Let's Get a Physical, Physical

This year, the school is requiring marching band members to get physicals due to the strenuous and long practices and performances in the heat. Many people don't realize just how much work it is to be in marching band and color guard. We're talking 8 - 10 hour practices per day, several days a week in the brutal Oklahoma heat. It is not uncommon to pass out or vomit during these summer practices. I really admire these kids for all their hard work. And, you know what? They are dedicated and they LOVE what they do! Anyway, we went to get Natalie's physical done, and got the "all clear" for fall guard!

a healthy Natalie is a happy Natalie

And now that she's got the all clear, practice is in full swing. She got to go to guard camp in Muskogee on Saturday, and she really enjoyed it.

She's also teaching Emily flag skills. Emily wants to be a guard girl too, and she will be eligible to audition next May! Hard to believe that this time next year, I could have 2 guard girls!

future guard girl?

Natalie tossing a double

my 2 flag girls

Practice makes perfect.

I'm excited for the upcoming fall season - it really is so much fun to watch the band perform! It will be really neat if Emily and Natalie get to have a couple of years in guard together. I hope that it will strengthen their bond as sisters and friends.

Family Fun at the Kiddie Park

My sister-in-law, Tracy, planned a family road trip to Bartlesville to eat at a bbq restaurant and visit the Kiddie Park. I have heard a lot about the kiddie park, but we had never been. I did know that it was meant more for smaller kids, so Billy decided to stay home with the girls. I thought they might get a little bored. It is a really neat place, and I wish I had known about it years ago! They have about 18 rides (like I said, mostly for the 8 and under crowd). Admission is free and ride tickets are about .25 each. (The more you buy, the bigger the discount) Rides are 2 tickets each. It was a cute little park!

But, first we went and chowed down at a place called Dink's Barbecue. When you first walk in, there's a giant moose head on the wall.

Stephen and Mr. (or is it Mrs.?) Moose

 

Eating out with our family is always an adventure! Shortly after we got our drinks, my almost 4 year old niece, Addi accidentally knocked over her daddy's full mug of root beer. Tracy reflexively reached out to stop the flow of pop and immediately knocked over her own full mug! LOL...and guess who was right across from her...well, it WAS warm outside, so cooling off with a lapful of ice won't hurt, right? Our waitress was very sweet about our mess.

 

The Wideman Family shortly AFTER the pop clean up

Here's Addi and her Daddy or as we call him around here, Uncle Jason

After we ate, we headed to the park. The boys decided to ride the biplanes first.

Stephen ended up in the backseat of this plane

Payton and Evan

Stephen had a short burst of disappointment as he got denied admission onto the swings and the bumper cars (he was too tall.) So, we met up with Aunt Ashley, Jessi, and Papa, and got in line for the roller coaster.

Jessi, Stephen, Addi, Aunt Ashley, Papa, and Karsyn waiting patiently

There they go!

Evan, Stephen, Papa, Karsyn, and Aunt Ashley loved it...Addi was not so fond. She was on Aunt Ashley like a spider monkey!

Payton and Jessi had to wait for the next round, but they got to ride in the very front! I love how Jessi has her arms straight up in the air!

Stephen and Evan on the "spinning ride." I can't remember what it was called...You turn the little wheel in the middle to make it spin faster, and we teased the boys because they just couldn't seem to get it going very fast! The girls went way faster!

Aunt Ashley, Jessi, and Payton - there was a point where they were going so fast that Aunt Ashley couldn't even sit up! She looked like she was going to puke, lol! Luckily everybody kept their barbecue down!

Next, I took the boys to ride the rockets.

I love this picture of Stephen...you can see the joy on his face!

Next, Uncle Jason, Evan, Stephen and I got on the train. The train takes a tour all around the park. 

Stephen

Stephen and Evan - best buds and cousins!

Next stop was the carousel...and I got to ride too!

 

Stephen

Evan

It was getting late and we had just a few tickets left, so we decided to ride the carousel one more time with the girls.

Payton

It was a really fun night! On top of that, Aunt Tracy and Uncle Jason had invited Stephen to come home with them and spend the night. I hear that they had a great time (with little sleep) and went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast and then shopping for swimsuits. Aunt Tracy bought Stephen some very nice trunks. When Stephen got home the next day, he took a nice long nap! :)

I love spending time with my family - I might only be related to them by marriage, but I love them the same as if we were blood related. God sure blessed me in the family department!

Good friends are blessings!

This week, my friend Tara, who lives in Oklahoma City, said she had to come up to Tulsa for an appointment and would I like to meet up with her? I was excited about this, because the last time I saw her was about a year ago (we do keep in touch online though). So, we made plans to meet at Chic fil-a for lunch and let the kids play together while we catch up.

The kids played for a long time in the play place, while Tara and I chatted. Then somebody else's kid threw up on the slide....EWWWWW....so yeah, it was time to hit the road, jack! We decided to head to a local park where the kids could keep playing and we could keep talking!

Stephen, Ryan, Emily and Emily walking and talking as they head into the park.

The 2 Emily's playing with sand.

Ryan wasn't so sure about having his picture taken, lol.

Here are me and Tara! We've been friends for quite awhile...we actually met online on a "mommy discussion board" - her and our group of about 10 other moms have all become close friends. I'm glad that she lives close enough that we can spend time together occasionally! We are planning a sleepover next month!

It was a very nice day; the kids all got along; and Tara and I had a chance to catch up on each other's lives. I really enjoyed it!

Family Fun Day...It's the little things...

This past weekend, I really wanted to find something fun and exciting to do. I've really been craving being outside in pretty spring like weather, so I was hoping to find something outdoorsy to do. We looked at going to Mayfest, which is an outdoor art/music festival, and something new called "Spring in the Square" which was a gardening show in a pretty part of town with kids activities and free snowcones (and who doesn't love a free snowcone?!) But, well, this IS Oklahoma after all...the Bipolar weather state. We had iffy weather coming in, and we didn't want to chance it.

So, we kind of played it by ear, like usual. First, we went to the "dollar" theatre and saw the move "The Host." One thing I LOVE about my kids being older now is that we can go see movies that are not necessarily animated, lol. I still pore over the ratings - my favorite website for deciding what is or is not appropriate for my little blessings is James Dobson's Focus On the Family Plugged In site. Click here to check it out. I love how it gives very accurate, and objective, reviews in regards to language, violence, and sexuality, as well as spiritual elements. It is extremely helpful. Anyway, based on the review for "The Host" I decided it would be ok for my kids to see. Other than one scene that was a little racier than I expected, it was a really good movie and my kids really liked it (and so did we!)

We then decided it was snack time, so we went to Wendy's for Frosties - YUM!

You don't know what it took to get this picture...they were not feeling very photogenic that day, lol!

Then we went to Barnes & Noble book store. We knew we were going to go eat dinner somewhere, so where better to kill some time, right? I didn't buy anything, but came out with a long list of books to request at the library, lol!

After breathing in the lovely smell of books and coffee for an hour, we went and ate dinner at one of our favorite pizza buffets, CiCi's. It's not the world's greatest pizza, but it's cheap, and has great variety!

After stuffing ourselves, we decided to go home and break out some games. Billy had bought a new one on clearance awhile back and we hadn't tried it out yet. It's called Imaginiff.







Here is another benefit to having older blessings...the games are a little more fun! We had a lot of fun and laughed a lot!

Sometimes the best days are ones that aren't perfectly planned out. The little things can be just as much fun as big, exciting events!

Summer Reading Program Kickoff!

In case you don't know me...I kinda like books. Ok, not really - I LOVE them! Reading is my passion; I am going to school to be a school media specialist, and I currently work as a library assistant for our school system. So, one of the summer activities I most look forward to is our local library's summer reading program. My kids all love to read, however, in the summer they tend to veg out with their electronics more than I like. So, I try to find fun ways to encourage them to read every day. The library's program rewards them for visiting the library and reading by giving them these really awesome coupon books upon completion of the program. There are usually coupons for free passes to the zoo, aquarium, space museum, sporting events, and free food at local restaurants.

Today we went to a "kickoff party" at one of the local branches. They had lots of little activities going on, but they were more geared to the younger patrons. (waaaaaaah, my kids are big! lol) However, they did have cookies and punch, so Natalie, Emily, and Stephen were happy, lol! And we got signed up for the program, and of course did some browsing!

 

Yep, they managed to find a "few" things to read (and yes, I found a few more for myself too!)...Stephen came home with more than 10 books! We look forward to many hours of reading, and many more visits to the library this summer! 

A return to summer....and blogging!

Alright, so if you look at the posts on here, you'll see that I am basically "resurrecting" an old blog. My sister-in-law, Tracy, has been "hinting" that I get back into keeping up this blog with all my family's happenings. Our life is so incredibly busy during the school year (between working, going to school full time, soccer, basketball, color guard, opera, etc.) that I just couldn't fathom the thought of sitting down at the end of the day to blog. Now that summer is here, and our hectic life has slowed back down, it's a great time to blog about the things we are doing during our break. I can't promise that I'll keep it up once school starts up again...but, we'll give it a go anyway! :)

By the way, you should really check out Tracy's blog here. She is a terrific blogger and has an adorable family!

5 Question Friday - December 17, 2010

1. Do you regift...and if so, do you have a regifting horror story?

I rarely regift. Usually I do returns if necessary, otherwise I set it aside for donations if it's not something that suits us, lol.

2. Do you know what you are getting for Christmas this year?

Nope, I sure don't. Except that Billy and I are getting AT&T U-Verse as kind of a gift for each other...

3. Who brings the most gifts in your family, you or Santa?

Us. Santa usually brings the kids 3 gifts each and a stocking.

4. What store do you love to buy jeans from?

I so rarely buy clothes for myself...it's been a few years since I've bought any and the ones I have are 2 sizes too big, so...yeah, it's time I bought some. But the ones I have are from Old Navy so I guess I'll say that!

5. Christmas meal: big all out meal, or snacks and appetizers?

Both!! My mom does appetizers for us to eat as we are opening presents, and then we do a big roast beef meal!

5 question Friday - 12/10/10

1. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

ALWAYS Christmas day. Sometimes we let them open one on Christmas eve, but it's usually one at my brother's house.

2. What is your favorite Christmas cookie or candy?

Really not a big cookie or candy eater...but my favorite Christmas dessert is this chocolate peppermint ice cream cake that my mom gets some times. MMMMMMMM

3. What's the worst Christmas gift you ever received?

Hmmmm, see, I honestly have a hard time answering that question. I appreciate everything because it honestly flatters me when anyone even thinks about me enough to give me a present. Ok, the first thing that comes to my mind is these hair barrettes I got when I was like 13 or 14. They were these big lace things with ribbons hanging down and had roses on the ends. Did I mention I was a teenager? lol

4. Christmas song that you love?

My favorites are O Holy Night, especially when Billy sings it, Mary Did You Know?, and Breath of Heaven.

5. How many trees do you put up?

um, my house is little, so one is plenty! :)

Delicious Slow Cooked Baked Potato Soup

I got this recipe from the Methodist church that we used to attend. They would make it occasionally for our Wednesday night meals, and it was soooooo good. It's quite easy, and a great meal for these chilly nights. All my kids love it, which is an added bonus - it's very hard to find something we all agree on!

6 or so potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 small onion, diced
3 cans chicken broth
1/4 c. butter
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp pepper
1 c. half and half
1 c. (or more depending on taste!) shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz. sour cream
3 tbsp chives, if desired
chopped cooked bacon

Combine first 6 ingredients in crock pot. Cook 6 hours on low. Mash up potatoes, then stir in half and half, cheese, chives and bacon. Cook another hour or so until creamy!

Songful Sunday - December 5th

My sister-in-law challenged me to blog every day in December with her and our friend, and I don't know if I'll get to EVERY day, but I will try my best...today is "Songful Sunday" - a day to post the lyrics of a song that really means something to me. The first one that came to my mind is "Praise You in This Storm" by Casting Crowns. EVERY time I hear it, I have to stop whatever I'm doing and just worship God.

I was sure by now, God, that you would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
Stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say Amen,
And it's still raining.
And as the thunder rolls,
I barely hear you whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you."
And as your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus:
And I'll praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For you are who you are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise you in this storm.

I remember when, I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to you
And raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find you?
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear you whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you."
And as your mercy falls
I raise my hands
and praise the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth
(repeat)

Chorus

This song always reminds me that even through the most trying times, I have a Heavenly Father to cast my cares upon.

6 word Saturday

What are 6 words to describe this past week?

"All I did was study hard."

Pretty self explanatory, I think. I spent about 7 hours each day over the last week studying just Biology. I knew this test was gonna kick my booty, so I did everything I could to cram as much of it in my head that was possible. Well, apparently alot of it leaked out...I only made a 78 on the test after all that. Sigh. What can I say though? I did my very best. Biology just isn't my thang. Praise the Lord that it is all done, and I don't have to read that darn textbook (that the bookstore won't buy back because they are changing editions AGAIN....grrrrrr) ever again.

5 Question Friday

Phew, just barely made it! Busy week, busy day...

1. What's on the top of your holiday list and why?

Well, at the risk of sounding corny - I really just want health, happiness, and success for my family. Honestly. But, I do have to make a list for my parents (that is their rule) for Christmas presents...the first thing on my list was a handheld vacuum. Exciting I know, lol. Most of my list consisted of books....surprise, surprise.

2. What is your favorite Christmas gift from the past?

That one is easy! That would be my Natalie Elizabeth, born on 12/26! Our little Christmas baby!

3. If you had life to do over, what would you be when your grow up?

Well, first and foremost, I would choose mommy over and over. But, I also want to be a librarian, and I am working on that right now.

4. When do you put up your tree?

Always the day after Thanksgiving. We make a big deal out of it. We decorate, I make a big buffet of finger foods, and we eat near the tree while watching a Christmas movie.

5. What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas, of course!

A Day of Remembering - November 29

9 years ago today, we found out that the little one we were expecting had gone to be with Jesus. This was absolutely the most devastating day of my life. It was a surprise pregnancy, but we were so excited!! A couple weeks later, I started bleeding, but it was very slight. We went to the doctor and he did an ultrasound and...a tiny flickering heartbeat. He said everything was fine, that spotting can be normal. I went home reassured. Another week goes by, and a little more bleeding. We went back to the doctor for another ultrasound. The baby was growing, and the heartbeat was strong. This happened twice more. Then, 11/29/2001 I started bleeding quite heavily. But I was convinced by now that everything was fine. After all, this baby had been developing on track, with a steady heartbeat. I even convinced Billy that he didn't need to go to the doctor with me this time, because everything was fine. The doctor started the ultrasound, and he didn't say a word for a few minutes...then he simply said, "I'm sorry." I remember hearing a heart wrenching scream, and wondering where it was coming from, before I realized that it was me. The nurse immediately took Natalie out of the room (I am grateful for that). The doctor kept looking, and said "I'm sorry. The heart is no longer beating." I just couldn't seem to comprehend this. I think I turned completely numb. The doctor started telling me my options....let the miscarriage happen naturally, or to go in and do a D&C. My brain, and my heart, could not deal with this right then. I remember having to leave the room with my 2 girls - Natalie was 4 and Emily was about 6 months) - and walk through that waiting room full of pregnant women. I felt so ashamed - like I had done something wrong. I went to pick up Billy from work, and when he asked me how the appointment went, I told him tearfully "the baby died!" I knew he was in shock...he kept saying over and over, "no, everything is fine. we'll go to another doctor." But, I knew. It was the hardest day of our lives.



This was our precious angel baby the day I found out she went to Heaven. I could see her precious head, her little hands up by her face, her little belly...but no flickering heartbeat.

I spent a long time asking God "why?? why me?? I wanted this baby SO much, how could He take her away from me?" I'll admit it, I was ANGRY at Him. But I turned to Scripture for answers. One that I came across was Ecclesiastes 11:5 "As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in the mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things." Slowly I came to realize that God doesn't WANT things like this to happen, but He can see all things throughout all time, and there must be some reason, this little baby was not meant for Earth. What brought me comfort was knowing that some day I WILL see her again in Heaven.

Does the pain ease over time? Yes, it does...but, it will never completely go away. And November 29th is always a difficult day for me.

For those who have experienced miscarriage or infant loss, I recommend the book I Will Carry You by Angie Smith. She is the cowriter of the song you hear on this page.

Listen to Remembering

5 Question Friday - Black Friday edition!

1. What is your favorite part of a Thanksgiving meal?

Well, I just like eating surrounded by the people I care about. I know it sounds corny, but it's true - seeing all the people I love around the table (or living room) and everyone being in a good mood - I love it! I also look forward to all the leftovers I get sent home with, lol!

2. Are you a host or a guest for Thanksgiving this year?

So far, I have always been a guest. I do prepare dishes to bring, and I try to help out with cleaning up. But, at this point, we do not have the space to host a dinner!

3. When you think of one Thanksgiving tradition, what comes to mind?

Well, let's see. I always turn on the Macy's Parade for the kids to watch. Then there's all the stuffing of our faces at the families' houses. There's also the annual "exchanging of the Christmas lists" at my mom's, and going thru all the Black Friday ads, to make a list and strategize!

4. You have 2 pieces of pie in front of you, and you HAVE to eat one....which one? pumpkin or pecan?

That's easy - I love pumpkin pie, and I HATE pecan pie!!

5. Are you a Black Friday shopper?

Yep. I am not a hardcore one that goes store hopping the entire night though. I generally pick one store (usually Walmart) and that's it. The last few years I've gone with my sister-in-law, Tracy, and my mother-in-law, and this year with our friend, Stacy - and it was a lot of fun! They crack me up!

5 Question Friday - 11/19

1. What Christmas song do you loathe?

Oh, there are several! I HATE "Santa Baby" which they seem to play 15 times a day. I also can't stand "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" - I mean, really? I would be very sad if my grandma got run over by anything, not writing a song about it, lol!

2. Do you and your signigicant other cuddle at night or sleep on opposite sides of the bed?

Cuddle!

3. Have you ever had surgery?

Just this past summer I had my first "real" surgery (I've had oral surgery before - wisdom teeth). I had my gallbladder removed because I had several olive sized stones that were causing me a lot of pain. It was done outpatient, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

4. When do you typically have your Christmas shopping done?

Done? I'm not usually completely done until the last few days before Christmas. I try to start early, but I seem to always have little last minute stuff.

5. If money were not an issue, (and you HAD to pick something) what would your ultimate luxury item be?

a personal chef! I would love to have healthy, delicious meals prepared for my family every night without me having to worry about it!!

Thankful Thursday - 11/18

Today I am thankful for the opportunity to go back to college - and for free! I seriously regret that I did not go to college BEFORE starting a family - except for the fact that I would not have the wonderful kids that I do now. So, God obviously had plans for me. I am thankful for all the support that I have during this crazy busy time. #1 - God - obviously I could not do ANY of this without the strength I receive through Him. When I am feeling overwhelmed (which is often), I repeat to myself "I can do ALL things through Christ which strengthens me." #2 - my husband - He has believed in me all along, and when I doubt myself, he gives me the encouragement I need to carry on. #3 - my kids - they are my inspiration in all this. I want to be an example for them. #4 - my parents - They have helped make this semester possible, watching the kids so that I can take an on campus class with Billy. Plus, they have cheered me on all the time. #5 - my extended family - my brothers and their families, my in laws, all have given me encouragement #6 - my friends - who listen to me gripe about assignments, tests, crazy professors, all that stuff, and lend an empathetic ear #7 - Pell Grants - lol, for allowing me to attend college without paying a dime!

It is very tough to be a mom in college, but I am very thankful for the opportunity, and excited for the future!!

5 Question Friday

1. What is the most physically painful thing that has ever happened to you?

Hmmm, that's a tough one. I've been through 3 childbirths...with 2 of them I had back labor, and epidurals that had worn off...I've received 3rd degree burns on the backs of my legs (I was only 3 when it happened, but I STILL remember how it hurt), I had a gallbladder attack followed by surgery this past summer...But, I would have to say THE most painful thing was a kidney infection. Yep. This past February I started having terrible pains in my lower right side, that got progressively worse until I was doubled over in pain, and terribly nauseated. I was absolutely certain it was my appendix. I thought it had already ruptured, and that I was dying - it hurt so bad. Even the ER doc was sure it was my appendix and they were preparing to do surgery. They did a CT scan to see if it had burst, and it showed that my appendix was actually just fine, but the scan along with lab tests showed that I had a pretty nasty kidney infection. They kept me over night on IV antibiotics (along with some anti nausea and morphine drips). Even that morphine was just taking the edge off the pain! Thankfully, they sent me home that day, and after a couple days of additional antibiotics and pain meds, I recovered. Not much fun at all!

2. How much sleep do you get at night?

Well, that can vary greatly. Most weeknights, I typically go to bed around midnight and wake up at 6. But, I am always exhausted so I don't think it's enough. I usually get to sleep in on the weekends. And I am so thankful that my kids are at an age where I am not getting up with them at night.

3. How long did you believe in Santa Claus? How did you find out that he did not exist?

What?? You mean he doesn't??? As far as my younger kids are concerned, he still does. I was about 9 or so, I think when I stopped believing. Most of my friends had stopped believing, and I know that I KNEW he did not exist, but I didn't want it to be true, so I kept telling myself that he did. But finally, I confronted my mom, and she told me the truth. I believe my 9 year old is in the same position. I'm pretty sure that she knows - she knows that logistically, it just can't be real, but she is also very creative and imaginative, and this is prolonging her belief in Santa. And that is fine with me. I want her to be able to hold onto that magic for as long as possible!

4. What was the last movie you saw in the theater?

Hmmm, I believe it was The Sorceror's Apprentice with my hubby and the kids.

5. What do you wear to bed?

Billy's old, worn out, way too big for me t-shirts and flannel pajama pants. Hot, huh?

Thankful Thursday

There are SO many things I am thankful for! I don't know where to start! I will have to start with the number one biggest blessings in my life - my husband and kids!

I am thankful to have a husband who is so dedicated to his family. He works hard to provide for us, and at the same time is going to school full time so that he can provide even better. It is extremely hard to work AND go to school - but he does it - AND excels at it! He is so incredibly smart. He is a wonderful husband and a fabulous daddy.

I am thankful for my 12 year old daughter who is such a joy to us. She is such a sweetheart, with a heart full of compassion, and kind to everyone. She continues to make us proud with her excellent grades and her talent for singing. She has such a bright personality with an infectious laugh!

I am thankful for my 9 year old daughter who is a little ray of sunshine. She make us proud when we hear about her compassion for her peers at school, and she continues to amaze us with her intelligence. She is also hilarious and has a very clever sense of humor that keeps us in stitches!

I am thankful for my 7 year old son who is so precious to us! He had a rough start to his life, and has had health issues requiring many invasive tests and procedures, yet he never complained, and amazes his doctors with his easy going nature. He is very smart, kind, funny, and affectionate. He still says that I am his very best friend, lol! Don't know how long that will last, but I am eating it up while I can!

Menu Planning Monday

Yeah, I know it's a day late. Oh well. I love reading other people's menus to get ideas for new dinners, so I thought I would share mine to maybe give other people ideas.

Monday - Chicken quesadillas, seasoned black beans, Spanish rice

Tuesday - Drip beef sandwiches, mac and cheese, fruit

Wednesday - Homestyle chicken and noodles, biscuits, broccoli

Thursday - eat out - it's Billy's and my school night.

Friday - World's best Salsbury steak, rice, green beans

Saturday - Swiss steak, noodles, some veggie

Sunday - Slow cooked baked potato soup in Panera bread bowls