of being a parent. See, I now have THREE boys. You might be confused now. Let me introduce you to my 3 sons.
Will's first up: Born November 27, 2006. He is almost 8. He turns 8 on Thanksgiving day this year (as he also did on his 
2nd birthday but he doesn't really remember that one). Will is my sport loving, quiet, typical first born, ruler follower, diligent, obedient, gentle, loving child. He loves ALL THINGS sports but pretty much caps it at: football, baseball, basketball, and golf. I really long for the day that he picks just 1-2 and gets really awesome at those so he can go to college for free or seriously discounted. I digress...
Owen is second up: Born July 21, 2009. This sweet boy turned 5 over the summer and has been the loudest, typical last born, crazy, funny, loving, sweet and tender hearted, 
brave, spunky, animated, confident, and sometimes OVERLY confident child to this family. He is the funny in Will's serious. He is the energetic to Will's chill. I think you're getting the point that our children are totally different. Life without Owen would sure be dull sometimes. There would be far less noise and laughter. For all this craziness and joy that he brings to our family, it is all worth it.
Norman is third up: Born February 27, 2014. This baby is our 6 month old third son. Never, and I repeat NEVER did I believe I would own a dog. Cat? Fish? Bird? Maybe, but NEVER a dog. Then.....I gave birth to Owen. This child is the next Steve Irwin with his love of animals. To the extreme. He loves and adores all animals but specifically dogs. So, that is the short version of how Norman came into our family. I now have a human pint of energy in the form of Owen and an animal pint of energy in the form of
our Morkie, Norman. Norman has also brought much joy to this family only if it's from Will and Owen. I'm okay with that. Seeing their faces light up after a long day of school when they see their doggie makes it a win-win for me even if having a 7 pound dog is like another child. A third child and another boy....I'm due a girl at some point right? Please don't answer that....
This Labor Day weekend was filled with baseball. Other things too, but A LOT of baseball. In fact, our family was spread out over the entire state of Missouri. 
Steven was hitting Busch Stadium and watching his Cardinals all weekend. Will and my dad were hitting Kauffman stadium and watching the Royals get beat all weekend. My dad grew up in 
Kansas City for some of his life and so the Royals are near and dear to his heart. Steven knows a Cardinals pitcher by the name of Shelby Miller, so the Cardinals are near and dear to his heart. Oh, baseball. We tend to love all sports around this house but baseball, football, and golf are the top 3.
When you go to a sporting event with my dad you get food. Lots and lots and lots of food. Will loves cotton candy and 
rarely gets to eat it so thanks to an hour rain delay he was allowed to chow down on all things sugary, salty, and sweet. Cotton candy, peanuts, and popcorn were the three things that somehow he was
allowed to consume in one evening of baseball. Thanks to a lightening and rain show for the better part of an hour he was not dropped off to my hotel room till almost midnight. His eyes were huge and buggy and I could tell he was wired. He wanted to tell me ALLLLLL about his night and couldn't for the life of him whisper so Owen got to wake up and hear the whole nights plans too as he quickly changed clothes, brushed his sugary teeth, and headed to bed on the uber comfortable pull out couch. Thankfully, we were all asleep within minutes again and the fun began all over again the next day with a trip to Legoland (more on that blog later).
We were thankful for a weekend together with family and baseball. Two of our biggest loves! Happy Labor Day everyone!
