Back from hiatus...

Tye Hill's 4th Birthday, December 2009

Evan & his buddy Duncan playing Y Basketball, December 2009

OK State Fair in September

How does life gets so crazy busy? We have slowed down for the time being, before ramping up for summer! Looking forward to longer sun filled days no doubt.......The children are continuing to grow like weeds, though I am loving the stages that each of them are at, wishing I could "freeze" them right where they are. Rick keeps telling me this is not possible, darn! We had lots going on thru fall and winter and here are a few pictures of our adventures and calamity!

Evan's 6th Birthday, December 2009

Ariana & I @ Windsor Castle, October 2009

Tye Hill's First Thanksgiving Program & Tasting Feast, November 2009

Evan's Kindergarten Tree at the OK State Capitol, December 2009

What we look like these days....

I'm a slacker. There I said it. Here's a peek at our family pictures we took last week...it was fun and interesting to say the least....thanks Erin!

www.artsyphartsyphotography.com/blog

What an amazing GanGan!

Yesterday Gangan came and picked up all 3, yes I said all 3, children for a surprise. He would not even tell me what it was! All 3 left with suitcases packed and off they went. I found out through a patient of Rick's that they went and saw the monster truck Bigfoot! If you know my boys at all, you know they are ate up with monster trucks! Bigfoot was in town for a new Hibdon Tire store opening. The children got filled up on all kinds of sugary treats while in Gangan's care. Coke, suckers, and even snowcones! They then went to church Saturday night for the last weekend of At the Movies at Lifechurch.tv. And if you hadn't seen the lobby, it looks like a movie set from Willie Wonka! You guessed it, more sugar! Thank the good Lord they all 3 spent the night with Bebe and Gangan, on Bebe and Gangan's 37th Wedding Anniversary none the less!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you mom and dad for the rare treat of a quiet house!! We love you more than you will ever know!

Needing some prayers

UPDATE!
Zach is doing well on his road to recovery....he is responding with nods and responding to pain stimuli. He is now awake, yet still on the ventilator for the time being and knows that he has been in an accident and that is family is there with him. Please continue to pray for his full and speedy recovery. You can follow Zach's progress at www.caringbridge.org/visit/zachlinhardt.



Our dear friend, Chuck Linhardt, son was in a terrible road bike accident in California on Saturday afternoon. Zach is a Marine, stationed in San Diego, and is an avid bicyclist just like his father. Zach had biked to the top of a local mountain and phoned Chuck from the top with a picture of the views. A short few minutes later, Chuck received a call from a man asking if he had a son in California. This man, who happened to be a M.D., was biking down the mountain behind Zach and witnessed Zach swerving out of the way of a car coming at him around a curve. Zach was going downhill and going around 45 miles an hour on his bike as he swerved and then crashed. He has massive head trauma and has been in a drug induced coma and on a ventilator since Saturday when he was transported to La Jolla Hospital. Chuck and Zach's mother flew out Sunday morning to be with Zach and Zach's wife. The doctors seem positive but I received a text from Chuck about an hour ago that he took a turn for the worse today. The road rash on his face, which his head/face took the brunt of the impact, is infected and now as MRSA on his nose. This is causing Zach to have high fevers that cause him to chill. They are trying to get this under control so they can move forward and progress with his treatment. They are asking for all the prayers possible for Zach to recover from this devastating accident. I also ask for prayers for his family, that they may be strong and optimistic during this time.....we have the best friends in the world and I know your prayers will help Zach. You can follow his progress at www.caringbridge.org/visit/zachlinhardt.

Happy Birthday Sweet Pea!

Today is Ariana's 8th birthday. 8, I just can hardly believe it....still though we often butt heads, I'm in awe of this beautiful creation of God, wow is all I can find myself saying. I could not be more proud to be her mother, such a little lady she is becoming......can't wait to see where this journey of life takes her. What a blessing.

Bad Boys, Bad Boys

Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do, when Safi gets ahold of you?

The high speed chase action that Rick got caught in the middle of on his way to Dallas to play in a golf tournament.....Police dash cam video to come....this should be interesting! Glad the Excursion is such a beast, can take a huge hit and keep on truckin with only a few scratches!!!!

I'm bad...

the word according to Rick....I'm a bad blogger. I keep telling him that it's really easy and he could post a little something, something too! Yeah, I didn't think so Richard. Anyhow, for the whole 2 other people that actually read this thing, April and May have been a blur, filled with a few non-rained out tball games here and there, riding lessons for me and Ariana, gymnastics, volunteer opportunities galore, school, meetings out the wazoo, school projects, Easter, school field trip to Orr Family Farm (Oh Yea!), birthday parties, the park and today Mother's Day. Whoosh, I'm cotton pickin tired just thinkin' about it. For the first time in my motherhood years, I am R-E-A-D-Y for summer, a filled FREE summer at that. Gone are the summers filled with summer mother's day out, zoo camps, art camps, tennis camps, gymnastics camps, running from here to there only to still be worn out at the end of the day, just like during the school year. We are sticking to Swim America and Ariana will be returning to Kankuk K-1 for 13 days. Besides that, we are anxiously awaiting our annual pilgrimage to the beach in Alabama and are enjoying Rick being able to be involved in our summer time activities! I'm trying to become a broader scoped blogger because there are several food blogs that I stalk....just haven't figured out how to shoot food and make the pictures pretty....I do plan on adding some of our favorite recipes here and there soon!

Look kids, Big Ben, Parliament

Rick and I's vacation to London and Paris was such a wonderful treat and an amazing way to celebrate our 12 year wedding anniversary.....I'm spoiled rotten, I know! I am now officially in love with London, such a pristinely clean city and the parks, oh the parks, they are absolutely gorgeous. We were kinda like Chevy Chase though and did "drive bys" of most major sights, thanks to Pete, our fabulous driver at the hotel. It was great to sleep in (had to go 5000 miles to sleep in), wander around with no planned agenda, have cocktails overlooking the London skyline, hangout with our dear friends Kimmie, Jonathon and their kids, see Wicked (the flying monkies flat freaked me out!), and be together as just us! Wow! We rode the Eurostar to Paris and what a beautiful ride along the English and French countryside....the beautiful little villages with the picturesque churches in each village, it was like going back in time. Paris was well, Paris.....the mystere of it wore off this trip and it just seemed filthy....ie people don't clean up after their dogs and everyone has a dog and you can step in it about every 5 feet, disgusting.....We took the train up to Reims and I was so excited to see Maison Veuve Clicqout Champagne caves, absolutely divine. Such a wonderful little city with SO much history.....the end of WWII happened here.....makes you almost ashamed that our country is so young, oh and everything here, buildings and all are so disposable. I was thrilled to see the Eiffel Tower twinkle at night, my whole reason as to return to Paris this time, it is truly a beautiful sight! We were so, so glad to come home to our babies though and can't wait to head back to England really soon!