Oklahoma Part 2

One really great thing for me about going to Oklahoma is the weather. I love warm weather!! I happen to live in a place where we have a very short "summer." So the week in Tulsa with 80 degree weather was fantastic. It took me a few days to break my habit of grabbing a sweater when walking out the door - I didn't need it.

Because the weather was nice and warm (and it wasn't too hot) we were able to take advantage of the fact that little man Jack likes the pool. We let him swim and spent lots of time outside. We would wear him out in the pool and then let him sleep in his bouncy seat or swing. All that warm weather did him good.

Jack sleeping while Grandpa cooks dinner

Not only did we celebrate my dad's birthday (more on this to come) but we also celebrated my mothers and my birthday. Dad was the 15th, I was the 25th, and Mom was the 26th. We picked one night, exchanged cards, cooked out, and all sang happy birthday to each other. The last several years we have all been together some time in August and like to celebrate all together.

Change

I am one of those people that seems to be rooted in tradition and habit. If you ask me why I do things a certain way my answer will not be because of some logical reason; it will most likely be something like "because that is the way I always do it." My mom used to talk of replacing the star on our family Christmas tree, (the one we have always had, forever and ever) and I begged her not to replace it. I like to sit in the same place at the dinner table. I like to use the same treadmill at the gym, park in the same parking place, stop at the same gas stations on our road trips back to Oklahoma....I'm sure you are getting the point. So when something must be changed for whatever reason, it is often very difficult for me.

What's my big change? I have a new phone. Big deal, right? Wrong. I have been fighting this new phone thing for a long time. I have had the same phone since the beginning of 2005, which is actually a long time in the phone world.

The old phone

It is/was one of those indestructible "contractor" phones. The features were nothing fancy. Very basic - texting and talking. But it was great. I dropped it multiple times a day (not on purpose, I am actually just very clumsy). It got dropped in the snow, I accidentally left it outside overnight, I found it one time in the freezer...and STILL it was loyal to me. However, over the last year it has been acting up. Meaning, I would press talk to answer a phone call and the phone would just turn off. I suppose most people wouldn't have waited 6 months to finally do something about this inconvenient nuisance, but it took me that long to get used to the idea of a new phone. So, I now have a new phone (thank you Dad for picking it out, I never would have done it myself). I hope I will grow to love my new phone as much as I loved the old one.

Groceries

Happy Jack watching Mom put away the groceries.
Entertaining himself with his fist.

Oklahoma gets a Jack Attack

Last week the Hubbards visited Oklahoma. Jack and I flew out on a Tuesday, Mark came out on Saturday, we celebrated my Dad's birthday, swam, spent time with my grandma (who passed away the day after we left), and enjoyed our time with family & friends.
Here are a few pictures of Jack being social...

My godsister, Brittney.

Best friend, Becky.

My brother, Uncle Jacob.

Aunt Amie.

Great Aunt Connie.

And of Course, Grandma and Grandpa...

Blizzard of the Month Club

Month 2 of BliZZard of the Month Club.

Girl Scouts Thin Mint Cookie Blizzard Treat

Which happens to be the most popular limited time blizzard of all time.

Megan said "I liked it. It tasted just like a thin mint cookie, which is not my favorite kind of girl scout cookie - but it was good. Mint chocolate chip ice cream is definitely not my favorite flavor either, so if you like mint and chocolate you will love the blizzard. I give it a 5, only because it is personally not my favorite flavors combination."

Mandy said "The blizzard was awesome I give it 8. Great mix of mint/chocolate flavor.The blizzard I got had HUGE chunks of thin mint cookies in it and that made it extra good.

Please feel free to try the blizzard yourself and leave your comments below and maybe think about joining our club. It is tasty good fun! Also, don't forget it you join the "official DQ blizzard fan club" they will give you a free coupon.

Shellenberger twins

Our friends, Mitch and Heather from Pennsylvania had their twins earlier this month on August 6. They arrived 15 weeks early via emergency c-section. Their precious little boy Jaron and their little girl Teagan are being transported today to Hershey, PA to undergo heart surgery. Please pray for Mitch, Heather, and big sister Kaylan - as well as the twins. To find out more about how to specifically pray and to follow their blog, click here.

That Lady with the Baby

Jack and I made our first plane trip together...and we made it in one piece. Our journey began when Mark drove us to his office in Silverthorne, we left at 6:45. My friend Treena and her almost 3 month old Justus drove Jack and I to the Denver Airport. Thank you Treena. By a little after 9, Jack and I were checked in and off to meet a dear friend who was just arriving in Denver for a Colorado vacation. At around 9:50 the chaos began.

The forementioned chaos really only lasted about an hour but seemed like much longer. It always does. Jack and I headed to security and were moving along fairly quickly when a series of terrifyingly loud beeps came over the intercom and the security line came to a halt. With Jack in one arm, the car seat in the other, and a backpack on my back, I bounced and he cried. I now know what it is like to be "that lady with the baby." The first few minutes we were in line I was hearing comments as we passed others, such as "awwww, cute baby." Now people were either averting their eyes as soon as I looked up or I was getting sypmathetic looks from other moms who have been there and done that. We spent a total of 40 minutes in the security area.

Next, we headed to the train to take us to our gate. Jack was no longer crying, he was screaming. He screamed the whole way to the A terminal, then all the way up the escalator, and into the bathroom. I got the sling ready, put him in, and inserted the bottle. Now I held the bottle in one with hand and the car seat with the other. We made it to the gate; it must have been the last gate in all of "A." He downed the whole bottle and passed out shortly before 11. Our flight was delayed of course. But, Jack never knew. Nor did he know that when we finally got on the plane, the flight attendants bumped his head with their butts what seemed like every time they walked by. He slept the whole flight, less the last 5 minutes, when he screamed again.

All in all, (I just said "all in all" and it made me feel like I was writing an elementary school paper conclusion) Jack did just great on the plane. He is just a little guy and people understood. To the woman who patted me on the shoulder and told me it would be okay, to the man who helped me down the escalator by carrying the car seat, to all the people on the train who tried to smile at me, and to the kind woman who told me my backpack was unzipped....THANK YOU! I now understand.

Sports Cake

Happy 15th Birthday to Steven!!
I made his sports themed birthday cake. He loves sports, especially basketball. The cake is chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate frosting.

Pool Time

Jack's first dip. Brrrr...it was cold,
so we moved to the kiddie pool.

We took Jack swimming this weekend for the first time. The little dude loves bath time, so we figured the pool would be fun too. It was! We made sure to time it so that it was after a nap and food, that way he would be happy. He liked laying on his back and kicking around. Jack even held his breath (after we blew on his face) so that we could dunk him under.

Snuggling and getting warm

Hopefully this was the first of many fun swim days!

Okie visitors + An ex-okie

(Bob, Jack, Sabrina, and Megan)

So we had some fun visitors last week for dinner: Bob, Sabrina, and Megan. Bob and Sabrina live in Tulsa and Megan grew up there but now calls Montana home. They were in Vail for the week and were able to come visit us in Breck for an evening. It was fun to introduce Jack to them and really good to see them all. I hadn't seen Megan since she and Rob got married last summer (it was the most beautiful wedding I have ever been to) so it was really fun to get to see her. Thanks for visiting!

Jammin'

This summer I have started experimenting with jams. I have tried strawberry, blackberry, and mixed berry (raspberry, strawberry, and blackberry). It has been fun to try something completely new and I like tasting them all. The strawberry turned out more like jelly, but the consistency of the other two turned out great. I'm just getting ready for next year so that when berries go on sale I am prepared.

When I was a child one of my favorite things was Apple Butter. Peanut Butter and Apple Butter sandwiches. So I tried making my own apple butter and it turned out really well. Great with peanut butter or on toast. Here's the recipe, you should try it!

Apple Butter

Ingredients:
2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 to 1/2 c. sugar
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. allspice
1/8 t. ground ginger
1/8 t. ground cloves

Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes, stirring every 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat; cool. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Yield: 1-1/2 cups.

(Recipe from tasteofhome.com)

Amazing Dad

Today, Mark and I drove to Aurora (E. Denver) to get our electronic fingerprints taken. They will be submitted to the FBI and checked before we can receive our much anticipated I-171H (this is like gold in the adoption world, it means we have permission to adopt).

Jack started getting hungry right as we walked into the office. They took Mark and I right away and Mark was the lucky one who took Jack in his car seat with him. At one point I looked over and Mark was having his left hand fingerprinted and with his right hand stretched to the max was holding a bottle in Jack's mouth. This prevented the entire building from knowing how truly hungry the kid was. Then on the way home Mark sat in the back seat to entertain Jack who thought our long car ride was very lame and boring.

I find it very attractive to see my husband loving our child so well. He truly loves our little guy and is a wonderful father.

Breckenridge 150

1859-2009

The Breckenridge area is said to have been inhabited by Nomadic White River and Middle Park Ute Native Americans during the summers prior to the mining era. By the 1840's there was some evidence of trappers, traders, and a few mountain men. The Pike's Peak Gold Rush sparked the true beginnings of the town as miners headed to the area to try and strike it rich. Breckenridge was founded by a prospecting company in November of 1859.

The town began to develop and buildings began to pop up - post office, stores, etc. However, due to the lack of abundance in gold many miners consolidated their operations and there was a sharp decrease in the town's population. In the late 1870's the population began to grow again as miners returned this time in search of silver. A town government was formed in 1880 and a 320 acre grid was laid for the infrastructure of the town.

In 1887 the largest gold nugget to date (13 lbs.) was discovered in the state of Colorado. It was found near Breckenridge and once again the search for gold was renewed. With the turn of the century came the popularity of dredging boats, which would comb the floor of river valleys in search for gold. This continued until post world war II when the dredging ceased leaving behind upheaved land and ruined vegetation.

The Breckenridge ski area was opened in 1961 by a Kansas lumber company. In 1973, the Eisenhower tunnel was completed increasing the accessibility to and from Denver and opening the doors for winter recreation possibilities. During its first year the Breckenridge ski area had 17,000 skier visits. In the 2008-2009 year there were 1.63 million skier visits recorded.

This weekend Breckenridge hosted its 15o year anniversary celebration. The weekend was filled with guided tours, a time capsule ceremony (was sealed 100 years ago and opened this weekend), contests, and fireworks.

Just a little bit of history on the place I call home. For more information on the town's history click here.

oooops see post below

Oh my gosh, seriously? I just realized that I spelled Birthday wrong on Tracy's cake. Did anyone realize this before now. No one even said anything. I feel like such a geek.

BBQ's, Baking, and Baptism

BBQ:

Friday night: Dillon BBQ. Highest BBQ challenge in North America. Yum!! Chicken legs, brisket, spicy sausage, beer, diet coke, funnel cake, lots of people, good music & fun with friends. Also celebrated our friend Tanya who entered in the salsa competition. She can now say she makes award winning salsa...way to go Tanya!
Saturday night: Texas BBQ - again, tasty food and friends! And some of that award winning salsa!

Baking:
Made a cake for a bake sale to support missions in Honduras. Spice cake with vanilla buttercream icing. Gave me a great idea to try an apple filling in the middle next time I make spice cake.

Also made an ice cream cake for my friend Tracy's birthday. Chocolate cake, cookies n cream ice cream, hot fudge in the middle, and chocolate buttercream icing. Celebrated with Tracy and friends by eating lots of cake and playing a little Rock Band.

Baptism:
We were honored to attend Emma's baptism today. Emma was adopted from Ethiopia into a wonderful family here in Breckenridge in May. She is almost two years old and is just the cutest thing. It was very touching for us to be able to interact with their family and to see how loved she is by her brothers and parents. It also made Mark and I even more excited to hopefully get a referral soon for our little girl.

3 months

Miles of smiles from our little one. His little smiles are abundant and so cute, especially when he realizes we are smiling back at him. Jack spends his days on his play mat, in his bumbo seat, and in the swing.

Likes:

Being held/rocked
Watching us sing to him
Kicking his legs and staring at the light up smiley face star on his play mat
Listening to Jack Johnson

AND the favorite activity of the month is -- Daddy on the guitar!!
Jack loves this and just talks right along. It is often amusing because we know he likes it so much that we can pull out the guitar when he is upset and he can't decide whether to smile or cry.

Dislikes:
Being tired, poor little guy is still having trouble going to sleep. We force the naps during the day and spend some time each night initially convincing him to sleep.
Tummy time, not his favorite.

Discoveries/Developments:
Everything goes straight to the mouth. fist, blanket, etc. He is gaining accuracy with his ability to get the fist to the mouth, BUT often clocks himself in the process.
He discovered the TV. One day I had him in his bouncy seat while I was in the kitchen listening to the news, I came back to find him staring at the TV - no more of that!
Feet - he likes to stare at his feet and his eyes get real big when they move, he just doesn't know they belong to him.
Holding up his head like a little champ - does well in the bumbo chair and when he is on his tummy.
Mirrors - he likes to smile at himself in the mirror. His smiling game with himself is so cute. He sees someone in the mirror looking at him, he smiles, he smiles back!
Mr. talker - Jack loves to make noise. I hear him in the back seat all the way to the store, just talking along. Lots of happy sounds!

Happy 3 months jack, can't wait to see what you amaze us with this next month...love you Buddy!

Not-so-sunny Sunday Stroll

Today I decided to take Jack on a walk with me in the stroller. It was perfect weather for a Sunny, Sunday Stroll. We drove to the Rec Center and started out on the bike path. I timed the walk perfect so that it would coincide with his nap time. We walked all the way to Tiger Rd, which is about 2.5 miles. As we were nearing Tiger Rd I noticed the skies were looking a bit ominous. I was walking fast to begin with because this was how I intended to exercise for the day, but after hearing thunder I was practically running. I called Mark to check in and he was standing by to come get us, the only problem is there are only a few places that have access to a road. I called back as the thunder continued and directed him to the first place I knew of where he could meet us.

While on the phone the sheets of rain started falling from the sky. As I was finishing my call a woman with a red jacket on her bike approached us. She asked if we were okay and then offered us her poncho. I started crying I was so thankful. I was hardly concerned with me but wanted to make sure Jack stayed warm and dry. She helped me unfold it and we tucked it around Jack's stroller so that no water would get in. Speechless, the only thing to come out of my mouth was "bless you." "God bless you too," she said. My angel in the red jacket! Thank you!

I continued my awkward, cold, wet run after this to the place where Mark met us. Jack stayed dry. And wouldn't you know as soon as we got in Mark's car, the rain stopped.