Summer Fun !!

Now, aren't you shocked!  This is my 2nd post this week.  Yea! for me.  I was quite sure that you wanted to hear about the fun our family had last week.

It all started on Saturday, July 12th................

Tommy and I drove out to Tyler, Texas to pick Clancy up from Pine Cove Camps where he had been for a week.  We brought him back here to our house to stay for 3 days before we took him home to Oklahoma.  This was his first time to stay with us by himself and we sure did enjoy him.  He's a super kid and kept us on our toes for sure.  On Wednesday, July 17th, the three of us, plus our DIL and Grandgirls headed to Oklahoma.  I'm pretty sure the following pictures will speak for themselves of the great time enjoyed by all.

One of the first things on the agenda was to celebrate this little guy's 4th birthday.  His birthday isn't until August 31st, but since his little brother is due around that time, Bridget thought it would be good to go ahead and celebrate.  Needless to say, it didn't matter one bit to Coleman, he loved the celebration!

And, I hosted a brunch for this gal's 40th birthday.  Her birthday was on July 3rd but, again, a celebration is still fun even if it's a bit early or a bit late.

We met for brunch at the neatest tearoom in Edmond, called Inspirations.  I'm pretty sure that Bridget felt very celebrated.  It was a fun time and the food was delicious!

One morning, before it got so hot, we visited the Express Clydesdale Ranch in Yukon, OK.  What a beautiful ranch and what HUGE horses.  Most of the Clydesdales at this ranch are black and that was my first time to see a black Clydesdale.  They were so pretty!

From the ranch we headed over to Wheeler Park where we enjoyed taking pics with the huge OKC letters.  If it had not been so, so hot, we would have probably hung around and done some of the other things there.  But, the heat won and we headed towards home for naps.

One of the most fun evenings was when our son in law got a couple of their horses out, saddled them and the kids had a blast riding.  Thankfully they have two very old horses that can do nothing but walk and are very, very gentle.

Everyone, except Tommy and Bridget, rode.  I had no plans to ride but, hey, might as well join in on the fun.  I could not believe how well  Coleman and Andi Kate did and they were not one bit afraid.  They rode like they had been doing it for years.  Made this CiCi a bit nervous to see those little ones on those BIG horses. ~smile~

Hanna Beth probably enjoyed the evening more than any of the others.  She has always loved horses and has been taking riding lessons for about 8 months.  She was a happy girl for sure!

And, last, but most importantly, Windy and I assisted Bridget in finishing up the nursery.  It came together so nicely and she is now ready for "baby boy."

The four days were a lot of fun and a special time for all of us to be together.  As I've said many times, I wish that they didn't live 8 hours away.  But, we make it work and our time together is all the more special.

Wednesday Medley - Cousins, Aunts and Uncles

Well, hello!  Yes, I have been MIA for a little while and I have missed you but just have had other things going on and blogging took a backseat.  I decided a few months ago that I will not look at my blog as something I HAVE to do but something that I enjoy doing.  When I feel I HAVE to blog, it becomes work.  So, there you go!  It's good to be back!

I haven't participated in the Wednesday Medley in almost a month.  But, today's subject matter lured me in and I look forward to answering these.  National Cousins Day is today, Aunt and Uncle Day is the 26th.  Terri's questions center around these special days. And, once again, I had no idea there were such days. 

1.  What can you tell us about your cousins, please, or someone who is close like a cousin?

This is two of my cousins and I have 8 others.

Most of my cousins live in Virginia and I went to see them last September.  I have tried to stay connected with them. We always have a great time when we are together and I'm really sorry that we can't see each other more.  All but one of my cousins is on my mother's side.

2.  Do you still see your cousins and will you contact them on National Cousins Day?

As I stated above, I last saw my Virginia cousins almost a year ago.  It's rather doubtful that I will contact them today.   

3.  Terri had a favorite aunt and uncle she will tell us about.  How about you?

This is my Aunt Wanda, my Mom's oldest sister.  The above picture was taken in 2012 at her 90th birthday celebration.  She was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer shortly before her birthday and lived about another year.  She was special to me all of her life.  She had 4 boys and she was always up for some girl fun whenever we were together.  She was such a lovely lady and she will always hold a special place in my heart. She continues to influence me.  

And, this lady, well, she is more fun than a barrel of monkeys and I was so thrilled to spend time with her last September.  She was married to my Mom's brother but my Mom always looked at her more as a sister than a sister in law.  I talk to Aunt Mary at least a couple of times a month and she always lifts my spirits with her wonderful humor and wisdom.  

4.  Did/does your family have reunions and can you tell us about them?

I can count on one hand the number of family reunions that my parents families have had over the years.  In fact, my Dad's family has never had a reunion.  Mom's family had 2-3 that I remember.  We always lived so far away that I only remember attending 1 of them.

5.  If you have children, are they enjoying relationships with their cousins, aunts, uncles?

Our children have 4  first cousins and they've only seen 2 of them 3-4 times in their life.  They have seen their other 2 many more times but hundreds of miles have always separated them, so it's been tough to establish a close relationship.  They have 4 aunts and uncles and do share a special bond with some of them but, again, many miles separate them now. 

Distance from family is something I have had to deal with all of my life.  I often wish it were different but it isn't likely going to ever change so we deal with it as best we can.

6.  Tell us something random about your week so far.

If you are my friend on Facebook then you probably saw that we got ourselves an adjustable bed.  We got the I-Comfort Serta mattresses to go on the adjustable frame.  We know several folks that have this exact configuration and they are all so happy with it.  I am always propping myself up in bed to either read or watch TV and now I can really be comfortable. It has dual controls, so we had to get the two twin beds set up.  But, we felt it was important for us to be able to adjust our sides to our own liking.  It also has a massage setting and Hubby will likely use that more than I will but I'm pretty sure after a few nights of adjustment, we are going to love the mattress.  There is no doubt we will both enjoy the adjustable feature. Since I  composed  this post prior to going to bed last night I cannot report on how the first night was.  But, I will give you a report later. Of course, there is no more a set of sheets for this bed.  It takes 2 twin XL fitted sheets and the rest of the linens are still king size.  Very few places sell separate sheets.  I got mine from Bed, Bath and Beyond online.  As I said, I'll give you an update after we've slept on it a few nights.  

Again, it's so good to be back in blogland!  I'll try not to stay away so long next time.

June's Prime Purchases

And, once again, it's time for one of my favorite post of each month.  It's sort of replaced my "favorites" post because so much of what I purchase through Amazon ends up being a favorite.  Hope you find something you can't live without too. ~smile~

BLUSH

AMAZON

I love blush and wear it every.single.day.of.my.life.  But, I want it to be on the softer side.  This blush by Hourglass is called Cool Pink and it is fused with Ethereal Light (whatever that is) for a moonlit luminosity.  It's a soft rosey color that I love.  I use one other Hourglass product and love it and decided to give this a try.  It is a bit pricey but, blush generally last a very long time.


CELL  PHONE  RING

AMAZON
I may have told you about these jewels before but it doesn't matter, everyone NEEDS one of these on the back of their cell phone.  It was a game changer for me and I haven't been without since my first one.  There are several different types but I really like this one with the clear acrylic back.  Your phone cover shows through the acrylic and it has amazing adhesive.  This particular one comes in a pack of 4 for a very inexpensive price.  Holding the phone has never been as easy.  I slide it over one of my fingers at times and can carry a host of other things and never have to worry about dropping my phone.  I've had more people than I can count stop and ask me about it.  Go check it out!


PATIO/PORCH  FURNITURE  CUSHIONS

AMAZON

Aren't these pretty?  This is our new porch furniture cushions and I am so pleased.  We've had the same ones since we moved in our new house almost 4 years ago and they had definitely lost their "pizazz."  

They add such a nice touch to our porch furniture. 



FAUX  OUTDOOR  CEDAR TREES
  



AMAZON

Not only had our cushions lost their "pizazz" but so had our topiaries by the front door.  We use faux outdoor plants in the big pots and these new Cedar trees are awesome.  They are 4 feet tall and make quite the statement.  There are so, so many wonderful faux plants on Amazon that it was hard to make a choice.  And, these will look great at Christmas with clear lights strung on them. 

Here's what they look like in our pots on our front porch. 




SWADDLE BLANKET


AMAZON
I ran across this swaddle blanket for our baby boy coming in September and I couldn't resist it.  I love the verse and everything about it.  There are several verses to choose from so baby boy may end up with another one of these. ~smile~


SMALL  NATURAL  WOOD  TRAYS


AMAZON

Hubby and I have matching recliners with a table between them.  The table has a lamp on it and it also has a drawer.  I have been looking for something that would hold the items we use EVERY time we are sitting in our chairs.  Yes, there is a nice drawer but neither of us want to have to open it to get our frequently used items.  Some of those items would be eye drops, pen, page tabs, reading glasses and stylus. ~in case you were wondering~  Well, I finally found the perfect tray for these items.  I have seen these natural wood trays in the larger size but not in this small size.  These are 6" by 8" at the widest point.  

See how well they work for our "stuff."  And, their at our fingertips. 

AMAZON

I don't know about you but I use quite a few stamps.  I saw this lovely hand painted stamp holder on Amazon while searching for something else.  I thought it would make such a lovely addition to my office desk so I ordered it.  And, I think it would make a great gift also.  It's usable and it's attractive.  There are 3-4 different designs to choose from.





AMAZON

If you know someone going through a tough time, this might just be a great gift for them.  It is full of such encouragement straight from the Word of God.  It's pretty enough to leave sitting out all the time too.



AMAZON

I LOVE the automatic candles and they are so realistic.  I just ordered this birch 
style and they are so attractive.  I also have some in the ivory color.  They can be set to come on automatically at the same time every night.  I especially enjoy them in the winter when it gets darker earlier.  It'gives such a warm and inviting look to a room. 

Okie Dokie, that's all for this month.  Wishing you and yours a most wonderful 4th of July!