AND Breathe.................................

Do you ever feel like there is so much going on in your life that your shoulders are constantly tense and you wait so long to go the bathroom because there is just too much to do to take time out for that? Lately I have to remind myself to relax my shoulders, go to the bathroom, and just breathe. Why does life get so busy? Why do we bring this on ourselves? Why can't we just say no? Stop the madness. O.k. enough ranting but are ya with me?

We got back from Oklahoma on Sunday night and I feel like I have a million and one things to do. Thanksgiving was nice in Oklahoma. The thing I do like about going away from home is that I get to enjoy my kids more. I don't have the responsibilities that I do when I am home so I get to hold them more and play with them and just relax and spend quality time with them. That happens at home too but it just seems that without thinking about laundry, cleaning, bills, etc. that I just enjoy them more.

On Saturday after Thanksgiving we celebrated Christmas with Steve's family since we won't see them this Christmas.

Here are a few pictures from our trip:

We went to the Oklahoma City Memorial for the bombing that happened in 1995. We walked through the museum and it was very sad but they did a great job telling the story.

Here's Olivia standing in the outside part of the memorial.

Steve with his cousin Matt standing in front of the wall where still after 12 years people leave items remembering that day.

Audrey with her PaPaw

Audrey with her cousin Macie or May May as we call her

Olivia with her cousin Garrett- I love this picture, they both look so cute!

Steve, Audrey, Mamoose, and Papaw

Steve's parents bought a motorcyle with three wheels (is that a trike then?) and we took turns riding it at the lake. Here Steve and I are ready for blastoff.

Audrey and Steve's cousin Matt's little boy Evan. He is just a week or so older than her. They took the trike for a ride. Don't they look cool?

Making cookies with Aunt Lisa

One day some rode horses at Mamoose and Papaw's house.
Here's Matt and his dad, Uncle Steve. They came out from California with their wives, Vanessa and Aunt Joanne.

Steve's sister Shelley, looking very cool on Savannah.

Vanessa took Sheba for a ride.

Audrey just loved her cousin Garrett, he took such good care of her, was so gentle and she would just hang out with him.

Olivia anxiously waiting to open gifts.

By the way, she got 4 princess costumes and jewelry in a box from her Aunt Shelley and family and I'm telling you she hasn't been the same since. She put those costumes on and she would just spin around the room. I heard her say once, "This is a wonderful dream come true!" She was calling herself Princess of All. So funny. She kept herself entertained all day carrying around her princess stuff. I've never seen her so happy. The problem is she won't take it off. She wears it on top of her clothes everyday. Or if I dress her in real clothes to go out then as soon as we get home she immediately strips down and puts on her dresses. AND now, she wants to wear all four dresses at once all the time. I told her she should just wear one and then change to another but she insists on putting on all four of them. I'm going to take a picture soon and post it. Stay tuned for that.

O.k. so this was really bizarre! We were on our way home from shopping the day after Thanksgiving and at one intersection by the mall there were all these birds lined up on the traffic lights and they looked evenly spaced at that. At one point many of them started flying and I thought they were going to fly in my window. I felt like I was in that old scary movie "The Birds".

Look closely or click on this picture, the birds are lined up on top of the building, millions of them. Strange I tell you.