Thanksgiving 2007

Thanksgiving with the Ogdens

This Thanksgiving season was spent with the Ogden bunch down in Quinton, Oklahoma. We had a wonderful weekend spending time with family and did a good deal of laughing which is pretty typical when we get around Jason's cousins.

Dakota & Rynda

Elle & Rynda

The Doctor Girls (Kara, Shara, Candice & Elle)

Doc fishin' at the pond. Brrrr.....

Papa Herman & Dakota - Aren't they handsome?

Dakota and cousin Paul. Paul is one of Dakota's favorite cousins because he picks on Dakota and wrestles around with him with tireless energy. They're pretty good buddies and there is irony in watching these two play considering the playful friendship that Paul and Jason had as children.

The outdoor picnic which is involuntary and brought on by the fact that it's quite difficult to cram upwards of 40 people in small country house. Thank goodness for the small children who don't take up too much space.

I like this picture. Cell phone technology has been adopted by all generations and in all geographic territories. It reminds me of a few Christmas' ago when we bought Granny Ogden a present and wrapped it in an old cell phone box. When she opened the package, she assumed that the box was representative of it's contents. She cast the box aside and told me thank you for the cell phone "It will come in real handy just as soon as Quinton gets those cell towers needed to work one of these things". I had to insist that she proceed with opening the gift, that it was in fact NOT a cell phone. They've since got towers...

Blake, Preston & Monica

(featured on a floral/velvet couch circa 1970)


Dakota's first school presentation in celebration of Thanksgiving. They spent the month learning about Indian and pilgrims. He was shocked and amazed to learn that he was an Indian too!

Dakota's 6 Year Update

Dear Friends and Family,

Oh, how time flies. I’ve had a fabulous year so far. I can’t believe I’m six years old. I don’t have any major stats to report (e.g. weight, height, etc.) because I didn’t have to do one of those well baby check ups like you do when you five years old or less. Suffice it to say that I’m still a feather weight at around 40 lbs. and I'm healthy and happy as can be.

So back to my fabulous year…I started Kindergarten which is amazing. I’m in Miss Smith’s class and I’m told she’s the best Kindergarten teacher in all of Westwood Elementary. Our school mascot is the Wranglers by the way.

I’ve learned to read and I’m broadening my vocabulary every day. I have some new friends but I’ve done a good job of keeping the old…Garrett and I still get together every month or so and Wyatt and I are buddies. Emma even came to my 6 year old birthday party!

I miss some of my friends from Allison’s but I’m meeting lots of new friends as well. Some of my friends are from my soccer team. I played Fall ball with Broken Arrow Soccer Club and I scored some goals this year as well!

This year was tons of fun. On Easter, I saw a real bunny in our back yard.

We joined a church this year, Northside Christian Church and I really enjoy my time there learning about Jesus. The summer months were full of tons of activities and water play and this fall has been packed full of trips to the pumpkin patch, trick-or-treating and more. Did I mention that I was a Ninja for Halloween?

The summer was especially great because I went with my family to Kara’s regional soccer tournament in Tampa, Florida. I got to play in the ocean got tons of sun. My favorite part was jumpin the waves (Oh, and Kara's friend Lauren who I have a minor crush on)! - Check out the wings on me...soon those will be super strong deltoids.

Oh, I almost forgot (how could I?). I went to my first ever OU games this year. Check it out!

Overall, life is good. I’m still a good boy and my teacher says she wishes all her kids were like me! Mom and Dad are proud and Elle is still my champion.

Love,
Dakota

And here's a special note from his sister:

Oh Pirates

Fall soccer season is officially over. And I hate to admit it but I'm very pleased. The Pirates ended the season with one win. Sad, but true. Jason is pleased too...he spent most games royally flustered. As for myself, I enjoy the social aspect of it all. You see all types...the mean and loud mom who bites her fingernails every two seconds, the suburbia mom who applies make up for the 9:00 a.m. games and chases after other siblings in between video camcorder responsibilities, the quiet silent mom who's in the background so much that you wonder if she's in fact the other player's mom, and then there is the most colorful mom who is a native German married to a man who appears to be a sweet country boy (an OSU fan I might add). Oh, and then there's me.

The German and the suburban wife are my favorites. Friendly, non pretentious, talkative, willing to discipline, etc. Sometimes I think it's the other parents that make it worth the time running your arse all over God's creation to get your kids picked up from school, to practice, and home for dinner (or Sonic/McDonalds) before bedtime. Sure, the kids have fun. But they're not winning and they don't care about losing (except suburban mom's child) and they have no concept of all the Friday night and Saturday afternoon sacrifices the parents have made to get them there. Yeah, I'm selfish I guess. But who isn't really? Even those who claim that they'd not rather be anywhere but on the soccer field are lying. Other options include: napping, shopping, reading, exercising, car washing, spring cleaning...you get the idea. Life is so full already and then we add kid's hobbies into the mix. Oh Pirates. I guess I'll get in shape and do what I want when I'm 50. But god I love my little ones.

Speaking of which...I laid them in bed tonight and they were absolute giggle boxes. It was time for prayers and I told them to be silent. Dakota repeated me. Elle thought he said "Simon" so she starts playing

Elle: Simon says "Touch Your Nose" (laugh hard)

Dakota: I said "Silence!" (laugh harder)

Mom: Quiet...it's time for prayers.

Elle: Simon says "Touch Your Eyes" (deep belly laughs from the bottom of her feet)

Dakota: Joins in the belly laughs

Mom: Can't help but belly laugh

Mom: Finally...a night-time prayer for Daddy's safe return home from work, for our family and friends, the gift of shelter and food to eat. And they insist on praying for our late dog Emmit who is racing on the clouds with Jesus. Gosh, they're precious.

Where I've been

After my last post, it got me to wondering exactly how many of the United States I've traveled too. Naturally, many of these destinations are ones that I traveled to during my business trips which isn't nearly as exciting as those I've shared with family and friends. But regardless, here is how it shakes out...58% of the total.




create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

Kid's At Play

My friend T.G. brought her kids over for a play date tonight. The grown ups were watching OU football on TV while the little ones entertained themselves upstairs. After a short while of loud and then quite and then loud again playtime, T.G. went upstairs to see what the rascals were up to. And here you have it. My daughter has disrobed (surprise) and her friend W is wrestling with her on the top bunk. I guess that the good news lies in knowing who your future in-laws might be.

Idaho

So, I was traveling for business and ended up in the northeastern part of Washington. Fall is a beautiful time of year to be traveling is this part of the country and the only sad part about it all is that I wasn't experiencing it with my husband. That said, I had to write just to note that this place is one of beauty and awe. The rolling hills, wheat covered grounds and green grasses were certainly pleasing to the eye. We even ventured into northern Idaho because we wanted to say we'd be there. Oddly enough, we stopped at the Northern Idaho Visitor's Center and picked up a few brochures that could serve as proof of our journeys.



In a phone call to my friend T.G. on the way through Idaho, she asked the question "Who in the hell goes to Idaho besides you?"... then she humbly admitted that her parents made a trek thru Idaho on an RV excursion. So...naturally I picked up an RV tour guide in the visitor's center because I though Betty and Tony would appreciate it. And you never know, Idaho may be the next Doctor family vacation destination. There is that one resort that we saw, Coeur de' Alene. Definitely worth a look see.






My point is, you'd be pleasantly surprised by Idaho. I'm sure they have wonderful potatoes (although I never saw any) but the truth is that their scenery is quite becoming. And if you make it to Moscow, Idaho, be sure to stop by Sangria Grill for a bite to eat. The menu is superb!



Ta ta for now.

Doc's Birthday Present

Jeff Kriet & Doc

For Doc's birthday, my mother and father gifted him with a guided fishing trip hosted by one of B.A.S.S. Master's greatest...Jeff Kriet. Jeff is an Oklahoma boy from Ardmore with a gift of finding prize winning bass on lakes all across the world. I had the pleasure of attending an all expense paid dinner (thanks to Jeff's manager) at one of Grand Lake's yacht clubs. After meeting the man, it's was evident that fishing is his passion and consequently, Jason would be privy to some of the best tricks and tips that money can buy.




At the age of five, Jeff knew he wanted to make his living as a fisherman. He pursued an economics degree from the University of Oklahoma (go Sooners!) and worked in the professional world long enough to save enough money that he could go on the pro circuit. Even after all these years and after many wins that amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money, Jeff is still a humble Oklahoma boy who is so giving of his time and talent that he donated this experience in the spirit of United Way fundraising. He is a husband and a father and admits that the most difficult part of his job is being away from his family (and the long hours on the road pulling a boat are equally challenging).




Doc's experience was one that comes along once in a lifetime. Jason was able to invite a friend, J.P., on the trip with him and when the day was done, the three of them (Jeff, Doc, J.P.) had hooked over 100 fish!



Many thanks to Jeff to donating his time to the worthy mission of the United Way and to my parents who knew that Jason would be ever grateful for such a positive experience. The only down side I can see is that Jason has reignited his passion and is in desperate need of a bass boat...whatever.





Jeff & J.P.





Pictured left to right - Doc, Fisherman 1, Jeff, Fisherman 2, J.P.

Halloween 2007

What a fun holiday! Jason and I went to a costume party at the Boone's residence along with our friend Sean. We were decorated up in our traditional 70's attire but I must say that I was impressed by some of the other costumes. You can check some of them out here (these people must have spent a small fortune!).

And the kids had a ball. I took them to my work for some festivities and then we trick-or-treated in the neighborhood. Elle was dressed as Ariel the mermaid and Dakota was a ninja. He requested the purchase of a ninja sword which stayed in the wagon most of the time because it was too burdensome to carry. I'm so glad to have pleased him with that purchase. :-)

Anyhow, Jason also had much fun (lol) carving this year's pumpkins. Dakota's was a bat hanging upside down in a cave and Elle's was a silly face (what else?).

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween! Chat soon.

Happy Halloween

Make your own slide shows and scrapbooks

Photos From the Past Few Weeks

Erika accompanied me on my business trip to Reno, NV. I wondered if she would have a good time considering all the work I had to do while I was there. She went with me to my customer's hospitality party at the National Automobile Museum and we enjoyed a couple of nice dinners together. Despite the work, we had a good time. Although, I can't say that I recommend Reno as a destination city...what a s**t hole!

Mom, Mandi and cousin Cheryl at the Missouri vs. OU game (our won by 10 points!). A little too close for comfort but a good time was had by all.

Elle at the pumpkin patch. A freakin' $4 pony ride and this is the photo I get! WHAT?




But I guess I'll take it if I get this photo too...best friends (mostly).

Missouri vs. TU again...I love this one because we're very "real" here. No made up prom queens...just two cousins having a good time together.




Me and Papa...of course I had to include this one. Note: Modelo Especial is real good stuff.

And as you can see, Kara went with us and she had a ball. I enjoyed having her and I think she enjoyed listening to Jason and me bicker (what else after 10 years of marriage?).




And last but not least, a photo from the Dakota/Garrett annual trip to the fair. Please note: Elle is an addition this year. She really thinks she can hang with the boys. It won't be long before they absolutely positively won't have anything to do with her.

Love to all!

Nothing Special

It's been so long since I did an update that I figured I'd add a little something, even if it's nothing special. I'm traveling so much that I don't have access to my camera and all my recent photos but I'll add some later, I promise.

Speaking of travel, have I mentioned that I have the best husband EVER? My work has been very demanding over the past few weeks and while I knew it would be hard, I didn't realize I'd be so melancholy when I stepped on another airplane. Being on the road is tough. There's no glamour. The only benefits are good meals and a good night's sleep (because there are no children climbing into bed and no dogs pawing at my arm needing to go out for a pee). Then again, isn't that what being a mom is all about? I mean, won't there come a time when I'll wish I could hear the pitter patter of small feet walking into my room to snuggle with me? And someday I'll be sad when dog breath isn't greeting me as I crawl out of bed. But the thing is, I know that everyone is taken care of because Jason is a wonderful father. AND, we have wonderful grandparents and aunts that are always willing to pitch in when needed. I'm so blessed.

Meanwhile, I've been trying to fill the gaps with super mom stuff. We've had a great time with the kids lately packing our days with activities and fun. I went with Dakota's school on their field trip last week and Elle and I had a special mother/daughter breakfast at Daylight Donuts the other morning. We made a family appearance at the Missouri vs. OU game last Saturday and I woke the kids on Sunday morning for a quick swim in the hotel pool. They felt like they were on vacation. One stop at the OKC IHOP and then we were off for Tulsa.

Everyone cross your fingers that I can get it together enough to round up some decent Halloween costumes and that Jason maintains his sanity. Did I mention that we want to throw some home improvement projects into the mix? We're absolutely crazy...

Off to a trade show...I'll be in touch.

Picaso

Elle and I have had some good times together lately. She's by far my most demanding and needy child (but when compared to Dakota almost everyone would be). She's also very charming and funny and manages to make me laugh at every turn. Which is confusing when you consider that she's also very shy and often takes a while to warm to strangers. But my point (for this entry anyhow) is that surprisingly, she's also very artistic...in a 3 year old kind of way.

Here you see her working on her latest watercolor/finger paint/stamping project. See what I mean? She's so creative that she's meshed three different art forms into one (ha!). I kept waiting for her to ask for some side walk chalk. Oh, and isn't her art smock adorable? My friend Tonya got it for her and it's monogrammed with her initials. You can get one of your own (plus other excellent gift ideas) at http://tatermash.com/.

I also took Elle to her first ever Disney on Ice - Princess Wishes. She was SO excited and said that Ariel was her favorite. She was a good girl and behaved the entire time. Her only need was popcorn which was fabulous because I expected to walk out with a $24 flashing toy and some $16 princess t-shirt just like the ones at Wal-Mart for $9.99. When she was ready to hold the drink instead of the popcorn, she got a little bossy. "Mom, listen to me!. You have the popcorn, and I'll have the drink now. Okay?". Well, okay my little princess. Anything your heart desires...

Go Pirates!

I'm so excited that I just HAD to share it with you all. Dakota scored 3 soccer goals today! He started soccer in the Fall of 2006 in an under 5 program which involved kicking the ball around amongst a giant group of little people. Spring 2007's under 6 program was more successful but Dakota still didn't get too excited about playing and rarely got contact with the ball. But Fall 2007 is here and he's got a new attitude.

He is getting several touches on the ball, getting more assertive and confident in his play and has even become a pretty good defender. The Pirates won 5 to 4 and Dakota scored 3 of the 5 points! I couldn't be prouder of him...and not because he scored or that they won...but that he tried. He really, really tried. I got tears in my eyes when I saw the calm, confident smile he wore as he walked off the field and into my embrace.

OU (62) vs. TU (21)

We had another great weekend of OU football. Hosted in our own back yard, the TU Hurricanes hosted the OU Sooners in last night's game. Our dear friends TG and Beau got us all tickets and we set out from their house just before kick off. TG was sporting some cute jeans and cowboys boots which she later regretted wearing (but she looked good). She teased Beau the whole way there for his scrunchy socks; to which he admitted that he's not "cool" and doesn't really care (Go Beau!).

Anyhow, along the way I encountered two different girls who I cheered with in middle school which was a complete blast from the past and frankly, I've held up okay over the past 20 years (all thinks considered). We had an excellent time with our friends and even met up with Doc's cousin Blake (who also wore cowboy boots that he later regretted wearing).

We rounded out the evening with a stop in at the Bearden home and saw the fabulous job they did at renovating their new home. It's brings me joy to see loved ones lives come together so nicely. What an excellent start to the weekend!

Been there, done that?

Would someone like to tell me how to teach a kid to ride a bike? It seems like we've been working with Dakota all summer. Now the truth is that we might work on it for 15 minutes and then go inside because of the heat or the mosquitos and then not try again until three weeks later, but the point is that we've been up and down the sidewalk lots of times and he's still not riding the damn bike!

What's most amazing is that this child can be one of the most courageous kids I know. He tackled kindergarden like a champ and he's not afraid to go up to a house and ask a neighbor kid's mom if his buddy can come out and play. But when it comes to anything physical (e.g. riding a bike) he lacks even a smiggin of confidence. Well, that's not entirely true...if I jump up and down and clap my hands like crazy if he goes five feet then he's beaming with a beautiful smile. You get the idea.

So, if you have any tips on how to keep of kid from bailing into the grass everytime the handle bars sway, or how to keep a kid from crying every time his mom shows a look of frustration, I'm all ears!