HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to meeeeee, happy birthday to me!

Cindy says she is thankful she can still get out of bed every day and go to her job (both of them). She is thankful she has a wonderful husband, two beautiful daughters, and lots of loving pets. She is thankful that she’s a senior citizen, she’s lived longer than 3 of her grandparents did, and her sweet “little brother.” She’s thankful she has her parents and two sisters to go visit every now and then and share memories. She’s thankful she can go to the church of her choice and thank God for all the blessings He has bestowed on her. I hope everyone is as blessed as I am. Happy Thanksgiving!

A Tuna Christmas

Jann gave me $50 for my birthday so I treated myself to a ticket to see the play "A Tuna Christmas." I've always wanted to see it so I went to lunch and a play today while Joe was quail hunting in Woodward, OK. This is the outside of the OKC Civic Center Music Hall. This is where the Nutcracker is put on each year. The play I was seeing was in the basement theatre. Currently "Little House on the Prairie" is playing in the grand hall with Melissa Gilbert (the original Laura Ingalls on TV) playing Ma Ingalls in the touring version.
This is looking toward the outdoor skating rink they are setting up for the holiday season. They open it up the day after Thanksgiving and close it down after January 1. Some years it's difficult to keep the ice hard because it's too warm outside.

This is walking closer to the rink. One of the figure skating coaches at the ice rink where Kristen and Kaitlyn used to skate was the one who brought the idea to Oklahoma City. They've been doing it now for about 7-8 years.

Usually, every year, the two figure skating clubs in Oklahoma City put on an exhibition for people to come watch at the outdoor rink. Looks like it needs to warm up just a little more so the ice can get hard.

Dad's Day @ the Sorority House

This weekened is Dad's Day at the University. (It used to be Family Weekend and before that it was Dad's Day forever). Chris, Joe's mother came down (because we thought it was still "Family" weekend) and we went to the sorority house and had lunch. The lunch was good, we had authentic Mexican food. Next we took Chris to an OU men's basketball game. Since the football game is a night game, she and Joe are going to the OU vs. Texas A&M game. Then, if she is still awake, we're going to take her to the Riverwind Casino so she can check it out. Here's a group shot of us outside the front of the AOII house.

The girls and Joe and I upstairs in front of the composite for last year.

"Muzzy" (that's what the girls call her) and the girls.

Just the girls.

Kristen and Kaitlyn with Kristen's lil' sis, Kristin.

Joe goofing around outside the house right before we left.

Random Stuff

When I went to the Affair of the Heart Craft Show in OKC a couple of weekends ago I bought the cutest little purse. It's sort of like a swing pack and it's about 6-1/2 inches wide by 7 inches tall. Someone had an ingeneous idea to recycle COWBOY BOOTS! It's unique and different and just the kind of stuff I like. Someone took cowboy boots, cut off the tops (because that's the part that never wears out) sewed across the bottom added a strap (through the pull-up straps that are already there) and added conchos with a hair tie rubber band to hold them together (I could even pick what set of conchos I wanted on my purse). I LOVE IT!! It's perfect for when you only need a few little things with you. Anyway, there is a website www.rootintootinboots.com if you want to check it out. Why didn't I think of that?????

I took these pictures tonight before Kaitlyn left for the sorority house. They are having initiation this weekend. She's wearing one of Kristen's dresses but she looked so pretty I had to take her picture. Of course she's got the "red eye" in the pictures. She cut her hair last week too. This is the first time her hair's been this short since she was a little girl.

Big-Lil' Sis

Last weekend, the sorority had their Big-Little Sis function. The new members (mostly freshmen) come into the sorority house and open a gift with their name on it. Inside is a pair of pajamas/nightgown. They have to put it on and run through the house searching until they find other people with the same clothes on. This is their "family." Kaitlyn is a twin in a large extended family. Her grand-big is the house president. Here they are doing the "alpha-love" sign.

Here is Kaitlyn with her "twin" Mel and their big-sis, Andrea.

Another picture of her extended "family."

Here is a picture of Kaitlyn, her twin Mel, their big sis, Andrea, and their grand big-sis Desiree, Chapter President.

Another picture of Andrea, Kaitlyn, and Mel.

Here's Kristen's group. Kristen is the grand-big (funny); she still seems like a freshman to me. Both Kristen's little and her grand-little took little sisters. So now, the chain goes Kristen (jondahl), Kristin, Victoria. Kristin took a little sis named Crysten, and Victoria took a little sis named Jen. All the Kristen's spell their name differently! Starting from the left: Jen, Victoria, Kristen, Kristin, Crysten.

Another version with Kristen at the top of the stack.

This is last year's picture. Kira was Kristen's big sis. Starting from the left: Victoria, Kristin, Kristen, Kira.

When Kristen was a sophomore (starting from the right) Ellen, Kira, Kristen, Kristin.