Extreme in OK...Part 2

In addition to the list of injuries from Kelli's post, I also had rubbed raw both elbows and both knees. One thing you don't see in any of these pictures is the fact that I'm wearing knee pads.

The previous picture didn't do justice to my abuse. As the newbie to this sporting event, I became the target of much abuse. Lauren felt the need to teach me a lesson on how things really work in the family. Notice I attempted to stay on even upside down.

As painful as the events were that day, I had a blast playing with the cousins. Thanks Nuttall's for a fun weekend!

Extreme in OK

Here's a glimpse of "tubing", Nuttall style.

*Original photo removed due to adult content. Thanks for the tip, Mere.*

Jeff left to go back home today, complete with bloody knuckles, a fat lip (possibly a loose tooth or two) and more sore muscles than he knew he had. We leave for home on Wednesday. I'll give a full report, for any cousin who's interested. Of course, we miss anyone who isn't here!

And, last but not least,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DELANEY!!!

Independance Day

We woke up to a cold and overcast 4th of July. Still determined to make something of the day, we went to our local flea market at the county fairgrounds. It looked like if it was going to rain, it would only drizzle. Well, you know how the story goes...it poured the whole time we were there! When the animals aren't at the fairgrounds, the sellers are peddling their wares in those buildings. So, we'd dash from the pig building to the sheep builing to the poultry building trying to stay dry. We bought the kids kettle corn as a way to buy some time while we waited out a down pour. And they didn't like it! Who doesn't like Kettle corn? (By the way, Vicki L., if you are reading this, I've always meant to ask for your Kettle corn recipe. Mind sharing?)

Thankfully, about 7 pm the clouds broke, somewhat, and the town still did their fireworks show.

Delaney and Addie, waiting for the show to start.


Addie, smiling, because she thinks she's tricky having climbed into the stroller by herself.


Watching the fireworks.


I thought for sure that the fireworks would scare her, but Addie loved them. She even sat by herself in her chair for quite a while.


It was probably the coldest 4th we have ever celebrated (high was about 73*), but we felt lucky to surrounded by friends, celebrating our great country that we love so much!

Myrtle Beach, SC

At the end of last month, we were able to travel to Myrtle Beach, SC, and spend 5 days with our Clark family. We met Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Sheryl and our four cousins. The weather was gorgeous...each day the same as the previous and no better than the next. Jackson and Delaney have always loved the beach, so we were hoping that Addison would follow suit. She certainly didn't disappoint, and loved every minute she spent in the ocean. The sand didn't seem to bother her, either.

Addie would sit forever at the water's edge, transferring mud in and out of a bucket. She also loved chasing the waves, and in turn being chased by the waves. Here she is in hot pursuit.


My favorite Addison face...the wrinkly nose grin.


Typically Delaney loves to gather shells, and has started quite a collection in her room. She spent lots of time searching, gathering, cleaning, and organizing.


Of course, no trip to the beach could be complete without the hair braiding.


One of Delaney's favorite parts of our hotel was the lazy river. It was shallow enough that she could swim in it without a life jacket. If she wasn't collecting shells, it seemed that she was in the lazy river.


Historically, Jackson can sit on the beach and dig and dig for hours. Though, this year, he was a little more interested in body surfing than digging, he still managed to dig a hole, almost as deep as he is tall (the picture doesn't quite do it justice).


Jackson really took to body surfing. Grandma and Grandpa remembered to bring his boogie board he'd gotten in Marco Island last November. He spent a large majority of the time in search of the perfect wave to ride back to shore.


Before we left, if you asked Jackson what he was planning on doing in Myrtle Beach, he'd tell you he planned on lots of miniature golf. In fact, he was so serious about it, he brought his own putter from home. Here we are, about to begin at Mayday golf, complete with rescue helicopter. The helicopter's rotors even spun. And as a side note...the mini golf places in Myrtle beach are so elaborate! There's one on every corner and the themes are varied (ie., Hawaiian, jungle, mayday, volcano, etc.) Jackson's idea of heaven.


We took the younger kids on the easy, stroller friendly, course while the big kids went with Grandpa on the hard course. On our first hole, Delaney announces to everyone that she got a "hole in one!" However, she hadn't, but I assumed she wasn't sure what it meant, so I just let it slide. On the next hole, she announced she got a "hole in two!" Whatever...letting it slide again. As we progressed on, we realised she'd announce that she got a "hole in whatever-number-hole-we-were-on". Here she is celebrating a "hole in thirteen!"


After we finished. You can tell how hot it was from those rosy cheeks everyone has!


However, our favorite part of the trip was getting to spend time with cousins we don't get to see very often. It was so fun to re-connect with Alicia, Misti, Brylan and Ryker. We were so grateful that Sheryl, despite being a single mother for the week, was willing to bring her crew along for us to play with!



Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa, for such a wonderful time. We can't think of a better way to spend a week. We loved it and can't wait to see you soon (hopefully in August?)!

Oldie but Goodie

This is one of my favorite pictures, from back in the day when we only used film. This is Jackson and Jeff, circa 2001, goofing around at my parent's home in Park City. Question is...is he being thrown up, or dropped down from above?



Hard to tell for sure, right?

One sounds fun!

Happy Birthday, Addie Cate! Yes, I know your birthday was over two weeks ago. But Delaney and I were in Utah helping Grandma and Grandpa Critt move into their new home, so we weren't able to be with you on June 17th. We thought about you all day long, though, and called to sing you "Happy Birthday". Life is just tricky in that way, sometimes. You'll find that often there are two great things that require your attention, though you can only attend to one of them. So, because we worry about Grandma and the way stress affects her health, we decided the best place for us to be on June 17th was with her. And our thoughts were at home, with you.

Then, almost the minute Delaney and I arrived home, we turned back around and headed down to the beach with our Clark cousins and grandparents. So, there was no time for a celebration before we left. We had so much fun at the beach. You loved the beach more than any baby I've seen. You loved to hang out at the water's edge. As the waves came up to you, you'd love it when they'd reach you, and then as they would recede back to the ocean, you'd crawl as fast as you could after them. Once you'd realize they were coming back, you'd race back to shore, waiting for them to find you. This game of "cat and mouse" would go on and on. I only wish we'd had our video camera with us!

So, this past weekend we were finally home and in the mood to celebrate! We had some of our favorite people, who all love you, over to celebrate such a big day. Here you are, before the party, in a dress that Grandma Critt gave Delaney for her first birthday and you wore for yours. (Tess, any chance you'd like it for Abby? Make it a Crittenden tradition?)

We had a cupcake party that was a big hit with everyone. All the kids who were so thrilled once we finally ate dessert. I wanted the kitchen island to look like a cupcake bakery, and I was pleased with how it turned out.

One thing you will definitely come to know about your mom, is that I can't make much magic happen in the kitchen. However, when I saw this cake mold, I figured it couldn't be too hard. And I was right! It wasn't too hard and I was happy that you had your own "cupcake" (it actually took 1 1/2 cake mixes) to eat/smash at your party.

Here you are, waiting to blow out the candle, wondering what all the attention is for!

Of course I thought you would love to dig in to your cake. However, you wouldn't even really touch it. You had plenty of helpers trying to demonstrate how to do it (the darn video won't load though!). Maybe you will be just as girly as your older sister. You didn't even take a taste until someone handed you a fork. And even then, you weren't too impressed.

Addie, there are so many darling things about you. My most favorite face you make is when you wrinkle up your nose to smile at someone. Here you are, smiling at Steven.

Last November, I sat down to write a note to Jackson, telling him the 8 (because he turned 8) things I loved about him. So, now I sit, trying to think what is the one greatest thing I love about you. I've actually given this quite a bit of thought over the past few weeks. And I realize, the thing I love the most about you is the way you have taught me to love. You have re-defined a mother's love for me. Before you entered our family, I think I had become a complacent mother, loving things that came my way. But only when they came my way. You have taught me to love as a verb! I now understand that to love, is to be loved. There are many days I have fought fiercely for a smile from you, or a giggle. And often, they were few and far between. But when they came, it was amazing how miraculous they were. And how had I missed that with your older brother and sister? I hadn't understood how momentous those smiles and giggles were. I took them for granted and you have helped me to find the wonder in small things.

One of my favorite quotes comes from a play, "Our Town", that I saw when I was in high school. I've never forgotten a scene where the character, Emily, has died and is given the chance to revisit one day in her life. She chooses her 12th birthday. She sees her mother, so busy getting the house ready for the birthday party, overlooking her daughter on her birthday. As the adult spirit that she now is, she says,

“Oh, Mama, just look at me one minute as though you really saw me.”

Then, as she thinks about how easy it is to miss the little things in life, she says,

“All that was going on in life and we never noticed... Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? - every, every minute?”

I've always remembered that line from a play I saw long ago (and long before I was a mother), because I was determined never to be the mother who didn't see life as I was living it. I've wanted to make sure I really "saw" my children everyday. And yet, somehow I'd forgotten. And you've reminded me of the joy in the everday. And I'm so grateful because sometimes life isn't any bigger than the small things. And best of all? Most often the small, happy things add up to one great big wonderful life.

Happy Birthday, Tink. I love you.

Mom.