happy birthday buggas!

this weekend we celebrated #7 and #5. i can't believe my children are at these ages. i just can't. part of me wants to hit the pause button and stay at this stage forever. of course i said that when they were 2 and 4 also. but another part of me wants to keep going so i can see what their little minds are going to come up with and explore and become. they are amazing. they have changed my life in so many ways and i'm so thankful to be a mom to my jake and my ella. truly the best. sure i want to throw them across the room sometimes....but overall, they lighten my life like nothing else.

thursday was jake's day. he chose chocolate muffins for breakfast, a bologna lunchable for lunch, and pizza and breadsticks for dinner. he got a trip to the lego store and i'm pretty sure he was pleased with his day.

saturday was ella's day as well as the party. she chose cinnamon rolls and bacon for breakfast, an egg for lunch and taco bueno for dinner. she got her fingernails and toenails painted (one of her favorite things) and i'm pretty sure she was pleased as well.

the party took place at redpin bowling (if you're in the okc area and need a place for a party, go here!! it was great!!) they had so much fun bowling, eating cake, playing with their friends and running around the riverwalk. i couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day.

so here we go, moving forward to 8 and 6. those numbers seem to big to me. so for now i'll enjoy 5 and 7. many great things in store, i'm certain!!

mom, mommy, momma, mother, hey you

i've only been a mom for seven years. well almost seven years...this thursday. and in these seven years being a mom has come to mean so many different things to me. things i never thought i could think and things i never thought i could feel.

i would honestly kill for my kids. be it right or wrong, that is the way i feel. they are my heart, my smile, my song. they keep me going, they make me laugh, they make me cry, they have ways to get under my skin, they sometimes make me want to retire from being a mother (already). but they are greatness. and i wouldn't trade the opportunity of being a mom for anything.

i'm not perfect. i don't try to be. i'm me. and that's all i can give. and i feel pretty good about that. sometimes i yell, sometimes i scream, sometimes i cry. but i also love, and hug and teach and encourage and pray and live.

balance. that is key in my vocabulary.
dont' sweat the small the stuff. LITERALLY. don't sweat it. life is too short. and that stained new dress or ruined piece of furniture, you can't take it with you. what you can take is a feeling of satisfaction, that your kids felt loved and supported and had fun with life. i don't want my kids to remember getting in trouble, (although there is plenty of that, that comes with life) i want them to remember learning and growing and again, having fun.

this is my ode to motherhood. this is my journey. and these are the reasons i get to be celebrated and celebrate. (old pic, jake almost 3, ella almost 1..turning 5 and 7 this week)



and this woman is the reason i was brought into the world and get to experience motherhood. my mom. i love you. i miss you. you will never be forgotten and live every day in the hearts of your children and grandchildren. i hope you get to peek down from heaven and watch them every once in a while. you would be proud.

twas a great saturday

the weather was perfect. nothing was planned. relaxing and laughing was on the agenda. i love these times with my family.
the day started off with a run in the park, followed by a walk around the neighborhood while the kids rode their bikes. gorgeous weather. did i say that already?
i had the urge to watch baseball movies so after we played a few rounds of hot potato with the kids outside, we grilled some dogs and burgers and enjoyed the "sandlot" and "field of dreams". two of my faves.
it was perfect. and i loved the whole day. the end.

addendum to birthday post

although this is going to seem quite comical, there were a few highlights i forgot to mention about my birthday. and since i'm claiming it was the best one yet, i figured i should give proper justice. just a quirk of mine i guess and the fact that i was extremely tired when i wrote yesterday and might have forgotten a couple of details that played great importance in the success of my birthday....

first of all, after my wonderful pedicure with ella i was treated to lunch by my fantastic friend amy at one of my favorite places, saturn grill. our time together is always great but this time was even greater b/c of the conversation...one i will treasure and remember. so i have to give props where props are due.

next, i forgot to give a million thanks to my older sis and my husband for the parts they played in making my birthday celebration magnificent. the secrets they kept and the planning that happened played the most significant role in making my birthday the greatness that it was. they both took very good care of me (and the kids) and made my birthday even more amazing.

so to them i say thank you. and to everyone who made my weekend amazing...you know who you are. now there, whew. i'm glad i did this. if not for the reader then for just myself. and since it's my blog and i'm 35 now, i can do what i want!!

probably my greatest birthday ever

who knew turning 35 would be so great! i had my weekend planned. date night with my hubs on friday night and girls night with my girls on saturday. little did i know....


that these two lovelies were coming in to surprise me for my birthday. i was overwhelmed. and so friday afternoon began our 5 day extravaganza. there are many more pictures to be shared but i will only post a few and spare you every detail.
friday before ella headed to school, i treated the two of us to pedicures. we had fun!
friday night we went to mcnellies, the okc memorial, and then to kaiser's for some ice cream. a fabulous night.


on saturday my lovelies took me for a manicure. i never get those so that was a nice treat. we stayed out most of the day taking the lovely beth around to various places in our city b/c she's NEVER BEEN TO OKLAHOMA! crazy right?


on saturday night i went out with my girls. appetizers at rococo's, dinner at sauced, then back to my friend nickel's house for some drinks and cupcakes. delish and such a fun time, singing my guts out to old school songs and dancing with my sister even though i'm not good at all. oh the memories. loved every minute!!

sunday was church and a barbeque with friends then hanging out with the family that evening.

monday we went to the red earth museum and then took beth out to pops and the big red barn. we had a most excellent time. she loved pops and we were given a special VIP tour of the big red barn by sam. again, more good memories. we ended the evening with eischen's fried chicken, simply the best!


tuesday we headed to anadarko, oklahoma where i had hoped to show beth indian city usa, which unfortunately shut down last summer. would have been nice to know that BUT we did find this great street in anadarko. pretty cool right? ended up showing beth the plaza district (which i love) and ate at big truck tacos. delish!!


our last stop on tuesday was the oklahoma state capitol building. i had never been and shame on me for that. it is actually quite a cool place to tour and we enjoyed it immensely. i even took the kids out of school that day for our adventures and they loved it!

my lovelies left today to head back to california. can't wait for another adventure with them.

by far the best birthday i've had.....can't wait for next year!!

spring break

i loved you. you were so much fun. so relaxing. i didn't want you to end. you've made me ready for summertime. these last couple of months of school better go by fast....

would you believe i got one picture over spring break. oh well, the memories are embedded deep into my heart...who needs pictures (ha ha ha)

for real though, spring break week was pretty much perfection for me and my family.

monday was a dreary cold day. no worries though, i did housework and got my laundry done for the week. we stayed in, the kids played and watched movies...it was a good day.

tuesday we went to pops for the first time and it is really cool! the food was great and it's just all around fun atmosphere.

wednesday we headed to the zoo...along with the rest of oklahoma city's population. by the time we got there, we had sat in a line for ten minutes without moving...and that was just to park. we decided it was a no go and headed back to pops to try out their dessert. yum-o and the kids loved it yet again.

thursday we packed up the car and headed to texas for the rest of the week. we saw friends and family and enjoyed being away from home and not really having an agenda. i think the kids favorite part was staying in a hotel. i still love to do it so i understand the excitement. i have no complaints about the trip other than i didn't want to come home.

but here it is monday and today was a really great day. God is good. i know amazing things are on the horizon for me and my family and i can't wait to see what they are. i'm so blessed, for no other reason than God loves me, and that feeling is indescribable.

and that's all i have to say about that.

too....many.....days.....

i've been meaning to update for a while now but alas, time escapes me. sometimes i wonder where it goes, but nonetheless it's gone. so here i am, halfway through march trying to figure out what needs to be said.

the season of lent began last week. i love this time of year. i've grown to love celebrating and participating in lent. it's meant something different to me every year and this year will not disappoint. i'm quite certain.

spring break is this week. so far so good. monday was quite dreery so we stayed in doors. the kids watched movies and i did 4 loads of laundry, cleaned the kitchen and changed the sheets. whew. productive day.
today we went to pops for the first time. it's a very cool gas station/restaurant. they have $2 tuesdays (burgers) and soda pop galore. the kids and i went with some friends and had a great time. they especially enjoyed getting to drink a big bottle of pop all by themselves with no sharing and no watered down taste (that's right, i still water down the sugary drinks)
tomorrow looks to be a beautiful day so i think we'll head to the zoo and see the elephants who have been in tulsa for quite some time. they have a new home and it sounds like it's pretty impressive.
then on thursday we are headed to texas to stay for a few days to do whatever the heck we want to do. we have a few things "planned" but mostly we are just relaxing and enjoying being away for a while. can't wait for that!!
so that does it for the ven's right now. ready for school to be out and see what the summer has in store.