Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Ordering My Private World

I'm reading a new book (not newly published, but new to me) and highly recommend it to anyone who would like to learn about one man's method for developing yourself as a more complete person from the inside out. The book is by a man named Gordon MacDonald and it's called, "Ordering Your Private World."

It's a great book written by a man who has years of life experience and wisdom that, consequently, spill out onto the pages of his book as he offers practical suggestions on how to live a life that is more in tune with God's plan. The root problem that many people have in developing their relationship with their creator today, MacDonald says, is that we are so "driven" and spend so much time pursuing things that are external in nature, few of us have ever taken the time to create order and routine in the realm of our private worlds. Too often we let the external world and the demands that it makes on our time, energy, thoughts, and emotions (even those demands that are inherently good) steal away from the time, energy, thought, and emotion we should be putting into our very private, very intimate relationship with God. To quote an editorial review of the book:

"Never admitting to have it all together, but rather using his own personal struggle as a way for readers to relate to his principles, Gordon MacDonald's classic book invites readers to bring order to their personal life by inviting God's control over every segment of their lives. His premise is that if the private world of a person is in order, it will be because they are convinced that the inner world of the spiritual must govern the outer world of activity."

I've read a lot of different books that have, at their heart, the same goal for their readers: to draw us closer to our creator in our day to day living; however, they are usually a lot more philosophical and preachy than they are practical and helpful. So far, MacDonald has been the exact opposite.

Some of the main principles from the book are (taken from a reader review on Amazon.com):

1. Busyness is not always of God.
2. Driven people focus on the external while ignoring the private world.
3. We must not let busyness upset us or cause us to neglect our inner life.
4. The importance of solitude and time alone with God.
5. Jesus used His time wisely.
6. The characteristics of a called person.
7. Specific steps and encouragement to discipline the mind.
8. The importance of prayer and intercession for others.

That's all on this book for now, but if you (like me) sometimes feel like your faith has become a series of actions (being a nice person, attending church service, saying short prayers at meals and before bed, doing occasional good things for other people, and reading the bible on occasion) this book offers a lot of insight into why despite participation in a lot of good and worthy activities, many of us are not where we would like to be in our relationship with God.

Monday, December 17, 2007

ICE STORM 2007

Today in Oklahoma it is a balmy 48 degrees. It seems that Ice storm 2007/snow storm (that never was) 2007 has finally left us. We lost power at our house Monday night, and it FINALLY came back on Saturday afternoon. In our excitement and running around our house for joy Saturday afternoon we broke a ceramic potted plant, and some Christmas decorations! (note to self: don't jump and run too hard when your house has a crawl space and not a solid foundation!!)

This is our house the first day. A few tree limbs down, but now there are a lot more.

This is the neighbor's house and their tree that fell all in our driveway

During this time we lost all of the food/condiments in our fridge/freezer, outside plants (and maybe some inside ones...I am trying to bring them back), Michael's car got a flat tire and today I noticed the gutter on our house is hanging down. (From all of the ice it was holding, I'm assuming).

In spite of these things, I am thankful that we had many friends and family around we could stay with rather than have to turn to shelter or freeze in our house (we could see our breath when we were inside!). I am thankful that our power went off when it did, and that we left that night because otherwise my car would have had a huge limb fall through the windshield (and that perhaps, might have been my breaking point! :) I am thankful for the time we got to spend with Michael's grandparents! I am thankful that even with all of this stress I turned my paper in to my committee for their final review!! I am going to one of the shelters tonight to do some crisis counseling. I am happy that I can give back to people. We are so blessed by the support system we have with our family, friends, and our faithful God!

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Because we all need a little laughter from time to time



Quotes and things I want to draw your attention to in this video:

"I wanna knoe wer da gou at. I want da gou" Translation: "I want to know where the gold is. I want the gold"

The "Irish" guy that is suited up in his protective leprechaun gear directing traffic says a few gems:

1. That the flute has been in his family for thousands of years.
2. He then follows that up by saying that it was his great grand father's flute. Thousands of years? Great grand father? The math just doesn't work.
3.
If you look closely, you'll notice that the leprechaun flute is actually a scaffolding connector piece. There is absolutely NO possible way that any musical sound can come from his flute.

And finally... "Could be a crackhead!"

P.S. Let us not forget the amateur sketch:


Sunday, December 02, 2007

Happy Christmastime!


This picture is at the Merry Christmas Pops (a Christmas tradition in our family of more than a decade). We enjoyed the Christmas symphony while Michael checked ESPN.com for updates on the OU game. :)
This year has really just flown by, and we are so thankful for so many blessings this year! Enjoy this wonderful time of year!

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Tomorrow's going to be a fun day

So I get to spend several hours tomorrow hosting an international celebrity on campus. I will be picking him up from the airport early in the afternoon and will be by his side for the rest of the day.

I'm not really nervous, but I've been thinking... "how do you make small talk with someone who worked side by side with the President of the United States of America?" Is there anything I can really say that he will find interesting? Everything I read about the guy says that he's very down to earth, and laid back so (like I said) I'm not really nervous, but I do want him to leave with a positive impression of Oklahoma, OC, and his time here.

The last person I did this kind of thing for ended up coming back to OC a few years later to work. While the chances of that happening with this guy are slim to none, it would be pretty cool to have someone who worked in the White House working at the same place I do.

I wonder if his people (or mine for that matter) would mind if I took a little detour between the airport and campus tomorrow to give him a little mini-tour of all the exciting things Oklahoma City has to offer. I probably won't be doing that, but if you read this and have any suggestions on "fun" little side-trips to take or any must-see OKC landmarks, let me know.

I'll be sure to post a re-cap of the day (possibly including pictures) tomorrow or Friday after it's all over. Have a great Thursday... I know I will.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Happy Bedlam Game Day!

UH OH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now that's better! :)
The Bedlam Santas
The ponies during their retirement ceremony
Drum majors last home game march for the season

My friend Michelle from OSU (we were both cheering for OU!)
Victory after the game!

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Good morning and Happy Thanksgiving! In thirty minutes the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade will begin. This is one of my favorites at Thanksgiving time. This Thanksgiving is turning out a little different. Yesterday morning Michael's Dad, Alan, passed out at work several times and went to the hospital. They're not sure what's going on with him, but they decided to keep him overnight because every time he stood up his blood pressure dropped 20-30 points. While there Michael passed out and threw up a few times so I brought him home, and then his mom got nauseated and sick. As of this morning I am officially hosting Thanksgiving at my house as it is close to the hospital! The Mitchell's are dropping like flies...whose going down next?!

Well I don't have much time, but some things I am Thankful for:
1. God who is so faithful to me
2. Michael
3. Family
3. great food (we will probably consume more food today in America than some small nations do in a month!)
5. a house to randomly host thanksgiving in
6. a reliable car
7. great friends
8. the gift of sleep
9. the opportunities I have had, and being able to go to school
10. and a hundred more that I don't have time to write because I gotta get ready to host thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

P.S. Anonymous comments will be deleted

Apparently one of my recent posts is getting the blog quite a bit of traffic from Google. A lot of those visitors have felt the need to leave comments which is no big deal. However, they are doing them anonymously, which I am not a fan of. If you comment, please don't do it anonymously. One of the great things about blogs is there potential for creating connections with and dialogue between people. It's pretty hard to connect or have a dialogue with someone if you don't know who they are.

Things I'm thankful for this year:

•A gracious and loving God who desperately wants a relationship with me and who is always faithful to me no matter what.

•A wife who's quiet inner strength, compassion, and love (for me and others) inspires me daily. I stole this phrase from someone else, but that doesn't make it any less genuine: I honestly feel like I won the lottery when I married my wife.

Parents. Throughout my life, they have always supported me, always loved me, and always provided what was best for me. The older I get, the more I appreciate these two people and the better friends I become with both of them.

Friends and family. Despite the fact that we all lead extremely busy lives and could all make more time to deepen our relationships with each other, I couldn't ask for better people to share a circle of friends and family with. I can count on one hand the times in my life when I've ever felt truly alone.

Education. Both AM and I have had great opportunities and access to all of the education that we've needed and wanted up to this point in our lives and no one can ever take that away from us. In less than a month, AM will complete a graduate degree that will enable her to pursue one of her lifelong goals to be a therapist. I'm also thankful to God that we have not lost our capacity or desire to learn despite our formal education.

Work. I work for Godly people who let me make a significant impact on the direction of an organization whose mission is to transform lives for Christian faith, leadership and service. I know a lot of people who hate what they do for a living and I'm truly blessed to be in a job that allows me to use my strengths and creativity to bless the lives of others (albeit indirectly at times) while also allowing me to provide for the physical needs of my family.

Food and shelter. A lot of people (even in my own city) lack these two basic needs. I'm not sure why God has made them available to me, but I can't make a list of things I'm thankful for without including them.

Safety. When was the last time a grenade went off in my living room? While the community that I live in is certainly not immune to crime, it could always be worse, and in many people's lives around the world... it is.

Reliable transportation. I always take this one for granted, that is... until it goes away.

Health. I realize that I'm young and sure I get the occasional congestion, cough, cold, headache, or backache, but all in all, my life up to this point has really been pretty un-problematic in the health department.

Change. Most people don't like change, and to a certain extent, I'm sure I don't always like it either. Often times change is difficult and scary and even when a specific change is good, there is always something familiar that is lost or left behind. However... nothing causes me to grow and appreciate all of the blessings in my life more than change. I look forward to the ways that God will use change to both stretch and bless my life in the coming days, weeks, months, and years.

This list could go on and on... the very fact that I have access to a computer and the time to sit down and write a blog post on things I'm thankful for is, in and of itself, A WHOLE LOT for which to be thankful. However, there are other things that I'd like to do this evening and so I will end what is already, even as I look back over it to correct any spelling or grammar errors, a very incomplete list.

Psalm 34: 17-19

17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

"OKC Police arrest alumni relations director"... and it wasn't me.

Someone at work sent me a link to this story that ran in the Edmond Sun today. All I can say is... this is what happens when you get sloppy.
John A. Williams
The Edmond Sun
EDMOND The University of Central Oklahoma’s Executive Director of Alumni Relations was arrested last week on a complaint of shoplifting.

Stacy McNeiland, 36, of Edmond was taken into custody Nov. 5 by the loss prevention officer at the J.C. Penny store at Penn Square Mall in Oklahoma City.

According to an Oklahoma City Police report, the loss prevention officer allegedly saw McNeiland enter the store with what appeared to be an empty brown bag.

The officer told police she observed McNeiland allegedly select five items from the women’s department and enter a fitting room. She said McNeiland allegedly come out of the fitting room and hung up only four items on the courtesy rack.

The officer said she checked the stall after McNeiland left and allegedly found the discarded tag from one of the blouses she had picked up. According to the police report, McNeiland left the area and went to the fashion jewelry department before exiting.

The loss prevention officer escorted McNeiland back into the store. The police report states the concealed blouse was in the paper bag McNeiland was carrying. She was arrested and taken to the Oklahoma County Jail, the report states.

McNeiland was named to her current position in 2004 after working in the Office of Prospective Student Services/Scholarships.

“She is a longtime dedicated, excellent employee, but is now on paid administrative leave through next Wednesday,” UCO News Bureau Director Charlie Johnson said. “This will allow her time to deal with these allegations and will also allow UCO time to evaluate the situation as the facts become available."

I wonder if it was the pressure of homecoming that got to her?

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Wonderful Weekend


Bridesmaids and Bride at the bridesmaid lunch

My cousins Autumn(who came in from California) and Heidi (who came from New Zealand)

Before the wedding

Heidi and little lady picker


Our family at the rehearsal dinner

Our family with Mr. and Mrs. Roberts

Well...Michael and I survived our very busy weekend! The wedding was beautiful and everything went well, as did OC's homecoming (which is a HUGE weight off Michael). Hooray for Sunday night! A night we have been looking forward to for a while. We are so excited that David is officially part of the family now...we have felt that he already was for quite some time. Marriage has been such a blessing to us and I am looking forward to watching David and Heather grow in their marriage. It was so fun to see so much of my family this weekend. I was excited to see the Pickers since they have been in New Zealand for the last year and a half. Heidi is 6 months pregnant and she is looking so beautiful. I got to feel the little lady Picker kick this morning in church! So fun!


Michael's big events are wrapped up until OC's baccalaureate and graduation in December. He will be escorting Tony Snow around at the end of the month and is looking forward to that opportunity. Everyone knows what I have going on the next couple months...so I won't even go there... The days are flying by which are turning into weeks. Soon we will be watching the Macy's Thanksgiving parade (my dream is to be there some day), having Mitchell tree decorating night, celebrating Christmas, and ringing in the New Year. 2007 has been a year of great blessings.


On another note, my grandad Hartman is not doing very well. He will be having surgery this Tuesday morning, so please keep him in your prayers.

Duet. 32:3 I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
I am so grateful to God for blessing our weekend in every way! Now I am off to bed for some MUCH needed sleep. Have a great week everyone!

Thursday, November 01, 2007

One week closer...

I am so relieved to have this week over. (Clinically speaking I am finished on Thursday night). This has been a really difficult week. Sometimes I really have to work to separate myself from listening to things that people experience that are so horrible I don't know how they function in the aftermath. I wish I could be guaranteed that I would never have to make another call to DHS, deal with lawyers, and that every one would be ready to make the life changes they need to. But realistically I know there will be more calls to DHS, hard days, and people who are just not ready to overcome things. Although there are hard times there are also very rewarding times. This week I have definitely appreciated even more serving such a faithful and compassionate God. I have taken refuge in one of my favorite verses this week "Be still and KNOW that I am God" Ps. 46:10. Again and and again God reveals to me in my weakness he is strong and in my darkest hour he is my light.

As of tonight I have made it to 402 out of my 500 hours!!!!!!! Every week I am getting closer to graduation...and more importantly, to my dream. My brother and sister were not always sure what they wanted to be, but I think around 3rd grade I started saying I wanted to be a counselor. Other than being a weird kid, (I mean I did want to be a walmart cashier too because I thought it was cool to punch numbers on the cash register, but now they have those fancy scanners so that isn't as appealing) I have always known generally what I wanted to do. It is looking like I will have a few weeks to finish up my hours after graduation, but I am planning on walking and finishing before the next semester begins so I don't have to re-enroll. I made a plan this week of what I need to do each week to have my thesis finished before Christmas. I have decided this would be the best Christmas/birthday present I could give myself. Next week when I go to Stillwater I will buy my cap and gown...I am so excited I might sleep in it! :) It is hard to believe I am so close to my dream and so close to officially being a marriage and family therapist.

Homecoming Videos

My office sponsored a contest at OC and asked students to produce videos to be shown at Homecoming Chapel to our alumni about the University. Below are the top three... which one do you think should win?

Video #1


Video #2


Video #3

Friday, October 26, 2007

A little therapy joke for ya...

My dad has always sent me cards. He always tries to find ones that he thinks fits us all individually. He recently sent me a Halloween card to Edmond Family Counseling where I am doing my internship. It is pretty cute.


The inside says: Candy always makes me feel better... :)

Thanks for brightening my day Dad!

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Fall is in the Air!!

We were practically blown into our house tonight and Rick Mitchell keeps jumping in on the TV about about the changes in the weather coming this week! I am excited about the upcoming months with holidays, family time, cooking and baking, coats and sweaters, and everything else. I found a new chai tea that I love! It is better than any store bought one I have tried, and I think it is just as good as a coffee shop (and a lot more economical). Another thing I like about this time of year is crock pot cooking. I love to come home to yummy smells and having dinner practically finished. So thought I would share one of our favorites:

Beef in Red Wine Gravy
1 1/2 lb beef stew meat 3Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Medium onions cut up 1 pkg onion soup mix
1 1/2 cups of red cooking wine salt and pepper to taste
(I add chopped mushrooms also)
Place beef and onions in a crock pot. Add soup mix, sprinkle with cornstarch, salt and pepper, and then pour red wine all over.
Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10-12 hours. (or cover and cook on high heat setting for 5 to 6 hours) Serve over hot cooked noodles. Serves 6.

The onions can be chopped big if you don't like them and want to pick them out, but they add good taste. I serve this over egg noodles. Michael loves this dish, and there is always left overs for more than one meal!

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

A Reflection

I am home after my late clinic night in Stillwater, and thinking about a book we read in the beginning of the program, Letters to a Young Therapist. I think it is one of the best non scholarly type books we read- an easy read, with sound, realistic and hopeful advice. I am thinking about the close of one chapter that reads: In all of us, the potential to be good is there, if only someone will take the time to help us discover it and make it bloom.
I love what I am doing and learning...

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

September Pics


Miguelito at the fair... check out that finger stash.


Taking a load off our tired feet after hours walking around at the fair.


Swifty... the swimming pig!!!


After our race down the slide... our annual tradition.


Girls night extravaganza with the MFT girls!!!

Joey's Cafe
















Michael and I enjoy going out for breakfast together. We don't get to do this very often, so perhaps that is part of what we enjoy about it. A couple of weekends ago, before Michael had to catch a flight out of town on a Saturday, we went to Joey's cafe. The breakfast menu was somewhat limited (mostly omelets and pancakes) but I personally think limited can be good when trying to make a decision at a new place. They are open 7-3, so some day we will have to go back for lunch.
Food: The omelets come with fruit or potatoes, pancakes or biscuits. If you like breakfast foods you would enjoy the food.
Atmosphere: The restaurant is small with a warm atmosphere, and quiet (or maybe it is just quiet at 7 AM because everyone else is SLEEPING!!!) It was a great place to catch up in the midst of our busy lives.
Price: The omelets were 6.99 each (same as you would pay at IHOP) and with all the sides we wished we had shared. Great price for portion size!

You should try it out!

Sunday, September 23, 2007

10 reasons why DW likes fall

Ok I am writing this without looking at DH's reasons, so lets see how many compare. These are not really in a particular order.

10. The Oklahoma State Fair. People always ask me what I ate at the fair. Most of the time a better question is what did I NOT eat at the fair. :) I know we will have "arrived" when we can buy the fair season pass and go as many times as we want without thinking about the entry fee. (Ok so maybe that is a slight exaggeration) Also- No I don't ride the rides at the fair, I go to eat, see the chicks, watch the pig races, go up on the sky tower, and eat some more. My sister and I do ride the big slide every year, but that is not really what I consider a ride because it isn't folded up, loaded into a truck and hauled all over the country.

9. The night that we "FALL" back. Who doesn't really appreciate an extra hour of sleep!


8. The leaves changing color. Most of the time I don't really like change, but the changing of leaves is something I always enjoy. The colors are beautiful, and remind me of God's hand in our lives and over creation.


7. Lower electric bills.


6. The beginning of many holidays. I love decorating, carving pumpkins,
making glitter pumpkins, baking, the smell of fall and holidays...

5. Halloween is always fun. This past one was our first year to have a house, we didn't have that many trick-or-treaters, but we are still excited about handing out candy at our house!! (have you ever had candy corn mixed with peanuts? YUM!)


4. Speaking of Halloween, I LOVE baby/kids Halloween costumes!
Check this one out! When I have kids I will probably need a separate closet for all of their costumes! (again another exaggeration, but I get really excited, and I don't know how I will choose just one!!)

3. My favorite TV shows are back on. (Except this fall. None of the shows I watch start until next year. You would think that would be great so I can spend that time working on school stuff! HA!)


2. Cool mornings and warmer afternoons.


1. The fact that hopefully this fall will be my LAST back to school fall!! :)


What are your favorite things about fall??

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Going the Distance

I am thinking about running today. I would like to say I am a runner, but these days it is more like I USED to be a distance runner. :) (I hope to change that, but that's another post.) I know and love the process of training hard, running the course and attempting to finish strong- even when you are ready to quit and every muscle in your body is telling you to do that. At that point it really becomes a mind over matter issue to push yourself to the finish when you want to stop.

(Insert my life currently). So much of my life feels consumed with finishing this graduate degree, my time, my energy, my emotional state... A lot of the time I think about just wanting to be done. The past few weeks I have felt really immobilized by having to finishing my thesis and internship hours. Always thinking about wanting to be done does not strengthen me to run keep racing strong. When I look at the whole picture I can see how much is behind me, and that the hurdles in front are possible to overcome. This week I am really going to try to focus on Paul's words: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" 2 Timothy 4:7.

When I think back on my cross country days several things come to mind. But- one special memory in particular sticks out. My dad was so faithful to support me. He came to every meet. He was usually at the start, and then would cut across so he could cheer me on as I neared the finish. I could count on him being there, and I could count on him hollering out encouraging words to me. I also knew that no matter what the outcome was of my performance in the race he was always proud of me for finishing- as it was finishing that mattered most. I get a little choked up and teary when I think about this, it means so much to me.

As I am nearing the finish of this part of my life I know there are many people cheering me on as I am struggling to get to the finish line. I know how good it feels to finally finish something. I feel stuck in the mind over matter part-even though I just want to be finished, I want to finish strong. Although sometimes I feel like I just want to quit running and have the struggle be over- I know at the end of this life race my dad will be there, proud as always, DH, and others. I am so thankful for that unwavering love and dedication.
(Just think, less than 4.5 months and no more posts about school!!)

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Busy busy busy...

I've always heard that the older you get, the busier you become, but it's never really meant anything to me before... until recently, that is.

I was looking at my Outlook Calendar (which I live by) this evening at the next few weeks worth of activities and I couldn't help but notice an obvious absence of blank space on it. While the temptation is certainly present for me to look at my full calendar and be negative about the lack of free time I have in the coming weeks, I think I'm going to resist.

Just because my calendar keeps getting more things on it, doesn't mean I have to become one of those people who is always complaining about how busy they are and about how they never have time to do anything. The honest truth is that my calendar is full right now because I allow it to be full. If I want more free time, all I have to do is say, "No" to something. If I want even more free time, I all I have to do is say "No" to something else... and on and on it goes.

But I don't say no, because when it comes right down to it, I enjoy 90% of what I spend my time doing. Sure there are things that I occasionally HAVE to do - not because I want to but simply because they have to be done. Those types of things are few and far between though and consist mostly of activities like: driving to work, mowing the grass, doing chores, going to the occasional meeting at work that wastes my time, driving home from work, and few others.

However, most of the things that consume my time are either enjoyable to me in some way or another or they make a positive difference in my life or the lives of others. The majority of time is spent on the following activities: working, sleeping, hanging out with DW, hanging out with friends/family, watching OU football, worshiping, writing, reading, volunteering, advising two student organizations, teaching a class, and watching an occasional movie.

While I'm just like everyone else in that I'd love to have a few extra hours at the end of each day, the truth is that if I had more hours, I'd probably just spend them doing more of one or two of the things above. Sure... there are certainly things I'd like to add to the list (exercising more frequently and traveling are two that immediately come to mind), but the truth is that my life is filled up with things that are all (for the most part) personally satisfying to me in one way or another.

Instead of complaining about how busy I am, my goal for the rest of September is to be thankful for the freedom I have to decide how I spend my time and for all of the many opportunities I have to spend that time doing things I enjoy. Instead of complaining about how busy I am, I will make a concerted effort to spend (waste) less time doing and concerning myself with things that have little to no long-term value while spending more of my time on those things that bring significance to my own life and/or to the life of others.

P.S. I'm not sure how blogging fits into all of this.

Monday, September 10, 2007

10 reasons why DH likes fall...

10. Warm afternoons, cool crisp evenings.

9. High school football games on a Friday night. The lights, the sound of the band, the smell of popcorn, the sound of whistles blowing and pads crashing... there's just something special about Friday nights in fall.

8. The smell of burning leaves and campfires in the air. Even in the middle of the city, there's something invigorating about the fresh crisp smell of a fall afternoon.

7. I like to wear long sleeve t-shirts with shorts. Summer's too hot, winter's too cold, and I'm ready for short sleeves by the time spring gets here.

6. Dew. I love the way dew forms on my car in the evenings during the fall.

5. Handing out candy to Trick-or-Treaters on Halloween. Little kids in Halloween costumes make me laugh.

4. My favorite TV shows. Lost, 24, The Amazing Race, The Office, and My Name is Earl all have new episodes in the fall.

3. My birthday. When you're born in September, no fall comes without presents and cake and I like presents and cake.

2. The Great State Fair of Oklahoma! Where else can a guy be entertained by so many culturally diverse mullet-sporting "people" while simultaneously blowing a weeks worth pay eating fried food on a stick?

1. OU football season. This one would be cheapened with any more explanation.

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Welcome back DH

DW says that this is now her blog because I never post anymore and because I disagree (seeing as how I was the one who started it) I feel the need to post so as to have some credibility when I tell her that it is just as much mine as it is hers.

I don't really have much to say, but I saw or heard a funny saying recently and I thought I would share:

A crocodile can run faster than you on land and it can swim faster than you in the water. So... if you're ever racing against one in a triathlon, you better have a pretty good bike time if you want to have a shot at winning.

I have an early morning appointment tomorrow before work at Starbucks so I should probably go to bed now.

Good night world. It's good to be blogging again.

Michael's Birthday Week Extravaganza!

The birthday week fun began with tailgating for the first OU game of the season.

On Sunday we went out for lunch at Cheesebuger in Paradise. (Our first time...we both liked our bugers a lot, but the experience as a whole was not enough to win a whole post). We celebrated with some desert nachos.


Then on Michael's actual birthday (after he recovered from a severe migraine that morning) we went to dinner with his family at Charleston's, and then to his grandparent's house for cake and ice-cream.



The day after his birthday Michael went out for lunch with his coworkers and they made him a yummy cake.

As all good things must come to an end (finally), tonight we had dinner and cake with my family.


Happy Birthday Michael! I love you!

Monday, September 03, 2007

Recent Pics

the girls in my cohort at our "team building" day- we are finally third years!!














First OU game of the season














My Favorite part!














Girls Night dinner at the cheese cake factory














Hanging out on the new fun island






























Having a blast on Big Mable





























Sunset at Lake Tenkiller

Food Glorious Food

I thought this would be a good place to write about interesting resturants we go to or great food we try. I LOVE food. :) I like to hear about new places, and it is fun to pass them along. A couple Saturdays ago I went to Ingrid's Kitchen with my mom and sister. This is a German resturant in OKC. They have traditional German food, like schnitzel, red cabbage, and bratwurst, and great sandwiches (try the turkey rueben!). There's bakery cases filled with all sorts of homemade baked goods - I recommend the chocolate chewies, but I didn't try everything! They also have live music on Saturdays from 12-2. The day I was there the band played Sinatra classics, and some couples were dancing - couples who probably danced to those songs when they were new! It was great food, a fun atmosphere, and a different experience than usual. If you live in the area you should try it out. It's a little noisy, but it's great for couples (old or young) and families. I will have to take Michael there...he will LOVE the music and food. Post a comment if you have a place to recommend.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

1,2,3,4,5.....

We have both been counting a lot lately.
Michael is counting down for this:













as for me, I am counting down my client contact hours. (At the end of this month I am up to 266, only 234 left- I'm finally half way!). I am still hoping to walk in December, and hopefully finish my hours a few weeks after that. I met with the supervisor of my thesis yesterday. He said "try to do something every day that takes you a step closer to graduation. So, if you are waiting on clients that don't show up have something for your thesis to work on so it is not just wasted time."
Although the concept is simple and not earth shattering, it was motivating to me. Perhaps the simplicity of just trying to take one step a day seems more managable than a looming goal I feel I can never get to.
We have been busy on the weekends lately with weddings, birthdays, and doing some work in our yard. Michael is already busy preparing for OC's homecoming in November. They cut the funding for a lot of the graduate jobs at school this year. But I just got hired for a few hours a week working for the graduate office starting this Friday. So that will be good.
That is about all that is going on here for now. We are excited about fall, cooler weather, and Michael probably won't be able to sleep the next few nights with OU's season starting on Saturday. (It is pretty much like a child on Christmas Eve). As this blog is titled "our life in pictures" I will post some pictures soon of our trip to Chicago, and some of the other things we have been doing recently. We are doing well, and hope you are too! :)

Sunday, August 26, 2007

The Past Five Years

We recently (almost a month ago) celebrated our 5 year anniversary.This seemed like such a milestone to us and a time of reflection of everything that has gone on in what seems like such a short/long time. In the past five years we have:

-moved 4 times
-had 7 jobs
-attained 3.75 college degrees (hopefully that will be a solid 4 in the coming months!!)
-seen God's hand working in our lives, and at times not seen God's hand and had to work to trust he was there
-bought a house
-bought a car (after dw's broke down twice on the way to Stillwater, the final time up in smoke)

-gained weight and lost weight
-traveled to Nassau, Paradise Island, South Padre Island, Gettysburg, Washington D.C., around Europe, over to Australia, down to Mexico, to three OU football national championship games (Miami, New Orleans, and back to Miami), Chicago, Memphis, along with countless trips to the lake for camping, waterskiing, boating, camp fires, and smores.
-lost loved ones
-become even better friends

-taken a lot of pictures
-been through times of plenty and times of little (why did we ever give up free housing??!)
-learned how to change ceiling fans and garbage disposals
We celebrated our anniversary in Chicago. We had the best time. (Aside from a crippling bout with food poisoning). It is always nice when we are reminded we can have fun doing anything together- at home, walking around a huge city, or laying around in a hotel room because one of us is too sick to do anything. We are excited as we wonder about what the next five years will hold...

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Busy Busy

Well...that is what it seems like we are these days-busy! We are loving summer. Michael is enjoying his job and has been traveling a bit more lately visiting alums and doing interviews. He was in Bentonville and Hot Springs earlier this week. He will end this week in Fort Worth and then meet me and his family at Lake Murray for the weekend. Then to LA next week... What a jet setter! :)
He has a conference in Chicago the first weekend in August (which is also our 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!). We had a free flight voucher, so I will get to join him for a few days for this one. We are very excited! Sometimes it seems like we hardly see each other throughout the week when I am working late every night, and especially when he is out of town. This too shall pass right...??
I have just been plugging away at school. I am at my internship about 25-30 hours a week now and only commuting to Stillwater 2 days a week now for our clinic up there. I now have 210 of my client contact hours...but the way things have been going lately have not put me on track to finish in the December. Which is really disappointing. Everyone has said that the summer time is a lot slower with people going on vacation and more busy, so hopefully it will pick up. I just keep trying to remember what things are in my control and what is not-I can only do my part.
My parents are still in Australia until next week, and Heather takes the bar next week. So there are some of things to pray for in my family.


Some pics from the 4th of July Celebration in Yukon
Michael taught me how to mow the grass. (This is hard work with a non-propelled mower and 100 degrees!) :)

Some Sunday nights we watch the sun set at Lake Hefner.

Out to dinner with Mom and Dad before they went to Australia

We went to lake Fort Gibson for the weekend with some friends. It was flooded from all of the rain. This is one of the bathhouses underwater.

Michael preparing food on the window sill of our tiny cabin

Heather and me outside our cabin