sometimes you should just get out of the car

So dad sent me a text this morning about a thunderstorm that was about to move over Ada. At the time I was sitting in my car waiting for my biology class to start since the one before had finished early.

About the time I got dad's text, I looked out and noticed it was sprinkling, but though "ah, no biggy, I will just wait a few more minutes." If only I had known...

About 2 minutes later, I looked up from sending Randi a text, and noticed that it had gone from sprinkling to a torrential downpour and sideways-blowing rain. Well, that was also about the time that I needed to start heading to class. So out of the car I hop and off I sprint!

Needless to say, there was very little I could do though to beat the rain. By the time I reached my building, I looked like I had just stepped out of the shower. I was completely drenched. So bad that even my jacket pockets were full of water! Anyway, I snapped a photo of my waste down and you can kind of see the dry line of my slacks.

Also, I snapped a photo as I drove by our Sinclair station. The big green dino that sits outside the station was actually knocked over by the winds, that is how bad it got! And then there were just some other photos I thought of adding. Enjoy!


My little monster


Little monster showing his shirt




Pants and shoes after the swim to my class this morning


The big Sinclair dino that was blown over this morning

change in finals week

Boy, what an eye opening class this morning for choices in wellness.

The instructor was kind of enough, today, two days before Wednesday, to let us in on the fact that we aren't going to have a final during finals week. It was scheduled for the Friday of finals week.

Nope, instead, we are taking Wednesday, as in two days from today!! Hhhmmm.... panic?!?!

I have been worrying about biology because that final was going to be first. So now I have to try to finish the stuff for my wellness class, cram and try not to bomb that test on Wednesday.

On a good note though, I am done with school after my 8am final, the Monday of finals week! haha... So I told my friend Harley that we can start up the ol' garage band next Monday night! lol...

big weekend (busy at least... haha...)

This was a really busy weekend (and back breaking!) It all started with a trip to the annual Children's Fair that the Nation sponsors every year. It was at the AgriPlex in Ada, and there were a ton of things to do. Everything from arts and crafts, to a four wheeler train ride, to big blow up slides, and everything in between.

So after a couple hours there, we headed back to the house to try and tackle our brilliant landscaping idea.... trying to replace the flowerbed at the front of the yard with limestone blocks.

Well, I will just say that for our first landscaping project, it was a beast! But at the same time, it turned out really nice! We are going to give it a week or so to make sure that everything sets up ok and it can hold it's own. At that point we will come back and fill it in and raise the bed up and then put back some pretty flowers and what ever else Randi tells me to put in there (that is not my bag.)

Anyway, here are some photos from the weekend that we snapped.














After (thank goodness it stood!)

interesting show

If you have a chance either this Monday night, or next Saturday night, you will have to flip over to OETA (see their site for the time).

There is a short little documentary on the 1909 hanging in Ada. I have heard about it ever since I have been down here, but never had actually heard the full story and explanation of what happened. Anyway, I found it interesting. Here are the details from the OETA site.

Death of the Old West

program / series description:
The 1909 lynching in Ada of four men suspected of murdering a local rancher.

beautiful saturday

Yesterday turned out so nice, that I finally got the kiddos outside again, and actually did some of the "honey-dos" that I have been putting off.

First thing I attacked was the gutters. Man, I have never lived anywhere that I had to clean out the gutters. Hence, I never knew what a bad idea it was to clean them out after a rain (when you live on the north side of a dirt road). haha... So the first handful of leaves I grabbed, SPLASH!, mud slung all over me, the house and my new ladder. An eye-opening experience I tell ya.

But I finished that until the gutters where crystal clean. Then I headed in the garage and did some more arranging of stuff to try to get things a bit more out of the way. Also did some measurements so I can start planning some storage ideas for what is left.

Then we finished the night off with some fresh cut steaks (cut about an hour before we bought them!), and some grilled zucchini and squash! YUMMY!!

So here are some pics I snapped off yesterday. You can see my new ladder that is really pretty cool. It is one of those ones that converts to different heights and angles. Took some of my new clean garage! haha..., and then of our pretty red maple by the front door, and last but not least, the awesome dinner!

yea... finals week!

Well, yea, and boo, both!

ECU finally released their final week schedule, and while I am glad that it is finally here, I hate what I ended up with!

My biology final, just my hardest and the one I need to study for the most, is Monday morning at 8am!! It really stinks because he said he is going to change the format of the final to short answer and essay and "make it harder". So that isn't going to be fun.

And then my blow-off class, choices in wellness, final is Friday at 8am. So I have the whole final week to study for the easiest final! haha... Guess my luck ran out on that one!

easter weekend

Easter 2009 & Bella's Bday

We had a really good Easter weekend. We got to spend time Saturday with Randi's family. We ate some great burgers and dogs. And then all the kids got to go out and hunt Easter eggs.

Saturday night, Kaitlyn was a little worried about the whole Easter bunny deal. I guess the fact that a giant bunny was going to come hopping into the house kind of freaked her out! haha... But I think that once she put two and two together, and realized that the Easter bunny equaled basket of candy, it really help it be ok. lol!

Sunday we went up to Stillwater to see my family and enjoy some good BarBQ, followed by some birthday cake for little Bella's 1st birthday. So it was rather eventful. And since it was cloudy, cold, and rainy, we had the older kids hide the eggs in the house and then the smaller kiddos got to hunt them. So they got to do even more egg hunting.

mission garage sale - complete

Thank goodness it came and went! Randi and her mom did a fantastic job! For those of you that had seen the garage before the sale, you would be shocked at what it looks now! The picture here is still with the remaining stuff on tables. Now we have everything boxed up for the charity we are going to give it to, and then we just have what little we kept. So it is very good!

So now there is plenty of room for me and Harley to start our garage band! haha...

good friday all

Hello everyone. Just wanted to drop a line to let you all know that yes, we are still doing well down here. Well, I don't know if "well" describes it.

We have been through a bout of sickness with everyone but me (knock on wood). First Kaitlyn woke up a couple weekends ago throwing up one day and "other" stomach problems the next day. Then Dylan has those lovely "other" stomach problems. And now Randi is battling a sore throat.

So even though I love the weather this time of year, it sure seems to mess with everyone's health!

School is on the downward slope finally. I was beginning to wonder if this semester was ever going to end. But in just a short 4 weeks it will! And I am all enrolled and ready to go for the next fall semester. I am going to "attempt" the class that royally kicked my butt at OSU. That is right, business and econ statistics. That class is truly my nemesis. Taken and flunked three semesters in a row at OSU. Not bragging of course. haha... But I am going to take that (my hard class) with what I hope to be a blow off class, recreational leadership. I have heard rumors that is the one to take when you have a really hard class to do. So we will see.

But I decided to take the summer off this year. Spend a little time with the family and also I want to really work on our yard this year and be able to do some of our own landscaping.

Well, we have a busy weekend ahead. We will be spending Saturday at Randi's folks for Easter lunch and fun, followed by a Sunday trip to Stillwater to have some Easter fun with my family, and to celebrate little Bella's first birthday!!! So as long as we can keep the kids entertained in the car back and forth, then this is going to be a fun weekend! haha....