Weekend With Lizzy

Finally!...get ready...this is going to be long, but definitely worth reading in my opinion. :)

Ryan and I left for Aunt Lizzy's Friday evening about a quarter 'til 6. Upon our arrival in Lawton we were greeted by Bradford's (Lizzy's friend) cats. He has 2 cute little kittens with somewhat "original" names...Orange Cat and Grey Cat.
The plans for the evening included going to the park for "Movie Night". For the summer the City of Lawton is hosting movie nights on the weekends...free for any and all who come. Concessions available for $$. By the time we made it to the park Ryan was already pretty tired, and I was hoping that he would go to sleep in the stroller during the movie. No such luck...he got his second wind when we went outside and especially when he saw all the people. We stayed for about 30 minutes or so and then decided it would just be best to leave and get some sleep so the following day could be better enjoyed.

Saturday we got up and made some chocolate chip muffins. Mmmm...yummy! The forecast for the day was "HOT", and sure enough it turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far. We decided to limit our outdoor fun to the cooler morning hours. We went swimming right after breakfast. The water was perfect...not too cool, but oh so refreshing.
Ryan was a little apprehensive at first. This was only his second time to be in a big pool this year. His fear was short lived and within moments he was thoroughly enjoying the water.
Many of you know that we I have been looking for a new puppy for our family. I noticed one of interest on petfinder.com and had mentioned it to Lizzy the evening before. The location...Duncan. Lizzy took no time in suggesting we go look at it since Duncan was only 30 minutes away. I had no idea Duncan was so close to Lawton. So after our refreshing morning swim we changed clothes and headed to Duncan. Of course, now, just the thought of seeing this little beauty made me love her even more. I had no intentions of bringing home a puppy last weekend, but I also knew myself well enough that as soon as I saw her, all caged up in the pound, I'd be bringing home our newest addition.
Isn't she just the cutest! She's an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie Mix less than 12 weeks old. Everything about her fits within my list of requirements/wants. Well...I'm VERY sad to say that we don't have a new member in the Stanfill family. The attendant at the pound explained that she was at the vet that weekend for shots and a check-up, but would be back at the pound on Monday.

(I'm so sad. I've even dropped several VERY LARGE hints to family members that if anyone wanted to go on a road trip I had a great idea. Since I work 8-5 M-F and the phones have been busy, busy, busy, it wouldn't be all that wise for me to go without someone to help me either drive or answer the phone. Not for a 2-hour drive.)

We had lunch while in Duncan. Duncan seems to be one of those "cute" little backwards, hometown places that I could feel quite comfortable in. After our excursions in Duncan we went to the mall in Lawton. Lizzy and I took advantage of an awesome sale at Bath and Body Works. (I'll smell good for awhile now). Before leaving the mall we stopped at the Play Area to let Ryan run off some energy. Run he did! Of all the *many* moms/dads/caregivers watching their precious little children play, I was the only one who had to chase their kid down the mall because he kept escaping. Escape attempts: 4!
I don't get mad. I'm so excited about his energy. I just love his little personality, and escape artistry has become a game between the two of us. I must say, though, that everyone, in and out of the play area, was laughing at me.

After the mall...Wal-Mart. No story there. It was uneventful.

Since the thermometer was climbing on up towards 110 degrees we decided it was time to spend some time indoors. We rented a couple of movies, Marley and Me and The Pink Panther 2, and headed back to Lizzy's apartment. I put Ryan down for a nap and Lizzy and I stretched out in front of the air conditioner to watch a movie.

Did I mention that Saturday was the hottest day on record for the year! After the movie Lizzy fixed taco salad (great for a hot day). Since it was still soooo hot after dinner we decided the best thing to do was to jump in the pool again!
Yeah...that's a camera...and...yeah...someone's going to be laughing hysterically when they see what was recorded. Ryan was fascinated by it, so he did everything to it but touch it! He would have if it had not been for the glass protecting it from his nosey little hands.
Here is Ryan noticing water dripping from his shorts. Yes...he tried to catch it! He's too funny.
This time in the pool Ryan had no reservations at all. This is what he thought of the new game we created where I would toss him in the air and catch him as he entered the water.

I just love this boy!

After our evening swim we went back to the apartment. Lizzy now has new appreciation for Dr. Seuss. She also understands how I have so many children's books memorized. We read them over, and over, and over, and again, and again, and over, and over...

Lizzy and I watched the other movie and Ryan went to sleep.

Sunday! Wow...Sunday had some interesting events. Lizzy wanted to take us to breakfast that morning at Atlanta Bread Company. We loaded in the car, and...nothing! My car wouldn't start. It did finally start, but after several attempts where it almost didn't, we stopped at Wal-Mart for what we determined to be a failing battery. Wal-Mart didn't have the battery I needed! Don't worry though Sam's, next door, did! Car fixed. No other problems. Whew.

Breakfast was great and after our scrumptious muffins and coffee we went to the park.

Feeding ducks/geese.

What better things to do at a park than to feed ducks and explore.
I bet you didn't notice the slick sludge at the bottom of those drainage pipes. Sure enough! Ryan found it!

Walking around with Aunt Lizzy. She's the greatest!

We did a little rock climbing too. Unfortunately...
...the rock didn't play nicely. Not really. Ryan woke up sleepy on Sunday, so while at the park we had quite a number of falls (indication that he's sleepy).
Swinging makes everything better, so that's what we did.
Before leaving the park Ryan said good-bye to the geese and signed his name in the sand so everyone would know he was there.
And proof that the weekend was wonderful, amazing, and exhausting for a little two-year-old.

He took a short little nap at Lizzy's while I loaded the car to leave. Of course he woke up right as I was loading the last bag, and he didn't sleep one wink the entire drive back home.

We had a great time, and we can't wait to do it again. We love you Lizzy!!!

Weekend Glimpse

Like all good photographers, my sister, an aspiring photographer, took A LOT of pictures (close to 400). That being the case I'm finding it incredibly difficult to pick just a few for the blog and then re-size them so they will actually load (in my lifetime). In the meantime......here is one of my favorites just to keep you interested in what in the world we did this weekend.

Perhaps tomorrow I can get all the pictures sorted AND edited AND get all of the weekend details (and I mean all...because I'm a girl who likes details and can't ever tell a short story) written up in a terrifically exciting post for you to enjoy!

Where I Come From

For this post I really wanted to share with you all about our weekend (this weekend), but it's just not going to happen. I have sooooo many pictures to sort through and edit and since it's already almost 9 p.m.....yea...you get the point...it's not going to happen. Besides, I have last weekend to talk about...as well as last week's update.

As you remember, last weekend was a special weekend to celebrate DADS! On Sunday afternoon Ryan and I went to spend a little time with my dad (Ryan's Grandpa Yogi) while Wade spent some time with his dad (doing some boring important tasks like mowing). My dad is a farmer. He's a hard-working honorable man, and I love my dad.

Ryan and I enjoyed spending time doing some "farming". It's harvest time around here, so we spent a few hours harvesting wheat with Grandpa. Being out in the field brought back lots of memories and a reminder of Where I Come From.

I come from a farming family. My most early, and some of the most formidable years of my life were spent, literally, on a farm. I lived in this house on our family's farm... It's pretty run down now. In fact, it's un-inhabitable and probably forever will be, but back in the very early 80's this is where I called home. I have so many memories in this house, and the funny thing is...I only lived here for about 3 years...from 3-6 years of age. I remember the leak in the roof and the sound of the rain gently tapping the buckets strategically placed around the house. I remember birthday parties with friends. I remember swimming in a stock tank every summer and coming inside with bleeding toes. I remember running in circles around the house because in this house there were no halls. All the rooms were somehow connected and you could make a complete circle by going through all the different rooms. I remember being forbidden to go out on the front porch because...well...it was just about to fall in at the time. Needless to say...the porch is gone now. I remember Christmas time. I remember family times.

"The Barn"

Dad and grandpa worked the cattle in this barn. I remember playing in the barn a lot with Dad or Grandpa around, but I don't remember exactly what "farming chore" happened here. I do remember feeding the baby calves in this barn...the bottle-fed ones. I remember finding a litter or kittens in this barn that Mom and I rescued and bottle-fed. My childhood kitty, Whiskers, was one of the litter and she became my best-kitty-friend as a kid.

"The Shed"

This is the shed that housed all of the "small" tools and equipment that Dad and Grandpa used. For me...it's where I remember all the cats liked to hang out. I also remember that this is where the cubes where kept (Cubes=cattle feed). I loved feeding the cows with Dad and/or Grandpa. They usually let me ride in the back of the pickup where I could toss the cubes out the back and "feed the cows".

Harvest time was one of my most favorite times of the year. It seemed to last forever, but I now know that it usually was only a few short (3 or 4) weeks. Dad drove the combine as well as Uncle Marvin who usually came to help and Grandpa while he was still alive and well enough to do so. Mom and us kids drove the wheat-truck. While the combines where gathering the wheat we tossed a blanket under the back of the truck and played with toys. Sometimes we would go exploring down the dirt roads (with Mom of course) to see what type of wild creatures could be found (usually lizards, turtles and the like). Our favorite thing to do was "swim" in the wheat, occasionally eating a few kernels and chewing on the straw.

Farm life...hot, never-ending, hard-working, and wonderful. I miss those days sometimes.

And...that...is Where I Come From.

I really enjoyed taking Ryan out to the field to enjoy some of the things that made the fondest memories for me. Here are the pictures...

The Combine

Riding in the combine with Grandpa Yogi. Grandpa already had about 1/2 a bin full of wheat, so we finished out that bin with him. Ryan was mesmerized by the workings of this massive piece of equipment. I think he really enjoyed it.

Driving the Wheat Truck. After the combine emptied the wheat into the wheat truck it was time to go to town to dump the truck. Ryan and I rode along and, again, Ryan thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. It was loud, bumpy, dirty and great!

Here are just a few pictures of Ryan in the field because I think wheat fields, flowing with the golden heads of wheat, are beautiful.

Here is Ryan "swimming" in the wheat. He didn't get nearly as carried away with the "wheat swimming" as we did, but I figure he'll figure it out as he gets older. (We literally went from one end of the truck to the other...in and out of the wheat.)

Have a great harvest. Be thankful for all the blessings in life.

...Until next year.

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This Past Week
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This past week was crazy!!! We were so busy, but it was a good busy. Monday night we went to a NICU graduate meeting after which we went up to the NICU to visit our nurses. We always love visiting our nurses.

Tuesday night we went to our friend's, the Rosackers, house for an evening of fellowship and fun. It was really enjoyable to watch the boys play together. They have 3 boys. Their oldest is 5. He was born the same year and same month as Brandy. He also was born with a heart defect. In fact, we met them in the hospital and have been good friends ever since. Their son is doing amazingly well. Praise Jesus for his awesome healing! They have 2 other, ornery, boys. Their middle is 3 and their youngest is just 2 months older than Ryan. All four boys played together and enjoyed each other (for the most part). It was a great evening.

Wednesday...nothing!

Thursday afternoon I had a doctor's appointment with my OB. We're still trying! I have endometriosis and it has started giving me a little trouble, and it could also be hindering our efforts. I will be having surgery (sometime soon) to remove all the extra unwanted (bad) tissue. This should help with some pain issues as well as clear everything out and offer a better chance at conceiving. It's no guarantee, but it *will* help with other problems. I'm not looking forward to surgery, but it probably needs to be done anyway. To some degree I view this as our "last ditch effort" as far as major interventions in this whole pregnancy thing. It's not being done specifically for that purpose...it just might be of benefit. I don't want to go through a bunch of "procedures" and "treatments" to have another baby. I am at the point now where if it doesn't happen after this...I'm not "working" at it anymore. If it happens okay...if not...okay. Sorry...that was a long detailed rant without much of a point. Oh well. Thursday evening I went out with some friends. We try to get together once a month. It also gives Ryan and his Daddy some much needed and enjoyed time together...just the boys!

Friday evening we left for Lawton to spend the weekend with Aunt Lizzy.

That was our week! This week...nothing...yet!

Packing

You've probably noticed that the blog has been somewhat neglected this week. Last week we had absolutely nothing extra going on. This week, on the other hand, has been busy, busy, busy. I think we've had one evening spent at home this week. The week isn't even over...Ryan and I are spending the weekend in Lawton with my sister. I'm super excited. It will be lots of fun, and more than likely I'll have lots of new pictures and stories to share. Stay tuned for more....

Since next week is much like last, with nothing extra planned, I'll have more time for catching up on all of the news and stories from this week as well as a post I've been working on from last weekend.

Swattin' Flies

I hate flies. I've killed so many today it's unreal. Ryan is my helper. He likes swattin' flies too!

Harvest

Daddy

Happy Father's Day to the Greatest Dad!

We love you. You are our Hero!

Saturday Fun

This morning Ryan and I went to the zoo. It was crazy busy and super hot even though it was morning. We had fun, but we didn't stay for too long. I didn't want Ryan to get sunburned, and before you worry...I did lather him with sunscreen...head-to-toe. I enjoy going to the zoo the most when I can let Ryan out of the stroller and run somewhat freely especially down the main paths. Today the zoo was so crowded that I was scared to let him get out of the stroller at all without holding my hand. He would have darted into a crowd...and the rest...is left to your imagination.

Ryan got to play in the playground area for a little bit. He really enjoyed it. We had to leave before he was quite ready because some "big" kids(even though this particular section is marked "ages 2-5") came along and were a bit rough with the equipment and the "small" kids.

Ryan loves to swing. Ryan loves, loves, loves to swing.

The highlight of the zoo today (since every zoo trip has a new highlight): feeding bread to the fish in the neighboring pond.

After our zoo trip we went to Petsmart to look at the puppies. Petsmart has puppy adoption days on Saturdays and Sundays. I'd like to get another puppy sometime (sooner rather than later) but I don't know if getting another Boston Terrier right now is the best thing...maybe someday, but not right now. I already have in mind what kind of puppy I'd like to find, but that's a secret I'm not sharing. I'm not in a big hurry because I want to find the "perfect" puppy for us and I'm sure that will happen at just the right time. Today's Petsmart Puppy Adoption Day: Chihuahua. Yeah...cute...sweet...can be tempermental...not what I'm looking for. I actually had a chihuahua as a kid. She rode around in the basket on my bicycle. We didn't leave Petsmart empty-handed. I bought some dogfood for Bosco and a few small toys in anticipation of our next family addition.

After Petsmart we went to Wal-Mart, because who in their right mind would pass up an opportunity to got to Wal-Mart while in the City.

After our City excursions we went home and took a nap.

For dinner tonight I had planned to grill steaks on the grill. I lit the grill, let the fire die down and put the steaks on. The fire had gone way down and the coals were looking a little cold, so I wondered if the grill was going to have to be re-lit (no I don't own a gas-fired grill...I use the old-fashioned-tastes-delicious-charcoal-lit-with-a-match-and-lighter-fluid-style). Back to the point. I put the steaks on and went to run a very quick errand. When I went back outside...oh...so sad...fire! My cold coals with minimal amout of heat at the bottom took notice of the high-fat edge of the steak. Well...needless to say...the fat dripped, the fire was rekindled...the steaks were BLACK...burnt...not edible! Plan B...I grabbed a package of Cheddar Wursts. Delicious. Not as fantastic as steaks, but tomorrow is another day.

After supper came the watermelon!

While we were outside we discovered the culprit guilty of reducing the water level in our pool.

Hmmm....maybe that's why it's dirtier than I last remembered too.

Jungle Prince

Deflated Floaty Attack!

This is Ryan attacking/loving on his turtle floaty that is more-or-less flat.

Taco Salad Casualty