This is a place for Eric & I to share our latest photos, news, and interests with our friends and relatives. We hope you enjoy the site!

Casazza Creations is where I offer my handmade quilts and crafts for sale. You can find me on my Etsy shop.

May 2024 - This was a very busy month, there are 138 pictures this month so prepare yourself!  I have happenings around Eureka, a very busy trip to Oklahoma, and a night out with my sister at a Hootie & the Blowfish concert.  It was a great month! 

April 2024 - We celebrated our 30th anniversary this month, and started to enjoy a few warm-ish days.  We even caught a bear on our trail cam.  Overall, it was a great month!  

March 2024 - March was a quiet month, spent mostly around the home place.  Since we're not into snowmobile riding or skiing, that's what winter in Montana looks like for us.   

February 2024 - We livened things up a bit in February this year.  Eric spent half of it in OKC, and there were more activities in town for us to attend.  Also, the wildlife around the place was quite active so that helps to keep things interesting. 

January 2024 - January was a difficult month for the most part.  We sadly lost a family member, I got sick with my 2nd time having Covid-19 and had to miss a trip to Jamaica because of it, and it was very cold with lots of snow.  One up-side was a week spent in Hawai'i, which was beautiful. 

December 2023 - This month was full of snow, pets, basketball, and a trip to Oklahoma for Shawnna.  It was great spending Christmas with my peeps.  

November 2023 - Eric took a long trip to Oklahoma this November and I joined him for a short part of it.  We got to visit my family, get family pictures taken with them, and had a few other small adventures in this first month of winter.  I've also added a link to the Morton Family Photos we had done this month, they turned out great! 

October 2023 - Fall is a lovely time in Montana, but it can be short!  We enjoyed a pretty calm month this October and saw lots of beautiful things.  

September 2023 - We enjoyed a more laid-back month in September.  Cooler temps mean less frantic running around.  In summer it feels like we're always trying to capture every minute of warm weather and sunshine while it lasts.  September is a time for slowing down. 

August 2023 - This was an extremely busy month.  Just the Eureka Montana Quilt Show alone would have filled up the month, it's so much work, but thankfully there was a lot of play too.  I have photos to share of a fun-filled week with Mom in Montana, picnics, parties, the county fair, and much more.  Also a whole page dedicated to a recent family wedding of Kaitlyn & Strite.  

July 2023 - We enjoyed two visits this month, some glimpses of wildlife, float trips, and other fun adventures.  It was a lovely July.  

June 2023 - June was a beautiful month this year, and we enjoyed it to the max.  I have a page full of photos of our sights & scenes, including a hike to McGwire Lookout.  There are also separate pages for some Glacier Park activities - Glacier Bike Riding and a trip to Many Glacier on the east side of the park.  

May 2023 - Warm weather returns!  We had lots of small outings this month, mostly just celebrating the fact that we could go outdoors in comfort again.  It was beautiful!  

April 2023 - More walks, Easter celebrations, and general life in Montana are all the features on the April Summary page.  I also took a fun and very memorable trip to Mexico with my sister for Hootiefest 2023.  

March 2023 - We enjoyed a few nice days that allowed us to go outdoors, more local entertainment, and lots of pet pictures.  It's all part of my March page.  

February 2023 - I attended a quilt retreat, two local concerts, missed some amazing Northern Lights, and have photos from Eric's first meeting with Josie.  See it all in the February Summary.

January 2023 - This month we enjoyed a week-long visit from our friend Rusty, several High School basketball games, and some cross-country skiing.  You can see all this and more on my January Highlights page. 

December 2022 - We were busy this month.  I not only have my usual highlights from the month to share, but also a family trip to Glendive for Rebecca's wedding and my own personal trip to Oklahoma to visit my family.  

November 2022 - Highlights from November include Jeb's 50th birthday party, Thanksgiving, decorating for Christmas, and general life in our world. 

October 2022 - We went to Canada this month!  A day trip to Fernie, BC was a fun time.  We also visited Therriault Lakes.  You can see this, otters, and much more on my October photo page. 

September 2022 - Our life in September included more camping, progress on the Lodge Bluff Homes, a close call for our friend Mike, and a photo shoot at the coffee shop for Buddy.  

August 2022 - In addition to our usual sights & scenes for the month, I also have a photo page dedicated to the Eureka Montana Quilt Show, which was a huge event in my life.  Speaking of huge events, I also have a page dedicated to the fact that my amazing parents came to visit us in Montana and we had a wonderful time together.  

July 2022 - This month we went to some concerts and celebrated Independence Day with the Casazza clan.  We also had fun boating with Luke & Kristi as well as enjoyed a camping/float trip with Jeb & Amy & friends.  I also took a trip to Oklahoma to visit my family and see a Darius Rucker concert with my sister.

June 2022 - In June we had a nephew graduate, we got our new batch of steers, and I got some cool owl photos with my zoom lens.  Eric and I also took a vacation to Hawaii for a week.

May 2022 - In May we got new eBikes and had some fun outings with friends and family.  I also share some pictures of Eric rock climbing, always a crowd favorite! 

April 2022 - Eric started a new work project in April, Lodge Bluff Homes.  The family coffee shop opened it's doors at the end of the month, just in time for Rendezvous Days, our big annual festival here in Eureka. 

March 2022 - In March, we started to see some signs of life coming back into the area after a long winter.  Not that winter is over in March!  Just that we finally have hope again.  :-) 

February 2022 - Our February activities are shared here for your viewing enjoyment. 

January 2022 - January was a quiet month for photos because I was down with Covid-19 for the first 10 days of the year.  There are some pictures of the lovely sights you get on those special fresh snow days.  You will also find an entire page dedicated to the fun music festival that Amy & I attended at the end of the month - Hootiefest in sunny Mexico.  

December 2021 - December's photo page is full of the sights & scenes of winter life in Montana.  I also have a separate page of photos from my Christmas visit to my family in Oklahoma. 

November 2021 - This month we took a weekend trip to Hamilton, MT.  We also had some family time and I took a weekend trip to Las Vegas.  

October 2021 - In October, we did a little camping and a lot of admiring a beautiful October in beautiful Montana.  We also had some great times with friends.  It's captured here on our photo page for the month.  I also took a special trip to Branson, MO to spend a fun fall break with my family.

September 2021 - The September photo page isn't super exciting, but it was a great month full of small, meaningful activities & relationships.  

August 2021 - This month also suffered a severe hit by my hard drive crash.  There are almost no photos at all from this month, but I shared what I could.  This is mostly pictures from Buddy's DNA results and one relic from a 3-day weekend in Coeur d'Alene Idaho.

July 2021 - There are a few general photos from July to share with you which include our July 4th celebration and a family bridal shower for neice Katie.  Then there are a LOT of photos from the week when Brodie and Mom came to visit us in Montana. A great time was had by all! 

June 2021 - I have a few photos to share from June.  Mostly from a Casazza get-together we hosted that was a great time.   

May 2021 - Despite losing almost all of the photos I took in May, I still have a few shots to share.  I've included our new camper, the annual Casazza Branding Day, and camping in the South Fork. 

April 2021 - The biggest deal we have going on in this month is the closing on a new business venture - The Timbers Lodge.  It's a joint venture with Luke & Kristi and Larry & Mary Beth.  Here is an overview of the project.  April's page includes pictures from Cooper's 13th birthday party, some elk wandering by the house one morning, disc golf, our 27th anniversary outing, Rendezvous Days, and more! 

March 2021 - The March photo page includes scenes from a trip into the Ten Lakes Area, Lane's 12th birthday, and some shots of our pets and activities from the month.  

February 2021 - On my February photo page, I share pictures of my first quilting retreat, an antique quilt show at Conrad Mansion, cross-country skiing with Eric and Buddy, and a few other sights from a good month well lived.  

January 2021 - We celebrated New Year's Day with a big sledding party on Costich Lake.  Later in the month we enjoyed a short trip to Glacier Park, and a few random events that I've shared on a January picture page.  

December 2020 - Our first outing of December was a trip up Graves Creek road.  We were hoping to get into the sunshine, but we couldn't get high enough.  Later in the month we enjoyed a nice bonfire at Larry & Mary Beth's.  We also took a family trip to The Crevice, a local attraction that's especially beautiful in winter.  I also have pictures from celebrating my birthday, Christmas, New Year's Eve, and some general sights we saw in December.  

November 2020 - This month saw us out for several family outings and other fun outings.  I also have my usual pictures of my pets, who I always think are so cute that the whole world needs to admire them.  I've put everything into one page again this month - because I'm lazy! :-) 

October 2020 - October was a very busy month for me.  I did take some pictures, and have grouped them all into one page.  Our biggest adventure was another trip to Oklahoma to pack up the house there and make one last drive from OKC to Montana.  The weather gave us many challenges, but thank the Good Lord we made it safely.  I also managed to complete one baby quilt this month, called Starbaby.  It's a beauty!   

September 2020 - We took very few photos in September, even though I took a trip to Oklahoma and even saw my family.  I fell down on the photography job!  I have a few sights from September, and the professional photos from our Oklahoma City home before we sold it.  

August 2020 - In addition to our monthly sights & scenes, we also had two eventful visits from Oklahoma friends.  First, Tanisha and then a visit from Eric & Andy.  All are rock climbers so Eric was thrilled to finally have someone to climb with him.  It was a fun time.  And of course, huge for me was that we were able to have the Eureka Montana Quilt Show as scheduled.  It was wonderful to finally have an event that wasn't cancelled, and better still - a quilt show! 

July 2020 - July saw a return to what passes for normal in our summer lives.  Which means, mostly get-togethers with family and outdoor activities.  We enjoyed a fun July 4th celebration, a great float on the North Fork of the Flathead River, a birthday party for Amy and another for Hanna, a beautiful hike to Stahl Peak, and our other general sights from the month.  

June 2020 - In June we made the 6+ hour drive to the Augusta area to visit some friends there.  We had a great trip and really enjoyed our visit.  We also had a great date night, I made a trip to Westville, OK, and we have some random photos - mostly of Buddy, of course!  

May 2020 - May was more fun for us as the quarantine stuff started to lift and the weather warmed up nicely also.  We enjoyed a birthday party for Dan Sr, Branding Day at the Casazza Ranch, a short trip to Bull Lake, some general sights, and a family camping trip to the South Fork of the Flathead around Hungry Horse Reservoir.  

April 2020 - April saw us make an early move to Montana and the associated sights we saw there.  There wasn't much else going on in the time of major quarantine, but at least we got to look at some beautiful scenery.  

March 2020 - March started out fabulous with a trip to Hawai'i.  We enjoyed one more week of normal life after that, then the Coronavirus self-quarantine thing came around.  There hasn't been much to take pictures of since then! I do have a few miscellaneous and pet photos though, as those are always guaranteed to make me smile.  

I finished two quilts in March, Modern X Squared in Peacock and Stars on Snow.  They are both beautiful to me in different ways, and were fun to make. 

February 2020 - At the first of the month, Buddy turned 3.  Eric shared some pictures with me from a camping trip he took with Buddy.  I have pictures of a snow we got that lasted about 24 hours (the perfect length of time to have snow on the ground!) Then there are the slew of other pictures I always take of the pets and sights we've seen this month.  As an added bonus, I found a lot of ancient, but fun photos on Eric's phone that I have no hope of putting in the proper chronological order, so they will now and forever live here.  

I finished one quilt in February, a quilt I was very happy with.  It uses the pattern called Swoon which I have made before, but I did the colors differently this time in order to achieve a different effect.  

January 2020 - I took even fewer photos in January than I did in December, and that wasn't much! We spent the first two weeks of the month watching Eric be sick in Montana.  Then after we got back to OKC, I attended the PBR (Professional Bull Riding) event in OKC with my Japanese friend Yuki.  She had certainly never witnessed anything like that before!  I also took a photo of Eric, sporting the beautiful necklace Brodie made for him as a Christmas gift.  I have several pictures of Buddy and of Feisty, who gave Buddy a run for his money on 'most photogenic pet' this month.

December 2019 - December included multiple Thunder games, Christmas gatherings, cute pet photos, a trip to Montana, and more.  I've was too busy enjoying things to take many photos so I've lumped them all into one page.  

I finished two baby quilts in December.  I made boy and girl versions of the same Native American pattern.  They are really cute! 

November 2019 - This month things were a little calmer.  Well, that is after we celebrated a wild and crazy Halloween with my sister Desirae.  Then we had a few assorted fun activities I will share with you.  We finished the month with family photos with the Morton clan, which turned out great!

The quilts I made this month were two lap quilts or twin-sized quilts - Bright Roses Lattice and Country Hens with Chicks.

October 2019 - This month saw our transition from Montana to Oklahoma mid-month.  Before we left Big Sky Country, we took a day trip to Fernie, BC and I enjoyed some biking with Amy in Glacier Park. We also got to spend some time with Uncle Tim, it is always a pleasure to see him.  I have some final looks at Montana, and photos from the multi-day drive to Oklahoma.  I attended a BCM Camping trip at Red Rocks park in western Oklahoma (although I didn't actually camp, just arrived very early on Saturday!) 

Later in the month I got to attend a Jenny on the Road event given by Jenny Doan.  It was a great experience.  I did this on my way to Branson, Missouri, where I had another great experience enjoying Branson with my Mom, sister, and nephew Brodie.  I also have pictures from an outing to Scissortail Park, and a Thunder game with the BCM international student group.  Finally, I have pictures of the Bloomer's new cats, a few shots of Buddy, and two pictures that I grouped into the category of Halloween.  

Somehow, despite moving houses and taking trips, I managed to get three quilts finished in October.  The first is a printed cloth quilt, which isn't technically a quilt at all but it was hard work nonetheless.  The second is a floral baby quilt for baby Ariel, new daughter of good friends, and a pattern called, "Yankee Doodle" for my good buddy Dick.  He is a veteran who wanted a patriotic quilt and I was extremely glad to oblige.  

September 2019 - We had a busy and beautiful September.  Activities included fishing with Buddy in the canoe on Costich Lake; taking family photos of the Driggs family; and the Flathead Quilt Show.  I also took many photos of our pets, because I knew you would not want to miss out on any of their antics.  I also have some random scenes of things that happened during the month, as well as our final batch of trail cam photos.  Nothing like the August pictures, unfortunately, but still fun. 

In quilting news, I finished two quilts in September.  Another vintage crazy quilt, and an adorable baby blanket for my nephew Noah.  I call Noah's quilt, "Woodland Creatures."  I want to give a shout out to Grandma Rose for giving me the woodland creatures fabric last year.   

August 2019 - This month was completely packed with activities, but the first and most interesting thing I want to share are our trail cam photos.  We got great shots of Grizzly bears, Black bears, and a Mountain Lion - just to name a few.  That was so much fun!  

My list of photos from this month starts with a fun concert in Whitefish, where about half the family went down to watch Lonestar.  Next was the Eureka Montana Quilt Show, one of the highlights of my year every year.  Then we were blessed to go on a phenomenal float trip with Jeb & Amy and Dan & Tracie.  That was a great day.  Later that week Eric and I took Buddy on the hike to Finger Lakes, which was very pretty.  Eric had a birthday, I have some fun photos of Buddy (as always), and lots of pictures of our first fishing trip with the dog in tow. 

Next up was a visit to the Flathead Fair with family, which included the fun adventure of watching the Indian Relay Races at the rodeo.  We had a cookout and campfire at our house to send Eric on his way back to OKC.  After he left, I spent an afternoon in Glacier National Park, taking some photos and soaking in the beauty.  Buddy and I enjoyed an evening out at Trego Pub, and I attended the many events surrounding the Lincoln County Fair - which included the Family Fun Night and The Bull Thing, always one of the best activities of the year.  I enjoyed two visits to Lake Koocanusa, and then I have some other sights to share that I found memorable.  

August was a busy month, so the only thing I got finished in my quilting room was one baby blanket.  It's adorable though, I love it! I call it Vintage Mice. 

July 2019 - This was a fun month full of many activities.  I put most of them on one page, our July Sights page.  The highlights of the month include cherry picking at the Driggs Ranch, many photos of the beautiful sky in its various moods, and many more photos of our dog Buddy in his various moods. I also had a fun and exciting trip to Oklahoma to visit my family this month.  We had a great time together.  

I finished two quilts in July.  The first I call, "Modern X Squared" because I pieced two of the pattern "Modern X" by Angela Waters, then split the second one to make a much larger quilt.  It's hard to explain but striking to look at.  This is almost identical to one I made in January of this year.  That one sold so quickly I felt I didn't have a chance to get to know it very well.  :-)  The other quilt I call, "Table Cloth Reimagined."  This was an intricately embroidered table cloth that I found at an estate sale.  I cut it up and reassembled it into a quilt.  I spent a ton of time on the quilting.  I think it turned out rather nice. 

June 2019 - June was a bit chilly, overcast, and rainy - which will be good come fire season, but wasn't always fun to experience.  However, we had enough nice days sprinkled in there to get out and enjoy life in this beautiful place.  (Besides, rainy days make for great sewing days!)  

This month I had a wonderful day riding my bike in Glacier Park. I got a much needed refresh from such a beautiful day in that amazing place.  I also have photos from a trip up Graves Creek road to view the lovely bear grass.  That was just Buddy and I, Eric was back in OKC and doesn't understand my fascination with bear grass anyway.   

Later in the month we enjoyed a fun rock climbing trip with our friends Brad & Jennifer.  We have two sets of pictures from this event, the social outing and the climbing.  Eric enjoys detailed climbing pictures so I gave him his own page so that he can relive that particular climb at will.  I also have lots of photos from around our house, more photos of our pets than you'll ever want to see, and more photos of eagles than you care to see.  Don't say I didn't warn you! 

I finished one quilt this month.  This was a quilt top I purchased at an estate sale. I wanted to finish it so that someone could use and enjoy it.  These vintage quilts are a LOT of work!  This one is a crazy quilt in teal and red.

May 2019 - This month started with the lovely garden wedding of our Chinese friend Michael.  Not long after that, we started our three-day drive from OKC to Montana - always a treat with three cats, a dog, and the two of us in the car!  As soon as we got to Montana, we enjoyed a rock climbing outing with fellow Okie Tanisha, who is also in Big Sky Country right now.  I also included some random pictures of our getting settled into Montana life.  We finished out the month with a visit from our friends Mavis & Yen, as well as Yen's parents.  We had a lovely visit with these dear friends who will go back home to Taiwan in just a few months.   

April 2019 - As the weather warmed up, our activities increased as well.  Also, we finally made it to the end of Buddy's restrictive heart worm treatment, so the game was on!  We have pictures from a climbing trip of Eric's in the Wichita Mountains, dinner with Mavis & Yen, celebrating our anniversary at Lake Arcadia, and celebrating Buddy's recovery with a Fern climbing trip.  I visited Westville on Easter weekend for a great time with my family.  We had a date night at Lake Arcadia with a campfire, and attended a garden party celebration of Christian's 40th.  We also have some fun pics of the pets, and a few shots of the results of our recent house remodeling project.  There are also a few more assorted pictures  from fun times that I wanted to share.  Last but not least, we finished the month with a lovely trip to South Carolina to further celebrate our 25th anniversary.

March 2019 - March was a fun month for us.  The family on both sides got together to celebrate Brodie's 7th birthday in Tulsa.  I also enjoyed a tasty Korean lunch with my Vietnamese friend Linh, we got both a hail storm and lightening storm in the same day one Saturday, I have an adorable drawing made by my friend Mavis, and our adventures had during a Steven Adams autograph signing event.  I also finished two quilts this month, a black & shiny silver double nine patch that I love, and a vintage flower basket that entered my life as a quilt top found at an estate sale. 

February 2019 - This was a good month for us, any month that finds us healthy and whole is a good one, but we also had fun too.  We have photos to share from many adventures, including a trip to Westville, an outing to Arcadia Lake, watching an NBA Thunder game, and a Wichita Mountains day with Eric H., Mavis, and Yen.  I have a sweet picture of baby August using a quilt I made, a fun shot of friends at a BCM lunch, and pictures from Buddy's one year anniversary of our adopting him.   I also had to include a few cute pictures of the cats, and one new baby girl quilt I made for my Etsy store.  

January 2019 - Happy New Year!  We had a fun month this month.  Eric and I enjoyed a date night to watch Chinese Acrobats do amazing things at OCCC.  We had some good friends over for a fun dinner and game night.  We had an ice storm followed by sun which made for some pretty pictures.  And last, but never least, I have some cute pictures of our pets.  

I also have two new quilts to share:  Weighted Fleece Blanket in Gray & Peach, and Modern X Squared. Both of which sold right away on my Etsy shop - what an honor and blessing! 

December 2018 -  This month was busy, as all Decembers are, but also fun.  I started the month with an outing with my friendship family girls, Natalie and Linh.  We also visited our friend Jiayi & family to catch up and exchange gifts.  I hope to be able to share a video of Buddy howling.  I have a photo of my Mom that's just lovely.  Eric in his Christmas sweater, my boys on a climbing trip, two Dirty Santa parties we attended, and a photo taken while my Mom gathered with some of her family.  I have five fun pictures of our pets from this month, and am sharing the funniest of the birthday cards I received this year.  We also have some great pictures courtesy of Eric & Kristin Harris of a climbing trip they took with Eric in late December to Red Rocks Canyon in Nevada. 

Photos of the time we spent in Westville for Christmas, and of pictures that were shared with me in Christmas cards this year.  I love Christmas cards and love to be able to look back on the photos of friends and family.  

November 2018 -  In November, I started the month with a visit to my family in Westville and Gore.  We had a short interlude of snow early in the month.  Later on a sunny day I took Buddy to Arcadia Lake for a nice romp by the water.  I have a picture of Buddy during the few minutes he stayed clean after a bath, a funny joke I got off a birthday card, and two pictures of Eric and I getting into the Christmas spirit.  I was blessed with a trip to Branson with my two favorite females, my mom and sister.  We had a nice time in Westville over Thanksgiving.  This month I also finished a quilt that I called Large Black & White Star.  (I use up my creativity making the quilts and so there isn't any left for thinking up cool, creative quilt names!) 

October 2018 -  Eric and I joined with other BCM volunteers for a camping trip with about 25 students one chilly weekend.   I took Buddy on a kayaking adventure at Arcadia Lake, and had outings in Bricktown with two of my friends - Linh from Vietnam, and Natalie from New Zealand.  I have a couple of cute pictures of Buddy being Buddy, some freaky birds in Wal-Mart parking lot, and one shot of a fun afternoon spent with my dear friend Jiayi.  I also have some cool pictures of a rock climbing trip of Eric's in the Wichitas with friend Scott.  Last but not least, I finished a quilt in October that I call Diamond Stars.  

September 2018 -  This was an exciting month with a lot of activity.  I visited my family for Cherokee Holiday weekend over Labor Day.  Eric and I spent a week in Montana, buttoning up our house for the winter.  My parents came to OKC so that my Mom could participate in the Oklahoma Senior Olympics.  Eric and I went to the zoo, I attended a baby shower for my friend XiaoXing, and I have 5 cute pictures of my pets to share.  Good times! 

August  2018 -  Although it was not our original plan, August turned out to be our final month in Montana this year.  We had a sad reason to move south - the loss of my beloved grandmother, Wanda Morton, who we called Gran.  I have made a page to keep a few of my many good memories of her, my memorial to Gran. 

The early part of August found us in Montana staying busy despite another year of smoke from nearby forest fires.  The month started with a fun visit from our dear friends the Blackmons.  While they were up, Eureka also had their stellar annual event, the Eureka Montana Quilt Show (EMQS).  It was great as always.  Also during the Blackmon visit, we celebrated Eric's 50th birthday with a chuck wagon dinner at Cripple Creek Horse Ranch, a must do!

I have split my "Montana Sights" page into some small activities and places we visited.  First was a trip with Eric to Sunday Falls, then a rock climbing trip with some of our young friends.  Next we visited Little North Fork Falls, on the west side of Lake Koocanusa.  At that point, Eric returned to Oklahoma.  Buddy and I made a visit to Tally Lake after dropping Eric at the airport.  The remaining sights will be left untitled, but still not to be ignored (hint: there's a bear in our trail cam footage!)  I also finished a twin sized quilt for my niece Lily, based on the movie Frozen.  

July 2018 -  This month was a fun and relaxing month for us.  In keeping with my new, lazy documenting style, I contained my highlights to two picture pages:  celebrating Independence Day and the remaining adventures from July in Montana.  

June 2018 -  June was a good month, and I took the lazy way out of documenting it by tossing almost all my pictures from the month onto one page.  I did extract one set of photos of our dishwasher comparison, but otherwise our June is well captured on my Sights page.   

I also have a couple of quilting projects to share.  I made another batch of table toppers this month, and also finished a bargello quilt that almost ended up in the trash can.  Now I'm glad I finished it!  

May 2018 -  We also took a weekend trip to Dallas, during which I took almost no pictures. I also did not take many pictures on my Westville visit that I took to visit family and attend a school reunion.  In mid-May, we did our 3-day drive to Montana from OKC with the animals - always an adventure!  I made one page to document the trip and our first two weeks in Montana.  Our first full weekend in Montana was Memorial Day weekend, so we joined some of our family on a camping trip in The Southfork area.  When we got home, the resident eagle of our lake was perched right outside our living room window.  I got a couple of poor shots before we accidentally scared him away.  We also took an evening drive up to Graves Creek with Buddy that was a fun outing for us all.

My niece Cami had a little girl, Harper, this month so I made a baby girl quilt to welcome her.  I also made a very belated little boy quilt for the son of my niece Ashley.  Hunter is about a year old now, but maybe he won't mind that I was late in getting his done!  

April 2018 -  This month we had some excitement in that Eric finally got himself a new vehicle.  It had been 17 years since his last new car, so you can see why this counts as a big event.    I have two pictures of our new house looking lovely with the coming of spring.  We also enjoyed a date day together hiking in the Wichita Mountains with Buddy.

I finished a quilt this month from a pattern called Xcentric.  I made pillow shams to match and think I might keep this one, I really like it.  

March 2018 -  I started the month with a big visit to Gore and Westville for Brodie's birthday weekend.  I also took a few pictures of the flowers in front of our house.  Believe it or not, that's all I have for the entire month of March.  Guess I got lazy! 

February 2018 -  We had a really big event occur this month, we added a new member to our family.  Yes, that's right - Buddy the dog is now a part of our lives.  The cats are not thrilled, but so far dog ownership has been a big adventure for us.  It is completely different from raising cats! 

We enjoyed a lovely trip to South Padre Island to visit Dan & Rose.  I have only two pictures of a quick trip I took to visit my family in Westville. I have the obligatory shots of the cats (which will soon be supplanted by pictures of the dog, no doubt!)  We have one picture of an outing we took with our friends Dick & Sammi.  Finally, we give praise that our brother Lucas is recovering from injuries from a very serious car wreck he experienced this month.  It could have been much worse.  

This month I completed a red, white, and blue patriotic quilt out of 5" squares I've been collecting for ages.  We gave it to a friend of ours in OKC who was very happy to receive it.  I'm thrilled to know it is being used a lot.  I also made two matching baby girl quilts for my two dear friends who had babies this spring. 

January 2018 -  Mom recently took a photography class and managed to get two great pictures of Brodie that I wanted to share.  We also received a picture of our barn in Montana that makes me shiver just looking at it!  I have a cute picture of Lily hogging all the toys, and a bad selfie of us on a date night to an Adam Trent magic show.  For the big finish, I have a lovely picture taken by our friend Scott of Eric climbing in the Wichitas.

In quilting news, I finished my first commissioned quilt (meaning, someone actually asked me to make one for them - exciting!) this month.  It was a baby quilt that turned into more of a twin-sized affair, but was very pretty.  Hopefully that means the sweet baby will be able to use it for years.  

My Memorize Scripture blog post for January was titled, "Making Deals with God."  It is the last post you will see for a while.  I have decided to take a break from writing for a while.  I thank each person who took the time to read my articles, that is a true kindness that I appreciate very much. 

December 2017 - I start the month with an awesome picture of my handsome husband, looking very professional.  It's quite a change from how I'm used to seeing him in grungy climbing pants and a t-shirt!  I also have a picture of our new house that we were blessed to move into in late November.  We love it! The cats were a big help to me during the moving process, as you can see. I also have some individual pet pictures of Rocket & Feisty , and our friend dog Sammi (she belongs to our good friend Dick.)  We also had a date night in December to a Mandy Harvey concert, thanks to the generosity of our good friends Wei & Jiayi, who gave us the tickets.  

Some big events that happened this month include the amazing adventure that was Christian and Kate's wedding. What a blessing it was to be included in such an event.  Speaking of blessings, we also really enjoyed our Christmas in Westville, the first Christmas we've been able to spend together in many years.  I also like to share the photos I receive in Christmas Cards, in what I call my Christmas card families pages.  

My December article for Memorize Scripture - On the Go! was called, "Striking the Rock."

November 2017 - This was a fun month, but I didn't take a whole lot of pictures.  Early in the month I enjoyed a trip Westville and Gore for a slightly belated Halloween party.  I also have a cute picture of Brodie supplied by my family.  Good pictures of that fast-moving boy are hard to get!  I also enjoyed a night at the Express Ranch Clydesdale Barn with the OCU BCM.  It was great seeing my dear friends as well as meeting new International friends.  We rounded out the month with a fun trip to Westville to celebrate Thanksgiving. Then, in case there wasn't enough to do - we moved!  

October 2017 - This was a fun month full of reuniting with my family after our long separation during the summer in Montana.  First, we were blessed by a visit from my family, as the Mortons were in OKC to watch Mom receive an award from the AARP as an Indian Elder.  We were all very proud of her!  Next, my Mom, sister, and I enjoyed a fun Branson weekend.  I hadn't been to Branson in decades, but they were experts who showed me what a great time that town has to offer.  It was fun.  

Along the way, I also had a chance to visit the Cherokee Nation headquarters.  I also snapped a shot of a beautiful sunset one evening as I drove.  Not the safest activity, but it worked out.  

The Memorize Scripture - On the Go! article I wrote in October was called, "God's Treasure Chest." 

September 2017 - September is a bittersweet month for me, as it means leaving Montana.  The sweetness comes from knowing I'll finally see my family again after many months apart.  It was a busy month as well.  We enjoyed having Uncle Tim in town for a couple of weeks, including a chance to celebrate his birthday with him.  We also got a chance to eat dinner at Point of Rocks with Eric's parents, which was a lovely evening.  Eric and I spent one Saturday in Fernie, BC and enjoyed that very much. We had company for a week when friend Kraig visited during our last week, which also happened at the same time as the Flathead Quilt Guild Quilt Show.   

I have some cute pictures of the cats to share.  I also added pictures of the basement to the "Our House" page, near the bottom.  And as usual during the summer months, I include a page for sights seen around Montana this month - including a bear and some great shots of my beloved weasel. 

The MS-OTG blog post for September was called, "The Right Spiritual Yardstick."

August 2017 - The first event in August was the Eureka Montana Quilt Show, and it was a biggie.  It happened on Eric's birthday, but as he was in Oklahoma at the time, I wasn't able to spoil him so I consoled myself with full immersion into quilts.  I took some pictures of fawns in our yard and of Lily sleeping before Eric returned to Montana.  After he got back, we were very busy with disc golf, a missionary fund-raiser, having our friends the Eash family over for dinner, and keeping tabs on the Gibraltar Ridge fire. 

We also enjoyed a visit from Rose's family, the Berget crew.  During that time we visited the Lincoln County Fair and attending The Bull Thing - a huge PBR event hosted by our little town.  I also added a few table topper projects to my quilts page, and will share the 'sights and scenes' from Montana this month, many of which have to do with smoke and fire.   

The Memorize Scripture article for August was, "Share the Love," which talks about how sharing something we love makes it more enjoyable for us as well as those we share it with.  

July 2017 - This was a very eventful month, full of sunshine, visitors, and fun.  It started with Independence Day celebrations with the Casazza clan at Eric's parents' home on Lake Koocanusa.  I enjoyed two solo photo-taking trips into some beautiful country - up Graves Creek road (into an area which sadly, would burn in a wildfire in August), and into Glacier National Park (which also suffered from the 2017 wildfire season.)  

Eric and I next enjoyed a visit from dear friends Cassy & Serene, in which many adventures were undertaken.  Our activities with them included the Tobacco Valley Rodeo, but I took enough pictures there to give it a page to itself.  We next enjoyed being chaperones on a field trip to Kootenai Falls and the Ross Creek Cedars.  Eric and I also enjoyed an outing to Pinkham Falls and Black Butte fire lookout one evening after work.  I have lots and lots of animal pictures in my 'Montana Sights' page this month, as the critters were very active in July.  

The Memorize Scripture - On the Go! blog for this month was titled, "Build Up Your Filter."  I have since greatly regretted that I didn't take advantage of the obvious alliteration to call it, "Fortify Your Filter", but it is too much trouble to change it now.  I hope these musings will be of help to someone. 

June 2017 - We had some great times in June this year.  It started for me with a trip to Pinkham Falls with the Browns, and a solo trip to Big Fork for a quilt show and hike.  I also volunteered at a Kids' Quilt Camp in Kalispell (say that 10 times fast!)  Eric came back to Montana and we celebrated with a dinner with the Brown Family.  We also have a picture of a cute baby fawn, and some shots of a trip to Therriault Lakes with Eric, and a trip to Glacier Park with Eric.  

June was the second month in a row that I didn't write an article for my Memorize Scripture blog.  But I changed my lazy ways after this and will get back on the wagon starting in July.  

May 2017 - May was a beautiful and exciting month, as we made our summer move from OKC to Montana, where we've seen many beautiful sights.  We enjoyed a fun climbing trip with Jeb at Stillwater Canyon, and a climbing party at Stone Hill.  We also had an amazing time with our Japanese friends Yuta and Mai who visited us from their temporary home in Oklahoma City. I also have a few cat pictures to share, just because they are so adorable.  

For the first time in about 5 years, I didn't write an article for my Memorize Scripture - On the Go! blog this month.  

April 2017 - Highlights of this month include: Eric on a fun climbing trip in the Wichitas with friends,  my Mom giving a keynote speech at a Native American conference in Tulsa, my spin teacher Peter turning 70, Mom getting a good picture of Brodie, Eric being featured on the Koda Crossfit WOD page, and my new car, a Subaru Forester.  Those are some great highlights!  

Other fun activities this month included a day in Bricktown with Jiayi and her beautiful girls (who our Chinese nieces, Isabel & Melody.)  There was also an anniversary trip to Destin, FL for me & E to celebrate 23.  (Who knew I could do poetry?!)  We enjoyed a camping trip in the Wichitas with 4 of our Japanese friends. We also celebrated the much-anticipated arrival of two new baby boys: baby Elim, born to our friend David & Rayleigh, and baby Nathan, born to our friends Rusty & Cody.  So much to celebrate! 

The Memorize Scripture blog post for April was called, "Christ's Great Kindness."  It contains thoughts about the crucifixion of Jesus and the great love that compelled him to submit to it.

March 2017 - This month I celebrated Brodie's 5th birthday over a weekend with my family.  Eric and I joined our friend Kraig on a camping trip in the Wichita Mountains, and those boys also went on a climbing trip to Fern Arkansas this month.  I enjoyed a fun trip to Monterey California to visit my friend Ellie and her husband Aaron.  I also joined my Mom and sister on Brodie's pre-K field trip to the aquarium in Jenks, OK. 

In March we also enjoyed a visit from the Bloomers in OKC, I made a quilt to celebrate the much-anticipated arrival of baby Nathan Blackmon, I share a couple of pictures of the cats, and three shots from my Mom of the ever-entertaining Brodie.  

My March musings for my Memorize Scripture - On the Go! blog is about doing good in daily life.  It is called, "The Doing Good Life."

February 2017 - Eric took a climbing trip to Arkansas this month to visit a long-time favorite place, Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. I also took a trip in February when my Mom and I visited sunny Mexico together for a week, thanks to our friend Dick Cain.   Other highlights of the month include a trip to Lake Arcadia with a group of friends, and nephew Brodie winning student of the month in pre-K. 

My MS-OTG article for February is about my Christian walk.  It is titled, "Holy Spirit Struggle."

January 2017 - I have added some of my latest quilts to my Etsy store, in hopes of selling a few of these creations I love to make so much.  You can see them in my store, on the Casazza Creations site, or on my "Quilts" page on this site.  My latest quilts include Digital Geode, Rolling Waves, Woven Rail Fence, and Summer Blue Squares. 

I also enjoyed an afternoon of games and pie with four of my many Japanese friends from Oklahoma City University.  Later that month we helped our friend Kraig celebrate his birthday.  I was also blessed to accompany a field trip put on the BCM and Northwest Baptist Church in which we took a large group of international students on a tour of Oklahoma City.  It was very cold that day, but we saw the sights anyway!  

My blog post for January's Memorize Scripture on the Go! site was called, "Faithful Servants."

December 2016 - December is always a busy month and this was no exception.  I had a very nice afternoon at Lake Arcadia one warm day when the clouds were particularly lovely.  I also enjoyed several Christmas visits with friends, and a very fun party with International Students at the BCM.  

I have a picture of our Christmas lights, some pictures of our cats (as always), and a gift that Eric gave me for Christmas - my very own KraKitten t-shirt.  I also have pictures from our celebration of Christmas in Westville and in Montana, as well as the Christmas family pictures shared with us in our loved ones' Christmas cards.  I love the Christmas season!  It is so full of catching up with friends and family and being kind to one another.  

The article I wrote for December helped me get my head on straight during this busy month. It is called, "What Jesus Wants for Christmas."  

November 2016 - In November I was honored to join my friends Dick and Sammi to exercise our voting privileges during early voting.  I was also honored to be asked to the ballet by my friend Rachel.  I had a great weekend with my Mom and sister at the Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa, where we walked the half.  We also had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration in Westville.

My November article for the MS-OTG blog was called, "Into His Presence with Thanksgiving"

October 2016 - In this month, we arrived back in Oklahoma, enjoying a dinner with friends along the way.  After returning, we took a short tour of OKC to see some new attractions that were added in our absence.  I also enjoyed returning to my activities with the BCM at OCU, including meeting my new International Friendship Family student, Minami.  We had a fun time on a visit to Westville, and also enjoyed a nice visit again at Halloween for my sister's big annual party.  

My musings for October's Memorize Scripture - On the Go! blog post were called, "A Power-Packed Prayer."  It talks about Paul's prayer for believers in Colossians that I like to pray over my friends and family.  

September 2016 - This was a busy month - our last in Montana for the summer.  We crammed many things into a few short weeks.  First I'll share a few random pictures of things like strange clouds, a picture of my Gran at a family reunion, Eric at the new rock climbing gym in Whitefish, and cat pictures (who could live without those?!)  Also I was fortunate enough to see nephew Colter play his first football game in the position of quarterback.  He's got the dreamy-handsome part of the job locked in already!  I have pictures to share of two dinners with friends - the Peterson/Driggs family and the Brown family.  And there was one other fun sports event this month - finally being able to see niece Kaitlyn play volleyball.  I haven't been able to see any of the nieces play until now, so it was fun to watch her in action.

I also have pictures of a lovely baptism celebration with our Montana church family, Kootenai Christian Fellowship.  I spent a magical afternoon in Glacier Park one day which included the treat of seeing a bear.  I didn't know then how common that was going to become in our last month in Montana!  I volunteered at the Flathead Quilt Show and was blown away by the amazing handiwork I saw there.  We had a lovely visit from our friends Christian and Kate.  On our final week in Montana we went as assistants on a climbing trip for a group of young men from the area. Then in my Montana months there's always a "sights and scenes" page where I cram in all the miscellaneous other pictures that I want to share from my time in that beautiful place.  Whew! What a full and happy month! 

The September article I wrote for my Memorize Scripture - On the Go! site was, "Nowhere to Hide." It is about the crazy idea that lurks in our subconscious that we can hide our sins from God.

August 2016 - August was a fun month which included my finishing two new quilts, "Rolling Waves" and "Woven Rail Fence."  Eric had a birthday in which he turned 48.  On that day we attended the annual quilt show in Eureka, a Michelle Rivers concert, and a birthday meal for Eric - all in the same day.  I accompanied Eric on two trips to a new climbing area nearby, Point of Rocks.  The following weekend we were blessed to volunteer at a Potter's Field Kids outreach day on the Blackfeet Reservation in Browning. Afterward, we camped and enjoyed some time exploring the east side of Glacier Park.

I also attended a funeral for family friend Marion Knorr, a lovely renewal of vows ceremony, and took a cute picture of Feisty as she helped me work on a quilt. The end of the month was packed full with the Lincoln County Fair, The Bull Thing bull riding event, a hummingbird photo shoot, and the usual "sights and scenes" that I like to share from beautiful Montana.  

The blog post for August was called, "Stirring Up Desire" and is a bit of a word study based on the start of 1 Peter chapter 2.  

July 2016 - This was a much-anticipated month, as many far-flung Casazzas came to town and a wedding was held on our property.  Mark's daughter Cami married Logan Harwood on July 9th and it was a beautiful event. We were blessed to see our friends the Stavenows before they moved away.  

I had a beautiful evening experience one night that I call my "evening with Alfred."  I was also blessed to attend a campout & float trip weekend with Jeb & Amy for Amy's birthday.  Another highlight of the month was volunteering at the Mountain View Manor carnival.

I took a couple of pictures on a nice walk with Eric along the Tobacco River.  I have pictures of Feisty being a cat, and pictures of just some of the sewing help I get while working on my quilts. There is a picture of a magazine that featured a young Mark & Jeb.  I also have my usual 'sights and scenes' for the month that I like to share.

My July article for the Memorize Scripture site was called, "Biblical Immersion."  It is about a Bible study method I tried out this summer. 

June 2016 - In June I was blessed by an evening visiting our friends the Browns.  I also attended a lovely dinner for the ladies of our church, as well as another lovely evening of praise & worship hosted by my mother-in-law Rose.  I hijacked a few pictures of nephew Brodie, even though I wasn't there to take these shots.  They were too cute to keep to myself!  There are two cute pictures of Lily - the face, and the stretch - and one of Rocket using camouflage tactics.  Also, proof that our cat Feisty was once a twin.

I had an amazing day out with my sister-in-law Amy at Glacier Park one Friday.  We also had a fun climbing trip with brother Dan and most of his family.  They were natural climbers!  We spent a beautiful weekend camping with Jeb and Amy and their family near Polebridge.  I also need a place to store the endless pictures of sunrises, sunsets, wildlife, and general happenings so - here they are.

I am helping my in-laws get their new vacation rental home online.  I will provide a tour of the home here in case you want to visit the area and stay in their beautiful cabin. 

My June MS-OTG article was called, "Taking Delight" and discusses a lesson I hope to learn that was taken from watching my nephew Brodie. 

May 2016 - This was an exciting month for us as we made our transition from Oklahoma City to Eureka, Montana early in the month.  It was great to see our house again and enjoy the beauty of the mountains while they were decorated with snow.  One of our first events was to enjoy Aubrey's birthday party. We also purchased a 'farm truck' in May, a 1998 Ford F150 that's perfect for country life.  I have two cute cat pictures to share - a battle of wills over a favorite chair, and a nap fail.

I updated the "Our House" page of this site with some more up-to-date pictures.  These include our hard work on the landscaping which was a labor of love.  We finished the month with a great campout on Memorial Day weekend, and I have one page where I share some sights & scenes from our first month in Montana this year.  

My blog post for May on the Memorize Scripture - On the Go! site, "Healthy Hobbies", is all about our perspective.

April 2016 - In April we attended a retreat at Falls Creek with the Baptist Collegiate Ministry group.  I also attended OKC's annual Festival of the Arts, escorted by our friend and neighbor Dick.  I have pictures from a day spent with my friends Rachel and Aline, a funny picture of Feisty as she checks out the DC Eagle-cam, and two pictures from the Franklin Graham Decision America prayer rally at the Oklahoma State Capitol. On Wednesday the 27th I was blessed to meet George Li, the new son of our good friends.  I also completed two more quilts this month.

The April 2016 article on my Memorize Scripture blog is about choosing our words carefully.  It's called, "Edify with Care." 

March 2016 - March started with a big adventure for my nephew Brodie's 4th birthday.  A day at the zoo for me, Brodie, and my sister Desirae followed by a weekend that included Eric and Keith.  Being with Brodie is always exciting, that boy does not slow down.  I also finished a baby quilt that I'm very excited to give to some good friends of ours.  I also completed two other quilts that I made since the first of the year - one is a patriotic Rail Fence design and the other used a pattern called Disappearing 9 Patch.  When I heard that my parents were spending spring break at the lake with my sister and nephew, I decided to take a day off and get in on the fun.  We had a very nice day together at Lake Tenkiller.  I was also very blessed to attend the wedding of one of my best friends this month.  Ellie Kim has now become Mrs. Aaron Tisdale.

This month I did something that was once commonplace but is now extremely rare - I attended a concert.  Two artists I really like were at the OKC Civic Center so I saw Robert Earl Keen and Lyle Lovett's show.  Almost as entertaining was a lunch time spent with Jiayi and her daughters Isabel and Melody, what a group of beauties!  I also have a funny picture of my cat Feisty to share.  And as if this month hasn't been great already, were thrilled to have the rock work completed on the front of our Montana house.  We can't wait to see it in person.  I've also added a few climbing pictures to the "On the Rock" page of this site.  Thank you Michael Gu for sharing your pictures and video of the trip to Fern.   

The March Memorize Scripture - On the Go! blog post is called, "My Daily Bread of Life."  It covers thoughts about my morning quiet time with God.  

February 2016 - We must have really laid low this month, as I only have pictures from one event to share. We took a nice trip to South Padre Island in February to visit Eric's parents while they were vacationing there.  I'll also include a picture of Feisty as she tried to get her way, and some Birkenstocks that I glammed into amazingness.  

My February article is called, "Energize Your Spiritual Life", which is something I think every Christian would like to do.  We all have room for growth in this area.  

January 2016 - Early in the month, I was a repeat visitor to the OKC Quilt Expo.  We got a brief snow in mid-January in OKC.  Our good friends David and Rayleigh were married in China this month, we wish we could have been there!  My friend Rachel and I had a nice outing to the OKC Art Museum.  I quilted an heirloom quilt top I inherited from my Great Aunt Pearl. I also made another quilt from the scraps of the quilt I made for Rose last month.  At the very end of the month I made a quick trip to Westville which included a visit to the Gentry Safari with Mom, Dad, and Brodie. 

My poor kitties are on a diet, which served as the inspiration for my January article.  It is called, "Suffering for Good."

December 2015 - This was a fun and busy month, as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and rush about to far more social engagements than we would in normal life.  I enjoyed a very nice visit with my friends Wei and Jiayi and family.  I was also blessed by a dinner with my friends Daniel and Aline. We celebrated Christmas in both Westville, OK and Eureka, MT.  I also share photos of the families who kindly shared pictures with me via Christmas cards.  A big accomplishment for me this month was the making of a quilt for my mother-in-law Rose.  I started with only some fabric that gave me an idea.  Eric and I made up the pattern and it went from there.  Fun!  

In December my Memorize Scripture article was, "Glory to God in the Highest."  It was brought about by my thoughts being turned by the beauty of nature while I was in snowy Montana.

November 2015 - The long-time instructor of my 6am Body Combat class, Jan, is moving to Florida.  We took a couple of pictures on the occasion of her last day of class. Eric and I joined my family in Westville for a fun weekend and family pictures.  I met my sister and Mom and some friends in Tulsa for the Route 66 marathon/half marathon.  We don't have many pictures of our Thanksgiving celebrations, which took place in both Westville, OK and Eureka, MT.  I also have some pictures of an ice storm that hit OKC right after Thanksgiving.  

The November MS-OTG blog post was called, "From Grumbling to Grateful." I hope it blesses someone. 

October 2015 - We started the month with a big event - a 40-person campout and hiking trip to the Wichita Mountains.  We accompanied the BCM (Baptist Collegiate Ministries) group and about 25 international students for an outdoor adventure for these kids.  It was fun.  We were also very kindly treated to a lovely dinner at our good friends Wei & Jiayi's house.  Later in the month we attended another BCM event at the Express Clydesdale Barn in Yukon, OK.  I also finally finished a quilt I had started when Eric and I were first married, about 21 years ago.  Hopefully I can finish the next one in under 20 years!  

The month ended with a very busy Halloween which included a visit from our Chinese nieces, a cookout at our friend Daniel's house, a visit from our dear friend Rui, and a visit to Northwest Baptist Church for their annual Trunk or Treat festival.  I also shamelessly swiped a cute picture of my sister and her husband from her Facebook page.  

The Memorize Scripture - On the Go! article for this month was an encouragement to anyone who has ever felt that their ministry is not flashy enough to matter.  Not so! "Keep Up the Well Doing."

September 2015 - Eric started the month of September with a hair-raising adventure into the mountains with his brothers.  I also have some pictures of the progress of the Pigeon Bridge house which Eric's parents are building.  We were blessed to attend a cookout with the members of our Montana church, Kootenai Christian Fellowship.  I also have another page of Montana sights seen over the month, mostly beautiful skies this time.  I've also captured some pictures of our final home improvement projects for the year, and a picture of some great cat naps that were needed after all that work on the house. 

Our next event was to close up the Montana house and start our three-day road trip to Oklahoma for the winter.  That was immediately followed by a trip to Westville to visit my family, and then a lunar eclipse - only half of which I was able to stay awake to view.   

This month also saw the sad event of the passing away of my grandma, Mary Jane Beach.  She was my mother's mother.  She passed away on September 14th in Westville, OK.  

The September blog post on my Memorize Scripture - On the Go! web site was about hermeneutics and was called, "Learning to Rightly Divide."  

August 2015 - I started the month with a fun day at the Eureka Quilt Show with Rose and Mary Beth and a Glen Lake evening afterward.  We took a very nice boat ride with many family members in Jeb & Amy's new boat, and my Mom shared a cute picture with me of her and Brodie at the Gentry Safari.   We also enjoyed dinner with friends two different times - and our guests just happen to be sisters - Amy and Tara.  I also have a picture I'm using to frame Eric for being a hummingbird hunter.  Joke!  I also cannot help but share pictures of the cats enjoying life in Montana.  

This page includes many of the sights and scenes I encountered this month in the great northwest.  We are very excited to have our porches screened in at last, although perhaps the cats are even happier than we are.  We celebrated Eric's birthday on the 6th at his parents' house for a nice evening.

One morning this month I had the treat of seeing a bear (from the safety of my window) right outside our house.  I also enjoyed two local fairs - Flathead and Lincoln County - and The Bull Thing in Eureka with Eric and his family. I also have a funny picture that I didn't take but wanted to share of my brother-in-law Keith swinging with my nephew Brodie.  

My MS-OTG article for August was called, "God Knows I'm Not Perfect" - can I get an Amen!?

July 2015 - In July I took a visit to Kootenai Falls, and we spent an afternoon rock climbing at Stone Hill with Amy, Madison, and Sienna.  The following week we did a little boating with Dan & Rose, and later enjoyed a visit from Aunt Ada.  We also took a hike together one Sunday evening.  We also attended the local rodeo, which was another fun outing.  I gathered many other random sights and things on this page for your enjoyment.  

In my July Memorize Scripture article, I ask myself, "Can I Rest in God?"

June 2015 - June started with the graduation of our niece Ashley.  I have also been busy taking pictures of everything I see, which I'll share here. I have a few shots of a funny cattle drive I watched one evening, and two hummingbirds at a standoff at the feeder.  Ashley had a wedding this month, and we took a hike with Dan on the following day.  I accidentally made two generic pages for pictures from this month, so here's the second one.  I took a trip to the West Kootenai with Dan & Rose one lovely Friday evening, having dinner at the Amish and checking on their log cabin. 

The June blog post on my MS-OTG site looks ahead to the Independence Day holiday, "Sweet Freedom."

May 2015 - This month we had dinner and a lovely walk with our dear friends David and Rayleigh. My friend Rachel treated me to an authentic and very tasty Chinese meal, we also shared a meal with our friend Michael before he and Eric went climbing at the climbing gym.  I also spent a fun weekend with my family in Westville.  Then Rachel and I enjoyed a nice afternoon at the Vintage Market Days sale. 

In late May, we took off on a road trip to Montana with the cats - what an interesting trip!  We also spent an afternoon at a rock climbing area in Montana with some beautiful scenery.  

The May article on my Memorize Scripture site is about a lesson I learned during a harrowing night out in a storm. It is called, "The God of Glory Thunders."

April 2015 - We started this month off right with a camping and hiking trip to the Wichita Mountains with a group of international friends.  I also have a nice picture of my Uncle Joe that I took from Facebook (since I rarely see him in person), and a picture of Eric's brother Mark with a huge wolf he killed.  He caught it in that act of trying to kill a calf and was able to put a stop to that behavior, permanently.  I finished the month by enjoying a visit from my sister, my Mom, and her friends where we participated in the OKC Memorial Marathon.  

I hope that the April Memorize Scripture - On the Go! blog post will help someone find "Time to Memorize Scripture."

March 2015 - The month started with a trip to Westville in honor of Brodie's 3rd birthday.  I also attended the one-month celebration dinner given for Tiffany Li, daughter of my friends ChunHai and ShaSha.  I also have pictures from a lovely afternoon spent in Bricktown with Rachel, and a second lovely afternoon with Rachel kayaking at Lake Arcadia.  

My March article on my Memorize Scripture - On the Go! site deals with a change of viewpoint I got from being careful about my words during prayer.  It is called, "Watch My Mouth." 

February 2015 - I have a picture of Eric taking chainsaw skills to new heights, and of me with the sweet girls Isabel and Melody.  Also pictures from a not-so-fun time when Brodie was in the hospital.  We finished the month with a very nice trip to south Texas to visit Eric's parents. 

My February Memorize Scripture article relates how memorized scripture helped me during my recent back injury.  "The Bible Beats Percocet"

January 2015 - I have a funny picture of Lily, who is being overly dramatic about the near-empty food plate.  I have a couple of pictures to share from a nice Chinese New Year party we attended at Edison and XiaoXing's house.  I also have a link to a video I took of Rocket doing his strange, "head bobble" that he does when he's playing.  

The January MS-OTG blog post was called, "Godly Interruptions"

December 2014 - The month of Christmas, my favorite holiday! I started the month by attending the wonderful Christmas show at Henderson Hills Baptist Church with five of my buddies.  I hijacked a picture of some of my ELS friends, and I have one picture of a dinner out with friends - which sadly, does not include any pictures of our actual friends!  I also took a picture of the beautiful sky during a surprise tornado warning (they are supposed to come in the Spring, but no one told this storm!)  My friend Jiayi put on a beautiful meal for us and treated me so special for my birthday, it was an honor.  We also attended a lovely Christmas party given by Summit Energy.  

I have a couple of fun pictures to share of Lily, our silliest cat.  Also scenes from an afternoon spent with some of my wonderful international friends.  

To celebrate Christmas, we began by attending a fun White Elephant party with our Bible Study group. I attended a very brief celebration with my family, then joined Eric in Montana for the rest of the holiday.  We were joined there later by our good friends the Silvas.  Christmas is a great reminder of the many, many blessings in our lives.  

The December article for my Memorize Scripture - On the Go! web site is titled, "Seeing with Eyes of Love."   It is about our sweet little cat, Feisty.  

November 2014 - In November I spent two weeks in Montana at our new house.  During the second week, an arctic cold front moved through which was not my friend!  I survived though, so there is some hope of me being able to survive in Montana someday.  Eric enjoyed a cold day of hiking with his friend Ohm in the Wichitas. I also enjoyed a nice afternoon with my friend Rachel making jewelry on the 22nd.  

Cassy was kind enough to share some pictures of them this month.  Here are two pics - one from a trip to Monterey, CA in September where Luc was honored by the Thunderbirds.  The other is of Serene randomly donning the Summerville Bear hat I made for her last year.  Fun! 

My post for November on my MS-OTG site was called, "The Pull of Gravity." In it, I think about the way Eric's rock climbing can symbolize my Christian walk. 

October 2014 - This month started with a visit to a Clydesdale barn with a group of international students and the Baptist Collegiate Ministry group. I spent a fun Saturday with my friend Rachel carving pumpkins.  Eric and I went on another trip with international students to the Wichita Mountains for a really fun day of hiking and hanging out.  Then Eric and I went back to the Wichitas the following weekend, just the two of us, so that Eric could do some rock climbing at Pear & Apple. Eric also got the bright idea to shave off his facial hair late this month - you can see the results here.  (And only here, since he has already grown it back!)

My Memorize Scripture - On the Go! blog post for October was, "The Pursuit of Happiness" and how similar it is to the pursuit of sleep.  You can chase it, but it's very hard to catch!     

September 2014 - What a great way to start a month - with a visit from my sister!  I also have a picture of sweet Melody sleeping.  Also a shot of me with my new friend Rachel after an estate sale outing. 

My September MS-OTG article was called, "Careful What I Crave", which talks about my thoughts after reading the book "Made to Crave" by Lysa TerKeurst.  

August 2014 - August started big with a 9-day trip to Montana.  We were joined there by our friends the Blackmons, and both Rusty and Eric celebrated birthdays while we were there.  A good time was had by all.  We had a very nice time one Sunday after church with our friends Jack and Oma Lee, and followed that up by a trip to Wake Zone wakeboarding park.  

This month also included a visit to the Morton clan, a visit from our Chinese nieces Isabel and Melody, and a trip to Montana for the 50th wedding anniversary of Eric's parents, Dan & Rose.

The August post on my Memorize Scripture blog is called, "Habitual Love."  It's easy to talk about, hard to accomplish!

July 2014 - This month started with a climbing trip for Eric, and a family visit for me.  Of course, only one of us is a photo taker so we have no pictures of Eric's trip - but I took 350!  They are not all here though, you can relax.  I had a fun night out with my friend Jade in the Plaza District, we joined a big group of friends for the Internet Cat Movie festival, and we saw my friend Ellie and met a new friend Aaron.  I also have a few pictures of our adorable cats, and a lovely sunrise I was blessed to see one morning. 

I wrote an article named, "Perfectionist, Be Healed" for my July Memorize Scripture blog post. I hope you don't find any mistakes in it!   

June 2014 - We started the month with good news about baby Melody - she's home from the hospital and growing fast.  We are so thankful for this.  I also have a picture from an evening spent at Lake Arcadia with Eric, another Arcadia outing on the 14th with our church, a party at the Radar Ranch, and a few shots of the visit I enjoyed with my mother in mid-June.  Rounding out the month are some shots of a short trip to Lake Thunderbird and Eric's attempt to rescue a swan from a busy road.  

My MS-OTG article for June was a personal one, called "Dealing with My Past."

May 2014 - May started with the graduation of four of our good friends.  We were blessed to be able to attend the ceremony.  The following day we also had an adventure to Pole Position indoor raceway.  It was a fun outing for the two of us.  Mid-month we went to Montana and had a productive trip.   I have a picture of Cody & Tasha clowning around at lunch one day, and we are thrilled to announce the birth of our newest Chinese niece - Melody!

The blog post on my MS-OTG site this month was called, 'When it Hurts.'  It is about the inspiration I find in the lives of my friends. 

April 2014 - April started on a bad note with Eric being sick.  In the middle of his nasty cold, we also celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary - on the 9th.  On the 12th we enjoyed a rodeo with our friend David. We spent Easter in Westville with my family and our friend Simba.  The following weekend we went camping in the wind with a group of friends, and had a visit from my Mom and sister for the OKC Memorial Marathon.  

My Memorize Scripture article for April was about 'Anger as a Gift'.  

March 2014 - This month I have pictures to share from the family get-together for Brodie's second birthday.  Also a nice dinner I had with friends, a picture from our nephew Lane's birthday, the BLM dinner we attended, a picture of our Chinese niece Isabel, and the latest pictures of our house in Montana. I also have a picture from a kayak outing to arcadia and a picture to harass Eric about his cooking methods.  It was a great month! 

The Memorize Scripture article that I wrote for this month is called, "I Didn't Know That I Was Lost". It is about an experience I had recently during an exercise class.  

February 2014 - This month we visited Brodie & the gang in Gore, had a great trip to the Wichitas with our Chinese friends, and another great trip to California to visit Cassy & Serene.  We were able to celebrate Isabel's first birthday with her on the 25th.  I also have some bird pictures to share as a change of pace from the usual cat pictures. 

My blog post for this month is about impatience - a big and ongoing issue for me.  Hopefully I can re-read my own article to help myself!   

January 2014 - Air Force Magazine published an excellent article about our great friend Luc Gruenther. I saved a copy of it on my own site in case the link to the real article ever goes away.  I recommend the PDF version because it has great pictures.  

This month has offered many adventures, including hosting our International Bible Study at our home, a hiking trip to the Wichitas for Eric and his posse, an outing to Bluff Creek Park in OKC, the ubiquitous cat pictures, a fun shot of Brodie taking after me, and a cute picture of my parents. We ended the month with a fun outing to the PBR with our friends. 

My Memorize Scripture - On the Go! blog post for January is called, "Becoming More Christ-Like" - that's a very tall order!  

December 2013 - We had a great December - fun, busy, and crazy - which is exactly how Decembers are supposed to be, right?  This month included a visit with some of my AIS buddies, the baptism of two of our friends, a fleece hat craft project, some pictures of Brodie driving, our Christmas tree, and Lily with her mentor.  Also we were blessed to attend the All Nations Church Christmas party which was a great time.  We had some winter weather that I captured on film (when it wasn't too cold to be outside!)  Eric celebrated Christmas in Montana and I celebrated in Westville, and we have some pictures to share from the Christmas cards we received this year.  It was a full month! 

The December MS-OTG article is called, "When God Makes Us Shine" and mentions my awesome mother, Marcella.  Also, on the "Free Stuff" page of my Memorize Scripture - On the Go site, I've added some free desktop wallpaper files.  They are pictures with Bible verses on them.  I hope they are a blessing to you.  

November 2013 - Early in the month Eric and I took a road trip to Wagon Creek Creamery in northern Oklahoma, and included a side-trip to Fairview, OK to visit friends there.  The following weekend we led a group of 19 people on a trip to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.  What a great trip!   

Our next adventure was knee surgery for Eric, to fix a torn meniscus.  He's doing MUCH better now. We were blessed to celebrate our friend Ellie's baptism with her, and an early Thanksgiving celebration with Northwest Mandarin Church.  My Mom sent me a great picture of my high school all decked out for Veteran's Day.  We always had a big Veteran's program to honor our heroes, I'm proud of the school for that. 

I always have to share some Brodie pictures, and there's a new Bloomer Family pic to share as well.  I'm sharing a wonderful picture of Luc and Cassy's daughter Serene with our niece-dog Jess.  I love this picture but it also makes me cry.

I have some funny pictures of Lily, since she is always doing something funny that isn't hard!  Also, some shots of the cats helping me put up the Christmas tree.  They're givers really.   I will close out the month in pictures with a bunch of great shots from our trip to Westville for Thanksgiving.  We had family pictures taken and I think they turned out very nice.  

My November article for my Memorize Scripture - On the Go! web site is about Thanksgiving.  I sure have been feeling very thankful lately.  Hopefully I will remain so in good times as well as bad. 

October 2013 - The month started with a family outing to the Tulsa State Fair.  When I found out that my parents, sister, and brother-in-law were all going on my Dad's birthday (the 3rd, in case you want to send him a card next year!) - I had to get in on that trip.  We had a nice day enjoying lovely weather and great company.  Two days later Eric and I attended a cookout at our friends' house, the Clouse family in Moore.  They were celebrating the completion of the repairs to their house from the May 20th tornado.  

I had a major life change in the middle of the month - I left my job of 9 1/2 years at AIS to join a new company, TLI, out of Hot Springs Arkansas.  I am now a telecommuter (which means I work from home!)  I love it.  I started this new adventure with a visit to Hot Springs to get some training.  I came back from that just in time to unpack and repack my suitcase so that we could head out for four days in Montana.  It was a very productive but still fun trip.  We ended the month with Eric taking some of our fun Chinese friends to the Wichitas and one funny picture of Rocket, who thinks he is hiding in a cardboard box. 

My October blog post on my Memorize Scripture site is about making the most of Bible study time.  My hope is that friends will share their ideas on this with me.  

September 2013 - I want to show off some 'crafty' projects I did this summer, since I don't get creative very often.  We had a lot of adventures this month, including a Women in the Outdoors event with Ellie, a lovely dinner and a nice walk at Lake Hefner with Chunhai and Shasha, and an evening golf outing where I practiced my camera work while Eric practiced golfing (after taking a 12-year break from the sport!)  

Later in the month we did a brief one-night campout in the Wichitas with good friends Eric H. and Simba.  I also had a lovely Ethiopian meal with my friends Ellie and YangJi. Then I got brave and took a picture of a black widow spider that was living on our house.  On a brighter note, I finish the month with a nice picture of my aunt and uncle Larry & Glenda that my Mom shared with me.  I don't get to see them often so I like having this picture.  

My September MS-OTG article is called, "Walk like a Victorious Christian" - this is something I don't yet have worked out but with God's help, I'll keep trying! 

August 2013 -  So far I have not taken a single picture in the month of August.  How crazy is that?! However, I have added a new page to the site to help my International Friends who have just moved to OKC.  It is somewhat appropriately named, "Welcome to OKC."  I spent a weekend in Westville with my family but I only took a couple of pictures this time.  Some of you may be relieved to hear that since I usually post about 40 pictures of my nephew after a visit with him!  Speaking of visits, my sister was in OKC for two nights.  I don't have any pictures of the two of us but she did take a great shot of our friends Wei, Jiayi, and Isabel.  

The blog post for August is an article I wrote to satisfy my own curiosity.  It digs into the verse about "heaping coals of fire on his head."  I hope you are blessed by it. 

July 2013 -  We started the month with a beautiful week in Montana visiting our Casazza family and enjoying the perfect weather.  I came back a few days before Eric, which allowed me to attend our church's annual baptism and picnic.  I also have a picture of Isabel with her 'elder twin brother' Eric, and some shots that Mom and Desirae took from a fun lake trip they had.

For July my MS-OTG blog post shares a lesson I have learned from watching my cats.  

June 2013 -  Our good friends Chunhai and Shasha were married early in June.  It was a lovely wedding, I was grateful to have been able to participate.  Our nephew Dillon graduated from High School in Montana.  We missed the festivities, we did get a picture of him - which is very hard to obtain, so it's a treasure!  I poached some pictures of Lucas and Kristi's boys from Kristi's FB page - they are growing so fast.  I also have a flower picture and some shots from a lovely night at a Hillsong concert with my friend Jiayi.  We also visited my family in Westville where I took an extraordinary number of pictures of my cute nephew Brodie. 

This month I took a camera class that included two homework assignments.   You can see the results if you're interested:  Shutter Speed & F-Stops.   We finished out the month by joining my sister and her friends for dinner one night before they headed off to a boy-band concert.

The June article on my Memorize Scripture - On the Go! web site is about prayer.  I share a humbling lesson I learned recently while reading the Bible.  Hope it is helpful.  Rise and Pray

May 2013 -  I started the month with a trip to New Orleans for Jazz Fest and to see my friends Amy & Julio.  Eric and I had a lovely evening at Lake Arcadia, watching a fire and the sun setting over the water.  I have some great pictures of my family to share that were taken this month.  

I cannot let a month pass without some kind of cat pictures.  I decided to share some pictures of an organization I support called, "The Oklahoma Shirt Company."  I also have some great pictures from the Oklahoma Warrior Dash and the subsequent weekend in Westville.

My church had a workday to assist with the post-tornado cleanup in Moore and I was blessed to be able to participate.  All day I kept thinking of how fragile we humans are and how fleeting this life is.  It reminds me of a rhyme that I heard Pastor Chuck Smith quote, "Only one life; will soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last."   I also joined Samaritan's Purse for a half day of cleanup in Shawnee on Memorial Day.  

The month ended with yet another tornado.  This one was headed directly for us and was getting a lot of press for the predicted size and power of the storm.  We took cover and were grateful to have been missed by the storm.

This month the tornado was so much on my mind that it inspired my MS-OTG blog article this month.  It is about fear, and is called "In Case of Emergency."

April 2013 -  Eric took a fun rock climbing trip to Horseshoe Canyon Ranch in Arkansas with a great group of friends.  We have a couple of pictures of Isabel to share, and a few of the cats as well.   I ended the month by walking the half marathon race at the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon with family and friends.  

The April blog post is called, "God Is Not Mad at You."  I hope it is helpful to someone.

March 2013 -  Most of March was spent on a very exciting trip to China.  I've been told that reading my page on this topic feels like you were right there with us.  That either means I give too much detail, or that this site gives you the full 'armchair travel' experience.  

Sadly, while we were in China we missed the big shin-dig for my nephew Brodie's first birthday.  My family sent me lots of pictures so I wouldn't feel left out.  I picked my favorite to share with you.  

We managed to cram in a few more activities at the end of the month.  Easter weekend was perfect weather in OKC so we took a long walk together at Lake Arcadia (no pictures), then went for some archery practice, then got a tour of our CSA farm.  CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and we do this with our friends a Phocas Farms. They are really wonderful, and so is the produce!  But back to my story, later that night we were invited to a lovely dinner by our friends Wei & Jiayi.  Then on Easter Sunday I took a picture of my friend Candice and her sweet baby girl.  

I also posted a Memorize Scripture - On the Go! article about retirement, Christian-style.  

February 2013 -  We have had a lot of sadness recently due to the loss of a great friend.  If you ever met our friend Luc Gruenther you will surely be sharing in that with us.  I needed to relive our life with Luc so it helped me to make a page of our memories of him.

Other events in February include a trip to visit Dan & Rose in south Texas and a visit to the beautiful Blackmon estate.  I also enjoyed some parties when I attended a baby shower and a Chinese New Year party in one weekend.  I made a trip to Westville to visit my family mid-month, and took some pictures of our little Lily to share with you.  My Mom also shared a very nice picture of my high school that I wanted to post here.  Three cheers for old Westville High. 

To round out the month, I had a nice lunch and afternoon with my good friend Ellie, and we attended a party at our friends the Thomas', complete with a Callantine sighting.  Our good friends Wei & Jiayi had their sweet bundle of joy on the 26th.  Welcome Isabel! 

We crammed in a few more activities at the end of the month.  Here are pictures from a lovely dinner with our friends Simba, Tracy, and Ray.  Also, a shot of me with my good friends Chunhai and Shasha.

For February, my Memorize Scripture article is called, "Sweatin' for Jesus."  Hope you enjoy it! 

January 2013 -  I did not take many pictures in January.  But of course, there are always cute cat pictures to share.  We also enjoyed having a house guest one weekend, our new friend Louis.  Another great treat this month for us were two wonderful Chinese meals we enjoyed.  The first was a home cooked meal with my friends Shasha and Chunhai with Shasha's parents.  The second was another lovely meal out with our friend Simba. 

In January my blog post was a 12 Verse Challenge that I hope you take with me.

December 2012 -  Merry Christmas!  We are very grateful to be wrapping up another wonderful year thanks to the grace of God.  I have pictures to share of my lovely cats, a lunch with Ellie, and Christmas pictures.  I want to share the pictures my friends and relatives sent me in their Christmas cards.  I love being able to look back at them over the years.  

My December MS-OTG blog post is, "God and New Year's Resolutions"

November 2012 -  I know you cannot wait for more pictures of our new kitten Lily, so here you go.  It includes one of her as an ornament in our Christmas tree, and another of Rocket trying to deal with her high energy.   We had a rousing Thanksgiving in Westville, visiting my family.  

My November post on Memorize Scripture - On the Go! is called, "Two Steps to Loving Others"

October 2012 -  I started the month by attending a baby shower for my friend Candice.  I have a picture of her and my friend Lena - both of whom were praying for babies when I met them, now both the proud mom of 2 kids each.  Praise the Lord for answered prayer! 

I have a picture of my parents' cat Waldo finally getting the level of attention she thinks she deserves.  I also have a shot that Mom took of my nephew Brodie, he put a big smooch right on Gran's lips - without her consent!  Also, one very lovely afternoon, Eric and I visited the Devon tower.   This month Eric and I also visited Westville to check in with everyone there.  

Big news for the month - we got a 3rd cat.  Lily was a kitten rescued by our neighbor.  We ended up adopting her into our cat herd and she has taken over the house and our hearts.  What a total sweetheart! 

The October Memorize Scripture blog post was to get everyone ready for the after-Thanksgiving sales:  Black Friday with Jesus 

September 2012 -  This month began with a day at Women on Target, a really great shooting clinic sponsored by the NRA, the OKC Gun Club, and others.  I also had a couple of nice dinners with my friend Elle (no pictures - sorry!)  I do, however, have a picture from a nice night with my new friend Shasha.

My latest post on my Memorize Scripture blog is titled, "House Sitting for Bill Gates"  I hope you check it out! 

August 2012 -  I made a quick but fun weekend trip to Westville to visit my family early in the month.  My department at work also took everyone out to the ballgame one Friday night. 

My August article for Memorize Scripture - On the Go! is about the Bible.  I hope it is helpful to you. 

July 2012 -  One major source of excitement for me during the month of July was finally being released to go to the gym again.  I'm back in spin class now and hope to get back to my other activities very soon.  I also had a lovely trip to visit my family in mid-July.  I have a couple of funny pictures of Feisty to share this month.  Also, I had to say farewell to my friend Ally so I have pictures of our last get-together.  We finished the month with a lovely week in Montana. 

My blog post for July is a segment of a J.I. Packer book I read recently.  I hope it blesses you as much as it blessed me.  Relationships Involve Knowing One Another - A Lesson from J.I. Packer

June 2012 -  June was eventful for me in that I finally decided to get my knees fixed.  I've had trouble with them for over two years so I finally had surgery in hopes of correcting the problems.  Mom came up and stayed for three days and was truly an angel to both me and Eric during that time.  After about 10 days of being constantly in the house, I decided I was well enough to attend our church's annual baptism/picnic at Lake Arcadia.  It was a nice time. I also have a picture of Rocket in one of his favorite sleeping spots, and a nice picture of 4 generations of my family.  

My article for Memorize Scripture - On the Go! this month shares a reminder I recently had about the implications of serving of an all-knowing, ever-present God.  Did God Overhear That?

May 2012 -  We started the month with a wonderful vacation to Cozumel.  It was beautiful and I was blessed to get to snorkel about 3 hours a day.  I celebrated Memorial Day back home - a cookout at my sister's house and a visit to my parents.  We had an exciting evening of hail one night, and another exciting evening shooting with our Chinese and Korean friends.  I also have some new pictures of my adorable nephew Brodie.

I've made my May blog post on my MS-OTG web site.  It's a love test!

April 2012 -  I have a couple of cat pictures to start the month off right.  Then I went to a sheep shearing demonstration in late April, and of course I snuck in a few hours of visiting my sister and baby Brodie.  Then that same weekend we hosted Mom and her friend Levita.  We served as home base for them as they ran the half marathon as part of the OKC Memorial Marathon.  

My April Memorize Scripture - On the Go! article post is about getting the most from your Bible study time.  "Don't Gulp the Word"

March 2012 -  This month I attended a concert with my friend Eron - it was a great evening out together.  Also, in Montana, the first structure is going up on our land there.  Eric's brother Dan & his gang are building us an awesome barn.  We can't wait to see it in person this summer.   

We had big doings in early March when my sister gave birth to Brodie Keith Bloomer.  He is the only grandchild on my side of the family.  My parents are so thankful that one of us FINALLY had a kid!

The new arrival sparked two subsequent trips to that side of the state so we could check on his progress.  The first trip was strictly for Eric to meet Brodie.  The second trip was a visit to Robber's Cave state park, and an overnight stay in a cabin at Greenleaf State Park.  We had a cookout attended by my immediate family which was very nice.  

My March MS-OTG article is about marriage and the help we found for ours in the Bible. "Status and the Christian Marriage"

February 2012 -  I have a new strategy for keeping my web site up to date.  It's a two part plan:  1) Do fewer things 2) Forget to take pictures when I go on outings.  It's working out for me very well on both fronts.  So for February I have one picture from a visit from Mom & Linda with Ellie, and some pictures of cat naps.  At this rate, my web site will never get behind again! 

My Memorize Scripture - On the Go! blog article this month is a bit of a hard-hitter.  It is called, "Vending-Machine Theology."

January 2012 -  Eric was given the honor of being a groomsman in our friends' wedding in January.  Eric & Kristen's ceremony was beautiful and my pictures do not do it justice.  I also got to spend a day with my friend Ally & her kids this month, it was a fun time. 

I ask another question in my article post this month.  It is, "Do We Truly Value Our Time?"

December 2011 -  What a great month we had this December! Always a fun gathering, I attended our church Christmas party - Calvary Chapel's Dirty Santa Extravaganza.  There were about 50 people there this year so it might possibly have been the world's longest dirty Santa game.  

Ellie and I met for sushi in Bricktown.  I also have a couple of cute pictures of the cats to share.  Christmas was enjoyed by both of us with our own families.  I must teach Eric to take some more pictures when he goes on these trips, as I only have two pictures from his 11-day trip!  I do have a few from my time in Westville though.   I also have the pictures from various Christmas cards we enjoyed this year.  I love that Christmas gives us a chance to reconnect with those who mean so much to us. 

My MS-OTG article this month is in the Christmas spirit, "Finding Hope and Trust in the Christmas Story."

November 2011 -  We had a great November this year.  Ellie and I met for our first experience of Ethopian food, which was quite tasty and fun (since you eat with your hands.)  I had an unhappy surprise when my gym announced a sudden closing, giving rise to this group picture of our last spin class.  The 6am M/W/F spin class was a tight-knit group who have been working out together for years.  Thankfully most of us have relocated as one unit to a new gym, although our beloved teacher Peter is only allowed to teach once per week.

I try to get all the "work" of Christmas done in November so that I have more free time to enjoy December.  This year I had so much help it was a wonder I got anything done at all!

The highlight of the month was Thanksgiving.  We took our Chinese friends and our Korean friend Ellie with us to Westville for a, "down-home country gut stuffin'."  They got to walk in the woods, learn a little about guns, go rock climbing, and eat until they couldn't hold any more (repeatedly.)  A good time was had by all.  

The November article for my Memorize Scripture - On the Go! blog asked the question, "Would You Like to Hang Out with Jesus?"

October 2011 -  I have some rock climbing pictures to share which were taken at various times over the past year.  Thanks to Cody for sharing them with me. 

I had a very wonderful afternoon with my friend Candice in early October.  I have a picture of us at lunch.  I also went to Westville for a weekend while Eric went to HCR to climb.  I attended a 5K race to cheer on my Mom and got to see an old friend I hadn't seen since 1988. 

I attended Korean Day during my lunch hour one day with my friend Ally and had a great time.  Sadly, the picture makes me look a bit like an unbalanced, murderer type but since they only had plastic silverware there everyone was safe. 

My post this month was inspired by some books I read recently, "How to Hear God's Voice."

September 2011 -  This was a fun & exciting month.  The heat broke on Labor Day weekend and it has been pleasant for over two months since then.  We also sold our house and moved to a new place this month.  We had the honor of introducing our Chinese friends to baseball, and I enjoyed a sushi dinner with Ellie.  

My sister Desirae came over for a visit one night in which we had a fun time hanging out together.   She took a great picture of the cats which I have posted along with a few of my own.  The cats just keep being cute so I am forced to show you pictures of them. 

The September article didn't get posted until the first of October, but anyway, it is called, "How to Succeed in Scripture Memorization without Really Trying." 

August 2011 -  We started the month with our annual summer trip to Montana.  I finally updated the pages regarding our house, the work we have done on it, and a new page with a great before/after series on the basement remodel.  That project took years so we were very happy to see it finally come together.    

I missed my blog post this month.  I guess I got too busy with Montana trips and basement work. 

July 2011 -  It was really hot, OK?  That's all you need to know about July! 

OK, there was one fun thing we did in July.  We got to meet my friend Ellie's family.  It was great fun getting to know them and showing them a tiny bit of American culture.  Oh, and we also visited the Cowboy Hall of Fame one hot afternoon.

My July article has a bit of a romantic air, "The Hero Of Your Story."

June 2011 -  Ally, Emily, Sean, and I started this month by attending the Paseo Art Walk.  All the art galleries stay open late the first Friday each month and they set out snack tables, from which we made our dinner.  A co-worker and I were fortunate enough to attend a gathering that hosted  Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee.  

Eric and I also attended an event put on in honor of World Refugee Day where we saw different styles of Burmese dancing and heard the story of a refugee from Sudan.  I also tried my hand at making Kim Bob (Korean sushi).  Those who know me know I don't eat rice as a general rule, so I got clever and used finely chopped and steamed cauliflower instead.  It worked like a charm!  

A great event in June was our annual church baptism and cookout which is held at Lake Arcadia.  I love Arcadia, I love our church, and I love seeing my brothers and sisters in Christ getting baptized.  If you can ignore the 100+ degree temperatures, it's a perfect outing!  

In June, my blog post asks the question, "Is America A Christian Nation?"

May 2011 -  Welcome to Moe's!  I have a blurry shot of an evening out with my Korean friends Ellie, Ally, Emily, and Sean.  We tried to get together in April but Sean fell as he was entering our house, split his head open, and had to be taken to the doctor for staples.  Thankfully this time our meeting was injury-free.  

We attended a graduation party for the son of our friend Svetlana, they live in our neighborhood.  Ellie & I went out to dinner one night, then she had me over for dinner another night to serve Kim Bob, which is the Korean version of sushi.  She thinks it was bad but it was great!  We also took some friends to Lake Arcadia for a picnic and had a really nice evening.  

We had a lot of severe weather in May.  One day there were some particularly bad storms in the forecast. Everyone got let out of work early and (even though Eric's truck is still dimpled from a previous hail storm) we decided to try to get both of our vehicles protected.  Eric managed to get both of our cars in our one-car garage - it was impressive! Thankfully the storms passed us by but neighboring communities all around us were not so lucky.

I have a picture of the first head of broccoli I ever grew in my garden.  I had never seen how broccoli was grown before this.  I also (of course) have a few cat pictures that I know everyone wants to see.  Last, but not least, we spent the Memorial Day holiday in Westville with my family and had a very nice weekend there.  

I didn't get my May article posted until June, but it was intended for May so I'll list it here.  It was called, "Things Have Changed Since 1987."

April 2011 -  I didn't do a lot of documentation in April because we were mostly working on our house. Wait until you see the before & after pictures of our basement. What a transformation!  I'll post them as soon as that page is done.  

I attended a baby shower for my friend Joan which included most of the "hot yoga gang."  Joan teaches at the Bikram studio where I take hot yoga each Saturday.  I also made a quick trip home to Westville during a time of drought here and floods there.

At the end of the month I attended my 12th (I think) Jazz Fest with Amy, Julio, and Laura.  It was great to see them again.  Since we are scattered all over the globe, this is our only chance to catch up with one another each year.  As a bonus, we also got to see old friends Doug & Myra for a little while. 

This month I wrote an article about fasting called, "Reading Fast Through the Word Fast."

March 2011 -  Our office is across the street from the food pantry of The Spero Project.  Our boss arranged for anyone who wanted to take a long lunch one day to help out with bagging the food for the patrons.  Most of our team was on board and we had a great time of it. 

Our church, Calvary Chapel of OKC was very honored in March to host Pastor Chuck Smith for an evening.  Chuck is the originator of the Calvary Chapel church movement.  (Charistics of a Calvary Chapel church include:  teaching of the Bible in a chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse style, no passing of offering baskets, and a casual, friendly atmosphere.)  He was touring with the band, "LoveSong" who were pioneers in the Contemporary Christian style of music.  

I have your "cute cat" fix for the month of March.  I also took some springtime pics in the back yard.

We enjoyed a very nice picnic at Lake Arcadia with our friend Svetlana. My sister Desirae shared a cute picture of how her husband is turning their well-named "Prisser" shih tzu dog into a ranch dog.  I also got to spend a fun day in Tulsa with Desirae and my Mom where we got into the usual shenanigans.  (We go shopping, Mom tries on funny hats, Mom meets strange people and learns their life story, Mom runs into people she knows and can remember the names of all their relatives, then Desirae and I get tired and we go home.)  

This month's blog post was called, "Facing a Superiority Complex"

February 2011 -  This month we got two big snow storms, about a week apart.  Between the blind panic of everyone trying to stock up on enough food for a month and the snow causing a disruption to the food distribution system, we ended up with a nearly empty Wal-Mart Super Center.  I had to snap a picture of the bizarre sight.  We never realize how much we live in the land of plenty until it isn't there.  I also have a few shots of the snow too.

On Monday nights during 2009 & 2010, Eric attended the School of Ministry program provided by our church, Calvary Chapel of OKC.  In February, the graduates were recognized with a certificate at church.  I have a blurry picture of Eric receiving his certificate and a hard time from the pastors of the course.  

My office did a charity fund raising event that culminated in the management team doing a pie-in-the-face event.  It was great sport for us peons and raised a lot of money for a good cause, The Spero Project.  Spero is a multi-faceted ministry here in OKC that operates a food pantry, a refugee program, assists with women rescued from sex traffic situations, and aid for foster and adopted children.    

I had a nice evening out with my friend Ellie.  I also hosted a dinner at my house for two friends who are expecting.  I wanted to give them a chance to relax before the big event - there will be no more relaxing once those babies arrive! 

What month would be complete without sharing the cuteness of my cats?  I also have a picture of my Mom to share.  It was taken back in November, but I didn't sit down and figure out how to get pictures off my phone until February so I'm posting it late.  Mom is always game for trying on a hat and we found a doozie of a hat at an estate sale one day.  

This month I wrote one of my favorite articles ever for my MS-OTG blog, "Television: Satan's Best Tool Ever."

January 2011 -  We started this new year with a great visit from our friends the Chodzkos.  We followed this up with a wonderful Korean meal prepared by our friend Ally.  I also have a shot of our cats which proves they are becoming friends.  We finished out the month with a nice trip to Isla Mujeres, Mexico.

I posted two articles on my blog this month, "Do I Love God's Word More Than P.F. Chang's" and "If You Can Picture It, You Can Remember It." 

December 2010 -  My company had our annual Christmas party on Friday the 3rd this year and it was really nice.  Later that same day, we enjoyed the arrival of our friends Martin & Tonnie who came to spend the weekend with us.  We had a great time catching up with them and going on all kinds of adventures.  I've included a couple pictures of my Mom's new cat, Waldo.  She's a cutie and very smart. 

I am so excited about our Christmas lights this year I had to post a picture.  Of special interest is the lighted cross that my Dad welded for me.  I've always wanted one, now I have one that means so much more because he made it himself.  I love it! 

Eric and I did our usual split Christmas again this year.  It's not traditional, but it works for us.  He had a great time in Montana but I have no pictures to show for it.  However, I made up for this by taking a lot.  It was a lovely Christmas for both of us. 

This month I posted two articles on my MS-OTG blog, "Does Your Flesh Lust?" and "Facing an Ugly Word."

November 2010 -  The owner of Eric's company was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and we were able to attend the black tie ceremony.  We enjoyed a visit from Eric's oldest brother Larry as he was in town for work but stayed extra days on our account.  During his visit, we took him and my friend Ellie to the Wichitas for a great day of hiking and sights.  

Ellie invited me to Korean Culture Day at Oklahoma City University mid-month and it was very nice.  The ladies who put on the Calvary Chapel Ladies Retreat in Dallas, TX were kind enough to let me sell my "Memorize Scripture - On the Go!" products at the conference book table.  I met some wonderful ladies and got a lot of encouragement about the product.  

I met my beautiful Mom and sister in Tulsa one Saturday for a day of shopping and the touring Broadway show, "Wicked."  It was a very good day.  I didn't take many pictures of Thanksgiving, I guess I was too busy enjoying myself!  After Thanksgiving I put up the Christmas tree and had all kinds of great help.  

In November I began posting articles on my Memorize Scripture - On the Go! web site.  I posted two articles this month, "Let the Holy Spirit Help You" and "Are You Seeking Godly Wisdom?"  

October 2010 -  I can't seem to go a month without posting some pictures of the cats, so why stop now?  I enjoyed a visit from my mom and her friend while they were in town for Encyclomedia.    Ellie & I poked through people's homes on the Heritage Hills home tour.  My friend Lisa and I ate well and talked much during a very fun lunch at 105 Degrees.  Eric and I had a beautiful evening one Saturday night around a campfire at Lake Arcadia.  I attended the Edgemere Park Oktoberfest cookout late in the month, and we attended a Warren Barfield concert that was really a marriage seminar.  It's all good. 

September 2010 -  We used the Labor Day weekend to make a quick trip to Westville.  We wanted to visit my Uncle Shorty but Eric also managed to do some climbing, Mom and I attended the Cherokee Holiday, and we got in a lot of great family time as well. I have a picture of a lovely rainbow we saw in OKC one evening, and a couple shots of Eric cutting down a dead tree from our yard. 

In mid-month, I was fortunate enough to be sent to New York on business. I  was able extend the trip a day to do my tourist thing and had a nice time. 

August 2010 -  Our main activity in August was our annual summer trip to Montana.  We also enjoyed an evening visit with my sister Desirae.  The month just wouldn't be complete without a few cat pictures.

July 2010 -  We started July off with a fun trip to Westville to see my parents.   I have a picture of my garden's bounty, and a picture of my first attempt at selling "Memorize Scripture - On the Go!" to the general public.  How exciting!

On the 21st, my Mom was kind enough to drive half-way across the state to spend a day with me.  On the 24th, we spent a great day at the lake with our church, Calvary Chapel of OKC.  We had a baptism in Lake Arcadia and a big cookout afterward.    

June 2010 -  In June I had the joy of launching the product that I've been developing called, "Memorize Scripture - On the Go!"  What a labor of love this has been.  It is a set of tools designed to help people memorize Bible verses.  Please visit the web site to check it out.

We had a flood in early June which I have documented here.  I have more pictures of Rocket, he just won't stop being cute - this is of him and a Cardinal tormenting one another.  I also have pictures of the newest member of our household - Feisty.  She has earned her name too!  She can almost hold her own against rough-housing Rocket.  I also have some pictures of a Tae Kwon Do cookout we had the pleasure of attending.  

May 2010 -  In May my company sponsored us in a 5K race.  I was slow but I ran it!  We had a big hail storm in the middle of the month.  We also had a visit from our new friend Warren, a nice dinner with Ellie before she went back to Korea for the summer, and I have a super-cute picture of Rocket sleeping.  We finished the month with a neat trip to Utah with our friend Eric.  I also have some pictures to share from the Morton family's trip abroad to The Netherlands.

Sad news - in late May we had to let our sweet Zack go.  We enjoyed his company for 17 great years, but his health had really gone down this spring. I have made a page in his honor here.

April 2010 -  I have more (yes, more) cute pictures of Rocket to share.  Also a couple of shots from when I hosted my book club meeting at my house.  We also went to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra, which was a very unique experience.  

March 2010 -  I did better this month at capturing our activities.  I have pictures from a Blue Star Mothers packing day, Rocket the wild hunter cat, a great Korean meal provided by my friend Ellie, a visit from Mom, and a picture of us with some great friends at a wedding shower.  I also have scenes from a baby shower for my friend Candice Morvant.  

February 2010 -  I only thought that I was lazy in January; I truly WAS lazy in February!  I only took pictures at one event but it was a fun one.  We took our Korean and Chinese friends Ellie & Iris to the PBR bull riding event at the Ford Center.  It was a great time. 

January 2010 -  I have been lazy about my camera this month and have neglected to take many pictures.  I do have a couple of shots - one of a Korean dinner with friends, and another of Eric in our ice storm we had late in the month.   

Here are more pictures from the snow.  I finish out the month with some fun shots of Rocket with his look-alike, doing the Hustle, and helping with some painting around the house.

December 2009 -  The months started with a birthday party for my friend Eron - bowling and dinner with a big group of girls from the church.  I also have a picture of my early birthday gift, of which I am very excited, a power washer!  I truly love it.  

Speaking of love, we got a new addition to our household this month and he has already made us love him.  His name is Rocket and he is a force.  Zack is NOT pleased but we have hope that he will stop hating Rocket eventually.  

I have even more pictures of the ever-helpful Rocket, a shot from a Blue Star Mothers event at the airport, the Calvary Chapel OKC Dirty Santa party, a visit from our good friends the Gruenthers, and a shot of the breakfast nook in our house which is now a reading room.  I also have pictures from Christmas, and the pictures which were sent to us in Christmas cards by our friends. I hope 2009 was a great year for you!

November 2009 -  This was a busy month.  It started with a group of us attending a concert in Moore.  Next we took a half day off and went to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge with our Chinese friend Iris.  We got great weather and really enjoyed ourselves.

Later in the month was the first recording session for a new project I am doing called, "Memorize Scripture - On the Go!"  It has turned out truly excellent so far.  Later in the month we played a little Christmas prank at work which brought us quite a few laughs.  We ended the month with a big event - taking Ellie and Iris with us to Westville for Thanksgiving.  We got into all kinds of adventures together.  I finish the month with a proud picture of my great city's downtown Christmas display.  I love Oklahoma City!

October 2009 -  October was a great month as it brought me two new friends.  Through participation in the International Friendship Families program at Oklahoma City University, I have met two wonderful girls.  Iris is from China and Ellie is from Korea.  Here is a picture from my first dinner with Ellie.  We also have a picture from a "neighbor dinner" at our friend Michael's house.  It is so nice to live in a neighborhood of friends.  Speaking of our neighborhood, here's a nice picture of our park - Edgemere Park.  

September 2009 -  We had a great camping trip in the Wichitas early in the month.  Fall has come early this year and we enjoyed it very much.  I also got to see my Mom twice while she was in town for Encyclomedia.  I attended a shower for my good friend Lena Hunt on Sunday the 20th.  I also ran a 5K called the Capitol Challenge on the 26th. I ran it slowly but I ran it - which I've decided is what is important!  

August 2009 -  I have a shot of Eric with two of his climbing buddies, some scenes from the Chavez's baby shower, and a picture of a comedian we saw - all of which happened to be taken on August 15th.  I've also enjoyed three visits from my sweet sister, Desirae, none of which I had the presence of mind to capture via photograph.  We also had our friends Ken & Sherry over for a great evening - which I also spaced out on and didn't take a picture of.  

On Monday the 17th, our friends the Gruenthers met with a personal challenge.  Their apartment building was struck by lightening and they lost almost all their belongings in the subsequent fire.  We are so thankful that they and their dog are safe and sound.

I finished the month with a shopping trip in Tulsa with Mom & Desirae.  Mom had a birthday in August which we felt should be celebrated with a shopping outing.  It was fun!

July 2009 -  The main event in July for us was our annual trip to Montana.  We went over the 4th of July week this year and had a great time.  We also had a great evening with our friends Greg & Janie at Rio de Brazil in OKC.  I've included an update from one of the projects we saw on our trip to Cambodia in 2007.  I have a picture of our church, and a couple pictures from a Ladies' Retreat I attended at the end of the month.

June 2009 -  June was a month of visits for us.  We enjoyed getting to see Amy Casazza and some of her sisters plus little Aubrey.  They came to Oklahoma to visit their grandma and we "poached" a visit while they were in the area.  The following day Eric's brother Larry happened to be in town for work so we were able to see him as well.  

Another fun event was the annual picnic/baptism our church hosts at my happy place, Lake Arcadia.  I also attended a Blue Star Mothers packing day which went very well.  God Bless the Troops!

May 2009 -  We started the month with a very nice dinner with our friends the Merrihews and the Hunts.  Then I went on an outing with my friend Candice, and attended the graduation of my friend Doaa.  I also have some pictures that Mom sent me of life back home.  Then I went there myself for Memorial Day weekend and took a bunch of pictures.  I also have one of the sunset over OKC.  I also went on a business trip in May to Minneapolis.  Our meeting ended early so we took a quick tour of the Mall of America.

April 2009 -  We enjoyed helping our friend Doaa with an art project early in the month.  We celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary quietly but thankful for so many years of happiness together.  On Friday the 10th we enjoyed a Seder dinner with our church.  The next day I attended a compass class and Eric did his masonry thing.  I managed a kayaking outing one calm day, and we enjoyed dinner with our friends the Hunts toward the end of the month.  Then my Mom came to visit us the last weekend of the month for the OKC Memorial Marathon.  I finished the month with my annual trek to New Orleans for Jazz Fest, which was great as always.  

March 2009 -  I made a quick trip to Westville in early March but didn't take many pictures.  We got to see our friends the Gruenthers & the Feketes on the Gruenther's last weekend in the area.

We spent the last two weeks of the month on a wonderful trip to Israel.  It was a major undertaking to document the 1400 pictures I took.  However, it was worth it as now you can join us on our trip to Israel.

February 2009 -  This month I ran the Frigid Five - a five mile race in Edmond.  This was a challenge for me as I had previously done only 5K races.  We also attended a marriage seminar at our church, complete with first-class entertainment.  I snuck a shot of Eric cutting out a major section of tree in the front yard.  Also, check out the "Our House" page on this site to see the paint work we had done and the chair rail we put in this month.  

January 2009 -  We had a nice month but you'll have to take my word for it.  I didn't take many pictures in January.  I have pictures from a kayaking trip to Arcadia,  from a craft night with my friend Doaa, and a Blue Star Mothers packing event.  

December 2008 -  On the first of the month there was a beautiful event where Jupiter, Venus, and the Moon were really close together.  I took a lame picture of it that you can see here.  We had a nice dinner with our friends the Trans, got to see our good friend Cameron Hogan graduate from Physicians Assistant school, attended the GHK Christmas party and I attended my office Christmas party as well.  My friend Doaa and her brother Omar went with me to a Christmas program in Edmond, and Eric & I attended a unique adaptation of Romeo & Juliet one evening.  I also went caroling with my church at a care center in Bethany.  I have scanned in the pictures that were sent to us in Christmas cards for posterity.

Then I went to Westville for Christmas and Eric went to Montana.  This is our third year in a row of doing Christmas this way and it has really worked out well.  It snowed the whole time Eric was there but he had a great time anyway.  He didn't take any pictures, but I did!  

November 2008 -  I have a picture of a nice flower from our back yard for starters.  Also I have a new friend named Doaa and I have a picture from a night when we went out to eat.  Unfortunately, the picture doesn't have either of us in it, but we'll do that sometime soon.  I also have some shots from a cookout with our good friends the Callantines.

I also have pictures from the Diwali celebration at OCU, an evening helping the Blue Star Mothers, a church cleaning party, our chili cook-off at work, a flag football game where Eric showed off his crazy skills, and our Thanksgiving celebration.

October 2008 -  My Dad's birthday was the 3rd but sadly we did not make it to Westville to see him.  He had a quiet celebration with my sister since Mom was out of town.  We had our first overnight guests in our new home in October - our friends Luc & Cassy Gruenther.  They stayed with us as they were on their way to "24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell" - a 24-hour rock climbing competition.  Last year Luc won the intermediate division and this year Cassy won in the women's beginner division.  Yea Team Gruenther!  I also have a picture of Luc climbing The Nose on El Cap in Yosemite.

I have a random picture of some highway art, a Saturday morning packing session with Blue Star Mothers of Edmond - helping to pack boxes for the troops, and a quilting bee I attended at our church.  I also attended the Music Builds tour where I got to see one of my very favorite bands, Jars of Clay.  Also featured were Switchfoot, Third Day, and the Robert Randolph Family Band.  I had a great time that night.  

I got to attend a moving troop welcome home ceremony on the 12th.  I have also added the story of my Uncle Joe's recent miracle of returning to health after nearly dying of liver failure.  I also got my kayak in the lake again - finally!  It had been ages since I'd had that thing in the water.  Our neighbor built a float for a Halloween parade, something you don't see every day.  I ended the month with a trip to Tulsa to watch Mom run the Tulsa Run, and a short trip to the Wichitas to meet friends.

Our good friends Nathan & Stacie got married on the 24th.  How exciting!  Sadly, we did not get to be there in person, but they were nice enough to share the pictures with me.

I've added a before and after page for our ongoing projects around the house.  I doubt it will be of much interest to anyone but me & Eric, but I'm posting it anyway.

September 2008 -  This month we spent a lot of time working on the house.  I also managed to squeeze in lots of activities as well, including attending the Women on Target fun shoot, a visit from my Mom, a visit with my great friend Dorinda (friend since 4th grade!), and a motivational seminar in Tulsa. 

The biggest event of the month for both of us was the awesome opportunity we had to attend a luncheon that featured President George W. Bush.  He spoke for about 45 minutes and it was really an incredible experience.  I love W!! 

August 2008 -  The first thing we did this month was to buy a new house and move in.  Immediately after that we took our annual trip to visit our family in Montana.  We had a great trip and really enjoyed catching up with everyone.  We spent most of the rest of the month unpacking and settling in.  I will update the "Our House" section soon.  We also got our first visitor to our new house - my sister, Desirae.

July 2008 -  I started the month with a very pleasant Sara Groves concert.  Eric and I celebrated the 4th at a picnic held by our church - Calvary Chapel of OKC.  I got to do a little evening kayaking on the 5th as well so it was a good weekend for me.  I have some pictures of my family back in Westville, courtesy of my Mom.  We also had a great trip to Colorado to see our good friend Tammy marry our new friend Jason.  It was a wonderful trip.

June 2008 -  It got pretty warm in June so we slowed down our activities a bit.  We attended Riverfest in OKC, spent an afternoon at the Thomas' home in north Edmond, and I went to a swimming party and cookout at the Mantel's home in even farther north Edmond.  The crowning achievement of the month was to attend my 20 year high school reunion in Westville, OK.  I'd say we all held up pretty well and we really enjoyed the time of catching up with each other.   

May 2008 -  May was off to a big start with the wedding of my sister, Desirae.  It was a beautiful event.  I am proud to have been included in it.  I have one picture of Eric (a.k.a. "Safety Boy") standing on the top of our fence doing chainsaw work.  Seems like if he can't be out endangering himself by rock climbing he has to find some more creative method.

I also attended a kayak demo one evening at Lake Hefner.  Then we finished out with a big Memorial Day weekend trip to Horseshoe Canyon Ranch in Arkansas with our friends the Gruenthers & Faketis.  A great time was had by all.

In the midst of all this, we also got to participate in a school project for our niece Kaitlyn called, "Flat Stanley."  She mailed Flat Stanley to us and asked us to take him along on some adventures and send the pictures back to her classroom in Montana.  We had a great time entertaining Stanley and also sent him on a quick trip to England with our friend Amy Jones.  We hope Flat Stanley enjoyed his adventures.   

April 2008 -  We had a busy month from the start in April.  I had a visit from Mom early on in the month.  Then the first weekend was so nice that we had to spend the whole thing outside.  We took a skeet shooting class, then we had a cookout with the Callantines, and joined Eric's company for a day at the Redbud Classic.  

As I think everyone knows, we have only one cat these days.  His name is Zack and he is very spoiled.  I have a picture of Zack getting to enjoy the outdoors, which is a rare treat for him. Also another of him working Eric for extra attention, which I thought was cute.

On the 8th I saw a beautiful sunrise and we attended a very nice event for Dana Murphy, who is running for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.  The 9th was our 14th anniversary.  Neither of us can believe it has been so long, and are amazed that each year is better than the one before.  

I visited the Project MOVES class for the second time in mid-April.  That is a training program I to helped recruit students for over the past several months.  The students are awesome!  Speaking of awesome, I attended the graduation of my friend Shisheika Swan that same week as well.  She worked very hard for that degree and I'm very proud of her.

On Saturday the 19th I attended a clean-up day at Lake Overholser that included lots of give-aways and a free lunch.  On the following Tuesday I went to the OKC Arts Festival with Eric and my friend Lisa Hill from work.  We watched my friend Jonathan Cigary perform that slightly chilly afternoon.  

I went to New Orleans on Thursday the 24th and met friends Laura, Amy & Julio for Jazz Fest.  I think it's my 9th Jazz Fest in the past 10 years.  Amy & Julio flew over from the UK to attend - Amy flew in on Wednesday and went back on Sunday, can you believe it?  Julio got to stay in the states a little longer, at least long enough to get over the jet lag I hope!

I returned from New Orleans on Saturday afternoon, just about the time my Mom and her running buddies were arriving in town for the OKC Memorial Marathon.  We went out to dinner on Saturday night and then I watched them run the next morning.  They all did great! 

March 2008 -  March was a good month.  We heard from our friends the Bramwells and got a picture of them too.  My friend K and I went to a concert together which was a good time.  My Dad, Leon Morton, had his 37th anniversary at his work so I when home for that weekend.

I spent a nice evening at Lake Arcadia one night after a run.  Eric and I spent an afternoon at the driving range near our house, the first time either of us has picked up a golf club in years.  We got a picture of a new arrival for our friends Martin & Tonnie Beck, Leila Grace.  I also spent Easter with our friends the Callantines + their sister Kara and her family.  

I finished out the month with a fun (but cold) day at a "Women in the Outdoors" event in Sapulpa with friends Sa & K.  I also have a picture of my sweet Zack in his little cat bed, just because he is so cute.

February 2008 -  The weather in February was kind of crazy - but mostly it was crazy cold during the week and crazy beautiful each weekend.  The highlights of the month started with a rally for Mike Huckabee on the 1st, our church Mission Banquet on the 2nd (no pics), and kayaking on the first weekend of the month.  The following week my co-workers gave me a little snow globe in my office, I saw a beautiful sunrise on the way to work, and Eric & I spent a nice day in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.

Valentine's week my Mom came to town and I got to see her at lunch.  Eric & Luc took off work to climb on Valentine's Day - how romantic!  That weekend we went to Quartz Mountain Resort with friends Luc, Cassy, & Jess.  I also have a picture from a Friday afternoon foosball game at work, and a shot of something I thought my friends from up north would enjoy - a pump jack in the parking lot of the mall.  

January 2008 -  The first day of the year was a bit cold, but we braved the weather and went to hang out at Hafer Park anyway.  It's a pretty little park near our house where they happen to have a small outdoor climbing wall.  The next day we got a beautiful sunrise so I snapped a couple of pictures on my drive to work.  (In a safe manner, of course!)

The next weekend we had a nice evening out with friends to see George Strait.  The following weekend we had some friends from Eric's Tae Kwon Do class over on Saturday for lunch and a soak in the hot tub.

The last weekend of the month was amazingly warm.  We celebrated by spending lots of the weekend outside.  Eric went climbing, of course, and on Sunday we took a nice walk at Lake Arcadia.

December 2007 -  Our first activity of the month was a trip to Guthrie for dinner and a Christmas play thanks to our financial adviser, Greg Womack.  The next day we visited  David's house during a party he had at his house and we got a picture of his dog.  The next day was the graduation for the 10 girls who graduated from Life Skills, a training class we put on at our church.  The following week we got very warm weather so I spent an evening at Lake Arcadia after work one night.  

The following weekend I attended a shower for our friends Dionne & Shannon's second daughter.  The next Monday we got a big ice storm - which I hope is the last for this winter!  That Thursday I got to serve lunch at the City Rescue Mission with some of my co-workers.  The next day was Eric's GHK office party at the Petroleum Club in Edmond.  I also have a nice sunrise picture to share. 

The week before Christmas was very busy!  We attended: the Godsey Christmas party on Tuesday, a Jami Smith Christmas concert on Wednesday, a short shoot at my new gun club, and Dragon Kim's Tae Kwon Do Christmas party at Kang's on Friday.  That Saturday we had more ice which kept us home that evening.  On Sunday they had a baby dedication at church which included many of my friends.  I was very sick that day and so did not get to go to my parent's house that day as I had planned. Thankfully, I was well by Monday so right after Eric left for the airport for his trip to Montana I started my drive to Westville for Christmas.  On New Year's Eve my sweet husband came home - a great way to start the new year!  

I have scanned in all the pictures I received in Christmas cards this year in case you'd like to see them, they're good!  One more thing: I just added a long-overdue page dedicated to the cat we lost this spring, Fuzzy.  

November 2007 -  We started the month with a very nice camping trip to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge near Lawton, OK.  We had a great time, enjoyed wonderful weather, and were joined by many friends.  The weekend of November 17 was perfect weather-wise.  I got to spend a few hours on a totally calm Lake Arcadia and just loved it.  Later that day we stopped by my co-worker David's house to admire his amazing display of Christmas lights.  We celebrated Thanksgiving in Westville with my family.

October 2007 -  The month started with a "Just Us Girls" event at church.  We had dinner and a panel of very wise ladies answering tough questions that evening.  Plus chocolate, of course!

My mom came to town on the 7th to teach the Life Skills class on Health.  She did an amazing job, people are still talking about it.  The next day we joined K for a shopping trip. To celebrate K's birthday, we also went to lunch (joined by friend Bridget) at Bellini's.  It was a good day. 

At the end of the month we enjoyed Momentum Conference, an annual conference put on by our church, Church of the Harvest.  John Maxwell was the featured speaker, along with Paul Scanlon from England and the Hillsong London worship team. 

I also have some pictures of my friends Luc & Cassy from some of their recent adventures. Also a day we spent at Greek Fest with some new friends and a weight lifting competition that we attended.

September 2007 -  I snapped a picture of a beautiful sunrise on the way to work one morning to add to my growing collection.  We spent a fun weekend in the Wichitas camping with Luc, Cassy, Helen, and Steve (aka Crusty.)  

I attended the annual Women on Target event with friends and had a blast as always.  It's an instructional shooting event put on by the NRA and the Oklahoma City Gun Club.  Fun!

We finished the month in San Antonio. Eric went for a conference and I tagged along.  I also have pictures of new arrivals of some of our friends.  Lastly we have a picture of an interesting moth we saw in the back yard one evening. 

August 2007 -  In late July and early August we took an amazing mission trip to Cambodia, which is a beautiful country full of the most amazing people.  We loved it.

While we were on our way back from Cambodia, Mom was a bridesmaid in the wedding of Mary (Barnett) Edgemon.  Mary has been one of Mom's best running buddies for years. They both looked beautiful.

July 2007 -  Every Friday at work, a whole bunch of us from work all go to Thai Basil in north Edmond for lunch.  Here's proof.  In early June we power washed the deck behind our house so we could put on fresh stain.  Six weeks later, we finally got a dry weekend  so we could finish the job.  It looks great!

June 2007 -  The month began with a huge women's conference at church called Girlfriends Conference.  During that same time, my Mom won a national award from a program called, "Steps to a Healthier US".   It was a big deal!  My sister Desirae went with her to Seattle to accept the award.  Next we attended the 65th birthday of our friend Richard Jackson.  We also went to a cookout at our friends Steve & Kim's house which was a really enjoyable evening. 

One evening I attended a big parade for some local troops who returned from Iraq.  I was so proud of them, it was really emotional.  Later we spent 4 days in sunny Florida which was the only sun we've seen in two rainy months! Then, since it was too wet to climb, our friend Luc Gruenther came up for a visit with his sweet dog Jess.  

May 2007 -  I have a picture of our friend Stephanie at the Edmond Arts Festival and some scenes of a very nice cookout at the Callantines.  Eric participated in a Tae Kwon Do tournament early in the month which was very exciting at times.  He did great in his fight and on his flying side kick.  

I got a neat picture of a storm cloud we saw near Tulsa one evening on our way to a nice weekend spent in Westville with my family. We also attended a surprise birthday party for our friend Heather who turned 30. 

April 2007 -   We attended a birthday dinner for our friend Cameron at Irma's burger shack, it was a good time.  April 9th was an eventful day in our lives. It was our 13th anniversary and also our cat of 14 years, Fuzzy, died as well.  We took him in for a tooth cleaning and found he had a tumor in his head so we let him go.  

Eric's work, GHK, sponsors us all in the annual Redbud Classic each year.  I did the 5K race, while Eric opted for the 2 mile walk & baby stroller derby.  I don't think very many of the baby strollers beat him but he's not saying.  They feed us a nice dinner afterward on the beautiful balcony at Bellini's.  

In April I also went from having long to short hair, received some flowers by my family, went to a Michael W. Smith concert with friends, and took some pictures of flowers in my yard.  I also attended the OKC Arts Festival (thanks to a long lunch hour provided by my work) and a quick trip to New Orleans for Jazz Fest.  Upon my return, we welcomed house guests: Mom, Desirae, Keith Bloomer, and Jon Gregory.  They were in town for the OKC Memorial Marathon.  Mom & Jon ran while me, Desi, and Justin served as the pit crew.  The last activity of the month was a party called "Just us Girls" that we had at church.

March 2007 -  In March I have pictures from a pre-wedding dinner and the wedding of our friends Thomas & Lorinda.  I also have a shot of an evening we spent delivering furniture with some friends from church.   I met Mom & Jon Gregory in Tulsa one day to run a 5K but I didn't take any pictures.  

Desirae visited OKC with a co-worker one day and I got to see her for lunch.  I took a picture then but it didn't turn out.  Sadness!  One Sunday it was very warm so I took my kayak and bike and headed for Arcadia.  Good times.  During that same weekend Eric attended "The Gathering" - a climbing shin- dig at Quartz Mountain.  He camped there with his friend Luc.  We have added some pictures from a climbing trip last year.

09/16/24

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