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.

this weekend

- I have a 4 years old's birthday to attend.
- I have a football game to watch.
- I have a lawn which needs to be mowed.
- I have a roommate moving out.
- I have a new roommate moving in.
- I have hair which needs to be cut.
- I have a kitten to baby sit. Ohhh darn. Twist my arm to have a 8 week old baby kitten in the house!
- I hope the dog does not slip into depression because of this 8 week old baby kitten in the house.


life is good.

i feel it in the air

In 5 years i successfully found myself attending 6 different schools getting myself a higher education. no school or town ever really felt right......

first i took myself to stillwater.....blah town, in the middle of nowhere, never found my niche socially, only thing to do is drink, had to drive 45 minutes to just buy a new pair of jeans......needless to say I left after only one year. You can never say i didn't give it a fair shot. I waved my arm, shook my keys, and wore orange but it never fit me. You are either a cowboy or you are not. And I am no cowboy.

Now i took myself back to my hometown.....the school did not feel like "college" to me. I stayed one semester and never gave this school a fair shot. I bet if i would of done activities to be involved in the school i would of started to like it. But i did not stick around.....this lady was heading north!

Fort Collins, Colorado.....my love.....pure happiness....a perfect year of my life. I only have beautiful memories of my time in this hippie lovin' town. I attended a fantastic community college just south of town to save on out of state school costs. In my short time at the school i met some of the most fantastic people whom i still think about even 7 years later. (i met my twin. not just looks but life in general, but this is a whole other post) With a sad face and a heavy heart i left the Rockies to head back home where i belong...

and in true nomad style i found myself at two different small schools in OKC in between every semester.

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Yet there was one university which made my heart flutter.
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Somewhere i could finally call home.
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The university which made me swoon has the 14th largest college stadium which rumbles like nothing you will EVER see.

The school, which had me at Hello, has fans which are born and bred. And they are pretty lucky since this school is known for stomping it's competition.

My first time to step foot on the North Oval i knew i found "My School!" No other college I had attended could even hold a candle to awesomeness which was my new campus.

The university which holds my heart has one game a year which might be more important than Christmas.

The football team isn't half bad either. Every season winning games, breaking records, and making everyone who wears Crimson and Cream proud! It is never "is it going to be a good season?" But always "how many records are we going to break this season!?"

This university finally stole my heart......

it makes it's student fill with school pride by just walking to class.....

...because how simply awesome their university is.

I am proud to say...... I am SOONER born, and SOONER bred, and when i die i will be SOONER dead!!!! Rah OKLAHOMA Rah OKLAHOMA Rah OKLAHOMA!!!!!!!!!!!! OKU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OU i love you. Now go kick some football butt and don't forget about texas this time!

happiness

I used to be the little engine that could.

Then I became the big engine that better.

I feel I am back being the little engine that could.

Happy Birthday Wyatt! (yesterday)

4 years ago (yesterday) Sister gave us a little man which added a little spice to the family. Did I just say "a little" spice?! This kiddo has shaken and stirred our family to a whole other level of happiness.

Wyatt Aaron is pure spunk with a handsome little face. A handsome little face which melts my heart. Man......Tiffany and Darrick make beautiful babies......

When he made his entrance 4 years ago (yesterday) he gave everyone new spiffy titles.....my sister became Mom, my brother-in-law became Dad, my parents Neena and Pa, and gave me the cool title of Aunt Christel.

He is a hard headed little bugger. Want he wants....he will get. Sorry Sister for this one......

He loves school, trucks, bug juice, dressing up, his frogs, cuddle time before bed, "working" with Pa, driving heavy equipment, talking to Mom when she is on the phone, chalk, anything which involves getting dirty, cowboy boots and his savior Jesus Christ. (sounds like a cool kid, huh?)

His imagination is fantastic. I like to ask him what he is doing while playing. Some of the stuff he says blows my mind. Why do we all lose this awesome gift?

Wyatt takes such good care of his brother Sutton. And Sutton thanks him by mimicking his every move.

Happy 4th Birthday to my sweet, adorable, perfect, rowdy, lovable nephew. I am excited for your party on Saturday!

Attention Pet Owners

I think it is great how no matter who you are male, female, old, young, dog lover, or cat servant, we all speak to our furry friends the same. We all have "conversations" with our pets. And sometimes they are the best conversations we have all day.

So picture yourself walking up to your loving pet and then we all will ask a question such as "is that chair comfy?"

After no response (because our pets cannot talk) we will ask the question again only in a higher pitched voice and will usually add our pet's name at the end. "Is that a chair comfy, Otis?"

Quickly after we will say "huh?" in our sweet voice we save for when we hold new born babies. We are now saying "huh" like our pet had responded but we did not catch their answer.

We will then answer our own question...."yes, this chair is comfy"

This conversation will end with us making a comment such as "you're such a good boy. enjoy the comfy chair!" And walk away feeling perfect content with the exchange of love which just took place between owner and pet.

I am thinking/giggling about this today because our very own super mom Peng is one pathetic cat right now and we all keep stopping and "talking" to her as she is napping in the middle of the office. She took a "trip" to the vet late last week to get her fixed. Also her body is confused from her stopping nursing. Going from feeding 6 growing kittens to post surgery has to feel miserable! She is swollen, sleepy, and winy (literally, she is walking around crying over and over)

Poor girl.....

Shadow (the newest member of the Edmond Rock family) is being a big boy and is staying all by himself during the day at my parents house to keep him away from Peng so her body will stop producing milk.

Now I must go ask the cat how she is feeling.