just keep running.....

This is how I feel when I get on the scale. Although I'm in no way the shape I was in say pre-Cooper, I figure if I keep working I'll get there. This morning I went running with my new friend here in town, or I tried to keep up with her. She kicked my booty, but I'll get there.

Oh well at least this is true:

I know I slowed her down big time, but I also think it's good for me to run with her, I am way more likely to push myself to keep up with her then say the hubs, cause let's be realistic, I'll never be fast enough for him! So in 2 weeks I'll do the Color Me Rad run, mostly just for fun and to see what it's all about, luckily people go in waves, and it's not timed, so surely I won't come in dead last, and that's always my goal beside finishing, is not coming in dead last.....

Great Wolf Lodge....take 2

So since this summer is already flying by, and we're about to temporaily move to Edmond we thought we'd do a little family get away! Don't get me wrong, I love the beach vacations with my entire fam, but I also want our kids to have memories of just us going on vacation. So since are schedules are so flexible we went on Sunday to Kansas City and stayed at Great Wolf Lodge for 2 nights. I love the area of KC it is in, there is a really nice outlet mall and several good eating choices about a mile away. I will say we liked the Lodge in Grapevine better then this one, but everyone had a good time. Hopefully next time we make this trip all the kiddos will be walking, it makes things a ton easier. Cooper even rode some larger slides with Jeremy, and Maddie stood under the 10,000 gallons of water that fall every 5 minutes. (Truth be told, my parents are on an amazing trip through Europe to study more Bible places and I was totally jealous I didn't get to go, I needed to go somewhere!)

Newkirk Range Riders

So while Jeremy was at ORU camp I took the kids to the Rodeo. Expose them to some local culture if you will. I may have been a little crazy for taking all 3 by myself, and some real mature adults broke out into a knock down drag out fight at the rodeo not far from us; but the kids had fun. (After the 2nd fight I thought it might be time for us to go.) Here are a few pics, I had to put my camera away cause Maddie got a hold of it and actually dropped it, but it survived the little fall. I know, the Rodeo isn't really our style, but thought it would be good for them, and for me to get out of the house!

So that last photo, they let kids run around the arena and chase some cows with bows on their tails, Cooper wanted to go, but I wouldn't let him. Neither of them were wearing approrpriate shows for that activity!

New Friends....

Well it took me a year, but Friday night when we were out celebrating some of Jeremy's co-workers (now former co-workers) marriage I met the 1st grade teacher at Newkirk. She's got 2 boys 4 & 2! Yesterday we joined them at the park with 2 other moms with younger kids. It was so nice for me and the kids! Then today we met them at the library for story time. Cooper was a little confused, sadly he's never been to the library.

He wanted to buy something, but I explained to him that's not how it worked. So as much as I love high school boys & their moms (who are awesome!) I really enjoyed meeting some women closer to my age with kids my kids age. Hopefully this is just the beginning of our times together!

more important then the wedding....

is the cutest baby in the world turned 3 months. (No, I don't think I'm biased.....okay maybe just a little bit) Seriously she is this cute and happy all the time, I just want her to stay that way forever no matter what God has in store for her, I hope she's always this chill!

I'm leaving her for the first time tonight, with someone else other then my mom or dad, or her dad or Colby (sorry I left you out the first time, it wasn't on purpose)......hopefully it goes okay. Considering I'll be about a mile away I'm confident these girls can handle it! Here's hoping!

The wedding....

Ever since I met Jenny, 5 years ago, she's said she was going to need help with her wedding. Well, now her wedding has come and gone, and I am exhausted after a few months of planning and a week of hard work. She grew up on a farm, so an outdoor wedding was her dream, that's about all I had so I took it and ran. Showed her stuff, and if she liked it we went with it. She got engaged in January and married in June, so not a ton of time. I pretty much enlisted some family friends for help with things and borrowed all of her decorations for the tables from recent weddings I attended in Edmond that would go. So here are a few pics of before and after, everything turned out lovely. However, I don't recommend planning a wedding, setting up for a wedding, decorating a wedding, cooking for a wedding, being a bridesmaid all with your 2.5 month old in tow, however, Kellyn was the biggest trooper and best baby ever. Mostly Jenny sat inside and held her or watched her while I worked magic until she needed to eat. Which was perfect, cause the bride didn't have to lift a finger, which is how it should be! The court clerk in Anadarko, where her now husband is a lawyer, offered their home in Moore for their use. It turned out just perfect! I wish I took a few more pics of everything, but I was crazy busy! And a big thanks to my good friend Beth, who I hired for the day and rehearsal to help decorate and coordinate everyone walking down, and help with clean up. She was great!

Backyard pre-tables and decor

Where the alter would be

She wanted lanterns hanging from this tree, yes I took 48 mason jars and turned them into lanterns

The deck the man of the house built

We had put on the invite, dessert and dancing to follow, so we had cupcakes, pies, and cheesecake squares. I made 100 pies during the Thunder game, stored them in Grandma Judy's fridge, and baked them Saturday Morning at church

See here they are baking, only 75 had to bake that morning!

A friend reserved flowers for us at the Oklahoma Flower Market, so Friday my mom and Jenny picked them up, exchanged a few colors and Saturday morning my mom and I transformed them into beautiful bouquets, these pictures just don't do them justice, they were wonderful!

This was the invite she picked out, I re-created this from something similar that she choose,

I designed programs to match, and water bottle labels to go along too!

So here is the after, or what I have of the after!

And there you have it, all with my little helper in tow.....so if you ever need a beautiful, inexpensive wedding, call me, I might help. I'd totally do it all over again for her, and I'd only change a few things. (If you're wondering we did serve ice cream and whip cream with the pies, and tea and sweet tea in super cute containers on top of old crates, but I didn't get a pic of that....)

Party Weekend!

Well this past weekend we finally celebrated Maddie's 2nd Birthday. So here is a little run down of her Minnie Mouse Party! She wasn't really into posing for pictures this time, and if I was a good mom I'd drag her out for her 2 year photo shoot, but that hasn't happened....maybe sometime soon! We had her party at my parents so more family could be there, I made some super cute Minnie Mouse ears for everyone, Maddie wore them for .2 seconds, and I left a million and one things to do last minute, but over all I'm pretty happy with how everything came out.

Apparently fishing for tadpoles is way better then any other party game, that's why Maddie's dress is drenched! But thank you to Pinterest for making me do way more then I really needed too! But if you're wondering we had mini food, so fruit kabobs, burger sliders, ham & cheese sliders, fried mac & cheese balls, chips in a bag, and pigs in a blanket. All of the food was great.....I think that the mac & cheese was a big hit!

So that was Saturday at noon, and that night we attended a great wedding in the OC Forum, which I might have a few pics of, but basically the bride, groom, and bridal party put on a show after they said their vows, pretty much rocked the house. It was fun! There was a little antique trike there that Maddie took a liking too.

Then comes Sunday, and I hosted a little bridal shower brunch for my BFF Jenny who is getting married Saturday. (But the wedding in itself is another post, cross your fingers for me, start praying that everything turns out amazing for that!) Her invites were pink and black as well, so I just took down the Minnie Mouse decor and Happy Birthday decor and it became a pretty bridal brunch!

For this shower we did mini muffins, mini quiches, fruit salad, chicken salad, and a spinach salad with Petit-fours for dessert. It was excellent! Just perfect! So just wait the wedding is coming! After I recover from all the preparations and the event itself.