Day 100: Ice in April (4/10)

This is happening IN APRIL! I don't understand the weather here in Oklahoma sometimes. Yesterday it was 80 degrees {no lie!} and that afternoon we had a 20 degree drop in tempature and freezing rain last night. This didn't even happen overnight; this happen during the day. There are no windows in my library and when I went out to do after school duty there was ice on the trees. I was so surprised. Oklahoma weather is CRAZY!

Day 166: Tulsa Zoo (4/6)

Today Nana, Gavin and I met up with Molly and her boys for a day at the Tulsa zoo!

We had so much fun. The boys enjoyed spending the day together and Gavin cried when he had to leave Jason and Tommy. 

They got to ride the camel and the carousel. It was beautiful weather and we all enjoyed it so much. 

My favorite picture is Gavin in the monkey outline! 

Day 154: Happy Birthday to Rennie (10/23)

HAPPY 35th BIRTHDAY, RENNIE!!

Happy Birthday to Rennie. He loved that his birthday fell on a Saturday this year so we could go to an OSU football game. We went to the Nebraska game. Dang OSU lost it 51-41. It was a good game until about the end of the third.

Gavin stayed with Mamaw. It was too cold and it might have rained (thank goodness it didn't!) It was a nice day. I bought Rennie an OSU black jacket that he has been eyeing at Atwoods.

Rennie being the wonderful husband that he is let me buy an OSU bow, on his birthday, for myself. I love that bows are in fashion now. Bows for all ages!

Notice my haircut? I love it!

Day 106: Pickled Eggs (9/5)

I ♥ pickled eggs!!

I do not remember the first time I had them but I was hooked the very first time. If you haven't tried them or if even now you are thinking, "Ewww, disgusting, Emily! How can you eat those?"

Please don't knock them til you tried them!

They are the best thing thing since sliced bread. :D 

Day 92: Kiss the Froggy (8/22)

Day 91: Light by the Moon (8/21)

Day 86: America's Choice Inservice (8/16)

Day 74: Tulsa Zoo (8/14)

Day 80: It's a HOTT... (8/10)

Can you believe it? I can, I lived it!

Can you imagine it? Don't, it's like hell.

The weather here is ridiculous. No one wants to be outside. You just end up running (well walking quickly, if you ran you would be a dripping hot mess) from car to building, building to car.

One word:

Disgusting

Day 73: The Barn (8/3)

Reason #3473985 out of 1837432563 reasons to come back to Stillwater every now and then!!

Day 67: The Things You See (7/28)

The common sights you see while driving in Oklahoma. These pictures where taken on the same day, on the same trip. It is never uncommon to pass a tractor, combine (sp??), or hay baler on the road.

Day 63: My Bruise (7/24)

I didn't take this picture, I stole it from Tracey Rodgers'  facebook page. However, since she was the girl to hit me I'm thinking it's an even trade!!

Today we played ASA State softball at Enid. It was my first women's tournament to play. It was so much fun, much more fun than I thought it would be. We played Friday night, Saturday and into Sunday.

I received this bruise courtesy of our left handed swinger, Tracey Rodgers. Here's what happen:

I was the only runner on the bases when Tracey comes up to bat. I am on first and she takes a huge swing. I see it coming down the line and my only two thoughts are:

1. I am going to get hit.

2. I have to stay on the base so that I am part of the bag and not be called out.

So I turn my body into the ball and shut my eyes. I hear it hit my leg and I stand there thinking, "Damn it, it really did hit me!!" 

Then I hear everyone yelling at me to run. So off to second base I trot and arrive safely.

I now have this love bruise to show for Tracey's and my efforts!!

Day 45: The Oklahoma City Memorial (7/6)

Last week, Rennie and I were talking about the OKC Memorial and I found out that he has never been to the Memorial. He has been to the site but that was before the Memorial was erected and it was a fence with hundreds of thousands mementos hanging on it.

For those of you who don't know about the OKC Memorial, it was once the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. I know I can not do the story justice so to learn more go The OKC Memorial's website or just google Oklahoma City bombing.

The best way for me to describe it would be the first terrorism attack in the United States. I could write pages and pages about why, how, who and when but that's not the point of my blog.

Rennie was living in Stillwater at the time and he told me he felt the ground shake when it happen. At the time, I still lived in Florida. He followed the press, went the bombing site, and was even in Perry, OK when Timothy McVeigh was removed from the courthouse jail. 

However after 15 years, Rennie never made it to the Memorial. I went some years back with my family.

So I woke up this morning thinking I would surprise Rennie. It didn't work he had to figure it out before we even started getting around to go!

I didn't mind going back. I love history and museums. It's always good for the soul to remember. And that's exactly was the Memorial is about remembering. It walks you through the morning of the bombing, the hours, days, years afterwards and it honors those 168 who died.

It's a beautiful place to visit both inside and out. If you ever get the chance to visit it, I would do so.

Day 42: Reunion Food (7/3)

I was thinking who wants to see pictures of people they don't know. So I thought it would be fun to take a picture of ALL the FOOD!!

My family can always eat and we when we all together our first thought is What are we going to eat?

Well here's what we had today:

Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmyy!!

Day 35: Softball Summer Heat (6/26)

Oklahoma weather is so extreme. Today we played softball (surprise, surprise!), our tournament started at 4 o'clock in the afternoon but that did not mean that it was so dang hot!! It was the most miserable softball weather that I can remember -- and I've played a lot of softball.

It was so hot that as a team we all pitched in to buy a canopy that will be used at every tournament. Just a little shade makes such a huge difference.

I started playing in pants but didn't even make it 15 minutes out of the truck before I had to change into shorts.

We did win the tournament, run-ruled all the teams we played today. It was a lot of fun.

Day 23: Rain, Rain Go Away (6/14)

It's been raining here for hours. It's predicted to continue for the next three days. The water is calf deep on the rock path. The path doesn't usually collect water.

We didn't get as much rain as Oklahoma City. They received 10+ inches of rain within a few hours. They have had a flash flood warnings all morning and rescue crews working endlessly to help residents out of their homes.

Day 16: Stroud, OK (6/7)

My THREE stop light town.

I grew up in Lake Worth Florida that has a population of 1,265,293 and when I was in the 7th grade my family and I moved to Stroud, Oklahoma that has a population of  2,726! It was such a culture shock. I can only thank God and my parents that they decided to move when I was in middle school thus making the move exciting. If I was in high school and driving I don't know what I would have done! 

I have enjoyed living in the small town. However if I had my choice I would definitely be in a city. I want to be able to run to Walmart or Target and not have to drive 20 miles; or sign Gavin and I up for music classes or swim lessons without having to drive to Tulsa or Oklahoma City (or what people in Oklahoma call The City.) 

I know that there are many pros and cons to living in both a small town or a large city. We have weighted them as a family and when Rennie and I have the opportunity to choose where we will live it's going to be in a city. (The choice is not up to us right now; but that's a totally different blog!!)

So in honor of small town life every where I have found this on the Internet. I remember reading it years ago when I was in high school and laughing because sadly most of it's true. I took the liberty of highlighting those that apply to me (and me only!). Enjoy!!

You know you're from Oklahoma if:
1. You can properly pronounce Eufaula, Gotebo, Okemah, and Chickasha.
2. You think that people who complain about the wind in their states are sissies.
3. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard and look for a funnel.
4. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway.
5. You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
6. You know that the true value of a parking space is not determined by the distance to the door, but by the availability of shade.
7. Stores don't have bags, they have sacks.
8. You see people wear bib overalls at funerals.
9. You think everyone from a bigger city has an accent.
10. You measure distance in minutes.
11. You refer to the capital of Oklahoma as "The City."
12. It doesn't bother you to use an airport named for a man who died in an airplane crash
13. Little smokies are something you serve only for special occasions.
14. You go to the lake because you think it is like going to the ocean.
15. You listen to the weather forecast before picking out an outfit.
16. You know cow pies are not made of beef.
17. Someone you know has used a football schedule to plan their wedding date.
18. You have known someone who has had one belt buckle bigger than your fist.
19. A bad traffic jam involves two cars staring each other down at a four-way stop, each determined to be the most polite and let the other go first.
20. You know in which state Miam-uh is and in which state Miam-ee is.
21. You aren't surprised to find movie rental, ammunition, and bait all in the same store.
22. Your "place at the lake" has wheels under it.
23. A Mercedes Benz is not a status symbol. A Ford F350 4x4 is a GT.
24. You know everything goes better with Ranch.
25. You learned how to shoot a gun before you learned how to multiply.
26. You have heard the following conversation on more that one occasion. "You wanna coke?" "Yeah." "What kind?" "Dr. Pepper."

I could explain why each one that I have highlighted has applied to me but this post is long enough! Don't think I am making fun of Oklahomans, because I'm not. Ask anyone who lives in OK they would read this list laugh and say, "Yep, those are all true."