The Pogue Weekly Times

My interests

2010-03-09T09:47:00.004-06:00

Aaron's new blog, Unstressed Syllables, is amazing. His descriptions and stories make writing easy and fun. Not only is the instruction helpful but the weekly writing excercises are great for practicing and honing your writing skills.

Last Monday, Aaron posed an exercise to make a list of your favorite Interesting Things and write about them. Here are mine (in no particular order), hope you find them interesting too.

1. Art and art history
I am sorry to say that I wasted the first 19 years of my life. That's how I see my life before I was introduced to the wonderful world of art. College opened my eyes to the world. Well, college and my highly educated and constantly reading everything husband who taught me to think and study for myself. I love art and art history so much I was willing to continue art education into graduate work. Unfortunately I wasn't able to complete the work.

Why do I love art so much? I'll give you an excessable example: the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, painted in the 16th century. This painting has amazed and astounded people for centuries. Who is the woman portrayed? Where is the setting of the painting? And of coarse, what's with the smile?

The study of art and art history attempts to answer these questions and more. The answers bring more life, interest and passion to the work. It's not just a painting of a woman in a window. I don't want to give anything away. You'll have to find out for yourselves.

2. Scrapbooking
This is also an interest that I picked up in college. I went to my first scrapbook party that my friend Amberly had at her house. They showed us how to use stickers, paper, and adhesives (that's technical talk for tape or glue). Since that first meeting my scrapbooking skills have improved dramatically. I spend hours looking through magazines for the perfect layout and embellishments that satisfy my strict preferences.

Me and a friend, Rebecca, started a monthly get together to scrapbook. These groups are called crops, a photography term meaning to cut or crop pictures. Scrapbooking is definitely a social hobby. Crops usually last for 6 hours but can be an entire weekend. I love sharing ideas and materials with fellow scrappers. It may take longer because of the visiting and eating but crops are more fun than doing it alone.

More than socializing or a creative outlet, scrapbooking is a wonderful way to preserve memories of family and friends. Every time I sit down to create a masterpiece, I think about my children and grand children looking at the pages I created. It is truly my legacy.

3. Sewing
My mother taught me to sew when I was in the 7th grade. We used an ancient machine that her mother used. She taught me to use patterns, how to cut fabric, how to make button holes and put in zippers. I may not have liked it then, but looking back on that time makes me happy and gives me those warm fuzzies.

A few years ago, my mom gave me a bag of zippers and thread and many patterns that grandma used a long time ago. I love looking at those patterns and thinking about my mom wearing the sweet dresses that my grandma must have sewn for her. When ever I sit down at my sewing machine I'm thankful that I have a mom who could pass on the skill and that her mother taught her and that I will one day show my daughter.

Sewing is a wonderful creative outlet. There are so many patterns available at craft and fabric stores. I love making things for others and to see the astonishment on their faces when they realize that I made it. Sometimes I have to take a break from making gifts and make something for myself. It's just too wonderful to give so I will always sew and give.

4. Teaching
From a very young age I thought teaching was going to be my destiny. After years of avoiding and resisting, I gave up. I am a teacher. That's what I do and I do it well. It's easy to teach kids, they soak up everything but adults are hard to entertain.

During my education, I was able to present some of my papers in class. Those were undergrads so they weren't to interested but my fellow grad students thought I did great and I got an A so the prof thought I did well too. I would love to have that opportunity again.

I really enjoy introducing scrapping to people. When I worked at a scrapbook store I had a lot of opportunities to show friends the latest scrapbooking tools, embellishments and products. I enjoy seeing my friend's delight when they learn some new scrap technique. It looks so hard in the magazines, but it's not!

I haven't had an opportunity to teach anyone sewing but I have a daughter. And I am willing to teach anyone who wants to learn. Which brings me to my final interest.

5. Learning/reading
Of coarse in highschool, like everyone else, I hated learning . But when I got to college I began to understand that learning doesn't have to be boring especially when the topic is interesting to me. After college I began, for the first time, to read and study on my own. I developed a love for reading and books.

During grad school I wanted all the books on art I could find. And those are expensive! I loved going to B&N and spent hours looking at art plates and reading about history. I always kept art books from the library way too long.

I read scrapbook and sewing magazines and books. I also check out tons of kids books and recently rediscovered kids audio books. They are great and keep my 3 year old entertained for a while. I hope that I can instill a love for learning and books in my children.

I can't forget how much I adore my husband's writing. I am so amazed and delighted at his gift. One of my life goals is to read everything he's ever written. I've got a good start but it's hard to keep up with him. He's a machine!

Those are my top 5 interests, I think. There are so many things that I love: photography, music, watching tv, and the list goes on. Maybe I'll do another list. Thanks for the assignment, Aaron.

Annabelle is almost 3!

2010-02-10T08:37:00.003-06:00

Can you believe how big she is?! Her party is going to be awesome!

Xander's 4 month photo shoot

2010-01-15T22:56:00.003-06:00

Annabelle's first hair cut.

2009-12-30T12:40:00.003-06:00

Over the last few weeks, Annabelle's hair has been annoying her and us. She gets food in it and it tangles easily. So this morning after her bath I got out the scissors and comb and this is the result. Afterward, Annabelle ran to the mirror and said, "I'm Sophy!". She looks a lot like her cousin. Her new haircut is super cute and I'm glad we finally did it. I did keep a lock of the hair for her scrapbook. This pic is sooo adorable!

Cute Christmas pics

2009-12-10T22:09:00.003-06:00

Grammy got Xander this adorable outfit for Christmas and we got Annabelle's dress at J.C. Penny. They are so cute. I love how Annabelle tries to hold the baby's hand. Xander likes to look up at the ceiling fan. He just smiles and nearly laughs. I call it his little fan friend.

Xander 5 and 6 weeks

2009-11-06T17:05:00.002-06:00

5 weeks-Aren't they so sweet when they sleep. And it's so peaceful. I wish I could sleep that deeply.

6 weeks- What a big yawn! Vicki Graham sent us this onesie. Isn't it cute? Thanks, Vic!

Fall Leaves

2009-11-06T16:56:00.003-06:00

I love watching Annabelle play in the fall leaves. We have a huge oak tree in the back yard and the amount of leaves that drop from it's branches are incalculable! I usually rake them up several times before I get them all cleaned up. It's great seeing AB pile them up and jump in them. She buries herself and hides in them. It's pretty cute. She loves it too. And she doesn't get too dirty.

Village Fun Fair

2009-11-06T16:37:00.004-06:00

Annabelle rode a pony. She did great. I can't wait to ride beside her some day.

Shannon took her girls up this big inflatable slide. Annabelle wanted to go too. I took her up last year and it was hard. So Shannon took her this year. Thanks Auntie Shannon!

This fair is at a park near my home every year. It's got several inflatable rides for kids. We bought a wrist band and the kids can ride them as much as they want. They also have a train and ponies to ride. There is a small stage with dancers, karate demonstrations and an auction. Annabelle and I stayed nearly the entire time, from 10-4. It is so much fun, I look forward to it every year. I can't wait to take Xander too.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-11-05T20:16:00.002-06:00

Sophy and Lola wait for their mom to come back to the car. She went into the Dollar Tree to get some sun glasses.

Annabelle played Pick Pack Pumpkins (Tic Tac Toe)

A cute little pumpkin house. Smile girls.

Playing with Friends

2009-11-05T19:04:00.004-06:00

Emilie and Maddy come over on Monday to visit and play. We played outside a little and Annabelle read a book to Maddy. It was pretty cute.

Nicki and Jason came over Thursday. Nicki brought chicken and dumplings. They were delicious. We went outside. Annabelle played in the leaves and Jason enjoyed the swing and trying to pet Carmine.

It was so nice to have company this week. It made the week pretty busy but fun. Thanks for coming over!

Aunt Shannon

2009-11-02T16:39:00.002-06:00

Haysville Fall Festival

2009-11-02T16:29:00.002-06:00

House of Hope/MITI parade float

Uncle Matt and Annabelle

Annabelle riding the carousel

Annabelle riding the space train

Annabelle and Papa riding the twirling cups

With Daddy

2009-11-02T16:05:00.002-06:00

My guys. So cute.

Family!

2009-11-02T15:44:00.001-06:00

Aunt Heather

Poppy

Grammy

Annabelle's Halloween Costume

2009-10-28T15:02:00.004-05:00

Mom did most of the sewing on this. She got most of it done in 1 day. She did a great job.

Annabelle tries to stand still so Nana can check the size and length.

Annabelle is a beautiful Renaissance Princess. Thanks for the help, Mom!

Brother and Sister

2009-10-28T14:42:00.004-05:00

Daddy, Annabelle, and Xander

A Sweet Kiss

Aww, this is so cute. They're both smiling.

Baby shower

2009-10-28T13:11:00.003-05:00

September 13th. Baby Shower for Alexander Lewis Pogue
At the home of Shannon Iverson

Cake made by Shannon Iverson

Watermelon Baby buggy made by Rebecca Campbell

Hostesses: (from right to left) Emilie Gordon, Dianna Huddleston, Me, Rebecca Cambell, Shannon Iverson, Nicki Austin, Rosemary Bartel

Thank you all for a wonderful shower. The food, games, gifts and company was perfect. Thanks also for being such great friends.

A Dedication

2009-10-05T17:27:00.003-05:00

For many years, I prayed for my future children. God heard me and gave me what I asked for. Now, I willingly and entirely give my children back to Him. I will continue to thank and praise Him for giving such wonderful gifts to me.

"I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there." I Samuel 1:27-28

Grammy, Poppy, and Aunt Heather

2009-10-03T17:26:00.002-05:00

So, Grammy, Poppy and Aunt Heather came to visit the new baby. On Satrudady night I lost my camera and subsequently, all the pics I had taken of them with Xander. I can not tell you how angry and frustrated I am with myself for misplacing the camera and at the camera for being lost. This is the only pic I have from the weekend. I keep praying that God will reveal the camera's hiding place and I will be relieved soon. In the meantime, I'm sorry to Poppy and Heather. I will post the pics when they are found.

Some more pics of Xander

2009-10-03T13:41:00.004-05:00

The Austins
Aunt Shannon

Nicki and Gwyn and Simon

Daddy!

Nana and Papa

A short video

2009-09-19T09:03:00.002-05:00

A short video from Emilie. Thanks M, that's adorable!

Baby Xander is here!

2009-09-18T16:32:00.002-05:00

Aww. What a cute baby!

The big sister and her daddy.

So sweet!

Getting his bath. So cold.

Fantastic Photo Shoot from Julie

2009-09-03T16:50:00.004-05:00

Pics of our happy family.

Trish and Aaron, married couple for 10 years!

Sweet Annabelle, 2 years and 6 months.

My handsome husband.

One hot mama.

Thanks to Julie for the great photo session. To find out more about Julie check out her blog: The Photographic Pursuits of Julie V.

Love this Blog!

2009-09-03T16:42:00.002-05:00

This is a great blog that everyone should follow. Called Calico, it follows the passions of a Mom, Wife, Creator/Designer and all around Renaissance Woman! I encourage you to take some time and look through the present posts and older posts. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Annabelle's new coat

2009-09-02T16:28:00.002-05:00

So cute! It's a 3T so I hope she doesn't grow too much before the cold weather, it fits perfect. There's a little room in the arm for growth. I got it at the Just Between Friends Sale. I can't wait to take her in the cold weather to try it out. But I'm enjoying the fall weather now. I will wait.

A Christmas Carol Train Tour

2009-08-23T17:23:00.003-05:00

This morning we went downtown to the Sante Fe Train Station. We saw a long train that travels around the country promoting the new Disney movie A Christmas Carol. The movie will be released in November in 3D. We saw costumes, scale models, movie shorts about how the film was made and even got to make a strange morph of my face to look like tiny Tim. I think the adults had more fun than the kids but the kids got to get on a train and they liked that. We saw a movie trailor for the movie hence the 3D glasses. The girls looked cool in the glasses but didn't really like the effect. The movie looks pretty good. I hope I get to see it in 3D at the theatre.

Lola's Birthday-a little late

2009-08-22T21:30:00.002-05:00

Lola had a tea party for her birthday. All the girls dressed up, had little treats, and sipped flavored tea. It was all very proper. They were sweet.

Dianna's Birthday

2009-08-03T15:19:00.004-05:00

Friday, July 31st.
A fun bus ride that was supposed to be a trolley ride.
Lunch at the Guthrie train station, very picturesque.

Playing wit Uncle Dan

2009-08-03T15:07:00.002-05:00

Whenever Uncle Dan sits on the floor, Annabelle takes it as an invitation to crawl all over him. She pulls his hair, kicks him, and mightily abuses him. Yet, he continues to sit on the floor. We try to tell her not to hit, kick, or anything else but it's just too much fun. Unfortunately, we laugh and it just encourages her behavior. After her abuses, Xander's will be easy going. It is cute to see how sweet an Uncle he is to her. She is a blessed little girl!

Enjoy the Vue

2009-07-16T12:39:00.003-05:00

2008 Saturn Vue

It's so much bigger than the car! I can't believe how much room there is in the back seat and the trunk. It's great. It's kind of "sporty" looking. I can't wait to show you all our new addition.

Annabelle's first sparkler

2009-07-06T17:02:00.003-05:00

This was Annabelle's first time to experience fire works. We went to visit with my parents and family. For the last few years we have stayed home to celebrate a friends birthday, before that we went to Branson for a Pogue family gathering. I think it had been about 8 years since we had been with my family for Independence Day. So, anyway, a few people in my family go nuts for fireworks and in Kansas you can shoot off fireworks for the entire week leading up to the 4th. We sat in the front yard and watched as my neices and nephews shot off fireworks. The kids played with the sparklers. Annabelle really enjoyed the sparklers. There was no injury, just great fun. Hope you all had a great July 4th and remember how blessed we all are to live here!

Another great photo

2009-07-06T16:55:00.004-05:00

Today we went to the zoo with some friends. Inside the pachyderm building, we visited the butterfly enclosure. The butterflies were going crazy and landed on me and Annabelle. It was sweet. It was very difficult to get a good photo as they would land and fly off without informing me of their plans. I was able to get a few but this was the best one. I think it looked better in photoshop, I'm hoping it prints well though. Here is Annabelle with a beautiful monarch on her head.

Annabelle's New Bed

2009-07-01T07:35:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, my little baby got her first twin sized big girl bed. Miss Teresa brought us a beautiful day bed from Texas. Kris and Aaron set it up and helped with the mattress cover and sheets. Annabelle climbed right up and cuddled under her blanket. At bedtime, there was no question where she wanted to sleep. We had a talk about not having any accidents in her new bed. And when she needed to go potty she came and got me. She's growing up so fast; it's a good thing we have another little one coming soon. I can feel him kicking as I write this post. Time flies, I'm sure Xander will be 2 before I can blink. I can't wait to meet him.

An evening in the park

2009-06-28T22:27:00.005-05:00

Finally had a bit of a cold front so we had to get out. We went to Hafer Park Sunday evening. Some of our friends from church met us there. We ate dinner, fed the geese, and played at the playground. Annabelle had a great time climbing on all the different ladders. She is fearless! She tries things that I would never try. I pray that the weather continues to be cooler. The heat is too uncomfortable for me. I need to get a small pool for us to play in.

Painting!

2009-06-28T22:12:00.003-05:00

We always have so much fun when I get the paint out. Annabelle would paint everyday if I let her but she likes to put paint on her head. I must admit that it's cute but I don't want it to get on the carpet.....again. I have 2 yellow paint stains on my carpet in the dinning room. I didn't actually see her paint her head but she did a pretty good job. Annabelle is very creative, I'm going to end up with boxes upon boxes of her artwork. I love these pics of her with the paint on her head. Her eyes are so beautiful! I am so excited to see who she becomes.

School time

2009-06-28T21:58:00.003-05:00

Annabelle has known her alphabet for about 8 months now, so I finally started working on recognizing those letters. We started with the letter A, big and small. We have books for each letter of the alphabet, we colored and painted pictures that start with the letter A, and cut and glue pictures to paper. Annabelle recognizes letters everywhere. She asks "Mommy, what does that spell?" We look at the letters and I help her sound it out. She is so smart! After she can recognize the letters and their sounds we will work on numbers. I am so happy that she loves learning and having school.

One LONG trip

2009-06-10T08:35:00.004-05:00

Last Friday, Annabelle and I headed down to Dallas for a family-fun-filled weekend. After lunch with Aunt Darla and her kiddos, she took me to an awesome thrift store. The store was filled with clothes in every size and color, neatly organized on racks. We spent more than an hour looking through all the baby, toddler, and young men's clothes. I got a bag full for $20. I will definitely go back next time. That night we watched Aunt Darla and Uncle Ja-Ja pulverize another team in a volleyball match.

Saturday morning came after a long night of getting kicked and squashed by my daughter. We headed out early for a boring drive to Houston. When we arrived at the zoo, it was HOT and I was starving. We ate lunch at the zoo cafe and went to look around. I love visiting other zoos and seeing all the different exhibits and animals. There was a cool aquarium that has a tunnel for kids to go through. Darla took some great photos of the kids crawling through the fish. There was this little monkey type creature but it had this voodoo shrunken head. It was creepy! We spent some time at the children's area, Annabelle played while I sat. Did I say it was HOT?!

The true reason for the visit was to celebrate Aunt Wilene's 40th Birthday. We had fun watching her her open presents and put on silly hat and glasses. After that long, hot day we went to a hotel for the night. The kids swam in the pool, ate dinner, and crashed.

Sunday morning we headed back to Grandma's house. We had a nice quiet relaxing evening at church and with Aunt Darla and Hanna. Monday morning we got up and headed home. I stopped in Gainsville at the outlet mall. Annabelle played for a while on the playground while we waited for the Osh Kosh store to open. I got some amazing deals on some summer play clothes for Xander.

We had a great time with family this weekend. Thanks to all for your generocity and loving spirit!

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-26T21:52:00.003-05:00

We headed to Shannon's for a bar-b-que and back yard fun.

Outdoor fun

2009-05-16T08:47:00.004-05:00

Finally the weather is nice enough to go outside. It still rains at night leaving the ground wet and muddy but we just have to get out. Annabelle still loves the airplane swing; I'm sure the new baby will too. Because of the rain there are tons of interesting bugs to look at. And Annabelle finds them all. She says, "Yucky, bugs.". But they're still interesting. We recently bought a slide from Aunt Shannon. Annabelle's almost too big for it but I'm sure she'll be sliding for a few more years. The last picture is Annabelle riding a Winnie the Pooh truck that she got for her first birthday from Nana and Papa. I need to put new batteries in it so it will light up and play music but it takes a lot of batteries. Going outside is great, we play, smell flowers and watch the local wildlife. Hope we get to go out more. Rain, rain go away, come again another day!

19 Weeks

2009-05-16T08:06:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, Aaron picked me and Annabelle up and took us to get our midterm ultrasound. I had such a good time looking at the little miracle with my family. Annabelle did pretty well. She watched the monitor for a little bit then she kept Aaron busy. Kacey did a great job finding all the important stuff, legs, arms, spine, and cerebellum. She also showed us the umbilical cord, which was kind of all over. When we finally saw the sex I knew right away what I was looking at. She asked if I could tell what it was and I said "I see some extra stuff down there." I was right. I think we were a little relieved and very happy to find out. We called many people when we left and had some celebratory frozen custard at Freddie's. May the preparations begin!

P.S. Don't you like my new hair cut?! It's the first cut I've liked in years.

It's a Boy!

2009-05-15T18:03:00.003-05:00

Pogue Grandkids

2009-04-16T14:47:00.002-05:00

When we were in Little Rock for Easter, Grandad wanted all his Great-Grandkids to get their pictures done. Sherry arranged for us to go to Portrait Innovations on Saturday morning. I was sure it would be a circus ending in disaster. However, the children were great, they behaved and took some great pictures. Sherry ordered tons of pictures and passed them all out. We got some great ones of Annabelle. I will be handing those out when I see you. She is so big now, she is even wearing some 3T clothes. I can't believe how big all the kids are getting. But we will have to get another picture when the new baby comes. I guess we could just photoshop him in. (We don't know the sex of the baby yet, so don't ask.)

Cool photo

2009-04-13T10:51:00.002-05:00

This weekend we headed to Little Rock. Sherry always pretty flowers in the spring and I thought it would be cool to photograph them. Unfortunately, the deer had eaten most of the tulip petals off the tulips. But there were 3 left. This picture is amazing. I haven't done any editing! I think it's pretty cool how it turned out. I'm pretty impressed with myself and my $100 camera!

Dinosaurs at the Zoo!

2009-04-13T10:27:00.002-05:00

We headed to the Zoo to check out the cool dinosaur exhibit. Each dino is on a motion sensor and when you get close to them they open their mouths in a ferocious roar, open and shut their eyes and move their tails. It's a pretty cool exhibit but the kids were a little unsure about if the dinosaurs were alive or not. I thought the exhibit was pretty cool but the kids liked the sand box at the end the best. This was an exhausting day and the kids were asleep before even getting lunch! The dinos are only at the Zoo for a few more weeks. Hope you get a chance to go and see the cool exhibit.

Aaron's Daughter!

2009-04-06T08:19:00.003-05:00

Look how cute Annabelle is acting like a grown up person. She loves to play games on everyone's laptop. She even got a pretty pink one for her birthday from Nana and Papa. Her favorite thing to do on the computer is turn it off. Unfortunately she doesn't know how to log out she just pushes the power button and everything shuts off. It can be a nuisance; always back up your documents! It's interesting to think about Annabelle growing up with laptops, iPhones, and page-less books! So cool.

Easter is in the air!

2009-04-02T17:21:00.003-05:00

My mom gave me some great Easter curriculum and we have had a great time playing with it. The other day we decorated a paper egg with tissue paper, markers, and stickers. I proudly put Annabelle's masterpiece on the fridge for all to see. Today we made this beautiful bunny crown. Annabelle helped me glue; she loves to glue! It's great to see her strut around the house wearing the sweet and simple little craft. She also colored a bunny and glued different colored eggs to a paper basket. Thanks mom for all the great ideas!

Snow Day

2009-03-31T12:27:00.003-05:00

Our first snow storm of the winter season happened in March. Earlier this year, Rebecca and I went to a crop and did a scrapbook page with a winter theme. I was so excited that we were going to get snow so that we could play outside and I could use the scrapbook page that I did at the crop. So, Saturday after lunch we went out to play in the snow. We had lots of fun throwing snow balls and chasing each other around the yard.

Green-O-Mite!

2009-03-27T17:48:00.002-05:00

For her birthday, Grammy got Annabelle some new things to play with in the bath tub. She got some bath tub crayons and some green and purple foam. She loves to play with the foam. The green foam turns the water green, it's strange. She also loves to play with the crayons but our tub is old and the shiny gloss has rubbed off. This makes it hard to get the crayon off the tub. I used an entire Magic Eraser to get it all off. Annabelle really enjoys bath time. Thanks Grammy and Poppy!

Oklahoma Science Museum

2009-03-26T15:48:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday, the 21st, my parents, Annabelle, I and Shannon's family went to the Oklahoma Science Museum. We got the big family membership which is way worth it. There is so much to do and see there. It was great letting Annabelle touch whatever she wanted. She led us around pretty quickly from one thing to the next. I didn't have time to read any informative plaque. We saw a dinosaur, felt an earth quake, went through a hall of mirrors, fed a dragon, flew a plane, did gymnastics and looked at cool space stuff. The museum is so big that we didn't get to see everything. There is a huge 2 story slide in the middle of a treehouse that we didn't get a chance to play on as well as the experiment show and planetarium. But that just leaves us plenty to do next time. Though Annabelle doesn't understand all the technical stuff behind the experiments, she will learn that there is science behind everday things. I hope that we can instill a curiosity in her that will inspire her all through her life.

Funny Face!

2009-03-19T10:48:00.004-05:00

So adorable!

2009-03-19T10:48:00.001-05:00

Jumpin"

2009-03-19T10:28:00.002-05:00

10th Wedding Anniversary

2009-03-16T11:01:00.004-05:00

On a whim we decided to head to Dallas for a special anniversary dinner at Texas de Brazil. I made reservations online and confirmed through email, it was great. We had a fantastic meal; they have a wonderful salad bar with the best quality food and some exotic things too. Their signature lobster bisque is rich and creamy. I tried all of the different cheese with tomato or on toasted bread. Now for the meat. When we were ready to have some meat, we turned a disk to the green side and waited for the waiters to bring it to us. There was top sirloin, filet mignon, bacon wrapped chicken and pork, pork tenderloin, lamb chops and much more! The meat is cooked over an open flame on long skewers that look like short swords. I thought it was a great set up because then I could try whatever I wanted. After I had the sirloin I just had more of that. We were only there for about an hour and a half because once we started eating we didn't talk at all. The food was so delicious all we could say was "yumm" and "did you try that?". After all that food, I still wanted a desert. I had a piece of the chocolate mousse cake. It is 5 layers with cake, white chocolate mousse, cake, milk chocolate mousse, then cake and of coarse a rich, thick chocolate icing. We really had a great time. I would love to share this dining experience with you all!

Sesame Street Live!

2009-03-08T21:32:00.002-05:00

When I heard that SSL was coming to Oklahoma City, I knew that we had to go see it. We had a great time. There was up beat music, singing, complicated dance moves, a cool story and all of the best known Sesame Street characters. Annabelle sat for a while just staring a the stage. Eventually she got up and danced and pointed and smiled. I am so glad that I got to share this opportunity with her. I must admit that I got a little choked up about the whole experience. I know she's too young to remember but I hope she can look back on the pictures and the program and feel special that we could take her to such a special program.

Painting

2009-03-05T15:46:00.002-06:00

When I paint, my little artist comes around asking for brushes and canvas and paint. If you know me, and most of you do, you know that I don't particularly like cleaning up after big messes. Poor Annabelle has to go to the baby sitters just to play in the mud. Well, I decided the best place for her to nurture her creativity and keep my house free of finger paint was to take it outside. And it just so happens that Annabelle loves being outside. I took her painting easel, paints, brushes and paper to the back porch and let her go at it. We had fun making shapes, mixing colors and getting our hands dirty. After the painting was over, I immediately put Annabelle in the bath tub. She had a great time and wants to paint everytime we go outside. I will cherish these first paintings forever!

Elmo Live!

2009-03-05T09:22:00.005-06:00

Yesterday, Uncle Dan brought over one last birthday present for Annabelle. We opened the box and it was a robotic Elmo. Dad couldn't get him out of the box fast enough for Annabelle. Finally, the 20" Elmo was standing before the starry eyed little girl. This little robot truly looks and behaves like a person: press a button on his tummy and he dances, the button on his foot makes Elmo tell stories, another button on his back makes him have an itchy back that must be scratched! He does many other things like sneeze, hug, and declare his friendship and love for Annabelle. This little guy is truly amazing, it made us wonder what toys will be like in the future. Check out this video to see Annabelle's first encounter with this life-long friend.

Birthdays

2009-02-23T09:46:00.003-06:00

Why do birthdays get longer and longer? This year Annabelle got her first present the day before her actual birthday. We had a fun church party with cupcakes on her birthday but didn't have her party until Saturday, 3 days after the actual day. I spent all week preparing presents, making arrangements and making cupcakes. And it's NOT over. This weekend we are going to see Nana and Papa and she will have another birthday party. She's still getting gifts from friends at church and family. These things are getting way out of hand! Well, she is officially 2 now. Thanks to all who participated in her birthday you made it great! Now lets get back to normal.

Big Slide, Little Girl

2009-02-19T17:14:00.003-06:00

I went down with her a few times so she could get used to the twirly fun. She loves this slide now. And though she can do it on her own, she still wants me to follow her down.

Zoo Time

2009-02-19T17:01:00.002-06:00

With all the great weather we've been having, we decided to go to the zoo. We had so much fun walking around and posing the kids on the different statues. Usually the statues are really hot because of the summer sun shining down on the bronzes. Look how cute the girls are on the different lions. Sophy is on the biggest, Annabelle is on the middle sized one and Lola is on the baby cub. We also saw a baby rhino that was perfect for them all to sit on. It was a fun day and I can't wait to go back.

Looking Good

2009-02-06T15:23:00.004-06:00

So, we have the kitchen mostly put back together. Tuesday night Aaron painted the island and Thursday night he put the doors on the cabinets. The island and the cabinets above look great. Wednesday I finished painting the window and put up the glass on the light fixtures. It's truly amazing how great it looks and how little time it took to get to this stage. (But whole lot of effort). Today Emilie and Maddy came over to see the work. There is still some touching up to do and some organizing but that's easy and rewarding. I'm so glad we finally did this. The window between the kitchen and the living room opens up the space and breaks up the long, boring wall. I appreciate all the hard work that Matt, his family and Aaron have done to make this kitchen exactly what I wanted.

A crazy weekend with my brother

2009-02-02T11:51:00.006-06:00

When ever my brother comes to visit me, it's to do major renovations on one of our houses. Well, this weekend was no different. For nearly 4 years I have wanted a window between the kitchen and living room. It only took Matt a few hours Friday night to make my dream a reality. It was amazing!

Friday night: Matt and Aaron removed the trim and upper cabinets over the sink.

Saturday: Aaron and Kris took care of some old poorly done wiring and Matt framed the window and put the upper cabinets on the opposite wall.

Sunday: Matt finished framing the window and built the island, Aaron removed the old wall heater from the bathroom and mudded it.

For more details check out Aaron's blog. I'll post completed pics soon. Stay tuned.

Annabelle loved having her cousins to play with, especially Hanna. I am so blessed to have a family who will sacrifice a weekend to work on my kitchen. This is what the kids did all weekend:

Thank you Matt, Amy, Owen, Sloan, and Hanna!

Snow Day

2009-01-28T15:21:00.003-06:00

We woke up Tuesday morning and there was 2" or so of ice on the ground outside. All the schools were closed and many businesses too. I was trying to keep Annabelle busy and thought we should make a tent. I asked Aaron to help with the engineering of the tent. He had a great tent with two tables, a sheet and a piece of wood. It was perfect and best of all Annabelle loved it. She wanted her daddy to play with her in so Aaron was in the tent most of the morning. Even Carmine got in on the action. It was really cute watching Annabelle put her bears and other toys in the tent. She enjoyed pretending bed time too. It feels me with joy to watch Annabelle and her daddy play. With these pictures, she can remember that day forever.

Out with the old, in with the new.

2009-01-22T08:03:00.004-06:00

When we moved into our house in OKC, we got this side by side fridge for "free". It was old, dingy and the ice machine didn't work. Eventually the handle broke and Aaron spent hours and a good amount of money trying to fix the water line to the ice maker. It has been 3 years of head aches and frustration. Well, Tuesday morning I was getting some ice from the freezer and I noticed that there was condensation on the ice bucket. I listened for the sound that old freezers make and there was nothing. The fridge was also off. I called Aaron and we decided to replace it.
After choosing a model at Lowe's we were fortunate to get it delivered early Thursday morning. Unfortunately, they were not able to hook up the water because the fitting wouldn't make a tight conection. Friday, a plumber is coming to attach the right fitting and get it hooked up correctly. After all this frustration, it will all work ok and we will enjoy filtered water and instant ice for a long time!

Kids do the darndest things

2009-01-12T10:01:00.004-06:00

Friday night we went to the Gordon's house for some fellowship and funny Riff Trax. We watched Star Wars, Episode 3 and listened to the cast of MST3K make fun of it. If you are interested in hearing some samples click on this link: Riff Trax. I highly recommend it if you want to laugh. So while we were watching, talking, and eating, the girls were playing. Maddy played with her toys and Annabelle played with the cat's toys. Emilie got these pictures of Annabelle trying to fit into the cat's little tent thingy. It was one of those classic kid moments and I'm glad she got some pics. Those will come in handy when Annabelle's dating! And don't forget those Senior montages that schools and churches like to do.
Thanks Bruce and Emilie!

New Year's Eve and Night

2009-01-10T20:45:00.002-06:00

Wednesday night Shannon invited us all to her place for New Years Eve. Alan and Sherry came to our house that afternoon so they went with us to Shannon's. Shannon's in-laws were also there. We had the usual snacks, chips and queso and delicious drinks. We spent some time playing Rock Band with Jeff's new XBox. I really love singing Kareoke and playing the guitare on easy!

New Year's Day we had lunch with lots of friends at P. F. Chang's. We sent Annabelle home for a nap then Sherry and I headed to Walmart.

Dinner time came and we headed back to Shannon's. We took two big pots of chili for dinner. Kris and Nicki came too. Afterward we tried to play Partini, a new party game. Unfortunately, most of the group were not enthusiastic about party games. So it wasn't much of a success. I will have to save it for my family and church friends.

This New Year's was different than any other. It wasn't exciting and my expectations of what New Year's is supposed to be went unfulfilled, to say the least.

Resolutions:
Loose weight , like always
Read more
Stop being let down by expectations, weather reasonable or not
Listen more closely to God

I'd love to hear what you are planning for 2009. Email me or leave a comment. If you need any encouragement this year, let me know, I'm a good listener and a firm believer in the power of prayer!

Sweet

2008-12-28T16:41:00.005-06:00

We tried taking some Christmas pictures at our house. I'm glad we didn't go to a studio because Annabelle would not cooperate. She didn't want to sit on her daddy's lap or even sit on her own chair. We ended up bribing her with candy. We still didn't get a great picture. I'm beginning to rethink her 2 year picture shoot too. We did get this cute picture of AB and her daddy and this other picture of AB looking at Twas the Night Before Christmas from Rosemary.

Santa Claus

2008-12-17T22:04:00.001-06:00

Christmas is nearly here and I kept forgetting to take Annabelle to visit Santa. So I decided that Wednesday was the day. We headed over to the mall around 11 and didn't have to wait in line at all! It was great. We talked to Santa for a few minutes trying to get Annabelle comfortable with Santa. In the end I sat next to him in the huge red chair and had Annabelle up on my lap. She was so cute in her sweet red Christmas dress. We got a great holiday coloring book and a picture to help us remember Annabelle's second Christmas. After visiting Santa, we walked around the mall and looked at the dog fashion store and the expensive baby clothing and decor store. I hope that this picture can bring good memories to Annabelle in many years to come.

Tuesday

2008-12-11T13:42:00.002-06:00

By now most of you have heard about what happened to us on Tuesday morning. But for those who have not here a brief description. Tuesday morning, Annabelle and I went out for an hour and a half, when we returned the door from the garage to the house was open and the refrigerator door was open too. I held Annabelle and walked through the house. All lights were on and all doors were open. The entertainment center was messed up and dvds were scattered on the floor. Or high dollar electronics were gone along with some jewelry. I called Aaron then the police and then my mom. After the police came we sat around in a daze not really thinking or anything. By Tuesday night I felt like the whole thing had happened to someone else long ago. Of coarse we couldn't have dealt with it so easily without the love and compassion from our friends and family. We now realize that God has blessed us with all of you and that is more important than physical things. We ask that you all pray for those involved in this crime, that they will become repentant and search for God's forgiveness. We have already given ours.

Trimming the Tree

2008-12-08T21:53:00.003-06:00

Annabelle and I had fun putting our ornaments on the Christmas tree. Aaron put the tree up and plugged it in. I fluffed up the branches while Annabelle and Aaron watched Sesame Street. We looked through the ornament box and picked out some special ones to put on the tree. We also put up a small tree in Annabelle's room too. We went to Hobby Lobby for Annabelle to pick out some special ornaments. She got a penguin bell, some colorful balls and a cute picture frame with a cat on the top. We put lights and her special ornaments on her tree. I also bought some candy canes that are sweet tart flavored. Annabelle especially putting these on the tree. She likes eating them too. We will have our tree and other decorations up till New Years. I hope that to enjoy many more years of fun decorating the Christmas tree.

Good Guys

2008-12-08T19:34:00.005-06:00

Thank you for the video, Nicki!

Fall Time

2008-12-07T08:33:00.002-06:00

Annabelle loves playing outside. Any chance we get we go outside. It keeps her busy for hours. We have a huge oak tree in our backyard that produces way too many leaves, it's nearly impossible to rake them all. I made several small piles around the yard one day. Annabelle went from pile to pile playing. I tried to film it but she was smarter than me and ran off everytime I got it out. She had such a great time that day. It's been too cold recently for us to go outside. I know she misses it. I hope we get some snow this winter, she will love it. Happy Fall Everyone!

Houston Trip

2008-12-02T18:26:00.005-06:00

For Labor Day weekend this year we headed down to Houston to visit Aaron's family. His Mom and Dad picked up Grandad on their way down. And his Sister and her family met us at Perry and Debbie's house (Aaron's Aunt and Uncle). We stopped in Dallas and stayed with Grandma for the night. I always enjoy seeing her. In Houston we had a great time visiting, eating and watching the weather channel. Hurricanes threatened the coasts along the Gulf of Mexico. Despite the weather, we decided to head down to Galveston. It was so fun watching the little ones as the waves came up nearly knocking them over. The also enjoyed sitting in the sand and grabbing huge handfuls. Jeff took Sophy out in the deeper water and the waves really pushed them around. It was so fun, I didn't want to leave but the kids were exhausted! We had a great time at Perry and Debbie's house. The house is lovely and the land is picturesque. The only thing I didn't like was the humidity which so so high that the air was thick making it uncomfortable to go outside. Good thing they have a pool! After we left the hurricanes finally came in and did tons of damage. Perry and Debbie and Katie were able to survive with a generator, a small fridge and gas range. We were so thankful that there wasn't much damage to their home or animals. Thanks for a great weekend Perry and Debbie! I can't wait to come back.

Football Fan

2008-12-02T18:09:00.003-06:00

We just love game day at our house. The whole family likes to show our support to the Dallas Cowboys; now 8:4 (not bad). Annabelle looks particularly adorable in her cheerleading outfit that we got from Aunt Darla and Cousin Hana. When we score, which is often, everyone goes crazy and Annabelle will pay attention and say "Touchdown", with her arms in the air. It's quite cute! She also likes to throw her mini football that her Daddy got at an OU game last year.
Unfortunately, Annabelle would rather watch the kitty cat movie, aka: AristoCats. She hasn't been interested in football but that doesn't mean that we can't dress her up in her cute little outfit. I've been thinking about getting her some pom-poms to complete the look. She has an OU cheerleading outfit too but it's not nearly as cute as the Cowboys one.

Pretty Girl

2008-11-03T14:19:00.003-06:00

Annabelle Grace

October 2008

20 Months

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-03T13:51:00.006-06:00

We had a great Halloween this year. Annabelle really loved putting her costume on. She was a ferocious purple dragon! Sunday before Halloween we went to a "Trunk or Treat" with Shannon and her little ones. Sophy was a little China girl complete with black hair and chopsticks in her bun. Lola was an adorable little puppy dog. At first Annabelle was unsure about all the people and strange costumes. We didn't play many games but just picked up the candy.
On Thursday night we went to Oklahoma Christian University to trick or treat in the girl's dorms. She started to understand that she could get candy to take home. She picked a piece of candy very carefully and put in her Elmo bucket. Dianna went with us and brought AB a funny little push toy with an opening for storing lots of candy. Thank you Dianna and Rosemary! I think AB will really get the hang of it next year.
On Halloween day, we went to Northpark mall. There were people at each store front passing out candy. Many of them were dressed up too. There was a little boy, younger than AB, that decided to stop and give her a hug and a kiss! It was so cute. I didn't have my camera, bummer. Would't it be a hoot if they know each other in the future. You never know what will happen. That night we headed to the Craig's house for some haunting fun.
After such a long week of celebrating, we took Saturday really easy. Some good naps and a lazy day. Despite all our celebrating, Annabelle wanted more! Sunday night, we were watching a certain football game and AB wanted to put her costume on. So I put it on her and she got her new push bucket and headed for the door. She wanted to do more trick or treating! It was cute but she got mad when I said that the trick or treating was over. Can't wait for next year! I'm thinking about making her a robot.

The Parkhurst Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-27T22:25:00.004-05:00

Monday morning we headed to the pumpkin patch. We ha
d tons of fun playing with the pumpkins, chickens, ponies, sheep, bunnies and a lot of other kids. When we walked in we saw this great scare crow Annabelle liked it too. There were lots of fun things for the kids to do like hay bales to climb on and swings. Annabelle enjoyed smelling every flower, it was sweet. We all picked out a little pumpkin and headed to lunch at Pops. The kids had a great time and were so worn out that they fell asleep on the way home.
Over the weekend there was a tragedy at another local pumpkin patch. Because of the news interest, the Chanel 4 news team were there when we were. Shannon and I were briefly interviewed and our kids taped as well. Click on this link: KFOR and go to the 4:30 and 6 pm news casts to see us. They are two different segments.

The Village Fun Fair

2008-10-27T22:09:00.002-05:00

Saturday we went to the fun fair at the park across the street. We had so much fun playing on the really tall slide. I climbed to the top and pushed her up and up. When we got to the top the crowd yelled "Go cheer leader!". Annabelle was so cute in her Oklahoma University cheer outfit and wind breaker coat. Annabelle loved the little bouncy castle with the ball pit and the mini slide. It was perfect for her and her cousins.

We also had a great time with the petting zoo. We walked in gate and Annabelle said "Goat!". She loved petting the baby goats and she poked the chickens, they didn't care. We looked at the ponies and the donkey. I can't wait to take her back next year.

Playing with papa

2008-10-11T21:12:00.003-05:00

I just love watching my dad play with his grandchildren. He hides and jumps out at them and they scream and run away. They always come back for more. It was such a joy watching him play with Annabelle. Hope you enjoy it too. Just to warn you, this is a somewhat long video, 7 minutes.

Julie and Carlos's Wedding

2008-10-11T21:04:00.002-05:00

The wedding was pretty great. The ceremony was in a beautiful park in Topeka, Kansas. I have rarely seen anything to rival it's natural beauty. Everything was perfect. Aaron's poem fit the couple very well. I'm glad that they liked it so much. I had it framed for them as a gift.
The reception was so awesome. In addition to the camera crew that followed everyone around, they had a video diary and a photo station set up to take cute, funny or outragious pictures of the guests. We picked out some cute accessories and this is the pose we went with. It was a wonderful celebration. Thank you, Julie and Carlos, for letting us be apart of your new life.

Sweet Girl

2008-09-30T09:08:00.003-05:00

Last week Annabelle went to Becky's house. She is a wonderful woman we met at church. Becky takes tons of pictures. This one was taken at a gazebo near her home. It is such a sweet picture of Annabelle. I wanted to share it with everyone. We are so fortunate that God sent Becky and Carla to watch our precious little blessing.

Rrrarrrr!!

2008-08-26T16:28:00.003-05:00

Thank you, Emilie. This costume is awesome! Annabelle wanted to put it on immediately. She looked in the mirror and roared. It was perfect. There was a small chance that it was going to look like Barney but it doesn't. It has two little wings in the back and the leggings make it the perfect head-to-toe look. I can't wait for Halloween to come. We are going to Oklahoma Christian again. We know some of the girls from church and they insist that we go see them.

Yep, I think she likes it!

Ugh!

2008-08-15T08:08:00.002-05:00

Aaron was sick for about 7 days. He had a high fever and a cold. He tried so hard not to be around Annabelle but she is so cute and sweet how could you stay away? So she got sick and wanted to rest and sleep instead of play and run. As far as sick kids go she was the best. She was happy even though she was sick. She smiled through her pacifier and said "happy, happy". It was so sweet. I felt bad every time I touched her head with my cheek, it was so hot! She's all better now. Her appetite is back and she enjoys playing and running. So far I have not been sick. But my daily routine was put on hold when Annabelle is sick. When Annabelle is sick, everyone is sick.

My New Dress!

2008-08-13T15:08:00.007-05:00

Monday, I started working on this dress. I got the pattern from my mom who got it from her mom. Grandma took such good care of her patterns; when she was finished with it she ironed it and fit it perfectly back in the envelope. I got it all back in there when I was done so that Annabelle can use it when she has a little girl.
This project began with a tote bag. I got a free bag from my boss, it had a logo that wasn't very attractive. I wanted to cover it up and make it look more stylish. I got some patterned fabric and some pretty red trim. After I was done with the tote bag I made a shoulder bag out of some old jeans and used some more of this fabric. If you want to see the bags check our my other blog: Trish's Art.
I didn't have enough fabric to make anything so I went digging in my extra fabric box. I found this ultra suede from Aaron's Halloween cape from several years ago and it was just enough. Well, the solid field fabric was perfect for the busy patterns that I put together. The pockets are adorable with the red fringe. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I didn't know I was capable of creating something so chic.

Thanks to Mom for teaching me to sew and thanks to Grandma for such a cute pattern. This is something that we will remembered for generations. I still cherish the clothes that Grandma and Mom made for me.

Pizza!!!

2008-08-10T19:51:00.003-05:00

Well, everyone knows that Annabelle loves pizza but we didn't know that she would do anything to get it. Earlier this week after her morning nap, we went to Hobby Lobby. It was nearly 12:30 when we got home. I guess she was really hungry because she went straight into the house. Opened the fridge and took out some left over pizza. She opened the zip lock bag and took out the biggest piece of pizza and started eating it. It was so cute, I just let her keep eating it. I was reminded how big she is and how she can do new things for herself every day. Or maybe she just really loves pizza!

New Sprinkler

2008-08-10T19:43:00.002-05:00

Wednesday night I was at Walmart. Just taking my time shopping while I didn't have AB, she was at home in bed. I was looking at the clearance swimming stuff and found this cute Elmo sprinkler. I had to have it. It was only 3 bucks. I knew Annabelle would love it. And these pictures are the proof. She had so much fun playing with the water. She stepped on the edge and the other water went higher and sprayed her in the face. It was so fun. I went back to get some to give as gifts but they were already gone. I'm sure I'll find something else.

Scholastic Lecture

2008-08-04T16:53:00.003-05:00

The Board of Trustees of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art cordially invites you to

Make Mine Roman Wine: Family and Festival in Ancient Rome.
A lecture by Tyler Jo Smith, Ph.D. University of Virginia

Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 6:30 pm.
Lecture is free with paid museum admission. Reservations required. Call 236-3100 or email reservations@okcmoa.com.
Oklahoma City Museum of Art

New Feature!

2008-08-04T16:46:00.002-05:00

A new feature has been added to The Pogue Weekly Times. Simply click on the Trish's Art link on the left to see this amazing and unique artwork. The artwork is masterfully crafted by ....me, Trish. New and amazing things are frequently added so, check it often for more breath taking pieces. Feel free to leave your comments, nice and not so nice, but remember you can be kind and still be honest. If you would like me to create a one-of-a-kind master piece for you or someone you love, leave a comment or send me an email. Prices very by size and level of difficulty.

My B-day

2008-08-03T22:09:00.006-05:00

This b-day was one of the best. It started with the awesome camcorder at the beginning of the month and ended with a check from my in-laws.
Here's the break down:

Camcorder
Crop-a-dile & Deviled egg tray
Crop-a-dile Big Bite
Money
Checks
Maddy Bag (from Becca)
& Gift Cards

Thank you all for celebrating my 29th birthday with me!

An evening outside

2008-07-18T19:10:00.003-05:00

Thursday night was the monthly church picnic. We meet at a special park that we have elite access to. (That's right, Aaron, I totally ended that sentence with a prep.) Kris and Nicki were there and we had fun playing and swinging. Annabelle sure likes the Austins. It's great that she can have so many people who love her!

Bouncing, Kissing, & Boo

2008-07-18T18:53:00.003-05:00

Wednesday night after church, I pulled Annabelle up on the exercise ball and started bouncing. She really liked it. Recently Annabelle has started giving "real kisses", by that I mean: closed mouth and smacking after. It is so cute. Sometimes I have to do fish lips to get her to kiss me. After that she wanted to see what her daddy had just filmed so she scurried up on the couch and watched the video.

Jim Gaffigan

2008-07-13T21:28:00.005-05:00

Saturday night
Austins and Nances (not pictured)
Pizza dinner at Old Chicago's
Big laughs from Jim Gaffigan

Watermelon Patch

2008-07-13T20:44:00.003-05:00

Friday afternoon, Dianna invited us to a watermelon patch located a few miles south of Pops Restaurant. During the fall season, instead of watermelon, they grow pumpkins. Annabelle went straight to animals. There was a white cow, Annabelle just watched it, she wouldn't go within 12 inches of the cow. We spent some time looking at the chickens, goats, a donkey, ponies and even a llama. After that we tried to get her to pet some bunnies but she wouldn't go near them. She splashed in the water and had great fun digging in the dirt. We had some watermelon, played with some bubbles and Dianna and Annabelle climbed a mountain of hey bales. Then they hopped on the tractor and rode around for a while as you can see in the video.

We went to Pops for lunch. It was a great morning. Annabelle was asleep before we got home. Thanks for a great time, Dianna!

Fun in the Fountains

2008-07-08T14:06:00.005-05:00

Happy Birthday Nicki!

2008-07-04T17:27:00.002-05:00

Early B-day gilft!

2008-07-03T21:25:00.003-05:00

Thursday night Aaron and Dan surprised me with this awesome birthday gift. I was so surprised I was speechless. After that I spent some time reading the manual and watching a helpful video that came with it. Here are some important features about the Sony Handycam:

it can take up to 2 hours of video an then burn the footage onto a dvd
hook it up directly to the tv or computer to watch the video
the zoom is awesome at 40x optical zoom-auto and manual
8 mega pixel on still shots
and a lot of other great stuff for me to discover

I was truly surprised by the gift. I guess after seeing the poor quality in the last video, Aaron and Dan decided that I needed one of these. Thanks, Aaron, Dan and Rosemary!

Annabelle's first pony ride

2008-06-21T09:16:00.005-05:00

Friday evening after a great dinner at The County Line BBQ, I wanted to stop by Oklahoma Christian for Family Fun Night. Aaron, Sherry, Alan, Annabelle, and I headed over around 8:15. We walked around and saw a few people that we knew. I was looking for the petting zoo. Annabelle petted a donkey that was grazing and then headed over to the ponies. She ran right into the middle of the riding ring. So we got in line for her to ride. I wasn't sure if they would let her because she was much smaller than all the other kids. But they put her on the smallest pony, his name is "Little Britches". She wasn't scared or apprehensive. She held onto the saddle horn real tight with her left hand and held my hand with her right. She did so well riding in the little circle. She's a natural! We had fun and I can't wait to take her again.
We had a lot of fun and hope that some of you can come with us next time.
*Look how cute Annabelle and her Daddy are walking hand in hand. So sweet.

Bush Dogs, what the?!

2008-06-19T08:19:00.002-05:00

found in Central and South America
is carnivorous and mainly hunts Paca, a large rodent
has soft long brownish-tan fur, with a lighter reddish tinge on the head, neck and back and a bushy tail
for more info check out wikipedia
when looking for info you may find several sites that have nothing to do with the bush dog the animal, these sites are political and are related to the current president, hah!

"There's a panty on your head."

2008-06-19T08:09:00.002-05:00

Sunday night after mom and dad left, Annabelle was playing. She found these water-proof undies and decided that they were a hat. She showed them to Aaron, to Dan and then to me. I just put them on her head. She liked them as a hat and wore them for about 20 minutes. Longer than she's ever wore a real hat. It was so cute. Thank you Darla for this versatile clothing.

Pool Party

2008-06-11T11:27:00.008-05:00

Saturday, June 7th, we
had a gathering of young people over. We set up Annabelle's pool and filled it with nice cold water perfect for a hot summer day. Six of Annabelle's friends came over. They played in the pool, sprinkler, swing and sand.
Thanks to all who came. It was a great party! And thanks to the moms and dads who came too.

A good movie

2008-06-04T15:13:00.003-05:00

On May 24, Aaron and I went to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. We headed downtown to meet the Austins, Gordons, and Dan to celebrate Kris's birthday. As we walked into the theatre there was a photo display set up and I got my picture taken with Indie and Sallah, from the Raiders of the Lost Ark. I think I look awesome and ready for adventure.
Well, the movie was exciting. I really enjoyed it through all it's twists and turns. I will probably rewatch the first three movies soon.
After the movie we all stood outside by the movie poster. Nicki took our picture and then recorded us humming the unmistakable Indiana Jones theme. Check it out at Austin Lite under Happy Birthday, Kris!
Happy Birthday, Kris. Hope it was a good one.