Visit with my hero

An annual summer trip to visit Grandma Leota was postponed til November this year. Our visits are filled with shared stories and a review of family history that never ceases to interest me. I'm so very fortunate to have our very own historian through the eyes of a very observant 95 year old. Grandma has seen much in all her years but doesn't seem to have adapted any "crabbiness" and narrow focused opinions that often are a part of many seniors thought processes. Gma has had to adapt to many changes in her life and is quick to say, "if you can't adapt to change, you're going to have a difficult life".

Leota is a great friend, a wonderful listener who shows genuine interest in what people have to say, and she has a rare curiosity about life.....


I always learn so much from just being with her. Life's lessons that I could never have access to without her. She's my hero and all that I could hope to be....

SPECIAL DAY

IT'S ALMOST BIRTHDAY TIME FOR A SPECIAL MAN IN MY LIFE.....HIS BIRTHDAY WILL FOREVER BE A SPECIAL TIME IN MY LIFE....
HE LOVES HIS FAMILY, HIS HOME, AND FRIENDS. LIFE IS COMPLETE FOR HIM IF HE'S GOT THOSE HE LOVES NEAR. HE'S THOUGHTFUL, AND SO HARD WORKING. HE HAS LEARNED TO BE STRONG WHEN HE HAS TO AND SENSITIVE AND LOVING WHEN HE CAN BE. HE'S MY FAVORITE, SON, THE ONE WHO FIRST MADE ME A MOM. HE'S MY SPECIAL GUY CHAD. AND IF WISHES HAD WINGS, WE'D BE THERE WITH YOU ON YOUR SPECIAL DAY TO CELEBRATE WITH YOU, BUT FOR NOW, OUR LOVE AND BIG HUGS ARE SENT YOUR WAY ! MAY ALL YOUR WISHES COME TRUE TODAY AND EVERYDAY !!!!

HALLOWEEN TOO

JUST FOUND MORE PICTURES OF HALLOWEEN IN TULSA. THESE TWO LITTLE ONES ARE ADORABLE AND SEEM TO BE ADJUSTING TO THEIR NEW HOME SO WELL. THEY WERE SO CUTE AT HALLOWEEN AND JUST WANTED TO INCLUDE THESE PICTURES...MAKES ME REMEMBER SO FONDLY MANY HALLOWEENS AGO.

OKLAHOMA FUN

HALLOWEEN IS SUCH A FUN HOLIDAY - STRESS FREE AND FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY ! I'M NOT SURE WHO HAS MORE FUN - THE KIDS OR THE ADULTS ! CHAD AND SELENA HOSTED THEIR TRADITIONAL PRE TRICK OR TREATING PIZZA PARTY WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY. A GREAT TIME WAS HAD BY ALL. SO FUN TO SEE ALL THE CUTE COSTUMES, HEAR THE KIDS LAUGHING AND HAVING FUN, AND OF COURSE, GREAT TO BE WITH CHAD AND SELENA. HALLOWEEN IS A FUN TIME AND IT'S A FAVORITE OF MINE.

PERSEVERANCE

IT TAKES HARD WORK , FOCUS , DETERMINATION, AND WHEN MARRIED- TEAMWORK, TO MAKE A DREAM COME TRUE. CHAD AND SELENA HAVE TAUGHT ME MUCH BY THEIR EXAMPLE. CHAD, WANTING TO BE A POLICEMAN FOR YEARS EVEN THOUGH WE, HIS PARENTS, ENCOURAGED HIM TO TRY OTHER CAREERS FIRST. HE RESPECTFULLY GAVE FIREFIGHTERS SCHOOL A TRY...HE GOT A 4 YRS. DEGREE, (LOTS OF HARD WORK THERE), AND THEN ONCE AGAIN, AFTER WORKING SECURITY JOBS, DECIDED THAT POLICE WORK IS REALLY WHAT HE WAS INTERESTED IN. HIS SEARCH STARTED CLOSE TO HOME, BUT THAT DIDN'T WORK OUT....HE WORKED AT A CAR WASH, MOVED IN WITH PARENTS AND CONTINUED HIS QUEST. DETERMINATION, PERSEVERANCE...AND FINALLY LANDED HIS DREAM JOB. ANY ONE OF THE MANY STEPS ALONG THE WAY, MAY HAVE DETERRED SOME PEOPLE...BUT NOT CHAD.SELENA PERSEVERANCE TOO (2)!!! NOT ONLY DID SHE HAVE TO MOVE IN WITH IN LAWS WHILE CHAD PERSUED HIS DREAM JOB...SHE WORKED HARD, AND WAITED FOR HER TIME TO PURSUE SCHOOL TO BE A DENTAL HYGENIST. SHE WEATHERED HER YEAR LIVING WITH INLAWS WITH STYLE AND GRACE AND ENDEARED HERSELF TO US BEYOND WORDS. APPLYING FOR SCHOOL, AT LAST IT WAS HER TIME....THINGS DIDN'T WORK OUT AS PLANNED,, ROADBLOCKS AND THEN HAVING TO DECIDE TO RE-APPLY OR PURSUE ANOTHER CAREER PATH....HOW BADLY DO YOU WANT IT? DETERMINATION, FOCUS AND TODAY SHE'S IN HER FINAL YEAR OF THE HYGENIST PROGRAM, AND EVEN HAS A JOB OFFER WAITING FOR HER. I'M SO PROUD OF BOTH OF THEM FOR THEIR PERSEVERANCE. THEY'RE LIVING THEIR OWN REWARD, BUT THEY HAVE MY UTMOST RESPECT AND ADMIRATION!

A YEAR AGO (ALREADY), A TRIP TO ITALY , A TRIP OF A LIFETIME! 31 YEARS AGO, WE TOASTED OUR NEW LIFE TOGETHER AS HUSBAND AND WIFE, IN THIS PICTURE WE ARE CELEBRATING THE LIFE THAT WE'VE SHARED, THE INCREDIBLE CHILDREN THAT WE'VE RAISED AND THE NEW "CHILDREN" THAT THEY HAVE BROUGHT TO OUR FAMILY BY MARRIAGE. WE KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE MARRIED THEN WE DID 31 YEARS AGO. WE KNOW THAT THE COMPROMISES, THE HURTS THAT CAN COME WITH MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND THE INCREDIBLE REWARDS THAT COME WITH THE PATIENCE OF STANDING BY THE COMMITMENT THAT WE EACH MADE 31 YEARS AGO. I CAN'T IMAGINE MY LIFE WITHOUT MY BEST "REASON" RICK! HE WON MY HEART YEARS AGO WITH HIS SLOW SMILE, AND BASEBALL HAT ON HIS HEAD. TODAY, HE HAS MY HEART AND MY RESPECT FOR HANGING IN THERE WITH ME! IT HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN EASY BUT IT'S ALWAYS BEEN MORE THEN I COULD HAVE DREAMED OF. THANK YOU FOR BEING MY BEST REASON FOR EVERYTHING! OH, AND OF COURSE, THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL TRIP TO ITALY AND ALL THE ADVENTURES WE HAVE YET TO TAKE TOGETHER !!!

It's quiet, it's rainy.  Just a cozy Sunday in our "new" home/ "new" life....we're learning that it doesn't take BIG things, or places to make us happy.....it's the BIG and loving hearts of family and friends that make us happy !!!  Thoughtful things done by friends, like opening their homes to us so that we can visit.  It's the helping hands and listening ears to help us get through change.  The sandwiches offered and made when we didn't even know that we were hungry.  And it's the caring and sharing phone calls from our "kids" to make us all stay close!  Life is good and we're so very grateful !!!!!