Our Life in the Yellow Brick House

The sun setting on Jackson Square. I am so fortunate to work for an organization that encourages professional development. This past week, I was in New Orleans to attend my first ADRP Conference. (That’s Association of Donor Relations Professionals for those of you who don’t know.) I was really excited about this one because I didn’t have to go alone! My coworkers Michal and Andrew came, too. We didn’t realize it at first, but we ended up flying there on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Security in the Tulsa airport was more intense. Everyone got body scanned and a dog came by and sniffed our carry-on items before we boarded the plane. I am pretty calm about these things, but I definitely had butterflies until we landed in New Orleans. I kept thinking about the people who lost their lives that day. It started out like any other but ended up being a day none of us will ever forget. I think we were all sending up extra prayers that day for all those who lost loved ones and had thei...

I love Labor Day because it almost always surprises me. This year it was a welcomed break in our schedule, and we had a great weekend with family. Greg and Stacie came down for OSU’s first football game. The guys had a blast cheering the Cowboys on to victory while us girls stayed in and had a quiet evening at home. It was nice to have a relaxing weekend, but poor Stacie wasn’t feeling well. She’s six months pregnant but still dealing with nausea. Poor thing! I felt so bad for her. I got to feel Henry kick, though, which was really cool! Kyle is still too freaked out to touch a pregnant belly and it was pretty fun teasing him about it. On Sunday, we all headed to Oklahoma City with the folks to shop for baby Henry. What girl doesn’t like baby shopping?  Even though we don’t have kids, I love looking at all the fun clothes and toys for the little ones. Kyle and I can hardly wait for Henry to be here!   Here are just a few of the MANY outfits Henry got that weeken...

I’m not super creative, but I really enjoy a craft every now and then. So when the invitation to Karin’s baby shower came, I knew exactly what I wanted to get Baby K. Since I am surrounded by baby boys, I hadn’t had the opportunity to make a girly frame, and I was so excited! I tried a few new things this time like adding a stand, ribbon and decorating the back. I think it turned out really well! I even coordinated the wrapping (see below). I wish I had taken a picture of the ladybug card that Kim insisted on making to go with it. It was the perfect finishing touch! It seems like Mark and Karin announced they were pregnant not long ago, but this little one is going to be here before we know it!  My other project was born out of necessity and a time-crunch. I mentioned that StuFu snuck up on me this year and that includes the member retreat. I was finalizing details the day before and realized I had forgotten to make place cards. OMG! Well of course we couldn’t live wi...

I have been such a bad blogger lately. It’s been a month since my last post! That's the longest I've ever gone, and I promise not to make this a habit. The good news is that I have so much to share with you! Over the next few days I’ll try to play catch-up.  The reason for my recent delinquency is fall, which has finally made its way to Stillwater! Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. The students are back and the temperature has dropped to 80 so I am a happy girl. I am also a very busy girl. Work has really picked up and since we are short-handed, we are all doing a little extra. With these other duties, Student Foundation kind of snuck up on me. I love working with the students. They have such great energy and are so much fun. It’s hard to believe this is the 5th class of StuFu. I was a member of the first class, and it is really exciting to see how the organization has grown. Being the adviser has been challenging but extremely rewarding, and I have been so blesse...

This past weekend Stacie and Greg had a joint birthday party in Mulvane. Kyle and I were so glad we could go this year since we had to miss it last year due to work. We were there to celebrate their birthdays, but the real cause for celebration was that they were announcing the sex of their baby! Kyle got really dressed up for the occasion! Kyle's parents with their new Acadia (aka the baby mobile)! We all thought Greg and Stacie found out the sex on August 12, but in reality they’ve known since June 26! I can’t imagine how hard it was for them not to tell anyone. I’m glad they didn’t, though, because it was fun for all of us to find out together. Stacie baked a cake and when she cut into it and it was blue, we all cheered. Here's a video Kyle got of the big reveal: Of course, I wouldn’t have minded getting a niece, but I’m excited that Conner will have a boy cousin so close in age. It was always fun for me to have girl cousins to grow up with, and I have suc...

I attended a funeral today, but it wasn’t what I expected. Katie was a former coworker of mine and even though she left the Foundation in 2009 to work for the OSU President’s Office, I was still in contact with her frequently. In fact, I got to see her a week ago on Tuesday, and we had a good conversation. I got to congratulate her on her pregnancy and she told me about the interesting morning she’d had without electricity. Katie was such a kind person. When I first started at the Foundation she made me feel welcome and always greeted me with a smile. We never had much of a relationship outside of work, but I always enjoyed spending time with Katie. She died this past Sunday at only 29. My heart breaks for her husband, who is also a coworker of mine, and her family and friends. I cannot imagine their grief. As we gathered together for the funeral today, I was prepared for a tearful afternoon. While there were plenty of tears, there was also a feeling of gratitude for the time we go...

This weekend was a tough one filled with highs and one deep low. For now, we'll just talk about the highs. We got to meet our nephew on Sunday! I have been waiting for this day since Christmas when Jerilyn and Ben announced they were pregnant. It didn't disappoint. Conner was so adorable and cuddly that I could have held him all day. Kyle is still a little anxious around babies so I don't know that he could say the same, but we are both looking forward to making all sorts of memories with this little one. We are so proud of Ben and Jerilyn for being such good parents already. I can imagine this would be a hard time of adjustment for them, but they are doing wonderfully! Such a good dad. Proud Uncle Kyle Conner is the first grandchild in Kyle's family and it's so fun to watch your parents become grandparents. It's almost as if they turn completely to mush right before your eyes. That's what happened with my parents when Asher was born, and I...