Go visit these people...

...and wish them a HUGE congratulations! Ben and Rebecca are officially Eli's parents! I couldn't be more excited for them. Little Eli is one lucky (and very handsome, I must add) little man. God is so good!

Thank you, Lord, for blessing my friends with this gift of their new son!

Election Day 2008

Happy Election Day! After we waited in line for almost 2 hours, we were able to cast our ballots. What a fun privilege it is to stand with hundreds of other people as we exercise this right that is often taken for granted here in America. My hubby wrote a great blog about the election and the hype that has surrounded it (especially this year). I think you should all read it. Right here.

Also, two pastors that I respect a lot have some wise words as well. Pastor David is the one that married Steve and me three years ago, and Pastor Ronnie is our current pastor. Both are very Godly men that seek God above everything...inspirational. Check out what they have to say here and here.

Norman's Best Buddy

Our neighbors drove down to Texas to pick up their new boat today, so we said we'd go and let their dog Koby out a couple times today. Koby is also a beagle and he's Norman's best buddy :o) When Steve and I had our overnight date last April, Norman had a sleepover with Koby. We even got pictures of them together last year in their Halloween costumes (Norman was a bumblebee and Koby was a pumpkin). When we went over to let Koby out this evening, we brought Normie with us so they could run around together in the backyard...they had a wonderful time. Here are some pics of the cute puppies...

Lots of sniffing and territory-marking...

Norman blinked. Haha.

After his fun playdate, Norman is all tuckered out. Here he is snuggling with his Daddy.

This is the look we get from him when we decide to treat him like a human instead of a dog (but he IS part human, seriously!).

Isn't he cute? We love our Norman.

After a long absence...

My goodness, it's been too long since I last posted...and there is so much to update you on! Since I last wrote, I got a new job, finished a long run of "Annie Get Your Gun," and...well, I guess that has been all, now that I have it written down. But it's been BUSY! Our AGYG run lasted 4 weeks (Wednesdays through Sundays). Late nights, combined with early mornings for my new job (I have a bit worse of a commute, so I like to leave super early to try to avoid traffic). Pictures from the show coming soon, and also a longer update on my new job at Chesapeake.

Just wanted to let you all know I'm still alive and kickin...just a bit exhausted and not having much time on the computer at home...

Stay tuned!

Camping Trip!

I’m a week behind in posting about our camping trip (oh yeah, and I still haven’t posted about our trip to Branson, have I?? Yikes!). Last weekend, Steve and I took a nice long weekend—Friday through Tuesday—and planned a camping trip. Of course, we happened to choose the hottest weekend of the entire summer…no joke. We originally planned to camp at Greenleaf State Park in Eastern Oklahoma, but decided it would be dangerously hot there, so we toyed with the idea of moving our little vaca north…WAY north. Like “surprise my family in Minnesota” north. However, at midnight on Thursday, I was pretty stressed about driving that far for just a few days, so we ended up on a trek to the Lake of the Ozarks State Park in Missouri. What a beautiful campground! Look at our campsite…right on the lake! Not bad for $9 a night.



See this nice little set up of our chairs with a prime lake view?

Don’t let that fool you. We spent very little time there. I brought 3 books…could hardly even read, it was so hot. We had a heat index of 120. CRAZY. We tried to cool off in the lake, but it was actually quite shallow (no higher than thigh deep, even out to the middle), so the water was pretty toasty (probably at least in the 90’s). We did venture out in the lake with Norman, hoping to cool him down (he sure is a cute little swimmer, minus the “I hate my life” look that he kept giving us for putting him in the water). We were walking in ankle or knee-deep mud. We sure did make memories! Norman was our little trooper.

He got several cold showers under the water spigots. We also took several cold showers ourselves…turned out to be the highlights of our days. Haha. I don’t think either of us has ever sweat so much…but hey, we were camping…you are supposed to be dirty, right?

We (and by “we” I mean Steve) did manage to get a fire going, even with wood that was so wet from the humidity that it was sizzling instead of burning. And our screenhouse came in so handy for keeping out the bugs in that crazy humidity.

Even though the heat was oppressive, both Steve and I agreed that our first camping trip with just the 3 of us was a success. And we were the only tent campers brave (read: insane) enough to stay past Sunday in our campground area. Several other campsites had dates of Monday or Tuesday as their departure dates. However, after we got back from the store on Sunday (ok, I admit it, we went to the Petco in town so all three of us could have some a/c for a bit), the campground was all but deserted. We almost thought they were kicking people out because of the heat. Nope. People were bailing left and right. We actually did leave one day early, too, though. We left Monday morning. Later this fall, we are definitely taking another camping trip and we will be so excited to need a fire to stay warm, and to fight over who gets to have Norman cuddle up to them in the middle of the night for warmth. We now consider ourselves professionals.

RagamuffinTop Challenge...My Week 8

So I was going to post yesterday with the words "I'm at a loss" (and I didn't mean the weight...haha). I had still stayed the same! Man. That "late twenties metabolism shift" must have hit. However, I weighed in this morning (for fun) and was down to 128! I'll take that. I still want to track the weight, but I am so into this running thing now, that I am changing things up a bit. I will now track my weekly runs. I am trying for 3x per week on the weekdays, and at least once on the weekends. Since I have been rehearsing for "Annie Get Your Gun" in the evenings, and the fact that it's been in the 100's for a LONG time now (with no relief in sight), I am having to move my running time to the mornings. Seriously. 6:00 AM. Never thought I'd be one of THOSE people...haha.

On a sad note...remember that super cool Nike iPOD kit I have? Well, there are these special Nike shoes (of course, that's just good marketing) that have a special place for the sensor to go--inside the sole of the shoe. I have no desire to buy these special shoes (some may call me cheap, I like the words "wisely frugal" haha) when I have perfectly good tennis shoes already (actually, I do need new shoes now, but the stubbornness in me says I will still not be purchasing said Nike shoes). So anyhow, I had just been slipping the sensor under my laces, thinking it would stay in there. And it did. Until one day that it didn't. I have lost my sensor. I even retraced my run the very next day when I discovered it missing (and it was a long one!) and it was nowhere to be found. BUMMER! I need to purchase a new kit. A small pothole in my road to running success.

In light of this Ode to Running, I need to throw a huge shout out to my fabulous hubby Steve. He is basically amazing in every way. But since this post is based on my running, I'll stick to that aspect of his wonderfulness. Now Steve is not one to enjoy getting up early (neither am I). He is usually up late doing homework, or just winding down from his day, so when I leave for work in the morning, he is still dreaming away. Well, since I started this running thing and had to move to the morning slot, he will wake up and run with me! We live in a good neighborhood, but I still just feel safer when he's with me, so this means so much to me! Plus, that extra hour we have together in the morning is such a day-brightener for me. Honestly, it makes my whole day better (and those that know my work situation know that it's a huge blessing for my day to start off better). Steve could easily stick with his own schedule and sleep while he can (he is not one to be able to fall back asleep after he's started his day). But he gets up with me, supporting my goal of keeping with this running habit. I just love him. Speaking of my awesome husband, I still need to blog about our fun weekend away in Branson. Stay tuned...

Without further ado, my quick summary for Week 8.
Starting weight: 132.0 lbs
Current weight: 128.0 lbs
Goal weight: 120.0 lbs (or less...)

Now, go cheer the other RagamuffinToppers on...

RagamuffinTop Challenge...My Week 7

So...um, I'm not exactly sure what the deal is, but I seem to be gaining weight as I exercise more. I have run 4 times each week and am feeling great about that. I do hope the weight starts to fall off, but I am really happy about the new exercise habit I am forming!

Here are my stats as of this morning:
Starting weight: 132.0 lbs
Current weight: 131.0 lbs
Goal weight: 120.0 lbs (or less...)

Not much else to report. I start rehearsals for "Annie Get Your Gun" this week, so I might need to start running in the mornings (yikes!), since I will be going straight from work to rehearsal. I really want to keep up with my running, though, so I'll do what I gotta do, right? :)

Some More Funny SOM Pics

Got these from a fellow nun. See what happens when you are only in 3 scenes for a total of about 17 minutes? LOTS of free time for these crazy antics. Haha...enjoy!

Next up? I just found out I made it into the cast of "Annie Get Your Gun" at the Jewel Box Theatre in Oklahoma City. Rehearsals start Monday...show opens mid-August. More fun theater adventures to be had!

RagamuffinTop Challenge...My Week 5

I hopped on the scale today and, although I did lose 1/2 pound, I was a tad bit disappointed. Only because I was keeping tabs throughout the week and Sunday morning I weighed in at 128...so today's 130 was no fun. BUT...the bigger reason I'm doing this is to keep myself accountable for what should lead to the natural weight loss, which is my goal to work out more. I did achieve this! Here's a quick run-down of my week:

Goal was to walk/run 3 times last week. GOAL ACHIEVED! I actually walked and/or ran 4 times!
Goal was to walk/run 1 time over the weekend. GOAL ACHIEVED! Saturday morning, my hubby and I went running and then came back and picked up the dog to walk him. Lots o' exercise that day! Then, on Sunday, I woke up early for church and went for a run/walk with Norman.

So...a pic and a quick rundown of my progress so far:


Quick summary:
Starting weight: 132.0 lbs
Current weight: 130.0 lbs
Goal weight: 120.0 lbs (or less...)

This week will be more of the same, in terms of exercising goals. However, we will have a change of venue! Hubby and I head to Branson on Wednesday for a mini-vaca (thanks to FIL and MIL) until Sunday, while Norman will be spoiled by Grandpa and Grandma Irwin at home. Our plans include a Waterpark, a Pizza Cruise on a Riverboat, and a trip to the Winery. Can it get any better?! I will be sure to take some pics so you can all enjoy our trip vicariously through us.

In the meantime, please go and offer some encouragement to my fellow ragamuffins.

The Sound of Music

Well...it was a fabulous run. Though I got very little sleep the last couple weeks, it was sure great to be on stage again. And to be in a show of this caliber...AMAZING. We ended with two great performances on Saturday (matinee and evening) and ended up performing for huge crowds (opening night on Tuesday was 1700, and I think the rest of the shows were comparable). I am now even more excited to audition for another show next week! The theater bug is one that bites you and hangs on...I love it...and have missed it. I made some wonderful new friends! Here are some pictures--my first attempt at a slide show. Enjoy! Some crazy stuff happens when you get a bunch of Nuns together :o)

RagamuffinTop Challenge...My Week 4

I'm having a hard time uploading images for my week 4 post, but it's okay because I was basically stagnant this week. I didn't lose, but didn't gain either. It was a busy week of performances, but I was able to walk at work twice (my goal was 3 times) and walked/ran BOTH days this weekend (my goal was once). So though I didn't really move weight-wise, I am pleased with the physical activity. Now that our performances are done, I hope to walk/run at least 3 times this week after work and at least once this weekend. Morning walks/runs on Saturdays with my hubby are my favorite.

Sorry for the lack luster post, but I wanted to be sure to at least get something down for the record. Please go check this out to see how everyone else is doing this week...

RagamuffinTop Challenge...My Week 3

Well, my week was a bit rough, as anticipated. However, I did pretty well considering a) I was not home (most) evenings to walk/run due to rehearsals and b) we had TWO parties at the office last week that involved tasty food (my willpower--or none--and food...not friends. Or is it that they are great friends?). Anyhow, all that to say that I STILL LOST! 0.5 lb, but still! Here is proof, taken this morning:


So this week, here's my plan. We have an even busier week with S.O.M. opening tomorrow night and shows through Saturday. HOWEVER, I will walk at work no fewer than 3 times this week, and I will walk/run no less than one day this weekend.

Quick summary:
Starting weight: 132.0 lbs
Current weight: 130.5 lbs
Goal weight: 120.0 lbs (or less...)

Oh! Almost forgot to mention. Over the weekend, I broke out my Nike Ipod Sports Kit...it's awesome. Now I just have to figure out how to download to my computer.

We are truckin' right along! I'm feeling more motivated...go see if my fellow Ragamuffintoppers are also...

Contentment Issues...

I think I need to paste this on my forehead or something...so I see it and internalize it...ALL. THE. TIME.

"...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through HIM who gives me strength."
-Philippians 4:11-13

RagamuffinTop Challenge...My Week 2

Well, we have entered my second week of the RagamuffinTop Challenge and I lost...drum roll...a pound! I am now at 131 lbs.

Last Monday (I think) it was very mild here in OK (read: in the 70s instead of the 90s), so when I got home from work I realized I had no excuse not to take advantage of it and get out for a run. My running buddy for the evening was Norman (our devoted dog...always willing to "take one for the team" when there is a walk/run involved).

I also got out for a walk/run on Thursday, despite the mid-90s temps. On Saturday, my new Nike Ipod Sports kit came in the mail, so I anticipate some more motivation as I can track my walks/runs each week!

This next couple weeks will be tough for me in terms of the Challenge. I will be heading straight from work to rehearsals (this week) and performances (next week) for The Sound of Music. However, I will try to get some good brisk walks in during the workday, so I can get some physical activity in...must keep pressing on toward the goal!

I also apologize for lack of picture with this post. I bought a new camera battery yesterday, but it turned out to be the wrong one! Here's a quick summary, though:

Starting Weight: 132 lbs
Current Weight: 131 lbs
Goal Weight: 120 lbs (or less!)

My more non-quantitative goal, however, is just to get better at working out to keep my body healthy...the weight loss numbers help (just ask the buttons on my pants), but they are simply numbers to track my goal.

To see how other RagamuffinTop Challengers are doing...check this out if you'd like to send them some encouragement!

P.S. I would like to give a shout-out to my SIL Dawn, who celebrates a birthday today! Happy Birthday to my wonderful sister-in-law! And also, Happy Birthday to my friend Rebecca! Go wish them both a fabulous day!

The Hills Are Alive!

Yesterday I had my first rehearsal as a member of the Nun Chorus for Lyric Theatre's The Sound of Music. It was amazing to be a part of such a professional theatre atmosphere. There are 40 of us in the Nun Chorus and my goodness, these ladies sounded AMAZING! We were pulling off some 6-part harmony in some songs. Very cool. I'm so excited to be a part of this group.

We have the rest of this week off, and will pick up rehearsals most days next week. The show runs from Tuesday, June 24th to Saturday, June 28th. If you are in the Oklahoma City area and need a fun night out, I invite you to come see the show. Ticket information is available here.

Funny Story about the nuns...we met at the theatre yesterday to get into costume for a publicity photo shoot before our rehearsal. We then drove to a church in the area to take the pictures. The looks we received were priceless...a caravan of cars full of nuns driving down the road. And as we were running across the street from the parking lot to the church courtyard, I felt like I was in Sister Act! Fun times.

RagamuffinTop Challenge...Who's With Me?

So in my blog reading, I stumbled upon this fun challenge--The RagamuffinTop Challenge. Before we found out we were pregnant, Steve and I were finally starting to run again. I currently sit at 132 lbs and being 5'1" (and that's generous), that puts me into the higher part of normal to lower part of overweight. No good. So, I thought that maybe by posting on my blog weekly, I would be more accountable to start getting into better shape before our next baby attempt happens in...well, whenever that happens.

I bought one of those Nike iPod sports kits, which will help me track my runs and allow for more progress (well, between that and this blog of accountability, I bet I will have more progress!!).

Since I'm kinda starting late (the challenge started 2 weeks ago), bear with my first post:

Starting Weight: 132 lbs
Goal Weight: 120 lbs.

Here, the founder of the RagamuffinTop Challenge explains how it all works.

The rules are simply this:
1. You must have a measurable goal.
2. You must place a photo or video on your blog each weekend and give us the scoop on how you did.

Easy as that. Who's with me? Go Check it Out!!

How About Some Fun??

Having the last two posts as somewhat depressing, I decided it's time for some fun. Check out this CD, and also this cool giveaway!

Check this out! You'll like it!



You can also go here and leave your link for a chance to win some great music!

Hardest Days So Far...

I hadn't even officially announced our pregnancy yet on this blog, but I must now share some disheartening news. We lost our first baby 10 weeks 1 day into our pregnancy, and I had surgery yesterday to "finish the job." Everything was going perfectly, we had seen a strong heartbeat at 6 1/2 weeks along, and there was really nothing to prepare us for what has happened. We are obviously heart broken over our loss, but have been carried through by the prayers of many. Since we discovered that we were expecting, we have said that this baby is not ours to hold onto, but a gift from God for as long as His timing allows. Of course that was easier to say when there was still a little one inside, but we still cling to the truth that God is good...all the time. We have received so much support from loved ones (most of which are far away, but their prayers are felt in a very real way). We are thankful for the short time we had with our little one (of course the heartbreak kinda trumps the thankfulness right now, but that will ease), and we are hopeful for the future.

I must say that Steve has been my rock during this ordeal. This is very much his loss, too, yet he has carried me with such grace. I am amazed by him more and more...and cannot even describe how thankful I am for my wonderful husband. He sure will make a great Daddy someday.

Please Pray

I just heard on the radio that Steven Curtis Chapman's youngest daughter Maria was killed in a horrible car accident yesterday evening. The Chapman family is an amazing example of God's work in the American family, and they are huge advocates for adoption (which I am passionate about as well). Steven Curtis Chapman's music touches many, and I know their family could use some prayers of their own right now.

Laminin

With all the talk about Intelligent Design vs Macroevolution and the new Expelled movie coming out (which Steve and I would recommend...it was very good!), I thought this video was pretty cool. It's about 9 minutes long, but so neat...watch it and you will be blessed.

How Cool is This Quote?!?

And even cooler...that we have a Savior like this...

"Our Savior kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives. But rather than recoil in horror, he reaches out in kindness and says, 'I can clean that if you want.' "

-an excerpt from 3:16 by Max Lucado

I’m Dating Again...

Dating my husband, that is...don't worry!

Last weekend was a fun one! I had my monthly stamping party with my neighborhood ladies on Friday night (love being crafty!) and then on Saturday/Sunday, Steve and I had a fun overnight date. I attended a Breast Cancer Luncheon last October and won a Hotel Gift Certificate in the silent auction. I gave it to Steve for Christmas and we finally got around to using it.

We dropped Norman off at our neighbor’s house so he could have a sleepover with his buddy Koby (their beagle) and headed to the Renaissance Hotel. The hotel was actually the worst part of our weekend (I would not stay there again, nor would I recommend it to anyone else…but hey, it was free—well, from the silent auction). We walked to Bricktown, which is a part of Downtown Oklahoma City that they have made into quite a nice area. There is a canal that runs through the middle of it and lots of restaurants, a movie theater, baseball stadium, and other fun things. We went do dinner at a nice Mexican restaurant and then walked to the movie theater get tickets for “Horton Hears a Who” (the 6:30 showing...are we getting old or what?! Haha). We then grabbed some Starbucks and walked along the canal. It was so great to have no agenda…we just did basically whatever we wanted. The movie was great and we splurged for a slice of Chicago-style pizza on the way back to the hotel. My favorite kind of date…we walked EVERYWHERE!

It was actually a short “vacation,” but I felt so refreshed when we got home on Sunday, it was like the weekend was so much longer! How fun to take a mini-vacation right in our own city...we will definitely do the Bricktown thing again!

A Day at the Zoo and the Races

Steve had a very stressful week at school last week (3 tests! Like a mini-finals week!) so he took the ENTIRE weekend off of schoolwork. I was the lucky one who reaped the benefits! It's going to be so great in less than 5 weeks when he's off school for the whole summer! On Saturday, we went to the Oklahoma City Zoo and then when they closed, we headed across the street to Remington Park and watched some horse racing. Here are some pics of the zoo…taken with Steve’s camera phone.

This monkey was hilarious. Totally just lounging around (almost as if he was watching an exhibit of humans go by, rather than the other way around).

Also, in the same area as the giraffes (who were not out while we were there), there are ostriches with quite the personalities. This one was especially interested in its human visitors.
It was a perfect day, and the zoo was crowded (not too bad, though!). The evening started to get cooler, so we left Remington Park after about 5 races. We each had $10 to bet on the horses and I did not do so well…haha. Steve did win back $3 on his last race of the night. All in all…$17 spent on a fun evening…not too bad! Funny story about the races (and also an explanation on why it’s a good thing we do not gamble excessively). When we first got there and got the race program, Steve saw a horse named “Doppler Radar” in one of the races. Of course, being the weather guy that he is, he was definitely going to bet on that horse, regardless of the odds. Well, we had lost the first couple races, so he decided not to bet on good ole’ Doppler Radar, and went with the leading jockey instead. DOPPLER RADAR WON! And with the odds the way they were, that would have probably won the money back for both of us! Bummer. It was hilarious. Let that be a lesson to you all…gambling is just that…gambling. LOL. As long as you go in expecting to spend all the money you are betting with…you are going in with the right expectations! We had a fun time, and it’s always fun to see the gorgeous horses.

Arachnophobia

Last Friday, I was getting ready for work and came across a not-so-nice surprise...this:

A Wolf Spider!!!

Venom toxicity - the bite of the Wolf Spider is poisonous but not lethal. Although non-aggressive, they bite freely if provoked and should be considered dangerous to humans. The bite may be very painful. First aid and medical attention should be sought as soon as possible, particularly as to children or the elderly.
Spider Identification - an adult is 1/2 inch to more than 1 inch in body length - mottled gray to brown in color, with a distinct Union Jack impression on its back. The female carries it's young on its back. (taken from http://www.termite.com/spider-identification.html)

We actually had one in our bathtub around this time last year and it was pretty humorous as we tried to use a pitcher to wash it down the drain (seriously, it was so big, it wouldn't go!). This time, it was on the floor...in my bathroom! I could have stepped on it (or shook hands with it, it was so huge). It had FEET! Doesn't it give you the heebeejeebees just looking at it?? Needless to say, it is time to spray this around our house again...

At times like this, I am SO thankful that I am married and don't have to deal with these things by myself...my husband is my HERO.

Bachelorette For The Week

My dear husband Steve is out in California skiing for the week in beautiful Mammoth Lakes (that pic above is really him skiing--in his racing days--pretty hot, huh? Unfortunately, I don't think that is the attire he has chosen for this particular trip...hehe). He and his dad are having a “boys week” and, from the sounds of it, having a great time! It is a great opportunity for him to get away from the daily grind of school (though he still seems to be doing a hefty amount of homework and studying out there…poor guy). I sure miss him, though! It’s funny to think that before I met Steve, I had lived alone for a few years and it never phased me…now I really miss having my hubby there with me. Our poor Norman is also quite sad. Here he is laying in the backyard over the weekend, in mourning…teehee.

I did get some visitors, though, while Steve has been gone. Some family friends stopped by for a night on their way to South Padre Island, TX. I call them my little red-headed family (for obvious reasons). They have 3 girls, twins-Emily and Elizabeth-who are 17, and Becca who is 15. I started babysitting the twins when they had just turned 2 and Becca from the time she was born. They are like little sisters to me. Hard to believe the older girls are headed to college in the fall! Wow. I hadn’t really seen them for any extended period of time since our wedding 2 ½ years ago, so it was so fun to show them a little bit of our life here in Oklahoma!

Then on Monday, Steve’s mom flew in for a visit. I wanted to be sure she didn’t feel left out since the guys were having their week up in Mammoth. My original plan was to have Steve’s dad come back to OK with him, too, so all 4 of us could hang out, but flights are a bit crazy with the Easter holiday. Bummer. Hopefully we can have them both visit at the same time soon :o) But we’ll definitely take whatever visitors we can get!

So Steve is having a wonderful time in Mammoth, but Norman and I are having fun here as well! However, we’re very much looking forward to 11:30 pm tomorrow night when Steve comes home!

Congratulations are due...

Go check out Ben and Rebecca's blog...they just got their referral for a BABY BOY from Ethiopia!! Pictures will not be posted until the adoption goes through (out of protection for all involved), but take my word for it...he is PRECIOUS. I am so excited for them...I'm not even a crier, really, but I was laughing and crying all at the same time when I heard the news. Praise God!!!!

Ben and Rebecca, God could not have chosen better parents for little Eli. We will be so happy to continue on this journey with you in prayer and thanksgiving. YIPPEE!!!!!!

Happy Birthday To My Hubby!

Today my husband turns 27. He is my rock, my best friend, my soul mate, and my favorite one to share life with. I can’t wait to see where God takes us in this next year, because I grow more in love with Steve each day.

Have a great day, honey! I love you.

Long Time, No Blog

Wow...so has it really been 2 months? I think I broke a cardinal rule of blogging. I appreciate my blog buddies for sticking with me and missing me while I was gone :o) So much to update on now, and I will follow up with some more pictures soon as well.

We were blessed to be able to spend Christmas with Steve's family out in California. We brought the pup along, so we made it into a road trip. It was actually quite enjoyable! We rented a Trailblazer, which made for a very comfortable ride. On the way out to CA, we saw a huge 80+ car pile-up in Amarillo, TX...something I never ever need to see again. Especially since car accidents are already a huge fear of mine. Thank God most everyone involved was ok, and it was cool to hear the stories of people unwrapping Christmas presents, etc., to share clothing with others involved who were not dressed for the cold weather. Our first stop on our roadtrip was Flagstaff, AZ, and we LOVED it there. I would definitely not mind living there someday. When we got to CA, we got to have dinner with Steve's sister Dawn, and then continued on to Newbury Park to his parents house. We spent a couple of days there before heading up to Mammoth Lakes, where Steve's folks have a condo in the mountains. What a retreat! It was exactly what we needed :o) Fun days of skiing, relaxing, playing the Wii...I'll add some pics, but Dawn's blog also has some great ones from the trip.

When we got back home in January, I went through my typical "back in Oklahoma" funk that I seem to fall into. I guess all the huge changes (pretty much constant major changes since I moved to CA in January 2004) over the past couple years have been getting to me more than I thought, and I was certainly not handling my current "life stage" very well. I am so thankful that God has really been working in my heart and I have joy back in my life that I haven't had in honestly a couple years. I feel like myself again! And I refuse to let satan steal that joy again.

I have started a fun volunteer opportunity with Lyric Theatre in Oklahoma City. I'm helping out on the business side of things, as they have grown immensely as of late and their staff can be better utilized when I can help out with little things like making copies, filing, etc. Plus, I am so pumped to be back in the theatre environment in any capacity. I am hoping to become even more involved as time goes on. One thing I can say about the staff there is that they are such great people! They all remember me by name, even the first time I came to volunteer when I had just simply walked through once before. Amazing.

Another exciting new development is that I have (finally) started some voice lessons! I have been involved in community theater for several years, and even gotten some lead roles, but have never had professional voice training. I know that this will be so valuable, and although its hard to break old habits and retrain my voice, I can't wait to reap the results!

At the end of January, we took a surprise trip to Hawaii. Now before you get too jealous, don't worry, we were there for less than 24 hours. WHY??!! I know...doesn't make sense, but let me explain and it will. Steve's dad has been an airline Captain for American Airlines for many years and is due to retire this year. Due to some flux in the stockmarket, he decided to retire at the end of January. Of course, this was a very spur-of-the-moment decision, and one that he was sad to make, but we were so blessed to be able to make the quick trip out to California so we could fly on his last flights to/from Hawaii. Again, more pics to come, but here is one that I took from Dawn's blog (hope you don't mind!).

Visit her blog for lots more fun ones, too. It was truly a trip of a lifetime and we made the most of every second we had with the family. We also had a great time hanging out with the crew as well. Many of them have been flying with Steve's dad for several years and a few were even on the crew that flew us out to our Honeymoon a couple years ago!

So that's a quick update...I really will be better about adding great stories as they come. I have some fun things that I am looking forward to, and will keep my blog readers coming back for more :o)