Oklahoma City Arts Museum!

Saturday morning Kenny asked me if I would go on a date with him to the Oklahoma City Arts Museum downtown! Yay, what a great idea! I love it when he thinks up great ideas like that. And what a sweetie to ask me on a date ;)

We got downtown about 10:00 and were able to beat most of the crowd. This was our second trip to the Arts Museum. The last time we went there was a really cool Napoleon exhibit. This time they had all kinds of Roman art from the Louvre. It was UNBELIEVABLE! It's so amazing to look at these statues and jewelry and glass jars and think about people thousands of years ago making them. To see the intricacies and details, it was just so cool! There were no pictures allowed in that gallery, but when we got upstairs to the Chihuly glass exhibit, my fabulous photographer husband shot these amazing photos.

After we got home, that evening I finished all the drawers for the Kitchen! Woo-hoo, boy were we excited! Kenny put all the new hardware on them and put them back in the cabinets and they look pretty good. Here is a before and after view ;)

They aren't quite as dark as they look in this picture, kind of a dark cherry/mahogany.

Sunday we actually got to go swimming! It's been a little chilly for that recently, but the temperature out side got above 85 and we decided we definitely had to take advantage of the weather. So, we got up our courage and jumped in. It actually felt really refreshing :D Hopefully we'll have one or two more days like that this season.

Those Titans did it AGAIN!!

Kenny's soccer team, The Titans, had another soccer game yesterday. It was such a great game, they won SEVEN to one!! I was so excited! It was really special because Kenny got to let every one of his THIRTY soccer players play in that game. They were so far ahead that some of the small kids who maybe aren't the best players got to play. There is one really sweet sixth grade boy who always comes and sits and talks with me and even he got to play.

It was so cute to see the excitement on Kenny's face. He was trying to set it up so that my little buddy could score and you know what!? He ALMOST did! *grins* I love the way Kenny includes and encourages all his players, never yelling or belittling anyone. Kind of a neat insight into what kind of a Dad he'll be.... I CAN'T wait!! :D

I also want to wish Julie and Neil a Happy TWO MONTH anniversary today!! I miss them and love them very much! I love the love that they have for each other and know that they are a blessing to so many people! Congratulations you two!

Good Morning!

What a pretty morning it was today. I had my breakfast out on the back patio and read my devotional outside in God's nature. It was so pretty! Nice and cool and the morning sun was just jumping and sparkling off the pool. What a great way to start the day! :D

I think it's so neat how God puts this craving inside you for the next season just before it gets here. It's that way for me at least. Just towards the end of summer I just can't wait for Fall, then near the end of Fall I'm excited for winter and so on. Just all the little details that God created for us are such a blessing. How can anyone see a brightly blooming flower or the amazing reds and oranges and yellows of the leaves changing color or the intricate sparkles of every DIFFERENT Snowflake and not feel God's love all around them. I am so thankful for His blessings in my life.

Trying to be a big girl

I like to think of myself as becoming quite self reliant, but I'm realizing more and more everyday how I probably wouldn't make it without Kenny, Dad, Mom, my sisters and all my friends and family who help me out ALL THE TIME :D Not to mention the fact that God is ALWAYS watching out for me ;)

I'm usually pretty observant (or at least I like to think so) so I should have noticed this BEFORE I left home, but once I got to work on Monday morning I saw that the back drivers side tire on my car was VERY flat-ish. Not FLAT...yet, but flat-ish. Dad and I had discussed how it seem to be getting low recently and we planned to keep an eye on it.

I started stratigizing right then what my plan of action would be. Since it wasn't completely flat I was thinking I could make it to 7-11 and use the "free air" *grins* to fill it up enough to get me to Mom & Dad's for lunch. I hadn't ever used one of those air machines before, so this was step one to being a big girl.

Lunch time arrived and I treked out to 7-11 driving about 20 mph and disgruntling quite a few drivers :( I pulled by the machine, took the valve cap off and attempted to put some air in....nothing. I then noticed a small yellow button on the air machine and decided maybe I need to press this button.....(press button).....(no air).... Well, maybe I need to hold the button and put the air in....(hold button)....(stretch rediculously far towards the tire).....(no air).....my attempt to be an adult wasn't working out well thus far. I decided to go inside and ask if the machine was working. So I asked the attendant "Is your air compressor working?". He replied "hmmm, maybe I need to report that, you're the third person who's said that" :( boooo, my chance to handle things on my own was failing.
I then decided to try to drive about a mile to the next 7-11, surely their air compressor would work. So I pulled back onto the road and began to drive amidst shouts of "you've got a flat"...and honking. I tried to yell "I'm sorry" back, but I don't think they heard me. My tire was sounding pretty bad, so I decided it was time to pull over and call for backup ;)

I called the house and Mom answered and I was gulping back my tears "can Dad come and help me?" Of COURSE, he was there to my rescue in about five minutes. He jacked up the car and put on my spare tire and we made it home for lunch. If I would have tried a little harder to be an adult I probably could have changed that tire, and in my dress and heels none the less. :D

I think God was giving me a little reminder to be SO thankful for people who help me all the time! And now I have two new back tires for my car just in time for snow season ;)

After work Kenny's soccer team (the Titans) had their second game of the season. Kenny had said earlier that this was probably going to be their hardest game all season. When I got to the field the score was one to one. They were racing up and down the field and playing so hard, it was a really great game!

I love to hear Kenny talk to his team, encourage them and tell them what they're doing good and what they need to work on "This is OUR game, I know you guys can win this!"
Well, they rallied in the second half and came back to win four to one!! Great job guys!
It was sweet during the game several of the kiddo who weren't playing came and sat all around me and were just talking and asking about me and Kenny. :D

Day of Rest

I know Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, but we had a "restful" day of work ;)

We went back to Crossings Community Church on Sunday morning. The service was really beautiful again. I knew almost all of the songs this time and that really helps me be a more confident singer ;). The pastor this time was a lady, which I'm not really used to, but she did a good job. The message was about friendship. I think next week the Head Pastor will be back. I'm interested to hear him preach. We're hoping that this may be the church for us, but if not, we'll keep visiting them until we find just the right one.

After church Kenny and I went grocery shopping together again. It really makes shopping fun when you can do it with a friend (not to mention your husband) :D

After we got home we had lunch and then got too work. Kenny mowed the lawn and I swept up all the leaves and acorns (we have tons of those) and grass clippings and stuff that gathers up by the curb. I love the way our house looks when it's all tidy. The green grass and clean curb, it just makes me smile :D Kenny also staked our little hybiscus tree that we planted in the back yard. It has been leaning a little, so we wanted to stake it so that it will grow straight and strong. Then we watered our little vegetable garden and I was overjoyed to find two big tomatoes!

They looked so fresh and juicy. I hope they last long enough to turn red! Wouldn't I be a crazy farmer....overjoyed when ANYTHING grows ;) I wish our cantaloupe or watermelon would grow something besides leaves. Maybe we'll have a fall harvest for those *grins*

What a weekend :)

What a fun filled weekend we’ve had! I love the way Kenny’s always ready for an adventure with me. :D We got up on Saturday morning and I made us Bacon and Eggs and Hash browns! Yummy!! After we ate Kenny asked “what would you like to do today?”. I keep thinking that a picnic would be so fun so that’s what we decided to do.

We packed up a picnic lunch and drove over to some neat soccer fields by lake overholser and played Soccer for a while. Before we even broke a sweat I saw something out of the corner of my eye “look Kenny!! A chicken!!” Well….it turned out to be the most unique duck I’ve ever seen. All brown and spotty like a chicken. I guess it wanted to play soccer with us, because it never wanted to be too far away. I went back to the car and got some bread from our picnic lunch basket and brought the duck some food.
Then we went back to our Soccer fun and not too long later a little dog came to visit us. We decided to name him Piper ;) Well, he played a game of tag with our duck while we finished our Soccer fun. When we got ready to leave Piper was ready and wanting to come home with us ;)

We were starting to get hungry so we left the soccer fields and started driving around the lake to find a scenic spot for our picnic. We ate our lunch and then took a little walk along the water edge and took some pretty pictures.

It was such a nice day all sunny and warm. We are definitely enjoying these last few days of summer. I am so thankful for Kenny and our new family and the fun that we have.

Fun with Bryce

I got to see my sweet nephew Bryce at lunch time yesterday. I get to go to see Mom and Dad almost everyday at lunch. It's nice to get a break from my workday and see my family. Bryce is there alot so it also gives me a chance to see him too. He's been such fun the past few days. Talking so much and interested in EVERYTHING. He had gone to story time at the library earlier that day and was telling me all about it. We read "The old woman who swallowed the fly" (several times) ;) and just played around out on the driveway. I love the way you can see his little eyes thinking about things and remembering things that you ask him about. He went to the Fair with Grandma & Grandpa on Wednesday and was telling me about the animals he saw and all the sounds they make.
After work I had to run a couple of errands. I stopped by the Library to return some books and pick up the ones on reserve. That's one of the things I really love about Kenny, that he loves to read. He's always learning new things, learning about the world, history, or finance and investments or doing research on a trip we're wanting to take. Anyway, as I was looking through the books Kenny had put on reserve I found a Charlie Brown piano sheet music book that he had reserved FOR ME. It was so sweet. He knows I love to play the piano and he loves Charlie Brown....what a perfect book for us ;)

When I got home from work Kenny was still away at Soccer practice. I was wanting to back flush the filter on the pool so that I could run the pump and get the pool all clean. All this rain makes us need to run the filter more, so.... in my process of backflushing and rinsing, all of a sudden the power switch to the pump just did nothing! It was crazy, working fine the past ten minutes....then nothing! I checked all the breakers thinking I might have tripped one, but the were all on just fine, so I called Dad. He is amazing, ALWAYS willing to drop everything to come help.

Kenny got home just about the time Dad got there (I had two knights to rescue me!) ;) Mom came with Dad to see our refinished cabinets and new light fixtures. They were ooohhing and ahhhing (makes me feel so good!). Anyway, Dad checked out the pool pump guess what HARD work he had to do to fix it....just jiggle it. Hmmm, you'd think I could have done that huh? *grins* He said we just need to replace the switch and it will be good as new!

Feelin Tidy...

He he he... I was feeling extra energetic last night when I got home from work. Dad and Kenny had moved two big recliner chairs (for Neil & Julie) and a large wooden cabinet (for Mom & Dad) out of our garage on Friday evening. I couldn't believe how much extra space this opened up, so when I got home yesterday I got to work tidying ;)

I moved all the boxes of things and sports stuff from the center of the garage over to the edges where the new space had opened up, threw away some empty boxes and junk stuff, re-organized and stacked up several things and swept out all the leaves and dust! Wow, I'm just so proud of myself ;) I didn't even do THAT much, but it makes me smile everytime I pull my car in the garage.

Kenny was like "Wow! Did you clean the garage?!".... I think he was impressed ;)

I did actually get a chance to work on the wood work for the kitchen cabinets over the weekend too. I finished the second coat of stain and varnish on the frame work, so all I have left is the drawers and doors and then Kenny will put the new hardware (knobs and drawer pulls) on. YAY!! I can't wait to see how it will look! I'll have to post some before and after pictures!

VICTORY!!

Kenny's middle school soccer team had their FIRST game of the season yesterday. I love to see those guys playing their hearts out and getting the chance to watch Kenny coach (he's great at it!). The games start at 5:00 and that's the time I get off work, so I missed the first few minutes :( BUT, I got to see BOTH goals...that's right! They won two to nothing! Good job guys! ;)

The weather was just perfect, about 79 degrees, slight breeze, just gorgeous! I was excited just to be outside! Since I got there late I just sat in the grass on the opposite side of the field. I never know when or where I can cross the field, I'd hate to get in the way of the action. I figured Kenny would spot me over there, but after the game he was calling me on my cell phone to make sure I was okay. He was worried about me the whole time...that I had car trouble, or something like that. He is so sweet, always concerned for my safety and well being ;)

We walked together from the soccer field back to the parking lot and one of his players asked Kenny "is THAT your wife Mr. Schell?" Soooo cute!

Whirlwind Weekend

Wow what a fun and filled weekend we've had! Since Julie was down visiting I tried to spend as much time with her as I could. She and Mom and I went out for lunch on Friday, a gift from my kind boss. We ate at "A Spot for Tea", a neat little restaurant and gift shop. It really had a cozy, bed and breakfast sort of feel to it. We had fun enjoying more girl time and chatting.

After work I met up with Julie and Lori and we went on a girls shopping spree to Quail Springs Mall. I was mostly shopping for birthday gifts for Bart and Lisa, but Julie and Lori found some really cute clothes :)

Saturday morning Kenny and I woke up a little early (for a Saturday) ;) So I fixed us scrambled eggs and toast and while we were enjoying our nice little breakfast a HUGE rainstorm blew in and it was a glorious downpour outside! I think it must have been the outskirts of the Hurricane that hit Texas....it was pouring buckets. Nut that I am, I grabbed my waterproof camera and went outside and in the backyard to snap some pictures. It was so refreshing and fun, I had to pull Kenny out there to see it all. ;)

After playing in the rain we got ready and went over to Dad and Mom's house to have lunch and celebrate Lisa and Bart's birthday's! We're quite a group when you get us all together. Lunch was great and we had TWO desserts! :) Hawaiian Wedding Cake for Lisa and Brownies for Bart yummy! ;)

After lunch Kenny and I rented two movies to watch that evening while the rain continued to fall. Finally, about seven thirty the rain lifted and we decided it would be the perfect time for a sweet little walk. The sky looked so pretty so we went for a hand-in-hand evening stroll....awww. I love the way Kenny always caters to my little whims ;)

Sunday morning we decided to visit Crossings Community Church. We are really wanting to find a church home where we really feel like we belong. A place that God wants us to be where we can grow in Him and do His will. The church is huge :) We had to ask for directions once we were inside. It was a really great service. There is a large choir and a full orchestra. The pastor (Terry Feix) preached a great sermon. It was neat because in my prayers this past week I've been specifically asking for wisdom and that is JUST what the service was about :) I love the way God always ties things together like that!

Sister Time!

Hooray! Julie came down from Missouri yesterday afternoon to visit the family for a while while Neil is away at a conference with church. It's so funny to be so grown up now, talking about our HUSBANDS and our HOMES and all that sort of stuff. Then just a few minutes later be talking and bursting into giggles like always. Lori came down from Edmond after she got out of class and we had Pizza with Mom and Dad and watched Spiderwick Chronicles (thanks Kenny for letting us borrow your NEW movie) ;) It ALWAYS refreshes my spirit to spend time with my sisters!

Everyday this week I've been wanting to work on refinishing the wood on the cabinets in our Kitchen. Kenny and I already got the inside painted all fresh and white and Kenny removed all the doors and drawers for me and I started re-staining and varnishing the woodwork. I got one coat all done and have been on hold for a while. It seems like every time I get the idea I'm going to work on it the weather turns all humid and rainy :( Oh well, I'll get it done one day soon. We're so close to having the kitchen all finished I just want to accomplish this last task! :)

Kenny's worked so hard all summer on the house, I asked if the wood on the kitchen cabinets could be my one little project! So, I'm excited to complete my task.

A Thoughtful Rainy Day....

I've just been thinking a lot lately that I'd like to have a sort of diary so I can keep the story of Kenny and Karen close to my mind and heart. I don't want to ever forget a single moment of this life that we're building. Years from now I'd like to be able to look back and smile and remember all the happy moments we share.

So....while the rain keeps coming down outside my office window I decided to create a blog ;)

We just celebrated Kenny's 27th birthday on Monday. What fun! I was exicted that in my card to him I got to say "Happy Birthday to My HUSBAND" for the VERY FIRST TIME!! He's so special and I am blessed and honored to be his wife.

Of course I wanted to give him the world for his birthday, but that's a little out of our budget for now, so I just got him a few small things. We went to the Zoo on Saturday morning and saw the new exhibit "Oklahoma Trails". How neat!! We loved the wide open space they now have for the bears! We also got to see a Bald Eagle and I got to see a Badger for the fist time ;)

Sunday we had a little party for Kenny at Mom and Dad's house. We had lunch and cake and just got to spend some time with the family. Always fun!

Then Monday was the REAL day! Kenny got home from school and soccer practice about seven o'clock. I had his gifts all waiting for him. He read the card first (I love that sentimental look that comes over him) then took a quick shower while I finished making Enchilladas for dinner (yummy!!). After dinner he opened his gifts. A new flashlight, Spiderwick Chronicles on DVD, Yahtzee (we love to play games, we're just kids at heart) and...... a brand new BIG FISH AQUARIUM! We're excited to get some fish in there! I know Kenny would really love to have a puppy or kitty, but the fish are a compromise for now ;)