We decided to stay in Oklahoma this year for Christmas. The Sunday before Christmas, we attended our church’s candlelight service. It’s one of my favorite services of the year.

nice picture

accurate picture

how is that comfortable?

This is quality time for us: doing nothing together. Christmas week was filled with movie marathons complete with hot chocolate and popcorn, games, baking, giggling, and baking some more. And singing loud for all to hear.

Can I have more sprinkles?

On the days leading up to Christmas, we would prompt the kids, “Tell me what Christmas is all about.” This usually lead to Jack orating a six point sermon complete with scripture references and including every detail he could remember about the birth of Christ. When he would finish, Lucy would yell, “Presents!”

Last month, I participated in a homemade ornament exchange. I was in charge of the Jacob’s ladder. Lucy sat next to me while I glued them together and made one of her own. I think hers turned out better than mine.

Lucy organized the presents

We had some house projects half done and decided not to get all the decoration boxes out and add to the chaos. We did set up the tree and a sweet friend made me a wreath for my birthday.

Thank you, Kim!

Good friends know you well enough not to invite you to a craft night. Best friends just make the craft for you.

We still managed to see family on Christmas morning. Technology is wonderful when family lives far away.

Every boy needs a Kermit.

Lucy asked for a skateboard and roller skates this year. She picked up on them pretty fast. Plus they have Elsa on them. I am glad they came with pads.

s

Doug got me Willow on Blu-ray. My sister got me Jim Gaffigan’s latest book. My in-laws gave me an amazon card, and my parents gave me a tortilla press. My people know me. They know me well.

Lucy telling the baby cousin all about her Christmas.

photo credit: Jack

We hope our friends and family had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I’ve always enjoyed having a birthday the week of Christmas. I love it all the more because I share my birthday week with Doug. We even shared the same due date: Christmas Eve.

My sweet nephew surprised me with this picture.  Thank you, George!

Not to be outdone by his cousin, Jack made me this sweet card. It’s a drawing of a rocket ship that stops at a stop sign and picks up my present. My present has yellow dots (for my birthday because that is my favorite color) and green dots (for Christmas). Or so I was told.

Doug surprised me by arranging childcare so we could see the last Hobbit movie. Tolkien is a big deal for me especially around my birthday.

12/20/99- my sweet sixteen gift from my parents was a box set of The Hobbit and LOTR
12/19/2001- the day before my 18th birthday, The Fellowship of the Ring was released and this guy I had been dating for 10 months (named Doug) took me to see it for the first time.
12/18/2002- The Two Towers was released and we went for my 19th birthday.
12/17/2003- The Return of the King is released. My 20th birthday gift from my fiance two weeks before our wedding day. The scene where Aragorn finds Arwen at his coronation was the first time a movie made me cry.
12/14/2012- An Unexpected Journey-for my 29th
12/13/2013-The Desolation of Smaug for my 30th
12/17/2014-The Battle of Five Armies for my 31st

I’m very sad it’s over. Maybe Peter Jackson will make more Middle-earth films for my 40s.

After the movie, we had to pick up some Blue Bell. I was very excited it was on sale just for my birthday.

Then we shared it with some sweet friends.

31!

Who needs cake when you can have THIS?

For Doug’s birthday we continued our tradition of going to Chickasha for the Festival of Lights.

Oklahoma Love

Doug was trying to take fancy light pictures of us.

Channeling my inner Gamora

Happy Birthday, Doug!

I don’t mind growing older with them.

Thank you for all the birthday wishes!

We’ve had a lot going on this month, but its been filled with good things.

Jack and Miss Brandy

For the past few months, Jack has been in speech therapy.  He did not have any major problems, but needed some extra help . He was re-evaluated early this month and now he is right where he should be for his age. I’m actually going to miss my hour with Lucy in the waiting room every week.

Also earlier this month, Jack had his awards ceremony for his fall soccer season. The Phantom had a great season.

And the first Friday in December was our homeschool Christmas party.

As usual, it was a fun time celebrating with friends and playing games.

At some point, an epic “snowball” fight erupted.

Lucy decided she needed to make a snow angel in the midst of the chaos.

I absolutely love that Doug has Friday off and has been able to attend almost every homeschool event with us.

two redheads = double trouble

She definitely enjoys taking pictures with her friends. It’s a girl thing.

This is honestly the best picture I could get with them.

Music is always a big part of church this time of year. Doug and the worship team put together a contemporary worship night. I might be biased but every member of our team is incredibly talented at what they do. I’m not sure how many worship teams can handle TSO.

Last weekend, the kids were a part of the two night Christmas program at our church. Jack sang both nights with his friends along with the other choirs.

And once again, Jack summoned his game face and got it done.

Lucy (far left) in her church debut

Someone let the 3 year olds sing a couple of songs. Unsurprisingly, Lucy made funny faces, asked loudly if she could hug her daddy in between songs, and bothered the sweet boy standing next to her.

partners in crime

Whether it be putting together a fellowship or selflessly managing a choir, I’m grateful for the people who serve our family and our church so well.

Now on to birthday week and Christmas!

Thanksgiving 2014: so so much to be thankful for but the highlight of this season of thanksgiving was welcoming our brand new nephew into this world. (King) George Nelson Hooper made his entrance on November 9th.  My baby sister has her first baby. I still can’t believe it. I couldn’t wait to meet him and that drive down to Texas was the longest one yet.

As soon as we told the kids the news, Lucy pulled out a piece of paper and doodled a picture she titled, “Me and Baby George.”

Less than a week old and they subjected my poor nephew to this. Welcome to the cult family, George.

Lucy and I holding George for the first time. My baby with my baby sister’s baby. So cool.

She’s not the baby of the family anymore. Uncle J helped with the transition.

The kids helped Grandma and Grandpa plant some tulip bulbs we brought from OK.  They will be maroon of course.

They also helped set up the tree.

Having fun at the neighborhood park.

At Grandma’s, you can do whatever you want. Like sleep in the bathtub.

And when you lose a tooth at Grandma’s house, the tooth fairy leaves FIVE bucks. As Grandma told Jack, “Everything’s bigger in Texas.” Including tooth fairy pay outs.

One last cousin cuddle with George.

A few weeks ago, Doug and I went to a Switchfoot concert and had to wear our shirts on Thankgiving day to show our gratitude for good music. For some reason, I didn’t get many pictures with Doug’s family.  We enjoyed our visit with Doug’s parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Jack spent most of the day chatting with family and building robots.

all done

Lucy spent most of the day playing with cousins and doodling. Shocking.

We didn’t take any family photos this season, but we commissioned our little artist to create this Thanksgiving 2014 portrait. So thankful for family and for new additions.

Last week, Doug’s parents and brother stopped in for a visit. The kids were invited to Trick-Kerr-Treat at Kerr Residence Center on the OBU campus.  Jack and Lucy were thrilled to show their grandparents and their uncle the costumes I they had been planning for months.

Gandalf the Grey

Zarina, the pirate fairy, loved showing off her pink sword. For those who haven’t seen the latest Tinkerbell movie, Zarina is a dynamic character that starts out good, turns bad, and then has a redemption story. She had trouble deciding this year between Maleficent and Zarina.

The students did a marvelous job transforming the dorm into a candy-laden playhouse. The themes on each hall were very creative.

Here the children listen carefully as the president gives them clandestine intel for their covert operation.

Gandalf deftly manuevered through the labyrinth of “laser beams” to rescue the MIA secret agent. As a token of the country’s gratitude, he was honored with a Tootsie Pop from the president’s desk.

He was more than happy to pose with beautiful Princess Elsa.

Her expression on this one deserved a close up.

We were informed that Zarina was currently a bad guy and was not happy about sharing the spotlight with a princess.

We found some friends. They don’t make them cuter than this Cabbage Patch Kid.

candy break

Sour Candy Face #1

Jack and Lucy participated in a costume contest.

Gandalf was victorious!

Lucy didn’t win but she pretended she did, so she went home happy.

Rich and Zona celebrated their anniversary by painting our house. How cute are they?

48 years!

Lucy modeling her new clothes. Thanks, Zona!

Lucy kept her grandparents and uncle Todd occupied while they painted by chatting about everything and asking lots of questions.

yep.

The kids didn’t have enough sugar yet so we had to go out for yoghurt for GramZ and Papa’s anniversary.

We were happy to help them celebrate.

The next day, we all got to watch Jack’s last soccer game of the fall season.

Papa managed to take this pic as Jack took a shot and scored. Go 17!

Sour Candy Face #2

Phantom Win!

Jack with Coach West

Love this team and the coaches. They have improved so much this season.

Later, it was time for game night. One of Jack’s favorite board games was missing a few pieces, so being the creative father he is, Doug MADE a new one.

Popsicle stick/bead cars.

The finished game. It was a hit.

Our good friend, Jeff, joined us for game night. Jeff is a fighter. The kids love Jeff. Jeff loves to have his picture taken.

Pics of the house will be coming soon. I am giddy my house is no longer purple. Thank you Rich, Zona, and Todd. We couldn’t have done it without ya’ll.

Doug is an avid camper. He and Jack have already gone camping, but we had yet to all go as a family. Doug was really itching to use his Father’s Day gift (a tent) and, according to him, it was completely unacceptable for it to still be sitting in the original box unopened. So two weeks ago, we loaded up our gear and headed to Roman Nose State Park in Watonga.

Upon arrival, we just had to take a picture in front of Henry Roman Nose.

They were so excited. Probably because Daddy was so excited.

This was “camping” the first night.  I just wasn’t ready to rough it for two nights in a row with small children.  We stayed at the Roman Nose Lodge.

We took a gorgeous hike around the lake. Here is Lucy at the Lake Loop trailhead.

Daddy knows everything and is really good at answering all the many questions.

Jack thoughtfully had brought his binoculars and wanted to stop and look at everything.

Happy campers.

Stopping to smell the flowers/weeds.

We made it to Inspiration Point. It was inspiring.

The hike proved too long for her little legs and she insisted on being carried back the remaining 1.5 miles.

After the hike, it was time to swim.

It was the coldest swimming pool I’ve ever been in. Her face says it all.

Dinner at The Roman Nose Lodge Restaurant.

Checkers and watching football. Jack won.

Overall, we had a great visit at Roman Nose and highly recommend a stay. At the lodge, I was looking at photographs hanging in the hallway and noticed one of the T.B Ferguson Home, also in Watonga. I told Doug I would like  to drive by and just look at it. Well, as we drove by, we noticed people entering the home and discovered that the home was open for a free guided tour that day.

I want this porch.

homemade creme fraiche

Upon entering we were asked if we would like to participate in a cheese making demonstration in the kitchen. Um….who says no to free cheese? Coincidentally, we were visiting Watonga during the annual cheese and wine festival. We were offered cheese curds, creme fraiche, and other items made with raw cow’s milk. Lucy had seconds and thirds of everything. She has an adventurous palate.

Jack, on the other hand, hid under his hood when offered anything. He just couldn’t get past the look of the raw milk.

Then we took the tour. Jack was fascinated with the red glass window.

We found an old spinning wheel in the attic. Of course, the princess had to prick her finger on the spindle.

Jack is standing in front of an antique John Deere corn husker.

I was trying to get a picture of this really cool stove, but all I got was a picture of some cute kids.

From Watonga, we headed to Red Rock Canyon State Park in Hinton. We set up camp and the tent was finally in use.

It was way colder than the forecast indicated. Lucy wanted to snuggle and tell stories.

These two.

Biking before the storm hit.  Doug is notorious for camping only when it rains. He camped during a tornado once too.

I caught her sneaking marshmallows before dinner.

The best part of camping: s’mores.

The kids slept like logs that night even though it rained sporadically and the wind was howling. Doug and I did not sleep well, but still savored the quality family time. Hopefully, this camping trip was the first of many.

Once upon a time, we were newlyweds and had no children and Doug was in a band. We spent many nights and weekends at various live music venues all over Oklahoma.  I love our life now raising our children and serving the local church, but I will always treasure those days that I played the role of the doting wife to my singer/songwriter husband.  Although I hope to always dote on him and I think he knows I am his number one fan.  And on rare occasion, Doug will get a gig at a coffee shop and we get to relive those days once again.

Hey, I know that guy!

Doug was asked to play some live music at Coffee Commission in Edmond.  It was a great night and I know he appreciated the college students and friends who came out to hear him play.  The experience made me reflect on the many many gigs he has had over the years.

Original Gig 2005

So, here is one of the earliest photos I have of a gig while Doug was still a student at OBU.

Well Attended Gig 2007

Sometimes, people showed up to gigs.

Museum Gig 2009

And sometimes they didn’t.

Wedding Gig 2010

Sometimes, the gig was for a very special event.

Festival Gig 2011

Or it was for the Sand Bass Festival.

Church Gig 2011

And sometimes, Darth Vader showed up.

Latest Gig 2014

Which brings us to now. Doug played several covers with a few originals from his old album mixed in. I think it was a well received set.  A family of complete strangers sang along the whole time, so thats always a good sign.

Our college students who aren’t technically students anymore. Now they’re just friends. Love these two.

And so do my kids.

Now the kids join us at gigs. Here is Lucy listening intently to every word her father is singing. Or her back is to him while she watches Netflix.

Jack was riveted as well. With playing on the furniture.

The set list.

And one of our favorite couples surprised us with a spur of the moment visit. Love love Tim and Beth! Overall, it was great night filled with great music and great people. Thank you to those who came out and everyone who supports live music. I remain his #1 fan.

Doug’s cover of Wonderwall.  I’m totally biased, but it’s still really good.

I feel as though fall started off BUSY.

Goodbye, summer. Can it cool down now?

Friday will mark the end of our first six weeks of school. For whatever reason, it has been hard to find a groove to our school day this year.  However, we are on track and I even get the occasional, “school was fun today!”

I especially love our history curriculum this year. We are learning about ancient civilizations. We made cave paintings and sugar cube pyramids. Very authentic stuff. I lost count of the times I’ve said, “you can’t eat that. It has glue on it.”

I have discovered through trial and error that Lucy will occupy herself during our school time if I let her have free reign of paint, markers, play-do, or nail polish. Basically anything that makes a huge mess. This mani/pedi successfully kept her busy for several minutes. Worth it.

Fall soccer is in full swing. Jack’s team bumped up to U8 this year (under 8). Last weekend, he scored his first goal of the season! Go Phantom!

I told him to show me his game face.

Lucy keeps herself busy during games by playing with the other team sisters and helping herself to other people’s tents and puppies.

September has been too hot for me. I was hoping the cool front this storm brought in would’ve lasted longer.

The kids love playing in the rain. I figure their days of playing outside in swim suits are numbered. Hopefully.

She is so FAST.

so sweet

Little wet footprints.

The first Friday of the month was Zoo Friends Appreciation Day. Even though it was HOT, we took advantage of the many activities that were free that day. The kids were enthralled with the sea lion show.

Doug might have encouraged Lucy to sit on this just so he could sing, “Ride the Tiger” by Dio. Because he’s a stellar father.

We found this neat coffee shop in Edmond called Coffee Commission. The kids had a cookie date. And Doug booked a gig.

And this past Saturday, I had the privilege of co-hosting a baby shower for my friend, HD.  If anyone appreciates a good Star Wars pun or reference more than me, its these amazing parents-to-be.

Thank you, Pinterest.

OK, so these two ladies are kind of a big deal. They were my very first friends when my husband brought me to Oklahoma as a newlywed so he could finish college at this Baptist university I had never heard of.  Here I was barely 20 years old, a big city girl going through culture shock, 9 hours away from family,working way too many jobs so my husband could graduate, and I did not know a single soul.  I thank God for these two who immediately and unconditionally extended their friendship to me simply because I needed them to.

The Force is cute with this one.

Lucy photobombing the hostess picture. I really like these ladies and think its sad that the only time I’m with this group is when we’re planning a party. Maybe we should just party more.

2010

Throwback to HD’s wedding shower when I was the pregnant one. I guess Lucy’s in this picture too.

They are going to be out of this world parents!

And on Saturday evening, I attended the wedding of my sweet friend, Paige. Paige and her mother were so kind and generous to me; especially during my first pregnancy. They hosted a shower, gave loving advice, made me a beautiful scrapbook, and even washed baby clothes before Jack was born. They offered help I didn’t even know I needed as a first time mom. Kiah comes with this package because we were all co workers and spent our free time together too.

I couldn’t resist a throwback from 2006. =)

OK, fall. It’s time to slow down and cool down.

My little girl keeps on keeping me on my toes. She continues to amaze me with her huge personality, ferocious independence, and obvious creativity.  You can find part one here.  I’m certain there will be a part three.

Everyday, we go through several wardrobe changes. I never know what to expect.

She was so proud that she had managed to put on her brother’s shin guards and cleats without any assistance. In her princess dress. Her favorite princess dress. She would wear only this dress everyday if I let her.

Light switches need to accessorize too.

We have had many talks about bringing home toys that don’t belong to us from church. I was sad to see the manger in this weeks loot.

I wonder who painted my blender?

I guess I was taking too long to get breakfast on the table so she just helped herself to the pancakes.  On the floor.

“I poured the cereal all by myself!”
I was just relieved she hadn’t added the milk yet.

Another parmesan cheese incident. When will I learn?

Her idea of a snack.

All trails lead to Lucy.

I guess she wanted to keep the magnets fresh.

We always have a sticker shortage.

It’s hard to be upset about stickers on the furniture when she says, “Look! I made a cross!”

I’m always finding her treasures in the laundry. So many pretty things end up in her little pockets.

She cannot resist when I leave my makeup out.

I found a  fairy in the flower bed.

This is my poor van remote sitting in a bowl of rice. Someone was mad at me and retaliated by throwing my keys (that are attached to my wallet and remote) into the deep end of the swimming pool. We were 30 seconds into Jack’s first swim lesson.

“That’s where he sleeps.”

“MOMMY! MY PANTIES ARE ON THE FAN!”

Doug: who is that?
Lucy: It’s me. With a headband and a skirt.
Doug: the skirt could be a little bigger.

Mixed media: crayon, marker, torn paper, glued on letter tile

She painted this without any instruction or directions. “It’s me dancing with a party hat.”

Lucy loves glitter

Glitter Time: Supervised

Glitter Time: Unsupervised. Or why mommy shouldn’t doze off on the couch for 2 minutes.

Lucy Valentine, you are one loved special little girl. You bring so much joy to our family. Everyday.