Halloween

Jenn took E to the OSU-OKC Halloween thing and he had a blast. He was a Jedi again this year. Still loves Star Wars. I was unfortunately home (still) with my knee iced and elevated. However, I did hobble to the door and back for a bit and handed out treats to the neighborhood kids. There were some cute costumes.

National Memory Screening Day

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain's nerve cells, or neurons, resulting in loss of memory, thinking and language skills, and behavioral changes. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, or loss of intellectual function, among people aged 65 and older. Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging.

The value of memory screening for us and our loved ones is that Alzheimer’s disease and other related illnesses can be detected, early, before major symptoms begin. My grandmother suffered from Alzheimer’s disease for almost a decade and everyone in my family wished that we had asked her to go for a memory screening, in the beginning, when we first started to think something may be wrong. My mother and her brother both get memory screening, now, as do other people in the family. Early detection can lead to intervention, including medical treatments, social services and other resources that can prolong quality of life.

The key to successful aging is a healthy, common sense lifestyle: visiting your doctor regularly; stimulating your brain with reading, puzzles, and other mental exercises; be social; daily exercise; and taking vitamins.

I encourage you to locate a memory screening location in your area for your loved ones during the month of November. There are locations all across the United States that are working with the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America to provide free confidential memory screenings, as well as follow up resources and educational materials to those concerned about memory loss.

While seeking a cure to Alzheimer's is important, ensuring quality care for those who suffer from the disease cannot be overlooked. Making a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association of America not only helps them toward finding a cure, but it helps them educate those living with and caring for people who have Alzheimer’s disease. It would also make a great holiday gift to make a donation in the name of your loved ones.

Holiday Shopping!

Ok. Jenn and I have just started making a list for all of our holiday shopping. I would really like to get it all done by the end of this month. I like to have it done and over with ASAP! Plus, when you can do it earlier, you can do it online - my favorite way to shop. If you shop online, be sure and get your online shopping coupons before you start buying.

I do tons of my shopping online at Target. They have everything for everyone on your list. I found some great things for the boys: toys, Razor scooters and clothes, all online. There are tons of free shipping coupons and there is also 15% off furniture, which is great, because Jenn and I have our eye on a sofa table there.

I also love Overstock.com. There are endless deals there, and then if you have coupons on top of that - WOW! There is a great coupon there now for new customers - free shipping on your order! That saves a lot of money, right there.

One of the best things about holiday giving, is getting people something they love at a price that I love!

Christmas time is here....

I am so excited for Christmas. I cannot wait for the boys to open their presents and to see all their cousins and play and have fun and be silly! We have spent a couple of evenings driving around town looking at lights and one night last week the boys and I made a gingerbread house.I have our house decorated in lights and the tree is up and the boys decorated it themselves! We have family coming in on Saturday and will be back and forth to my parents house on Saturday and Monday and Wednesday and who all knows how much!

Productive Weekend

I spent the weekend cleaning out the garage! OMG! What a crazy day. Our garage is crazy and full of all kinds of stuff. Jenn's mom is keeping some things here, Jenn has stuff from when she moved here in Feb, and I still have all kinds of stuff from moving here four years ago! Crazy, I know. But... one of the best things, is that I got rid of junk, shifted boxes and furniture around, to make enough room for Jenn to have one of the stalls for parking! Wow! What a thought... parking a CAR in a garage! LOL

The garage door has been broken, but I spent an hour messing with it and rigging it up and it works now, so she won't have to run kids through snow or rain to the car to take and pick up from school and the like. I am so glad that I got that done. That was my biggest goal of the weekend.

I replaced light bulbs around the house and now we have light! What a thought! Hehe. (The porch light, garage door lights, back porch light and bulbs in the boys rooms all went out this week!) I got the living room and den re-arranged and the tree is pretty much finished.

The boys picked up their room and their toy room. I vacuumed and did a little laundry. Jenn did the dishes and worked on her Algebra homework, took a quiz and did the review. She has a final this week. ugh I was really proud of her, though. She figured it out all by herself. She is rockin' as a student!

Tomorrow I am going to start hanging the lights on the house. I cannnot wait. They are the lights with the screw in bulbs. I think they are going to look awesome!

Awesome Project

My friend told me about this really great project - marble magnets! They sound really amazing! I cannot wait to get some supplies and the kids and I (and Jenn if she wants!) can make some marble magnets for Christmas presents, maybe?

I thought they were so adorable and all it takes is some glue, some magazine cutouts, a magnet and a marble! How awesome is that?

'Oklahoma Rising' in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

OSU coach to represent Oklahoma on parade float

Wow... apparently the OSU wrestling coach John Smith will be on the Oklahoma float in the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. The float is called "Oklahoma Rising," and World Series hero Joe Carter, Olympic gymnasts Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci, basketball great Wayman Tisdale, B-M-X legend Matt Hoffman and gospel singer Sandi Patty are also going to be on it.

This float is part of Oklahomas centennial celebration, commemorating 100 years of statehood.

Not that I don't like Smith, he is an Olympian, but some of the choices. Why Nadia Comaneci? She is Russian, not Oklahoman? Weird! Matt Hoffman rocks and that is really cool. His daughter, G and son, J were in school with E a couple of years ago.

But Sandi Patty? Come on... we've got Vince Gill, Reba McEntyre, Garth Brooks, Toby Keith... Carrie Underwood, even.

We have several astronauts... I wonder why they couldn't get Gordon Cooper or Shannon Lucid? And what about Ron Howard, Brad Pitt, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Rue McClanahan, James Garner, and on and on....

Anyway, I love that we are going to have a float and we need to toute our famous Oklahomans, but I wish they could have more! :)

What a day!

OMG. This day is so long and it isn't even 11am yet! It seems I have been sitting here for 10 hours. We are working on our Holiday cards for the office so we can get them out the first week of December. There are 500! Mairead and I are hand addressing all the envelopes and then the whole staff has to sign them! Crazy!

We are about halfway through the envelopes and Jen just started signing them, she did 100. But there are eight employees that have to sign them! Ugh!I am so glad I get to leave at 3pm today!

Spending

Ugh. Just thinking about the holiday season is giving me stress. Every time the boys see a toy commercial it's "I want that!". I hate how the holiday season has just turned into a big money suck and is more about presents than spending time with family.

I seriously do not have more than a couple hundred to spend on Christmas this year and it is just going to have to do and I hate feeling guilty about it or upset that people might feel slighted. How crazy is that!?

I also want to go to Sears or Penny's and get the boys pictures made soon. Cards with pictures are what this year's gifts are all about! :)

New Year!

I had the most glorious New Year's Eve this year! Yes, I was with my girl! Yes, we had a wonderful dinner and saw friends and drank and danced at Partner's and yes, we kissed (and kissed and kissed and kissed) at midnight. And when she tried to go to another bar, I just whispered to her to "take me to bed" and she did a 180 and we went home.... *grins*

We 'celebrated' into the morning and then exhausted... we went to breakfast and back to bed for more of a celebration!I am so in love with her ... I hope every New Year begins with her.

Christmas is coming!

I cannot believe Christmas is almost here. Not only am I giddy as a child with all the snow and holiday festivities, but I am intoxicated by my lady-love. She is everything I have ever dreamed of. I am so happy to wake up next to her each morning and end my day by curling up next to her. Life is perfect.

Update

It has been awhile.... The kids and I trick or treated with Linda, Kathy and Zach on Halloween. They did really well. We still have tons of candy! We have been busy with all kinds of stuff. M is doing Campfire Girls. I have been helping with the CASA stuff for Grady/Caddo Counties as well as the usual stuff.

My laptop has been down again, due to the puppy eating the A/C adaptor. The last time I got one the next day. This time, I am still waiting. They said it would be here on or before the 16th... it couldn't come sooner. I cannot stand sitting at the desktop. I am so spoiled with that lap top. I miss it terribly. I have been online much all week.

Had a good weekend. E and I had fun. Am looking forward to getting back to the office - what a nerd I am !