Tidbit Tuesday

Tidbits for Today...Lots of them this week.

~It's the last day of my birthday month! :( No more birthday celebrations.

~Got to meet some super-sweet baby's this weekend. Marisa, my big, and her husband came up and brought Lily, she is precious! And she liked me! We had a mini-Pi Phi reunion lunch, then went to meet Katy and Luke's wonderful little blessing Beau. Such a sweetheart!

~Saturday was my 10 year High School Reunion, and thanks to my best friend Amy, she talked me in to going. I was great getting to catch up with old friends.

~Tomorrow, I start crazy woman plan...I am going to a Rise and Shine Open swimming. It is $20 for a month for three times a week to have open free swim. I'm super excited, although I will need some prayers....ITS AT 5:00....IN THE MORNING!! I don't get up till 7:30 or even 8:00 some days, so 5:00 a.m. is going to come sooooo early. I have to say, I have been practicing going to bed early. And I think in the anticipation of it coming, I've been nervous about being able to wake up...so in return I have been waking up in the 5:00 hour on my own...obviously going back to sleep. So, for the next month, please help me stay accountable and pray that I follow through with this.

~Remi is well and back to normal high activity level. We get her stitches out this week. I don't even think she knows she had surgery...silly girl.


~It has been great getting to see Casey, although, I believe everyone feels this way when a loved one is home...I haven't got to see him enough! He leaves to go back to Japan on Thursday, then will be deployed in September/October. God Bless you Casey and Thank You for your bravery! Love you!
Casey and his Buddy Derek who is also being deployed around the same time. Boot Camp San Diego.

~ Mike's parents are also going to be in town for the season opener, so it will be fun to see them again.

Rick and Mel

~Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!!! I AM!!! OSU opens up with Washington State this Saturday. Mike and I were fortunate to get some hopefully great tickets on the 50 yard line! Woot Woot! Go Cowboys!!!



Alright, Good Night Blog World, Welcome Swim World!

Project 365 August 22-30

Project 365

Day 61 - Pasta STAR
So my mom and I went to our favorite store last night and just look at the adorable little grape pasta shells I found. They are the exact color of the colors in my kitchen, so I of course had to get them. This is the finished product of 'playing with my food'. The other pasta pictures are how I got to the final picture!


Replacing old boring pasta in my pasta container.


Oh, I can see all the colors in a little circle...


OHH, lets make a star...

And add to it.

Up close... and you already saw the finished picture up top. I love my new pasta shells!

Day 60 - Texture

My friend Amber gave me these great Crocodile Note Cards. I love them and they came with the bright pink and lime green envelopes. Love them!

Day 59 - Sea Horse!

Tonite (Saturday) was my 10 year reunion, which was held at the Jenks Aquarium. This is a great shot of the sea horses. I think they are my favorite. It was a little difficult to get a good shot with the low light and the little critters moving around.

Day 58 - Rule of Thirds

I saw this shadow on my kitchen floor and thought, this could be great for a Repetition picture, then as I kept taking shots, I distinctly saw the Rule of Thirds lines with a nice slant to it.

Day 57 - BZZZZ.....Busy Busy Bumble Bee

I was watering this morning before work and saw this cutie buzzing around. I ran in the house to get my camera and came out and he was gone! So I kept watering and was so glad when I saw him come back to get his picture taken. He was a fast little fellow, so this is the best one I got. Using my 70-300 lens.

Day 56 - The Color Purple

Purple hearts and Purple are some of my favorites! We have these in our front flower beds and they are just fantastic! In the morning, they have these sweet little blooms. I also love the tiny water drops on the petals and leaves. Using my 70-300 lens.

Day 55 - Repetition

Hanging out at the park, got a picture of the swing. I knew I was wanting a swing chain for a picture. As I was going out and about, I've noticed that newer playgrounds don't have swings anymore!! What the heck?!

Day 54 - High Point of View

This is my old elementary playground...not at all the same playground equipment they had when I was there.

Day 53 - The Letter M

At the park, saw these fun climbing things and as I walked around noticed it was an M. M is for Mike, milk shakes, monkeys, movies, memories, Marine Corps, Mr. Goodscents...

I couldn't decide which one I liked better, color or black and white...what do you all think?

So, I know I getting pretty lazy with posting my pictures...It's awful. I have been busy lately, and promise to try to post more often. Have a super Tuesday!

Project 365 August 10-21

Wow, so it's been a really long time! I've been a tad busy and trying to catch up. Isn't it amazing how just a weekend trip can take a week for you to recoop?! But here they are, and be looking for Kansas City Weekend Trip soon!

I am officially 15% complete with my project!

Day 52 - Sleepy
I didn't really know what to call this...it's kinda sad. Miss Remi lost her womanhood yesterday. I dropped her off yesterday morning and she stayed at the vet overnight. Picked her up this morning and the pain meds are still kicking in...thank goodness! We have to try to keep her UNACTIVE for SEVEN DAYS!!! Yes, it's going to be difficult, so hopefully, the pain meds will help us with that.
So, later today I was cleaning the house and I found her in our room nestled in the comforter. She barely even moved as I was shooting some pictures. She looks so sad. I actually had another one of her that looked like she was smiling...but it didn't really seem to fit the moment.


Day 51 - What's Growing in My Garden
I don't have a garden...I tried to have an herb garden and they all fried in the sun, so I took a picture of the pretty flowers in our front bed. They have done very well and are huge now. I don't remember what they are called but I really like these flowers.


Day 50 - Sharpest Pencil in the Circle
I was a little bored at work one day and went rummaging through my art room and found some color pencils. So, then I thought, how can I make a picture out of these. Wala! (The picture is a little grainy because I had to use a high ISO, so I may try it again sometime with better lighting and lower ISO.)


Day 49 - Fountains
This is from our Kansas City Weekend Trip, but I had to get these in the project. At Kauffman stadium, which was recently redone, these fountains are fantastic. They go off between every inning and after the 7th inning they started to light them up. So pretty. I had a lot of fun just watching the fountains...oh the little things!


Day 48 - Something New!!
I was able to save my birthday money and get my new lens!! Canon 70-300 with Image Stabilization. I got it last Wednesday and have loved it! Lots of pictures will be taken with my new friend!


Day 47 - Hummingbirds
This credit goes to my dad. He has been bugging me to come over and take pictures of these marvelous little creatures. Finally he said, well I guess Remi won't have a doggy day care if I can't borrow your camera. So he took these pictures. Great Job Dad!

This is the one I chose for the project.

Day 46 - BBQ Spices

While we were in KC, we had to have some famous BBQ. We went to Jack Stacks and it was great. Mike had this Crown Rib thingy and it was to die for! Here are some rubs and spices we bought while we were there, can't wait to use them!

Day 45 - Picture with Movement

Yes, this is the MOVEMENT of Alex Rodriguez's 2nd Bomb of the night! He had three Home Runs! By the way, I love my new lens!

Day 44 - Picture with Today's Date

Today is Friday the 13th, so I am taking a picture of the church we go to, Boston Avenue Church at 13th and Boston, downtown.

Day 43 - Crescent Moon

Playing with my new lens, got out the tripod and shot some great moon pictures. I love that you can see the craters!!

Day 42 - Make Something Ugly look Beautiful

I just think that anything looks great under the sunset...so, I think these huge power lines look pretty darn good with the sunset! I also love the father and son bike riding in the the background, which adds to the beauty of the power lines! The second picture is the one I chose for the project but wanted to share both. Again playing with the new lens and polarized filter.

Day 41 - Art

This Drawing Dough. My Recreational Therapy Intern came up with this fun art project to do with the kids for group. It was so fun and it dries puffy! I played around with the saturation on this picture to really make the colors pop.

Alright, well it's been a long while, hopefully not so long for the next set of Project 365 pictures. Have a great weekend!

Wonders of the World

Wonders of the World, a Child's Perspective

Awhile ago, I got an email that I'm sure several of you have received before too. But this time it really stuck out to me...The Story is this...

A group of young students were asked to list what they thought were the present "Seven Wonders of the World." Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes:

1. Egypt's Great Pyramid
2. Taj Mahal
3. Grand Canyon
4. Panama Canal
5. Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall

http://thundafunda.com/2/traveling-pictures-tourism/download/The%20Great%20Pyramid,%20Giza,%20Egypt.jpg

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not finished her paper yet. So she asked the girls if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, "Yes a little, because I find so many wonders in the world that I cannot quite make up my mind which seven to choose.

The teacher said, "Well tell us what they are and we may be able to help you."

This was her list...
1. To See
2. To Hear'
3. To Touch
4. To Feel
5. To Laugh
6. To Live
7. To Love

So, I decided I would do a Wonders of My World group with my kiddos at work. I kinda did it the same way the story went, asking the kids what they thought the wonders of the world were and I couldn't believe how smart they were, they named several of the possible Wonders of the World and knew where they were! Then I read them the story and asked them if they felt they had there own Personal Wonders in their lives. They created books and put their own wonders in the books. This is a compilation of what the kids see in their lives as wondrous...

freedom, computers, cameras, dogs, paper, cell phones, helicopters, America, birthdays, music, heat, A/C, to smell, toothpaste, love, family, museums, police, brains, movies, friends, civilization, not to be like negative roles models in their life, hearts, fire fighters, fireworks, Grand Canyon, pets, video games, Walt Disney, education, to see, Facebook, imagination, life, helping others, encouragement, positive roles models, feeding the homeless, playing with kids, teaching, prayer, making others laugh, hope for a better future, to hear, celebrations, religion, food, growth, individuality, dreams, feelings, love, fun, Jesus, small towns, clothes, bedtime stories, church, laughter, teachers, hugs, radio, wishing on stars, books to read, drawings, hospital, to breath, experiences to learn from, smiles, someone who listens to me, choices, and playing

It turned out to be a fantastic group and kids said they really liked it. They talked about how easy it is to overlook the simple things we take for granted and how easy it is to get caught up in all the bad and forget about the good.

So, just a little lesson from young hearts. What are your Wonders of the World?

Tidbit Tuesday

August 17th

~Our Kansas City, MO Trip was fantastic! We had a blast and the Yankees were great! Pictures to come soon!
~Casey is in town! I am so excited to wrap my arms around his neck everyday while he's here before he leaves for deployment.
~Project 365 is still going, just haven't posted any pictures because I've been a little busy.
~Absolutely loved Kansas City's roads!! There was only ONE, I repeat ONE area of construction on a highway. And I can only remember one other city street area with construction. The roads were nice and smooth, you could completely tell the moment we left Oklahoma road or entered Oklahoma roads. It was fabulous!
~I got my new lens!! Canon 70-300 Image Stabilization, it worked great on the trip and I have gotten some great moon shots too! I love it and can't wait to use more of it!

Tidbit Tuesday

~Don't you just love when God plays tricks on you? This morning, taking it easy not rushing around, Mike asks me to move my car so he can leave. Well, I would if I coulda found my keys. Starting to get frustrated looking all over the house. I didn't do anything once I got home yesterday, so my keys shoulda been with my purse, Right? No. So, me, Mike, Dustin, and Ryan are searching all over the house, under cusions, couches, in my purse, on the key holder, in the mailbox, the refridgerator, under the bed, in pockets, under the curtains (Yes, Nellie likes to hide keys there after she's played with them), laundry room, computer room, EVERYWHERE! Can't find'em. Really frustrated now. Then I hear Mike, "Found'em!" Guess where they were... on top of the OTTOMAN!! IN PLAIN SIGHT!!! Hope you enjoyed that little game of hide and go seek. :)
~Thank you for your prayers, my family has signed an agreement and the hassle is over. Praise the lord!
~Had a great dinner with my work friend tonight, Thanks Ms. Erin!
~I got to meet a darling little baby girl today, Congrats Mason and Lisa, she is precious and beautiful!
~New Lens comes tomorrow!! So excited, although, I'm a little nervous, because it requires a signature, so I'm afraid that it will end up at the packing house. Cross your fingers they accept my note that says "Leave it here!"
~ I just love the tails of dogs! Remi's is always wagging and it always brighten my day, even when I am in a crummy mood.

Birthday Fun!

***Long Post, Sorry***

Birthday Fun!
It was just a wonderful Birthday week. Mike's family came in town last weekend. Getting to see them and spend time with them always makes me happy. They live in Florida and have been saying they are moving back for like 6 years now...we'll see :) Anyway, for Joanna's birthday, we went to Bonefish and I had Yummy Yummy Corn Chowder with Lump Crab. Love it! Then later that week we went to the Bistro and had the most awesome Artichoke dip...if you think you've had good artichoke dip, your wrong, you must go to The Bistro at 101st and Yale and have their Chokes and Cheese! To die for!
For my birthday, we went to Ricardo's Mexican. It's my favorite mexican resturant in town. Mike, my parents, granny, Mike's mom and sister, and my best friend Amy joined us. We had lots of fun sharing funny moments and catching up.
At work, we celebrated with ice cream sundaes...one of my favorites! Thanks to all!
Friday Mike and I made it to the Gatesway Balloon Festival. I was super excited, because we have been trying to go for the last 6-7 years and something has come up each year and I have missed it. So this year we made it for the Balloon Glow. So much fun and so pretty!
Saturday was filled with Wedding showers and Family Reunion. Then Mike and I headed to meet Joanna at The Hunt Club downtown. Lots of fun!
Sunday we met for lunch and sent Melanie (Mike's mom) off back to Florida. Then we just relaxed the rest of the evening. Much needed after a busy week!
I love my family and friends so much. I had SOO many birthday calls, texts, emails, cards, and facebook comments. Made me feel so loved.
Mike got me my wireless camera remote and my facewash! I think I might be more excited to get my facewash...I have so missed my Clinique face lotion, I felt like my face was shrivling up without it! I got flowers from my mom, and she has bacially decorated our whole house and new guest room for us. Thanks Mom you are wonderful! Amy got me my Sharing Glass (read below), and I was able to save up enough birthday money to buy me my new Canon 70-300 IS lens and a Yankees shirt for our KC trip this coming weekend!

Balloon Festival Claremore, OK

Joanna and I at the Hunt Club...(By the Way, I have been so spoiled, taking only natural light pictrues, that this flash picture makes me cringe!)

Family Reunion - Granny and I

What I can do with my new Remote!

Stopped on the side of the road coming home to get this picture!

Birthday Gifts!

365 - August 7-9

Day 40 - Corks!

I love Corks and have been collecting them since I started enjoying wine and champagne in college. I put the date, event, and names of everyone that shared. It's always fun to dig through and reminisce the good times. A great conversation piece. I got this idea from Mike's Aunt and Uncle in Georgia. We stopped and stayed there on our way to move his parents to Florida and this is how the saved their corks. So I adopted the idea!

Day 39 - The Sharing Glass
My best friend Amy gave me this for my birthday. She and her husband received one on their wedding day and she is sharing the tradition with Mike and I. Here is what it said.

Dear Kelly and Mike,

This is a Sharing Glass. It has been wrapped and packaged with love, and place in a treasure box. Now it is yours to share. First I must explain this glass. It is like a marriage. It is made out of fragile but strong glass. It reflects the soft pretty colors of life. It will hold anything you choose to put in it, or be as empty as you leave it. It must be treated carefully because like a marriage it can be broken.

When times are happy, sit down and share something to drink and talk about the happy things you share. The joys of life are many, so share them. We had a glass of wine to celebrate job promotions, bonuses, and paying off student loans!

There will be times that you will be angry with each other. This is the time time that the Sharing Glass is most important. Ice water is a good thing to share. After you have shared a cool drink and talked with each other you should feel much better because of the love this glass holds.

For now in this happy time, share some wine and celebrate!

With Love, Amy and Eric

Thank you so much Amy. I can't wait to share all sorts of moments with Mike!

The edited/creative version...

The original...

Day 38 - Live Music

Saturday night Mike and I met up with Joanna to celebrate birthdays! We went to The Hunt Club downtown. It was really fun and a great little place. They have an indoor bar and an outdoor stage with several levels. Very cool! It also wasn't a busy place, which I like a lot. But this was the band that was playing that night. I don't remember who they were, but they were pretty good. This picture is from the balcony patio.