The Pianist

I finally uploaded a video of Colt playing the piano! This was actually back in January and he's playing one of the versions of "Bella's Lullaby" from Twilight! He messes up one time close to the end, but he'd only started playing it about 4 days before I did this video! He's so incredibly talented and just wows me everyday with his playing!!

Weekend Recap

I had a wonderful 3 day weekend!! Friday Grace and I ran errands all day and Saturday around noon I dropped Grace off at Mom and Dad's house because Gene and I were planning to leave for Little Rock around 2 for the Kenny Chesney concert!!

I came home, showered and got ready, and we left around 2:15. I made Colt take a picture of us before we left!!! We made really good time getting there but took an exit we shouldn't have and ended up in a bad part of town. Yikes! It pays to have a cop as a husband...I definitely felt safe! Anyways, we ended up just parking at Alltel Arena and then walked downtown and ate dinner. We made it back and to our seats by 6:45 and the concert got started at about 7:25 with Lady Antebellum! I wasn't really a big fan of them until last night! They did an awesome job and we listened to their cd on the way home! They only played for about 30 minutes and then Miranda Lambert came on! She was awesome too and was definitely an entertainer! She performed for 45 minutes and then there was about a 30 minute break before Kenny Chesney came on. He was absolutely amazing!!!! I can totally see how he won Entertainer of the Year so many years! He was moving around all over the stage and he performed for an hour and a half. It was such a great concert and I'm so glad that Gene and I were able to go together! He really really enjoyed it too! Our seats were close to one of the exits so as soon as it was over we headed out and were back on the interstate within about 10 of it ending so that was very nice not having to wait in traffic! We left right at 11 and were home just before 2. We were both completely exhausted and crashed fast. I slept until 11:3o today!

After I got up and around I went outside because Gene was checking on the garden and he ended up getting out the chainsaw to cut down some limbs that were blocking the sunlight from hitting out garden. We got that all cleaned up and I headed into town to drop Colt off at the mall with his friends and then I went to pick up Grace!! I hung out at Mom and Dad's until time to pick up Colt and then after I did I had to drop him off at Barn Hill Arena for one of his friend's graduation! Gene and Corey had run to town to get more seeds for the garden and then Gene dropped Corey off with Colt at the graduation. I'm telling ya, those crazy teenage boys keep us busy busy!! Grace and I finally made it home and Gene hung out in town waiting until time to pick the boys up. Grace was playing in her dress up shoes and she kept telling me "take a pitcher of dis!" and it was sooo funny! She'd stick one foot out then the other with her shoes on then her hand and her sippy! She's such a mess.

Full length shot of the dress up shoes! She just loves them and walks around the house "clacking!" Typically she'll put them on the wrong foot so we've been working on getting them on the right one!!

We had plans to have dinner at Steve and Jennie's house tonight and originally the kids were going to go with us but Grace ended up falling asleep around 5, right before Gene and the boys got home, so the boys stayed home with her and just Gene and I went. My dorky husband thought he had to wear Corey's hat over there to show Steve! I actually thought it looked pretty good on him!

Gene and Jennie sitting outside waiting for Steve to finish grilling our dinner!! It was such a beautiful day and it was so nice to sit outside for a while visiting.

Steve dubbed himself the "Grill King" because the steaks and vegetables turned out so yummy!! He marinaded the steaks in terriyaki sauce and Jennie cut up potatoes, squash, zucchini, and green peppers and wrapped them in foil with butter and Steve grilled them. It was delicious!!! I ate till I felt like I was going to be sick!

The "Grill King's" work! Not only did we eat all that but Jennie also had stuff for strawberry shortcake so after our dinner had settle for a little bit we had yummy dessert!

Steve is Gene's motorcyle buddy so of course here was bike talk! Steve just bought a new one so we were admiring it! The white and black ones are both antiques and then the red one is his new one and it's a 2003 Harley Davidson Road King. He's incredibly happy now having a garage full of bikes!

The best part was being able to ride the bike over to their house!! It was the first opportunity I'd had to ride this year and it was awesome!! Gene and I have been together for almost 4 years and he's had 3 different motorcycles during that time and I had never ever even been on a bike until last July right before we left for our Rt 66 trip with Steve and Jennie...on the bikes! Now...I'm in love with riding. I have really been wanting to ride since the weather got warm but we'd not had a chance and the rain wasn't helping anything either! So, I was way excited to ride tonight! I will say though that it was a cold ride home. The temperature had dropped to the upper 40s and that is chilly willy on a motorcycle at night! Luckily they don't live to far from us so it wasn't a long trip. I was ready to get in and into my warm pjs!

Overall, it was a wonderful weekend and my husband and I were able to spend some good quality time together. With 3 kids that doesn't happen very often! Tomorrow it's back to work but only through Thursday and then Friday I'm cleaning house and packing because Mom, Grace, and I are going to Granny's house Friday night then leaving early early Saturday morning with Courtney to head to Atlanta, Georgia for my cousin JT's graduation!!!!! It was a last minute decision to go and I'm so very excited that we're getting to. We usually only get to see the Geren's 3 or 4 times a year so they're thrilled we're coming! It's my mom's sister, Cathy, Uncle Greg, Megan, and JT!! It's going to be a long drive but well worth it. We'll get there Saturday evening, JT's graduation is Tuesday night, and we'll have to drive home Wednesday. This week at work is probably going to go slow since I'm so excited about the trip!!! Oh well.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!!

Wednesday Work Out With Daddy!

Gene was gone all day Tuesday in Tulsa certifying Aros (K9) and he didn't get home until about 10 or so yesterday morning. Needless to say Grace was happy to see her Daddy because she's SUCH a Daddy's girl! When he got in they were laying on the floor in the living room "working out" and he was doing push-ups and sit-ups.

In this one they were wrestling. I'm pretty sure she took him down!!

Here they are doing the leg flutters in the air! He kept trying to get her to alternate legs but she would just stick that one leg up and that was it! Too funny!

After their workout they headed outside to ride the 4-wheeler. Grace LOVES to be outside and would literally stay out all day if we would let her. She always wants to ride the 4-wheeler so they took off.

Bringing Mommy the mail...with their tongues stuck out. Nice.

I uploaded this video but I'm not sure it's going to actually play so if you can't view it will you leave me a comment so I know?! Please and thank you!! I'm working today which is typically my day off but I'm off Saturday and Sunday this weekend because Gene and I are going to see Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, and Lady Antebellum in Little Rock Saturday night!!!!!! I am so excited and Gene is too! I had surprised him with tickets because he absolutely LOVES Kenny!! So...I'm off of here to take a shower!!

P.S. - I was just able to watch the video so hopefully you can too but let me know if you can't! It's Gene doing push ups with Grace on his back!! And...I couldn't get it to center, I don't know why.

Mother's Day 2009

It was a good 3rd Mother's Day for me! Besides the fact that I had to work. It started early because Grace woke up at 5:30, but luckily fell right back to sleep once I put her in bed with me. I heard Gene come in a little after 7 and was trying to wake her up. He kept saying "Grace wake up, I need you to come help me." He just kept saying it and she by golly wasn't budging! She was nestled up right against my back and it took him 3 tries before he finally picked her up and she woke up. About 20-30 minutes later they came back into the bedroom and Grace kept telling me to wake up. She handed me a card and when I opened it up Gene had put her foot and handprints in the card!! That was why he needed her help! How cute is that?! I thought it was really sweet!

He told me to get out of bed because he'd made breakfast! I never got a picture of me and Grace together yesterday so I took this one this morning to put on!

Gene made biscuits and gravy and Grace ate them up! She's so cute and I'm so glad that God chose me to be her mother!!

My handsome chef husband! He's so good to me!

Sausage gravy and biscuits! And of course some orange juice!

She learned that from her Daddy, definitely not her Mama! :)

Here's the sweet card!

Her footprints!! They're getting so big.

Handprints! Most precious hands and they've definitely touched my heart!

Gene also got me a really pretty big hanging plant to add to the front porch! Everytime we're out somewhere that sells the big ones with bright flowers I talk about how much I want one, so he bought me one and had it hanging this morning when I got up! He also bought some small chains so he could lower the other plants we have so now it looks better!

Here's a view of the whole thing, but it doesn't really do it justice. I couldn't get a good picture of it to show the colors!

And another view of it! Gene had to leave shortly after breakfast to go to the police department and do some paperwork that had to be turned in and Grace and I were going to go to church but Mom and Dad were out of town and I didn't want to go by myself and drop Grace off in the nursery for an hour and a half and miss spending that time with her before work. I really hate that I missed, but I am glad that I got to spend all morning with my girl. I wish all my kids would have been home, but it was Deanne's weekend with the boys so they weren't here. :( At least they got to spend the day with their mother though!

I hope everybody had a wonderful Mother's Day!!!

Show Us Where You Live Friday!!

So Kelly, over at Kelly's Korner has started "Show Us Where You Live Friday" and each week is a different room tour. Now last week was actually the first week and it was kitchens but last week was so busy that I never got a post done so I've compiled last week with this week, which is living rooms so I cleaned house today and I took some pictures when I got done to share!! I hope you enjoy them and you should check out Kelly's blog where other bloggers have added links to their home tours also!

The color of the pictures didn't turn out great, but this is our kitchen and I took this one standing in front of the piano on the far end of the living room. Gene built our house by himself and we designed the floorplan together. Ok.....he designed it and I just approved of it!! Our kitchen, dining room, and living room are all open and I love that about it.

This one was taken from in front of the tv in the living room. The cabinets are oak and I love love love having the island because it gives us so much extra cabinet/counter space.

Our kitchen colors are red and black. Obviously all the appliances are black and then our coffee pot, blender, canisters, and coffee mugs are all red. Mom bought me the matching canisters and coffee mugs from Kirkland's!

Our blender and coffee grinder. Aunt Cathy bought us the blender for Christmas last year and I couldn't find a red coffee grinder. Gene and I have both become big coffee drinkers and it's so much better freshly ground.

Our red coffee pot that Granny bought us for Christmas this past year!

And another shot. The refrigerator is covered with pictures and Grace's little magnetic farm with all the animals. There is a window over the sink and I don't have any blinds or curtains on it because I still haven't found anything I like. The front door is on the far right. Grace has also figured out how to climb up on the barstools and then all the way up onto the island. Awesome.

Ok, here's the living room. This one was taken standing in our bedroom doorway. Like I said, it's all wide open. Please excuse my shirtless husband playing Wii golf. He's obsessed and plays it for at least an hour and a half to two hours a day! No lie.

Taken standing in the kitchen. We don't have a coffee table or regular end table because we didn't want to get one until Grace was big enough that we didn't have to worry about her hitting her head or anything on it. I'm hoping that someday soon we'll get one. You can see the piano and we really do have a piano bench, but it pretty much stays upstairs in Colt's room with his electric piano. I also have the quilt rack beside the fireplace that I got on sale at Kirkland's! Also the baby gate.

Another view of the stairs and we have 22 ft high ceilings with the low hanging ceiling fans.

Overview of the living room and kitchen. I took this one standing on the landing of the stairs. I should have taken one with the curtains closed but I didn't. We don't have blinds in any room and the curtains on the big window are cream colored and brown and when they're closed it's a cream colored one then a brown then cream and then brown again. The area rug came from Lowe's. Our hardwood floors are real bamboo and I love having them, but I definitely don't love sweeping and mopping them!!

We have two living rooms and this is the upstairs one that the kids use. Well, now it's sorta been converted into a workout room! We have another big bean bag but it's now in Corey's room.

This one was taken standing in Corey's bedroom doorway. You can see the half wall on the left and you can look over it down into the downstairs living room.

Well, that's it! Our kitchen and living room! I hope you enjoyed the tour and don't forget to check out Kelly's Korner and all the other living room tours!

Not Me! Monday

Ok, so I'm going to attempt a "Not me! Monday" that was established by MckMama as a fun blog carnival!! Alright, here goes nothing..........

I am so not apprehensive about my first "Not me! Monday" post and I'm most definitely not hoping that people actually read it and understand it and possibly enjoy it!

I also did not bake a yellow cake this morning to put chocolate frosting on to take to work and I totally don't have the intention of having at least 2 pieces before the end of my shift. No way!

And I oh so did NOT let my 2 year old have an ink pen to play with and I did not then allow her to actually play with it...without the lid on and therefore leading to a non-spanking when she started trying to eat it. Nope!

I didn't say yes to my in-laws either when they asked me if Grace could go with them to Muskogee, OK this Friday for the "Renaissance Festival" with her brothers because I most definitely NEVER need a break from the joys of the "terrible twos!" Are you crazy?! Seriously, who doesn't enjoy every waking moment of that?!

Ok, that's about all I'm willing to admit on this particular Monday and I hope that you all join in the fun! You can hop on over to MckMama's blog and check hers out as well as add your "Not me! Monday" post to Mr. Linky and be entered to win an awesome prize!!!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

These photos were taken by my oh so talented stepson, Colt, this past weekend! Enjoy the nature shots from our habitat!!

My favorite country road