non stop DRAMA

In Oklahoma

Posted in on by The MOM

When Michelle and Cameron were ready to leave our house, Michelle had a moment of temporary insanity (although I am questioning the temporary part) - and decided she wanted to take both girls home with her. After about .0021385 milliseconds of thought - Bryan and I said YES!!! She wasn't sure we'd let them go, but we had their bags packed and had them out the door before she could say please. The girls stayed the week with her and her family in Broken Arrow. I went up the following weekend to bring them home. And....I GOT SUCKERED!! I got there, and they had all decided that it was MY turn to have all the teenagers....so on Sunday when I left to come home, not only did I have Tayler and Kati back, but I also had Cameron and Tyler with me. I'm still trying to figure out how that happened. The week is almost over, and it has been fun. The boys are sooo good, they put my girls to shame. :) It has been an interesting experiment, for her to have the girls and then me to have the boys. We've both decided we are glad we have who we have. She doesn't think she could handle girls, and their constant arguing with each other, and I'm not sure I could handle boys and their.....well....being boys. It has been great watching the kids form bonds with each other, much like she and I have. They all truly feel like they are family, and we are glad for that. It's funny, she and I used to go see each other in the summer (after we moved to Texas), and now our kids are doing it. The torch is being passed I suppose.

Anyway, here is a picture that she took outside of her house. Much like our house, she always has "extra" kids too.

Alex (her nephew), Tayler, Cameron, Kati, Tyler, and Jamie (neighborhood friend)

Oh...and this is us on the Saturday night I was in town. For old times sake, she and I hit the big exciting town of Tulsa.

Boat fun

Posted in on by The MOM

While Michelle and Cameron were here, we took them out on the boat. Everyone had a great time! Kati and Cameron both have this competitive streak - so they were constantly trash talking each other, and trying to out-do each other. It was really funny to listen to. Everybody got on the tube, the kneeboard and wakeboard. Ok...everyone except myself and Michelle...we are purely spectators. Besides...someone has to take the pictures...right??

Tayler in the am

Kati in the am

Sisters rocking the wind blown look

Cameron's turn on the tube

Kati - showing Cameron her "I'm better than you" face

Watching Kati get ready to wakeboard

She's ready to go

Is she gonna make it up.....?

Not quite (and not gracefully)

It took both girls to show Cameron how to put his feet in the bindings

Cameron's graceful pose

Almost up...

Kati watching....in fear that he will be better than her...

Nope, not that time

She is, no doubt, trash talking right now...

We forgot to tell him that once you get up - you have to keep ahold of the rope

Tayler ready for her turn

Cameron waiting to see if another sister will show him up

Almost...

Cameron decided to try the kneeboard - it's much easier

Kati and Cameron decided to ride the ONE person tube - together...

They are like 2 little spider monkeys - holding on with those long lean legs

They were actually trying to shove each other off

The face of terror....

More road trip pictures

Posted in on by The MOM

I finally got the pictures from Michelle's camera from our trip together. Here are a few from the Houston trip.

This is how she found Cameron, Tayler and Kati (and Marmalade) the morning we were leaving

Outside the hospital

Me and Kati

Waiting while they were back with the doctors

So much fun

Back in Dallas late that night

Michelle, Road Trip, Hospital, 100' White Guy, Kids...and lots of laughs

Posted in on by The MOM

Michelle and her son Cameron came into town last week. It had literally been 8 years since we'd seen each other. I think that is the longest stretch we have ever gone without being together - and it was entirely too long!! I need to work on going to see her more - you can't keep a best friend of 29 years for long when you don't make an effort to go see her.

Anyway, her son Cameron had surgery at the Shriner's Hospital in Houston about 7 years ago for a condition called Pectus Excavatum. He had to go back for his yearly check-up, so they came by our house and spent the night. We got up Thursday morning, and Kati and I drove them to Houston. We had a great time on our road trip!! Plus, Kati and Cameron had some good bonding time, since they were little kids last time they saw each other. It was like no time had passed at all, for any of us. Kati and Cameron became instant best friends, and Michelle and I enjoyed just being together.

We came home that night, and they spent the night again. We got up on Friday and all went out on the boat. It was fun watching Cameron learn how to wakeboard and kneeboard, and hear him and Kati trash talking each other about who was better! They even got on the small 1 person tube - together. Of course they spent the entire time trying to knock each other off, it was really funny to watch. Later that day when it was time to leave - Michelle suddenly had a case of temporary insanity....and actually asked if she could take both girls home with her for the week. Bryan and I laughed and said she must be crazy, but she said she really wanted to spend some time with them. So...off she and Cameron went home - with 2 extra passengers! I will be heading up there to pick the girls up next weekend, providing they all survive that long!!

We, of course, took tons of pictures. These are some from my camera. I will post some from her camera once I get them this weekend. She got all of the boat pictures, so they will be coming soon.