Cowboy up!

Saturday, we spent most of the day with Nana and Pop at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Chuckwagon & Children's Cowboy Festival. It was blazin' hot and crowded, but the twins really enjoyed making ropes, sampling cowboy dutch oven cooking (we especially liked that part!), riding tractor-pulled wagons, throwing horseshoes, decorating bandanas, and making necklaces. Now if we can keep them from trying to tie each other up or rope the cats....

A little too close...

**Editor's note: The tornadoes were ranked yesterday...the two that came close to us were EF4 and EF5. Yikes!**

May 24, 2011 will again set Oklahoma history. Several tornadoes went through our state, killing many (they haven't stopped counting yet) and obliterating thousands of houses in their path. Two came really close to us, much too close for comfort. Never a good sign when I got sent home early from work and our "personal meterologist" (dear friend Robert who lives near Washington, DC) sent me a text saying to take cover.

Fortunately, Matt came home from work and added humor to the situation, suggesting that we have a "tornado pizza party". During our first storm season living in Oklahoma, we would get Pizza Shuttle pizza and sit on our front porch to watch the storms roll in like "real Okies". But something changes when you have two little ones that you are responsible for....and a deadly storm comes within a few miles of your house.

So into our hallway we went... tennis shoes on, helmets on, flashlight close, insurance cards and purse next to me, water bottles filled, Boomer in his kennel and cats locked in bathroom. We were as ready as we could be. And then the sirens began to blare and my heart rate soared. Think we might look into getting a 'fraidy hole for next year.

Thanks be to God that we were spared yet again. Prayers for Oklahomans who were not so lucky and had to bury their children or other family and start fresh from their empty house foundations. Deep, deep heartfelt prayers.

Caddo Lake with the Hoffmeisters

We had a great weekend in the fancy Caddo Lake cabin (aka double wide trailer! ha!) with our favorite New Orlean-eans, Monique, Jules, Darby and Ellis (my sweet godchild). The weather was overcast and slightly rainy all weekend, but it was perfect to enjoy a short hike, plenty of fishing, and riding in Matt's canoe.

This was George & Abigail's first time to fish and they had more fun casting with their Lightening McQueen and Princess fishing poles! George nearly caught his first fish, but of course it got away!!

Darby (with the help of his daddy) scored one on his first cast, what a pro!

It wouldn't be a family vacation without one medical situation...poor Ellis awoke Saturday morning with a puffy eye from a bite that progressively became more swollen and red throughout the day. Ended up in a trip into the Marshall, TX ER Sat night with one shot and antibiotics...poor baby!! Didn't slow him down though....he kept up with the big kids all weekend!
Hiking in the piney woods.
Pontoon boat ride.
Took a guided pontoon boat ride through the swamps of Caddo Lake...there is something mysteriously beautiful about the cypress moss curtains and quiet lilypad covered waters of North Louisiana. Took me back to when I was a child skiing on those waters.

We had a great time reuniting with our sweet friends and loving on their kiddos. One thing is true about your best and dearest friends...we always pick right back up where we left off last time. We love you Hoffmeisters and can't wait to do it again, just maybe not in a double wide next time!! Ha!

Honoring the mamas...

We had an action-packed weekend to celebrate Mother's Day. Grammy was in town for Abigail's recital weekend and we were able to enjoy several events going on around the OKC metro.

We took Grammy to our OKC Zoo and we all got to see new baby elephant Malee who was only 3 weeks old and 350 lbs!! Adorable!! Happy Mother's Day to mama Asha.
Posing on "Playmates" with my little playmates
George & Abigail love the Children's Zoo and with temps in mid 80s, they waded in the cool stream, played in the water fountains, and petted the billygoats. We love our Zoo and plan to spend lots of time there this summer.


Saturday morning was spent at the Touch-a-Truck event. A local Mom's Club sponsors this event where there are hands-on opportunities for children and adults to crawl in and honk the horns of transportation vehicles we see on our roads daily. George liked the giant crane and Orange County Chopper/Chesapeake natural gas Chopper the best. I liked the Children's Hospital helicopter the best. George liked pretending he was a pilot like his grandpa.


His best buddy Rachel was there too and she and George ran from truck to truck, with little Gideon close behind.



Where was Abigail you ask? Within 5 seconds of being in the parking lot and still in the car, she spotted a costumed mascot (Braum's cow) and screamed and cried. She refused to go anywhere near the event, so she and her daddy hung out at the Farmer's Market the whole time. Her highlight was getting a new balloon and sampling fair trade chocolate...and NOT having to go near the mascots! Really ready for her to grow out of that fear....

Matt cooked a beautiful Mother's Day brunch at home after church...salmon with lemon hollandaise on english muffins, green and fruit salads and Grammy shared her Shari's Berries (huge chocolate covered strawberries) for dessert. Much better than any restaurant could have prepared! After brunch, we cracked cascarones (Mexican tradition of blown eggs filled with confetti) in the front yard and George & Abigail thought that was a ton o' fun. Even Nana & Pop joined in on it. And I was able to capture the excitement with my camera donning my new fancy burnt orange camera strap (gift from G&A for Mama's day)...I love it!!

Yes, that's confetti in his mouth.
The 3 Mamas!

The weekend was completed with Abigail's dress rehearsal and two dance performances....could not have asked for a better weekend. I was surrounded by people I love all weekend and the two precious reasons I celebrate being a mom...George and Abigail!

Our little Performer!

Sweet Abigail stole the show! This weekend was her very first dance recital with Artworks Academy. Her tap number was Shirley Temple's "Animal Crackers" with her "dance friends" as she calls them (her dance class), her ballet number was "Topsy Turvy" with the entire preschool program, and she and Matt did a Father/Daughter Jazz number.

Preparing for their "boogie & twirls!"

She loved every minute of being on the stage....the lights, the makeup, the beautiful costumes!! As I walked her backstage to join her class before her first dance, she confidently waved goodbye and announced "Bye Mama! I'll be on stage dancing!!" During her tap routine, she slipped and fell, but got right back up and continued dancing. Made her mama soooo proud.

Grammy came in from Texas for the show and Nana, Pop, George, and Daddy were all there to cheer her on. She loved being showered with roses and carnations in celebration for the performance too. George enjoyed watching the dancing too...he was mezmorized by the music and costumes of the "big girls". He sat still like a statue on his Grammy's lap for the whole 3 1/2 hour show!

What a fabulous way to spend Mother's Day weekend....watching my precious baby girl dance! More stories & pics to come from the rest of the fun-filled weekend!