The Holidays

I had imagined that the holiday seasons would be a little less crazy when we moved back to Oklahoma. I have been known to be wrong from time to time. We did benefit from less driving, which in and of itself is enough reason to move to Oklahoma. But boy we were busy. Most of it was self inflicted. I'm not even complaining. I'm just going to show you a lot of pictures and apologize in advance that these aren't separate blog posts.

Our friend Jay came to stay with us for a month for a medical school internship. He was really helpful while he was here. We miss him already!

Matt is really handy and does stuff like climb on roofs and hang Christmas lights.

On Thanksgiving this year we had both families come here instead of Matt and I driving all over Oklahoma. It was really nice and I LOVED hosting. It was great to have every one in one place and I just enjoy getting to make use of some of our wedding gifts.

 Matt, Ian, and Pistol knew to stay out of the kitchen.

 Pie display

 Ian wanted to check on the Black Friday deals while we cooked. This isn't even a staged photo. Kid knows how to shop with the best of 'em.

 Our Thanksgiving Dinner. Yum!

We had a Bedlam watch party at our house because the game was in Norman this year and well, we have no desire to go to Norman. The outcome wasn't what we wanted, but we had a great time. The Cooksey's (My big) live in Houston, but thankfully were visiting Scott's family for the holiday so they got to come and bring their precious daughter, Amelia. 

 Family picture!!

(And a legacy)

The Cooksey Family

A couple of days later we went out to the pond by the house and took our Christmas card. Get it? We're lumberjacks.

 A couple of weeks later I hosted the first annual (I'm not sure if something can be the "first annual" but what I mean is that I hope we do this again) Tacky Christmas Sweater party at my house. I was trying to set up the timer so I could actually be in the picture (Don't I have pretty friends??)

 Anna helped me get it set up...

 So did every one else...

Matt's mom gave me her old Christmas tree because it's a pre-lit tree and some of the lights went out. Being frugal like I am (Christmas trees are expensive!) and Green (recycle!) I decided that it would be really easy to just restring the lights. Matt and Jay took care of it. After a few beers and many more swear words, they got the job done. Those boys, they sure are handy. And it was beautiful!

Matt, Pistol, and I did Christmas morning a little early because we had a lot of running around to do for Christmas. Try not to be distracted by Matt's sexy camo pajamas. He's mine!



 Pistol loves Christmas

 I was a baking crazy person this holiday season. Something about watching endless episodes of Grey's Anatomy (with Jay telling me how flawed their procedures are) and baking really makes it feel like the holidays. And it's also much more fun than writing papers.

We had a holiday party at my parent's house. My mom is a genius. She got Serenity a Christmas present, but she put it in the washer and somehow talked her into moving the laundry over to find the gifts. Makes me wonder how often I got tricked into chores as a child...

I love my little pirate.

My best friend- and our annual Christmas picture! I should make a quilt of these pictures when we're old so when she doesn't remember me any more she'll still know I'm a friendly face when we're making fun of the "crazy" people at the old folks home.

 Joe and Matt won a family game of spades by some crazy miracle (I think they call it cheating)

 Love this kid.

Next year I hope someone will tell me that after 12 hours it's appropriate to reapply make up.

 I spoil.

I'm excited for when he gets a big kid job and buys me awesome Christmas gifts. Just kidding. He bought me a book off of my Amazon wishlist by Al Gore which I am VERY excited about.

After my parent's Christmas, we went down to Duncan for his Grandmother's Christmas.

What a classy table setting. I have a lot to learn!

 Some of us like to accessorize with the table setting.

 Oh, and I brought out my home made sweater because I wanted to feel appropriately dressed for the event. Grandmother told me that she hoped I didn't pay for it. Joke's on her! Making her one for next year!

The next morning was Christmas morning! Matt's sister Donna and her son Ian were staying with Matt's parents.

 Ian got a new race track. This is his excited face.

 We had to go get some fire wood because a big snow storm was supposed to come in. I'm more of a supervisor.

Then we went home. Matt and I didn't get snowed in like we were hoping. I did come home with an awful upper respiratory infection though! I'm now on the mend and we are headed to the big D tomorrow with Kyle and Danielle to watch the Cowboys beat Purdue!

Adventures to come!

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Convicted

They say that you shouldn't make a career out of a hobby because once it becomes work, you wont love it any more. I'm not particularly good enough at any of my hobbies to make them a job, so I'm good there! What I have noticed lately is that choosing my career path (Environmental Policy/Public Administration) is perfect me because I chose something essentially based on a conviction.

While I find environmental issues extremely interesting, I am even more convicted by them. I notice every single thing I don't recycle. I cringe at styrofoam. I drive 400 miles each way to school. Packaging. Oh my. Packaging may be the end of me.

You can get a 2 pack of Philadelphia cream cheese for $2.38 or $1.78 each for the Great Value brand. What would the holidays be without copious amounts of cream cheese? So in respect for budgeting, I get the two-pack. Then I get home and open it.

 ^^ Original Box

 ^^ Two boxes in a box??

^^Then a foil lining (which I guess is understandable...)

So many layers for one little thing of cream cheese. Why not 1 box with wax paper separating each block? You could have 6-packs if you wanted to. The point is, I don't get all of the packaging. If you recycle, this is in no way more convenient. What is worse, is the paper for the cream cheese box doesn't actually fit into the "paper" category for our city's recycling, so I can't recycle it anyway. This just makes me feel bad. Real bad. I hate throwing things away. I'm convicted by it. 

But in the end, this is really a good thing. To be convicted by your career choice. It's unbelievably motivating. And God bless my poor husband. He is really supportive of all (well, most of) my crazy schemes.

It can also be a little inhibiting. For example, for the past couple of days I have turned off the heater. Not too bad of a decision because yesterday was a high of 60 and I lit a fire. I never had a fire place as a kid growing up and I think a fireplace smells heavenly. I also sleep like a baby when the house is cool and I am under the covers. Poor Pistol and Matt are probably shivering while my REM cycles are taking off. This morning I get up, light a fire, enjoy the smell and go about my day. But it's still really cold. So I make the fire bigger. Then I shut all of the doors in the house. Shivering. Look at the outside temperature. 39 degrees. Look around and ponder. Begrudgingly walk to the thermostat. Temperature is pretty chilly. Ponder. Turn on the heater. To 70. Put another log on the fire. Now I feel bad.

I go through a daily struggle. How do we find the point where the lines of planet stewardship and living in the modern age enjoying the technological advances of man cross? My carbon footprint may be lower than the majority of others because I think about it so much, but in reality if the average American consumer is at 100, I'm probably hovering right around 97 due to every day consumption, food shipping, flying, travel in general, home heating and cooling, and the list goes on and on. 97 isn't good enough. Not for as much as I care. Not for the sustainability of the planet (because the planet doesn't care what I think).

I am blessed that I found a career I find fulfilling  I hope to make a difference on a large scale, collectively lowering our carbon footprint. I have serious concerns about climate change and I sincerely do not want to suffer the effects of a changing environment. Seriously, people were wearing shorts last week.

I'm working hard on my degree. I hope that I will yield an impact on my community at the very least as a result of these efforts because Lord knows it's hard on my time, my ego, and a variety of other circumstances which sacrifice for me to have the opportunity to go to school. In the mean time, I'm going to go pick up my food from the food Coop this evening. I'm going to make my family crazy by taking all of the tape off of the wrapping paper and poor Matt will have to look through the review mirror with bags of it to recycle. But I am doing my best and I am motivated by the goal. I appreciate the conviction.

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A Note on Voting

Is it a coincidence that I'm wearing red, white, and blue to work today? No. Am I secretly tickled that my classmates put together an office bet predicting number of electoral college votes, percentage win of the popular vote, senate and house wins? Although I recognize how nerdy it is, I thought it was a pretty clever idea.
Did I vote early for the first time to make sure that my position was at least cast even if I may live in the least likely state to yield positive results for my vote? Well, YEAH!

I drive for a long time getting to and from school and it gives me time to think about blog topics and such. I have kicked around some ideas of why even conservatives should vote for Obama and listing all of the things that Romney supports that are likely counter to the majority of Republican's belief systems.

I tend to think that I likely have a bi-partisan readership and while this is my blog and I get to post my positions freely, I prefer to use this post for a greater good.

I find it really frustrating that the majority of Americans don't pay attention to what is going on in our political world. I find it even more frustrating that those same people feel that they are entitled to hate filled warrantless opinions. I feel like if you don't care, you should be committed to not caring and hush. But this is America. Our country is built on a foundation of freedoms (or so we tell ourselves).
One of the greatest things about our country is that all citizens have the right to vote. It hasn't always been that way. So what I find truly astounding is that instead of marching up to the voting booth every two years people find excuses to abstain. Because that's what it is, isn't it? An excuse. With early voting, absentee ballots, and pretty convenient voting options, can you really say it was too hard to vote? I mean, there's a pretty good amount of people who lost their home in hurricane Sandy that will find a way to make it to vote.
I just picture having a conversation with a woman who fought for the right to finally vote. What would you say to her?
Well, there's a line.
--Come again??
Well, I don't have time to look up the issues and candidates.
-- I BEG YOUR PARDON!?!?
My vote doesn't matter.
--What the $&%(#*&^^*#@*??

I really prefer that you vote for Obama. If you want to have coffee and have me explain my position, Lord knows that I would be more than happy to get together. However, I would seriously rather you vote for the other guy than to not vote at all. It says a lot about us as a country to stay at home when we are so blessed to have a say. Your vote does matter. It matters in terms of civic duty. It matters that you can tell your children what role you played in shaping our nation's history.

If you want to make my day, tell me you read this post while waiting in line at the polls.

Ultimately, no matter the outcome, my prayer is that this country will be better for the WHOLE of it's citizens as a result of this election.

Take care. God Bless. Go vote.

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Top Events These Days

I'm a horrible blogger these days!! Which never means that I'm not up to anything so I have nothing to report (triple negative?), it means that I am up to too much and don't have time to report. I have about 30 minutes before Meredith gets here to take me to the airport (Bless that Woman!!) so I'll try to squeeze a post in.

 Well first, school has started up again. I really enjoy my classes, but whew, it's hard work. Just for grins (or frowns) I started writing down my hours for the week. I like numbers, what the hey! 62.5 hrs between Monday and Friday. Ouch.

I have been working on some really cool projects though! I'll spare you the details but if you're an environmental nerdy nerd it would be right up your alley!

 In more exciting news, I found a coffee shop that I like to camp out at and get work done. Working in an office of 4 people isn't so bad. Working in an office with 4 people next to 4 offices with 4 people and one of those offices SCREAMS the game Risk (what the hell is Risk?), well.. that's not conducive to good nerdy nerd environmental work.

Football season has started which is exciting. I don't care so much about the football part, but I DO love getting to be with family and friends and football seems to bring all of that together. Yes, I do commute up to Oklahoma for all of the OSU games. Yes, I am looking forward to when I live her permanently.

Now go back through and look at the pictures of Matt and I. Notice the lady in all of our pictures??? She's even smiling in one!

 

 

I got to be in the first wedding that wasn't my own! Matt's long time friend Marrik got married in September and she asked me to be a guest book attendant. I was really honored and thrilled to be part of her special day. Matt was an usher in the wedding, so it was fun to be in a wedding together (well, another one).

 

 

 

I was also asked to be a Bridesmaid in one of my dear friend's wedding next Fall! Hef (Heather) is going to be a beautiful bride and I am REALLY excited about this event. I want to create a "Hef's Wedding" board on Pinterest but decided that might be a little nuts. See, I have self control.

 

 

 

 

 

 Last week, I went to L.A. for a Sustainability conference to present a paper on how universities adjust their water usage during droughts (nerdy nerd, I know!). It was a GREAT conference. I like being surrounded by "my people". We went to Hollywood Boulevard and I am crossing the street and WHO do I see?????? HONEY BOO BOO CHILD!!!!!!!!!!!!! I walked backward back to the side I originated on and talked to her and her ever so eloquent mother, June. June was wearing make up. I was very proud of June. They gave me a signed picture which is going up in my office just as soon as I get to Lubbock.

I also went to Disney Land!!!! (One day I'll blog about the baby bucket list). I finally got the ride the tea cups. This has been a life time endeavor. When my family went to Disney World when I was 7, my mom wouldn't let me ride the tea cups because SHE got sick on them when SHE was like... 7. So this was a first order of business. And I didn't get sick.

As a Political Science student, and as an overall citizen, I've been trying to keep up with the election. I hope to do a political post (you love 'em!) soon if I can find the time. No matter what side you're for, I hope that you at least take the time to vote. A lot of people have fought for the right to vote, so if nothing else, just honor them who made it a possibility. Plus it's fun. Wear Red, White and Blue. I do.


I'll try to post again soon! Now I gotta get my bag together because Meredith will be here in a bit!

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Goodbye, Summertime

I am back in Lubbock, Texas. It's about 129 degrees today. I am at my desk surrounded by post its and "to do" lists. I write this blog post on my second monitor to my computer. Yep, I do
believe it's the first day of school.

I don't have class until 6. I'm feeling a little anxious because I actually have time to write a blog post right now, instead of scrambling to read a book in the hour before class. Some how I don't have readings the first week of school. I don't know what to do with myself!

I keep thinking about when you're little and you don't have cable so the highlight of your day is watching Days of Our Lives as 11:00 each day was the peak of the day until your parents got home. Summer has always been my favorite time of year for the simple reason that I love love love to swim. However, I remember it going by soooooooo slow as a child. Not this year my friends.

I say it each year, this was the best summer of my life. It really was. I spent time with my husband, traveled, met up with friends in Vegas, was able to attend events for friends and it was a simple affair, not two weeks of planning and hundreds of dollars of travel and lodging.

I also quickly realized that two people can indeed accumulate an unbelievable amount of "things" in a year. That became clear when the semi parked in front of my house and the movers started loading up our stuff. But it was all worth it, because I had no idea how much I missed Oklahoma until we got back. I finally feel like I have a home.

Tonight I am taking a "Climate Change" course and I am really excited about it. Tomorrow I am taking an Environmental Policy and Administration (which is my focus of study) course. Last semester I took a class on war and conflict and blah just ugh awful unintersting stuff. This semester I get to pick my classes and I think I am really going to get a lot out of it.

Despite the travel (nearly 6 hours from OKC to Lubbock), being away from my husband and my dog, the long hours I put into school, and the opportunity cost of being in school, I feel secure that God has put this oppotunity on my path because He has big plans for me. I pray that I will fufill His intentions for me, making every minute and mile worth it.

Here's to the 21st grade!

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The Pioneer Voyage

Every decade or so, I believe that one should ask for a bike for their birthday. I have wanted a cruiser bike for years. Do you see the basket? Do you? When I picked out this bike a couple months ago, I pictured Matt and I riding bikes over to the farmer's market (which is conveniently within biking distance of our new home). I would put all of my local goods in the basket. I would smile and be so green for a Saturday morning. These are the things an environment scientist dreams of. Well, this one anyway. I asked my parents to get one for me for my birthday. With surprisingly little reluctance, they agreed!

This morning I got up and ran to the chiropractor and even made my appointment nice and early so it would still be cool in the morning (well, relatively cool) when I got back so I could ride my cute new blue bike. I got my bottle of water (do you see the cup holder?!), my tunes ready, and put the garage opener in the basket. I listened to some good folk tunes on the way, thinking about how blessed this experience and how much I am enjoying the exercise.



Now if you see above (thank you city of Edmond for providing a map for my blogging purposes), I started at the green X. Between green X and red X I was nothing but happiness. At red X, there is this little center where you can use these machines and do some toning. It was really more like an adult playground. I probably looked ridiculous, but I totally enjoyed it for about 10 minutes. So then I go to get back on my bike and finish up my ride. Why does my bike feel funny? It's making a strange sound in the font tire. WHAT??!? Flat tire? Pioneer voyage?? How! Apparently such a thing exists as tiny thumbtack shaped rocks and there were 2 in my front tire.

So now we walk. I have to get back to green x. I just smiled when I passed people like it was perfectly normal that I was walking with my bike. After about half a mile or so, I realized that my tire is now trying to come off the rim of the wheel. Is there a solution for this? I almost abandoned ship right there.  But, I pull over with all of my confidence and try to shove the tire back on the rim. and then push the bike with as little pressure on the front wheel as possible. I am sure I looked like a real winner.

I continue along and at purple x this guy drives by on a gator (he works for the park). He asks me if I need help. I politely decline, telling him I appreciate him stopping. He tells me that about 100 yards from red x, there was an office for the park (I noticed along the way) and if I would have stopped there, they  have an air compressor and the tools for such occasions. Good to know.

It wasn't quite the serene ride that I thought it was going to be. I was looking for a workout, but this isn't quite what I bargained for. What I did learn, is that if you are looking for some extra resistance on a speed walk, just drag a bike with you and you'll get all you need. But if your ego has any sensitivities, I wouldn't recommend it.

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