Science Museum w/our Tulsa friends

We enjoyed the Science Museum of Oklahoma today with a few our friends from Tulsa. They had a blast! We spent about three hours exploring the museum and then headed to Pops for a late lunch. It was perfect timing as we didn't have to wait at all, we sat outside, so the kids were able to run around while they were waiting. We also splurged on a little dessert, however it was more just for looks. There was still a lot left, even after the kids attacked it. Super fun day! That is one thing about being in OKC, there is always something to do. I'm thankful our Tulsa friends were willing to drive to the city to join us for a day of summer fun!

"People Love You"

This is a perfect example of my mentioning Skylar always being near me, and Lincoln making me laugh. I got up this morning, actually Skylar woke me up this morning at 6am to go walking with her, and after our walk, I wanted to take  a minute to myself before I started the day.  So,  I went to my room and was heavily involved in reading an article someone posted on facebook. Lincoln comes in to cuddle on my lap, I keep reading. Then, Skylar comes and leans in trying to crowd on the chair with us. I kind of sighed, obviously a bit irritated, and Lincoln goes "Mom, people just love you!" So innocent, so cute. Of course made me laugh. And what else would be do this day in age besides take a photo?!?!? As soon as I took the picture, Lincoln goes "Is that a selfie?", he thought it was so funny and I think it's so weird that selfie is part of his vocabulary!   Not a bad way to start the day. Thankful to be loved by these babies.

Last But Not Least....Lincoln

This kid. I don't even know where to begin. He can drive me completely crazy, and make me laugh hysterically all in the same minute. He is the most persistent human I have ever had the opportunity to know, he is obsessed with his dad, is insanely opinionated, a one-upper, lover of sports, shoes, motorcycles, Curious George and Ninja Turtles. He is pickier about his clothes than either of his older sisters and if he could choose, he would be wearing his three piece suit or be dressed like a cowboy. I pick my battles.

He has had a harder time with the move than the girls, and really missed his friends, which I never thought would be a problem. He got to hang out with his one of his best buds everyday at the babysitter in BA, and his other best friend had just moved into our neighborhood, so he has been kind of lost without them. He started a Mother's Day Out for a couple of days a week when we first moved, and ended up at OCA once I started working at OC. He loved that, and is excited to go back this fall. Thankfully, he too, loves school, and works hard to do his best. He is quite a perfectionists and gets frustrated when things don't come easily to him, but he is dedicated enough to figure it out.

Lincoln played tee ball this spring, and loved it. He was disappointed that it wasn't baseball, but he loved finally getting to play on a team. He practices constantly. Seriously, like hours a day. He gets really upset if he is made to come in or someone stops playing with him. It's weird. However, I'm hoping his dedication and love of all things sports will pay off for him someday. For now, he's signed up to give soccer a go this fall.

Lincoln got to spend a week with my parents all by himself for the first time ever while the girls are at camp this summer. He loves getting to hang out in MO, it provided complete freedom for him to play outside, spend time on the farm and hang out with his only boy cousin, Malachi. He loves us, but doesn't like coming home after he's been there for a while. He also doesn't understand why we live so far away when everyone else is there, and sometimes, I don't either:(

For now, we are enjoying the final days of summer, and getting prepared for back to school!

I think that's the gist of what's going on with all the kids, maybe I'll have something else soon, who knows. Or, maybe it will be another year!

Londyn update

Londyn's update may sound similar to Skylar's. They are so close in age, have similar interests, and honestly, it's easier to have them in the same activities and on the same team. I don't force it, but if it works out for them, I am thrilled. Anyway, Londyn too had a smooth transition to a new city and new school. She immediately loved her teacher, made new friends and got involved where she could. She survived the pressures of the 3rd grade OCCT test and also managed to get herself in the enrichment program. She had been tested when we were in BA and didn't qualify, which was tough since Skylar was already in the program. When they sent home info this year, I didn't want to pursue it, but she really wanted in, so I figured I would handle the disappointment later and let her try again. Sure enough, she qualified, and was beyond excited. She also managed to earn a few awards from the enrichment class which made Skylar a wee bit jealous. Londyn loves school, more for the social aspect, but doesn't so much love the work that comes along with it. If it interests her, she's all in, but the rest of the time she pretty much has a "good enough" philosophy. It seems to be working for her, so I'm not going to fight it. One of the highlights of her year was working on a Mickey Mantle biography poster for her famous Oklahoman report. We had a great time working on it together, and I was pretty excited about it too!

Londyn is pretty good about helping around the house too, but she likes to get paid. So, she does a great job if there is a financial award, otherwise, she just gets it done. Which, I'll take, for now. She is quite a pack rat though, so that makes keeping her room clean a bit of a problem.
 



She loves arts and crafts and gymnastics. Neither of which she is formally involved in, but that certainly doesn't stop her. She did gave softball a try as well, she liked it and improved a ton over the season. However, she too, has opted for soccer this fall. We shall see how that goes. She is a natural athlete, quick and aggressive, so I'm anxious to see where she lands in the world of sports. At the same time, I'm still not ready to commit my whole life to running kids around for extra curricular activities.

Since Skylar wanted to try out for the OC musical, Londyn followed suit. She also was selected to participate in the homecoming musical. I think she had fun, but probably won't be excited to do it again anytime soon. She has already decided she wants to go to college there, and is trying to recruit all of her friends.

Londyn also made her debut at camp this year. She was so excited she could hardly contain herself, and she loved it just as much as she thought she would. She has also been excited to spend several weeks in MO with family this summer. She wishes that all of our family from both sides could live together in a commune.

Well, I think that kind of sums up the last year, I'm sure I missed something, but I suppose I can always edit:) I'm equally proud of this one, she is so different from me, constantly challenges me, knows how to push my every button, but loves endlessly and forgives easily. She's kind of awesome!

Skylar Update

 So, Skylar is an 82 year old in the body of a 10 year old. Ok, maybe not that old, but she's an old soul, mature beyond her years which is sometimes awesome and sometimes annoying.  On her favorite day, you'll find her reading a good book, creating an invention out of our trash or generating ideas about how we can save money. (she's really gotten into that last one lately.) I can't believe she will be in 5th grade! I feel like I say it at every stage, but I LOVE this age with the girls. They are fun to be around, can carry a conversation, make me laugh, old enough to help out and not too old to hate it. Skylar is always willing to help out around the house, and does a fantastic job. She's currently taken over most of the laundry which makes me ecstatic. I tried to create chores for all of them and offered to pay them because I felt bad that she was doing so much. It backfired, for some odd reason, when I offered to pay, she wasn't interested.

She's never been the cuddling type, but lately, she's always close to me. If you know me, you know I'm not the cuddling type either, so it kind of drives me crazy. I love that she wants to be close, so I try not to pull away EVERY time she decides she wants to cuddle. But, she knows I need my space, so when I do, she just laughs and occasionally torments me about it. She has always been sensitive to my emotions and is definitely the one in the family that senses when I'm at my limit, and she walks over with her arms spread out and says "bring it in mom, bring it in." For some reason, it makes me laugh every.single.time. She gets me...most of the time.

She has transitioned well, had a great 4th grade year, and made great friends! We were beyond blessed with an amazing school and wonderful teachers. Her interests are still very academic, she worked hard to meet and exceed all her goals at school and was selected for the IMPACT award (an award that her school gives out quarterly to students that are nominated by students and other teachers for kids that make an impact on their school.) in the second semester. Early in the school year, she came home with a flyer to try out for OC's homecoming musical. She was adamant that she wanted to try out, and I wasn't sure it was a good idea as our family is not naturally gifted when it comes to music. However, she was determined, so she called my sister, got some help and practiced for days. Thankfully, she made the cut and got to participate in the musical which was a fun start to our time here. If she is anything, it is dedicated, determined and willing to work hard for what she wants. She also tried out softball for the first time which was interesting.  After the first practice, Skylar was ready to quit, and to be honest, I kind of wanted to let her. However, after a long talk, she decided not to and stuck it out for the year. I think she enjoyed it, but didn't love it. She's giving soccer a try again for the fall, and is on a team with friends, so that will make it a little more fun!

This summer started out with church camp at Burnt Cabin with her Broken Arrow friends and then a week in MO with my family. We also vacationed to Washington DC, primarily because Skylar loves learning about Presidents (actually, she kind of wants to be the President) and I 've always wanted to take the kids to DC as they prepare to learn about it in school. Other than that, she's been enjoying the usual summer activities, reading, swimming and playing with friends! To say that I am proud of the human she is and is becoming would be an understatement. Thankful that she is mine! Well, that was a little longer than I had planned, but it has been a while:)

 

 

 

 

Annual Post-2014

So, one post a year, that's good enough, right? You'll have to excuse the fact that there are currently no recent pictures of Kevin. We are still one family unit:) I just have computer issues our family photos that include him are on another computer.  My plan is to do a quick update on each of the kids, so for this post, I'll try to do a quick family update and what is going on in my life. (Although if you are one of the few that reads this blog, or if you are a FB friend, it won't be anything new.) I'll try to keep it fairly short and not too dramatic.

Well, obviously, we moved. It was, and still is, really hard...mostly just for me. I had no idea that it would affect me as much as it has, but it's slowly getting better, and I know that it was the right decision for our family. However, patience isn't one of my greatest strengths, and I'd really just like for things to start here the way they ended after ten years in Tulsa.  I stayed home last fall, which was a challenge, but I was busy enough between getting the kids settled, getting the house decorated and then the holiday season rolled around, so it was nice to have a little extra time on my hands. Lincoln and I enjoyed a lot of one on one time and he went to a mother's day out two days a week. I knew I wasn't ready to go back to work full time, but definitely needed something to occupy a little more of my time. I crave structure and routine and that just wasn't happening. Anyway, a part-time job opportunity came up at OC, that offered me a lot of flexibility, so I started there in April. I was still able to be here when the kids got on the bus, I was home when they got home, and Lincoln started going to a small Christian school for full day PreK. It's perfect for now. Working in the summer is something that is definitely new to me, but it's working out for now, and I did manage to negotiate Mondays and Fridays off, so I can't complain too much. (I am aware that most people actually work every day all summer, but I'm spoiled by the calendar of a teacher, so it's new for me.) We've found a church home, and we are still trying to figure out our roles there, but look forward to becoming more involved with our congregation. I enrolled in graduate school for the fall, so I'm excited to begin that journey. I'm also a little scared, it's been a while since I've been in school, but it's something I should have done a long time ago. So, that's pretty much sums things up for now. Can't believe it's been a year.

Aachen, Germany

Now begins my favorite part of our trip! Don't get me wrong, the wedding was awesome, but I think we were still experiencing a little jet lag and anxiety about getting where we needed to be, so once the wedding was over, we more rested and had no strict agenda and were ready to explore. Kristi and Martin so graciously organized three days of fun in Germany, and it was so nice having someone else tell us where to go, what to do and could translate everything for us. Not to mention, I don't even know how long it's been since I've had the opportunity to spend more than a few hours with one of my favorite people. Anyway, we started our German experience in Aachen. The cathedral in the the center of town was one of our first stops. I did a horrible job photographing the cathedral and it was also under construction, so there is no great evidence of our time here. The Aachen chapel was the church of coronation for many German Kings and Queens and is the final resting place for Charlemagne.(In case you were wondering about it's significance. If you really care, you should probably google search it for more specific detailed information because I have a very pathetic memory and can't tell you much more than that.)

 I love that almost everywhere we visited in Germany included window boxes filled with lush flowers. So beautiful.

 No day on our trip would have been complete without a dessert stop at some point. In Aachen, it was ice cream. It was delicious! Again, we were blessed with fantastic weather that allowed us to thoroughly enjoy sitting outside to visit and devour our tasty treats.

 Mom and her fancy coffee drink and mini cookie.

 My strawberry yogurt concoction.

After dessert, we spent the rest of the evening at Martin's brother's house. We had dinner (yes, dessert then dinner, as it should be!) and then just relaxed for the rest of the evening. Mom and Tyler, Kristi's brother, played ping pong, we enjoyed another round of ice cream and visited until the sun went down...which happens to be really late in Germany, like 10:30pm. So, as you are sitting out or having dinner, you start wondering why you feel so tired because it is still so light out, but when you check the time and it is much later than you could ever have anticipated. It is interesting and weird, but at the same time, I kind of liked it. 

The Wedding Continued

The reception was held at Landgoed Altembrouck in Belgium. The view from every angle was incredible, and as I said the weather couldn't have been more perfect. It was very picturesque. Everyone was able to wander, visit and simply enjoy being together celebrating.The inside of the venue was equally gorgeous with a  simple, yet elegant decor with a Restoration Hardware feel. We spent the rest of the evening here enjoying appetizers, dinner, dessert and a midnight snack with flawless service from beginning to end.  We finally called it a night and stayed in beautiful room on site and enjoyed a traditional brunch the next morning. 

 Kristi did such an amazing job of talking to everyone, making everyone feel as if they were the most important guest at the wedding. She's kind of gifted like that. 

 Again, talking to guests between one of the three entrees at dinner.

 Apparently having a great time at the reception! 

Europe Adventure-Day 2 (The Wedding )

Thankfully, we got a good night's sleep and were eager to get up and ready for the wedding day! We felt much better, and our moods improved tremendously. The wedding was nothing less than perfect. Perfect for so many reasons, but mostly that Kristi and Martin seem so happy and are so sweet together. In addition to that, everything went smoothly, the weather was amazing, the ceremony was beautiful, the reception location was stunning and the service and dinner were incredible. The Germans do things a little differently, the main difference being that in Germany it's an all day and night event. The ceremony started at 11AM, I left the reception at 2AM and it was still going strong. So it was a long day, but we thoroughly enjoyed it and were honored to be part of such a special day. 

Getting ready before the ceremony

The finishing touches

 A quick picture before the ceremony starts

Martin, Kristi and her brother Tyler

 

 Mom and I hanging out between the ceremony and reception.

  Daniel, the Best Man, Kristi, Martin and Me

Kristi and Martin with Martin's wonderful family. 

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Our Europe Adventure-Day 1

As I begin, I should tell you that neither my mom or I are very experienced travelers, particularly internationally.  You should also know that my mother and I are polar opposites when it comes to personality. I knew it would be interesting. But, thankfully, we survived without tears or any catastrophic occurrences. The purpose of our trip was to go to my friend Kristi's wedding, and we thought if we were spending the money to fly that far, we should make the most of it. We spent time in Germany, Belgium and France, so it was a lot of traveling, but a great experience!

Before I ever got to Missouri, my car broke down, and I had to go back to Tulsa and have Kevin take me half way to meet my parents. That resulted in us getting to bed sometime between 2:30AM and 3:00AM the night before we would be leaving for this little Europe expedition. Needless to say, we were both exhausted before we even got started. We figured that would be ok since we would be flying for so long maybe our exhaustion would make it easier to sleep on the plane. Well, that didn't exactly work out as planned. I'm quite certain that neither of us slept more than an hour or two on our way across the ocean which left us quite jet lagged. However, the flight went smoothly and we landed in Paris on time at 9:30AM. Being time conscience and overly paranoid about missing the train we would be taking, the train ticket I purchased for the next leg of our trip didn't leave until 6:25PM. When I purchased the ticket a while back, it sounded like a good idea and that would allow us to explore Paris a little near the station, and give us some flexibility if our plane was late or we couldn't find the train station. Well, that plan backfired. We took a cab to the train station, and had about 8 hours to kill. I assumed the train station would have shopping or something, but it didn't. We attempted exploring a little, but we were toting all our luggage so it was a little debilitating. Also, once we ventured out, we realized the area surrounding the Gare de Nord train station seemed a little shady. So, we just hung out doing pretty much nothing for about 8 hours. I think at this point, we were both questioning our decision to come on the trip.

 We tried out some French pastries.

 Took turns napping in the station. (This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip because it so perfectly depicts how tired we were. I love how she is holding on to her purse.)

We did stop at a cafe and have lunch. It was at this point that I realized my diet coke habit was going to get extremely expensive over the next 9 days. It was 4,20 euros, there weren't free refills and it was served in a little juice sized cup. They did, however, add a lemon and a piece of ice or two:) 

After a long wait, it was nearing time for our train to arrive when we heard an announcement most of which I couldn't understand, but I did hear the time and destination city, so I tried to figure out what was going on. After asking around a bit, it said that our train would be cancelled. A bit of panic set in because if we didn't make this train, we weren't sure we'd make it to the wedding, not to mention we were so ready to get out of the train station.  However, it all seemed to work itself out, and they told us to get on the next train. It ended up only being about a 30 minute delay. So after a VERY long day of traveling, we reached our destination, my friend, Kristi, picked us up at the train station, and we stopped by the church for a bit to see the musicians rehearsing, followed by a bite to eat and headed to the hotel in hopes of resting enough to not look like zombies as the wedding the next day!

Happy January-July!

So, blogging obviously hasn't made it on the priority list for a while. Not sure if it's because I haven't had time, or I was boring myself with the same posts year after year, but either way, it's been very neglected and  I miss it. I love looking back and seeing what we had going on several years ago, and as I've said multiple times it is the only form of documentation for my children I've done. There's no way I can catch up, so I'll start where we are. A lot of life changes are going on in the Lawrence house right now. Kevin left his job at EY for a position at Bancfirst. I quit a job that I loved at TPS since his job requires a move, so I guess that means I'll be attempting to be a housewife again. I failed miserably in my previous attempts:) It's a great opportunity, and makes a lot of sense for our family, but it was no easy decision. We love where we are.  We love our home, neighborhood, church, friends, schools and it's all our kids know. But, that's life I guess. It has meant a less than pleasant summer of having a house on the market and spending time traveling back and forth for Kevin's job. It's been a roller coaster, but I know things will settle soon and we will be in a routine that I so desperately crave. I missed spending the fourth with extended family and friends, but we enjoyed a relaxing day together as a family which we hadn't been all together for a while, so it was nice to just hang out and enjoy the city. 

 I can't believe how grown up the girls are getting!

 We started the day off with Dunkin' Donuts and an Independence day parade. Then, we headed to Pops for lunch. The kids and I had been there about a year and a half ago, and they have been wanting to show Kevin ever since. We finally made it back, and lucky for us, we beat the crowd and didn't even have to wait to be seated.

 Photo credit to Lincoln...he now thinks he should get to take pics as well. He just has a little trouble getting everyone in the photo. We try to maneuver so there are faces in the pictures.

After a three hour family nap, we headed downtown to Pinkitzel for a cupcake break. We walked around town for a while, and then the kids just wanted to go back to the hotel and swim, so we enjoyed the rest of the night at the hotel pool. Thankfully, we pretty much had it to ourselves, so it was a super relaxing day. 

I Have A Blog???

So, I noticed I last posted at Halloween! Wow! I guess I've given up...I missed all the kids birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Disney, New Year's, and haven't taken a single picture this spring break. I'm really slacking. Then, I go back and reread posts, and it makes me think I need to get with it. I miss writing, and it is the only form of documentation of my children's lives I have. Also, when I read the blog, I am reminded of how blessed I am, and all the things I enjoy about my life because sometimes I need to be reminded. I occasionally get into a funk and forget how much I really love my life and family. So, maybe, just maybe, I'll find time soon to start up again. I thought about trying to catch up, but that's just not likely....

Halloween 2012

I hope everyone had as much fun this Halloween as we did.  We hosted our annual party the weekend before, and for the first time, dressed up as a family. It was pretty fun.  The girls were super into it. Lincoln kind of wanted to be a cowboy or superman, but once everyone else was dresssed, he was on board.  That's what happens when you're outnumbered by girls, you get stuck being a doll for Halloween.  Kevin is always a good sport too!  Next year, the girls already have a plan, and it's more suited for everyone:)  However, we had a great time celebrating at our party and at our church fall festival. We skipped trick or treating this year for the most part considering it was on Wednesday night, and I was pretty much Halloweened out anyway!  Can't believe it's November.  This year is flying! Have a great weekend!  Happy November!