The Jenkins Crew

I know...it's been a while!

2009-10-26T21:44:00.011-05:00

Our final product...
You can't see the top one too well but we have 3 pumpkins glowing.

Here they are with the flash so you can see them.

Daddy and sister carving out the goods.

Me and the kids getting nasty.

Brent is "watching" Trent play in the playhouse at Uncle Larry's.

Trent, Kyler, Mariah, Alle and Kylan in the Jupiter Jump at Uncle Larry's.

Trent didn't want to take off the hat that came with sister's outfit.

Trent and his best friend from Mrs. Sheron's, Lucy.

Here they are again!

Group Picture

Isn't he so cute?!

The kids playing with their new doctor kit.

A mistake that took 4 hours to discover...don't ask!!

Is this not the sweetest thing you ever did see?

Are we not the most beautiful family?

Trent and Punkadoodle hanging out on the couch.

You can't make cupcakes without licking the bowl!

Oh the wonderful world of sponge curlers.

I just love this little smirk that he gives me when he tries not to smile. I just want to eat him up!

Another sweet picture...Trent and Missy snuggling on the couch pillows in the floor.

Petting the animals at the zoo.

Smile...

Aunt Ashlee, Mariah, Trent and Aunt Keri riding the camel.

Trent made this HUGE mess with the dog food and sister was so kind to help pick up.

Little brother giving big sis a ride on his "bike".

Another family picture...a little crooked but you have to admit it's not too bad since I used the trash can to prop the camera up.

Here she is...Miss America!

2009-07-09T17:33:00.004-05:00

She could truly be the next Miss America because of how beautiful she is. She was in a wedding last night and was absolutely gorgeous.

Finally an update!

2009-07-03T16:17:00.007-05:00

I am finally able to get interent so I thought I would do a quick update. These pictures are updloaded backwards, sorry.

Trent went to get his milk off the table and he was using a cup that has a straw attached to it and as he tilted it to get it down milk came out and poured all over his head and face.

Obviously sister did something really cool while playing the Wii!
Kylan got a really cool ride on toy for his birthday and the boys didn't waste anytime checking it out!

Trent is fascinated with phones and he was amazed when he pushed the on button and the operator machine came on telling him to "please hang up and try your call again" and then the really annoying noise came on.

We caught a baby frog at Poppa's house and he loved it.

Here is me and Sissy out celebrating her 30th with all of her friends.

Trenty Boo looking like a big boy in the car.

Mariah went to camp at Dry Gulch last week and had a blast.

Her and Dewi getting ready to leave for camp.

We finally made it up to the lake this summer. Trent enjoyed riding "Big Mable".

It is a tradition for the kids to drive the last mile to the lake. Of course it is a dirt road that you go about 5-10 mph down.

Heading to the lake.

Mariah played softball again this year and improved so much from last year. She went from not hitting the ball at all last year and almost not ever missing it this year! It's amazing what one year will do to their hand/eye coordination.

Oh to be a fly on our wall this morning.

2009-05-01T23:02:00.002-05:00

This morning was going like all mornings. I got up, got dressed, asked Mariah what she wanted for breakfast, fixed it, went into the bathroom to brush my teeth, do my hair and makeup. During the bathroom part of it Brent comes in to shower (not the norm). While Brent is in the shower Mariah comes in to get ready (very normal; we get ready in the same bathroom every morning). I just finished fixing Mariah's hair and Brent gets out of the shower. I step back towards the wall, Mariah scoots up towards the sink and Brent goes in the middle to leave. As he steps forward and I step back he step on half of my foot! I moan because he had over half of my foot under his. I tried to pull my foot out from underneath his and as I was tugging he let go (not really to let me fall, just to get off my foot). As my foot came out I lost my balance (swinging my arms around in big circles to my side didn't help!) and fell into the shower. A second after falling in the shower the stinkin' shower curtain rod fell down and hit me on the top of my head! Needless to say we were all cracking up and wished we had a video camera! Not only am I half way ready and a little wet Trent wakes up because of all the noise we, I guess just me, made!

Take me out to the ball game!

2009-05-01T22:56:00.002-05:00

Every year we have been in Stillwater I tell Brent that I want to go to the OSU home softball games and we haven't made it to a single one in the 6 years we have been here! We finally made it to one and it happened to be the OSU vs. OU game last night. We got there 20 minutes early and they said they were sold out but said if we waited 10-15 minutes they could sell us some tickets to the people who didn't show up. We ended up getting in and found a random spot to sit. A little while into the game they played a game (sort of) and they randomly chose a person sitting in section 202, row 9 and seat 15. We looked around to find the winner and while looking for the winner Mariah points out that she is sitting in seat 15. We look at the people around us and know one knew what section we were in or what row we were on. We realized Mariah was the lucky winner after a person came walking at her with a shirt (which fits me PERFECTLY!) and a gift card to Charlie's Chicken. What are the odds?!

Baby Shower Fun

2009-04-27T21:17:00.005-05:00

I gave my good friend, Stephanie, a shower this past Saturday and here are some pictures from there. She is having a little boy near the end of May and has decorated his room in a western theme. I saw online somewhere an idea to put flowers in a pair of boots and it turned out so cute!

I am proud of my creativeness (spelling?) on this picture frame that I made her.

These pictures don't really go with the shower post but Trent loves to crawl up in Mariah's old school desk and sit there. Tonight when Brent was watching him he found Trent back in Mariah's room sitting here and when Brent asked what he was doing he said "cool" (that's school in Trent language!) The first picture captures him and the WHOLE desk but the second picture he is saying "cheese". Aunt T got him to say it when she took a picture of him and it worked!

The next step

2009-04-27T21:09:00.003-05:00

Well if you have stalked my blog (probably no one!) you might remember Mariah getting a palate expander in not too long ago. The next step after an expander is braces! She got them put on today and here she is before and after. She doesn't have them on ALL of her teeth; just her adult teeth that she has so far.

Bathroom Update

2009-04-17T23:53:00.004-05:00

We have lived in this house for about 2 and 1/2 years and I thought it was time for a small remodel. The lady we bought the house from had a nice tile shower put in for health reasons so we didn't have a tub. I was tired of sitting in 2 inches of water every night while bathing the kids. I finally talked Brent into tearing out the shower and putting a tub in. I think everything that could go wrong has! The seat in the shower was SOLID concrete and we had to rent a hammer drill to bust it out. The shower was wider than the bath so we hoped we had enough tile to lay a row and a half (and we did)! Here is where we started...

This is after Brent and daddy got the tile torn off the wall and the concrete seat busted up.

Here is the hole that had to be cut in our bedroom wall to get the plumbing hooked up.Here is an update on what happened tonight as Brent was putting the toilet back in. Let me also note that the lady who lived here before us also had a wheelchair toilet. It was higher than a normal one and it didn't have a lid so things could fall into it if we weren't careful. I also tried to talk Brent into a new toilet along with the bath but as more problems arose with the shower/bath tub I opted to keep the old toilet and not complain. I have to admit I was a little excited when this happened tonight and he had to go buy a new one!

Brent just thought he was going to be done with the bathroom tonight!

Easter 2009

2009-04-13T21:52:00.005-05:00

These first two aren't really Easter pictures but they are showing Trent's new trick. He puckers out his lips so far when we tell him to say holes or rolls. It is so funny!

A much needed family photo. I think the last family picture we have is from the fall festival.

Here is Mimi and her homemade to-go dish.

Brent was so good to push the button on the train for Trent to ride around and around.

Are these two going to be trouble or what?!

Here is Mariah hunting eggs at Uncle Larry and Aunt Ronda's.

Mariah got HSM 3 from the Easter Bunny.

Nonnie got Trent this cool basket with all kinds of cars that he pushed around her house.

Here's Proof!

2009-04-13T21:37:00.001-05:00

Proof...he's a walker!

Hopefully I don't speak too soon...

2009-04-06T21:08:00.002-05:00

...but Trent is finally walking...well sort of! While at my sister's this weekend she really worked on him to start walking. He will walk around things and he even takes off with your pinky and probably doesn't really need them but he thinks he does. Sissy was sitting down and he had her finger and he decided to let go and he took off (around 7 steps) to the door and didn't even fall down. He can walk back and forth from two people within a reasonable distance. The daycare asked what we did over the weekend because he just took off walking today at school. It's like a switch came on and he decided he would just walk. I think it's about time he did too...he's only 16 months old!

Brent's new truck!

2009-04-06T21:02:00.002-05:00

Brent bought our friend's old truck to have as well...just an old truck. Even though it's not the slickest looking truck Brent is SOOOO proud to drive it. I think it boosted his manliness (spelling?) by about 100 points! Not only is it a truck but it is a standard. I can just hear him now roaring like Tim the tool man Taylor! You would never believe it either but Mariah LOVES to ride in the old truck too. She gleams from ear to ear every chance she gets to ride in the old truck. She rode home with Brent the other night coming home from Tulsa. She even chose to ride in it for softball practice tonight. It brings back memories of me riding with my dad in his not so nice truck. I can remember rolling the windows down and having my hair blow all in my face, helping dad shift when it was time, and even riding in the back with the camper over the bed and sitting on the hump. It is an awesome childhood memory and I am excited Mariah gets to make a similar one herself.

My little baby is growing up.

2009-04-06T20:56:00.003-05:00

I can't believe my little baby Trenty is getting big enough to snuggle. We don't snuggle for the same reason me and Mariah might snuggle but we still snuggle. Trent and I snuggle usually around 11:30 or midnight when he wakes up and won't stop SCREAMING! I have tried rocking him and as soon as I put him in his bed he wakes right back up and I have to start all over. So I decided to sleep on the couch while we snuggled. The first time (we have only snuggled three times) he decided to get up around 6 am and I woke up as he was crawling off the couch to play. Thank goodness it was a school morning and we normally get up early. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night and he was at the opposite end of the couch that he started (his head was at my feet)! It's truly amazing how fast they grow up! I just love my little snuggle-buggy.

A much needed update

2009-03-30T22:07:00.005-05:00

In the past month we have celebrated Mariah's birthday, my brother's birthday, mine and tomorrow is Cindy's birthday. Below is the cake I made for Mariah's swimming party. I found a picture of a boy cake (the hair was spiked up using chocolate kisses) but I tried to make it a girl and it ended up looking a little like Dora!

Here is Mariah being a wonderful sister and pushing Trent around the backyard.

Brent and I got these noodle things for Mariah's birthday. They feel like packing peanuts but it you dab them with a wet paper towel or a sponge and stick them together you can build anything your mind can imagine! They also stick on windows but I forgot to take a picture of our window art.

If there is ever silence in the house when Trent it awake there is only one other place he will be...out the doggy door and playing and even sometimes eating the dog food! I don't know what he finds tasteful about their food but he likes it.

Pictures of the past three days

2009-02-27T19:49:00.004-06:00

We have been in and out of the orthodontist, periodontist and the surgery center for the past three days. Mariah got a palate expander to help correct her cross-bite. I got dental implants, bone grafts and a skin graft from my palate and Trent got tubes put in his ears.

Here is what the palate expander looks like in the roof of her mouth. We have a "key" that we turn two times a day. It moves about 1mm every time we turn it. Don't worry it's not painful.

Here is Trent helping turn the key. He loves to help out in any way he can.

Here is what my mouth looked like the day of the surgery. My left side (your right side) is where I had the most work done which included my skin graft.

You can't really tell but on my left side (your right side) is where they took some skin from my palate for my implant. Believe it or not I haven't had any pain whatsoever! Praise God!!

Here is my sweet Trent sitting in the floor waiting to be called back. The gown cleaning people only brought pink gowns and they had all boys having surgery today and they all had on pink gowns. Trent was only happy for about 15 minutes while we were waiting. It is probably because he didn't have breakfast! He didn't wake up from the anesthesia too well. He was kicking and screaming and flopping around like a pancake. The nurses said it was very normal for kids to wake up like that and when we walk out the door he would be just fine and he was!

Here he is sitting in a rolling chair after we got done spinning around! I tried to do everything I could think of to keep this little guy happy. There wasn't many things in the little room to play with though.

The next step...

2009-02-23T10:37:00.004-06:00

Mariah and Drew took the next step of faith and were baptized this weekend. I am so proud of the two of them doing this.

Bub went first out of all 4 people getting baptized and Mariah followed him.

The Pastor is baptizing bub in this picture.

Mariah was very nervous and the Pastor was making sure she could touch; it was up to her chin!

He was trying to get her to smile and wave to us in the auditorium.

Check this out

2009-02-17T09:44:00.002-06:00

If you are looking for a cute or unique gift check this out. You also have a chance at winning a cute note holder. Check out her blog for more information.

Not in a million years....

2009-02-04T08:32:00.003-06:00

Well maybe only 1 more year or so will I not go out to eat for dinner with Trent. We didn't have any charcoal and I was really craving a steak so I talked the family into going out to eat. Trent is usually getting tired around 6:30ish and he is in bed by 8:00. We got to the restaurant around 7:00. He was actually doing alright. We sat down and he enjoyed the rolls; still acting ok. I am think "I can do this. He isn't really that bad." Then he starts being a 14 month old little boy! He looks at me every time he tries to put a peanut in his mouth knowing that I am going to grab it and put it in the bucket. Then he takes the FULL bucket of peanuts and dumps them onto the table. We sing the clean up song and he helps pick up the peanuts. Then he decides to be silly again and he throws the peanuts across the table at Mariah. It is pretty funny to see a flying peanut hit Mariah (he has a pretty good arm) and my laughing makes him want to do it even more. I try to keep from laughing and continue picking up. Then he finds the sugar packets and starts doing the same thing with them. I take those away and the servers start line dancing and I get him to watch them. He starts to dance in my lap and I am hoping the song lasts until we get our dinner. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, I get an EXTREMELY COLD feeling on my pants and in a split second realize Trent grabbed my FULL glass of ice water and dumped it out all over me and him. Of course the cloth napkins that they give you don't soak up anything. I try to dry it all up the best I can. Our food finally comes and I tell the family to eat as fast as you can so we can hurry up and get home to get dry clothes on. What an experience! Oh yeah...you are probably asking yourself how he was getting into everything if he was in a high chair? Well the table they sat us at was not very high chair friendly. The booth was up on a step and the high chair was scooted up to the step but was still half a foot away from table! We decided to let him sit in a booster which Brent quickly sat down next to Mariah leaving me to sit next to Trent! How convenient honey! :)

Playing hookie...

2009-01-31T18:13:00.005-06:00

We were home from school, work and daycare 3 days this week because of the snow and because the daycare said Trent had a fever. I really think he gave him his pitiful pearl face and they bought it. He sure didn't seem to be feeling sick when we were at home playing.

We have pictures of Mariah in the dishwasher when she was about this age. Brent can't stand them getting in the dishwasher. He tells me over and over how they could break the door. I obviously don't listen to him when he tells me that.

Trent loves to watch his sister play the wii and pretend that he is playing along with her. Look at his eyes; he really looks like he is focused on the game!

I was trying to empty the recycle box but he insisted that he be inside the box looking outside instead of helping.

He didn't want to have his shirt on for some reason and I just had to take a picture because he looks like a big boy in jeans and no shirt on.

He is leaning against the rocking chair giving me a silly look. It was almost a "yeah, I'm good looking so what?!" look! He was cracking me up.
Here is a close up of his face

Sleeping Prince

2009-01-24T21:29:00.004-06:00

You can't see too well in this video because the lighting isn't very good. Trent and I were rocking the other night and he didn't want to sit in my lap; he wanted to sit next to me like a big boy. He looked so stinkin' cute and so grown up sitting there. He even ended up falling asleep like that.

Finally an update!

2009-01-24T14:10:00.004-06:00

Mariah is trying to read to Trent but Trent wants to hold every book she picks up and she can't see the book to read it.

Trenty wanted to snuggle his sister when we were rocking. It was so precious.

Here is Trent loving on Missy and his stuffed animal he got for Christmas.

Trent is hiding in a cabinet on his changing table. Mariah used to get in the bathroom cabinet and pop her head out just like this when she was little.

The sibling relationship is blooming!

2009-01-06T13:57:00.002-06:00

The other night I was rocking Trent and Mariah, which is quite normal for our bedtime routine. Trent usually drinks his bottle and drifts peacefully off to sleep. After I lay him down I tuck Mariah into bed and that is all. The whole process usually lasts 30 -45 minutes. The other night was different and not in a bad way. Trent finished his bottle and decided to be silly. He popped the bottle out of his mouth and sat up and looked at Mariah and made a silly sound. She did it back to him and this went on for a few minutes. Trent would knock Mariah in the head with his bottle and then laugh (his laugh is so stinkin' cute it makes me chuckle a little). He would pull her hair and laugh when she told him to stop. This silliness went on for over an hour. It was such a beautiful moment to see the two of them really interact like brother and sister. I have seen Trent's love for Mariah grow so much lately. Every morning while getting ready we call out to Mariah, sister as we call her, and she has to come in and tell him good morning. He just glows when she comes in. I know they are going to have some quarrels as they get older but I pray they have a close relationship like me and my brother and sister.

11 days and counting...

2009-01-06T13:50:00.002-06:00

Until January 17th when we can officially start selling these. If you are like me and are a sucker for those things email me and we can satisfy your craving!

Look out Betty Crocker!

2008-12-29T20:59:00.002-06:00

I got this recipe for a chicken pot pie from our wonderful friends, the Bloses. Shelli is the most WONDERFUL cook ever. It is really hard to even come close to how she cooks so I was a little leary (sp) when attempting this recipe. It actually turned out really well and it even tasted like a chicken pot pie. Yes, I actually made the crust from scratch and even rolled it out! I am just as amazed as all of you.

Are you my daddy?

2008-12-29T20:53:00.003-06:00

Isn't that the title of a book or something? Brent shaved his face and Trent wasn't sure who he really was. Usually Trent plays a game with Brent and will pretend to want to hold him and then changes his mind and laughs while clinging on to me! After Brent shaved he wanted to hold Brent (sort of). It was so funny to see the look on Trent's face as he wondered if that was his daddy or not. Here are some pictures of them shortly after Brent shaved.

Can you see the look of confusion on his face?!?!

A weekend with Kylan

2008-12-29T20:48:00.004-06:00

Kylan got to come to Stillwater for the weekend and here are some pictures of the boys playing in the ball pit. Do you know how hard it is for two kids to look at the camera for just a split second?! Obviously extremely very hard!

Here I am rocking all of the kids to sleep. I loved holding all three kiddos and they actually let me rock them for a while.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-29T20:23:00.006-06:00

As I uploaded my pictures from Christmas this year I realized I didn't take very many. I guess I was too busy keeping up with Trent. Here are a few...

Papa showing Trent their new puppy.

Papa Todor and Mimi with their favorite (I just know they are!) great-grandchildren

A wonderful picture taken by the timer button. Can you tell I ran and jumped in the picture?!

Papa in the floor with Trent; He does so well for getting in the floor at 86 years old!

Aunt Keri watching Trent dig through mommy's purse.

Our yearly family photos at Nanny's

It was a little late when we opened our presents at Brent's parents house can you tell???

Having fun with my little manny!

My little guy looks so stinkin' big in this picture. It's amazing how quickly they grow up.

Trent and Kylan playing with the new firetruck that Santa left for Trent.

Here is Trent with his new OSU hat drinking some milk while daddy plays his new hunting game

Another night with daddy!

2008-12-15T22:53:00.003-06:00

This post is the complete opposite of the last "night with daddy" blog I did where Trent was asleep on the floor in the middle of toys. Mariah and I came home from Girl Scouts and Brent was rocking Trent, who had gone to sleep just 5 minutes before we came home. Not only was Trent asleep, Brent unloaded the dishwasher, loaded the dirty ones in the sink, put up his laundry that has been in the floor for several days, took out the trash, and he even straightened up the closet. He knows I can't stand stepping all over stuff in there. The closet isn't very big to begin with and even more frustrating when you don't have a flat place to stand while picking out clothes! He is such a wonderful father and even more amazing husband. I love you Brent!

An early Christmas gift

2008-12-15T22:39:00.005-06:00

Brent's sister, Keri, gave us an early Christmas gift this past weekend. She took us to The Christmas Train. We went when Mariah was 3 or 4 and haven't been back because it has been closed for a couple of years for renovation. It was a great night for the train. The weather wasn't too cold just a little windy. We walked around the old time town shopping, we watched a saloon show and took a wagon ride while reading `Twas the Night Before Christmas on the passing billboards. We boarded the train and listened to the story of Christmas. It was amazing and highly recommend going next year if you didn't make it this year. Here are some pictures of our fun night! Thanks again Keri.

A quick update...

2008-12-15T22:21:00.004-06:00

Here are the kiddos in the car on our way to Tulsa this past weekend.

Here is Trent supposed to be going to sleep. I guess he had other plans!

Isn't he just so stinkin' cute?!
Trent has found something new to get in! He figured out that he can stand up with the help of the toilet and unroll nearly a full roll of toilet paper in 3 seconds tops!!!

Mariah is showing off her tooth that she lost. We were shopping in a store and all of a sudden she turns to me and notified me in scared but excited voice about her tooth that came out. She wasn't quite sure what to do; to either be thrilled or nervous about the tooth coming out in the store and nothing to bite on to stop the slight bleeding!

Here we have a wonderful daddy helping his son try to walk. It was even his idea to get the toy out and practice walking. Isn't he awesome?!

Trent LOVES to be outside.

Let the games begin...

2008-12-10T15:37:00.007-06:00

I am sure my sister doesn't expect me to actually participate in this game that she challenged me to but here it goes. Oh yeah, I only follow my sister's blog and her friends so I can't pass this on to anyone. Here are my 5 favorite things (in no specific order):

1. Blogging...ok you wouldn't be able to notice since I haven't posted anything in almost a month but I really enjoy it!

2. Our Nintendo Wii and our most recent purchase, Mario Kart. I have two gold medals in the races that Brent has silver ones! I guess that means I am a better driver than him?!

3. Chocolate milk made with Hershey's syrup...mmm! I would like to thank Kylan for getting me hooked on this stuff.

4. Squirting the kids, the dogs and Brent with the water bottle. I started using the water bottle to stop Toby from licking. He licks for no reason; it's kind of like sucking your thumb or carrying a blanket around. They don't really like being squirted with it and I think that is why it is so funny and enjoyable!

5. Something that I am sure every mother enjoys...spending time with their kids. I don't have much time to spend with my kids since I work during the day but I try to spend as much time with them as possible.

Here is a little survey to get to know me a little more:
What is your husband's name? Brent
How long have you been married? 8 years.
How long did you date? 5 days just shy of a year.
How old is he? 27
Who is taller? We are the same height
Who can sing best? I am not sure who sings the best but I do know that he sings the loudest!
Who is smarter? He is more book smart but I think I have a lot more common sense.
Who does the laundry? Me; when we got married I had to show him how to sort the laundry into whites, colors and jeans/towels. He still gets it mixed up sometimes!
Who pays the bills? He does. I don't really care to do it and he does a great job.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? When you are looking at the bed I do.
Who mows the lawn? We both do. I like to mow to get exercise and sunshine but probably don't do it the way he would prefer.
Who cooks the meals? I do, except he does the grilling. I tried to cook some steaks the other night before he came home. When he took a bite of them he said "I thought I smelled something when I pulled up?!" He was telling me in a nice way that the steaks tasted like lighter fluid! Oops.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Probably me.
Who kissed who first? He kissed me first!
Who wears the pants? He lets me wear them with disciplining the kids! But I think we both work well together when it comes right down to it.

The inside scoop on my job

2008-11-21T15:23:00.002-06:00

Here is a funny story to what the guys did to me today at work. We were having a Thanksgiving lunch and everyone brought a dish to share. While I was heating up my chicken noodles I got a phone call from the school. They told me that Mariah was in the office crying, wasn't feeling well and had a slight fever. I told them I was on my way. I was a little selfish and didn't want to miss lunch so she came up to the jobsite with me. She sure didn't look or act very sick to me. I thought maybe she was just getting a cold or something but the I realized she had her flu shot booster yesterday and was having the same reaction she had last month (aches and hot/cold flashes that last for a day or so). I was just about done eating and Mariah wanted me to go to the bathroom with her. We went on back to the bathroom and I noticed the sign on one of the stalls that said "Won't Flush". I found that odd since I was the only person who uses that bathroom and would have known if the toilet didn't flush. We have cleaning ladies who clean once a week but they rarely clean my bathroom and I didn't think they would go to the trouble of putting a sign up either! So Mariah went to the other stall and when she went to open the toilet she screamed! Earlier I heard one of the guy's wives asking whose idea it was to put a fake spider in the toilet. I wondered why they went into the men's bathroom because the guys wouldn't go in mine. I also was thinking it was a small fake spider like those spider rings. WRONG!! I opened that toilet lid and screamed too! That spider was HUGE!!!! It took up the whole entire bowl and then some. I have never seen such a massive spider in my life. The guys saw me head towards the bathroom and stood outside to await the big scream. What fun it is to work with a bunch of guys! I would much rather put up with pranks than deal with hormonal women though!

8 years and still going strong!

2008-11-04T22:05:00.003-06:00

Today Brent and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary. I can't believe it has already been 8 years. Time sure does fly by when you are married to your best friend and the most wonderful man alive! Sorry to you other females who thought YOU were married to the best husband in the world! The day started with flowers in a beautifal vase on my desk at work along with a very sincere card. Inside were instructions to be home by 4:45 and have comfy shoes, long pants and a jacket on. The card also said the kids were taken care of. It took a lot for me not to pry too hard to find out what was planned for the evening. I now realize where Mariah gets her scheduled personality and needs to know what is happening and when. Our wonderful friends, Brandon and Julie, watched the kids while Brent and I went on a date. Brent drove me out to the lake, where he had a picnic with all the romantic fixin's. He had a sandwich from the best deli in town and my new favorite jalapeno chips, strawberries and cool whip and he even had some wine. The wine was actually pretty good and I was able to drink 1/2 glass; that is very unusual for me because I don't like the alcohol flavor and this wine didn't really have too strong of one. The salesman definitely knew his wine! He also had a candle, but since it was SOOOO windy it wouldn't stay lit. It was the thought that counted though. After we ate, we sat out under the stars with the moon as our light (which was brighter than I thought it would be) and just sat and talked and listened to each other. Wow! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful, romantic and handsome husband ever. I love you honey.

A new discovery

2008-11-02T14:01:00.003-06:00

Look what Trent found today!

Someone's got a new grill!

2008-11-02T13:57:00.002-06:00

Trent was eating a wagon wheel and stuffed the whole thing in at once. It looked like he had a new set of teeth!

Trunk or Treat!

2008-11-02T13:42:00.003-06:00

We went Trunk or Treating at a church in Tulsa with Uncle Chris and Kylan.

A tasty new snack!

2008-10-26T21:58:00.003-05:00

I was changing the batteries in the clock/date/thermometer and Trent was sitting in the kitchen floor playing with the sharpies and pumpkins. I was standing right there watching him scoot closer and closer to the dog food until he made it all the way. He knows exactly where it is and can roll so fast from the living room directly to the dog food. Ok back to the story...he got so excited playing with the food. He scattered it all over the floor and the dogs actually seemed to enjoy the food more after he touched it all and spread it over the floor! Here is a short video of him.

A new way to decorate pumpkins!

2008-10-26T21:52:00.003-05:00

I saw this cute idea last year in a magazine and surprisingly enough remembered to put it to use this year! Mariah wanted to use potato head accessories to decorate pumpkins instead of carving them. They turned out pretty cute too if I do say so myself!

Fall Family Festival

2008-10-26T21:44:00.005-05:00

This weekend was our 2nd Annual Fall Family Festival. We had a lot of fun eating, visting and playing games with family. Here are a few pictures of the event.

Trent loved going down the inflatable slide!

This is Hannah, Mariah and Trent's cousin. The girls were playing with Trent while I tried to gather things up to leave.

A visit to the Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-26T21:25:00.003-05:00

Over the weekend we went to the pumpkin patch with Aunt T and Kylan. We had a lot of fun climbing on the pumpins, feeding the animals and the kids really enjoyed the pony ride. Last year when we went to the pumpkin patch I was pregnant with Trent. I was squatted down feeding the ducks and the goofy thing reached out of the fence and started pecking at me trying to get the food. I tried to get get up but couldn't very fast. I couldn't move quickly because I was 8 months pregnant and my sister got a good laugh at the whole thing! This year we got to carry on the tradition of a funny animal eating story to tell. I was holding Kylan trying to get him to feed a camel. Sissy was holding Trent and trying to get a picture of Kylan feeding the camel and Mariah was holding her feed sack watching us try to get Kylan to feed this thing. She yelps out a big OWWW! A silly little goat stuck his head out of the fence and bit her finger that was holding the feed sack. My sister and I laughed so hard and poor Mariah was crying becuase her finger was red wear the goat bit her! I wonder what will happen next year!

What kind of mother am I?

2008-10-23T22:07:00.003-05:00

I am a flu fighting fool! I surprised Mariah when I picked her up around lunch today. I had to break her heart though when I told her we were all going to get a flu shot. I couldn't tell her in advance because she would get all worked up and worried. Mariah accepted the fact that she had to get a flu shot this year. However, when we were taken back to the exam room they sweet nurse told us that since Mariah and Trent were between the ages of 6 months and 8 years and this was their first flu shot ever, that the two of them have to have a booster in a month! Mariah was devastated after the news. She did so very well and I am very proud of her. She wanted me to go first, then Trent, then Mariah and then Brent. Brent is convinced that the actual flu was injected into us and we will get it! I have told him over and over that it is an inactive strand and it WON'T give us the flu. Yes we can still get it, a different strand of flu than we were injected with, but I think it's always better to be safe than sorry. I especially wanted to be extra precautious with Trent in daycare and Mariah going to school. There are so many things that get spread with little kids running around! Here are pictures of our battle wounds!

A few random pictures...

2008-10-21T19:17:00.002-05:00

Mariah had the dogs snuggle her the other night and I just couldn't resist taking a picture.

Brent is so helpful to feed Trent in the mornings when I am running late for work/school/church.
Nonnie bought Mariah some new clothes during our "Girls Day Out" on Sunday and we had to model them off. We had a lot of fun together. Thanks again for everything Cindy!

Greanleaf here we are...

2008-10-13T21:54:00.000-05:00

And I am not sure I ever want to go hiking again! The trip itself was wonderful; however the chigger bites/blisters all over my body are TERRIBLE! We went with another couple, the Blose's, to Greanleaf State Park. We hiked the harder trail (10 miles) the first day in about 6 hours. It was rough! I don't think anyone has maintained the trail all summer. We hiked through weeds/tree-lets/thorny bushes for more than half of the hike in. If I could have turned back I would have! We saw about 4 armadillos, scared up a buck and Jeff gave a tree frog a ride for a while on his backpack! We made it to our campsite or an area with a place to make a fire and set up two tents! What a relief it was to make it! Before we went to bed we had to empty our backpacks of our food to hang from a tree. I had to bring some food other than dehydrated power bars because I didn't like that kind of stuff and we ended up having around 1o lbs of food! Brent and I filled up a bag just of food alone! The Blose's had a baggie or two of snack foods! We learned our lesson for next time not to bring so much food! Sleeping was DIFFICULT to say the least. It got dark around 7:30 and we were in our tents around 8pm. The tents slightly went downhill to the right and it never really cooled off outside, so it was pretty toasty inside. I woke up about 4 times to tell Brent that it was raining only to have him tell me that it was just the wind and the leaves were falling on the tent not raindrops. We woke up and got around after breakfast and started the hike back in. We went the other way this time (8 miles in 6 hours). It was a little rough at first but then it got much easier. When we were almost back to the car we saw a snake crossing the road. I am glad we saw the snake at the end instead of the beginning of the hike! I would have had a hard time going in otherwise.

(I really have no idea how these pictures are in here. It is really late for me to be uploading pictures.)

Fun at the Fair and Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-08T10:08:00.000-05:00

This was the sweetest thing ever! I was holding Kylan and getting ready to read a book to him when Trent decided to climb in my lap too. The two cousins hugged and Kylan even gave him a sweet little kiss. It was so precious!

Aunt Ashlee holding Trent.
An afternoon at the Pumpkin Patch with family.

Here we are at the Fair.

Mariah was so nice to share her dippin' dots.

I think that is both her and Trent's favorite dessert!
Nonnie and Punkadoodle bought Trent this balloon/yo-yo and he loved it.

Everywhere a nay nay...

2008-10-02T11:37:00.000-05:00

I got my braces off today and I look like a HORSE! These are two really quick pictures that I took by myself (obviously) right after I got them off. I guess it's time to start the road to getting teeth replaced. I am not sure which road I am going down though. I guess time will tell!

Wow! I must have changed batteries recently with the date that is showing on the picture!

Boys Night!

2008-09-22T21:16:00.000-05:00

This is what happens when the boys have a night to themselves. Mariah and I had Girl Scouts tonight and left Brent and Trent at home. I told Brent to feed him some food sometime during the night; usually around 6:00 or 6:30 and to save any leftovers. I told him that we usually shower around 8:00 or 8:30 and for him to try not to put him to sleep before we showered. Here is what I saw when I walked into the house after Girl Scouts around 8:45. Trent had fallen asleep in the floor with his blanket. Brent said he tried holding him and rocking him but it just didn't work. He put him in the floor and Trent was playing with a set of toy keys and next thing he knew Trent was asleep. It was too cute to pass up taking pictures!

An update for Kylan

2008-09-11T16:44:00.000-05:00

Kylan looks at my blog daily to see pictures of his Ri-Ri and Tenty. Sissy has been requesting an update and I don't seem to have much time, but since Trent is home sick we had some down time while he napped. So here you are Kylan...

Here are the men hunting dove.

Here is Trent under the table. He is pretty good a trapping me in the corner while I am trying to cook dinner. He must know how claustrophobic I am

We borrowed Sissy's hiking backpack that she got freecycling. We had to test it out before putting it to use of course.
Poppa holding Trent before the first OSU home game.
Mariah and Trent at dinner time the other night.

Our big 2nd Grader and sleepy head!

2008-08-22T16:37:00.000-05:00

1st day of second grade

Helping mom out with the dishes
Trent started out riding around with Nonnie on the tractor.

He fell asleep while riding.

Here he after we laid him down inside to sleep.

Here he is after waking up. I loved his crazy hair do!

A family weekend at the lake

2008-07-30T16:45:00.000-05:00

We finally had a free weekend to go to the lake. Easter was the last time we were able to go up there. It was a pretty nice weekend except Trent didn't sleep very well and he didn't like his lifejacket. Cindy is such a wonderful Nonnie to let Trent sleep in the playpen in her and Wes' room at the lake. We did get one night of good sleep! Thanks Cindy.

Here is Punkadoodle holding Trent with his new lifejacket.

Trent is playing with Nonnie's bracelets before bedtime.

Trent sacked out Friday night while Nonnie rocked him.

Brent and Trent soaking up some rays on the dock.

Wes and Brent fixed Nanny and Papa's door on their boat dock with the Sea Doo (obviously in the water). They had some fun trying to screw the door back on. They only lost a few screws inthe water. That might be the least amount of tools lost in the water while working at the lake!

Trent would scream his head off until we got to the end of the cove where we could speed up and go fast. He would then go right to sleep.

This was obviously taken after he woke up from a nap on the boat because other wise he wouldn't be this happy wearing his lifejacket!

The two girls had a blast jumping off the dock and swimming all weekend.

Cindy rode with the girls the first time and Brent rode back. If you could have only seen Mariah's face when they went over waves.

Here is Trent after we got back from a boat ride. We were in the dock unloading our stuff is why he doesn't have a lifejacket on.

A day at the Omniplex

2008-07-23T17:16:00.000-05:00

I took a vacation day and we went to the Omniplex. I remember going when I was younger and having a blast and wanted to relive a childhood memory! Sissy, Kylan, Natalie and Kyler went with us. We had so much fun!

Kylan spent the night with us for the first time. We had a blast!

The best kids ever

2008-07-23T17:08:00.000-05:00

Mariah is such a wonderful big sister. They snuggled together for about 15 minutes one morning and they played together for a while with one of Mariah's old toys. I have the best kids ever!Trent is growing into the swing now! He really likes going high and it tickling his belly.

Another Milestone....

2008-07-09T17:35:00.001-05:00

I guess I can say Trent is sitting up. I don't completely feel comfortable walking away while he is sitting up yet, but I am progressing. He will sit there for a long time and then PLOP; down he goes. My little man is growing up. I have also accepted the fact that he says dada, however he is really close to saying mama. Coming home from Tulsa on Father's day weekend he really started talking. It sounded like he was saying dada, mama and ri ri. But he only kept saying dada after that day. Oh well!

Sissy and I were having a contest to see who could catch the first fish at Wes and Cindy's house. Both of us wouldn't touch them once we caught them though. We had mom do it for us!
Missy is such a trooper for her to let us mess with her for our enjoyment. I put one of those squishy and stretchy ball type things on her and it shrunk up while squeezing her eye. We thought it was pretty funny.
Here are the two kiddos the other night before bed. Trent took a visit to mom's barber shop. I thought he got pretty hot with that head full of hair, so I shaved it! Brent isn't a big fan of it, but it will grow back.
Here is my big Girl Scout at camp. She didn't really want to go, but after I told her she didn't have a choice, she enjoyed it.

Here is Mariah and Kylan racing down the slippin' slide and Mariah is winning!

More pictures!

2008-06-02T22:06:00.000-05:00

We went to the Cushing pool over the weekend with the Blose's. Trent didn't like the water one bit. It was a little chilly for the first few seconds then it wasn't too bad. He wouldn't even let me stick his feet in the water. I was holding him in the water and he was almost to relax and maybe even doze off when two little droplets of water touched his belly and side and he was wide awake and crying! Needless to say we sat on a towel on the sidewalk next to the pool.

Is this little guy not the cutest thing you ever did see?

Mariah and Brent went camping in the backyard and when they cleaned up their mess the blankets didn't quite make it to the hall closet. They ended up being Mariah's shelter for bad weather (for pretend) behind the rocking chair. The dogs found it and of course tried to take it over.

Ms. Kayla and Mariah rigged this ride up for Trent. He had to stay moving or he would get upset and want out. Mariah really wanted to get in and try it our herself.

There was actually another bird turned the other way washing off before I could get my camera and flew away when I made it back to take a picture. I saw a bird like this a while back in the tree across the street. It is the most beautiful bird ever. It has a really deep orange belly. Maybe it is Oklahoma State University's official bird?!
For those of you wondering who that is in the baby swing; ponder no longer...it's Mariah! I am not sure how she even got up in the swing but she made it! I don't think she even knows I took her picture in the swing. It might be a great picture to show her boyfriends when she gets older.

My new ride...

2008-05-22T22:09:00.001-05:00

I am determined to get back in shape one way or another! I missed out on riding my bike last year because I was pregnant with Trent. I don't plan on missing out this year though! I rigged up Mariah's half-wheeler to my bike like usual, but then I added Trent's trailer to Mariah. Let me tell ya, it is some kinda long! I have ridden 2.5 miles twice so far and it has been a pretty flat route. Mariah really helps me pedal and I can definitely tell the difference.

On another note...Mariah is now a big 2nd grader! I am so excited but a little sad that my little girl is growing up. I was reminicing about me at that age...I had my first crush and first boyfriend in 1st grade (they weren't the same guy though). In 2nd grade I was holding hands with my boyfriend during class. I can remember sitting on the floor while the teacher was at the chalkboard and we had to hide our hands so we wouldn't get in trouble. Ahhhhhhh! I am going to have to keep a close eye on my little Mariah.

May 20, 2008

2008-05-20T19:32:00.000-05:00

Mimi still has the touch. She got Trent to sleep and they snuggled for a while!
Mimi and Trent
Nana and Trent
Kylan and Trent hanging out at sissy's. They were getting ready for the movers to come the next day for their boxes. They are moving on Wednesday to their new house! Congratulations.
Kylan and Mariah playing baseball with a soccer ball and football helmet this past weekend at sissy's house.

I put some gel in Trent's hair to see what it would look like styled. I think it needs to be cut some more on top!
I thought he looked so cute this morning when he was sleeping. He had his arms and legs all sprawled out.

We went to visit Mimi and Papa this past weekend. It was nice to see them.
Papa Todor and Trent.

Mother's Day 2008

2008-05-15T17:52:00.000-05:00

What a good looking family!
Great Nanny holding Trent.
Great Papa holding Trent.

Mariah and Dewi making erasers last Friday when school was out.
Aunt Keri and Trent
Nonnie giving Trent another haircut; that makes two so far. This one was much bigger than the one I gave him. I only cut the back. He needed the whole thing trimmed.

Aunt Keri and Trent after the haircut.
Trent and his cousin Payton.

Softball

2008-04-29T17:00:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of Mariah's first softball tournament last weekend.

Beautiful Weather

2008-04-23T16:54:00.000-05:00

I am involved in the PTA at Mariah's school (so involved that I stepped up to be VP next school year). Our current President asked if anyone could cut a hole in the plywood board to change it from a wet sponge throwing at the Prinicipal game to a bean bag toss. I offered Brent's services (what a wonderful wife huh?) and she said that she would pick it up to paint it when he is done. I asked what she was going to paint on it. She said she was just going to use some leftover paint and splatter different colors on it. I pictured neon colors from the 80's and volunteered to paint it myself. That is a huge problem since I am not an artist AT ALL! I cheated slightly by printing off some clipart pictures and enlarging them to an 11x17 piece of paper. However, that only gave me the outside to trace and the painting was up to me and the snake was all free handed. The board turned out very well and I am very imressed by my work. If anyone wants me to come and paint a mural on their walls just let me know! Ha ha!
I spy with my little eye.....a Mariah!

Trent was so good the day I painted the board. We were outside all day with Mariah's softball practice and painting the board. He fell asleep in the playpen in the garage. He LOVES it outside.

I know the playpen is not the most masculine colors but it was a hand-me-down and free so I can complain.

An update!

2008-04-17T17:59:00.000-05:00

He didn't like cereal to say the least.

Isn't he so sweet?

Mariah wanted to sleep in this box so, being the very COOL mom that I am, I let her sleep in there not one but two nights!

Trent moved up into an older class at church a few weeks ago. He is now in the 4-7 months class. When Brent and I picked him up Brent asked if I saw where he was. I looked around the room and saw that he was in an excersaucer (or however you spell it). I gasped and said "Oh no!" The nursery worker looked at me kind of worried and asked if he wasn't supposed to be in there. I told her that I was denying the fact that he was getting big enough to be in one of those. Brent said to me "I've been telling you that he is big enough to go in there." I broke down and got the jumparoo and walker down out of the attic. He doesn't care for the walker but LOVES the jumparoo!

After the shower I put him on the bed so I could get dressed and he got so focused on the TV and I thought it was so precious.

Sibling Rivalry

2008-03-29T08:37:00.000-05:00

It has already begun! I was wrapping birthday presents and used up all the paper so the cardboard roll was left. Of course Mariah wanted to play with it and I let her (not seeing that it would be a weapon....yet). I went to start the shower and as I came back in the room I heard Trent cryingn and Mariah was rubbing his leg and trying to quiet and soothe him. I noticed the cardboard roll next to him and assumed the worst. Ususally I am normally wrong when I assume things, but not this time. I asked Mariah if she hit Trent with the roll and she was honest and said she did, but didn't mean to. I asked her to show me how hard she was swinging the roll and she was practically beating the roll as hard as she could on the bed next to Trent and Trent must have moved a little or Mariah's aim wasn't exact and that is how she hit him. I know she didn't mean to but it was pretty funny. It left a big red spot on his leg and I had to get a picture.

Easter 2008

2008-03-29T08:12:00.000-05:00

It was a little cold for fishing to say the least.

The kids had fun box sledding down the hill at the lake.

Mariah and Trent got hats for Easter. I think Trent has a little growing to do.

Goood Morning sleepy head!

I didn't get many pictures at Easter time and I am very bummed. Some how Mariah and all the kids got up Easter morning and opened their Easter baskets without me. I normally like to get them sitting in front of their Easter baskets, but it was too late by the time I heard everyone and got up.

Here is Nonnie rocking Trent to sleep at the lake.
Aren't these so sweet? Look at Trent holding the bottle with one hand and Poppa's arm with the other. Poppa couldn't take the bottle out of Trent's mouth or he would wake up. It was just hanging on the side of his mouth.

Trent's first time to the lake and he slept great in the playpen.

Bye Bye Mullet

2008-03-18T19:59:00.000-05:00

Before

After

I finally broke down and cut his hair. My dream that I had when I was pregnant with him actually came true! I had several dreams about his hair and in each dream his hair was different. I remember one dream where he had brown hair past his shoulders when he was delivered. Little did I know that I actually saw into the future!

Pictures worth saving

2008-03-18T19:51:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures Trent will be so embarrassed about when he is older.

Pusholine

2008-03-18T17:02:00.000-05:00

I came the closest to running out of gas for the very first time today. It was a little embarrassing to say the least. My gas light came on on Sunday (two days ago) and I noticed that my message center said I had approximately 34 miles left until I ran out. I assumed (you know what happens when you do that) that I had plenty of gas to hold me over for the rest of the week considering I only drive 3 miles to and from work each day. WRONG! I planned on going to the gas station on my way home today even though I thought I had plenty of gas and what do you know, I try to accelerate and my car does not do anything. I notice I am going uphill and I try to gun it and see if it picks up...nothing! I start to panic. I coast into the gas station and as I pull up next to the pump my vehicle starts to shake. I quickly turn it off and get out and start pumping gas into it. The pump shuts off after a certain amount (I guess it's because of all those thiefs out there stealing gas or the people who try to use their cards and have no money in their account and get their gas for free). I have pumped 24.2??? gallons in my vehicle when it shuts off and I believe it is a 25 gallon tank! I got back in my vehicle and started it back up. It must have been completely dry because it was still shaking. I started to panic some more thinking I really messed it up. As I pumped the gas pedal hoping it would rush some gas to the engine it started feeling normal. Whew! What an experience. Next time my message center says I am low on gas I will go straight to the gas station.

March 2008

2008-03-16T13:29:00.000-05:00

He looks like such a big boy with the new shoes Aunt T got him!

Isn't that the most precious thing you ever did see?

Mariah is celebrating her birthday at school. The kids closest to her are her candles and the one's on the outside are her cake. They spin in different directions while singing Happy Birthday to her. She loved it!

Can you see the problem below? The bakery lady must have had a rough day!

Oh the wonderful days of sponge curlers!

We love to play dress up with our puppies. They don't like it too much though. We usually have to pin them down and quickly capture a picture!

Mike, my old boss, found this beautiful hairnet and thought of me!

March 2008

2008-03-12T17:43:00.001-05:00

Trent tried out the swing for the first time today. I think he has a little growing to do!

When I came home for lunch today I found the dogs sun bathing and had to sneak outside without them hearing me to take pictures. I had to stay inside the screened-in porch or the door would have blown my cover!

Trent has discovered his tongue! He makes some of the funniest faces.

We got some new pets in our household. They are a new breed. We named them Moodle and Doodle. Actually the girls locked themselves in there on accident and couldn't get out!

Look at that mullet!

Here is Mariah's batboy for her softball team. He's showing off his chest with the snap un-done.

2008-02-28T09:50:00.000-06:00

Here is a fun picture that all of the people working at the stadium took on the football field. I think it was the middle of October when we took it. I was attempting the Heisman pose, but I got it backwards! I am such a dork!

2008-02-27T20:41:00.000-06:00

Mariah is such a proud big sister!

2008-02-27T20:39:00.000-06:00

We had to test out the bicycle trailer and make sure it would work when the weather gets warmer.

2008-02-27T20:38:00.000-06:00

Our two snuggle-puppies!

2008-02-27T20:36:00.000-06:00

Mariah was EXHAUSTED coming home from Tulsa.

2008-02-27T20:33:00.001-06:00

Trent tried out the bumbo chair for the first time and thought it was pretty neat. I am not sure if it ranks as high as the boppy though!

2008-02-27T20:30:00.001-06:00

Mariah started Girl Scouts this year and is really enjoying it. She just got done helping me sort the cookies she sold and was creating things with the many empty boxes.

Big Boy PJ's

2008-02-27T20:24:00.000-06:00

Trent got some new big boy pj's and he looks so snuggly in them.