Our Life in the Yellow Brick House

Well winter weather has definitely found its way to Stillwater, and it was just in time for the big game last weekend. Who knew you could stand outside for 4+ hours in freezing temperatures, teeth chattering, feet numbing, nose running, and actually enjoy yourself?! Kyle and I had a great time at the game, and I’m so glad we were there to witness the record-breaking BPS sellout!   While it was a great night, I found myself feeling a little sorry for the Baylor fans surrounding us in the stadium. The feeling of having a national championship shot so close to reach only to have it snatched away by one bad game is still a little too familiar after 2011. Luckily teams bounce back, and I’m sure there will be plenty of wins in Baylor’s future (but hopefully not against Oklahoma State).   But football wasn't the only thing on our weekend agenda. We headed to Hennessey the next morning for Stacy’s baby shower. It is so hard to believe the baby will be there in a little o...

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind, but they have reminded me more than anything how wonderfully full my life is. Full of love from a growing family, full of answered prayers, full of fun with friends and full of challenges that stretch me as a person. I am so thankful for this time in our lives but sometimes I feel like it’s flashing before our eyes. That’s why I’m so glad I have this blog so I can remember great times like these:   A little shark week mirth at work. Thanks, Meredith!   These boys just can't get close enough to the TV. Asher wanted to watch Wild America Predator vs. Prey but when Mom went to put it in he said, "We better not watch this one, it might be scary for Aunt Abby." So we went with Great Escapes because "all of the animals get away in this one."   Asher loves taking pictures outside of Grandpa John's house.   Celebrating Mom's birthday! We changed things up this year and met in OKC at...

This week was moving week for me. I'm changing positions at work and that meant I moved back to the main building. I will miss my friends in the Murphy House, but I'm very excited about my new job. It's a better fit for me, and I get to work with some pretty awesome ladies! :) About a year ago at work we did StrengthsFinder. You go online and take a timed test, where you answer all types of questions about yourself. It then spits out your top five strengths. It's very customized to you and pretty interesting. I learned that I'm slightly more neurotic than I thought, which is perfect for my new position. So below are my top five and the definitions that fit me best. In case you don't already know me well enough! :) Responsibility - Your outward behavior demonstrates your reliability. Others view you as a person who can be trusted to follow through on commitments. Most people regard you as the dependable and reliable one. Achiever - Instinctively, you chann...

Not this weekend but last weekend, we headed to Wichita to celebrate the births of Greg (34) and Stacie (30). They both have August birthdays and for several years have had a joint birthday party to celebrate. You may remember last year when they announced they were having a bouncing little boy! This year there was no such announcement, but Kyle and I were still eager to get there. In the weeks leading up to the party, our nephews had reached some pretty exciting milestones. Henry stated crawling and Conner took his first steps! Very exciting stuff! We were definitely eager to see it in person. However, we didn't get to see much that night because Kyle had to work until 5 p.m. and then as we were pulling into Mulvane, he got pulled over, delaying us even further. Did I mention his brother Greg is a cop and we saw that officer later at the party? Fun times! Anyway, by the time we got there Conner was about to leave and Stacie was putting Henry to bed. Luckily, we stayed the nig...

Well yesterday was Zach's much-anticipated departure for boot camp. It's something I think the whole family has been dreading since Zach told us he was going to join the Army. It seemed so far into the future at first but the day definitely snuck up on us. It's such a mix of emotion because while we are extremely proud of the life he is choosing for himself and very happy for him, we are also sad because we know this commitment will make his physical presence more scarce for the next five years. Growing up Zach was the quiet, youngest brother who always got the short end of the stick. Or at least that's how it seemed to his even-more-mistreated sister who was one of the dreaded middle children! It is amazing to see how we've changed over the years. Of all of the siblings, I think Zach's transformation into adulthood has been the most surprising. He has grown up to be such a good man. (Not that we ever doubted he would be!) He is someone who will do anythin...

Happy Tuesday! I am loving the summer so far because although I am still plenty busy at work, things are a little more laid back. That is a common trait of all my summers in Stillwater so far. This past weekend, I had the best time going to the Miss Oklahoma pageant (of all places). Kim and Krissi wanted to go so I tagged along. It was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. They were celebrating the 40th year of the pageant under the organization of the Kiwanis of Tulsa. Most of the old Miss Oklahomas and Miss Americas were there. Parts of it were a little lame, but it was fun to watch it with girlfriends and give a little commentary on each contestant and who we thought would win. We followed that up with a lazy Sunday. We were supposed to golf but we chickened out because of the wind. This is NOT a good thing considering I have a golf tournament a week from tomorrow, and I haven't played picked up a golf club in over a year. My poor teammates! Thank goodness it's a s...