WONDERtorium & Joe's

We managed to make a couple trips to Stillwater while we were in Oklahoma.  Grandma and I took the kids to the WONDERtorium twice.  The kids had a blast both times.  Wyatt loved playing at the water table. 

Blake got to try her hand at milking a cow :)

 Of course, Wyatt had to try, too.

 The slide was a pretty big hit with the kids as well.

 Wyatt, Blake and Mom hands

The kids spent a good portion of their time in the doctor's office section.  They had a receptionist desk, exam table and all sorts of medical accessories to play with.  Here's Wyatt trying out the crutches.

I just had to get my cheese fry fix at Joe's.  We even got to sit out on the new balcony patio!

Blake got a little Buffy plush at Joe's.  Wyatt kept calling it Barfy.  We were laughing so hard.  I think he got frustrated that we were laughing at him because he all of a sudden switched gears and started calling it Bolt :)  Here's the little missy hangin' with Eskimo Joe.

Well, I think that finally catches us up on our 8 week visit to Oklahoma this year.  The kids definitely miss Grandma & Grampy.  Well, so do I.  They were a TON of help.  It was also nice to get to visit so many family members and friends.  But, we've been staying busy since we got back.  So, I'll have even more new posts up soon.  Aren't you excited?!  Hope all is well with everyone.

Fun with 'Cooters'

We bought the kids these cool scooters to play with while we were at Grandma & Grampy's.  They had a blast going up and down the driveway.  Wyatt doesn't say scooter properly - it comes out "cooter".  It's pretty funny.  The other day he kept repeating the statement, "Me. Ride dat (that). Cooter."  He was cracking me up.  Here's a video of Wy-Guy actually riding his cooter.

And, Blake riding her scooter.



Aquarium & Dillo Huntin'

I know I should have made some notes while we were in Ponca so that my blog posts would be a little more complete.  But, I didn't.  So here goes:

My cool kids

Blake showing off her very first hair wrap, complete with butterfly charm.  Since we already had the embroidery floss from making friendship bracelets (previous post), I went ahead and did a little hair wrap for Blake.  She picked out her own colors.

While out for a walk around Grandma & Grampy's neighborhood, Blake was swinging around a street sign pole.  Of course, she stopped to pose.

We were able to meet up with Chris, Katie & Collier at the Oklahoma Aquarium in Tulsa.  Here's Blake & Collier goofing off in front of the alligator statue.

Wy-Guy checking out the fish

Cute cousin pic - it's hard to get these 3 in the same photo!

Wyatt LOVED the touch tanks!

Trying to get a better view of the shrimp.  Wyatt kept telling me, "Me eat them."

One morning Grandma took Blake to swim lessons, so Wyatt and I got to hang out at the "orange park" in Ponca.  That park has some of the same play structures that I played on when I was little.  Here's Wy in one of the cement tubes by the train toy.

Ginny and Blake found a common bond in flamingos, so Ginny brought over a flamingo/party in a bag for the kids.  They had a blast.

My 'dillo' hunters (see below)

While the kiddos were having their party in the back yard, we spotted a couple "stupid dillos (armadillos)" that had been tearing up Grandma & Grampy's back yard, hence the "stupid" part.  The kids armed themselves with their water squirters (or "water squirrels" according to Grampy - he may need new glasses) and went on a hunt to squirt those stupid dillos.  Grampy was acting as a guide on this particular hunt.

I actually managed to get a picture of one of the little buggers.  I think that is the first time that I have ever seen an armadillo alive and not in captivity.

Oklahoma Fun

We have had a blast getting to hang out at Grandma & Grampy's for so long this summer.  It has been a fun-filled adventure for sure.  Grandma & Grampy took us out to a fly-in breakfast out at the local airport one weekend to see the small planes fly in and out.  The kids were also able to walk out in front of the hangars to see the planes that were parked there.  One pilot just happened to be getting ready to take off as we walked by his plane.  He told Blake to watch him take off and wave at him, and he would wave back.  When the little plane finally got up in the air, Blake waved as he flew by and he "waved" back by tilting the plane's wings back and forth.  The kids were thoroughly impressed.  But, I'm guessing my parents' neighbors were probably a little less impressed with the fact that Grandma gave the kids whistles.  And, they can blow those things VERY loud.  Here's Wy-Guy multitasking - picking his nose and blowing his whistle.

We also hit up the Herb Festival.  Blake got to plant her own flower and get her face painted.  Blake also thought it would be funny to buy this little flamingo lawn ornament, whose wings spun in the wind, and put it in the Galbraith's (some of my parents' neighbors) flower bed on the walk home.  She kept giggling about how she was "playing a trick" on Ginny.  What a funny girl.  Here she is posing with her face paint and flower.

 Wyatt LOVES driving.  In fact, he often says to me, "Get in back.  Me driver."

The kids have also had a blast playing in the little pool that we set up in Grandma & Grampy's driveway.

Cousin Collier even got to come hang out with us for a few days in Ponca.  The kiddos had so much fun.  Here are the girls relaxing in the pool.

Grandma even busted out the old Shrinky Dinks.  It's something I used to love to do when I was little.  You color these clear-looking pieces of plastic and then you bake them to make little charms for bracelets, necklaces, whatever.  Anyway, the kids were super impressed and just had to watch them shrink in the oven.

 Wyatt hanging out in Grampy's shoes

 Grandma & the kiddos exploring the docks out at Lake Ponca

 Silly faces

 Feeding the ducks out by Lake Ponca

 Collier just hanging in the swing :)

Since I still wasn't able to be too incredibly active, I helped the girls make friendship bracelets one day and then I also painted their faces another day.  I made them both pose for a picture with me...don't they look thrilled?!

The girls weren't too excited about taking pictures, so I asked them to try to photo bomb each other's picture.  For instance, I would try to take a pic of Collier and Blake would jump in front of the camera...

...or I would try to take a picture of Blake, and Collier would jump in front of the camera.  At least I ended up with a couple cute pics of smiley, face-painted girls :)

Wyatt was napping while I painted the girls' faces.  So when he woke up, he got his turn, too.  He was pretty ticked off when Grandma washed his face off before bedtime.  He was really digging his "Man face".

 

And now, I'll leave you with a couple quotes from the kids from sometime in the past few weeks.  First off, one night Wyatt looked at Grampy and said, "Just set that bee-ber (beer) down.  Me drink it."  And another morning, Blake randomly proclaimed, "I don't do ballet.  I'm a rock star!"  These kids crack me up.  Still more Oklahoma pics to come, but we're getting closer to being caught up :)

While You Were Sleeping

I'll start this post off with a cute pic of the kiddos enjoying some corn on the cob on Grandma & Grampy's back patio (just after swimming) - tough life.

While I was in the hospital, Uncle Chris & Aunt Katie were kind enough to provide accommodations for Grandma, Grampy, Bob and the kids.  I can't really tell you a whole lot about these pictures that were taken off of Grandma's phone since I wasn't present, but I'll do my best to describe who, what and where.  The cousins playing in the pool at Uncle Chris & Aunt Katie's house.

Blake & Wy-Guy running through Thunder Fountain (I think?) on the outdoor grounds of the Myriad Botanical Gardens.

 Wyatt & Collier

 Uncle Chris, Collier and Blake at Flip's

 Wyatt eating "awfuls" (waffles)...or maybe pancakes...at Chris & Katie's house

I'm pretty sure this one was taken after I got out of the hospital, but I had to include it.  Here's Wyatt fishing out of a bucket in Grandma & Grampy's driveway.

 

Of course, I still have a ton more photos to share; and the longer I wait until the next post, that's just all the more that will have accumulated.  So, I'm hoping to have another post up soon.  Hope all is well with everyone!

OK Bound & Touch-A-Truck

HELLO!!!  Yes, I am alive and doing well.  I did end up having a liver resection at Integris Baptist Medical Center in OKC and all went well.  So, now I get to play catch up with the blog.

Bob drove the kids and I down to Denver about a week and a half before my surgery, and we met my parents there.  The kids and I then drove back to Ponca with my parents, and Bob went back to Billings to continue working.  He then flew out for the surgery.  Here are some swimming pics from the hotel swimming pool.

Wy-Guy and his best friend, Grampy

 Wyatt playing on the pool steps

 Blake & Grandma goofing around

Once we got to Ponca we had a week or so to hang out before my surgery.  We were here while several tornadoes caused some major damage, but we managed to stay away from the stormy weather for the most part.  We had several nice days to enjoy some fun, outside time.  Here's Blake enjoying an outing to Pioneer Park.

My kids are absolutely fascinated with all of the wildlife at Grandma & Grampy's house.  Wyatt LOVES to pick up and then squish (sometimes with his bare hands - ewwww!) rolly pollies, snails, worms, fire flies and lady bugs.  The kids have also had a blast watching the wild turkeys (including 8 baby turkeys), deer, hawks and we even saw a raccoon the other night.  Here's Blake posing with a little snail on a leaf.

It wouldn't be a trip to Grandma & Grampy's without bubbles!  Here's Wy-Guy having some fun with the bubble machine.

We also got the chance before my surgery to go to an event at the Ponca City Library called Touch-A-Truck.  They had a bunch of large vehicles in the back parking lot of the library, and the kids got to climb up in the vehicles, honk horns and just have fun.  We stopped by City Hall before heading to the library.  I got a picture of the brick up by the fountain that has mine and my brother's names on it - kinda neat.

 Blake posing for a pic in front of City Hall

Wyatt driving the police car at the Touch-A-Truck event.  He was having a blast honking the horn and setting the sirens off.  He now likes to pretend that he's locking a key lock in front of you and will say, "Lock you in jail!"

 Grampy and the kids crammed into the bucket on a big loader they had out at the event.

 My poser, once again, this time in the ambulance.

 

Well needless to say, we've had a blast getting to hang out at Grandma & Grampy's (and are continuing to do so as I recover).  I have a lot more pictures and stories to share, so I'm sure I'll be updating the blog again soon.