Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Draper Temple

We have a little family tradition that goes something like this:

Whenever we pass a temple, we stop and take our pictures in front of it. Very simple.



We hadn't been to the Draper Temple since it had been announced and dedicated, so while we were out one day we scooted by to take our pictures.

Unfortunately, the temple is on top of a ridge and it was freezing!

So if our pictures do not look like we are having fun...we were...somewhere deep in our hearts we were happy to be at the temple. But outside our bodies were turning into popsicles and we just wanted to be in our van with the butt warmers turned on!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Papa's Surprise

Papa was very anxious for us to get the decorating finished. He had a big surprise for us and it was happening at 4:00pm! No one knew what it was but everyone was excited!

The tree was finally decorated.



And then the door opened...and with a hearty "HO! HO! HO!" Santa walked into Papa's house!

The kids were so surprised...even Katie. Santa himself was in their house! He sat in the chair which had been mysteriously placed in just teh right spot for lap sitting. Each of us took a turn sitting on Santa's lap and talking to him. Katie asked him for an iTouch, Emma-Rose asked for a TV, Sam asked for Devastator. He made no promises but thanked them all fro being good this year.

The adults even took a turn on his lap. I told him the kids had been good all year and had done well in school. John told Santa he was a kid at heart and still wanted Star Wars toys as gifts. Papa told him that he was grateful that his whole family was home for Christmas.



I remember when I was a young child and Santa visted my sister and brother and me. It is as vivid today as when it happened. Through the eyes of a child we can see things with pure joy. I am so happy that my children had this same experience. I know they will remember it when their own children get their visit from Santa!

Memories is what it is all about and I love that my little family can make so many of them together!

Thank you Papa for allowing us to make this one!

Decorating Papa's tree

When we arrived at Papa's house, we discovered that he hadn't put up his tree. The kids were excited to decorate the tree for him. John dragged the tree up from the basement and the kids took out all the old ornaments to hang.

They had so much fun! And it was a great service to Papa. He really wanted the tree to be perfect because he had a big surprise for the kids later in the day!

The kids each had a favorite ornament to put up.



Katie loved the crystal ones that Grandma added to her collection just before she died.



Emma-Rose loved the angel.



Sam loved the bear.



Daddy put the angel up.

I took pictures...even a self portrait or two. (Look into the ornament.)





While we were decorating Katie serenaded us with some Christmas music...The Chipmunk Song, of course!



We hung our stockings by the chimney with care.

But most of all we just enjoyed being together as a family.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Almost there for Christmas!

This is the year we go to Papa's house in Utah for Christmas!

The kids have been so excited to go and have literally counted the days until we left for the long drive. The first day went smoothly...almost no fighting or murmuring. We drove from Oklahoma City to Denver and stayed at our favorite on the way to Papa's house hotel. (nothing exciting, just the Holiday Inn Express in Wheatridge). The second day we finally made it to Utah. And we were met with snow everywhere. This made the kids so happy, because they always want to see snow when they go to Utah for Christmas. It always makes it seems more like Christmas if it is white. So here are a few pictures of us entering Utah from Colorado.

We are almost there!

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Way to go Skittles!

Emma-Rose's volleyball league ended today. They had their official awards ceremony and I am proud to say that the Skittles got 3rd place in their age group!! Yay!

In these pictures she is posing with her volleyball buddy Briana. They are quite a hoot together. Both girls have such a passion for the game. Briana's mom, Melissa is their coach.

I am so proud of Emma-Rose and the effort that she has put forth to become a better volleyball player! She is amazing to me! She got interested in volleyball because Katie played for her junior high school. But she stays playing because she is good at it and she loves it! She is a great server and is starting to work on her overhand serve. She is also a good setter. She is not great at the net, but that could be because she is only 4'11"!

Congratulations Skittles!

Lunch with the Ellisons



Today Katie and I went to lunch with Nina and Aaliyah Ellison and Nina's mom, Ms. Nichols. The lunch was provided by the women of Nina's church for the women of the church. The tea luncheon was held to help the women bond and to remember the true meaning of Christmas.

There was singing, laughing, crying, good food, good conversation, excellent lessons and great friends. Katie and I were a little out of our element since the worship part of the lunch was different than anything we experience in our own church, but we felt the Spirit and cried a little together.

I am grateful for Nina Ellison and her daughter Aaliyah. Katie (aka Mallet) and Aaliyah (aka Ninja) became friends last year playing volleyball. They have truly become best friends by sharing their very different perspectives on some issues and relishing their very similar views on others. They bond over their love of music, marching band, and boys. But they are good examples to one another. It isn't often that a parent finds another parent who they trust implicitly with their own children. And I feel that way about Nina. I know not only will Katie be loved and cared about while in their home, but she has a fine example to look up to in Nina.

So for the Stringham girls we learned that Christmas isn't about what we buy for one another, but it about what we give to one another in our time, our service, our love and our examples. We found all of that in the Ellisons and are thankful that we got to spend a girly afternoon together.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

To read or not to read?

I've come to realize that I am not a great blogger. I have a lot to say. And most of you who know me know that I will talk your ear off. But for some reason I can not get myself to post here reliably. I want to put pictures up. But I wait so long to get them off my camera that by the time I have them uploaded it is way past the event and I figure no one cares. So I am going to a different format. I am just going to post my random thoughts here and simply forget the pressure to add pictures. Someday perhaps I will add pictures...or even go back and post past events. But for now, I will just write my thoughts and you can choose to read or not to read.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Second thoughts

Some of you know that I went back to school a couple of years ago and I am very proud of myself if I am allowed to say that.

As I have been drawing nearer and nearer to my graduation date (May 12, 2010 - but who's counting) I have been trying to decide my next step.

But first I have to get through my capstone class, Democratic Governance. It is the absolute worst class any person ever had to take in college...in fact I have seriously considered changing my major to Quantum Physics, as I am sure that it is a much easier major than Political Science.

Anyway, the class consists of a literature review, research paper and a presentation. I would like to go on record that with only 3 weeks left of class I now have a "C" in the final class of my major. Partly it's my fault; I indulge my poor little me moments all too often, part of it is the impossible expectations of my professor who obviously has no life at all! But there is no chance to make it better. And I think that sucks.

So if I register for more science classes next semester and become the next Nobel Peace prize winner...you will know it is all because of Dr. XX and her Democratic Governance class.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

We Got Your Back

NOTE: I went to update my blog today and I found this post that I wrote on 9-11. I guess I saved it and forgot to post it. But I am posting it now, because it really helped me to write it and to let it all out. So here it is almost a month late...
I was spurred to write about my own 9-11 experience after reading the blog of a friend of mine who lived in New York City on that fateful day. 9-11 is not something I really enjoy talking about. I don't like to share my feelings about it, they are too painful. I experienced no loss on that day. Everyone I loved was safe. And yet it stands out as one of the most profound days of my life.

My husband joined the Air Force a year earlier in May of 2000. We were excited for the new adventure. By August of 2001, he had finished flight training and was headed off to survival school in Washington State. Our lease was up and we knew we would be headed far away so I decided to visit his parents in Utah with the girls while he was gone. I missed him but knowing he would be home after 3 weeks was not a big deal. Little did we know that once we were together again, life would never be the same.

On the morning of September 11th, I was at my in laws house alone with the girls (they had left for 3 days to go to Portland on a business trip). I was awakened by a phone call from my mother telling me to turn on the news...I did was was aghast at what I saw ...the constant rewind of a plane hitting the World Trade Center...then another...then the Pentagon...then a plane crash in Pennsylvania. The airports were closed, phone connections became sporadic and then I was alone. My girls were little enough to be non-plussed but old enough to sense something was wrong. I tried not to be worried about the new situation in the world, but I was terrified. My husband was gone...at survival school...relatively unused muscle in Washington. Would they send his flight to NYC to help? I didn't know. I couldn't reach him. I waited for him to call. He never did.

I tried to be brave. I only watched the TV when the kids were gone. I only talked to my mom with hushed tones. My in laws were stuck in Portland trying to rent a car to drive home. My husband's sister-in-law lived about 40 miles away, but I was scared to be away from the phone just in case John called. I didn't want to miss hearing his voice. Knowing that the miles might have kept us apart but his voice could bring us right back together. I waited.

Eventually I headed to Camille's house where thankfully she saw I was exhausted and let me sleep on the couch while she corralled the kids. I will be grateful for that. But it wasn't the same. I wasn't with MY people; my mom, dad, sister, brothers...my husband. I needed to be enshrouded with their love and support.

Eventually people got home, four days later my husband called. I was able to finally get a flight back to Texas and embrace my loved ones.

Things haven't been the same for me post 9-11. And unfortunately my children will never know what the world was like pre 9-11. They will not know what it is like to suspect others...to fly without fear. They do not know a world without their Daddy off fighting the "bad guys." I still can not watch footage of that terrible day without being taken right back there and feeling all of those same feelings of worry and uncertainty.

On the other hand, we all know that our citizenship in this great country is a blessing and a gift. And we are lucky. They know that their father loves his country so much that he is willing to lay his life down to protect their freedoms and the freedoms of every other American. They know that we have rights and privileges in this country that must be protected at all costs; they have become active in learning and understanding the meaning of being an American.

The thing that I carry away from 9-11 is the loss of the innocence of my children. Never did I think that I would have to explain the idea of terrorism, death on such a grand scale for no apparent reason and the absence of a father who was now trying to right the situation. I have had to hold my children while they cried trying to explain why their best friend's daddy isn't coming home, (while inside being so grateful that MY husband was coming home). So people gave in their own ways. My hope is that as a nation we never forget what brought us to this place we are now and try our hardest to never take a step backwards.

I can't help but think of our first flight after 9-11, back home to Texas. It was just me and my daughters. Katie was wearing this cute little camouflaged outfit that she bought with her Grandma. She proudly walked onto the plane walked up to the cockpit and shook the hand of the pilot and said, "Thank you for being brave and flying again. My daddy flies too and he will be protecting you today." With tears in his eyes the pilot said "If he's got my back then we'll be fine."

America, we got your back. And on this day, I am proud to say that I understand what it means to be an American more than I did 8 years ago.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

So whaddya do...

when you have no new pictures to post? I guess you just write something anyway.

I have avoided posting anything new, since I haven't taken any pictures, but I guess that doesn't quite keep up my end of the blogging promise. So what has been happening since last I blogged?

I got my baby girl back from Grammy and Grandpa's house. Katie had gone down to Austin help Grandpa at the Retired Dog hot dog stand for week. She needed to earn the last of her money for her year of texting. (We actually MAKE her pay for the texting plan on our phones a year in advance...aren't we mean?) I didn't realize how much I missed her until she came home. She is such a fine young woman, helpful and responsible. I supposed this came of having to help me so much when Daddy is deployed, but whatever the reason, I am so grateful for her.

Summer school is officially over for me!! Woo Hoo! This summer I took two classes, Politics and Film and Politics and Music. I enjoyed the latter much better than the former. Somehow the music class really jived with the way that I was brought up. I coulda done without the film class. But at least I made As in both of them!

Friday, July 17, 2009

Excitement in the 'hood!

There is never a dull moment in my life!



While the kids were napping after our zoo adventure, there was excitement in the neighborhood. The fire department and an ambulance were called to a house just down the street from us. I don't know what happened, but the kids were excited to see the pictures of the emergency vehicles in our neighborhood.




UPDATE: John went down to ask the firemen if everything was ok. He said the little boy who lived in the house had hurt his head, but would be fine. Thank Goodness!

Hoorah for the Zoo!!


Nothing like going to the ZOO for free! Today it was a free-for-all, literally!




Sam made a list before we left of everything he wanted to see..while walking around he carefully crossed off animals as he saw them. The only thing he didn't get to see were the elephants (which are on a mating date at the Tulsa Zoo) and pandas (which we don't have).





We saw peacocks.


Galapagos Turtles


And Butterflies.


Henry the Rhino’s cousin was there.


We waved to the flamingoes.


We saw tigers.


Looked at the ducks swimming on the Lake.


We measured a grizzly bear’s claw against our own.


Counted seven alligators


We found Jackson in the Great EscAPE!


Met up with Dad


And with some giraffes!






















We posed for pictures at all the statues we could find...










And then went home and took a nap!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Finally cool enough for the pool!

Who ever thought they would hear someone say that in the dead of summer? Well, since it has been so dang hot we have avoided any outdoor activity like slugs. But today the cold front moved in and dropped our boiling Oklahoma temperatures down to the mid 90s! So a trip to the pool was a must!

I promised the kids that if they took a nap (oh and slept) that we would go this afternoon. They did exactly as I asked and because it was beautiful out, I had to pay up...so we got ready and got in the van. See their smiling faces...how happy they are to finally be going to the pool?!?










We drove happily to the base pool with only swimming on our minds...only to be blindsided with this:







The storm was complete with golf-ball sized hail and 75mph winds! What is up with that? Isn't this summer vacation?

Needless to say we had some sad going home faces...



We managed to outrun the storm and got home safe and dry, the skies cleared and it was nice again.

We must live in Oklahoma!