A Spring Full of "Firsts"

We have had several "firsts" this spring that I must share:

Over Spring Break, Bryan and I went skiing with his dad and Karen.  I had not been skiing since I was in third grade and I don't think I really learned to ski on that trip.  However, Bryan has been skiing many many times and LOVES to ski.  So I decided to put on a smile and give it a try on this trip.  I will not go into all of the details including tears and promises to NEVER go skiing again.  But by the end of our three days of skiing (most of which I spent falling), I could sort-of manage a green slope.  It was a rough "first" but I think it at least pleased Bryan that I gave it a try.  My favorite moments were spent relaxing and talking with family.  

The Masters are a BIG week for Bryan.  He starts counting down the days until the Masters starting around Christmas each year.  Typically I roll my eyes and find something else to entertain me for the four days he spends glued to the television or computer.  But this year it finally hit me: "if you can't beat 'em, join' em!" So I threw a Masters party at our house!  I did some serious research into Augusta National and tried to be true to Tradition.  I may have actually had more fun planning the party than Bryan did watching the tournament.  This is the menu I came up with: 

Arnold Palmers (of course!)  

Pimento Cheese Sandwiches

Rachel brought her yummy chicken salad

Green Jacket Salad

Azlea Dip

Peach Cobbler 

Just over a week ago Bryan and I ran our first half marathon.  It just so happened to be about 45 degrees, raining, and windy on the morning of the OKC Memorial Marathon.  When we were running to the start line (of course we were late!) I wanted nothing more than to turn around and go home.  It was so crowded, cold, wet, and we had no idea where we were supposed to even go to start the race.  But we had spent so many hours training that we decided we had to start running and everything would feel okay.  Luckily, I had heard to bring a large trash bag to wear while you are waiting to start the race.  Then when you start you can just rip it off and leave it on the ground.  So I brought a big, black trash bag to wear that morning and it was the best thing I could have asked for that morning.  Here is a short recap of our 13.1 miles:

Start: We started running and I was so warm and dry inside the trash bag that I decided I would wear it a little longer.  

Mile 1: Still pretty happy with the trash bag.  I decide to keep it for a little longer. 

Mile 3: We run past OU Medical Center and I start focusing on the many people inside those hospital rooms that would give anything to run this race.  My heart is filled with gratitude.

Mile 5: Gorilla Hill.  Wishing we had trained with a little incline.

Mile 8: Bryan: "Are you ready to take of the trash bag?"  Me: "Nope."

Mile 10:  Shoes are starting to get soggy.  Wind is really picking up.  Ready to be done.

Mile 12.75:  I decide I do not want to cross the finish line in a black trash bag and finally decide to take off the trash bag. Bryan and I pick up our pace and enjoy the last stretch to the finish line.

Finish: We finished in 2:15 minutes.  A little slower than we had hoped, but a good time to beat for our next race!

Our next first:  Our first home!  We will close on our house on May 26th and move Memorial Weekend. I will update with pictures once we move. Yipee!

Half Marathon

We are currently spending a lot of time training to run our first half marathon.  If you know me you know that running is not really my thing.  Growing up a dancer we did not spend much time running.  Maybe a couple laps around the gym before pom practice, but that was the extent of my running career in high school.  I tried in college but was never able to run much more than a mile without having to stop and walk for a while.  Finally, once I started trying to get in shape for our wedding I got serious about running a couple miles.  Then in September of last year Bryan and I ran the Brookhaven Run a 5K that I was sooo nervous about.  It turns out that I had a lot of fun and ran the Race for the Cure the next month.  In December I decided I wanted to run the OKC Memorial Half Marathon.  It is usually the weekend of my birthday and I felt like that would be a great gift for my 25 year old body.  Well it is actually the weekend after my birthday this year (due to Easter) but I am really excited about this goal.  Sweet Bryan agreed to run it with me (because there is no way I could do it without him) and we have a had a great time training together.  I have learned about a lot of things I never knew about running:

1.  You cannot actually eat whatever you want when training.  I thought running a lot would give me a free pass to eat whatever I want....nope.  

2.  Your toenails can turn black.  Gross.  I have a black toenail just in time for sandal season. 

3.  The best way to enjoy a long run is to spend it in prayer.  I find myself praising God for the wind at my back, the legs that can still move, the air in my lungs, and the incredible man He placed at my side.  

We're Moving!

That's right: We are moving to Tulsa.  I have waited to write about this until I felt like we had all of our ducks in a row and now I finally feel comfortable saying (writing) it out loud to everyone.  Bryan accepted a job at OneOK and we feel so incredibly blessed with this opportunity.  We prayed and prayed for the right opportunity and to come into our lives.  It always amazes me how God lines things up so that you feel at ease following the path ahead.  In the last month we have been searching for a home.  Again we were blessed with two angels in this process.  We have the most wonderful realtor and lender.  They have been so patient and walked us through each and every step of this process.  Their knowledge and support has been invaluable during this process.  Bryan and I made an offer last week on a home that we love.  The inspection went well last week and we are well on our way to owning our first home!  Oh, and I got a job at a wonderful clinic in Tulsa that I am beyond thrilled about.  We are so humbled by these blessings and look forward to the journey ahead!

Holidays 2010

Today is a "snow day" (there is maybe 1/4 inch of snow on the ground) so I get to spend the day catching up on all the little things I want to do today.  Yay!  One of those is to look back on the wonderful holiday season.  It was filled with so many special moments this year.  I think not having finals to study for helped me to get in the holiday spirit extra early this year.  Here are a few of these wonderful moments:

Thanksgiving:

Thanksgiving at Bev and Marshall's home.

 I made 3 different flavors of cake pops for Thanksgiving at the Brackin's: Pumpkin Spice, Strawberry and Oreo.

Obie and Poppy carving the delicious turkey at their home. 

Cuddling with dad : )

 We brought pumpkin bars and sweet potatoes to Thanksgiving at Obie and Poppy's.  The pumpkin bars are a recipe I picked up at Williams Sonoma a few years ago and have made at least once every year since.

Williams-Sonoma Pecan Pumpkin Butter Dessert Squares

18.25 oz. package yellow cake mix, set aside one cup
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 large eggs
13.5 oz. jar of Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and flour a 9 X 13 pan.
• Divide cake mix, placing all but one cup in a mixing bowl.
• Stir the melted butter and one egg into the cake mix until combined.
• Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan.
• In another bowl, mix pumpkin butter with two eggs and milk until combined.
• Spread pumpkin mixture over pressed cake mix.
• Stir the reserved 1 cup of cake mix with the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.
• Then add the softened butter and mix together until crumbly.
• Sprinkle over the top of the pumpkin layer.
• Bake for about 35 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool and cut into 2 ” squares. Serves 24.

We used the Pioneer Woman's Soul Sweet 'Taters Recipe:

Ingredients

• 4 whole Medium Sweet Potatoes
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Milk
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 cup Pecans
• ½ cups Flour
• ¾ sticks Butter

Preparation Instructions

Wash 4 medium sweet potatoes and bake them in a 375-degree oven until fork tender, about 30-35 minutes. When they are finished cooking slice them open and scrape out the flesh into a large bowl.

Add 1 cup of (regular grandulated) sugar, 1 cup of milk, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of salt. With a potato masher, mash them up just enough—you don’t want to be perfectly smooth.

Now, in a separate bowl, add 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup pecans, chopped (that means measure a cup of pecans, then chop them), ½ cup flour, and ¾ stick of butter. With a pastry cutter or fork, mash together until thoroughly combined.

Spread the sweet potato mixture into a regular baking dish and sprinkle the crumb mixture all over the top.

Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

DELICIOUS!!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/10/soul-sweet-taters-step-by-step-recipe/

Bryan's Graduation:

Bryan and Joe both graduated with their MBA's the weekend before Christmas.  At Thanksgiving they made a bet for the OU/OSU game.  If OU lost Bryan had to wear an OSU shirt to Joe's OSU graduation and if OU won Joe had to wear an OU shirt to Bryan's OU graduation.  Well of course OU won and Joe followed through with the terms of the bet.  Everyone looks so nice in crimson! :)

I am so proud of Bryan and all the work he put into the MBA program.  Graduating from the Price MBA program required MANY late nights studying and countless hours of group projects.  Not only does he have a degree to add to his resume, but he is an overall more educated person.  I love my smartypants so much!

Christmas:

 Every year Susan (my mom's friend and roommate before she married my dad) comes down from Edmond and spends the day making Christmas cookies with my mom, sister and I.  We have done this all my life and it is one of the only traditions my family has always had.  I LOVE it! The older I get the more I value this special day.  I am already looking forward to next year.  Here are a few of our yummy treats:

 Christmas Eve at Ganny & Pop's. Talon is ready to dominate the presents and Drake is just happy to play with the ribbon.  I love these boys and sharing the joy of Christmas with them!

New Year's Eve:

 We spent NYE with Joe and Melissa.  We went to dinner and a Thunder game in OKC then came back down to Norman to hear Graham Colton at Seven.  We always have a great time celebrating with Joe and Mel!  I cannot wait to see the blessings that 2011 will hold for us and those that we love.

Happy 2011!

change of season

I know.... I have been a horrible blogger.  But I am not going to apologize.  Our lives have been full, good full.  The kind where I am exhausted at the end of every day, but thankful for the moments that filled the day (and oh so thankful for our super comfortable bed).  Some of the blessings that have filled this season:

• Bryan is finishing his last semester of the MBA program.  It is hard to believe he is almost done!  He has worked so hard and I am beyond proud of him.   
• I am working at two wonderful schools in Norman.  I love spending time with my adorable students.  They are so full of life and joy.  I'm pretty sure they are teaching me more than I am teaching them.
• In mid-September, my oldest cousin, Lynna, got married in Carmel, CA.  It was a gorgeous wedding on the ocean and a great weekend to share with family members we don't get to see as often as we would like.  I am so happy for Lynna and Rob. 

• A couple weeks ago we celebrated our first anniversary.  Yes, really... a year.  I swear we were just dancing at our reception last month.  Time really does fly when you are having fun! We celebrated our anniversary and Bryan's 27th birthday (they are the same day) in Dallas.  We spent two great days just the two of us without many distractions.  Then we went to Fort Worth and spent some great time with special friends. It was a fabulous weekend!!!

• My mom and I hosted a Halloween party at her house last weekend.  I think we may have had more fun planning the party together than the party itself!  I love spending time with my mom.  She has been blessed with the gift of hospitality.  She thinks of everything!  Which can sometimes be a problem because it is hard to do eeeeverything.  I hope to inherit this gift and show the same hospitality to family and friends.  Overall the party was a great success.  Lots of food, drinks, costumes, and laughter.

My cute dad as Carl from UP.  Best costume of the night!

Candy Bar

• We also went to Tulsa last weekend to visit Bryan's brother, Joe and his sweet wife, Melissa.  They are such an adorable couple and we really loved the opportunity to share a couple yummy meals with them.  We only wish we could see more of them!
• Last night I went to Irving with my book club to meet Shauna Niequist the amazing author of Cold Tangerines and Bittersweet.  She is a great writer and really speaks to my heart.  When I read her book I find myself laughing out loud, crying, and saying "YES! I knew I was not the only one."  I am so thankful for her books and my book club.
• Today we went to Bryan's grandmother's funeral.  She passed away about a week and a half ago after a couple weeks in and out of the hospital.  I had the opportunity to spend about an hour with her in the ICU, just the two of us.  We talked, laughed, and prayed together.  I am so thankful for that hour together.  She was such an amazing woman that loved her family more than anything.

We are thankful for all that God has placed in this season of our lives.  We know big changes are ahead, but not sure of all the details.  What we do know is that God has great plans for us, and will not call us to do anything He has not already given us the ability to do.  We will keep you updated! (And NO, not a baby!!)  I will leave you with one of my favorite excerpts from Cold Tangerines that seems very appropriate for this season:

Right now, around our house, all the leaves are falling, and there is no reason that they have to turn electric bright red before they fall, but they do, and I want to live like that.  I want to say, "What can I do today that brings more beauty, more energy, more hope?"  Because it seems likes thats what God is saying to us, over and over.  "What can I do today to remind you again how good this life is?  You think the color of the sky is good now, wait till sunset.  You think oranges are good?  Try a tangerine."  He's a crazy delightful mad scientist and keeps coming back from the lab with great, unbelievable new things, and it's a gift.  It's a gift to be a part of it."  

Shauna Niequist -  Cold Tangerines

Summer of Weddings

This summer has been jam packed with weddings!  I happen to love weddings so it has been pretty wonderful.  What's not to love?  You get to get dressed up, see friends (some of which you have not seen in a long time), remember those special wedding vows, cry a little, eat yummy food, drink yummy drinks, eat wedding cake (very yummy), and dance the night away!  I love how every wedding is different and each couple reflects their relationship through the details.  It's funny how you start seeing trends and one thing that people liked from one wedding and then used at their own.  Our wedding had little things that I loved from my friend's weddings, especially Grace Davis' and Sally Mitzner's.  Here is a rundown of our summer of weddings with my favorite parts of each. (I know I only have like 10 followers, but if you were at one of these wedding please comment on your favorite part!)

May 1, 2010 - Kendall Beller and Blake Porter

Get ready to see a lot of these : )

Kendall and Blake's wedding was fantastic.  I knew I would love it for several reasons: 1. Kendall loves Style Me Pretty (best wedding blog ever) 2. Rick Hall officiated the ceremony (He did our wedding as well and it was my favorite part of our whole wedding) 3. Kendall and Blake are madly in love!  And it lived up to all my expectations and more!  Kendall looked gorgeous and everything from the food, to the cake, to the band was wonderful. Thank you Kendall and Blake for inviting us to share this special day with you.

My favorite part: the cups personalized cups that turned pink with your cold beer. So fun and original!

June 5, 2010  Kendall Cunningham and Blair Speer

Kendall and Blair's wedding was a lot of fun because it was a great chance to reunite with highschool friends that I had not seen in a long time.  I had a great time catching up with everyone! Thanks Kendall and Blair!

My favorite part: The Mystery Dates. One of my high school history teachers and his wife are a part of this band and they are awesome! They do such a great job getting people on the dance floor and keep the party going all night.

June 11, 2010 - Danae VanSickle and Evan Grace

Bryan surprised me and came home for the weekend!

Bryan and Evan love one another. So cute.

Evan and Danae had their ceremony and reception at the Farmer's Market in OKC.  It is such a cool space and was really fun to not  have to drive from the church to a reception. You just picked up your chair and moved to a table. So great! The ceremony was very intimate with candles everywhere and beautful lights hanging from the ceiling.  And once the ceremony was over it quickly switched to a party! We had such a great time dancing with everyone.  Thank you, Ev and Danae, for letting us share this day with you.

My favorite part: the ceremony music.  I can't for the life of me remember what songs were playing, but I remember they gave me chills and I felt like I was in a movie. Music has such a huge role in setting the tone and I think they did an awesome job choosing their ceremony music.

While stalking I found this and melted: http://www.industry405.com/2010/danaeevan-wedding-trailer

June 26, 2010 - Lane Pilkington and Mike Tinsley

Lane and Mike's wedding was awesome! They had their reception at Old Town Plaza and had most of Norman in attendance. It was a blast! Great band and tons of fun people.  Thanks Lane and Mike for inviting us to party with you.

My favorite part: Dave Swafford, Frank Eskridge, Bill Coleman, and Loyd Tinsely performed a little number for Mooney and Mike as they danced the mother/son dance. They sang "In My Life" by the Beatles and had everyone rolling in laughter. See picture above.

July 10, 2010 - Keeton Hughes and Tyler Monahan

Keeton and Tyler's wedding was truly dreamy.  They had their wedding on Captiva Island, Florida.  Keeton was glowing all weekend and Tyler looked so handsome.  You could feel God's hand in the whole weekend, especially at the ceremony. It had been REALLY hot all day and we were all picturing Tyler dripping in sweat during the ceremony.  But just before Keeton walked down the aisle a cool  and refreshing breeze came through. It was really amazing how it went from "hotter than hell" to the perfect temperature in a matter of seconds.  The ceremony was followed by a gorgeous sunset and great reception. We had so much fun dancing the night away!

My favorite part: the band and dancing with the whole group. Because it was a destination wedding all of the wedding guests had the opportunity to spend time together all weekend. This made the dancing at the reception that much more fun because everyone was comfortable with one another. The band was supposed to quit at 12, but we were all having so much fun they agreed to play for another hour!

My favorite part of Bryan and I's wedding that I also heard in the Beller-Porter, VanSickle-Grace, and Hughes-Monahan weddings were the words from the book of Ruth.  Rick Hall so beautifully describes the friendship between Naomi and Ruth as a determined devotion:

"Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God." Ruth 1:16

Concrete Jungle

Back in November Bryan received the Price Scholarship from the MBA program at OU.  This scholarship sends six students to New York City for the summer to take classes at NYU and work at an internship.  He has an internship at Blue Heron Research Partners and is living in the NYU graduate dorms. It is really an awesome opportunity and I know Bryan is learning so much.  BUT this means we are spending the summer apart. This stinks... a lot.  Like A LOT! I really don't like it. Nope, not at all.  Okay now that you know how much I don't like it, I will tell you that there are some good aspects of our current situation:

I have fallen in love with my plants. I don't have a dog, cat, or even a fish to take care of for the summer while Bryan is gone. So I take care of my plants. Yes, this is pathetic. But I just ate my first tomato last week!

I am learning to kill spiders. I do not like spiders. I do not really like bugs period (except ladybugs..I like them). All my life when a spider has entered into my personal space I have yelled and someone has killed it for me. Well, not anymore. Now when I see a spider my heart starts racing and I am instantly filled with anger that Bryan has left me for the summer.  But then I go and get the bug gun and shoot it. Then I stomp and stomp and stomp until I know it is really dead. At this point I get several tissues (need a thick layer) to pick up the guts and all eight legs. Then I flush it down the toilet just to make sure it leaves the house. Once I see it go all the way down I do a little dance like I just killed a dragon.

Bryan has had the opportunity to play golf on some awesome golf courses. I will let him blog about these experiences later because he will do a much better job!

And the best part about Bryan spending the summer in New York:  I get to visit him! I went June 16-21 and am going back July 1-5.  I had an amazing time with him on my last trip.  We ate a lot, shopped a lot, walked a lot, and spent a lot of money.  Some of my favorites were:

-The Met

-Central Park

-Stanton Social

-Baked by Melissa

-Mister Softee

But of course the best part was the time we spent time just being together.  I loved every moment I got to hold his hand and see his sweet smile.  It really blows my mind how much more in love with him I am everyday.  I thought when we got married there was no way I could love him any more than I did, but I was so wrong.  I guess that is the best part about love, you can't run out.  God created us out of love and to live lives of love.  Thank you God for the amazing opportunities you have placed in our lives, for the beautiful plants in our yard, for courage, for generous and caring people, and for loving each of us just the way we are (even the spiders-sorry about that by the way).