It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!

Yep, it's almost time for Christmas cards to be going out!  It's hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that Christmas is almost here! We love (well, at least I do...Mike doesn't like to take pictures let alone send them too all of our Friends and family!) to send out photo Christmas Cards and this year I'm going to love send out Shutterfly's Photo Cards.  This isn't going to be our first time to use Shutterfly...I have been using them since I got my first digital camera way back in the day!  But this year they are going to be FREE!! Yep, that's right free and you can get free photo cards too! Shutterfly is having this great promotion for 50 FREE photo cards for bloggers.  Sign up here!!. They have a HUGE selection of flat or folded, landscaped or portrait, 4x8 or 5x7, and they have this really nice stationary paper that looks very fancy.

I love the simplicity of this one.

And I love the multiple picture and the colors of this one.

I mean I will probably have to put my fur kiddos on there too!

And the funkiness of this one!

I love this square look!

Shutterfly also has photo gifts!  I love the Wall Calendars they have.  I've given calendars to our grandparents and friends before.  And I've received a picture calendar before....and loved it!!  Thanks Julie!!Who doesn't love a new picture all throughout the year! I do, I do!! 

Alright, well now I am officially ready for Christmas cards...it's just going to be a problem finding my most FAVORITE one for our own Christmas Cards.  You can be Christmas Card ready too if you follow this link so bloggers can get 50 free Christmas Cards from the fabulous Shutterfly!!

Gratitude Challenge

So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.

Matthew 19:6

Day 7

Says to Take a picture of one thing, person, place or specific moment that makes you feel grateful. Share it with your social network.

I am grateful for so many things, but the most grateful that God picked Mike for me.  We started dating my junior year in high school and have been together ever since (1999)...that over a decade, last century!!....that's a long time!  We were married in June 2007.  He is my best friend, knows me inside-out, and is an amazing man and husband.  He's the hardest worker I know and knows how to have great time.  He keeps me on my toes and always brings a smile to my heart.  I love him more and more everyday and am excited to spend the rest of my life with him. 

In beautiful St. Lucia Dec. 2009

 He may not be in Wranglers and Buckle or a Cowboy Hat, but he's my number one Cowboy!  Go Pokes!

 Always having a good time...Mike and his best friend Derek.  They just crack themselves up!

"I love being married. It's so great to find one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life." - Rita Rudner

Pioneer Woman!

Let me just tell you how COOL I feel today!  Yes, I'm a big dork, but oh well, it's fun being a dork.  Tonight at the Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Meeting Ree Drummond, Pioneer Woman, was our special speaker. Let me just tell you how I became a bit of a fanatic of PW...

My little, Gina, signed up for one of PW's giveaway...and out of 1000's (really 1000's) Gina was one of a handful of winners that got to go and spend the weekend at her Ranch.  Read here about Gina's fun-filled weekend with PW.  Anywho...Gina posted something on FB about winning this thing and I wondered who the heck is this crazy person giving weekend giveaways to random people...to their own home?!  So I found her website and immediately became addicted!  For multiple reasons...PW is a self-learned photographer and she has amazing photos, she lives on a ranch--and I've told you before that I can totally see me being a little cowgirl way out in the country, she seems to love animals, she posts some of the most random posts-and I love randomness, then she has some of the most scrumptious recipes I have ever read!  Just reading them I can taste how wonderful they are.  I have tried many of her recipes and I haven't found a bad one yet!  You gotta try some if you haven't!  So that' how I became addicted to Mrs. Ree Drummond.

Moving forward...Ree was a Pi Phi at USC, so how great is it that she lives in Oklahoma and the Tulsa Alumnae asked her to join us at the home of Mayor Kathy Taylor.  She was a hoot, opening with she's wearing Spanx!  Here are some pictures from tonight....

 The no-words-can-describe-how-beautiful-this-house-is Home of Mayor Kathy Taylor...one of her homes by the way.  It was stunning...I felt like I was in another world...not Tulsa, OK.  One of the cool things was, it felt so warm and comfortable there.  Thank you Mayor Kathy Taylor for opening your beautiful home to us tonight.

 I really like the b&w.

 So excited to get your books signed!

 This is why I feel SO DANG COOL today!  Picture with a celebrity!!

 Me and Gina with Ree...Pi Phi Love!  Ring Ching Ching!

Oh, there were Arrow Cookies tonight...and they haven't changed a bit!!  Oh how I miss Arrow Cookies!  Excited for the next Pi Phi meeting.  It was great getting to meet Ree, see a beautiful home, see old friends, and meet some new friends.

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday Marines!

November 10th

235 Years

Thank You and God Bless all our Marines!

I had my kiddos at work do a little service project and write Happy Birthday Cards and letters to Casey and some of the men in his unit that Casey gave us names for.  The kids absolutely loved it.  I got Marine Birthday Cards from MarineParents.com.  They all signed the cards that went to individual Marines and then each kid wrote a personalized letter to them that went in their birthday cards.  I also had my younger kiddos do a coloring contest (only because when there are prizes involved, they do much much better) of Marine coloring sheets with a short comment that also went with the cards.  They all did such an amazing job at doing something nice for others.  It was so therapeutic for them to get to 'help' someone else and not just them receiving the 'help'.  The cards were great, I had a wonderful time reading them and just hope that Casey and his buddies enjoy them as much as I did. 
Along with the cards, my parents and I sent Birthday Care Packages that included: silly string for everyone (if Casey shares it anyway), Ding Dongs with candles for their birthday cake, noise makers, cigars, and now I don't remember all we crammed into the box.  But hopefully they have fun with it.

Devil Dog!

Service Flag...I have one!

Casey's Battalion

Photos taken from Facebook Vets helping Vets and USMC pages

Please remember to keep all the men and women that serve our county in your prayers, they are risking their lives to save our lives.

Also don't forget to Thank a Veteran on Thursday, November 11th.  Happy Veterans Day!

Just for Fun...

Just for fun...

Tomorrow I get to go to dinner with PW. I am so excited!  A Pi Phi herself, Ree Drummond is the special guest at the Tulsa Pi Phi Alumnae Meeting.  I also heard that she will be in OKC in March if anyone is interested.  Yay for fun, food, drinks, and really fun people!  Ring Ching!

Field Day

Dad and I love taking the dogs out for field day.  Maggie and Remi are best friends and they love going!  We go to different places here and there that Dad finds.  A couple of weekends ago we went just down the street to a nice big field and a pond.  It was a gorgeous day and we all had a blast.  Maybe someday Remi will get to go hunting with Grandpa and Mags.  I know she'd love it!  So here are some pics...

Just so you know...these next two, were actually really bad pictures, because I got carried away and forgot to adjust the settings, so when I reviewed them they are almost black...so with a little PS Elements help, I was able to lighten it up.

 I'm King of the Mountain!  We threw the dummy over a bunch a hay bails and Remi took off after it.  We waited for a short time and hear the rustle of the sticks and up pops Ms. Remington, with the dummy and she is so proud.  She hung out on that hay bail for quite a while showing off to Maggie (who couldn't get over the hay bail haha!)

 She still has SOOOO much puppy look to her! 

Pretty Fall is here!!!
I really didn't think that we were going to get a pretty fall this year...it's still in the works though.  I've been patiently waiting to enjoy the yellows, reds, and oranges.  And now there are some finally turning!!  I have been eyeing this beauty for a couple of days and finally stopped to get some pictures. Thankfully I did, the leaves are almost gone now on that tree!

Yellows

Reds and a Burst of Sun...I couldn't pick a favorite...

And some yellows around some red...

Oklahoma State University! 

Ranked number 10 this week and getting ready for a big game in Austin, TX on Saturday. 

Not a great picture of us...but oh well :)

We sat in the direct sun, which kept us warm with the cool afternoon breeze.  Also gave me a little color on my cheekies! Thanks Rick and Mel for the tickets!!

A football tradition...the players go to the student section after the game and sing the Alma Mater.  Ending with

O

S

U

GO COWBOYS!!!

Project 365 November 1-8

Day 124 - Butterfly...Again...

Was out at Woodward Park area and was walking around and there seemed to be thousands of Monarch Butterflies around these cute little purple flowers.  I took tons of pictures of the butterflies and only a couple turned out good and this is one of them.  I was trying to get them flying, but I don't know how to work my camera fast enough for these beautiful butterflies. 

Day 125 - Tiny Surprise
You can kinda see the yellowish ladybug hanging out on the flower.  I didn't even know she was there until I was processing the picture.  What a great little surprise!

Day 126 - Peek-A-Boo
The Sun is shining through these beautiful red leaves!  I was so excited to finally see some "Pretty Fall"!!  I love the way the sun is bursting through.

Day 127 - Attack of the Killer Bees (for real!)
Read Carefully...
This is a sign I saw while pulled over on the side of the road taking another picture just down the street from my neighborhood.  I've seen this place everyday for years and just assumed that it was a Caution for the AEP Power Lines.  But then I wondered why in the heck would they put little bees on the sign.  So I read the sign while I was out of the fence, out of my car, my windows were down because it was a beautiful day, and there was no surveying the area for these little mean creatures.  Crazy, huh? Who woulda thunk that Africanized Bees are just down the street from me in Jenks, America!

Day 128 - Jack Frost!
The first day of frost and we were headed to the early OSU/Baylor game in Stilly.  I got up and was going to get some donuts for the ride and couldn't resist!

Day 129 - Pistol's Firing!!
At the OSU/Baylor game, the Cowboys kicked some Baylor Bear Bootie!  Final Score OSU 55 Baylor 28.
FYI on my ESPN app for the iPhone, they always have some little tidbit of sports trivia and OSU/Baylor was today!  Said "Did you know that Baylor has lost 5 straight to OSU and has not won in Stillwater since 1939"  (The year could be wrong, because it's only on there for a second and then gone.)

Day 130 - Lola!!
This is our friends, Derek and Kacy, new Great Pyrenees puppy!  She is so cute and just a big puff ball.  They came over for a playdate with Remi.  She's only 9 weeks and almost half the size of Remi already! 

Day 131 - Abandoned
This is an Abandoned Barn that's close to my house that I have wanted to take a picture of for a while.  It sits pretty far back off the main street, but I always thought it would be a great picture.  I really like the way it turned out.  I also love the little hand prints.

So I'm caught up for now on Project 365.  There are some other pictures that I hope to post soon.