First Winter Fire

Every winter I look forward to our first fire! I get so excited for it to get cold. There is nothing better then a roaring fire, a blanket and a good book or movie. Greg worries each year that I am going to burn through all of the wood before the new year rings in. This year Greg and Marcus rented a log splitter and spent the afternoon splitting wood. We now a ton of logs so Greg can rest easy. There will be many cozy nights at the Garret house this winter.

Black Friday.

This is one of my favorite days of the year. Not because of all the shopping and the great sales, but because all of our Christmas decorations come out. While everyone else is out fighting the crowds the girls and I are knee deep in Christmas mess. We light a fire and play Christmas music and spend the day trying to remember were we always put everything. Emily has the Christmas gene just like me. She loves everything about this time of year. We spend the most time on our tree. Every ornament is so full of memories. When I was growing up my grandmother would buy each of us girls a new ornament each year. She would take us to the Hallmark store and let us pick it out. I always took the longest trying to decide from all the beautiful ornaments. Grammy started the same tradition with her her grand kids. Each year as we but the ornaments on the tree we seem to have a story for each one. Emily loves finding the ones she has made in school and even some that I made when I was little. My favorite ornament is one the first one my grandmother let me pick out. I don't remember going with her to get it but she loves telling the story. I wasn't very old and she said I looked right at it and said "that one." She said it was the most expensive one in the store but she didn't care because it was the one I wanted. I still love this ornament. It hangs high on the tree, out of the reach of little hands. Thank you grandma for making our tree so full of great memories.




This is my favorite ornament. Each year Emily and I argue about who will get to hang it on the tree. She can hang any other ornament that she wants but I will always get to hang this one.

Each year I try to find the girls an ornament the represents something they did or liked that year. Emily played soccer for the first time this year so she got the Santa with the soccer ball on his head. She was even the #1 like Santa. Gretchen started dance this year so she got the ballerina and Natalie is just cute so she got the gingerbread girl. I hope Gretchen and Natalie love Christmas as much as Emily and I do.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year we spent Thanksgiving with the Caulk's at the Rock House. The "Rock House" is a house owned by my dad's company. This place is great. The house is nestled back in the trees with a man-made stream in the front yard. There is an outdoor fireplace that is amazing. Dad brings the skeet machine and the guys shoot all afternoon while the kids play and we sit in front of the fire. Dad also got us three 4-wheelers and a kabota(basically an enclosed 4-wheeler). The kids have so much fun running around and riding 4-wheelers. It really is a neat place. We had tons of great food and even more fun.

Greg takes aim at some moving targets. Nana was analyzing the guys shooting skills and said that Greg shot better from the left then the right. I'm not sure what that means but I think she was right.

Aunt Ashley loves hanging out with the girls. She doesn't get much girl time living in a house full of boys.

I love this picture. I look up and the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is on and I hear Gretchen yelling at Santa. "Hi Santa, HO HO HO, Santa, Hi Santa, Mommy it's Santa!" She loves the big guy. At dinner she always puts her napkin round her face and says HO HO HO!

My girls are so blessed to have three great-grandmothers still living. Nana got to spend Thanksgiving with us and the girls just love her. She has always been a huge part of my life and now I loving sharing her with my kids.

Ride! Granddad is such a sucker for a pretty face. All Natalie wanted to do was ride. She would go up to eveyone and say "ride!" Being the baby she pretty much has everyone eating out of the palm of her hand.

Happy Birthday Baylor!

It's hard to believe Baylor turned six this year. He is growing into such a nice little man. Baylor is in kindergarten at Chisholm Elementary and already learning how to read. Baylor had is birthday party at an old hot spot of his Mom's and Aunt's, Skatetown in Enid. Talk about a blast from the past. The place hasn't changed since I had my last birthday party there around 20 years ago. I think the skates are the same ones too. Skating is not like riding a bike. I thought once I had those skates on my feet it would all come back to me...NOT!! I have never felt so old. I wanted all those crazy little kids to set down so I could go around one time by myself. They were all over the place and they would fall down hard and jump right back up, it was so annoying. I have the a bruise on my butt that is a perfect replica of a roller skate. Greg was the only smart one of the bunch, he went around one time and said "forget this, I'm going to hurt myself, I'm done." Gretchen made it around one time with the help of Uncle Brad and Aunt Jamie and she wasn't impressed at all. "Don't like it, done," were her exact words. I on the other hand was not about to give up. Jamie and Brad were still young enough that they could still remember how to skate. The rest of us just just looked like a bunch of uncoordinated idiots. We had tons of laughs and it was great to go back to the place where we all had so many parties. Thanks for a great day Baylor!

Emily finally gets the hang of it and lets go of the wall.

What a cute couple! They where the only two that still knew how to skate and still looked good doing it. I hate them:)

Natalie wanted to skate so bad. Granddad finally gave in and put Gretchen's skates on her. She wanted him to let go so she could try on her own, but luckily he didn't. She was so mad. He pulled her around on the carpet and she loved it.

Later that same day...

Gretchen is a handful. Ask anyone who knows and loves her and they will tell she is a mess. Just when you think you are at your wits end with her she will do something that makes you forget just how crazy she can drive you. I was busy doing laundry today which is always a challenge with Gretchen and Natalie running around. Natalie was napping and Gretchen was watching cartoons. I threw a load of clean towels on the floor in the living room and went upstairs for another load, not really paying attention to Gretchen. When I came back down I had the best surprise waiting for me. Gretchen, all on her own, had started folding the towels. I couldn't believe my eyes. She had already folded 3 of the big towels and had stacked them up just like I do. She was doing a really good job. She had the biggest smile on her face. She had really been testing my patience all day and with something as simple as her folding the laundry without being asked seemed to wash all of that away. I picked her, gave her the biggest hug and told her "thank you!" I took pictures as she finished folding. We very proudly carried them upstairs and put them away. I didn't even re-fold them(which was really hard, I like my towels to be all folded nice and straight and going the same direction). Gretchen you are an amazing kid and you teach me so much everyday. I love you!
This is what I found waiting for me when I came down the stairs. She really did do a good job.I love how in every photo she takes you can see her saying cheese!She worked so hard to match up the corners. I guess she learned that from watching me. I have never shown her how to do that. Pretty smart little cookie.It still blows my mind that she knows how to fold towels. I have never taught her how to do any of this before. Now if we could only get her to stop standing in front of the T.V.!

I give up!

You win Gretchen! It doesn't matter what we do or say we can't seem to keep you out of Natalie's bed. You love running into her room once you hear the she is awake. "Natalie wake!" You throw the door open, turn on the light and before I can say "don't get in Natalie's bed" you have already climb in! Natalie thinks it is the funniest thing ever, which doesn't help. You just love being in that bed with or without Natalie. If it ever gets to quite upstairs I know just where to find you. All I have to do is listen for the fake snoring. I open the door and through a few giggles you manage to keep snoring with your eyes clinched real tight. You and Natalie are quite the pair. I'll let you win this one just because you are both so cute together!

In keeping with tradition....

Gretchen got to go to her first OSU basketball game last night. It was so neat to have both Emily and Gretchen at a game. Greg and I love OSU basketball and love seeing our kids get so excited about it too. Gretchen didn't know what to think. She sat pretty still (which is completely unlike her) and just took everything in. She would clap when everyone else did and yell every now and then. Her favorite part where the seats that went up and down. I think she got in and out of her seat a million times. Emily and Peyton didn't miss a beat and cheered the Cowboys on to victory in their home opener. Congrats Gretchen on your first OSU basketball game!!! Maybe next time you'll make it to the end!


Below are some more pics from the game...

Gretchen and Mommy at her first OSU basket ball game.

Emily and Gretchen ham it up for the camera!

Dad helps Gretchen make a U!

Mermaid Party!!!

Happy 5th birthday Gretchen!!! It is so hard to believe you are 5 years old! Once you decided on what kind of birthday you wanted all you could say was "my mermaid party!" You were so excited for your party. Everyone you loved was there and you got some really great stuff. You now have more shoes then your mother. Your favorite gift was from Grandma and Granddad. It's a camera that hooks up to the T.V. It plays music for you to dance to and shows your image as you dance on the T.V. It is really cool, all the kids at the party loved it too. All you wanted was for everyone to set down and watch you dance.

All in all a great birthday for a great girl. We are so proud of you Gretchen and all the great things you have accomplished so far. We love you!!!

Look Who's Talking!

Natalie has become quite the talker. She has been babbling for a long time with the occasional "mamma and dadda." But lately she has been repeating everything she hears. Her sisters love trying to get her to say things. Emily swears she can say Emily, but she is the only one who has heard it. Gretchen tries to get her to quack in the bath tube (they have rubber ducks that they play with). "Natalie.....QUACK, QUACK!" Our baby, as she will probably forever be called, is growing up so fast. Each day she is saying and doing more and more. I started a word list today of everything she can say, it isn't all clearly spoken but we know what she means.


Natalie's Word List at 16 months!

• Momma
• Dadda
• up
• down
• backpack (she loves the girl's school bags)
• bye bye
• nigh nigh
• uh-oh
• bones (as in bumping fists, a favorite at the Garrett house long before the Obama's did it)
• purple (also the first color Emily said)
• go
• more
• no
• peak boo (she still is so surprised when I open my hands and smile at her)
• Pa
• hot
• burp (Daddy taught all 3 girls a song about burping, which they love to sing because it drives me crazy, and of course the only part Natalie can say is burp.)
• Lola (Aunt Jamie's dog)
• Mine
• Nana (Great Grandma Dorothy)
• Hi

We can't wait to see what you have to say next Natalie!

OSU Football #8 in the nation!!!

WOW! OSU football has never been better! The Cowboys are playing some great football this year and we are glad to be right in the middle of it. Nobody bleeds orange more then Greg and he is passing his love for the Cowboys onto his kids. This is Emily's 3rd game that she has gotten to go to this season (more then her mother by the way). Grammy and Pa got season tickets this year and Emily and Peyton have loved going to the games with them. I was lucky enough to get to tag along for this game due to the fact that Granddad's company was a having a huge tailgate party. He got tickets for all three of us girls and the son-in-laws. We had a great time hanging out before the game. In true Cowboy spirit Emily and Peyton got their faces painted and played catch while the adults enjoyed all the great tailgating favorites (beer, brauts, dogs and a new favorite this year, smoked Blue & Gold sausage). The Cowboys played a great game beating Iowa State 59-10. Thanks for the tickets Granddad and Grammy & Pa!!!

Hanging out with Dad at the tailgate!

Emily and I cheese it up for the camera!

Emily and Peyton show off their team spirit!

Emily and Daddy celebrating after a touchdown!