Just a few pictures I took with my new camera. I'm still studying the manual. I am a kinesthetic learner, not a visual or auditory, so reading the manual is kind of difficult for me. I am having a hard time with aperture and shutter speed, correlating which is which and how they work together. I am excited for spring b/c I love taking nature and outdoor pictures. When I was younger, I wanted to be a photog. for National Geographic. I almost took a photography class in college as an elective, but didn't have the cashola to buy the type of camera needed for the class, plus I was too much of a social girl to spend time developing the film.

The tulip is planted in my neighbor's yard, she has a whole bunch planted. I am really excited for when they all start blooming. Woodward Park in Tulsa always has a nice tulip garden; hopefully I will get down there before it's too late.
Tulips are Matt's favorite flower, I love love love Gerbera Daisies, but Tulips rank up there.
My dad drew these daisies for me. I have a few more that he has drawn, but these daisies hang in the spare bedroom aka babies room. So if it is a boy the daisies must come down. They will probably go in Chloe Joy's room.

March Madness

It's that time of year yet again!! Yippeee!! I have to admit I love March Madness. Every year my husband and I fill out a bracket. We have a point system set up and we get points for getting teams correct. I have won every year since we've been married (5)! We usually make a bet. For instance, one year the bet was if I won I got a new fishing pole. (I only had one at the time and I needed a bass rod & reel.) If he won, I think he got a new pole as well, it was either a new pole or new shoes. Well, I got the new pole that year. ; ) Another year, I scored a new pair of running shoes! Poor Matt he has yet to win. He really thinks this year is his year, I keep telling him it's not going to be. He picks w/ emotion, I pick w/ logic.

We haven't made a bet yet, we have just filled out our brackets. It is going to get heated this year b/c our brackets are fairly similar. If Butler looses and Kansas doesn't fold, I've got this thing in the bag!! ; )

OH I just thought of what I want if I win.... A pedicure! ;)

A little FYI... The men's basketball team of our alma mater, The University of Central Oklahoma has made it to the Elite Eight in D-II!! Go Bronchos!!

Our Yard

A reason I started this blog, was for me to have a forum to "go-off" every once in a while on issues pertinent to my life, family or the world. This will be an entry where I use this as my forum to vent on a certain issue... Enjoy!

THE DREAM

When Matt and I got married, one of my dreams was to have a house with a really nice fescue filled yard. I wanted nothing more than a yard with constant blooming flowers like tulips, gerbera daisies (those are my fav.), pansies, a big hydrangea plant and green green grass that you can walk barefoot in and it feels cold to the bottoms of your feet.

Last summer, Matt and I won/bid on gift certificates to a local sod store. (I am having an inner battle with not putting their name on this) We won the G.C's in June or July. In Aug. we found out we were pregnant and soon after started having some complications, so the sod laying got put on the back burner.

Summer came and went. Then fall rolled around and Matt was going to get the sod laid, but he wanted a fresh start. He was advised to kill all of the current grass, wait two weeks, dump new dirt and then lay the sod. He accomplishes the grass killing and we/I wait.

Winter arrives and we are getting to the end of the G.C's validity (Dec.31). In early to mid December Matt feverishly tries to get a hold of someone at the sod store and fails. Apparently, they close down in December.

The New Year has arrived. We were going to get our sod in January, BUT if you have read my past blogs you know that in January Matt became a cripple. The sod guy said he would give us a "deal" but we didn't know exactly what that meant. I thought maybe he would give us at least one pallet even though we were supposed to get two.

THE REALITY

My dream is now this reality... I have dead grass, no flowers and a partially dirt covered lawn.


The sod guy did offer to "sell" us sod at a discount. (A normal person might take that deal, but since I know the background, that is a ripoff.)

THE BACKGROUND

We bought those G.C's at the radio's auction. The sod guy tried to tell me he "donated" the gift certificates to the station and therefore has to charge us b/c those "donations" were on last years taxes. I know for a fact those certificates were bought by my boss in exchange for him buying air time! He got paid for the certificates and wants to get double his money. One may argue in his defense that we didn't meet the deadline. That is true, but the deadline was December 31st, not December 15th when he closed his store and never returned our calls. If the store closes on the 15th then put the 15th as the last day the gift certificates are valid.

"You can't pull the sod over my eyes, buddy."

If there were another sod place in Bartlesville, oh did that give it away? OOPS ;) I would pay more money just to not have to pay him for sod already purchased.

No More 4 Megapixels!!!!

If you have read my blogs in the past, you may know that I have an old point and shoot camera that is a 4megapixel. It is considered ancient in electronic years. My hope was with our tax return I would be able to buy me a new fancy smancy camera... My wish came true! I ordered my new Sony A200 on Saturday and it arrived yesterday! This picture of Chloe is one of the first pictures I took. I think I almost cried when I took this b/c w/ my ancient camera the picture would have been blurry and just terrible looking. It has so many bells and whistles that it is going to take some time for me to figure out, but I look forward to the challenge. I have been telling people how ready I am for the baby, but that I didn't want it to come until I got my new camera; BRING ON BABY!

My husband looks hotter w/ my new 10.2 mp camera! ;)

Pedi-virgin No More

Tonight I stepped over to the other side. I am now understanding why people, usually women but I am sure there are men, love getting pedicures. I have never had one until tonight and man have I been missing out. The pedicurist (I made that up, not sure if it's a real term) wasn't able to really "massage" my feet due to the fact I am pregnant, but it was still a wonderful experience. I now know what Matt can get me for all holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and any time he needs to get me a something; gift certificate for a pedicure. I chose a pink color and probably shouldn't have b/c my feet aren't tan, but I don't care I still have pretty toes.

How good are those feet going to look in stirrups?

The Bellybuttonless Wonder

I thought maybe a picture of the basketball I have been carrying around might help you decide if this is a little boy or a little girl. I get asked if I have an inkling as to what it might be. The answer is "no" I have absolutely no idea. I think how can a boy be this mean to his mom and then I think it has to be a girl b/c only a girl would be this mean to her mom. By "mean" I am saying that I get beat up on a second by second basis. One thing is for sure, it's going to be so much fun when this little alien pops out and Matt gets to tell me what it is. Please pray that that grand moment comes soon, please.

I look crooked!

These pictures are definitely not for those with weak stomachs.

Baby-Moon

Last weekend was an eventful weekend for the Knox Clan. I had my first Discovery Toys party, and might I add it went very very well. I superseded my goal! I didn't present very well, but I think the toys sell themselves. I just want to add they aren't "regular" toys for those of you who have never heard of Discovery Toys, they are educational AND fun! ;) http://www.discoverytoysinc.com/

After the party, which ended around noon, we headed to Mounds, America to drop off Chloe at her "mama" and "papa's" house. (Matt's parents) Then it was off to Edmond, Oklahoma; city where all the action is. I know Edmond doesn't rank on the Top 10 Cities To See list, but we had other reasons to go there. We were killing many birds with one little stone. Once in Edmond, we checked in to the Holiday Inn on I-35. It's very new, as is most of Edmond, and very nice. We thouroughly enjoyed our stay there; we recommend.

Saturday night we met up w/ Matt's brother and his wife to eat P.F. Chang's!!!! MMM Good!! I have been craving P.F. Chang's for a month; that's how long we've known we would be in Edmond. Matt and I together in public looks like the craziest thing people have ever seen. Everywhere we went we could hear the remarks like, "She looks like she's going to pop." (I am) Or, "They look like they are struggling." (Matt is still unable to walk normally) We had one guy offer the bench to us in P. F. Chang's b/c he felt so sorry for us! After Chang's we played cards for a couple of hours w/ the other Knox Clan. We haven't played cards together that late since before we all had kids.

Sunday morning was a grand morning. We were able to go to LifeChurch.tv in Edmond! www.lifechurch.tv We haven't been there in a long long time and boy did we miss it. We got to see many people we haven't seen in a very long time. It was so nice to leave having seen everyone and having experienced that "experience." (We call our "services/sermons/music" experiences) We spent Sunday afternoon just mosying around Edmond checking things out. Matt and I went to UCO, but SO much has changed since we were in school.
Monday is the day I had the most fun. We found a little boutique that had kids clothes. We went in to buy Chloe a pair of Pedipeds, b/c we love them. They didn't have her size and we don't make the money it requires to buy any of their clothing, so we left. Across the street we discovered a little shop called Bath Junkie. Get ready for fun... On the door, "Now booking parties." I told Matt that it looked like a place you couldn't just walk in off the streets and look around. Him being the wise one in the marriage suggested we go in anyways. We walked in and the lady greeted us and gave us the down low on how the store worked. Basically, you make your own smells and can put that smell in a lotion, body spray, bath scrub, shampoo, conditioner, laundry stuff, body wash and cologne! I made a lotion and a body spray with two different smells. Matt wasn't really into the idea of making a smell until I opened his eyes to the smell that was hiding amongst the other 150 smells.... it was "wet dirt!" (The angels started singing when he found that smell) He then added a rain fragrance and then you have (drum roll) "Morning Mudd." :) He had it put into a cologne and before you laugh and say gross, it actually smells very very good and can probably be used as a hunting scent; it serves two purposes. If you are ever in Edmond go by the Bath Junkie, it sounds silly, but Matt and I had a blast. It would be a perfect little date night or a girl's outing. http://www.bathjunkie.com/

From L-R: Matt's "Morning Mudd" cologne, my "Mint Kiss" lotion (a minty smell) & my "Spring Smoothie" body spray (a citrusy smell)
Monday night I had a Discovery Toys meeting; that was the main reason for our trip to Edmond. I went to my meeting, then we headed back to reality. As we watched Central Oklahoma get smaller and smaller in the rear view mirror, I think a tear rolled down my cheek. "We probably won't be doing this for a while," I thought. "Baby number two is coming soon and it will be attached to my boob and I will be at the mercy of it's feeding times."