like the good ol' days

If I had to sum up Friendship in one word, it would be Comfort. ~Adabella Radici

last night i happily took myself into okc to happy hour at my ol' stompin' ground. luckily i was meeting up with the ladies who used to stomp around the place with me. when we were doing this stomping we were each others save place from the world. we were each others constant source of laughter back when we were never in a rush. back when we were carefree from what the world threw at us. we were always fine because we always had each other. if you saw 1 you saw all 3.

it felt nice to be at the same table with all 3 of us.

they make me happy. not just with their silly stories but how linzi will magically pull an iphone from her purse and pass it my way. yes it is true....linzi rose is the best thing since sliced bread. and i now am no longer a technology nerd.....if i just knew how to use it.....

come to find out taylor is a reader of this little blog.....hi taylor. now put your phone down and keep your eyes on the road.

Martin Luther King

Faith is taking the 1st step even when you don't see the whole staircase

little love notes

dear foreign films,
you are my new love. i never knew subtitles only make the film more enchanting. even a Japanese horror film.

dear old friend,
i am glad you are back in my life. never knew how much i have missed you until you were sitting across from me. thank you for still being wonderful.

dear caterpillar,
you made my day. good luck on becoming a butterfly.

Me vs a Bug

What was not any fun while i was sick:

-pretending to smile while helping customers
-having to call in sick to work
-a back ache from sleeping 14 hours
-the eye strain from watching 2 movies in a row
-missing the Boys to Men concert with friends last night

What was not so bad about being sick:

-working with my dad who was laughing at me as i helped customers with my fake smile
-calling in sick to my mom who was more concerned that her baby girl was sick than her employee was not coming to work. and yes i am 27, i will always be her baby girl.
-feeling completely well rested this morning after being a lazy bones
-finally getting to watch 17 Again and He's Just Not That Into You.
-my safety was not in jeopardy from going to the fair on a Friday night to watch an old school boy band

Something which was nice being sick:

-the 3 pounds lost

Ha Ha Ha! Mr. Bug I won this Battle!

free hugs

i either am coming down with the flu or i have food poising.

yuck.

i want to be at my parents house, on their couch, with my head in my mom's lap, my dad watching some random movie on TNT with lots of guns, some homemade soup on the stove, and their fuzzy throw blanket covering my toes.

but really i am at work. hoping this is not the flu. i wish my mom was here today and not in tulsa.....i need a hug.

before match.com

since people have been talking/asking/wondering about if i am dating let me say one thing....NO! i don't even have any business to even go a date. but i guess i know when it is time to start going on dates is when "Dating" does not sound like a form of cruel and unusual punishment.

but when i am ready to get out and meet someone dashing, charming, and an overall winner i will not be going to this video for inspiration.

but i do love the reindeer sweater and is that seth green at 2.35?

nap time

i was wanting to write about something today which had pictures since i have not posted a picture in a while. then i thought about the one thing i can not stop taking pictures of.....Shadow! i love this little bugger.

so without further ado...here is a day in the life of 10 week old Shadow.

he starts his day with bill and marybeth. usually stomping around on their desk.

then will move onto my desk to take a nap.

after his cap nap (haha i am so funny) we put him outside for some fresh air. he will get followed by a shih tzu who is still obsessed with him.

he then checks out the yard art which is for sale.

back inside he will get smothered or should i say he gets shown love from the same shih tzu which was just tailing him outside.

next shadow will have to listen as the shih tzu gets in trouble for licking the kitten too much.

time for a nap with mom.

back outside and still being stalked.

now he must stop and pose for the paparazzi.

one more nap with mom. this is his way of saying thank you carrying me for 2 months in your belly.

next he moves onto ripping a bag of cement mix but acting like he didn't do it.

and he can't forget to explore his kitty litter.

or this big box of paper. this was very nice of my parents to get shadow his very own box to play in. maybe i should state someone needs to take the trash out.

oh no now is the time the shih tzu will need to know exactly what shadow is doing. and bark if he can't see him. or bark if he can see him but can't get to him. or bark if he can see him and get to him. needless to say otis barks a lot at the poor kitten. he is just in love......

but i guaranty at anytime you can usually guess he is right there napping with his mom. what a tough life he leads.

i love this site.

rulesformyunbornson.tumblr.com

these are some of my favorites.

183. be quick with a 'good morning.'

178. Believe it or not, a museum is a great place to beat a hangover. It’s cool, quiet, and full of water fountains.

186. Have a favorite song. It doesn't have to be hip. (The best ones never are.)

195. Don't boo. Even the ref is somebody’s son.

The one true measure of a successful adventure is returning home safely.

253. There is always something that could use a fresh coat of paint.

293. Don't shout out requests at rock shows.

306. Let napping dads lie.

321. When it comes to opening presents, no one likes a good guesser.

358. If you have to make more than one substitution, order something else.

355. Never request a joke or impression. They're never as good on command.

-Since the dawn of parking lots, man has sought to fill his gut with food and alcohol in anticipation of watching others exercise. It is always okay to crash a tailgate.

-Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.

387. If you trip in public, don't blame the sidewalk. Pick yourself up and pretend nothing happened.

13. Avoid gossip. Never write a bad word about someone, especially in an email or on a website. It will always come back to haunt you.

71. Don't spend too much money on a haircut. They don't last.

rulesformyunbornson.tumblr.com

to do list

Happy 1st day of fall!

to do this fall:
-go to the lake
-take a chilly boat ride while i am at the lake to really enjoy the scenery
-go to a pumpkin patch
-carve a pumpkin
-find the perfect rain coat
-go on a hayride
-avoid all haunted houses
-get all my fall decorations out of the attic without falling down the attic ladder

Matthew 18.10

Treat everyone with respect and compassion realizing that their personal angels are constantly talking to God.

- James Allen

Those who cherish a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in their hearts, will one day realize it.

woot woot

today i was dreaming of someplace like this.....

....when 2 gentlemen came into the store. they are building a hotel. a big hotel. i quickly stopped dreaming of my perfect island and helped them design the stone. have i told you yet it is a big hotel because it is big.

we start delivering rock in 3 weeks. i have now done the happy dance twice.

i love surprises which make me dance.

one last dance

i wish i could go to a summer retreat, wear keds without socks, and dance with Patrick Swayze. he was so dreamy....hip thrusts and all.

my helpers

i am not a fan of yard work. i like planting, watering, pot placing but not the working part of it. but this lady is on her own now and my neighbors depend on me to get out there and do what needs to be done. i do sure wish the Tooth Fairy had a cousin named the Lawn Work Fairy.

my apple tree is great. i like watching the apples grow, having the nephews over to pick apples, and then watch their sweet faces when they realize Aunt Christel's apples are no Granny Smiths.

but this tree sure is messy. i mean really messy. what a pain it would be to pick up after it. but luckly i have furry friends who are my very own version of the Lawn Fairy.

thank you mr bunny for helping me with my fallen apples.

i do appreciate you taking this task on for me. i will take all the help i can get.

blues blues go away

i have been fighting off the blues because of the little amount of sunshine i have felt lately. this is what i have come up to do this evening to fix this.

1. sing along with Doris Day on my way home
2. take a walk with a hand full of grapes to keep me company
3. paint my toe nails hot pink while i watch an awesomely bad reality show

i don't like doing this

i try to always write about things which are positive but today i have to veer from my usual path and say something....something which has been bothering me....something which kind of makes me want to stop blogging but i will not let a few individuals ruin something which i enjoy.

i wish everyone in the world woke up with a fresh daisy on their nightstand and their new shoes never got scuffed but this is not how the world works. there are some people who's glass is half empty. sad but true.

so now i must say......if you read my blog just for gossiping ammo please stop reading now. if you read my words just to turn around and talk about them please stop reading now. it is not nice to use my words and thoughts as something to pass time with. i do not gossip about you so please stop talking about me. it is not nice.

thank you for never coming back to my blog.

now i must get back to my buddy holly, the del-vikings and my half full diet coke. have a beautiful day.

go aheah, give it a lick

Adbul moved on to a new house last week after he no longer had a car to get to school. he needed a place in walking distance to class so out he went. jarral leaves to go back home soon which means i was on the mission again on finding new roomies.

the first new house mate is terri a sweet lady in her 5th year at uco who moves in over the weekend and a exchange student from Japan, Mika. She rocks and moves in at the end of the month.

i am happy i am going with girls this round of roomies. the guys have been fine but i am ready to have more freedom in the house. i want to walk out for water in the middle of the night without worrying what i am wearing or color my hair without being stuck in my room.

i felt bad for making terri live in a room with mind numbing blue and white stripped wallpaper on one wall. so i have spent my evenings this week pulling down the wallpaper which is horribly stuck. i think it really loves the sheet rock it has been kickin' it with for the past 25 years.

As i started pulling down the dreadful stripes a little piece of my childhood was starring back at me. world i would like you to met my ice cream wallpaper from my life as Little Christel.

this wallpaper, which is being a pickle to pull down, saw so much of my childhood....from bedtime stories, to eskimo and butterfly kisses from Dad, barbie taking a vacation to the other side of the room, sleep overs, and saying my prayers with mom every night.

the one memory which made me literately laugh out loud was the time i told my bestie Linzi it was lick-able wallpaper like in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. she didn't believe me.

i thought about how i was told standing in front of this wallpaper if i organized my toys by myself, stop biting my nails and grow them long enough to have the white part of the nail show i could get my ears pierced. holy cow, what a big deal for little me! thank you mom and dad for doing this because to this day i have great nails and the most organized house on the street!

hopefully the last of the paper will be gone today so i can paint tomorrow. and as i pull the last of the paper down i will be giggling at myself for being a perfectly dorky little kid.

packages tied up with string

The other evening i curled up with the pup in my big comfy bed and watched a movie which i know by heart and have been know to break out in song during as well.....no it's not Glitter but.....The Sound of Music. Awww just the name makes me all warm inside.

Usually when i watch this movie i am participating through the whole thing in song but this time i was more happy to sit back and just enjoy. And during A Few of My Favorite Things i started thinking....

about things which make me terribly happy...

cocoa in my coffee
the snooze button
holding a baby, any baby will do
stormy mondays
leftovers from my sister's fridge
invitations in my mail box
surprise thoughtful messages
baked goodies from my mom
impulse bought lip gloss
sun kissed shoulders
a sappy lifetime movie
being barefoot
the start of a new season
giggles which turn into hiccups
embarrassing stories
the sound of little kids voices
going to the airport
sharing a meal with friends
roller coasters
listening to my dog while he dreams and then his sigh if i wake him up

—anne frank

“ think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.”

Who wants some dirt

i don't have a favorite so i am posting them all. kids playing in the dirt is just so frakin' cute!

this was my oldest nephew Wyatt's birthday party from over the weekend. his mom, my sista, was trying to come up with some cool ideas for his party a few months ago and then Wyatt told her wanted his party at the yard. what a great idea little man!

we posted up on the lower level by the soil, sand, and mulch. what else could a group of rowdy kiddos want to roll around in?!

here is the birthday boy now beyond excited to have his friends at "his rock yard."

we pulled the bob cat out so everyone could crawl around inside it. but i still can't decide if this was for the kids or the dads.

here is Sutton examining the wheels to his cart. we would not want them to go flat because there was a lot of sand to be moved around.

Neena and Pa (my parents) brought in a big truck of top soil that morning for the party guests to get nice and dirty. I did not get a picture of when one boy was buried up to his neck. i am sure his mother got excited about her time which was about to be spent in her laundry room.

then Pa brought the dump truck down. this was a huge hit. the kids stood perfectly still in awe of the truck. Wyatt was beaming with pride. (melt my heart)

We even gave fort lift rides! Can my sister throw a party or what?!?!

And check out the cake she made her first born. Dirt Cake! Talk about a flash back to awesome childhood memories. And of course she put it in a dump truck.

And talk about one dirty Sutton.

this 4 year old LOVED his cake, cookies, drinks from the "work" cooler, and his rock candy. there was a dirt theme and sister ran with it. i love her and her dirt theme party. when i have a mini me someday she will do their parties, if she likes it or not.

Wyatt's girlfriend Rachel's grandma was AMAZING and brought Rachel's horse out to the party. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! SHE ROCKS!!! Babe the horse was a HUGE hit.

Then it was present time. I think for my next birthday party i will invite Wyatt's friends because they give awesome stuff and so they could bring so sweetness to my party! I see his friends every couple of months and every time i do i want to pinch every last one of their cheeks. How is it possible for ALL his friends to be handsome little devils and gorgeous little angles!?

Check out the new rain coat Neena and Pa got him. It has matching firetruck boots.

Here are the sweet party guests while they are getting ready for a "Sand Ride" around the yard.


Once again Pa put the equipment to work and the kids LOVED it.

Every child that comes out to the store with their parents are always playing with the gravel, wanting to climb on the boulders, and bounce around with excitement when we use the equipment. So of course the Dirt Themed Party at Edmond Rock would be the PERFECT 4 year old's party.

To top off his kick butt party the birthday boy rode Babe up and over the top soil. In his little world this is huge. Kind of like this morning when i found out Ellen will be the new AI judge. I am totally pumped. i love her.

Happy Birthday again Wyatt. i loved your party.

right now

i have my divorce papers. it is real now. in less than a month i will official be

Christel Elizabeth Smith.

i still hate that word. divorce. it makes me sick.

yet i have not been this happy in a very long time. i think i have learned so much in the past 3.5 years my head might bust at the seams.

no more sad moments for me. my life is back in my hands and it feels right.

They call it puppy love

This past weekend at my casa was a simple, relaxing, rejuvenating one. Well expect for this one thing.....it involves a pig skin, one point, and one highly important shoulder but I don't want to talk about that.

I do want to talk about why my little man was looking so bummed....pathetic really.

It was this little one being in his territory. Otis did a lot of sitting and staring and thinking.

See Exhibit A.

He was not fond of someone else sitting on his mom's lap.....

and laying on his couch.

I should just come clean for Otis and say he does not like anything in his world to change. Well heck he does not like thunder either, anything which beeps, or when the toilet lid is down and he can't get himself a drink. He is ridiculous.

Yet by the first night he had started to get closer to Shadow. Yet still staying at a safe distance since the cat at work attacks him on a daily basis.

But there was something about this kitten which made O man not want to take his eyes off him. I thought this was better than him going into closet for 3 days only to come out to show me how abused and neglected he is.

The 2nd night i came into my room to discover a bond had been made.

Then i was caught taking pictures.

And Otis's tongue could not contain itself anymore.

And this is how the rest of the weekend was spent. Shadow soaking wet from Otis showing him they are now best buddies.

i almost did not take Shadow back to my parents house but then i did not know if kitten-napping is a punishable crime.

Mom and Dad i will cat sit for you anytime. I will state now that I cannot promise you will get your cat back next time.