Life with the Lees

Chris' Graduation

2011-09-09T13:24:00.008-05:00

I was trying to decide what events to talk about on this blog to get caught up for the past few months since I have not been blogging. I decided that I absolutely HAD to start with Chris's graduation from the University of Oklahoma. This was a huge moment in our lives, and he has been working so hard to reach this goal for the past four years. I am so proud of Chris, and I appreciate him so much for making the commitment to go back to school so that he could get a great job and support our family and so that I could stay home with Jayden. Here are a ton of pictures from May 13 & 14, 2011!

Chris in front of the Oklahoma Memorial Stadium-where the Commencement Ceremony took place.

Chris and I before Commencement. It was SO cold!

Grana and Chris

Chris and Jayden. Jayden was so excited to be inside of the stadium!

Such a cute picture of Jayden and Riley!

Yea! We have been looking forward to this for four years!

Chris walking into the Commencement Ceremony.

The stage. (I feel like all pictures need a caption!)

Jayden holding his glow stick at the end of the ceremony. An OU tradition-graduates hold red ones, and guests hold white ones. (Oh, and he has earplugs in his ears because the fireworks were about to start!)

Fireworks at the end of the ceremony. Still gives me goosebumps just remembering it!

Jayden and Nonni. Guess the earplugs didn't work well enough for him!

Chris and Jamie (Our fav waitress) at Sooner Legends for Chris' graduation lunch on May 14, 2011.

The three of us before Chris' graduation ceremony!

Chris and his parents before graduation.

Chris and his sister, Katie, before graduation.

Jayden and Chris. He was so excited that Daddy was about to graduate...and that he was going to Disney World the next day!

He totally deserved a kiss after all of his hard work. ;)

Yea! The moment that we have been waiting for!

Chris in line to get his degree.

Chris getting his degree.

So proud of him!

My graduate...I love this man so much! :)

Appetizers at Chris' graduation party at my parent's house after the ceremony!

More appetizers...

The cake table...

Mmmmm.....Crimson and Cream cake from Sooner Legends! The best cake ever!

I think Jayden enjoyed the cake! (It's red velvet in case you can't tell!)

The kids loved rolling down a hill in my parent's yard!

Some of our sweet friends who came to the party. Miss them so much!

And finally...I got to hold my sister's baby!

It's Been a Long, Long Time...

2011-09-08T16:10:00.010-05:00

So the last time I blogged, it was May. Seriously...May!?! I cannot believe that it has been so long, but we have had about a million things going on! Let's see, since May, Chris has graduated from OU, we have been to Disney World, Chris started his job at National Instruments, and we have moved from Norman, Oklahoma to Round Rock, Texas. Do you see now why I haven't blogged since May? Oh, and when we moved into our new house, it was absolutely filthy, so I have completely repainted the downstairs, and we got all new flooring throughout the entire house! Jayden has been taking swimming lessons, we bought a puppy, we have gotten involved in our new church, my parents came to visit, and Jayden and I went back to Oklahoma to visit family. We have been SO busy! I do believe that life is slowing down though, and hopefully, I will have a chance to update the blog more than twice a year!

I have actually been dreading this post because so much has happened since the last time I blogged, and I knew it would take forever to post about everything that we have been doing. So...I am going to post some pictures for you of a few random moments over the last few months, and then I am going to do some posts in the next week to get caught up. So, for your viewing enjoyment, here are some pictures of our life since May!

Chris, Jayden, and I at Chris' graduation-May 14, 2011

Jayden's first airplane ride-he loved it! May 15, 2011

Jayden and I at the Magic Kingdom-May 16, 2011

Painting the new house-I am painting it the darker color-June 2011

Boomer-Our new puppy! He's an Australian Labradoodle-July 8, 2011

Nonni and Jayden during our visit to Oklahoma-August 18, 2011

Jayden and Papa John on our Oklahoma visit-August 18, 2011

Papa, Jayden, and Nana during our visit to Oklahoma-August 21, 2011

On a different note, our extended family has been plagued with so much illness in the past few months. We have had three family members diagnosed with cancer since February. They are continuing to get better, but please keep them in your prayers.

Until next time...

I love my new niece!

2011-05-07T17:13:00.005-05:00

Before:

After:
My sister had her baby last Monday, May 2 at 9:21 pm. They did not find out the sex of the baby, so it was a great surprise when Daniel came out and announced it was a girl! Her name is Addison Marie, and I love her! She was 19 inches long and weighed 6 lbs 14 oz.

New House!

2011-04-21T07:17:00.002-05:00

We purchased a house in Round Rock this past weekend! Sorry that I don't have a better picture of it, but I don't have my camera with me to upload the pictures we took, and this was the picture online. This was taken back in January, so the grass is much greener now! We are so excited! This is a great house that is in a great neighborhood. We close on June 17! We'll post more pictures later. :)

Crazy, Hectic Life!

2011-03-06T14:27:00.002-06:00

Oh my goodness! We close on our house in less than two weeks! I cannot believe it! I know I posted a few weeks ago saying that we had a contract on our house, but I have not wanted to say that it had definitely sold, just in case something fell through. Well...it looks like everything is clicking right along, and we will be closing on Friday, March 18th! We had some obstacles to overcome, (like getting a new roof-thank goodness we have great insurance, and had total replacement on our roof!), but we have now passed all inspections and the appraisal. (Insert sigh of relief...)

We are now in the process of boxing everything up, so every free moment we have is spent packing. Jayden is not very happy about this, as he does not understand what is going on. His little world is about to change drastically, and I feel so bad for him, as he is so upset all of the time. Please pray for our little guy, as this is so difficult for him.

We will be moving in with my parents in a week. This should be interesting! I haven't lived at home since I was 18 years old, so this is going to be a big adjustment for all of us! We truly appreciate them letting us move in with them though, as we don't know what we had done otherwise. We hope to go down to Austin in April/May and look for a house. We are so excited about this!

My blogging is going to be almost non-existent for the next few months, as my parents don't have wireless Internet like we are used to. I will try to keep everyone updated though as much as possible!

Great News!

2011-02-13T13:20:00.002-06:00

I am happy to say that after only 12 days of our house being on the market, we received an offer, and are now under contract! We will now be going through the inspection process, but we should know for sure in the next couple of weeks if we have definitely sold our house! So far, everything has gone very smoothly, so we are hopeful that we will get to tell you that we have definitely sold our house very soon. We feel so blessed that we have a contract, as there are many people who have had their home on the market for many months, and have not had anything happen. Many prayers have been answered, and we feel certain that this is yet another step that God has allowed to happen so that we may continue on this new journey in our lives. If everything continues to progress, the buyer has asked to close on our house on March 18, so everything is going to move VERY quickly. Basically, that means that we have less than five weeks left to live here. It makes us sad, but this is really what needed to happen. We will be renting a storage unit for our possessions, and will be moving in with my parents until Chris graduates and we can close on a house in Austin. Please continue to pray that things go smoothly and that this contract will work out!

Snow Days

2011-02-02T20:24:00.007-06:00

As most of you know, we had blizzard conditions in Oklahoma yesterday. They canceled classes for Chris, and my work was canceled as well. We got a lot of snow, and it has been very, very cold. Here are some pictures from the last two days!

Our snow covered backyard.

Beautiful!

Jayden wanted to go outside so badly yesterday, but it was just too cold. The wind chill was -20 degrees!

Jayden made Valentines all by himself! All I did was put the glue on the paper, and he did everything else!

Adding jewels to the Valentines.

They turned out so well!

We were finally able to get out of the house today, so we went to my parents house and went sledding. Jayden had a blast! Here are some pictures of our afternoon!

Jayden had so much fun sledding down Nana and Papa's hill!

The three of us. It was so bitterly cold!

Sweet boy...all bundled up!

Mommy going down the hill. It was so much fun!

Jayden and Daddy walking back up the hill.

Jayden walking back up the hill determined to sled down again.

He had so much fun and couldn't get enough even though he was freezing.

Jayden sledding down the hill all by himself! He was so brave.

Chris sledding down the hill.

All bundled up!

A very happy little boy after coming in from sledding. Look at those rosey cheeks!

Here we go....

2011-01-31T15:38:00.000-06:00

Seriously. Freaking. Out. - Seriously.

2011-01-29T15:00:00.002-06:00

It is official. Our house goes on the market this Monday. As in a day and a half from now. As in 33 hours from now. As in 1,980 minutes from now. For those of you who know me, you know that I am about to hyperventilate and pass out.

Our House-Before and After

2011-01-27T21:27:00.015-06:00

May 1, 2008, we moved into our house in Norman, Oklahoma. When we purchased it, it was nothing like what we wanted, but we had a vision for it, and knew that we could turn it into a special home for us. Here we are, almost three years later, putting our house on the market next week to sell so that we can begin a new adventure, in a new home. So many people have wanted to see what we have done to our home, so I have put together this blog post of "Before and After" photos. The before pictures were taken just prior to the woman who lived here before us had moved out, and the after pictures were taken tonight. Enjoy, and I would love it if you would leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

Jayden's Room

The Full Bathroom

The Master Bedroom

The Third Bedroom-(We use this as an office/playroom.)

The Half Bathroom

The Hall (This is only an "After" photo...I didn't have a before, but the woodwork was dark!)

The Entry (The "After" picture doesn't show it, but the scalloped piece of wood in the kitchen is no longer there.)

The Kitchen

The wall in the kitchen where we removed the bar.

The Laundry Room

The Pantry.

The Dining Room.

The Living Room.

Well....what do you think? We love it, and hope that someone else will love it as well! Hopefully, it will sell quickly, and someone else can enjoy all of the hard work that we have put into our little house.

Tomorrow's a busy day...

2011-01-26T22:16:00.002-06:00

This is my Extended Hours week at work. This means that I work four ten hour days and have a day off in the week. Well, tomorrow is my day off, and it is going to be busy! I am actually kind of dreading it because it is going to be exhausting. My mom is going to come over at 9:30 a.m. to help me get through the day, thank goodness. I have a dentist appointment here in Norman at 11:10. I have an eye doctor appointment in Edmond at 3:00. This means that I will probably hit rush hour traffic on my way home. All the time in between, and I'm sure for a while after, we have to get our house in tip-top condition. The photographer from OpenHouseOKC.com is coming on Friday to take pictures of our house to put on the Internet, and it has to look PERFECT. No more putting things off, saying that we will take care of it later, this is it. These are going to be the pictures that everyone sees when they look at our house online. And first impressions are everything, so we have to get some great pictures. Keep your fingers crossed that we get everything done!

Mustang...Camaro...Dodsh...

2011-01-25T21:16:00.002-06:00

Jayden is absolutely obsessed with cars right now. Whenever we are driving down the road, all you hear from the back seat is him calling out the names of all the cars that pass. And let me tell you...there are a LOT of cars on the road! He loves Mustangs, Volkswagen Beetles (Punch Buggy don't punch back!), Nissans, Fords, Dodshs (that is how he says Dodge), and Land Rovers. I'm actually really impressed with how good he has gotten at recognizing the different cars. Anyway, I just wanted to post about this because this is such a huge thing in his life right now, and I want to make sure that we remember it!

I'm so excited!

2011-01-23T13:13:00.002-06:00

I have a new project that I am SO excited about! But guess what? I'm not going to tell you what it is! Not until it is finished. Once it's finished, I will tell you all about it, but just know that it is so exciting, and that it is going to be wonderful once it's done! Now I've got to go and work on it, or it's never going to be completed, because it's huge! Happy Sunday! :)

Trip to Austin

2011-01-22T14:33:00.004-06:00

A little over a week ago, we took a trip down to Austin, Texas. The purpose of the trip was to show Jayden the city so that he could begin to understand the concept of moving, and we also wanted to try to decide which suburb that we would like to move to. We were gone for five days, January 12-January 16, and we had such a good time. We are so excited to begin our new adventure. And, we have almost completely decided that we want to try to find a house in Round Rock. We will return to Texas in a few months to try to find a house to purchase.

Jayden was so excited to be going on a trip!

A beautiful sunrise on our drive to Texas.

Jayden and Chris at the Texas Welcome Center. Notice the snow on the ground...it was so cold!

Jayden and I at the Texas Welcome Center.

Jayden was so excited when we arrived at our hotel. Housekeeping had made towel puppy dogs and put them on our beds. :)

We drove into Austin the first day so Jayden could see the city. This is the Texas State Capital. It is huge.

The outside of our hotel. We stayed at the Staybridge Suites. It was brand new and so nice!

We ate at Chuy's in Round Rock. It was delicious...maybe my fav Mexican food ever! And the prices were so reasonable. If you come visit us after we move, we will be taking you here! :)

Chris had to take a drug test before he receives his moving bonus. So, like a genius, he went to the bathroom right before he had to take the test. Here he is chugging water trying to make himself have to go.

He finally was able to take the test. :P

National Instruments entrance. This is the reason we are moving to Texas.

National Instruments. Chris will be working on the second floor.

Rain. They say it is sunny 300 days out of the year in Austin, and it rained every day that we were there. Blah.

On our last day there, we took Jayden to the Austin Children's Museum. We had a great time, and he especially loved it.

Bookshelves-Before and After

2011-01-20T07:55:00.003-06:00

About a year or so ago, the inlaws gave us some old bookshelves that they weren't using anymore to help store all of my craft supplies. They definitely were not our style, but I saw great potential in them-and I truly appreciated the gift. Since we are getting our house ready to put on the market, we have been trying to make everything look perfect around here. So, we finally got around to updating the bookshelves! Check out the before and after photos. I love how they turned out!

This is one of the bookshelves before we began fixing it up.

Here they are pre-makeover...in all their blue and white glory!

Notice the ugly stain on the cabinet.

One last look at the before...and a side-shot of Chris. :)

Ta-Da!

Notice the stain is gone!

Love them! Much more our style!

The cute knobs we chose for the cabinet doors!

Well...I think they turned out really well! Now that we have all of our stuff on them, they look super cute! The total cost of this project was about $35.00 for paint, new hinges, and knobs. Not bad for a completely updated look!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T10:54:00.005-06:00

I can't believe that 2010 has come and gone. It was quite a year. Possibly, the most difficult year that Chris and I have had since we've been married. Not because of our marriage...it is wonderful...but because for the first time ever, Chris and I had to live apart for most of the summer, as he worked as a roughneck on a drilling rig in Arkansas so that he wouldn't have to work his senior year of college. While this was so difficult, we have had a lot of great times this year as well. Here are some pictures from the second half of the year (where I totally slacked off on my blogging).

A picture of the drilling rig that Chris worked on.

Jayden enjoyed sparklers on the 4th of July in Arkansas.

We took Jayden to his first movie at the movie theater. We went to Toy Story 3, and Chris and I both cried. Jayden loved it!

Chris and I had season tickets for the first time to the University of Oklahoma football games. We had a great time!

A gorgeous sunset at one of the games.

We went to the State Fair of Oklahoma with my parents. We love the pig races! My dad bought a pig nose for Jayden. :)

We attended the homecoming of Oklahoma Christian University where I graduated from college in 2004. I wanted to show Jayden where I went to school since I don't know when we will be able to be back for a homecoming again anytime soon.

My mom and I did our annual Black Friday shopping trip. This picture was taken at about 4:30 in the morning!

It has been quite an eventful year. A little bad, but a lot of good. We have made memories that we will never forget, and have truly cherished time spent with our families. 2011 will bring some of the biggest changes in our lives yet. We are putting our house on the market this month to hopefully sell. Chris will be graduating! I will be quitting my job. (I have worked since I was 16, so this will be a huge change to be a stay at home mom!) We are going to be going to Disney World! Jayden will be flying for the first time. Chris will be starting a career and National Instruments. We will be moving to Austin, Texas. We will be getting a puppy after we move. Eventually, we will begin to try to add to our family. What a busy and exciting year that we have in store. We are extremely excited, a little nervous, a little scared, and kind of sad. We know that this is what we are supposed to be doing with our lives though, and know that God has a plan for us! Here are a few pictures from the trip that Chris and I went on to Austin for his interview in October.

A beautiful shopping area called The Domain.

The Domain.

Chris and I in Austin.

Happy New Year everyone! We hope that you and your families are blessed in 2011.

Christmas Pictures

2010-12-31T13:47:00.007-06:00

Here are a bunch of random pictures from our Christmas at the Lees' and the O'Donnell's. Enjoy! :)

Stressed!!!

2010-12-27T18:05:00.002-06:00

So we just found out today that mortgage companies in Austin won't even talk to us without a contract on our house here in Norman. And...we are supposed to go house-hunting over Spring Break. So...if we don't have a contract on our house by then, there really is no point to go house-hunting because it won't do us any good. Our house will be going on the market at the end of January. Please pray for a quick sale...something that really doesn't happen with the market the way that it is right now. And...if you know of anyone who wants to have this beautiful backyard, please tell them about our cute little house in Norman!

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-26T00:00:00.000-06:00

We made Christmas cookies on Wednesday and Thursday! We made the dough on Wednesday, and decided to let it refrigerate overnight, so we finished baking and decorating them on Thursday. We had a great time, and hopefully, it will be a special memory that Jayden remembers.

Jayden was so excited to help me pour the sugar in the mixing bowl.

He was so excited that he got to help make and taste the dough!

Getting ready to use the cookie cutters to cut out the cookies.

Jayden and I before the cookies went in the oven.

He was such a good little helper!

Cutting out the cookies.

Playing with the cookie dough...and eating some along the way.

He loved decorating the cookies with the icing and sprinkles!

Decorating my candy cane cookie.

Chris even decorated a few cookies.

Jayden's work of art!

Pretty colors...messy though!

What a mess! He had icing all over his hands and his face and teeth!

Our masterpieces!

So cute! Can't wait to eat them!

We had a lot of fun trying new ways to decorate them.

My bell, and Jayden's Christmas tree.

Beautiful!

Chris' Santa Claus creation! :)

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T00:00:00.000-06:00

From our family to yours...wishing you the merriest of Christmas'!

Happy Christmas Eve!

2010-12-24T00:00:00.000-06:00

Nothing says Happy Christmas Eve like an ornament hanging from your ear! :)

Great Grandma Lee

2010-12-23T00:00:00.000-06:00

What a special treat it was for Jayden to get to see his Great Grandma Lee this past weekend! He has only met her once before, so they were both very happy to see each other again!

One of my Favorite Pictures

2010-12-22T08:50:00.002-06:00

I took this picture of Jayden over the weekend. It's one of my favorites of him!

Jayden's 4th Birthday Party

2010-12-20T22:05:00.011-06:00

Jayden turned four years old on December 1! I cannot believe that my little boy is getting so big! We are going to Disney World in May, so he wanted a Mickey Mouse party this year. Here are a few pictures from the day! (You can't tell by these pictures, but there were 20 people in our little house!)

Jayden all ready for his party to begin. He loved his Mickey ears!

The Mickey Mouse cake that I made.

Mickey Mouse ear cupcakes that I made.

We had pigs-in-a-blanket ("hot dogs" because Mickey does the Hot Dog Dance), cheese (because mice eat cheese), cake, and cupcakes!

Jayden loved the food!

My mom bought me this super-cute apron, so that I could look like Minnie Mouse!

Jayden getting ready to blow out his candles.

Jayden's present from me and Chris was a "big boy" bed. We converted his toddler bed into a full size bed. He loved it!

My 100th Post!!! And BIG News!!!

2010-10-21T20:15:00.005-05:00

Wow! I cannot believe that I finally made it to my 100th post on the blog! (I also can't believe that I haven't posted anything on here since July!) Sorry about that...I guess that tells you how busy we have been! Hopefully, I will be able to post more now, but the way things are going, it might be January before my 101st post. :) (Hopefully not, I am going to try to make time for this blog.)

And now...for the BIG news!!! Chris was offered a job for after he graduates in May! YEA!!!! He has been hired into the Engineering Leadership Program (ELP) at National Instruments! And, we will be moving to AUSTIN, TEXAS!!!! (We will still be die-hard OU fans though!) While we are sad that we will be leaving our home, family, friends, and church here in Norman, we are super-excited about this new adventure in our lives.

All of this has come about in the past month and five days! Here is how it all happened...

Chris was preparing to attend the OU Engineering Career Fair. The morning of the fair, he received an email from the recruiters at National Instruments (NI) saying that they would like for him to stop by their booth at the fair. He didn't even know what the company was, and wasn't really interested, so he decided that he would stop by their booth first before he went to the booths he was interested in to get his jitters out and practice. Well, he talked to some of the recruiters at the booth, and then talked to the manager of the ELP program. They told him they would like for him to interview the next morning. He went to the other company's booths that he was interested in, and became really discouraged because it seemed like no one was hiring mechanical engineers. He still wasn't really interested in NI, but when I got home from work, we started researching the company, and discovered what a great place it would be to work.

The next morning, he went to his interview, and ended up being interviewed by four different people. It lasted about an hour and a half (he saw another guy get interviewed for about thirty minutes, so we thought it was a good sign). He felt really good about the interview, and they told him that he should hear back in two to four weeks whether or not he was going to get a second interview.

That night, the manager of ELP called and told Chris that the guys at NI were inviting all the candidates who had done well in their interview out to dinner, and they would like for us to come. We had prior family plans that we really needed to attend, but we agreed that we would go for a little while. So, Chris, Jayden, and I all went to La Luna and met the NI guys and the other candidates. The entire time we were there (which was only about 20 minutes due to our prior plans), the manager of ELP pretty much only talked to Chris and me. It seemed to go very well, so we were hopeful. That night, a few hours later, Chris got a text from the manager saying that he was so glad that we came to dinner, and that it was so nice to meet us. Again, we thought another good sign.

Remember I said they said we would find out in two to four weeks if Chris got a second interview? Well, he interviewed and we went to La Luna on Friday, and that very next Monday, Chris got an email saying that he was going to get a second interview, and the company was flying me and him down to Austin the next week! Me being the good wife that I am went straight to the doctor and got a prescription for Xanax since I absolutely hate flying and have major panic attacks beforehand. I knew that Chris did not need that stress! And let me tell you, those pills work! I was cool as a cucumber on those airplanes...and we didn't even get to sit next to each other on the first flight, and I was okay! Anyway, we flew to Austin on Thursday, September 30 (well, we flew to Dallas and then to Austin). The company paid for everything...it was great! We stayed in the Aloft Hotel at The Domain, and it was amazing. Chris had to be up early Friday morning, as that was the day of his interviews. He had informational sessions, five separate interviews, and had to give a 10 minute technical presentation that day. I shopped all day at The Domain (a really upscale outdoor shopping center), but unfortunately, I was getting sick, so I was pretty miserable most of our trip. (I was super nervous too...I maybe ate five bites of food the entire weekend!) When Chris got back that evening, he felt like it went really well. We went out to dinner with all the candidates and the hosts at NI that night. It was a lot of fun, and you could tell that it was an atmosphere that Chris would really thrive in.

The next morning (Saturday), we got up and walked around The Domain. I was so sick (it ended up that the doctor said I had as close to the flu as you could have without actually having the flu...I was sick for a week and a half), that it was hard not to be miserable, but I did my best. I hated it, because here we were on this exciting all-expense paid trip, and I couldn't really even enjoy it. Anyway, this was the day of the OU/Texas game. The ELP manager had invited us over to his house to watch the game (he is an OU alum). It ended up that he only invited us and the other OU candidate, so we were really excited about that! We went to his house, and met his family. I really hit it off with his wife, and they had two very cute daughters around Jayden's age. We had a great time which was made even greater by OU winning! We then went out to dinner with the rest of the candidates who were still there and the NI hosts. We had a great time, and felt totally comfortable around everyone. We flew back to OKC Sunday morning.

Chris felt really good about his interviews, and we both felt good about how things had gone at the dinners and while watching the game. They told us we would find out if he got the job in two to four weeks. Let me tell you...that is an eternity when you are waiting to find out your future. One week past, and we heard nothing. The second week came and went, and still nothing. We then started questioning if he would get the job or not (me especially, because I didn't want to be let down if he didn't get it). Then, on the 18th day after his interview (this past Tuesday), Chris received an offer in the mail! We were so excited! The manager called him that night, and congratulated him. This is a great company with amazing benefits, and great growth potential.

This is such a weight lifted off of us! Chris can now focus on just graduating and not worrying about finding a job, and I can breathe because I know that he has a job! And, one of the best things of all is that I am going to be able to be a stay at home mom! I am so excited!!! We are all so excited! Chris will be starting his job on June 6, 2011, and we will be moving to Austin right before that. He graduates mid-May, and we leave for Disney World the day after he graduates, so as soon as we get back from Disney, we will be Austin-bound! So...a month and five days ago, we had no clue what we were going to be doing when Chris graduated, and now, here we are...we have a definite plan for our future! God is so good, and so many prayers have been answered!

A New Yoga Pose?

2010-07-23T19:24:00.002-05:00

Nope....this is what Jayden looks like when he wipes himself after going poopy! (Hope I haven't grossed you all out, but it was too funny not to post!)

My next project...maybe...

2010-07-20T20:18:00.002-05:00

I think that I have decided on my next project! I am trying to find small projects that I can complete in a few hours so that I will feel like I have actually accomplished something and don't get discouraged. Time is a precious commodity right now, so it has to be quick! (I've had to put my quilt on hold for awhile.) Anyway, I am always taking pictures, so I have my camera around my neck, and it starts to rub my neck after awhile and gets uncomfortable. These super cute camera strap covers are all the rage on the internet right now, and most of them cost anywhere from $25-$75. Can you imagine spending $75 on a camera strap cover?!? I have decided that I can make my own (or at least try to do so)! Hopefully, I will get started on this project within the next week or so. I just have to find some super cute fabric and some time!

This is what I have felt like...

2010-07-19T20:17:00.003-05:00

...for the past week. Jayden has been really sick for about a week now. He is on SEVEN prescriptions. This does not bode well for his mood. In fact, my usually sweet little boy has become an absolute terror. And Chris is working in Arkansas. And he left for Arkansas the morning after Jayden got sick, so I have been having to deal with this little terror on my own. And Jayden hates his medicine and throws a huge fit every time he has to take it-for about 30 minutes. And he throws himself down on the ground and screams and cries if you even look his direction. And he refuses to go to the bathroom (which I totally don't get). And he doesn't like anything that I make him for dinner. And I'm tired and about to pull my hair out.

My saving grace has been my parents who have so graciously helped me through all of this and have let me stay with them several times, and for this, I am eternally grateful.

I have a confession to make.

2010-07-18T14:36:00.003-05:00

I want to be Martha Stewart. Maybe I should amend that statement. I am very glad that I have never been to jail, and I definitely want to be known as a nicer person than she, but I long for her talent and skill. I read her magazine faithfully (folding down page corners of every idea that I love), look at her website, watch her show when I get the opportunity to do so, and google anything Martha Stewart related.

I so desperately wish that I could make a queen-sized quilt, four textured pillows, eleven fresh flower arrangements (with flowers from my own yard, of course), six homemade lemon lavender scented candles, a cute backpack or three for Jayden, a cherry cobbler (completely from scratch), and plan an outdoor party for 300 in one afternoon. How accomplished I would feel!

And I have definite Martha Stewart Craft Room envy. I think this picture explains it all...

Oh the things I could do in that room! A girl can dream can't she?

Well...I know that I will never be Martha Stewart, but maybe, if I keep on trying to create new things, cook delicious food, and plan parties, I will at least be Martha Stewart-esque!

Random Cooking and Craftiness

2010-07-17T16:33:00.003-05:00

My love for cooking and crafting had disappeared for awhile (I think I got burned out), but it's back! YEA!!! I have been knitting, organizing photo albums, cleaning up my craft space so that I can be inspired, cooking delicious meals, dreaming of new projects that I can create, and sewing! The pictures below show just a couple of the things I have recently completed!

These are Cowboy Nachos. They are absolutely delicious. I guarantee you that you have never tasted nachos this amazingly wonderful. I got the recipe from The Pioneer Woman. I love her. Chris loves her because of the food she inspires me to make. You will love her. I guarantee it.

Mmmmm....is your mouth watering yet?

My next project I actually finished today. It only took me about an hour and a half. If you sew frequently, it would probably take you about 20 minutes. What can I say? I'm trying.

Here are the supplies that I used.

And Voila! A Thomas the Train crayon roll for Jayden!

Cute little pockets for each crayon!

I love it! Jayden does too!

A Day at the Museum

2010-07-11T15:37:00.005-05:00

Last Thursday, I decided that I needed a day off of work, and since Chris was home, we decided to take Jayden to the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of History. We have been meaning to go ever since we moved to Norman, but just haven't gotten around to it. We had a great time! Here are some pictures from our adventure!

If you ever have a chance to go to this museum, I would recommend it...there was a lot of stuff to see, and it kept a three year old entertained. It is very inexpensive ($5 for adults, kids 5 and under are free), and it is a great summertime activity to get out of the heat!

A Big Moment in the Lee House

2010-06-30T21:31:00.003-05:00

A huge accomplishment has occurred at the Lee house! Jayden can now wipe himself after he goes poopy! I know....you're thrilled, but seriously, this is big stuff people! (Don't worry...I'm not posting a picture on this blog post!)

You see, Chris and I have been discussing this for awhile now. We have been trying to decide when he needed to be taught this skill, and we decided that it should be sooner than later because he will have to have it perfected by the time he starts pre-k in another year. So, one night last week, I knew that Chris was using the restroom, and I heard him start talking to Jayden. I heard him say, "See Jayden, you need to pull off about this much toilet paper. Then you fold it up, and wipe your bottom. Then, you check for poopy. You keep doing it until you don't see anymore poopy." It was hilarious...and I'm sure you're all glad that I told you that my hubby was going poopy! :)

The next time Jayden went number two, he called Chris in there, and they worked on wiping. He couldn't quite get the hang of wiping himself on the potty, because his hand kept almost going into the water. EEEWWW!!! So, Chris taught him how to gracefully "leap" off of the potty without wiping his rear end across the seat (which would be oh so gross), so that he can stand up and wipe. It is the funniest thing ever! He leans over to where his head is almost touching his feet, and he gets his toilet paper and folds it up, and tries to wipe. Sometimes he is successful, and sometimes you hear Chris say, "that was your leg bud...try again!" He always gets the job done though!

A Special Treat

2010-06-27T13:12:00.005-05:00

Chris and I love quiche, and since he is home on one of his weeks off right now, I decided to try to make quiche lorraine for breakfast yesterday. It took forever to make (an hour and a half), but it was definitely worth it! It was delicious!!!

The mini quiche lorraine...hot out of the oven!

Yummy! All stacked up on a plate and ready to eat!

I think they turned out really pretty!

These did not stay on my plate for long. I think they may have lasted about 20 seconds on my plate before I had to get seconds!

My two favorite boys in the whole wide world!

2010-06-26T21:24:00.001-05:00

I love them so much! I am so thankful to have been blessed by the most wonderful husband and son anyone could ever ask for!

True Athletes...

2010-06-22T22:08:00.003-05:00

While on vacation in Missouri, we played several games of badminton with Chris' family. I had never played before, and I have to say, I was a natural (I hope you sense the sarcasm in that statement)! Seriously though, I wasn't horrible, and had a great time. This is possibly one of my favorite pictures ever taken of me! It absolutely cracks me up! (Please notice that I am totally in mid-air!)

Nichole and me showing off our badminton skills!

It's Been Three Months...

2010-06-21T19:10:00.006-05:00

...since my last blog post, and I'm sorry. Life has been even more crazy than usual over the last three months, and my time has been wrapped up in my family.

What have we been doing the last three months? Well....let's see. Chris and I are another year older, as is my dad. Jayden has still been going to gymnastics and is loving it. We saw my sister for the first time in a year. Chris taught his first adult class at church-it was a singing class and was wonderful! Chris also finished his semester at OU, and made all A's and B's....something he id not think was possible. (I am SO proud of him!) Tornadoes hit my Nana's neighborhood/house and my parents house. They both got new roofs. Chris got Lasik on his eyes and is doing great and can see great! Chris has been working in Arkansas as a roughneck on a drilling rig. He works seven days on and seven days off. He works a total of 88 hours in seven days. This has left Jayden and I by ourselves for much of the summer...we are surviving though! I have a bottle tan and have become a bottle redhead, and my hair is getting long. I have also lost 28 pounds! My parents have lost almost 50 pounds each!!! Chris and I celebrated his birthday and our 5th anniversary in Dallas. We went to see Wicked while there. Jayden and I went with Nonni to Arkansas to see Chris and Papa John at the Lee's new house. We were there for four days and then went on to Sikeston, Missouri to see the rest of Chris' family. We had a wonderful vacation and Jayden got to meet a part of his family that he had never met before. There is a ton more that we have done, but these were the high points!

Enjoy some pictures from our last three months! I'm going to try to post more frequently again, but ya know...life happens, so I can't promise anything!

The house across from my Nana's house after the tornadoes.

Mmmmm...the yummy Crimson and Cream cake from Sooner Legends for me and my dad's bday!

The patio set that I used my bday money on! I love it!!!

Nonni and Papa John's new house in Arkansas.

The drilling rig that Chris is working on this summer.

Jayden, Chris, and I at a lake in Arkansas.

Chris and his Great-Grandma Lee. This is the first time that they had met!

The four sisters. Ruthann, Phyllis, Carolyn, and Tammy. (I do apologize if I have misspelled a name!)

I love this picture! Jayden holding a frog!

Jayden and Papa John riding the mule. He LOVED this and the four-wheeler!

Chris performed for us at a family lunch.

Chris, Jayden, Papa John, and Grandma Lee

Kirstie, Taylor, Montana, Chris, Hunter, Jake, Tristan, Addie, and Jayden (Again...I'm sorry if I spelled any of your names wrong!)

All Tuckered Out

2010-03-16T21:10:00.004-05:00

Jayden spent the past couple of days with Nonni and Aunt Katie, and apparently, he wore himself out. He never falls asleep on the couch, so you can imagine my surprise when I walked into the living room this afternoon and saw this....

What a precious little boy. There is absolutely nothing sweeter than a sleeping child. :)

My Mom's Birthday Party

2010-03-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

My Mom's birthday was on March 10, so we had her party this past Saturday. I offered to have the party at our house, so I worked all day Saturday to get everything prepared. I baked for five hours, and Chris cleaned the house. Anyone who knows me knows that everything had to be perfect, so it was a pretty stressful day. It turned out perfect though, and everyone had a great time!

I made these Lemon Buttons. They were super-yummy, and I think they turned out so pretty!

I also made this Chocolate Whole Wheat Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Strawberries. We are on the Sugar Busters diet, so I tried to make the cake somewhat healthy!

I love tulips! I thought they were such a pretty touch! This is also a picture of the Pomegranate Lime Punch that I made.

Just a picture of the table. Nothing fancy, but it works.

I had to throw in a picture of my new lamp! It was so inexpensive, but I think it adds such a warm feeling to the kitchen! It is my favorite new purchase!

Here's a picture of our new kitchen cart. You can't really see it, but it worked wonderfully to hold the punch and the flowers. The candelabra picture is new too! I purchased it at the Affair of the Heart last month.

Me and my Mom. :) She loved her party!

Jayden and Riley were busy playing during the party!

Kali and Jayden were very interested in the presents (well...interested in opening them)!

We got my Mom a framed picture of Jayden. She loved it!

Okay...I'm going to wrap this up. The rest of the pictures that we took of the party were pretty boring, and nobody but our family would be interested in them. :)

Should I be concerned???

2010-03-15T18:35:00.003-05:00

...That my child sings "Pants on the Ground" and does this in public?!?

2010-02-24T21:09:00.002-06:00

Our church service tonight was led by the little boys of the church. This is always a special event, as it is so much fun to see boys from age two up to about age twelve serving in this manner. The boys lead songs, read scriptures, and say prayers. Jayden led "Jesus Loves Me!" He did a great job, but it was funny, because he sang it so quickly, and the church attempted to keep up!

Here is a video of Jayden leading Jesus Loves Me. It's a little blurry, but it's the best I could do!

After the service, the boys who participated all lined up in the back of the church for everyone to come and shake their hands, and tell them what a good job they did!

When I saw my husband...I screamed!

2010-02-09T18:45:00.004-06:00

You see...for the six years that I have known Chris, he has always looked like this:
(Notice the facial hair.) The last time that Chris was clean shaven was his high school graduation. I have never been one to much care for facial hair, but I have always liked it on Chris. Well, yesterday, Chris decided to completely shave. And, he didn't tell me about it. And, when he walked in, I screamed because it was the last thing in the world that I ever expected. He decided to make a photo documentary of his adventure.

The goatee is gone. Ugh...check out that 'stach.

Ewww. He looks like the people that I make fun of at the fair!

He shaved off the handlebar part.

I don't even know what to say about this. (Maybe he's trying to look French or something?)

And this is what he looks like now.

He's growing the facial hair back immediately. It's not that I don't like him without facial hair. I just prefer it to be there. Plus, I feel like I'm married to a 12 year old! (Oh...and he doesn't like it either.)

Terrible....Threes?

2010-02-04T16:43:00.002-06:00

So I've always heard of the terrible twos, but we lucked out and really weren't affected by them. Well....let me tell you. We have entered into the terrible threes. It is not pretty. There is a lot of crying, a lot of time outs, a few swats on the bottom, and every once in a while, it is off to bed early. It is like a switch has flipped in my sweet little boy, and it makes me so sad. We went overnight from this....

To this....

I would never wish this precious time away, but I do hope that the temper and mood swings pass quickly.

My New Project!

2010-02-03T17:10:00.003-06:00

It's beautiful, isn't it?! When I got home today, this is what was on my front porch! I absolutely love bright, cheerful fabric by today's fabric designers. I have been wanting to learn to quilt for a while now, and I finally found fabric that I love! I ordered this Fat Quarter Bundle by fabric designer, Michael Miller, from the online store, Fat Quarter Shop, over the weekend, and was so excited when it arrived today! I know this project is probably going to take a long time, but at least now, I have the fabric to start and complete the quilt top!

I am so excited about the bright colors and cute prints that I found! I have been looking for fabric to make a quilt for over a year now, and finally found this bundle. It was on clearance, too! :)

My favorite colors...pink, green, and blue!

I love it!

The pattern that I purchased-Octopus Garden by Abbey Lane. It's supposed to be a fairly easy quilt for beginners.

Won't it be cute in the fabric that I have chosen?!

Future Engineer

2010-02-02T17:10:00.002-06:00

For those of you that don't know, Chris is in school at OU to become a mechanical engineer, and he has three semesters left before he graduates. Now I am thrilled about this....truly, I am. We will be much more financially secure, and there is the possibility of me being able to be a stay at home mom, and it is something that he really loves. Let me tell you what I am not thrilled about...conversations that I cannot even begin to understand, nor do I care to understand them.

The other night, I was cooking dinner, and the hamburger meat was still partially frozen. I kept trying to break it up in the skillet with a spoon. Well, after about three minutes of this, the spoon broke. And let me tell you...Chris was so excited. He had to grab my camera and take pictures of the spoon and then immediately posted them to Facebook. I kid you not, this was his post regarding the spoon incident:

"I had to upload this picture and the next one for all of my engineering friends!!! Kara was cooking with this wooden spoon when it snapped right in half! What a perfect example of a ductile material failure along the 45 degree axis of maximum shear strain!!! Awesome!!!"

Wow. Need I say more?

Snow Ice Cream

2010-02-01T16:45:00.003-06:00

4-6 cups of CLEAN snow +

2 cups of milk +

1/2 cup of sugar +

1 teaspoon of vanilla =

1 happy little boy

I Love my Husband....

2010-01-31T17:17:00.001-06:00

Even though every time I try to take his picture, this is what he does!

Boys.....I guess they never grow up.

Snow Day

2010-01-30T16:41:00.008-06:00

We played outside in the snow today (well...Jayden did). He loved it! We were only out for about 20 minutes or so, but he thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. And, that little stinker shoved a handful of snow down the back of my coat and shirt! It was so cold, and I was one unhappy Mommy. He thought it was hilarious.

As soon as he walked out the door, he dropped to the ground. I thought he had slipped on the ice, but he just wanted to make a snow angel!

So cute!

Checking out his snow angel.

He loved to pick up the snow and try to throw it at me!

I'm pretty sure he threw it in his own face!

He had to go check out his "park." He didn't understand why he couldn't climb up and play. I tried to explain that it was covered in ice, but I don't think he understood.

That's a lot of snow!

Throwing more snow at Mommy.

And more snow.

All bundled up!

Getting a big handful of snow to throw at Mommy.

Ugh! Will it ever end? There's another handful of snow!

He was getting pretty cold.

Just a pretty picture of the snow and ice covered trees.

Updating our House: Before and Afters

2010-01-29T14:28:00.020-06:00

As most of you know, we live in a house that is about 40 years old. We absolutely love it, but there are some areas of the house that have needed updated. Slowly but surely, we are finding time and money to make these updates, so that we can really enjoy our little home, and hopefully make some money off of it when it is time to move. In January, we have updated the half-bath, and replaced the kitchen and laundry room floor!

Here is a picture of our half-bath. It was totally functional, just not very pretty or modern. I wish I would have taken a picture of the light and mirror too, because they were horribly outdated, but it didn't cross my mind at the time.

Chris was able to remove the old, ugly sink!

At this point, I was thinking to myself, "Man, I hope he knows what he's doing!"

And he did! Here is our new vanity in the bathroom! We love how it added storage to the room! (In an 1130 square foot house, you need all the storage you can get!)

Another view of the new vanity and mirror.

The new vanity, mirror, and light fixture!

I love this new light fixture! I think it definitely updates the room without being too modern for the age of the house.

Here is our HIDEOUS linoleum kitchen floor! I HATE it! No matter how many times you clean it, it still looks dirty. Ugh.

More ugly floor in the laundry room. This floor made me cranky every time we walked into our house-and we have lived here for 1 1/2 years! I think Chris finally agreed to get this project done for his own sanity!

The ugly floor was gone, but we lived with no floor for a week. There was a bar that went from the wall to that place on the floor where it looks like four polka dots. We took this out, and are going to get an island instead.

So ugly.

Chris and John working on the new floor!

Our dads were such a huge help! We couldn't have done it without them.

Chris finishing the floor.

A very pleased Chris.

It's beautiful, isn't it!?!

Here is the final product! We hadn't moved our refrigerator back yet, but you get the idea of what it looks like now.

Is this not the cutest face you've ever seen?

2010-01-28T15:43:00.002-06:00

Lots of Basketball

2010-01-28T06:58:00.013-06:00

Back around the first part of January, we all went to an OKC Thunder game (us, the Lees, and the O'Donnells). We had a great time! We went out for dinner before hand, walked in the freezing cold to get to the game, and then had a wonderful time during the game! We played the Indiana Pacers, and won! It really came down to the wire though, and for a while, it didn't look like we were going to pull it out. It was a great game though, and a lot of fun for all of us!

Oklahoma City Thunder

Chris and I before the game.

Just a random pic during the game.

Jayden was so excited to be at the game!

Papa John, Jayden, and Nonni

Nana and Papa

Rumble-the Thunder mascot. Jayden loved him!

Just another pic.

We also attended the OU Women's game last Saturday. My parents are season ticket holders, so they go to tons of games, but this was the first one that we made it too this season. We played Kansas, and won! Jayden had a blast!

Jayden's favorite part of the game! This is either Boomer or Sooner (not sure which), and he was playing on the stairs right next to Jayden.

Jayden was so excited!

He got to give him a high-five!

See? We did actually watch the game! We didn't just watch the mascot! :)

Sorry this is so blurry, but I love this pic! Jayden wanted to sit on Grana's lap with his Sooner stuffed animal that he got at the game. He was really into watching the girls play!

Well...that's all for now. We are bracing for a pretty serious ice storm, so I had better get around because they are predicting that we will be losing electricity. :(

Random Holiday Pictures

2010-01-25T16:11:00.051-06:00

Our holidays were SO busy! We had such a great time though, and made many memories! We got to spend time with friends, family, and just the three of us, and it was definitely a December to remember. Jayden is at such a fun age, and Christmas was such a huge deal to him this year. Here are a ton of pics from our December!

We ate dinner at The Melting Pot with the Lees to celebrate Chris and Katie getting through another semester of school. Chris enjoyed it thoroughly!

Jayden was very curious about what was in the pots!

I tried lobster for the first time ever, and really liked it!

Proof of the lobster. :)

Jayden and Aunt Katie.

Yummmm.....my favorite part of dinner at The Melting Pot! DESSERT!!!

We ordered the "Flaming Turtle." It was milk chocolate and caramel that was lit on fire. So good!

Jayden and Mommy baking Christmas cookies!

He was so excited!

The Christmas cookies that I made! This is a pic of them before they were totally done-I added some white royal icing once they cooled! They were delicious! (Thank you Pioneer Woman for the recipe!)

The three of us under a lighted gazebo at the Chickasha Festival of Lights.

I love this pic of Chris and Jayden. He loves his Daddy!

Jayden all bundled up!

Had to get a pic of the two of us. (I look tired, don't I?)

Jayden decorating his gingerbread cookies. He had a blast!

Chris making what we named "snowballs." They were crushed oreos mixed with cream cheese, covered with vanilla almond bark. Yummy!

We had a blizzard on Christmas Eve. Who would have thought!? It messed up every one's plans, and a lot of people got stuck on the roads in their cars. We wanted a white Christmas, but this was a bit more than we asked for!

My parents backyard. That wall in the back is almost totally covered, and it is about 3 1/2 feet tall!

Christmas Eve...silly boy!

Christmas Eve dinner at my parent's house. We were supposed to go to the Fuchs' for Christmas Eve, but we couldn't get there because of the blizzard. My mom hadn't planned a meal, so we at a dinner of appetizers that were supposed to be for Christmas day.

Yep. I'm married to that.

Christmas Eve in front of my parent's tree.

Jayden, Nana, Papa, and Skippy. Wow! Look at Jayden's face! He was hyped up on sugar.

We played Farkel since we didn't get to go to our Christmas Eve party.

Isn't this special? How many men/boys does it take to light a fire? Apparently, three is not enough. They didn't get it lit.

Chris reading Jayden "The Night Before Christmas."

Jayden had to check to make sure that Santa could get down the fireplace.

Pouring Santa some milk.

Mommy and Jayden.

Look at that snow!

Jayden got the bike that he asked for from Santa!

Again folks....this is what I am married too.

Chris' traditional nutcracker from Grana! He named this one "Enrique!"

Chris' gift from me!

My mom and I both got red coats from our hubbies!

Jayden tried to sled in a box. It didn't work out so well.

He loved the snow!

Look how pretty our house looks in the snow!

The road conditions were horrible. It took us 2 1/2 hours to make a trip that usually takes about 45 minutes. We traveled from my parent's house to the Lees, but we should not have made the drive. It was so dangerous. We made it safely, thank goodness.

The man in the red is a news reporter. That is a Nissan Murano that has gone off into the ditch.

Aunt Katie helped Jayden open his presents.

Chris got a Playstation 3. He was very happy!

Jayden got a bike helmet to go along with the bike that Santa brought him!

We went sledding and had tons of fun!

Jayden sledding down the hill.

Nonni and Jayden about to sled!

We had a snowball fight! Chris got hot, and took off his coat.

Jayden making a snowball!

There goes Nonni down the hill...Jayden is sitting in front of her.

Well, there you have it! A million pictures from our holidays! I hope you have enjoyed looking at them. I have another million more that I could post, but I figured that this would suffice!

New Posts are Coming Soon...I Promise!

2010-01-25T10:49:00.002-06:00

Well, the hustle and bustle of the holidays are over, and I am hoping to start posting on this blog more regularly! In fact, I'm hoping to get something new up here later this afternoon! I just have to upload a ton of pictures on my computer! Check back soon! We haven't disappeared...I promise! :)

Santa Claus!

2009-12-19T17:27:00.006-06:00

Last Saturday, Jayden had a really big moment. He got to sit on Santa's lap for the first time! Santa just happened to come to Daddy's work, and all of the employee's children got to sit on his lap. He was so nice, and Jayden absolutely loved him! He told Santa that he wanted a red and yellow big boy bicycle. Santa told Jayden to make sure that when he left milk and cookies for him, that he also left a carrot for Rudolph!

Jump Zone!

2009-12-13T14:06:00.014-06:00

For those of you with children who have never been to Jump Zone, you are truly missing out! On Jayden's actual birthday, I was off of work, so I took Jayden and my mom to Jump Zone to celebrate. It was so much fun! It is only $7.00 to get in during open play hours, and adults get in for free. It is a huge indoor play area that has those really nice $4000.00 swing sets, and huge inflatables that you can bounce in and slide down! Not only did Jayden love it, but Mommy and Nana love it too! It is definitely a work out though!

Jayden and his excited face as he slides down one of the slides on the swing set.

A picture of some of the swing sets and inflatables.

Look at that happy face!

Mommy at the top of the firetruck slide.

I love this picture! He was so excited!

Nana and Jayden crawling up the shipwreck slide! It was really dark inside, but it was by far the best slide!

Nana was such a good sport and did everything Jayden asked her too!

Here she comes down the slide!

And here comes Jayden!

He loved all of the slides.

This was so funny! Nana was playing with Jayden on one of the swing sets, and she decided to go down the tube slide. As she was sliding down it, the whole thing started to shake, and made a loud creaking noise, and then she came falling out of it!

Jayden coming out of the tube slide. (As you can see, Nana is still trying to pick herself up off of the ground!)

This is a video of us all going down the shipwreck slide. It really was a workout. I say this because apparently, it was such a workout that I had a lack of oxygen to the brain, and I talk about how this is Jayden's first birthday. Seriously! It was his third birthday, not his first! We all had a blast though!

A Buggy Birthday Party!

2009-12-12T11:35:00.027-06:00

For Jayden's 3rd birthday party this year, he wanted a "bug" birthday. Luckily, he told us this around Halloween, so we were able to stock up on a lot of bugs! His birthday is December 1, but that was a Tuesday, so we had his party the Saturday before. We just had family over, but we had a great time. I wish that I would have taken pictures of the decorations, but I just didn't think about it (after all, we hosted Thanksgiving and had a birthday party within three days of each other)! Jayden's big surprise from Mommy and Daddy was a swing set. My dad and Chris spent the whole week before the party assembling it, and it didn't get finished until the morning of the party!

The bumble bee cake that I decorated.

I was afraid that there might not be enough cake, so we had bug cupcakes as well.

Jayden was all ready for his party! I made the "3" shirt-the 3 was made out of bug material. (He really was excited...he had just waken up from his nap which is the reason for the lack of a smile.)

Jayden and Mommy in our antennae. (I think this is the only pic of me from the whole day.)

About half of the guests...

....and the other half of the guests.

Jayden opening his drum set from Aunt Denise and Uncle Mark. Let me tell you how thrilled I am about this present....

So cute! His new cowboy boots from Nana and Papa! (You should have seen him try to walk in them the first time!)

Nonni holding Kali. She loved all of the bows. :)

Jayden in his new winter hat from Nana and Papa. He looks like Ralphie from the movie "The Christmas Story!"

Aunt Katie got Jayden this super-cool dinosaur! His name is Spike. Poor cousin Riley was terrified of him.

The tractor that Nana and Papa got for Jayden. It is staying at their house so that Jayden can help Papa out in their yard. I wish that I could have gotten a picture of what happened about five seconds after this pic was taken...the "trailer" somehow unlocked, and Riley went crashing backwards. It was hilarious! (Don't worry...he wasn't hurt or anything, it just startled him.)

Jayden about to blow out his candles.

Licking his fingers...I think he liked it!

Pretty sure Riley liked it too!

Jayden opening his big present from Mommy and Daddy! (We had wrapped the door like a giant present.)

He sees his swing set for the first time! He was so excited! We opened the door, and he went running out to it!

Exploring his swing set for the first time. He LOVED it!

Going down the slide.....

Exploring the fort.

Papa helping Jayden go down the slide.

Jayden goofing around. :)

Even Kali liked the swing set!

Jayden and Riley having a great time swinging!

Well, there you have it. A recap of Jayden's 3rd birthday party! Unfortunately, the day of his party is the only day he got to play on his swing set because it has turned really cold outside. It will be great this next year when it warms up. He looks outside at it everyday though and says, "Oh look! There's my park!"

Pictures of Thanksgiving

2009-12-11T19:07:00.015-06:00

As promised, here are some pictures of our Thanksgiving! It was our first time to host, and we had my parents, Chris' parents and sister, and my grandmother over. We had a lot of fun, but it was also a ton of work!

Peeling 10 lbs of potatoes.

Jayden learning how to snap the green beans.

He was pretty proud of himself.

The table...it was much prettier in person.

Another view of the table.

Katie and Nonni (the door behind them is wrapped like a present because Jayden's birthday party was on Saturday, and his swing set was being constructed outside.)

Nana, Jayden, and Mema

Papa John and Jayden

Papa and Jayden.

Awww....aren't we cute!

Chris cutting the turkey. (This was before the knife cutting through the pan and grease going everywhere incident.)

This was a picture of most of the food...there was some other on another table.

Hope you enjoyed seeing our Thanksgiving! I will post pictures of Jayden's birthday party soon!

Hectic Holidays!

2009-12-05T12:40:00.002-06:00

As usual, life has been busy here at the Lee's house! So busy, I haven't even had a free moment to update this blog in a month! :( Chris has been full swing into school, and is now nearing finals, and he has been working at the bank as well. I have had a ton of late weeks at work this past month which absolutely wears me out. Jayden has been busy with gymnastics, Bible class, and playing. :)

In November, we hosted Thanksgiving (for the first time), and had Jayden's third birthday party all in the same weekend. Thanksgiving was a success! There were nine of us at our meal, and it went off without a hitch-well, Chris cut through the metal roasting pan while slicing the turkey with an electric carving knife and turkey grease went everywhere ruining his nice dress pants-but other than that, it went smoothly!

Jayden's birthday party was also a success! We just had a family celebration at our house, but it was really nice. Jayden wanted a bug party, so there were bugs everywhere-even in the ice cubes for the drinks! He got lots of great gifts, but I have to say that his favorite is the one that we bought him. We gave him a wooden play fort/swing set and he loves it! He calls it his park, and he keeps going and looking out the door to make sure that his "park" is still there. It is cold outside now, so we can't play on his park, but it will be great next year after the weather warms up a little bit. We lucked out and it was warm on the day of his party, so he did get to play on it for a while.

I hope that everyone is doing well. I really do apologize for not posting this past month. Life gets so crazy and it's hard to keep up. Also, I hate posting without any pictures, but I haven't uploaded my pics from Thanksgiving and the party yet, so I will post those really soon!

Halloween!

2009-11-02T20:32:00.008-06:00

Thought I would post these pictures before too much time passed! Hope you enjoy them!

Jayden getting ready to help carve the pumpkin. It was much easier to just strip him off!

Daddy carving into the pumpkin.

Jayden attempting to clean out the pumpkin with a spoon. He wouldn't use his hands. In his words, "I don't love it."

Our finished jack-o-lanterns!

Chris dressed as a caveman. He had to dress up for work. I think the wig made him look like Freddie Mercury from Queen!

The caveman and the "friendly" monster!

A very tired Mommy and her cute little monster.

Quite possibly, the cutest monster ever!

My perfect day.

2009-11-01T20:25:00.032-06:00

In my last post, I told you that I had last Monday off of work. Well, I have to say, that it was my absolute perfect day. Jayden and I had a great morning going to lunch with Chris, and going to the pumpkin patch, but we had an amazing afternoon as well!

While Jayden took his afternoon nap, I decided to do a craft project I have been wanting to try out. I love decorative trays, but I am not willing to pay $50.00 for a tiny tray that has absolutely no personality. So, I decided to make my own!

I purchased a picture frame without an easel back from Hobby Lobby (on sale for half price of course!)

I also purchased two drawer pulls for half price! (Sorry...I don't know what the black line on the pic is!)

I then chose a fabric that I liked (also half off!)

I drilled holes in the picture frame for the drawer pulls!

The drawer pulls on the frame make perfect handles!

I inserted the glass and the fabric.

Ta-da! Yea! My perfect tray!

When Jayden woke up from his nap, it was craft time! We had been to Hobby Lobby earlier in the morning, and had picked up a bunch of craft supplies. We purchased feathers, googly eyes, and finger paint! Jayden was so excited!

Jayden all ready for craft time with Mommy! I decided to strip him down to his underwear and put an apron on him. It was going to be a messy afternoon!

It's YELLOOOOOOWWWWW!

We traced Jayden's hand to make a turkey!

Jayden's turkey!

Perfect, isn't it? :)

He worked so hard!

He had a great time!

Now onto the finger paint!

He loved the blue paint!

He thought it would be fun to use a sponge too. :)

It's beautiful!

Jayden loved the finger paint!

My little artist's work!

What a mess! Well worth the clean up though for such a happy boy!

After our craft time, it was time to make dinner. We decided to surprise Daddy and make his favorite dinner-lasagna! Jayden was so excited, and wanted to help me!

He pulled up a chair so he could help! (He was being inpatient and wanted me to stop taking pictures!)

Jayden added the garlic. (Don't worry...the stove was not on!)

He also added the tomatoes!

In goes the basil...

And onto the floor the basil goes!

I caught the little man licking the spoon!

He loved adding the cheese...and sneaking a few bites!

He was so proud of his work! He had to smell it before we put it into the oven!

Yea! It was SO good, and Daddy loved it!

So....there you have it, my perfect day! Nothing glamorous or expensive, but it was an entire day spent with my son, and it was perfect. In fact, so perfect that I cried all night and all the way to work the next morning. I want so badly to be able to stay at home everyday with Jayden, but I know that it is just not possible right now. Chris graduates in a year and a half, and then, if everything goes as planned, everyday will be able to be the perfect day, and I will be able to stay at home. :)

Picking the Perfect Pumpkin

2009-10-26T19:10:00.013-05:00

I had the day off of work today, and we finally got around to picking out our pumpkin! We met Chris for lunch, and then went to a great pumpkin patch at a local church right by the OU campus. Jayden loved looking at all the pumpkins and trying to find the perfect one!

He liked this one, but thought it was kind of crooked.

I love this picture!

Jayden looking at all the pumpkins.

He had a difficult time narrowing them down!

Daddy found a good one!

Horrible picture, but proof that I was there!

Such a cute little pumpkin patch!

They found the perfect one!

Jayden wanted a little one too!

He wanted them all! It was so hard to just pick one!

He found it!

We had a wonderful fall day together! I can't wait until I don't have to work anymore, and we can do this sort of thing all the time! Just a couple more years!

Avon Calling....

2009-10-23T07:54:00.002-05:00

Honestly....times are tough financially right now. I am sure you are all aware of that with all of this economy mess! Well, it is really difficult with Chris being a full time student and not being able to work very much. I still have my business, The Thrifty Trendsetter, but I have also just become an Avon Representative to try and supplement our income. Avon is a great company and it has some really great products! If you haven't checked it out in a while, please do. They have great deals on makeup, skincare, haircare, perfume, jewelry, and even clothes and shoes! I would LOVE to be your new Avon Rep! You don't even have to call me if you don't want too! I have a website that you can browse through the products, place an order, and even have your order shipped to you! (Plus, any order over $30.00 gets FREE SHIPPING!) Please take a look if you have a chance! There are some great stocking stuffers available right now! Check it out at: http://www.youravon.com/klee9283!

An Interesting Conversation....

2009-10-21T21:40:00.002-05:00

Jayden: Mommy, Do you have a baby in your tummy?

Mommy: No Jayden. Why? Do you want there to be a baby in my tummy?

Jayden: Yes.

Mommy: Well...me too, but Mommy can't have a baby in her tummy until Daddy finishes school.

Jayden: Oh. Mommy, are babies covered in chocolate?

Mommy: No Jayden. Why?

Jayden: I thought they might be because you eat them to get them into your tummy.

I was not about to explain to a two year old how babies get into a mommy's tummy.

A Field Trip to the Sewer!

2009-10-09T18:24:00.003-05:00

Yep....you read the title of this post correctly. We actually went on a mini field trip to the Sewage Treatment Plant of Norman. Maybe I should explain. There is a certain road in Norman that we drive on every day. When you pass a certain point on the road, you smell a horrible smell. Well, Jayden always asks what "that smell" is. So, one day, my parents told him that it was the sewer. This was correct information, as the Sewage Treatment Plant is located off of this road. I don't think that anyone expected Jayden to say that he wanted to see the sewer. We blew it off for awhile, but he became very persistent that he wanted to see the sewer. My dad, Papa, kept telling Jayden that he would take him on a field trip someday to see the sewer. Well, Jayden was so excited about this upcoming adventure, and it was all he could talk about. So, this past Monday evening, my parents came and picked me up, and we went to the "sewer." We didn't go in or anything, we just drove by very slowly and talked about it. Jayden was so excited and took it all in. He is completely obsessed about the sewer now and talks about it non-stop. He even tells random people that we went to the sewer. There is no prouder moment for a parent than hearing your son tell random strangers that he went on a field trip to the sewer. It can definitely be embarrassing as you are trying to explain why you took your two year old son to the Sewage Treatment Plant!

Chris was at work when we went on this outing. This is a video of Jayden telling Chris all about his adventure!

Goodness Gracious Sakes Alive!

2009-09-29T21:37:00.004-05:00

As you all know, we recently got Jayden's pictures made by Amanda Scott. Well, we all love them, but we have noticed that Jayden REALLY loves them! This is an actual conversation that Jayden and I had the other day....please remember that he is only 2 1/2! :)

Jayden: "Mommy, can you turn on your computer so that I can see the pictures of Jayden?"

Mommy: "Sure Jayden."

(As soon as the pictures are pulled up on the computer....and Jayden looks at them.)

Jayden: "Oh goodness. My, my, my..."

Mommy: "What is it Jayden?"

Jayden: "Goodness gracious sakes alive. Look at me! I sure look cute...I look like Daddy!"

Wow. I was speechless.

Church Picnic Fun!

2009-09-23T20:43:00.026-05:00

We had a church picnic after Sunday night services this past Sunday, and we had a blast! The kids absolutely loved it, and the adults had a great time getting to know each other better. There was a great playground for the kid's to play on, and Jayden had so much fun!

Jayden loved to climb up onto the platform of the playground.

This is big stuff! See him climbing up the ladder? He's never done that before!

Getting ready to go down the slide.

Daddy at the picnic.

Our good friend's baby. She is so cute! We love her! :)

Jayden eating his sandwich.

Jayden and his little friend Baby M! Isn't she a cutie!?

Climbing the ladder again!

And again!

Climbing up the slide.

Some of our friends from church! Jayden has really taken a liking to John! He had to make sure John was watching him go down the slide!

Getting ready to go down the slide!

Jayden and Daddy listening to the game instructions. Jayden was the smallest one to participate!

Waiting for their turn....

Some of the kids playing the games.

Jayden and Daddy playing the game! It was so cute...they were in last place, but everyone was cheering them on!

Still playing...

Playing the second part of the game!

They were having so much fun!

Climbing on the jungle gym...trying to figure it out.

Success!

Our little gymnast!

Look at that balance!

Hiding from Daddy in the maze!

Daddy hiding behind the house...Jayden is about to find him. :)

We are so glad that we had the opportunity to attend the picnic and get to know our friends even better. We love our church family, and we are really enjoying participating in all of our church's activities. I will be attending a Ladies Retreat this weekend at Lake Texoma, and I am so excited about it! I will be taking my camera, so I will post pictures of our trip next week!

The Best Pictures Ever!

2009-09-22T05:57:00.017-05:00

About a month ago, we decided that it had been way too long since we had had professional pictures taken of Jayden. It just so happens that Amanda Scott goes to our church! She is an amazing photographer and the genius behind Amanda Scott Photography. She did such a great job working with Jayden, and we couldn't be happier with the results! These are just a few of the many great pics that she took! Enjoy!

Aren't they the best pictures you have ever seen?! Thank you so much Amanda! I would highly recommend Amanda to anyone wanting great pictures!

The 2009 Oklahoma State Fair

2009-09-20T14:58:00.046-05:00

We spent most of the afternoon at the Oklahoma State Fair yesterday, and let me tell you, it was an experience! We knew it was going to be an interesting day as soon as we arrived! You see, you park out in the grass at the fair. Well, it rained every day last week, and the entire parking lot was like an enormous mud pit. We got to slip and slide all the way to the entrance gate, and it was an adventure!

We had to roll our jeans up so that we would not be covered in mud! I assure you, my husband does NOT wear his jeans like this! :)

The picture does not do the mud justice...it was a mess!

Jayden got to eat an enormous corn dog while he watched the pig races.

He loved it! He actually almost finished the whole thing!

My whole reason for attending the State Fair...Dan's Famous Indian Tacos! Yummm...

My boys enjoying their fair food.

The pig races...I love them! :)

The baby pig, "Swifty," that swims. :)

Taking it all in...

More pig races...

Chris loves his turkey leg!

A true man...food on a stick (in both hands), and listening to football during our family event.

Papa and Jayden looking at the pig!

I love this picture!

Jayden LOVES fountains! Papa was telling him about the fountain.

So cute!

What a cute goat! Jayden liked him. :)

Jayden was so excited to see the eggs and the baby chicks!

Daddy and Jayden talking about the cow....

The cow.

Silly little boy!

Silly big boy!

Mommy and Jayden getting ready to go through a "farming experience."

Jayden and Mommy "planting" seeds!

I love my mommy!

...And my daddy! :)

Don't ask....I don't even know!

Wow.

Mommy and Daddy! (As you can see, Daddy is still listening to the football game!)

Okay...this next section of pictures I like to call self-esteem boosters. I know that I can always come at look at these pictures and feel better about myself. I know that may sound cruel, but seriously people, it is 2009...what are you doing/thinking?!?

Now....this cowboy decided to pull up his shirt, stick out his hip, and show the entire population of fair-goers the sores on his back. EEEWWWW!

Serious mullet. It is NOT okay.

Business in the front, party in the back. This went out in about 1985 folks.

Notice the three bums (as in behinds, not homeless folk). This is what fair food will do to you.

Wow. Need I say more?

Only at the fair is it perfectly acceptable to wear a traffic cone on your head.

The reason America is so overweight.

Okay...now back to pics of our fam. We ended our day at the fair by letting Jayden, Daddy, and Papa go up on the OG&E Wind Tower (space-needle thingy). Jayden was so excited! He had a blast. I gave Papa and Daddy the camera so that they could take pictures when they were at the top, but of course, they completely forgot! (This is why so few men have blogs about their families...they never remember to take pics of anything!)

Jayden and Papa looking up at the tower (Jayden called it the big elevator)!

Jayden was looking back, telling me and Nana about the "elevator." We stayed off the ride to keep watch over the stroller.

I LOVE this picture!

The "big elevator!"

Remember the mud? Well everyone was stuck and couldn't get their cars out! Papa to the rescue! He helped push some of the trucks out!

Ugh....what a mess!

Papa pushing out another truck.

We ended our day at Freddie's! Jayden loves their frozen custard!

I guess Papa loves it too!

I hope you have enjoyed all of our lovely fair pics! I am sure I will have more to show you next year!

Okay...one more new item!

2009-09-16T16:18:00.003-05:00

Here is one more item that I just made! It's a set of two altered mini-notebooks! At $5.00, they are such a bargain! Head on over to The Thrifty Trendsetter!

A new item on The Thrifty Trendsetter!

2009-09-16T14:52:00.002-05:00

Okay...so I didn't make these, but I thought they were so cute! I had to buy a few sets and share them with you! I just listed three sets of these adorable "Posie Salt and Pepper Shaker Sets" on The Thrifty Trendsetter! Head on over there and get them before they're gone!

Is this not the cutest set you've ever seen!?

Look at that adorable little tray that they come with!

We're in gymnastics!

2009-09-05T13:00:00.000-05:00

Yep...I said WE! Jayden and I are taking a Parent and Tot gymnastics class at Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy! And yes, the parent does participate! I have to tell you, the first class was a disaster (Jayden cried, clung to me, and sucked his thumb...he never sucks his thumb...the entire class)! He had been so excited about going, but he just isn't used to being around a lot of other kids. It was a bit of a traumatic experience for him! We have been back for a second class though, and he LOVED it! He can't wait to go back for his next class!

Jayden was so excited to go to his first gymnastics class!
"Do I get to vault, Mommy?!"

Jayden and Mommy about to leave for gymnastics!

Apparently...this is his favorite face to make right now! He was excited to go into class!

Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy!

I'll keep you posted on our gymnastic accomplishments!

My first sewing project!

2009-09-04T13:00:00.000-05:00

I know that everyone thinks that I am really crafty, but I have a confession to make. I have actually never made anything with a sewing machine! I have always wanted to make something, I just never had a sewing machine that worked, and didn't have the patience to learn. Well, thanks to my very generous M-I-L, I now have a sewing machine that actually works! As for the patience to learn part, I just decided the only way I was ever going to learn to sew was to just jump in and try! I have had this zebra material for over a year now, and finally made the curtain that I intended to make a year ago! It's not perfect, but I'm pretty proud of it! I think it turned out really well for a first attempt-especially a first attempt without a pattern!

Yea! My new curtain in the kitchen!

I love how it turned out!

The cute little pleated ribbon that I added to the bottom of the curtain!

I can't wait to start my next project! I am going to make a cute little pillowcase for Jayden! I know it's nothing big, but I'm learning!

The boy likes his ice cream...

2009-09-03T21:07:00.012-05:00

A couple of Saturdays ago, we went to Freddy's Frozen Custard. They have amazing hamburgers, and great Chicago-style hot dogs! Jayden always enjoys the food, but his favorite part of the meal is dessert! He LOVES the frozen custard!

Not quite sure what to expect....

Daddy likes his custard!

Jayden and Mommy like their custard!

Yummmmmm.....

Trying to get the last bite!

Uh-oh...I think it's all gone!

Looking pretty concerned about the lack of custard...

There appears to be one last drop of custard in the bottom of the cup!

Mmmm...satisfaction!

Yep...it's definitely gone now! Like I said...the boy likes his ice cream (or in this case, frozen custard!)

A Saturday Morning with Mommy

2009-09-02T21:21:00.011-05:00

I am so sorry! I am not doing very well with keeping up with my regular blog postings recently. I really do have great intentions, life is just so busy, that it has not been very realistic to post daily. I really will try to do better!

A couple of Saturdays ago, I decided that Jayden and I would have a special morning. He had been sick that week, and was finally better, and Chris had to work, so I thought we would take advantage of the beautiful morning!

We started our day by going to McDonald's for breakfast. I know....not the healthiest place in the world, but it makes for a special treat every once in a while.

Jayden had the "Big Breakfast." He loved it! Especially the biscuit! :)

The literal meaning of having egg on your face.

My guilty pleasure...a bacon, egg, and cheese McGriddle, hashbrown, and a large Dr. Pepper. Mmmmm....so good. And yes, I know that the McGriddle is the worst possible thing you can order at McDonald's.

He kept making funny faces at all the elderlies who were in the restaurant...they loved it!

We had to stop at the grocery store to get some money at the ATM. Jayden had to stop to smell the pretty flowers.

After we were done at McDonald's and stopped to get money, we went to the Norman Farmer's Market. Jayden loved looking at all of the fruits and vegetables! It made a great little field trip for a Saturday morning!

Jayden was so excited about what we purchased at the Farmer's Market!

He liked to pretend that he was eating the cherry tomatoes that we bought!

We purchased three little cantaloupes, a watermelon, some cherry tomatoes, a bottle of honey, and a jar of blackberry jam! It was all very tasty!

He tried so hard to pick up the watermelon! He never was able too though!

He had a lot better luck picking up the cantaloupe!

I realize that we didn't spend a lot of money, and didn't do anything big and fancy, but we had such a great time together! It's not about the money that you spend, it is about the memories that you make!