In My Mind

My mind has felt empty lately.

I'm unsure if it's empty or so full that it feels empty.

I've been thinking a lot.... a lot.

"Bout what?" you ask.

Lots of things really.

I learned that when you stick your muscle with a needle it hurts for two hours straight. It also hurts the next day when you walk, but by the third day all is well again.

I think I'm trying to listen to God so much that I think I'm not hearing him. Or perhaps, I'm not listening very well. I don't know.

I want a Life Group. I need and yurn for accountability. Matt needs it to, he just doesn't say anything.

Matt and I are totally different when it comes to talking about what God is teaching us. He doesn't say and I toss things out there. I do it so much that I begin to hold things back b/c I don't want to sound crazy. He doesn't know that.

We are also different in our worship styles. I'm a 'balls to the wall' cry like a baby kind of worshipper, he's a 'stand in awe' kind of guy.

I've been thinking a lot about my relationship with my sister. But that's probably not for here. The gist? We are night and day different in regards to how we live our life and raise our children. How did we end up such different people but raised by the same parents?

I did decide where I am going to start buying gifts for people. I'm not telling you in case you are the recipient of a gift.

I decided the fire pit was the best money we have spent since we paid the doctor bills for the kids when they were born.

I learned that Cooper is not a nice little boy when driving in the car, in fact he is downright rude.

The Playstation 2 we bought last year has gone unplayed for over 6 months. It probably will not get played again because Guitar Hero is not going to get easier when you have MS. So if you know anyone who wants to buy it, we can make a deal possibly.

Bagworms will attempt to kill your potted plants. And killing them with bug spray is a fun way to get vengeance.

I need to open my Bible more and not turn on the tv.

I have been thinking if God said, "Sell everything and follow me..." could I or would I?

I want to be more obsessed with God than I am now, and I don't really know how? That may sound dumb, sorry if it does.

A Flowergirl & a Cool Wedding

This weekend, my cousin Annie, got married! She asked the children of her cousins, which would be my sister and I, to be flower girls. The wedding took place at Woodland Park Vineyards in Stillwater. Such a beautiful place.

It was an outdoor wedding, with a modern country flare. Not sure what Annie would call it, but that's how I describe it. Tables were set up in part of the vineyard. Old watering cans & buckets held sunflowers and other native things that you would find in the area.

There were four tables that held food. There are only three visible here though. Far left, was fried chicken, potato salad, rolls etc. We ate with wooden forks, spoons and knives. The second from the left table, had dessert items. The table second from right, had pies, cupcakes, cookies, gumdrops, licorice etc. You were to grab a popcorn bag, and fill it up with goodies.
The table that is not visible had sangria, which everyone said was tasty, I did not partake. But the best part? They had bottles of soda from POPS which is in Arcadia, Oklahoma. Matt and I are SO going there. I tried a mint soda, vanilla creme, Rootbeer and a pineapple. So tasty. On the trees were pictures my aunt took of the couple.

The flower girls reminded me of little sunflowers. Annie made their tutu's.

There was also a photo booth with props that people could take their picture and leave a tip for the couple. Brilliant idea really.

We had to walk from the reception site to the wedding site. This chair sits alongside a pond.

Chloe ran down the isle and didn't spill a single petal. Once she got to the end, she began doing her job.

She sprinkled them all up front.

Coop didn't have as much fun as everyone else. He was grumpy. That could have been because he woke up at 5:46am saying, "Dada, Dada, Momma, Momma, Dada...." And on and on until Matt finally gave in around 8:00am, which was about the time Chloe began playing with him. Oh, we were in a hotel room which is why he kept repeating our names; he could see us. Matt and I decided we are going back to Stillwater to stay at The Atherton, without children. It was a nice hotel on the campus of OSU.

Coop did stop whining for a brief moment to take a picture with me. But he had to headbutt me first. Which felt real nice.

But at the end of the day, they did it!

If I hadn't been chasing Chloe all day I would have more pictures of the cool things they had in the wedding.

Walk With Megan

I signed up to participate in the Walk MS event in Edmond on October 11.

I asked many people to donate or join my team and the response has been overwhelming. I knew I had friends, but I didn't realize how much you sweet people really cared about me.

My initial goal was $300. That was met within a few weeks.

So I upped the goal to $500. That was met within a few weeks.

So now I am trying to recruit people to join my team; Megan's Mates. When you join my team, you will get your own page you can send to people and ask them to support you! You will be surprised at how many people know someone who has MS.

If you can't make the walk, then donate to my team.

Click on the logo to either donate OR join my team.

Together we can make MS walk the plank! Arrrgg.

(I can't take credit for that clever saying. My friend Kristin H. thought of it.)

I Am A Painter

I decided something the other day.

"I am going to be a painter."

That decision came after a strand of thoughts I've had over the years.

"I'm just not that creative." I've used that sentence before and have heard others say it.

Growing up, my cousin and Aunt were crazy creative and still are! My Aunt used to own a little shop. In it she sold her crafty things and other's crafty things. As long as I can remember, the both of them were always making & creating things; they still are.

When I was younger, my Grandma would send us birthday cards. She would draw and/or paint an animal or character we were in to. I loved Snoopy and Calvin & Hobbes.

I used to think, "I wish I could paint cards like that."

A few years into my marriage, Matt drew me a picture of a flower he found in a magazine. It's in Chloe's room.

My dad has drawn a bunch of gerbera daisy pictures. They are my favorite flower. Three hang in Chloe's room.

I would say, "I wish I could draw like them."

When Chloe was born, I wanted a way to creatively commemorate her birth and life. So I began scrapbooking. I would see others creations and say, "I wish I was scrappy like them."

Just before Cooper was born, I got my dream camera. I began learning, snapping and creating pictures. I would see others photos and say, "I wish I could take pictures like that."

Then, a thought dawned on me the other day.

If God created the Heavens and Earth, you and me and mosquitoes and the fish in the oceans and the air we breath, the child I call Chloe, the half- tailed squirrel, Charlotte and the crab spider. If he goes to the effort to make the skies look different every single night for you and I to see, if he tells the sun when to rise and fall, if he gives the butterfly its color...

AND if we are ALL created in the image of the One who can and has done ALL of the above and more....

... then I can paint, I can draw, I can scrap, I can snap and I am crafty.

Don't expect my stuff to look like Picasso. You will be lucky if you see it.

Life Is Good.

I've not had a lot to say lately, hence the reason I haven't said anything.

My mom always said, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

I haven't had anything nice to say nor anything mean.

Next week I'll attempt stepping back into my creative writing class.

It's possible the reason I've had nothing to say is because for the first time in a long long time, there is nothing dramatic going on in my life!!!

Maybe that's what this feeling is. The feeling of normal? Noooo, could that be possible?

Let's figure this out shall we? My butterfly bushes are blooming and there was a butter on them the other day, as the above pictures will show. There was also a cute little crab spider hiding amongst the buds and although not normal a pleasant surprise nonetheless.

'Charlotte,' the other backyard spider, has been creating her web every night. Again possibly just pleasant and not 'normal like.'

The squirrel with half a tail is still hangin' in there, although ventures along the wires is becoming increasingly difficult with half a tail. The neighbors annoying, yet neglected dog has gone away. That could just be miraculous and not so much normal. The weather is cooling off and that means the mosquitoes will be disappearing, which is erring on the side of normal.

The last thing that might indicate normalcy?
We got a new coffee pot.

So it's official, things are becoming normal again. And although I do not want to be a normal Christian, I do ask for peace every once in a while. Sooo....

I dare say, things are g-g-g-gooo...........

(deep breathe)

Things are good.

Slide Safety

Matt takes the kids to the park 98.9% of the time. When he does, he goes down the slide with Cooper or Chloe on his lap and sometimes with both on his lap. Kids love it, Matt loves it, everyone has a grand ol' time....

.... A few weeks ago, I either read a story or heard a story, I can't remember. The gist was a warning for parents.

A dad was going down a slide with his child in his lap. The child's shoe stuck to the side of the slide and the force of the dad behind the child caused the child's leg to break.

That makes total sense. It was something neither Matt nor myself had ever thought of. BUT rubber and those slides are not friends, there is a lot of friction. (bad joke)

Last night, I received an email from a friend. She told me her 21 month old son broke his leg while sliding with his brother.

It was the same scenario I had read about! Shoe versus slide and someone sliding behind the child.

My friend has two little boys, ages 3 and 21 months and is expecting her third in a month!

I know this is something we no longer do at the park. If Matt goes down the slide with the kids he holds their legs.

Just thought I would share because I'm sure siblings or parents going down slides with the kids is a common occurrence like it was with us....

... remember 'Safety First.'

BBQ Sauce

I knew a guy in college who hated any food that was white. Now there are a few foods that fall into that category, for example mayo, he wouldn't touch. Another white food is ranch dressing. I always thought him to be weird, but this confirmed my beliefs of his weirdness, until Cooper was born.

Recently I have decided I no longer like Ranch dressing, plus it isn't that good for you.

But most people think all foods are better with ranch. I beg to differ. I would argue most everything is better with BBQ sauce!

Let me enlighten you...

Pizza, potatoes(grilled or baked), chicken(grilled, baked, nugget-ized, stripped & kabob'd), hamburgers or beef in general, okra and the obvious choice; french fries.

Now BBQ sauce is like a good tube of chap stick, everyone has their first choice.

But I recently gave Country Bob's a try and I was surprised; it was pretty good.

Matt makes the hamburger patties around our house because I don't like to touch meat. He put Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce in the meat prior to grilling and the patties tasted much better. We also bought one of those rotisserie chickens from Wal-Mart, baked two potatoes and used CB's as our dipping sauce. Pretty tasty.

Anyways, go to the store and try something new. You can go to their website here and get a coupon for a free bottle to try!

A company who says 'Christ is our CEO' is a company I will support.