A Much Needed Time Away

Mark and I are currently on a little vacation get away in Tulsa, OK!  It has been absolutely fun!  Actually it is quite a funny story as to how we got here. . .

We were planning on going camping with Reid and another couple in Broken Bow, OK.  Later on though the other couple wasn't able to make it.  Mark and I were still going to go, but last minute that fell through for various reasons.  You would think we would be bummed, and we kind of were, but we war still going to go to the local lake here and spend time camping and being lazy.  So with that in mind, Mark set off Tuesday night with my dad and brother to play golf while I stayed back with the Reid Man.  After I got the munchkin in bed I got a text from our friends Brant and Amy saying they were going to Skype us.  I get on the computer and start Skype only to find out that Mark's twin brother, Blake, was sitting at their house in Tulsa!  We talked for a long time. So long in fact Mark ended up coming back home in the middle of mine and Amy's conversation.

We talked to them a little bit longer.  By this time it is around 9:30.  They had heard our vacation plans fell through and on a whim said "Come up here and see us!"  To my surprise Mark says, "Are y'all serious?  Because we will be there."  They tell us to come on, and ask when we would start out.  Mark says "As soon as we get packed, that way Reid sleeps all the way there."  Everyone is in disbelief and looks to me, expecting that I will be the voice of reason and say we should wait until tomorrow.  However I say "Why not!"  Everyone cheers and we hang up and start frantically packing and getting everything in order.  By 10:30 we are packed and on the road!  We drive all the way and end up in Tulsa by 3:30 A.M.  Needless to say Mark got to sleep in some!

We have had a blast while we have been here.  Brant and Amy have two little kids, a boy who is 4 and a baby girl who is only 4 days old than Reid!  To give you a little back story, Mark, Brant, and Amy grew up together and were in each other's weddings.  They were Mark and my first couple friends really.  I met Amy while Mark and I were dating and have gotten to know her real well.   We have watched them have a wonderful marriage and become wonderful parents.  Long story short, we just love them!  They have been generous hosts and we have enjoyed just getting to relax and play with the kids as well as have fun with each other.  We have played in the sprinklers, with a slip-n-slide, swam, ate some TASTY food (Amy is a wonderful cook!) and have played transformers, good guys and bad guys, soccer, and any other assortment of things that are all boy!

They boys played golf a few times while Amy and I stayed here with the kids, sewed, and cooked.  I cannot tell you how nice it was to be with a friend who is doing the same thing I am doing every day.  And enjoying it!  Not only that, but thriving!  She encouraged me so much and doesn't even know it!  It was so nice to just be around friends who love Jesus, love each other, love their kids, and love us!  We have had a wonderful visit, are sad we have to leave, and can't wait to get back together again!

Californ-i-a

I had a little bit of down time while the boy is napping so I decided to post a little somethin' somethin' on the blog.  Well I say he is napping, he is in his crib talking, trying to keep from going to sleep. . . We will see how long that lasts.

There are many things I want/need to blog about, but I am not sure where to begin.   Let's see, maybe we should start with our trip out to California to visit our college friends Matt and Sarah Arnett.

Matt and Sarah at Santa Monica Beach

We really had a great time.  To get there we flew, which was interesting with a 5 and 1/2 month old.  The first flight was early so Reid actually ended up sleeping, in a seat that wasn't being used for the first 2 hours.

Reid sleeping 

We got there and started our adventure.  However, I knew Matt and Sarah had a really nice camera, so I just took along our little point and shoot that doesn't take very good pictures, so I have precious little here in Texas to show you.  When I get them from Matt and Sarah however, you can bet there will be more.  Here are just a few things we did and I have pictures for.

The Santa Monica Pier

Reid and Daddy 

It was unusually cold for Cali

Reid being chauffeured to the water

Pretty pier

pretty sunset

We went to a local Farmer's Market and the Rose Bowl (where the longhorns beat USC for the national championship)

Dark picture of me and Reid at the Market

Family at the Market in still cold Cali

Rose Bowl

All in our Longhorn gear

We also went to Hollywood

Reid and Daddy with the hollywood sign to the left in the back ground

Mommy and Reid and Hollywood

The Family

We are pointing to the Hollywood sign. . .you can barely see it

 We went to the Chinese Theater where there were all the handprints of famous people

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Now for those who don't know, I absolutely L-O-V-E(ed) The Wizard of Oz movie when I was little. . . Like had an identity crisis in thinking I was Dorothy.  I would introduce myself as Dorothy Gail from Kansas.  So when we got there there was a mad search for Judy Garland, the actress who played Dorothy.  After consulting a map we finally found her.  It was on of the biggest highlights of the trip for me.

So happy

Like I said, I don't have many pictures with me, we took a bunch, just not with our camera.  Hopefully I will get others up here soon.