Flashback Friday (Saturday Edition)

This picture was taken at a charity event we attended for the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. I remember having lots of fun that night and enjoying great food and great music! We have been very blessed to have the opportunity to experience a lot of really amazing events, dinners, and concerts over the past few years and this was one of them! Plus, I would never pass up the chance to see Brock in a tux!!

How Do I Do It?

People ask me often, "how do you do it?"...I'm not exactly sure what they mean, but I suppose it has something to do with having three little boys, and being a stay at home mom, and running a household, and so on (lots of women do what I do and probably much better than I do)...so, here's how I do it...

This is how I put my make-up on and fix my hair (which doesn't happen very often)...
using the laundry basket as a Cash corral also forces me to actually put the laundry away!


This is how we play outside...

I've tried letting Cash sit and play on the patio, but he crawls straight to the grass and quickly puts a handful of grass and leaves in his mouth. (on this particular day the big boys were playing T-ball, but took a quick break to hang out with baby brother.!)

How I clean the kitchen and vacuum the floor...

Tytus is a wonderful helper and Cash adores him. Tytus can feed him his entire bottle (while watching "Clifford"), giving me a chance to finish my chores. I think it's only fair that Tytus help take care of his siblings since he no longer takes a nap! It's the least he can do!!

Celebration and Sorrow

Today we gathered together with my mother's family (the Evans family) to celebrate the life and grieve the loss of my Great Uncle Russ. He was the patriarch of our family, a God-fearing, Christ centered man...he adored his wife and LOVED his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. He was bigger than life.

It was a wonderful time to see many family members that I have not seen in quite a long time and to introduce many of them to Brock and the boys. However, the day was more difficult than I had prepared myself for. Upon hearing the news that Uncle Russ had passed I was filled with sadness for my Aunt Lois and my cousins who were so very close to their grandfather, but at the same time I was able to rejoice that this man who had worked hard all of his life and had loved the Lord the majority of his life was able to go HOME to be with our Heavenly Father and reunited with loved ones.

However, in this time of sorrow and reflection with family, I began to think about my Grandpa Hoot. I miss him greatly and am often surprised that after fifteen years since his death I am still overcome by sadness at certain times, sometimes when I least expect it. Grief is a mysterious emotion...often it sneaks up on a person and washes over her like a wave, filling her with pain and sorrow for a short period of time then silently disappearing for months, even years before returning uninvited. In the same way the Spirit of Peace can flood into one's heart unexpectantly when It is needed the most, bringing a sense of calm and comfort at just the perfect moment.

I know the weeks and months ahead will be very difficult for my family, but I am so strangely excited for Uncle Russ and Grandpa Hoot that they get to be together again...with Jesus, their very personal saviour who saved them from their sins and turned them from a life of shenanigans!! (and trust me...I've heard some stories!!)

A Day at the Ballpark!

Yesterday we spent a beautiful Sunday afternoon enjoying America's past time at the new Drillers Stadium in downtown Tulsa. It is a fantastic little park that was build by Manhattan Construction. Brock was graciously given privileges to the company suite so we were able to enjoy a Drillers victory in comfort with clients, friends, and co-workers. Good times!!

(I would have been able to exhibit our summertime happiness with pictures if the battery in my camera had not ran out of power...oh well, just imagine the adorable faces of my boys in their baseball caps and snow cone stained lips!)

Hay Days!!

Spring is Here! Which means it's time to get those balers, brush hogs, mowers, and rakes tuned up for hay season...It also means it's time for customer appreciation day at Eubanks' Equipment! It's a family event and everyone has a job to do to make the day a success (except for me this year and my job was to make sure my children were all accounted for!) However, I did get a chance to snap a few photographs...enjoy!

Pawpaw Ty was the official taxi service of the day, giving customers a lift in his new red Ruff 'N' Tuff!

Finally, I captured a photo of Uncle Stetson with Cash...they were buddies for the day!

Brock was suppose to be selling lawn mowers...good thing he's not working on commission!

We don't go anywhere without a box of trucks, tractors and motorcycles!

The cutest couple in the county!! Memaw and Pawpaw just celebrated 60 years of marriage...what an amazing pair!

Flashback Friday!

This Friday I am honoring my Girls...my Speech Path girls!! Five years ago this month, we put on that final cap and gown, listened to that final commencement speech and proudly received that final diploma (I suppose I shouldn't be too quick to say FINAL, as one or all of us could go on to get that PhD. or Clinical Doctorate...any takers??) We shared some of the greatest times and grew together as friends, professionals and young women. I am so grateful for the relationships I was blessed with during grad school. And we will forever be "Proud and immortal....loyal and true, to our Alma mater...O-S-U"

Shanna Bridges Gann, Missy Childs Ward, Carissa Crosby Miller, Nikki Terry Dodgens, and Me

I've been through a lot with these two...some of the hardest and best times of my life thus far. Love you both!

Couldn't help but throw in a picture of my biggest fan...and Sugar Daddy!! Love you B.

Easter

This year we celebrated the resurrection of our Christ with Uncle Craig and his family at their church, Bar-None Cowboy Church. We really like their church and have been attending with them a lot this spring. Pastor Clint (or Brother Clint, I'm not sure what they call him) brought a great message and the service was followed by a good ol' fashion pot luck dinner...the way one should be done, with homemade fried chicken, mashed potatoes and chicken and dumpling...YUM! After lunch the roping arena was filled with REAL eggs for hunting. Some eggs were even hidden on the loading chutes! We had a really good time.

I didn't realize until later that day that I had only got like one picture of Cash and NO pictures of all three of the boys together, let alone a picture of the five of us!! Oh well. They all three looked adorable and Brock was handsome as usual. Here are some pictures of our Easter Sunday...

Every Rose Has Its Thorn

First let me just say that I love when my mom comes to visit and the boys are crazy about her! She is very hands-on and is always a big help. When she came to visit us over Easter weekend, she decided to take the boys on a walk/bike ride. Seemed like a great idea...the weather was beautiful, sun shining bright...

Here is Cash ready to go on his first ever wagon ride!! So Cute...

And here is Cash after Grandma pulled him through the rose bush!

JUST KIDDING MOM!! Okay, that rose bush might have needed a little trimming and Grandma was trying to help the big boys with their bikes while pulling the wagon at the same time! I have to admit I was pretty freaked out when Mom brought him inside the house screaming with blood all over his face, but once we got him cleaned up and he calmed down I think I felt worse for Grandma! He only looked like Scarface for a couple of days...and Brock went straight out and pruned the rose bush!

Trains and GrandDon

GrandDon gave Beau a new 'Thomas the Train' set for his birthday. The boys had a great time with him putting the track together and trying out the new engine. Even Cash got in on some of the action!

Beau's 3rd Birthday

Finally, some pictures from Beau's birthday party! We had so much fun that day. Even though he had some anxiety thinking that he was going to be forced to eat chicken, he was still a happy little boy at the end of the day...could of had something to do with the pancakes, cupcakes, and cake (that's a whole lot of CAKE!).

(sidenote: we had been attempting to encourage/'brainwash' Beau for about six months prior to his birthday, that he would start eating chicken and other foods that he refuses to eat when he turned three. It seemed like a good idea and it all kind of started in fun, but the poor guy was so worried that someone would try and make him eat chicken that he was a bit stressed out! And yes, I felt horrible!)

Birthday Breakfast...pancakes, of course...

with SPRINKLES!!!

"Yummmm, this is gonna be delicious," he said to himself quietly as he gazed at his creation!

Birthday lunch with friends at Chick-Fil-A (okay, yes, I was hoping he would be brave and try the chicken nuggets, but NOPE!)

Look at those adorable Quinn brothers!

Little Grant enjoyed the cupcakes!

Have I mentioned that Beau is obsessed with Spiderman...no wait...he IS Spiderman!

Brothers blowing out the candles together

The SURPRISE guest...SPIDERMAN!! That's right...Spiderman came to the party with an official Spiderman gift!

Spiderman and The Beau Beau Spiderman Show (that is now how Beau refers to himself!) showing off their muscles!

The Beau Beau Spiderman Show in his new Spiderman sunglasses.

T-Man also got a new pair of sunglasses

SO MUCH FUN!! We LOVE you Beau!

O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A...!!!

YIPPEE!!! It's official, we are Oklahoma residents again! The move is complete, but the unpacking is not! I have been a very busy little momma the past couple of weeks (hence the lack of blog posts), and I still do not have the internet (or television for that matter). So I am borrowing Brock's work computer and global internet for one quick post.

We are exhausted from a very physically and emotionally draining last couple of weeks. Leaving Joplin/Loma Linda was a lot harder than I had prepared myself for(more on this later). In the midst of all the packing, moving, cleaning, and lots of driving between Claremore and Joplin, the boys and I made a quick trip back to NWOK to be with family after the sudden death of an uncle. In addition to that, we have been spending as much time as possible with Brock's family during a very difficult situation.

However, the good news is...we are all back together again! I did not realize how hard it was on me with Brock being gone so much until now. It is so nice to have him home to help and hang out with. And because his office is in downtown Tulsa, he can't really stick around and work late (or at least he shouldn't)! I think Tytus said it best, "I LOVE the new rent house, because we all get to be together and Daddy gets to come home every night!" It just proves...the kids don't care that we are more cramped and that I gave half of their toys away. It matters most that the gang's all back together!

Althought I'm beginning to think they might be tired of my sudden bursts into "OKLAHOMA"!!