The Miles Family

Micah Moo is SIX!!!!

2009-10-03T19:59:00.006-04:00

Micah turned 6 a week ago!! Can you believe it? No more babies in this house! We hadnt planned a birthday party b/c Ethan had come down with the flu, so we did it a week late. He still had a blast!! He got all the Nintendo games he wanted, and a scooter! Awesome!

5th Annual Whitsitt Family Fun Day

2009-09-07T21:32:00.001-04:00

THis weekend we headed to KC for the 5th annual Whitsitt Family Fun Day!! We had a blast!! A few injuries, but overall great fun. Baseball, touch football, lots of food and deck time. Cherish the time you have with your families!

Clayton Plays Flag Football!

2009-08-23T20:36:00.008-04:00

Well, Clayton the Tank Miles is at it again!! Now he's playing flag football! His first game was Saturday morning, and he was ready to go!! They had a blast! Still getting the skills polished up, but they are gonna be great! Should be a fantastic season! Come watch!

Illinois River Balloon Festival!

2009-08-15T22:26:00.002-04:00

Last weekend we tried to go to a hot air balloon festival that didnt work out so well!! This weekend, we tried again! We headed to Talequah to check out another fest. Josh had to work, and Ethan went on a campout, so it was me and the 2 little dudes! We took a picnic dinner and ate out on the field, waiting for the balloons to arrive! After finishing dinner, we did some carnival rides, one not working out so well....after it got started, and went upside down, Micah was not thrilled. I just caught a glimpse of his terrified face screaming, and knew he was mortified. Let me tell you...that is a terrible, hopeless feeling!! He literally FLEW into my arms as he got off...it was awful! Right after that we got some snocones to cheer us up, and laid out our blanket, and here came the balloons!! He cheered right up!! It was so cool to see! The just kept coming up over the horizon...the kids' favorite was one called "Skyscraper". It flew right over our heads. After they landed, and it was dusk, they all set up right in front of us and inflated. I gotta tell you, it was amazing. If you've ever been interested in hot air balloons, you got to go find one of these festivals!! You can get up close and personal with the balloons. They did their "glow", then rolled back up! Micah and Clayton told me it was one of the best days of their life! Awesome! IT was all capped off with fireworks at the end. Truly amazing.

First Day of School!!

2009-08-15T21:59:00.004-04:00

Ready for the big day!

Do you think he's excited or what?

Is he handsome or what????

Thursday was the boys' first day of school!!! What a year for us. One in 7th grade, one in 2nd, and the other starting Kindergarten!!! Holy Moly!! Ethan moved to a new school this year....he is in the middle school now, with 800+ kids in his class...for Josh and I who grew up in tiny districts, this is unreal!! E's first day went well. Pretty crazy, and he happened to miss one of his classes and go to another twice, but we got all the glitches worked out! He was excited to see all his buddies after the summer. Clayton started 2nd grade, and he's in the same room as last year. For 1st and 2nd grade, we put him in the multi-age classroom. Last year he really enjoyed it, and this year, he's looking forward to being a "mentor" to the younger kiddos in the class! Micah started kindergarten!!! Holy cow, he was was nervous the night before, but woke up that morning ready to go! He has the same teacher that Clay had a few years before, so that was a level of familiarity that was important, I think. He did great!!!
It's going to be a great year!! An adjustment for all of us, having all of them in school all day long, but we will make it!

I Love This Kid!

2009-08-09T22:24:00.002-04:00

Clayton dancing at the hot air balloon festival....He got his moves from his Papa T!!! :D

Hot Air Balloons!!

2009-08-09T22:19:00.003-04:00

Last night, the boys and I went up to Claremore (about an hour away) to see the hot air balloons fly!! We were so dissapointed when we got there that it was way to windy for them to go up! We walked around for awhile, and then found one of the pilots who had his basket out to take pictures in! He informed usthat he was going to try and get his balloon inflated later that night, so we hung out. The boys won giant inflatable hammers so they entertained themselves beating the crap outta each other!! :D And Radio Disney was there doing a concert thing, so they all played the games and danced. Finally, they were able to get the Mayflower balloon inflated, and we got a close view!! It was so awesome!!!

St. Louis, and the end of our vacation...

2009-07-12T17:33:00.002-04:00

On our way back home, we decided to stop in St. Louis for one final adventure. We took the boys up in the Arch! They thought it was awesome. Right before we went up, we watched the documentary on how the arch was built. That was interesting to see...and the boys got a kick out of seeing just how much work went into it. Up, up up we went and when we finally arrived at the top, we were all amazed. Even tho Josh and I had been up before, I think it still took us by surprise just how neat it was to see, and be up that high! We pointed out the stadium where Uncle J's favorite team plays...how awesome if they would have been playing right then?? :D Pretty dang cool, and a great end to our trip!

4th Of July!!!

2009-07-12T17:16:00.002-04:00

Independance Day dawned rainy and cool in Lombard Ill!! :D We enjoyed a quiet day hanging out with Betsy and Jason, and also Dad and Connie who'd come thru on a big trip up Michigan! Also, Carina came in from the city to party with us crazy people. We grilled some burgers and hung out, and finally, it cleared off enough for us to go to the fair in Lombard. The boys were estatic! Papa T bought them tickets to ride whatever they wanted, so off we went. There was one ride called Cliff Hanger that everyone (minus Nana and Josh) rode. Laying on your belly, you go on a "flight"! It was pretty darn cool, but it was after that that I found out that I am too old to ride those dang things! About 5 minutes after we "landed", I tossed my burger back up! Ughhh....gross. We watched a few fireworks and headed on home!

Warren Dunes State Park!

2009-07-09T23:25:00.002-04:00

I cannot even beging to describe to you how beautiful this place is!! It is utterly amazing, and I fell totally in love. SO did my family. Warren Dunes is about a 2 hour drive from Chicago, and it is where my dad grew up! Near there anyway...he would go there with friends all the time when he was young (SOOOO long ago!) For the first time in my life, I felt my "roots" when I was there...corny, I know. BUt I LOVE IT. We will be returning! When we first pulled in, we could see these HUGE dunes on one side, and the lake and beach on the other. I cant even tell you how huge theses dunes were, more like sand mountains!! The boys wanted to climb first thing! So up we went. The view was amazing! We were all huffing and puffing by the time we reached the top! But the run down was well worth it! :D After that, we headed to the beach. THe boys automatically went into the water, and JOshua started on his first sand castle. We ate a quick lunch (Micah got so frustrated with the sand on his hands!!) and then back to play. Josh and Jason created a Jabba the Hut which got many many looks and lots of pictures too! A little girl behind us, whom Micah had befriended had pink sand that she asked to put on his tounge! So cute! The boys could have played for days and days. When we wrapped up swim time, we headed to explore and find more dunes to climb. Of course, the boys wanted to climb the tallest ones! Up we went...Betsy stayed down to take pictures of our progress...it was pretty cool to see how tiny we looked! Exhausted, we headed back to B&J's. What a fantastic day. That day was my very favorite. Playing iwth my family in the sand, relaxing with not a care in the world......

Chicago Beach Day!!!

2009-07-09T22:50:00.002-04:00

When we asked the boys what they were most excited to do in Chicago, their answer was "Legoland and the BEACH!!" All 3 of them agreed!! Amazing!! Thursday we finally were able to hit the beach! It started out cloudy and cold, so we headed to the Hancock Tower, which we hadnt been able to fit in earlier. They thought it was so cool to see all the buildings and the water...and especially the pools on top of the buildings!! After doing that, we headed downstairs for a quick lunch in the courtyard before heading to the beach! When we finally made it there, Clay was the first one in! The other boys soon followed. It was dang cold, but of course, that didnt matter to them!! Josh and Jason were such good daddy and uncle, they were in it with them nearly the whole time. I think they had as much fun as the little dudes! Micahs favorite thing was to be buried, then jump up and run in the water to wash off! Ethan spent a ton of time digging a huge hole that they eventually all ended up helping with! Clayton just loved wandering around, in a out of the water. Betsy and I worked really, really hard on our tans!! :D It was a great day. But every day there was great! We already want to go back!!!!

White Castle, Putt-Putt and PIZZA!!

2009-07-08T23:10:00.002-04:00

Wednesday afternoon found us hunting high and low for pants for the boys!! Chicago got a bit of a cold front, and it was chilly!! We finally found some (pajama pants!!) and off we went. Our first stop was White Castle...oh yes, sliders!! The boys loved it, and even to this day are talking about "Oh, those sliders just hit me again!" Too funny! After that, we were off to play mini golf. Such fun. Ethan got the first hole in one...he was so proud!! Josh got one too, and Micah made on on the very last hole. CLayton ended up being the winner so it was good all around! :D We wrapped up golf and headed to a famous Chicago pizza place called Giordanos. Big fat huge pizza! Yummy!! Great way to end a fantastic day!

Field Museum, Planetarium, and Aquarium!

2009-07-02T22:11:00.002-04:00

So, our second full day in Chicago, we went to the Field Museum (history). It was pretty darn cool. Lots of neat stuffed animals to look at, ancient and current. The boys like the big giraffes. We got to meet Sue the Dinosaur...that was pretty darn awesome! A big ol T-Rex! My favorite was the exhibit about the Ancient Egyptians. We also got to do an exhibit that "shrunk" us to 1/2 an inch tall! "Through the Eyes of a Bug"...so neat. YOu got to see the underground world from a bugs perspective. We also did a new pirate exhibit, but it wasnt as cool as advertised...it was all reading, and the little boys had no patience for that! If we'd have had the time, JOsh, Ethan and I would have enjoyed it.
After that one, we went on down to the Adler Planetarium. The exhibits were alright, but the coolest part was the shows we got to see! They did one of the night sky in CHicago, and what we would be able to see that night! So neat!!! After that one, we saw a show called cosmic collisions, which was interesing and made for great conversations with the kiddos! Finally, we headed to the Shedd Aquarium for a quick tour. It was pretty dark in there, and of course, the animals were behind glass, so not many pics from there. But we got to see beluga whales, dolphins and penguins! So neat. Oh, and sharks too. About at the end, Clayton realized that he'd lost his wallet, so Josh called the aquarium and they had it!! So he ran the 1/2 mile or so back to get it and then back up to meet us! Clay was very grateful. It even had the rest of his money in it! A great day over all!!!

Chicago Day #2!! Museum of Science and Industry

2009-07-02T21:24:00.002-04:00

Whew!! Sunday, we went to church with Jason and Betsy, had some awesome lunch, and then we headed to Rockford to meet up with some Newtons!! The boys had a blast with Uncle Tom and Josh, along with Alyssa flying kites! Aunt Jeanne made us an amazing dinner that we got to eat out on the deck...the weather was so great!
Monday, we headed to Chicago for our first full day downtown. After a bit of a late start, and a few hiccups with the train/bus schedules, we finally made it to the Museum of Science and Industry! Such a cool place! We scoped out all the galleries, and then the boys all headed into the Harry Potter exhibit. No pictures allowed...darn it! They thought it was pretty cool...lots of artifacts from the movies. After they were done with that, we explored a bit more getting to see inside a full size plane, and touring the submarine U-505! That was a cool ship! Lots of neat stuff to see in that exhibit...the boys couldnt get over how big it was! Josh got to go on a tour inside that was pretty awesome, but again, no pictures! We finished up with the space exhibit where the boys got to land a simulated space shuttle. It was pretty darn cool!
We ended the day with a trip to the FOX studios to see my friend Carina who recently got a job up here! She was able to turn on the camera and lights so the boys could sit in the reporters chair and see waht it was like to be on TV! They thought that was so awesome. We finally headed back to the train station...carrying Micah for part of the way, that poor dude was TIRED! They all were! A good nights sleep was had by all. :D

Chicago Day #1! LegoLand!

2009-07-01T22:23:00.002-04:00

Our first full day in Chicago was great!! We headed to LEGOLAND which was fantastic. The boys LOVED seeing all the cool things that were made out of legos. They had a full "jungle" of animals created from them...then some other cool statues. We got to tour a "factory" to see how Legos were made, and then, a huge play room where they could build with legos as long as their hearts desired! They had a car building station and you could design and build your own car, then race it. ALL the boys loved this part! Dad and Uncle J had a blast helping the kiddos. After we finished there, we topped off the day with a lovely trip to Oberweis for some ICE CREAM!!! A very successful start to our vacation! :D

Great Wolf Lodge

2009-06-24T17:30:00.002-04:00

Last weekend we got to go to Kansas City to Great Wolf Lodge with our dear friends the Barths! They have 2 kiddos our kids' ages, so they had a ball together! And the adults got to have fun together! :D Josh and Aaron would get on a raft and stick a kid in front and the would FLY!!! We got to play for 2 days! The kiddos were exhausted by the time we left, but we still had to drag em outta there!

A Little Catch Up!

2009-06-24T16:15:00.002-04:00

Oh boy, its been awhile!! So here is a little catch up of everything we have been up to the last month or so! Of course, Mothers Day. :D And then, Falon graduated!! So very cool... we were all so proud of her. It was the middle of May, so we thought it would be warm, but the day before a storm came though along with a cold front. It was FREEZING and windy! But we made it through and had a ball celebrating. And following that was the boys' last day of school. Next year Ethan moves on to middle school, Clay will be in 2nd grade, and Micah will go to full day kindergarten. Whoa....And finally, Ethan turned 12! Holy cow!! :D We are in full pre teen mode. Here comes the rollercoaster!

Easter!

2009-04-20T22:51:00.002-04:00

We headed to KS for the Easter holiday! We got to see lots of family, Benjamin and his wife Bird (aka Falon) and their son Aiden came down to Haven for an Easter Egg Hunt Saturday morning. Lots of fun! We got to chat with them awhile, and then Aunt Shelly, Bonnie, Gram, Harold, Chrystal, and Vinny came over for dinner! Of course, we saw Grammy and Papa. The boys had a ball! They were so stoked to go. We dyed eggs Saturday afternoon, and it became a game to see who could make the ugliest egg. And, Clayton made a tye dye egg to match his t shirt! We had lots of fun and ate wonderful food. A fantastic holiday!

Happy 30th Birthday Joshua!!!!

2009-04-08T09:51:00.002-04:00

Last Thursday Josh turned the BIG 3-0!!! :D He had been in Cincinatti all week, and got to travel home on his birthday. Thankfully, his plane was on time! The boys wanted to color pictures for him and put them on the door, then hide when he pulled up to surprise him. It was pretty darn cute! :D Saturday we made a Daddy fun day. He got to go play paintball with one of our friends from church...and he had a blast! He had a huge welt on his head, and several elsewhere, but he loved it. He got done just in time for Claytons soccer game, and then that night we went out for dinner with a bunch of our friends. So much fun! Happy Birthday Josh! We love you!

Snow!!!

2009-04-06T19:10:00.003-04:00

Last weekend we had a surprise snow storm! It rained for nearly 2 days then all of a sudden turned to snow. The boys were THRILLED!!! Clay thought they'd be out of school...but the snow quickly melted. They were just glad to have been able to build a snowman! The first of the season. Micah thought it was funny Monday morning when all that was left of him was "his butt"! :D The day after the snow fell, the boys were out in the front yard in sweatshirts trying to get all the snow in the yard onto the snowman so he'd last longer! Great fun.

Spring Break

2009-03-21T21:34:00.002-04:00

Last week the boys were on spring break. We had a ball!! I was super busy with extra clsses, but we made the best of it and tried to have a new adventure every day. Monday we went to see a movie and then to the park with some friends, (it was beautiful here all week!), Tuesday we went to Bounce U (indoor inflatables), Wednesday was hiking Turkey Mountain (well, as big a mountain as you can have in OK!) and then ice cream, Thursday was recovery with a movie day at home and Friday was a bike ride and more playing at the park. I think the boys' favorite day was hiking...we climbed all over, and they managed to scare me to death on that rock ledge...I'm talkin serious pain in my chest and belly! They thought it was hysterical that I was so freaked out! :D They caught frogs and played in the mud...we finished up at another park, and another pond where Clay fell in!! Surprise, surprise!! Hope you all had a great week too!

Vacation with the Davis'

2009-03-10T21:35:00.002-04:00

This last weekend we had the awesome opportunity to go on vacation with my sister and her husband to celebrate their one year anniversary! Amazing how time flies! We all headed to Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. Betsy found a cute cabin right on the water, and it came with a paddleboat, rowboat and hot tub! Such fun! We all turned up Friday night and checked out the cabin, then headed to a local Mexican place for some grub! Right off we were having an amazing time! Saturday morning brought an early paddleboat ride for Joshua and I, then some breakfast and finally, hitting the outlet mall! I was a proud big sister as I escorted Betsy to the Coach store to pick out her very own bag!! It was so fun!! We spent some time shopping then headed back to the cabin for some dinner and hot tubbin! Sunday was more fantastic time with the Davis'. It was their anniversary!!! We ate some breakfast then headed into town for another aquick stab at the shops, the into downtown for some fun! We went into one of those studios to get our "old time photo" done. I've always wanted to do it, so has B, but the boys were none to thrilled....until they saw how we'd be dressed!! :D It was a ton of fun! Then we headed to play some 10 cent skee ball (of which I am the champ!! 330 high score!) and then off to dinner. We went to an amazing restuarant right on the lake with amazing views and even better food! After that we raced home to sit on the dock and watch the sunset. It was fantastic! As you can tell, we had an amazing weekend. It was so good to spend some time with my dear sister and her wonderful husband. Fantastic food, amazing talks, and just quality time that I think all of us needed! This is hopefully going to be an annual trip! Love you Davis'!!!

The Circus!

2009-03-10T21:01:00.006-04:00

We got to go to the circus!! I LOVE the circus and hope that my boys do too! This is the first opportunity that we've had to take Micah, and he loved it! He wasnt so sure about that weird clown though... :D. I found myself constantly saying "Now, understand you cannot do that at home." "No, you may not use the swingset as a trapeze!" Too funny!! Cant you just see those kiddos trying that stuff??? Their favorite thing was the "Ball of Death", a big metal ball that 3 dirt bikes got in and rode around. Pretty cool!
Just one extra note...when we arrived, we had to wait out in the cold for about 20 minutes to get tickets. I had had the boys get their coats, but was so rushed as we left that I forgot mine! Those 2 little dudes rubbed my back and blocked me from the wind! They were so sweet trying to keep me warm...several people in line even commented about what sweet boys I had. They are so special! Just wanted to share!

Valentines Day

2009-03-09T21:53:00.004-04:00

Valentines weekend Joshuas parents, sister and her boyfriend came down to help celebrate Clays birthday, and we got to go to dinner! Chrystal, Vinny, Josh and I all went out for a lovely dinner, just adults! So much fun. Nice to have adult conversation without little ones running underfoot! :D

Clays Birthday!

2009-03-09T21:46:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago we celebrated Claytons 7th birthday!! Can you believe he's that old? He wanted to have some of his friends spend the night, so we had a sleepover. How goofy am I that I agreed to it, on the day they all had thier Valentines parties! They were hyped up! But it was a ball. Later that week, he lost his first top tooth, and get this! He thought the Tooth Fairy was gonna give him $20 b/c it was his birthday!!! Too funny! ;D

A few more basketball pics....

2009-02-16T20:06:00.000-05:00

Hunting!

2009-02-16T20:00:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago, Ethan got to go with Joshua to Haven for his very first hunting trip! He hasnt had hunters safety yet, so on the actual hunt, he only got to observe, but that afternoon, Papa and Daddy took him out to the field and let him shoot targets. They had a ball! It was so fun to hear him talk about it....and hear the little boys countdown the years until they can go!

Update!!!

2009-02-16T19:55:00.006-05:00

Last week, my dear friend Carina came back to Tulsa for a visit! We got to spend the evening with her and some of our other pals, eating pizza and bowling. By the end, Clay was way tired!!! But we had a blast!

Update!!!!

2009-02-16T19:51:00.004-05:00

Last week, my parents came to visit!! Friday night, we took the little dudes swimming at Dad and Mama C's hotel. They had a blast, but I think Papa T had the most fun! Couldnt resist posting these pics!! :D Love ya dad!

Basketball!!!

2009-01-25T20:04:00.007-05:00

Well, finally I have basketball pictures!! The 2 little dudes started playing 3 weeks ago, but we've had a hard time getting pics!! :D Anyhoo, they are on seperate teams, but fall into the same "age" bracket, so they will play each other. But thank God only once!! :D They are both having so much fun...and it's cool to see how much they improve week to week. And yes, I am coaching Micahs team!! Its definately an adventure...one of the other coaches described it as herding cats, which I've got to say, is pretty accurate!!! :D Come see them play sometime! WE've got games every Saturday thru Feb. We'd love to have you!

Coloring Contest Winner!!

2009-01-06T22:03:00.002-05:00

So, a few weeks before Christmas, we recieved coloring contest sheets from our bank. Clay and Micah put some hard work in to 'em and sent them in! I got a call yesterday that Micah had won his age group!! Pretty cool!! He won $100!! He's pretty stoked...of course, cautious that he is, he's still deciding what to buy. Clay has all sorts of ideas!! :D Right now, I think he's going to buy a game that all 3 of them can share for the Wii...isnt that sweet?

Christmas #4!

2009-01-01T22:24:00.002-05:00

Whew!!! Here we are at Christmas #4! We went to Liberty to Landon and Jers house to celebrate with Ma and all the kiddos. Everyone pitched in with meals, and the kids got some good time to play together. Thank goodness it was nice outside!! We even headed to the park to play a family game of tag. Now its back to real life! The boys are already talking about not wanting to go back to school.... ;D

Christmas #3!

2009-01-01T21:57:00.002-05:00

So, after our Christmas at home, we headed to KC for Christmas' 3 and 4. This time it was with my side of the fam, starting with Dad and Mama C. We played games, (Taboo was a big ol hit!) ate like mad and just had a good time. Of course, when we're all together at Dads, we do family pictures. Its a good opportunity to get each of the families and then go back and compare year to year how everything has changed! Especially with young kiddos....they grow so fast!

Christmas #2!!!

2009-01-01T19:32:00.001-05:00

Here we are Christmas Day! We got to be home this year, so the boys helped me make cookies for Santa. It was so much fun, I think they just liked being close so they could snatch cookie dough while I wasnt looking! We went to church that night, and then got up Christmas morning to stockings and gifts! Such fun. Granmommy stayed the night and got to spend the day with us. We played the boys' games, cooked lunch, and just hung out. Toward the end of the day, Ethan started with some tummy trouble....that was not fun. :D But over all, it was a fantastic day.

Christmas #1

2008-12-22T20:05:00.004-05:00

Last weekend we went up to Haven/Wichita for our Christmas celebration with the Miles Family. What a great time we had! Friday night, Jeanne had arranged a special dinner for us at a bed and breakfast there in Haven...it was wonderful food!! And we got to hear about the history of the house, and take a tour which was great fun. The kiddos love it b/c they got to use special goblets, like the rest of us, and Grammy brought them a special drink like the adults (we had wine, they had Shirley Temples). Saturday we opened gifts, what fun!! It was a very Nerf Christmas!! Chrystal had gotten Micah a nerf gun for Micah for his birthday, so she bought one for E and Clay too...then decided she needed to "arm" Joshua, so he got a huge one!! And little did anyone know that Grammy had bought some too!! They had wars and just had a ball. We got lots of good stuff, and had tons of fun. That night we had an amazing dinner and got to sit and chat with Gram and Harold. Gram shared her pie cruse reciepe with Chrystal and I, so special! I'm going to attempt it this week, I think! Sunday, we went to church and then spent the afternoon at Chrystals, chillin out and making s'mores in the fireplace! The boys LOVE doing that. :D A fantastic weekend overall!

Micahs Program...

2008-12-22T19:22:00.004-05:00

Last week, after 3 days off school, the boys finally got to go back for their last day before Christmas break! They were happy to go, of course, b/c it was party day!! Micah had his program with all the other pre-k students, and he did awesome! It was so cute to watch all those little dudes and dudets! How precious...and how fast they change!!!! :D

Ethans Program!!

2008-12-15T18:03:00.002-05:00

Last week Ethan had his winter program, "A Musical Emergency". He got to play one of the doctors, and did a great job!!

New bikes for the boys!!!

2008-12-15T10:29:00.003-05:00

This weekend, the boys got one of their Christmas presents early...Grammy and Papa had gotten them new bikes, so we gave them to the boys on Saturday. It was supposed to be the last few days before it got nasty here, so Grammy and Papa wanted them to have a few days of enjoyment wtih them before it got cold!! Thanks Grammy and Papa!!

Thanksgiving #1!!!

2008-12-01T22:04:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!! We headed to Kansas City for the holiday. Joshuas Mom's family all gets together every year, and this year, we got to join them!! I think the finaly tally was 65 or so in attendance. It was so much fun! We got to see lots of family that we havent seen for several years. The boys all had a ball, there are so many kiddos, they all have a playmate about thier age!! :D Ethan got to hang out with the "older" kiddos, which he loved. Dinner was wonderful, company was great! Just a few battle wounds among the troops. But we all survived!!! Much love to the Newton, Johnson, Alpers family!!!

Christmas Fun

2008-11-24T17:29:00.005-05:00

This weekend we had a great time!! We went to the Jenks Holiday Parade Saturday morning (which the boys loved mostly for all the candy!) And then we came home and put up all of our holiday stuff. We usually do it the weekend after Thanksgiving, but we are going to be gone, so we choose this weekend. Hey, if your gonna get all that stuff out, you might as well enjoy it, right? :D The boys had a ball.

The top picture is the boys and I. We are not standing on steps or anything! I realized the other day that Ethan comes up to right under my chin!! I had Clay measure to E, and he tucks right in under Ethans chin! We were going to take a picture of the 3 of us and realized that Micah tucks under Clay!! Isnt that cool? It will prob never happen like that again!! We've got some tall dudes!

California Trip!!!

2008-11-17T20:27:00.002-05:00

Last weekend, Mom, Betsy and I headed to California for a quick trip to see the Grandmother. Seeing Uncle Dave and Aunt Kay was a great bonus too!!! :D We all got in Friday (well, after Betsys plane was delayed, she showed up EARLY Saturday!). The next morning, we got up and headed out to Modesto, to the Cook house. What a great house!!! :D It was so fun to see Grandmother, and she was excited to see us and have "company". We sat and chatted for awhile, and then decided to go on a trip to Yosemite National Park. It was about a 2 hour drive away, around steep and curvy roads! About 1/2 way there, we popped a tire! What an adventure that was. It took a little while to get fixed, but back on the road we went!! Betsy and I entertained everyone with a few AMAZING renditions of "Great Adventure" by Steven Curtis Chapman. Can you believe Grandmother said she couldnt understand us???? :D We stopped at several vistas to check out the view. At one place, we were able to see Yosemite Falls! It was so cool....beautiful. We also saw El Capitain...which I've heard about for years! It was a long trip, but amazing. And the best part, Grandmother said as we were driving home, she'd had a wonderful day. It was a Great Adventure!!!!! :D

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-02T20:18:00.000-05:00

As we all know, last Friday night was Halloween!!! We had a crazy day, but Nana and I made it to both the little dudes fall parties. They had a lot of fun!! It was a nutso afternoon, but we made it. We came home and chilled for a little bit, then started carving the pumpkin we'd gone with Nana and Papa T to get. The boys loved it...getting their hands dirty, choosing what face to carve. Fun stuff. Finally, it was time to trick or treat!! We met up with our friends the Barths, as we always do, and after we were done with that neighboorhood, we had to empty out their buckets!!! Then we went for another round in our area. They made quite a haul! :D They were all exhausted by the time it was all over. HOpe you all had a good one too!!

Pumpkin Patch!

2008-10-25T20:01:00.001-04:00

Today we made a trip to our local pumpkin patch!!! :D Micah's teachers had set up a "Meet Your Teacher at the Pumpkin Patch" day, so we had lots of fun with our fam, and lots of the kiddos from his class. They got to ride the hay ride, feed the animals, go through the hay maze and pick out a pumpkin!! And, of course, take cute pictures!!! (Which they loved, dont you know!!!)

Family Fun Weekend!

2008-10-07T17:26:00.002-04:00

Last weekend we had a ball just spending time as a family. The whole weekend was Miles Family Fun!!! It's been awhile since we've had time like that...it was so great. Friday Micah and I had a "date morning", just he and I, and had so much fun I kept him out of school!!! Friday night, we headed to the Tulsa State Fair...we've lived her for 7 years and never gone! So, off we went. We rode the park and ride bus to the fairgrounds, and I think Micah was about as excited about that as anything! We got to watch a piglet being born, pet camels and giraffes and llamas, a baby bunny, all kinds of stuff!! We even saw "The Worlds Smallest Horse" (yeah right) and a "GIANT alligator!!" Each dude got to ride one ride....E and Clay picked the scrambler...and neither threw up!! :D Micah and I rode the Ferris Wheel. So much fun. Saturday was a trip out to the lake to meet some of the people we camped with lots last summer. Such a ball, lots of laughing, eating and great stories!!! Sunday was church, friends over and more fun.
Hope all of you are having as great a kick off to fall as we are!! Much love.

Micah turns 5!!! (Almost :D )

2008-09-16T21:52:00.003-04:00

I know, I post a lot of slide shows, but I love to take pics!!! Anyway, Saturday night we had Micahs birthday party! It was so much fun. He wanted a Hoops and Yoyo theme (they are Hallmark characters) and no one carried any of that stuff!! So, we set about making our own decorations, and I've got to tell you, I think it was the most fun I've had putting together a birthday party!! I went online and found some printable stuff, so we spent one evening coloring pages to put up around the house to decorate with. It was so great, sitting with the kiddos and hearing them talk about how special this was to make it by ourselves. We spent Friday evening putting things up, and they helped me decide what would go where. Saturday was the party, and of course, it was pouring rain all day. Micah had wanted a pinata, but I was not going to have a bunch of 5/6 year olds swinging bats in my house! So, we decided Twister and Apples to Apples for kids was a better alternative. They all had a ball playing. It really was a fantastic day!! I still have all the stuff up in the house b/c Micah dosent want to take it down until his REAL birthday....not that I mind it, it's pretty cheerful!! :D

Jenks Wild

2008-09-15T22:04:00.002-04:00

Last week, Ethan had the opportunity to go to a environmental/science camp with all the 6th graders at his school. It was at Dry Gulch, in Pryor about an hour from here. They left Tuesday morning and finished up Friday afternoon! I got to go for the last 2 days and we had a ball!! We were in a bunk of 18 boys! Holy cow. During the day, the kids would have outdoor classes and activities and each night was something special. One night was a talent show and the night I was there was the "Social". Not a dance, but there was dancing :D. All the kids did a great job performing the line dances they learned earlier in the week. It was so neat to see Ethan in that element...I tried really hard just to blend into the background and not "mother" him. All the bunks were arranged so they had one or two people from their class in thier bunk, but for the most part, had to make new friends. E was really nervous about that, but did a fantastic job. It was quite an experience!! I cant wait to go with Clay!! :D

Oh Heavens......

2008-09-10T20:43:00.006-04:00

Look closely and you'll see the new haircut the boys tried to give themselves!!! This morning I was talking to Micah and realized, HOLY COW!!! He'd tried to cut his hair!! I was trying not to giggle, lectruring about how it's not safe to have sissors by your eyes, etc...but it was too funny!! Clay came in and I was telling him to look at what Micah did, and then realized, OMG!!! He did it TOOO!!!!! At that point I was beyond trying to keep my composure. Both Josh and I were laughing pretty hard. Seriously, what else are you going to do??? Once Micah realized that we'd have to cut his hair, he was not so thrilled with his little adventure. Josh gave them buzz cuts tonight, and we stayed as long as we could, but it had to go pretty short. Too, too funny....
(By the way, for those of you thinking I'm a horrible parent for having sissors accessible to my children, they did it with thier safety sissors!!! Can you imagine the SAWING they had to do??? Oh, and they did get a serious lecture about sissors near eyes, and their ones taken away for right now. :D )

Our new tree house!

2008-09-07T19:05:00.005-04:00

The weekend I was in Chicago, Grammy and Papa came down to visit and built a tree house! Josh and his dad worked all weekend, making an awesome fort for the boys. They love it! This weekend we painted it, and finished the trap door. Now, the neighborhood kiddos are begging their parents for one. ;D

Trip to Chicago!

2008-09-03T23:46:00.002-04:00

About a week ago, I headed to Chicago to help my sister and bro-in law, Jason move into their new house in Lombard. It was a fantastic trip. We spent the first day unpacking and putting up pictures and things, and the next day was shopping!! We headed to the outlet mall for a bit, then into the city to meet one of my dearest friends who lives in the area, Mimi for some lunch. It was fantastic!! We went to the Cheesecake Factory right at the base of the Hancock Tower, and after eating, Betsy and I headed up to see the view. Pretty awesome...the boys got a kick out of seeing the swimming pools on top of the big buildings. :D Sunday was Jasons first *official* Sunday to preach and he did amazing. They are such a fit for the church, and I know they are oging to do amazing things there. We got to spend some time with all the peeps afterward, and it was fun to get to know some of them better. That afternoon, we headed to White Castle for some sliders. Yes, they are called sliders, and that is exactly what they do!! ;D Overall, it was a ball, eating amazing food, shopping, unpacking and just goofing off having agood time. We bawled like babies when it was time to go...and I already miss her like mad.

First Day of School!

2008-08-16T13:52:00.002-04:00

Holy cow...can you believe he's in 6th grade???

Clay is so excited!

Micah ready for school!

And so it begins!! The boys all started school this week, hard to believe its that time already, huh? I'll give everyone a quick update about where all the dudes are!

Ethan is now 11, and starting 6th grade. Holy moly, blows my mind! As I'm typing this, he's out mowing the grass with his dad. He's so big! I cant get over it..of course, he wishes I could! ;D I get a lot of "MOM,ughh." (Imagine a huge sigh and rolling of the eyes!) He really is an amazing kid. He's in that stage of taking a bit of advantage of his little brothers by being the "oldest and knowing the most", but really, thats his age, right? He's learning how to control that impulse! ;D So far he loves his teachers, and his class. He's also still really active in Boy Scouts, and this winter is going to try his hand at basketball. He takes quite an interest in my classes, so when he's able, I may let him start participating.

Clayton is 6 and just a mess! He can be quite the turd when he wants to, but turn right around and be such a sweetie. Hes got that amazing combination of rough and tumble and big teddy bear. He is getting ready to start fall soccer, and can hardly wait! That dude would play a sport every day of the week if he could. This year, Clay is in the multi-age program at school, which means he is in a class of 1st and 2nd graders. Its cooperative learning, with the older kids helping the younger ones, etc. I'm really interested to see how this works out! His teachers are amazing, and definately passionate about the program. Next year, he'll have the same teachers, and the opportunity to help the younger ones. I think he has the personality to benefit big time from this set up.

Micah is nearly 5, only a month before his birthday! He just started the Pre-K program, and has the same teachers as Clayton did. They are AMAZING, prob my most favorite of all the ones the boys have had. Micah is that typical youngest dude, convinced that he can do anything his older brothers do...and has no hesitation in trying! This summer, he and I worked hard on his swimming and he's able to go down the slide and off the diving board w/out me catching him! He's so proud of himself! So are Josh and I. He's kind of extra attached to me right now, the transition of school has been a little nerve racking for him. But he's going to do wonderful. It's going to be hard for me to have no dudes at home!!! :D

So, thats it, we really are blessed with fantastic kiddos. Of course, they have their moments, but we wouldnt have it any other way.
Happy back to school!! ;D

Farewell to the Davis'

2008-08-10T22:24:00.002-04:00

This weekend, my little brother and his family came down to say Adios to Betsy and Jason. The Davis' are leaving for Lombard, IL in just a few days. Jason accepted a job as a senior pastor there! So exciting for them! We had a little party for them Saturday, and got to hang out with the El Dorado Whitsitt family and Mom this weekend. It was lots of fun...Micah was the *official* photographer! ;D We'll go help them pack the POD tomorrow, and they will head out Thursday morning for Chicago, with a pit stop in KC and St. Louis.

Pizza!

2008-08-07T19:29:00.008-04:00

Tonight we made pizzas, once again, trying to entertain my dudes!! Josh is in Dallas, so we're having some fun with Mama this week. They loved doing this project! They were bummed today b/c we were going to go to the pool, but it was closed due to thunder and lightening! Ah well, it was a good day for a movie and popcorn, and pizza too!

Fun at the Water Park!

2008-08-07T19:23:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we headed to Muskogee to go to a water park. We were all badly in need of something new to do! End of the summer blahs, right? So, we went to a "mini Big Splash/Oceans of Fun" for a day of water and sun. It was a perfect day, not too hot, finally! Our friends Sandy and her daughter Abbey went with us. Abbey was so good, Micah loved having her ride slides with him! We spent all day down there, nearly 6 hours! Those dudes were exhausted by the time we got home....Clay was even asking when it was time for bed...now that is TIRED! ;D One week from today, they will be sitting at a desk, not waiting in line for water slides. ;( Amazing, huh?

Painting Fun!

2008-08-03T22:32:00.004-04:00

This weekend we decided to paint our living room and stairway/hallway. It's been stark white since we moved here nearly 3 years ago! BORING! So, now its all spiced up. The boys loved watching us paint, and even helped a little bit. Micah took pictures for us, kind of random, but cute!! As we were starting, Clayton exclaimed "That looks like Oklahoma!" And sure enough, it did! Funny stuff. :D

Whitsitt Family Fun Day!

2008-07-11T23:05:00.002-04:00

After our time in Wichita, we headed to KC for the annual Whitsitt Family Fun Day event!! It was fun that 4th of July coincided, the boys all had a blast shooting off fireworks. We played and played, frolicked in the pool, backyard baseball, bocce ball, croquet, and lots and lots of talking and goofing it up! One night all the adult children stayed up until 3 am!! Chatting!! It's been awhile since this old gal has done that :D. It really was a blast, and made so much more special that all of us could be together for a weekend. And, of course, we got our annual family photo to top everything off. Long live WFFD!!

Miles Family Vacation!

2008-07-11T22:42:00.003-04:00

Last week we headed to Wichita/Haven for our mini Miles Family Vacation! We had a ball. Kent had to work nights, so we got to see him for dinner, and Josh had to work a few days too, but we managed to squeeze lots in to our 2 1/2 days together! We began with seeing WALL-E, so so cute! I think we all enjoyed it. The next day, we hit the water park. Micah had a bit of trouble there 'cause he was about 2 inches short to be able to ride the slide or go off the diving boards, so that was kind of tough, but he had lots of fun, I think! The other dudes had a blast with the slides, and Clay even worked up the nerve to go off the high, high dive! Josh was so nervous...worried about his baby up there!! Clay and Ethan both did it, and the *zoom* slide, the one that goes nearly straight down! Holy cow! They loved it though. The day after that, we went to the zoo and checked out the new Cessna Penguin exhibit. Lots of fun....the boys got to feed some animals in the childrens zoo, which they loved. Clay was kinda nervous...he'd throw all his food out, and at one point, when they were nudging him for more, he turned around and said "I hate those stupid goats!" It was hysterical! After the zoo, we headed for lunch and then to Exploration Place. Lots of cool stuff there...flight simulators and history on airplanes, a *real* tornado. I think that was Clays favorite thing! He is a budding meterologist! They all loved that part. When we finished up there, we went to a candy store where they could make thier own pixie sticks! Dont you know they were all over that! That night we connected with the Omaha cousins and our final day we went bowling and go cart racing. They had a blast! Glad we could see them before we had to leave. It was tons of fun smashed in to not a lot of time, but we were glad to have the time together! :D

Just a quick update....

2008-06-19T19:41:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we went to the doctor for Micah to get his shots...the poor dude had to get 5!!! Yuck! Clayton took pics with my camera, so I thought I'd post 'em for you all to see ;). He's a budding photographer/meterologist. Not too much new going on in OK....lots and lots 'o rain! Last night on the weather website, our local weather man posted rainfall amounts for cities in OK, KS and TX. Tulsa had 35.4 inches of rain so far this year....10 inches above the next highest city!!!! Thats a lot of freakin rain! Hopefully it will dry out soon and we can have a pool day. The biggest news here is that CLayton has given up *blankie*, all by himself! He was so brave...he brought down the bag of baby bedding that matches his blanket and put *him* in there...making sure to tell us all that he may take him out and visit once in awhile! So sweet...he was so brave. The biggest news in our whole family is the arrival of the 8th grandchild!! Little Rowan John Whitsitt was born yesterday at 1:54 pm. Ethans immediate response was "Cool!! Now we have an 8 man football team!" We're excited to go to KC and meet the newest dude in a few weeks! So, that is about it for now! Hope you all are having a great summer!

Ethan goes to Camp and turns ELEVEN!!!

2008-06-09T16:43:00.006-04:00

Ethan at his campsite

The view at Camp Hale

The tent Ethan slept in all week

The dude is EXHAUSTED after a long week!

Happy Birthday Ethan!!

So, last week Ethan went off to Boy Scout camp. He was gone for a whole week, and it was so hard!! We missed him like mad. Friday night, Josh went down to the camp with another dad to spend the night with the boys and bring some of 'em home. It worked out great, b/c Saturday was Ethans 11th birthday. According to all the stories I've heard so far, Ethan had an amazing time. He got up every morning at 5:15 to practice for the mile swim he choose to complete at the end of the week!! Can you believe that?? I was certainly surprised, and so proud of him. He did the swim on Friday and did amazing. Throughout the day he worked on merit badges for swimming, pioneering, first aid and pottery. He accomplished every one! His favorite he said was pottery. It was a great week, certainly and amazing experience for him, one he wants to repeat next year!! He is still catching up on sleep, when we got him home, we went out to eat w/ the fam and he could hardly keep his eyes open. After we got home, he fell asleep on the couch and stayed that way for about 2-3 hours. The only way we could get him up was by telling him he could open his birthday presents!!! :D He'll be playing catch up for a few days, but it was worth it. Happy Birthday Ethan!!!

Memorial Day

2008-06-01T09:43:00.002-04:00

Last weekend my big little brother and his family came to Tulsa to spend the weekend with us. We had a great time. Lots of talking and laughing, stories out the wazz!! :D Sunday afternoon, rather than subject ourselves to freezing cold swimming pool water (as per the request of our children) we decided to have a water balloon fight. It took Josh and Ben FOREVER to fill up all those balloons, and we went through them so quick! But it was a blast. The boys all had so much fun seeing how many times they could hit daddy or Uncle Ben, or even Me! After all the balloons ran out, we set up the sprinkler and they ran through it. Aiden had chattering teeth and still wanted to play...what troopers! So much fun.

Final Day of School

2008-06-01T09:32:00.002-04:00

I'm a little slow getting this up, the kids had their last day of school last Friday! :D But they had a great time. Claytons class had a pizza party and ice cream sundaes, along with tons of games. I snuck over for a bit to Ethans school to see how he was and he was having a blast! They had tons of those jupiter jumps all over and played on those all day, had tug-o-wars and ate like crazy. All the kiddos had a great time, but at about 1:30 Clayton says, Mama, I'm so tired, I need to go home and rest! So, we did! It was a great school year, excellent teachers, good friends. Lookin forward to a fun summer! ;D

Repelling!!!

2008-05-19T23:36:00.009-04:00

Robbers Cave

What a handsome dude!

Chillin on the top

Gettin geared up!

Oh baby....

Here he goes!!

On the way down...hold your breath!

E after a long hard weekend ;D

So this weekend while the little dudes and I were off galavanting in KC, Josh and Ethan went with the Boy Scouts to Robbers Cave for a repelling trip! We talked about Josh going with me to KC, but decided we'd both be way more comfortable with one of us being with Ethan while he climbed up and down rock walls! They had a blast! Ethan told me "It was so fun mom, but that first time I went down, I was SOOO scared!" He really enjoyed himself! Josh got in on the fun too. To prepare for the trip, Ethan was put in charge of the grocery shopping and Josh thinks he has a new found appreciation for me! Thats always nice. ;D Where they were, Josh had NO cell phone reception, so that was pretty nerve racking for me. I got up Sunday morning and told Landon that since I had gotten no phone calls, that meant that theyhadnt had to drive to an ER where he had service! Good news! One time on a campout last year, I got a call about 10:30pm, Josh saying he was trying to decide if E needed stitches or not...he's sliced his finger! So, needless to say, with the stakes a little higer this time, nervous nelly Mom was biting my nails until I could get ahold of them. ;D In just a few weeks, he goes away for a week to camp, and when he gets back, he'll be 11! He comes home on his birthday. Such great experiences he is having...and it's icing on the cake that Josh gets to go along for the fun.

Wedding Weekend!

2008-05-18T23:30:00.006-04:00

Cooper, Clay and Micah...buddies forever!

Micah was SOO glad to see Grandmother Great!

The Grandmother and I

Grandmother and her kiddos

Mom and Kelli Kay

My cousin Kelli and I

This weekend my youngest cousin Kati got married!! We headed to Liberty to celebrate with all the fam. As the wedding was starting, I realized that my camera was just about dead...poop!! I was so mad...and I never got a pic of the happy couple! Anyway, we had a great time. We got to see Grandmother, (she moved to CA a few months ago) and she looked wonderful! We also got to see our cousin Kelli who lives in Seattle. And we got to spend time chatting and catching up with lots of other family we havent seen in quite awhile. It was a fun weekend, but man is it tough to make that drive twice in 2 days! I was wiped. But we made it safe and sound. Josh and E went on a Boy Scout campout, so be looking for those pics, they'll be up soon! ;D

Mama's Day

2008-05-13T17:26:00.002-04:00

Our family on Mothers Day

Betsy, Mom and I at the Yo Mama Brunch

The stepping stone Micah made for me at school

Our new kitty, Maddy

We had a great Mothers Day weekend! On Saturday, Mom Betsy and I went to my church for a non-traditional Yo Mama brunch! It was lots of fun. Great things to eat and lots of laughs. After we were done we went shopping for awhile. It was a great girls day! On Sunday, all my dudes woke me up with a waffle in bed! So very sweet. We had a really fun day, eating lunch and then....we got a cat! Kind of a quick decision for Josh and I, but the dudes are so excited. They love her. We decided that she was the one when they all passed her around and she just laid there like she didnt have a care in the world! Obviously she can deal with 3 crazy boys. :D Hope all you mamas had just as wonderful a day as I did! Love to you all!

Ethan goes to BizTown!

2008-05-08T18:30:00.002-04:00

Some of you may know BizTown by a different name..Exchange City. We all went in 5th grade, and now, if you can believe it, I have a son in 5th grade!! I learned earlier this year that they were going and I couldnt wait!! He had so much fun. His job for the day was CEO of Reasors (grocery store for you non-Tulsans). He did an amazing job! He really is a fantastic mulit-tasker, although he could learn to delegate a little more. :D It was unreal how much this mock town really worked like "life"! He had to approve invoices and pay employees (our kids were fantastic, by the way! GO Reasors team!!) and there was always someone wanting his attention. He did a wonderful job getting it all done and not getting frustrated. During the morning town hall meeting he had to go in front of everyone and make a speech, enticing people to come to thier store, and he was great! He did an interview with the newspapaer and had an article all about him! He also got to interview with the News Station, which was lots of fun. What an experience...I cant wait until the other two go!

12 Metre Race in St. Maarten...

2008-04-28T21:25:00.007-04:00

One of the boats we raced against.

There's me waaayyy up at the front of our boat.

Joshua hanging out on the boat.

This is the boat we raced in...the True North IV, also the Coors Light boat! That is Dicks head in the front :)

So, on Wednesday of our cruise while we were in St. Maarten, we got to go on a mock Americas Cup race. They have boats that have actually been in the real Americas Cup and have won all kinds of awards. It's really cool...you go out there and they spend the first part of your time teaching everyone different jobs on the boat. After that is all done, you have a few practice runs and then, it's off to race! We raced against 2 other boats and it was awesome! Just like you see on TV, those boats lean all the way to one side or the other and you think you're going to fall right out...in fact, my beer flew off at one point! It was so much fun....Josh, Me, Dad, Uncle Clint and Dick went. And, our boat WON!!! So cool...I'd have to say one of the coolest excursions we've done yet.

OKC Memorial Marathon

2008-04-27T18:13:00.003-04:00

Today was the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon in memory of the victims of the bombing. The Batteries Plus team went to OKC to run the 1/2 marathon and marathon relay! It was quite an adventure of a weekend, but we had lots of fun...I think the look on everyones face when we realized that it was raining outside was pretty priceless ;D. We had to get up at 4:45 to be ready to leave by 5:30...and the run started at 6:30...freakin early! Once we got into it, it did quit raining, but it was still darn cold when you were done! I ran the marathon relay with some other dudes b/c of the injury in my foot...I did the first leg and I had high aspirations of continuing on with the other gals just to finish the half, but it was not to be. These old lady parts were having none of it, and I was so dissapointed! But all my girls did AWESOME and I am so proud of them! Fun, fun times.

Cruise post #2!

2008-04-25T17:46:00.002-04:00

So! Here is part 2! ;D Thursday we were in St. Thomas...we went on a gonala ride up to Paradise Point and got some awesome views of the island. It was so pretty...just breathtaking! After dinner that night, we went to see a hypnotist..so hysterical! The next morning, we got to go to a cooking show in the theater. They showed how to make a few of the dishes they offer, and after it was done, we got a tour of the galley. That was really neat to see. Uncle Clint did another tour later about the theater and got to see some of the costumes and the dressing rooms. Friday night was the final formal night. It also was the Newlywed/Not so Newlywed Gameshow in one of the clubs. We had gotten to know one of the cruise directors, and she fixed it so Josh and I were picked to take part! It was hysterical...not a story for the blogpage...but call me if you wanna hear! And we won!! Pretty cool. Later that night we went to the Champagne Waterfall...it was cool to see. The next day was our day in the Bahamas. We snorkeled and laid on the beach...it was so wonderful and relaxing. That night was our final dinner with our wonderful waiter Alex...he was so much fun, a real hoot! I even jokingly asked for a Love Boat to go (yes people,I had one every night!!!) and he fixed it for me! All wrapped up like a swan...so I ate it for a midnight snack. The final picture if of all of us on our decks...they all connected! So much fun. What a week...what a vacation! I'm counting down the days until we can go again!

Cruise #1!!

2008-04-25T17:09:00.003-04:00

As you know, I am the queen of pictures, so this is just round one!! We had such a great time on our cruise...we went with my Dad and Mama C, Aunt Red and Uncle Clint and our new friends Dick and Patty. It was a blast. Day one we got on the boat and went to the "Sail Away" deck party. So much fun...it was cool to watch Ft. Lauderdale fade into the distance ;D. The next day was at sea, so we got our lounge chairs and chilled out in the sun all afternoon. That night was our first formal night and the captians cocktail party, so we went to that and got our picture taken with the Commodore. And got some free drinks!! Love the pink champagne! :D After that, we headed to dinner and a few shows. Tuesday we another day at sea...so great to have some relaxation time! Wednesday we woke up in St. Maarten and headed out for our shore excursion...racing on Americas Cup boats!! It was so much fun...our boat won! Then we went into the town for some shopping. That night, we had the Island Night Deck Party...dad had been looking forward to it all week! It was a blast. Lots of good music...as you can see, dad worked hard on his patented *Scraping the Barrel* move! ;D At the end, they shot off streamers, and Josh was so sweaty they all stuck to his head...pretty funny. The waiters were bringing him more to stick on! So, that was the first 1/2 of the week!!

Joshua's 29th Birthday!

2008-04-03T21:26:00.004-04:00

Happy Birthday Josh!! Tuesday night we went out to dinner with some of our friends and family to celebrate Josh turning 29. It was a blast! Instead of bringing out ice cream, the waiters brought him a shot of tequila and made him wear that goofy hat while they sang to him. Pretty freakin funny! 10 adults and 7 kids can create some havoc at a restuarant ;D. Then on Wednesday (his actual day) Micah and I went to his office to have lunch with him, and I made a yummy lasagna for dinner. Josh told me that when people asked him how old he was, no one wanted to believe him because 29 is the *last* birthday you have!! They all thought he had turned 30 something and just didnt want to tell! :D

Micahs Very First T-Ball Game!! :D

2008-03-26T23:18:00.006-04:00

The same number Dad had in high school!

The tounge out helps him run faster!

Awesome hit buddy!

Classic basball pose!! :D

What a stud!!

So, Micah had his very first ever t-ball game today! So exciting! I was bummed b/c I had to teach tonight, but he did awesome! Josh got some great pics. I was able to catch the last inning, so that was good. ;D He LOVES it! I think he's thrilled to have a sport to play like his big brothers....and the snacks help too! We are well on our way to a very fun, and BUSY sports season!! :D

Last day of spring break....

2008-03-24T22:55:00.003-04:00

Today was the last day before the boys went back to school and we decided to make the most of it! It was a little windy, but perfect for flying the new kites they got for Easter. They had so much fun...Micah was the best flyer of them all! We had a picnic in the park, flew the kites and they played HARD all afternoon!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-24T22:51:00.002-04:00

We spent Easter weekend in Haven with Joshuas family...fun times!! Saturday morning we got up and dyed eggs for the Easter Bunny. The boys had a ball! After that, we headed to Wichita to go see a movie...we saw Horton Hears a Who and the boys loved it! They only saw it once and I think they can quote 1/2 of it! After the movie, we had to go to Target because Micah had decided last week that the Easter Bunny would be tired from his travels and needed a snack! He said to me, "But Mama, Santa gets cookies and milk, shouldnt we leave something for the Easter Bunny?" We deicided on carrots and water. Micah had a theory that the more food we left out, the more *surprises* they would get! Clay thought it was genius! What nuts. We had a really great day, hunting eggs, going to church and then spending the afternoon with family. The boys will be on a sugar high for the next month...but at least they go back to school tomorrow!! :D

Grandmother Goes to California!

2008-03-16T20:58:00.001-04:00

I wrote this the other night right after I said goodbye to Grandmother and couldn't bring myself to put it up quite yet, I just wanted to get my words right...right now, she and my mom are driving across the country. Please pray for their safe travel.

So, my Grandmother is moving to California....and it's hurting my heart. For those of you who don't know, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's earlier this year, and it was a shock to my system...and that of our whole family. My dads father, my Poppo, has suffered with this horrible disease for a long time, and the very thought of watching two of my grandparents struggle through it at the same time is overwhelming. Anyway, she had moved here to Tulsa last summer to be closer to Mom and by default me, my family and my sister. I was so overjoyed to have her near...the thought of having her close so that my boys could know her better and... experience her was so cool to me. But due to circumstances beyond anyones control, she is moving. I've tried and tried to put my feeling for her into words, but I just cant...I'll try and describe. She can be difficult and frustrating at times, but my thought of her is overwhelmingly that of comfort. When I got pregnant at the age of 16, besides my parents, I was most frightened to tell her...I was so scared of seeing the disappointment in her eyes. But never did I see that...I just got a huge hug and lots of prayers. And that is the way it has always been with her...she'll put her soft hands on mine, and tell me how much she loves me. That's another thing I love about her....her hands and her hugs...again, the comfort thing. She has always been this *force* in my life, one of the few that when I went through that trial (teenage pregnancy) (besides my immediate family and very few friends) stood by me unwaveringly. And that she will not be just a car ride away, weather that be 4 hours of 4 minutes is almost too much for me to bear. Watching her with my kids has been such a joy...they love her to pieces, and the feeling is mutual. So, I'm trying to focus on what we got to have, and not be so sad. But being more cognizant of what happens with this disease (again, watching it with Poppo) has made me all that much more aware of the time I spend with her, trying to absorb every minute I can. But when my kids hugged her goodbye tonight, and I knew in all reality that would probably be the last time they saw her, it nearly broke my heart in half. And when I was soaking up that last hug...all I could think was I wonder if the next time I hug her she'll remember me...its devastating. It breaks my heart...but I'm so grateful that I have her. I have asked myself over and over...have I done enough? Have I spent enough time with her? I always thought I was happy with what I had done..but my answer is no, its never enough. But now, I'll have a new pen pal :). Love your grandparents while you have the chance...they could be gone before you know it.

St. Pat's Run

2008-03-16T20:41:00.003-04:00

Saturday morning, I ran the St. Patricks Run with some of the Batteries Plus girls. It was only a 5K, but it was important for me to do...last year, the St. Pats run was the first race I ever participated in, and I thought I was going to DIE!!! I wasnt sure I would ever do something like that again ;D. But since then, I've done the Tulsa Run (9 miles) and the Route 66 Half Marathon, several other races and I am getting ready to do another half marathon with the team in OKC the end of April. So, let me just give myself a pat on the back at how far I've come in a year...I shattered my time from last year and I actually felt good when I finished! Wow! They had free beer at the end, so we all grabbed a cup, but then threw it away when we decided we wanted coffee...thats how you know you're getting old!! When you throw away FREE beer to go pay for coffee!! ;D

The Wedding!!

2008-03-16T20:31:00.003-04:00

So, here are the final pictures of the wedding....it was simply beautiful. Watching thier faces was the most fun thing for me, I think Jason said "Oh my God" about 5 times as Betsy walked down the aisle!! So, now they are the Davis'! Yeah!!! ;D Congrats, we love you both so much.

Bach Party #2!! The Personal Shower

2008-03-13T15:02:00.008-05:00

Her face when she sees what all we have in store for her!

Yes, those are cakes shaped like...penis.

Ummm...yes, those say "Lick me" :D They'll go great with the candy bra!

The candy bra...yum, yum!!

Oh, she'll KILL me for this one!! ;D

Me and my penis coffe the next morning!

Friday night after the rehersal was over, the girls went back to Betsys hotel room to have a personal shower, and the guys went to the hotel lobby to play poker. Betsy walked into the room after having some private time with Jason and promptly saw the penis cakes I had baked specially for the evening!! (If you need to know how to bake a penis-call me, theres a whole science to it!! My experience is pretty entertaining!) We also had the requisite peni straws, which didnt really work so well. ;D We had a great time laughing and talking and hooting it up with champagne and cake.

Rehersal Dinner

2008-03-12T16:31:00.009-05:00

I'm bummed b/c the pics we took at the rehersal didn't come out so well...but we got a few cute ones from the dinner. And the dinner was AMAZING!!!! Jerilyn's moms group put it all together and it was simply wonderful...they did a fantastic job and we were all stuffed and happy at the end of the meal!

Bach Party #1!

2008-03-12T16:19:00.002-05:00

Thursday night we took Betsy out for bachelorette party #1!! It was a great time...we went out for a nice dinner, then went and saw 27 Dresses (cute wedding movie!) and then headed to the bar for some karaoke!! It was a lot of fun. We had some fun *dare* cards for Betsy, and she had to do fun things like ask a guy for a neck rub and another guy for change for the condom machine...hilarous! We took turns singing some songs, then all sang one together right before we left...it was a blast! ;D

Betsys Wedding....a little tease ;D

2008-03-12T15:05:00.004-05:00

I have got a TON of pics to post from last weekend...but I've been sick so I havent had a chance!! But it's on my to do list..here are a few pics for the moment, I got them from my sis-in-law Falons page...I'll be posting more later...and ALL the stories to go with them!! ;D Thanks for letting me steal your pics Bird!! They're awesome!

Michael Buble!!

2008-03-10T19:26:00.004-05:00

Well, the night before I left for KC for the wedding, Josh and I got to go to Oklahoma City to see Michael Buble in concert! It was amazing...simply wonderful. We had a fantastic dinner (without kiddo interruption!!!) and then watched the show...and even though we were in the nose bleeds...I'm talkin as far back and in the corner as we could get people!....it was the best date we've been on in so long. The only hang up was that on the way home there was a wreck on the turnpike that had us stopped for over an hour.... :( But, I think I've got my husband hooked on the Buble!! :D

Ethan Graduates Cub Scouts

2008-02-25T15:02:00.002-05:00

This weekend, Ethan graduated from Cub Scouts and became a Boy Scout! It was a really cool thing...they had a big ceremony for them. It was neat, because these boys have worked so hard, and for them to be recognized for that was really cool. He had a lot of fun, and is excited because most of the boys in his old pack are going to be going with him to his new Boy Scout troop. :D Way to go Ethan! We are so proud of you!!!

Betsy's Bridal Shower

2008-02-23T21:53:00.003-05:00

Today was Betsys bridal shower. Two weeks from today is the big day! Can you believe it? She came down with strep throat earlier this week, and was in some severe pain Friday, but finally was feeling better Saturday....thats why you see her chugging the cough syrup right from the bottle! :D Better now than in 2 weeks, right? Probally the *best* gift was Munnas wedding ring that Aunt Brenda gave to Betsy...so special. We had lots of fun, food and laughs...especially when we all shared interesting "marriage tidbits"....great times!

Clayton turns 6!!!!

2008-02-23T21:48:00.003-05:00

Clayton Tyler turned 6 on Tuesday! What a big day...not only did he have a birthday, he also lost a tooth! :D He was so excited. His birthday party is Sunday afternoon, so he's been kind of confused about his actual *birthday*, but we've got him all straightened out, I think! Such a big dude... ;D

Micah has no training wheels!!

2008-02-13T17:25:00.004-05:00

Micah has no training wheels!! Last Saturday, Josh talked to Micah about taking off his training wheels, and his response was "But I'm not 5 yet!" Too funny! His wheels are bent so badly that he hardly uses them anyway, so it was just logical that they come off. When Josh took them off, he just rode away! Didnt need hardly any help at all! Now he's a champ, keeping up with his brothers like a "big" boy ;D.

Blue and Gold Banquet

2008-02-13T17:19:00.005-05:00

The other night we had Ethans final Blue and Gold Banquet for Cub Scouts! I can't belive he's about to be done with it...and move on to Boy Scouts. Next weekend is his formal graduation ceremony. At this banquet, they did all the regular stuff, and at the end, had a magician perfom. It was pretty cool...he was funny too! For his final trick, he called for a volunteer...and picked Ethan ;D. He brought him up on stage and pretended like he was going to chop off his hand...it was too funny..E was pretty nervous...you can see in that one pic him covering his eyes! At one point, the magician asked if Ethan trusted him, and Ethan very loudly said "NO!!" Hysterical! Of course, he came out of the trick just fine, but the kids were amazed that his hand was still attached ;D. Great times.

Everyday life....

2008-01-26T18:51:00.000-05:00

I just realized today that I haven't made a post in awhile! Not too much going on here at the Miles household, we're settling back into life after the holiday madness ;D. Clayton has 2 loose teeth, Ethan has lost 4 teeth in the span of about a week and a half (I don't think he's going to be able to chew soon!) and Micah is convinced hes got a whole headful of loose teeth! He so badly wants to be a "big guy". Clay is doing awesome in basketball, he LOVES it. Today he got the Sportmanship Star because a little boy on the other team knocked him down so hard it knocked his shoe right off, and Clay got right up and kept on playing! He and Ethan are signed up for spring soccer, and Micah is going to play T-ball. So, it will be interesting having all 3 in sports this season...Josh and I will see each other coming and going, I suppose! So, thats it for now, I'll post some new pics soon. Love you all much! ;D

Clays tooth and 1st Basketball Game!!

2008-01-15T11:30:00.000-05:00

Clayton Tyler lost his very first tooth last Friday! How exciting!!

He was so nervous to pull it, but it was a whole family affiar and he did great! It finally came out with floss and a good yank from Daddy. Ethan was holding his hand while I was holding him and Micah was saying "I'm not watching, I'm not watching!!" pretty comical ;). That night before bed we asked him how much he thought he was going to get from the tooth fairy and he said $20!! Holy cow! He was kinda dissapointed with what he got ;).
Then Saturday he had his very first basketball game!! Go Cougars!

He did so great!! He scored the very first goal of the game and he was stoaked!! It was so neat, they called all the dudes out from a "locker room" area, and they ran through the cheerleaders to the floor. Pretty fun! At every time out and while he was on the bench, Clay could be seen checking out the cheerleaders on the sidelines..often with his mouth hanging wide open! It was hysterical! The coaches do an awesome job with the kids, they are all on the floor with them, so at this age, its really all about teaching the basics of the game, and having fun. So great! We're looking forward to a really fun season...you're welcome to come check him out anytime ;)

Christmas in Tulsa!

2008-01-12T21:06:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we had Christmas with mom here in Tulsa with all my siblings. We had great fun, and the last 1/2 of our time, it was 70 degrees!! So great! So we all got to play outside. We had a ball playing Guitar Hero, American Idol (I am the champ, thank you very much!) and other fun games. We also played a new game that required lots of teeth and yelling...tons of fun! Wrap up a gift with lots and lots of tape and then make people put on oven mitts to open it, etc...it was too much fun ;) A great way to end our Christmas celebrations!

Happy Birthday Poppo

2008-01-05T12:47:00.000-05:00

The Sunday before we left KC was my Poppos 82nd birthday. The four of us kids along with Dad went out to visit him in Topeka, where Geri had a cake waiting. We had lots of laughs, and a few tears, but it was so great for all of us to be there together. Such a great man....Happy Birthday Poppo.

Sledding fun!

2008-01-04T16:29:00.000-05:00

It had snowed quite a bit in KC, so we got to go sledding!!! My kiddos had not seen snow yet this year, so they were thrilled to get out and play. Dad has a great hill back behind his house that is perfect for sledding, and Landon and Jer brought over some sleds so we had lots of chances to go. Tons 'o fun ;D

Christmas in KC

2008-01-04T16:11:00.000-05:00

After Kansas, we headed to Missouri to celebrate with my sibs at my parents house in Kansas City. The boys got a kick out of making characters for everyone on the Wii, and watching Nana and Papa T play (Clay even offered Nana pointers!!). We had a ball playing and eating, talking and just hanging out.

Christmas in Kansas

2008-01-04T15:45:00.000-05:00

The day after Christmas we headed to Kansas to spend some time with Joshuas aunts, uncles and cousins on his dads side of the family. His cousin Jack was there with his wife Lisa and their 3 boys, and we hadn't seen them in a long, long time! So that was really fun. While we were there we celebrated Uncle Jack and Aunt Jans 40th wedding anniversary. Lots of fun times! 9 kiddos and lots 'o adults, no lack of entertainment ;)

Christmas Eve/Day 2007

2008-01-04T15:29:00.000-05:00

This Christmas Day we got to be in Tulsa at our house for Christmas!! :D Joshuas parents, sister and Grandma Alpers joined us. We had a great time! The boys opened all their gifts, and then we got to just play all day long. I think the big hit of the day was the Wii Joshua and I bought. We even had Grandma playing it! So much fun. We had a very blessed day, and hope you all did too...

Merry Christmas!! ;D

2007-12-23T14:36:00.000-05:00

Today was the kiddos Christmas program at church. They did a great job!! It was really cute, they sang Silent Night with candles, Jingle Bells with bells to ring (Micah LOVED that!), Away in a Manger, and We Wish you a Merry Christmas. Then Ethan got to help with the puppets part too. Lots of good talent! The Miles Family wishes all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! All our love ;D

Micah's Christmas Program

2007-12-19T21:05:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Micah had a Christmas program at his school. It was pretty cute, the boys were shepards and the girls were angels. Micah only goes on Fridays, and with all the ice and stuff, he's missed a few, so I'm not sure he's been there enough to practice, so most of the time he was just standing up there....when he wasn't waving to me!!! But it was still really sweet. We dressed him up, and he combed his own hair :D, although when we got there he REFUSED to take off his coat! Turkey butt. He's getting so big! He was really excited to have an event of his very own for mama to come to. ;)

Ice, Ice Baby....

2007-12-13T12:52:00.000-05:00

Well, we are all fine here in Oklahoma after this ice storm! We were without power for a few days, but finally have it back. We are counted among the fourtunate here in Tulsa, as there are still many, many people here without it. We've had some fun sleepovers with Aunt B and Uncle J, meals with good friends and just helping people out. We're the only ones on the block with a chainsaw and Josh has had a lot of fun getting that mother out and takin out some work frustration on some downed tree limbs! It's a good time to remember that we dont just take care of ourselves, we take care of those around us, and anyone we can possibly get our hands on. Another snow storm is expected Friday night into Saturday, so hopefully that one won't be as bad...thanks for all your prayers and well wishes! We're stayin warm ;D.

Christmas Party

2007-12-03T20:31:00.000-05:00

Saturday night, Josh and I got to go to his IBM Christmas party. It was lots of fun! We haven't been to one in years, we always seem to be out of town, so it was nice to go and have a night out! It's been awhile for that too! ;) The boys stayed home with Granmommy and watched Frosty the Snowman and had lots of fun too...

Thanksgiving

2007-11-27T13:51:00.000-05:00

Well, aside from all the exciting announcements, we had lots of other stuff going on at our Thanksgiving celebration! ;) Wednesday night, both of moms brothers came over so we got to spend some time with them, and some of our cousins. After they left, Betsy, Jer, Mom and I stayed up late making pies and bread dough and just chatting the night away. That is one of my favorite parts...the great talks! Then Thursday, we had another housefull!! It was a blast...cooking in the kitchen, talking with family. Even the kiddos did really great. It was colder than...well, lets just say it was COLD!! And all those kids were stuck inside, and they did really great for it. Saturday morning we got to go to a Christmas parade with Santa bringing up the rear. Pretty fun stuff!

Another exciting announcement!!!

2007-11-23T21:55:00.000-05:00

Today my baby sister got ENGAGED!!!! His name is Jason Davis, and they are a perfect match. ;) He had a "hunt" set up for her at my brothers church (we're all in Liberty MO celebrating Thanksgiving) to find the ring. He sent her on a journey where she would find several stations, that each had a letter telling a story of their relationship. The first station was "When we Met", the second was "When We Kissed", the third, "When we Said I Love You" and the fourth was "When He Proposed". It was wonderful!!! I got to walk along with her to take her picture for reactions as she walked along, then left her as she walked through the sanctuary door to where he was waiting at the front of the church (where they will be married) to propose to her. So sweet! When she saw him there, she told us she RAN to him! ;) Lots and lots of tears and hugs and celebration all around. Such a wonderful, happy day...one I know I am sooo very grateful to be a part of, I wish them both nothing but the very best purple in the world ;D. But in all seriousness, I'm so grateful my sister has found this man, and they are so happy together...I love you both so very, very much.

Something to be Thankful for.... ;D

2007-11-22T20:53:00.001-05:00

This afternoon after Thanksgiving dinner, we started a new tradition called the "Thankful Basket". Everyone took an opportunity to write down something they were thankful for (including the kiddos), and after our meal, we all took turns choosing one to read. The final note read, by mom, was "I am thankful that, in June, a 4th child will be born in our family."!!!! Jaws dropped and tears fell, hugs all around...the Whitsitt family is expanding!! Congratulations!! An 8th boy, perhaps??? ;D Just wanted to share our happy news with you all....Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!