Keeping up with the Poges

Garage Apartment

2012-02-12T12:21:00.003-06:00

One of the bonuses of our house is a room behind the garage. The room is a great space for guest. When we first moved in, one of our friends actually lived in the apartment for a couple of weeks. While our friends and family have enjoyed the room, I am sure many thought it could use pick me up. The room had carpet that covered stains well. It also had linoleum that was starting to peel. This fall we had the place spruced up. We put in wood (fake) floors and tile, took out the pseudo kitchenette and had it repainted. It looks so much better. Below are some before (first two) and after (last two) pictures:

A few pictures from last Friday

2012-02-03T12:40:00.001-06:00

Afternoon excursion to Stillwater

2012-01-27T14:37:00.004-06:00

Mark and I went up with friends to Stillwater for the Missouri vs okie state basketball game. Besides the fact that we lost to an unranked opponent and that Mizzou was #2 in the nation, we had an enjoyable afternoon. We explored downtown and the campus. Our plan was to go to the National Wrestling Museum, but the $5 entrance fee was too steep for us. We also hit up Eskimo Joe's and indulged in some cheese fries and cold beer!

Thanks Nona!

2012-01-27T14:25:00.003-06:00

My mom came into town for a few days so that Mark and I could go on excursion to Stillwater, Ok. Clark loved having his Nona in town. She taught Clark to say 'duck'! He also had a blast during bath time. I tried to sneak in and video it, but Clark failed to cooperate. As soon as he saw the camera, he lost focus on bath time. This little guy enjoys being filmed :)!

Nap Time

2012-01-22T13:47:00.003-06:00

I love listening to Clark settle down into his nap. He never falls right asleep. I always close the door far enough to block the sound, but not too far because I want to peek in. We usually put him in the crib holding a book. He usually flips threw a few pages and babbles. He then will walk around the crib and eventually fling his body on to the mattress. Then he repeats it all. Read, babble, stand, walk and fling until finally he will fall to the bed in exhaustion with his bottom in the air.

Puzzle pieces

2012-01-16T06:18:00.005-06:00

This story has two story lines:

1) Clark isn't even into puzzles yet. He likes to carry the pieces around and then use them as cymbals. In other words, the sound is more entertaining than the puzzle.

2) I am never sure what will capture Clark's attention for long periods of time. For example, I have handed Clark a piece of paper in the car and he will play with it for 10 minutes. The puzzle has worked the same away. Little by little Clark would grab pieces and play with them and then hide or drop them somewhere. I didn't mind because it bought me some time, but now

This is what our puzzle looks like this:

For the next week, Mark and I are going on a hunt for the puzzle pieces. (I think other parents will enjoy this story, because you have been there too!) We will let you know how successful we are and where we found the different pieces.

E=mc2

2012-01-13T14:02:00.004-06:00

Clark's hair is awesome! He was born with a lot of hair and even had his first haircut at 8 months. We are letting it grow for now:)

A revival of the blog? Maybe!

2012-01-13T13:44:00.002-06:00

I have a love hate relationship with blogging. I really enjoy reading my friend's blog. At work, I have them saved on my favorites and the blogs are a joy of my work day. The problem for me is that I haven't quite figured out what I want out of my blog. The other problem is a question of who is my audience and what do I want to share. With the arrival of Clark, my focus turned to him and his milestones and budding personality. I wanted to use the blog as a journal of sorts. It was hard and daunting and to be honest milestones come and go pretty quickly. Luckily, I have a small journal where I write one thing about Clark each day. This journal should assist me, but I don't want to share everything. Some of its personal and some of its very uninteresting:)!

So in the new year, we will try again. I will try to do an entry twice a week. One entry will be a photo (I stole this idea from a friend) capturing a moment that I don't want to forget from the week. The other entry will be an update on the Poges! I think this is doable!

Enjoy loyal readers!

Clark and Tiger 6, 7 & 8 months

2011-09-14T01:15:00.002-05:00

Our reunion with the Sikoras!

2011-09-06T11:39:00.001-05:00

Over Labor Day weekend, we met our good friends the Sikoras in DFW. We had not seen each other in two years, but we picked up right where we left off. The big difference is now we had two more kids in the mix!

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Colorado 2011

2011-08-16T20:08:00.002-05:00

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July = Milestone Explosion!

2011-08-05T11:18:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that July is over and we haven't updated you (our loyal reader (s?)) about Clark's milestone explosion. Clark continues to be a happy and excited baby. Everywhere we go people comment about how happy Clark is. They ask us if he is this happy all of the time and we can confidently say yes. Clark at an early age loves people. At restaurants, grocery stores or shops, Clark usually tries to make eye contact with everyone we pass. If theses strangers have happened to miss Clark's gaze, then Clark will try to grab their attention through talk. He will yell out "Ahhhh" or "Dahhh" in hopes of charming them with his words. In general, these strangers cannot resist him!

In July, he accomplished two major milestones. We have a crawler and a clapper! Mark and I love picking up Clark from daycare, because he now claps with excitement to see us! Clark's crawling progression has been gradual. Initially, he would throw his upper body forward and then pull his legs forward. It resembled the worm and was hard to watch. The thrusting of the body forward resulted in a few ruff landings. After a couple weeks of the worm, Clark finally managed to achieve the traditional crawl. He is busy baby! Clark crawls everywhere and Mark and I must be on our toes. We can't leave this baby alone for more than a minute!

More visitors!

2011-08-02T14:05:00.003-05:00

My brother and his girlfriend, Dorcas, came to Oklahoma City for the weekend. We had a great weekend! On their first night we went to one of our new favorite food joints Mutts. Mutts is a gourmet hotdog restaurant. It is AMAZING!! They take your favorite type of food and design it into a hotdog. For example, my favorite hot dog is the Slum Dog. The slum dog is a chicken dog with curried cabbage and apple sriaracha. Yum! On Saturday, we went to a guatemalan restaurant for brunch, shopped and bowled. Dorcas had never been bowling and she almost scored in the triple digits! Clark was spoiled by them the entire weekend!

Okie Noodling Competition

2011-07-10T11:46:00.006-05:00

Oklahoma is one of five states that allows noodling. What is noodling? Noodling is fishing for catfish using only your bare hands. That's right! No pole! Noodlers hunt for catfish in murky water and holes. Once they have found the fish, they will stick out their hand until the fish bites and then they will bring the fish to the surface. While this sounds like a nightmare to me, this is a way of life for others. Twelve years ago, an Oklahoman (Brad Beasley) filmed a documentary on the sport. He decided that in order to bring legitimacy to the sport, there needed to be a tournament. The Okie Noodling Tournament is held annually in Pauls Valley and handfisherman/women from across the state fish in their home waters and then bring their fish for a weigh in. Mark and I decided this was a tournament that we couldn't miss! My mom came in and babysat Clark. Mark, our neighbor and I journeyed down to Pauls Valley and we were not disappointed. We saw weigh ins, witnessed noodling demonstrations, ate at Bob's Pig Shop, watched an almost fight and stood next to the Okie Noodling Queen. The biggest fish that was caught was 60 lbs!!! Amazing!

4th of July

2011-07-08T09:22:00.004-05:00

Over the 4th of July holiday, Mark's mom, sister and our niece and nephew came to visit us in Oklahoma City. We all had a great time! Clark loves playing with big kids and Aubrey and Gunnar played so well with him.

On the first night we went to watch the fireworks in Bricktown. The OKC Philharmonic plays patriotic music and then there are fireworks at the end. The fireworks did not start until around 10 pm! Clark stayed up for the beginning of the fireworks, but quickly fell asleep in Mark's arms.

On the 4th our neighborhood had a 4th of July party which included a parade that we all participated in. The kids also got the opportunity to run in a huge shower of water provided by the OKC Fire Department. Clark fell asleep before the parade began, but he made sure to hold his flag tight.

Go Mark!!

2011-07-01T09:16:00.006-05:00

Today Mark starts his first day as the Director of the Sooner Pediatric Clinic at OU Children's Hospital. He will still see patients, work with residents and medical students, but now he will also play a management role at the clinic. Mark is excited about the opportunity. He actually enjoys the challenge of trying to create an efficient system at the clinic that benefits the patients, staff and physicians. Clark and I could not be more proud! Way to go Dad / Mark!!

Clark meets more family!

2011-06-24T20:19:00.007-05:00

Last weekend, Clark and I had the pleasure of traveling down to Paris to see more of my extended family. My mother was competing in the Paris version of "Dancing with the Stars". My mom did not win. (She was robbed!) The best part was that Clark met and reacquainted with his great aunts and uncles and cousins!

This is a classic picture from the weekend! We are so excited about our growing family!

Aunt Mary and Clark
Clark's new sidekick Skylar!
Clark and his Aunt Terry!

The new moms! Clark holding Cavanaugh's hand! It was so sweet!

Questions

2011-06-24T19:57:00.005-05:00

For the past year, my life has been full of questions. Throughout pregnancy and motherhood, strangers and acquaintances seem to have a free pass to ask me questions. During pregnancy it usually focused around the timeline of the baby's due date, my well being and how prepared I was for the baby. Sometimes people's questions were odd or too personal. I remember some of guys at work asking me too many questions about labor once they found out I was contemplating having the baby naturally (I didn't). As a new mother, most questions have been focused around the baby and they usually focus on his size and age, his sleeping pattern and his milestones. While I confidently try to answer their questions, there have been very few answers that I am confident about outside of dates and measurements. I have never truly felt prepared for Clark. Each day something changes and each day a challenge is conquered and a new challenge begins. This motherhood roller coaster has been more rewarding than I had anticipated. How could it not be?

Catherine & Josh visit!

2011-06-24T19:50:00.002-05:00

Three weeks ago my dear friend, Catherine, and her son came to visit us in Oklahoma City. We had so much fun. Catherine's son, Josh, was a blast. Josh played the great older brother. He gave us updates on "Baby Clark". You can tell Catherine and I are both mothers, because we only took pictures of the boys and not of us!

Clark & Tiger 3, 4 & 5 months

2011-06-19T16:00:00.002-05:00

Mark and I are taking a picture of Clark each month with his stuffed tiger. Here are the pictures from three, four and five months! He is getting so big!

Clark's successful surgery

2011-06-11T18:31:00.003-05:00

Clark had an aborted circumcision when he was a day old. Long story, but that meant a trip to the urologist and a scheduled circumcision revision at 6mo under general anesthesia. He had this surgery on 6/10/11.

Here is Clark pre-surgery, continually happy and charming the nurses left and right...

Here is Clark post-surgery, still happy and completely focused on the mask used to put him to sleep.

Quotes from strangers during his visit:

"I've never seen a baby his age smile so much with the gas mask being held on his face!" -surgery room nurse

"If he stayed any longer in the recovery room there would have been a fight between the nurses for who was going to take him home." -recovery room nurse

"Kids his age usually fight and cry so much more when I am doing their vitals post-surgery." - step down unit nurse

Overall just like his vaccinations so far he took the day like a champion. He did get his first dose of Tylenol in his life after surgery but that is the only pain relief he needed. He spent the majority of that day taking naps, but otherwise he was smiling like always.

Clark thinks sneezes are funny!

2011-06-05T20:54:00.003-05:00

Mark and I always joke that once we get Clark to laugh at something we will continue to do it. It doesn't matter what it is. For the past few weeks, Clark has thought that sneezes were funny. I shot this video while Clark sat on my stomach. Hence the sideways view. It is adorable!!

Clark and hiking

2011-05-10T12:31:00.006-05:00

We went to visit our good friends the Sipniewskis in Fayetteville this past weekend. We were able to enjoy our first hike with Clark. This summer we are going to Estes Park for a family reunion, so we need some hiking practice with a baby. I love the series of pictures of Clark on the hike.

Clark thanking Dad for agreeing to carry him on the hike. He is a little nervous about mom's balancing skills due to a fall he experienced as a fetus!

Clark is so excited about the hike!
Clark - "Seriously - more trees! This is getting boring!"
Clark - "I am done! Let me catch a quick nap!"

New addition to the Poges...

2011-04-26T09:27:00.006-05:00

The Poges are not master landscapers by any stretch of the imagination, but there were some unsightly dying evergreen trees/bushes at the front of our house that needed dealing with. Initially there were 3 and one had already died and our neighbor's nephew (professional contractor) cut it down for us about a year ago. Ellen and I love planting trees so I had to cut down the other 2 to prepare the way for our new tree. It was my first experience with a chainsaw (rented from Home Depot) and I managed to cut down the other 2 without losing any fingers/toes. Special thanks to our neighbor Katy for helping get the chain back on after it fell off at the start of the cutting.

Then Ellen and I had to clear out all of the overgrown weeds and ivy which was no easy task.

Everyone, meet Bernice (named after my grandmother). She is a Little Gem Magnolia. Should provide us with lots of large white flowers all summer long.

Bernice is welcomed to the family by her older sister Delores.

Happy Easter!!

2011-04-24T11:46:00.005-05:00

Clark went on his first easter egg hunt yesterday! He collected four eggs with the help of his kind parents!

Clark turns 5 months!!

2011-04-21T15:12:00.006-05:00

Wow! What a difference 5 months makes! Five month old babies are very enjoyable. Clark prefers attention from us, but he can definitely entertain himself. He loves life. Seriously, I know it is hard to imagine a five month old embracing each day, but Clark does! Clark had his first airport and airplane experience this month. He was awesome. We went to St. Louis for a sorority sister's wedding, but were also able to squeeze in time with Mark's parents and brother in law. We made a 24 hour trip and had four flights!

Five month milestones:

- Clark is so close to sitting up on his own. I am thinking he will be there by 6 months!

- He mimics sounds and gestures. The other day he made a "b" sound.

- He rolls over a lot! If we walk away for a few minutes, Clark manages to roll into the most interesting places.

- He can pull objects down from his play gym. (Superman like strength :))

- He recognizes Mark and I when we pick him up at daycare.

What he loves:

- When Mark tickles him.

- Being outside. If Clark is upset, we will just walk outside for a few minutes and he will calm down.

- Watching us eat! He is fascinated by food.

- Putting his fists in his mouth when he is really happy. It almost looks like he is saying "Aw shucks, you are so funny."

- Bath time - Clark will splash around during his bath.

- Our sweet next door neighbor who is five years old. I think she might be his first crush when he gets older!

- Sleeping on his belly with his bottom in the air!

- His first fiesta party and being able to wear the shirt Nona bought him in Mexico.

What he does not like:

- loud noises

- being hungry

My 30th Birthday!

2011-04-16T15:23:00.006-05:00

I am not sure when I found out about golden birthdays. I like to imagine that I was eating ice cream at a birthday party in Paris and someone explained to me the magical phrase "golden birthday". A golden birthday is when your age and your date of birth match. My golden birthday was my 30th on March 30th! I initially wanted to go on a big trip for my 30th and then I remembered that I had a four month old and the trip was not as enticing.

In college, my roommates and I threw a random t-shirt party. I thought it was the perfect party because you could wear jeans and a t-shirt and I wasn't really into getting all jazzed up. Fast forward and I was looking for fun invitations for my 30th and I found a Nameapalooza birthday. It was destiny! For my birthday, Mark threw me an Ellenpalooza party and everyone was encouraged to wear a funny tshirt.

I couldn't have asked for a better evening for the party. My mother offered to make the food, Mark bought cupcakes from cuppies & joe and my neighbor Katy supplied the perfect party supplies. Mark and I had so much fun and were so thankful that all of our friends were able to make it out to celebrate.

The next night Mark planned a one night staycation in OKC complete with my parents & brother watching Clark overnight. We ate at Ludvine (a new local restaurant that changes their menu weekly) and then headed over to the civic center. We saw the world premiere (their words not ours) of the OKC ballet, philharmonic and choral on one stage. It was awesome and I now want to enroll in adult ballet! We stayed the night at the Colcord and I definitely recommend staying there if you are in town.

All in all my golden birthday exceeded my expectations! Poor Mark's golden birthday is August 1st, so unfortunately Mark was unable to celebrate his golden birthday in style! The pictures are in reverse order!

Clark plays the piano!

2011-03-28T18:27:00.002-05:00

Clark is Four Months

2011-03-27T16:45:00.004-05:00

Hello Mr. Personality! I have to admit that this stage in the baby timeline has been so enjoyable! Clark really embraces the day. He has hit the major milestones for four months. He loves being around people and is recognizing early the laws of cause and effect. If he smiles, then people will not only smile back but praise his ability to smile!

Four month milestones:

- Clark rolls from back to front and front to back. He always starts out on his back at night, but in the morning he is usually curled up on his belly with his bottom in the air.

- He sits with support - Clark can finally sit up in his bumbo.

- He is fascinated with new objects and activities.

- He coos, smiles and wiggles to express pleasure.

- He holds objects for a short period of time. His favorite objects include plastic links and Sheriff Cowhorse.

What he loves:

- Watching other babies. He is fascinated by the kids in his daycare class.

- Talking with others. If Clark is not part of the conversation, then he is going to let you know it. He loves making sounds to bring the focus back to him.

- Singing - His personal favorite songs are the "Wheels on the Bus" and "Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes"

- Mornings - He is a child after my own heart. He is so happy in the mornings.

- Books - He thinks he can turn the pages!

- Noise - He has started banging objects and rattling his toys to hear noise.

What he does not love:

- Mike Anderson leaving the Tigers.

- Mark's NCAA bracket.

- Sleeping through the night (at least the past four nights!)

- Being left alone - It is hard for us to step out of the room for even a second.

Our Budding Soccer Player

2011-03-15T17:29:00.003-05:00

Clark's Baptismal Gown

2011-03-05T16:38:00.004-06:00

I decided to have my wedding gown made into a baptismal gown. I honestly don't believe many girls re-wear their mother's wedding gown outside of hollywood movies! And while I believed my gown was classic and timeless, I doubt my daughter would think the same thing. My mom's seamstress in Paris (sounds so fancy!) made the gown and I loved it!! She even created a bonnet for him to wear. I only have two picture on our computer with me in my wedding dress. This picture is Mark and I with two of my best friends from college and we were singing "Like a Prayer". This was the classic Kappa song and is still one of my favorite pictures!

Clark laughing!

2011-03-05T10:35:00.002-06:00

Mark does a great job at getting Clark to laugh!!

Clark - 3 months

2011-02-22T11:59:00.005-06:00

Clark is three months old and his personality has really blossomed! He is definitely a people person! Ellen started back to work this month so our mother's and our neighbor have each watched Clark for us. He has loved his time with each of them!

Three month milestones:

- laughing! Clark has the cutest laugh. The first few times he was surprised by his laugh and it quickly turned into a cry. Now he is used to laughing and responds to it best through tickling.

- grabs at toys in play gym - Clark has a little play gym and he is starting to squeeze on the animals.

- leg and arm movement - He is constantly pumping his arms and legs up and down when placed on his back.

- greater head control - He is starting to use his bumbo!

- smiles and eye contact - He loves people and tries to make eye contact with people when he is introduced to them. Once he locks eyes, he usually smiles.

What he loves:

- going on walks

- the zoo - We became members of the zoo and we have gone three times since joining!

- looking in the mirror

- Baby Yoga

- Daddy tickling him!

- swaddling (not sure how we are going to kick the habit!)

- play dates

- flying in the air

What he does not love:

- not being the center of attention!

- Los Angeles Lakers

Clark rolls over!

2011-02-20T17:59:00.002-06:00

Clark started rolling over from his stomach to his back this week! The video below is one minute (long in viewing time), but totally worth it. You can also see Clark's award winning smile!

The commentary is by my mom and I. I do actually say run over instead of rolled over which is slightly embarrassing, but the video is too good not to post!

The Blizzard of 2011

2011-02-02T18:59:00.004-06:00

Oklahoma City got hit with another blizzard!! The last blizzard was during the Christmas Holidays in 2009! This blizzard was a little different because the temperature outside was ferociously cold. Yesterday, the temperature was at -15 with the windchill. Oklahoma City shut down as did my work and Mark's work! (Mark is on vacation, so we are hoping that he gets those days back!) It was actually nice to be cooped in for a couple of days. Clark enjoyed getting tons of love from us and we finally heard him laugh! Hopefully we will get a video up soon.

Here are a few pics from Snowmegedan 2011:

Clark in his snow pajamas!

Clark taking a nap after a long day of playing with mom and dad!

Yes, that is me! I was preparing to go outside. The weather people on the news make you think you are going to die outside, so I was not going to let frostbite find me!
Mark shoveling the driveway! It took us over two hours!
Clark and Mark taking a nap. So cute!!

Month by Month photo

2011-02-02T13:58:00.005-06:00

We, like many other parents, decided to select one of Clark's stuffed animals that he would be pictured with each month. Surprise - we selected a tiger!! Mark's dad got Clark this tiger and it is by far his largest one! We actually took a picture at week one and week two. I think we took the most of Clark at his first week photo op! Mark gets all the credit for taking these pictures!!

WEEK ONE

WEEK TWO
ONE MONTH
TWO MONTH

Happy 2 Months!!

2011-01-26T11:51:00.003-06:00

Clark is now two months old! His little personality has grown so much in the past month. Clark is an extremely charismatic baby that seems to go with the flow. While he does cry, he can be easily redirected! One of our New Year's resolutions is to write down at least one thing about Clark in a journal every day which should help the blog.

Two Month Milestones:

- He smiles when we interact with him.

- He talks to us through cooing and he is a chatter box. Once we get him talking, it is hard to slow him down.

- He explores his surroundings with his eyes.

- He loves to make and maintain eye contact with us.

- He moved into his crib! This has helped us to sleep better!

- Clark weighed 10 lbs 6 oz and he was 22.5 inches at his two month doctor appointment.

- Clark puts his fist in his mouth. He is slowly starting to discover his hands.

What he loves:

- "In My Den" and "In My Nest" - These are books that have tiny finger puppets and Clark loves watching the bear and bird.

- Talking with us

- Meeting new people

- Oklahoma City Thunder - He went to his first game! We only made it through the first half, but Clark was a trooper!

- Seeing snow for the first time.

- Play dates! We most frequently visit our neighbor who loves to hold Clark.

- Bath time - Mark finally figured out how to make bath time enjoyable for him.

- Play gym

- Drooling!

What he does not love:

- Being overstimulated - hence why we only made it through half the Thunder game

- Tummy time

- University of kansas

New Mother Free Passes!

2011-01-13T14:41:00.002-06:00

There are so many incredible pluses to having a kid, but I am also starting to realize that I get a few free passes in this new club.

Here are a few:

- Not showering everyday

- Wearing the same outfit two days in a row (What this old thing again? I think I will!)

- Wearing workout clothes daily. (In high school, my group of girlfriends and I loved when we could wear our wind pants or overalls. If either clothing item was in style then I would be wearing them again!)

- No makeup (Ok, I don't ever wear makeup, but now I say "Shoot I forgot to put on makeup this morning." Typical response from friends, "Don't worry you look great!)

- Falling asleep at 8:30 pm is no longer uncool!

- Leaving an event that we are no longer enjoying is easy - "Sorry, we have to go home and feed our son!" No hurt feelings and no pressure.

- Stains on clothing are acceptable. I hate laundry and am even less concerned if I have a permanent stain on my clothes now I have a free pass for that stain!

- Not finishing the book for my book club.

Oh the free pass is awesome!!

Clark coos!

2011-01-11T20:45:00.002-06:00

This one is for my Aunt Terry!

The Holidays!

2011-01-01T16:20:00.005-06:00

Mark was able to get the holidays off of work. This was, of course, after he had worked 6 days on inpatient! We both had late nights that week. The only advantage is that we were both up for the lunar eclipse!

On December 23rd, we headed out to Paris for our first road trip with Clark. It was interesting to see how many items were "needed" now that we had a baby. I jokingly told my dad that he needed to hire some movers to help us unload our car! We did use most of what we brought!

Highlights in Paris included: Christmas Eve with Swaskos, singing the "Twelve Days of Christmas", second date night and we saw "The Fighter", reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to Clark and my youth group reunion.

Next, we traveled to Austin to see the Clark side of the family. Clark's feet did not touch the ground during our time in Austin. Everyone wanted to hold him! He loved it and was amused by all of the attention. We also found out that two of my cousins are now pregnant with boys!

On our trip back to Oklahoma, we stopped in Dallas so that Clark could meet his Godmother Lindsay!
We also celebrated NYE with our good friends the Kirkpatricks. The Kirkpatricks also have a little boy who is five weeks younger than Clark. The boys have matching car seats and they slept through most of dinner. This picture was taken right before we rang in the New Year at 9 pm!

2010 - A Reflection

2011-01-01T11:35:00.002-06:00

Here are some highlights from the year (in no particular order):

- Mark finishes his commitment to the Air Force.

- Mark joins the faculty at the University of Oklahoma Children's Hospital.

- We vacationed with friends to the Plainview Cabin in Cowles, New Mexico. It was Ellen's first time at the cabin in 10+ years!

- Ellen continues to love her job and will be able to work part-time as a project manager at the food bank in 2011.

- The Oklahoma City Thunder! We went to the third game of the playoffs. The crowd was electric and the Thunder won!

- Ellen's parents celebrated their 60th birthdays.

- Mark ran his 2nd half marathon.

- The death of Ellen's grandmother and her Uncle Fred.

- Mark's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and she has courageously gone through chemo and radiation.

- We made two trips to St. Louis.

- We continued our tradition of attending one MU football game a year by going to the MU vs. IL game.

- Finally visited Tulsa with our dear friends the Sips.

- Celebrated our five-year anniversary in Dallas!

- Broken elbow at 34 wks pregnant.

- Ellen finally overcame her fear of needles due to the pregnancy and elbow surgery!

- We started a garden and a compost.

- Ellen agrees to a family room addition to the house. (This is at least five years away, but Mark wanted it in writing.)

- 2010 was the year of babies!!

- Thankful for family and friend support over the last year!

Everything Clark in 2010:

- Finding out we were going to have a baby!

- Sharing the news with our friends and family

- Feeling Clark in the womb through constant movement and hiccups!

- The anticipation of not knowing if we were going to have a boy or girl

- Baby showers! So many people wanted to celebrate his upcoming arrival with us.

- Meeting Clark for the first time

- All the firsts since! It has truly reshaped our life in the best way possible!

He smiles!

2010-12-20T18:59:00.002-06:00

Clark is having a few issues sleeping the second half of the night. These issues have coincided with his parents also having difficulty sleeping during the same time period! Even with a varied sleeping schedule, Clark is a morning person. His best smiles are in the morning!

Happy One Month!!

2010-12-14T11:23:00.013-06:00

We can't believe our little man is already one month old! We are so lucky to have a happy healthy little boy! Mark or I will try to update at least once a month with his milestones, likes and dislikes and of course his little adventures.

One Month Milestones:

- He no longer cries during tummy time. He seems content to look around and he typically brings his fist to his mouth. Mark and I are afraid that he is going to be a thumb sucker like I was!

- He can grasp objects with his hands. This includes our hands and objects that are dangled in front of him.

- He sleeps well through the first half of the night. (I am knocking on wood!) The second half of his bedtime sleep is a little more rocky.

- He listens to stories during his alert time. His favorite story (aka Mom's favorite story) is To Market To Market. It is a very funny story that is a twist on the Mother Goose version. Clark and I laugh every time we read it.

- He is starting to make eye contact with us for longer periods of time. Since he can now see 12 inches, I believe he recognizes Mark's and my face.

What he loves (note that most of his loves deal with motion):

- Bouncing in someone's arms or in his bouncy chair

- Dancing

- Going up and down stairs

- Car rides

- Hair dryers

- Going on walks

- Swing

- Music

- Sleep Sheep

What he does not love:

- bath time

- being naked

- diaper changes

- University of kansas

Below are pictures from the first month:

The Clarks came to visit!

Clark's shirt says "100% Good Most of the Time"!
Clark's first Missouri game. We beat Iowa State!
Clark's first Thanksgiving with the Pogemillers! He wore three Thanksgiving themed shirts that day: "I'm Stuffed," "My First Thanksgiving," and our favorite"I'm Thankful for Mommy and Daddy"
Uncle Bret visited us the day after Thanksgiving!

The Pogemillers again!

Nona came back to help us out!
Clark's first visit with Santa. He was able to meet him at our neighborhood children's party.
Clark's buddy Rex!
Clark dressed up in his warmest outfit. The high that day was in the 30s!

Nancy Wins the Baby Pool!!

2010-12-05T08:14:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to my Aunt Nancy for winning the baby pool!! She guessed that we were having a boy on November 17th. She also guessed that the baby would be over 7lbs. When Nancy asked me to put in her guess, I balked at the idea of having a 7 lb baby. Both Mark and I were small babies and a 7lb baby sounded huge! Nancy - we will bring you a little prize when we come to Austin for the holidays!

It is a boy!

2010-12-05T08:00:00.003-06:00

After 41 weeks of waiting, our little bundle of joy finally decided he was ready to enter the world! I want to first set up the timeline, so that we will remember it too. On Sunday night, I was having regular contractions and we decided to go to the hospital. I arrived at the hospital in my typical perky demeanor and filled out our hospital forms (all indicators that I was actually not in labor!). To my disappointment, I had only dilated to 1 cm. Mark and I returned home and prepared for another day of no baby.

Literally twenty-four hours later, I was having regular painful contractions. We decided to go back to the hospital. This time I was dilated to 6 cm and was checked in! We were going to meet this baby soon. After being transferred to our labor and delivery room, we called my parents to let them know. Initially they were going to wait to drive up that morning, but after 30 minutes they decided to drive up to Oklahoma City in the middle of the night.

After 15 hours of labor, Clark Thomas Pogemiller entered the world! Mark and I both suspected that we were having a boy, but it was so cool to have Mark share the news with me. Clark weighed in at 7 lbs 4 oz and he was 19.5 inches.

Clark shares his birthday with his Grandpa Pogemiller. He was also born on the day that Oklahoma became a state!

Our newest trick for getting BP out of the womb!

2010-11-13T15:48:00.004-06:00

As you all know, I have passed my due date. My last day of work was last Friday, so I have been sitting around googling ways to naturally induce. I have gone on tons of walks, eaten pineapple, made spicy dishes, cleaned the entire house and anything else other women have suggested. In the end, Mark and I believe that the theories are just stories that women tell about what they did the day before they went into labor.

Our child is too smart to fall for some of these old wives' tales. Now, Mark and I didn't know how smart BP was until a few weeks ago. Mark received a letter from the 2011 LeadAmerica Conference.

In the letter, there was a certificate of recognition that stated "In Recognition of Academic Excellence, Extracurricular Involvement and Leadership Potential the Board of Directors and Honorary Board of Advisors Invite Child of Mark Pogemiller to attend the 2011 LeadAmerica National Student Conference." We beamed with pride after this letter, but we realize now that we are dealing with a very special child.

So today, we took a different approach to coaxing BP out of the womb. We call the approach "the hook".

Here are some examples of the hook:

1) This morning I read half of "The Little Engine that Could". I didn't finish the book, so BP doesn't know whether the engine makes it over the big hill. Therefore, we have hooked BP into a story that he/she can only hear the ending in the outside world.

2) Mark has been telling the beginning of jokes, but not the punch line. For example, "A priest, a rabbi and superman walk into a bar and the bartender says..." Hooked!

3) Finally, we have narrated all the fun events of today. This morning Mark and I went for walk on a woody path and we marvelled at the foliage, but lamented that only people in the outside world could enjoy this beauty. Hooked!!

I am not sure if the new approach will work, but Mark and I have been hamming it up all day.

The Waiting Game!

2010-11-06T09:57:00.004-05:00

We have officially entered the waiting game! Friday was my last day of work and so now it is really becoming a reality! Mark and I have been enjoying our last few weeks before BP arrives. We went to the OU game last weekend with friends and this weekend we are enjoying more outings with friends. Tomorrow, we are finally going to have brunch at the art museum and enjoy the new exhibit. People keep asking us if we are ready and I think we can both confidently say YES. I mean as ready as you can be!

Below are a few pictures from the past couple of weeks including the home opener for the OKC Thunder game. I have also included the third stage of my elbow process. It is a one size fits all brace, so it fits me perfectly!!

Everyday is a little better!

2010-10-10T07:17:00.005-05:00

I can't believe that it has been two weeks since the great fall! Wow! Last Friday, I went in for surgery on my elbow. The surgery went well. Before and after surgery, a labor nurse was sent down to listen to the baby's heartbeat. It was the best sound to hear after the surgery.

The actual surgery took less than two hours. My anesthesiologist thought it would best if I had a block on my left arm. The block would numb my arm for 10-12 hours and would allow me to have less general anesthesia. The block called for a shot between my left shoulder and neck! This shot proved to me that I am no longer in fear of needles! During the surgery, my surgeon drilled two headless screws into my elbow to put everything back in place. The screws are permanent, but they are small enough that I should not set off the metal detectors at an airport. Don't worry I can become a card carrying member of "metal inside me club"! It is real!!

The first 48 hours after the surgery were the worst days of the entire process. I was in constant pain and the medicine was not giving me a break. Mark was so good with me. The first night I woke him up every 30 minutes to do something for me! He was so positive and kept telling me that it would get better. Unfortunately, Mark started his in-patient rotation at the hospital on Sunday. My parents who were in California decided to fly back early, so that my mom could take care of me. Mark and I were SO grateful!! My mom drove me around, sat on our front porch with me and ran out to pick up food and medication! I could never thank Mark or my mom enough for their support!

On Monday, things started to take a turn for the better! Each day has been a little easier. Tomorrow, I go back to the doctor. The plan is to take off the splint. I will then have to wear a brace on my elbow for 6-8 weeks. Of course this will be a challenge since the baby is due in a month, but I keep saying it could have been much worse. Mark and I are just so excited to meet BP that the challenges seem so minor.

Thanks to all of you for your cards, emails, food, rides and support!!

9/26/10 10:00 AM - Everything changes...

2010-09-28T08:28:00.005-05:00

I am going to remember Sept. 26th as the day that changed the answer to every one's favorite question - "How is the pregnancy going?" My typical answer is "Baby and I are doing great. No complaints."

Now my response is "Baby is doing great! I, on the other hand, broke my elbow and have to have surgery on Friday." Yup, you read that correctly broken elbow!!

On Sunday after an awesome weekend, I decided to go for a long walk due to the incredible cooling temperatures that hit OKC. As I walked down the steps of our porch, I missed a step and fell to the ground. After I recovered from the fall and had a very hard cry, Mark drove me to the ER. I was so fortunate because due to being pregnant I was taken to a room with in 5 minutes. Fortunately, we were comforted by BPs heartbeat and the knowledge that I had not fell on my belly. BP also moved frequently during our stay at the ER to demonstrate to worried parents that everything was ok.

Unfortunately, my left arm did not do as well. I broke the joint that connects the upper bone in my arm to my lower two bones. Fortunately, I have a great team of doctors that are going to help. My surgeon (elbow specialist), my anesthesiologist (who works with OB/gyn) consulted with my doctor to come up with a plan that is best for me and baby.

Mark has been AMAZING!! He has waited on me hand and foot. He also is ensuring the best care for me. As many of you know, I am incredible independent, but I could not have survived the past few days with out him! I think it has made us an even better team which will be a benefit to BP.

Mark and I are SO thankful because my mom is coming up today!! Mark had to go back to work today, so my mom is going to take care of me! I am still fairly limited in my activities because they did not set my elbow. We will update the blog after surgery.

Thank you to all that have called, emailed or stopped by to see me!

Great weekend (9/24 - 9/26 10:00 AM)

2010-09-28T08:16:00.003-05:00

This past weekend our good friends the Sips and my family came to stay with us. My neighbor threw me a shower so my mom and Traci were able to meet some of my friends in OKC. We had a great time playing with Brett and Jack!! Below are a few pics (we did not take enough pics!):

BP just keeps on growing...

2010-09-15T18:42:00.005-05:00

23 Weeks

25 Weeks

27 Weeks

28 Weeks

31 Weeks

And counting...

Surprise Baby Shower

2010-09-07T20:37:00.006-05:00

Mark and I took our last big road trip before the arrival of BP. We were fortunate to see our good friends Katie & Andy and Jill & Joe as we cheered on the MU Tigers to victory! After the game, we drove to Mark's parents' house. When we arrived at the house, I noticed that the living room and kitchen were covered in baby shower decorations and there was a huge cake on the table. It was a shower for us! After dinner and cake, they gave us one gift which was three Mizzou onesies!!

The next morning when I came downstairs, Mark, Kristin and Carol were all waiting with cameras in hand. I was a little puzzled and I smiled awkwardly until I discovered there were more gifts in the living room!! This was my "shower across the miles"! The shower the night before was a decoy. I was surprised and touched and I also wished that I had taken the time to dry my hair!! It was so cool to have gifts and notes sent from all over the states. We spent the rest of the weekend trying to keep up with our niece and nephew!!

The hostesses!!

Our Jobs!

2010-08-15T16:40:00.004-05:00

Mark and I moved to Oklahoma City three years ago because of Mark's military commitment. We thought we would be here three years and then we would begin another adventure in the city of our choosing. After two years in Oklahoma City, we decided that OKC felt like home and we bought our house. Of course, we didn't know about the job prospects for a pediatrician at this point. While we were confident Mark could find a job, it was so important to both of us that he found a job that he loved. Luckily Mark found that job!!

On June 30th, Mark separated from the military and began his civilian career with the University of Oklahoma Children's Hospital providing pediatric primary care services. Mark's official title is Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics! He spends half of his time seeing patients with residents and medical students in the clinic and the other half of his time seeing patients without learners at the Latino Clinic. He still needs to work on his Spanish, but the translators have been great! He loves both jobs, because he gets to teach but also continue to see patients.

Below is a drawing of OU Children's, because it is still under construction. Mark's office is complete and it is on the 12th floor!! He has a window and tons of Mizzou decorations in his office.

As for me, I have been working for the last 9 months at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. The food bank is the largest food bank in the state. We cover 52 counties in Central and Western Oklahoma. Specifically, I have worked as the coordinator of the Food for Kids program. This program provides food to chronically hungry children over the weekend. I have loved this position, but I had been struggling with how to balance working and a new baby. The food bank was incredibly accommodating and is allowing me to come back part-time after the baby is born! I will no longer work with the Food for Kids program, but I will still work in our programs department. My official title will be "Special Projects Coordinator". The position is new and will allow me to work with specific projects that are time sensitive, but also short term. Below is a link to the video on Food for Kids or the backpack program. This program might be also offered at a food bank in your community.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKum7OBLC-I&feature=player_embedded

BP - Boy or Girl - You can guess!

2010-07-29T21:17:00.005-05:00

Mark and I thought it would be fun to have a little pool for our friends and family to bet on the gender, due date, weight and length of Baby Poge. We stole this idea from my cousin and his wife. Thanks Charlie & Kristin! We are not sure what the prize will be, but it will be awesome! We might write a blog entirely about the winner! Please guess! The more the better!!

Cut and paste the link below:

http://www.expectnet.com/games/BabyPoge

Crib!

2010-07-28T20:56:00.003-05:00

While I was in Austin, Mark picked up our crib. He surprised me by putting it together before I came home! He is the best! Below are pictures of the crib and of decorations for the nursery. I found the animal pictures at an antique shop in OKC. There are 6 pictures in all and we are going to frame them and put them around the nursery. The words are in french which I love!

Wedding in Austin

2010-07-28T20:35:00.004-05:00

Last weekend, I went to Austin to celebrate my cousin Carl's wedding. His wife, Julee, is super cool and she has become part of the family. It was an awesome weekend. The only part that was not fun was that Mark couldn't attend.

The highlights of the weekend included:

- The mother/son first dance - Nancy and Carl danced to "Redneck Mother". The whole crowd went wild! I knew my Uncle Fred was smiling!

- I Wish I was a Little Bit Taller - My cousins and I sang and danced to our favorite song circa 1996!

-Little cousins - I loved seeing all of my cousin's children! There are five and they are all adorable.

- Shopping - I went shopping with the cousins and my mom and I got a few maternity clothes. (Thanks Mom & Dad!) It is so much better to have a crowd cheer when you walk out in maternity clothes. It was a much needed self esteem boost.

- Aunt Terry's sayings - My Aunt Terry thinks everything is the best! She exaggerates a lot, but she has the best stories! I want to record her stories and sayings at some point.

Jim and Hayden

Susan, Me and Marjorie
The family minus Mark
Mother/Son dance

BP is growing...

2010-07-06T21:21:00.005-05:00

Just thought everyone would like to see Ellen's progression with the pregnancy. Unfortunately we do not have a "before" picture, but everyone knows how small Ellen is!

12 weeks

15 weeks

16 weeks

18 weeks

21 weeks

more to come as time goes on...

Our Garden

2010-07-05T08:03:00.006-05:00

Mark and I decided that we wanted to try to live off the land this summer. We bought one raised bed garden made out of recycled milk containers with the goal of putting nine plants in the space. We also took a class on raised bed gardens from the food bank (my workplace). The class was great, but we learned that we were too late to start our plants from seeds. Therefore we turned to the sales at Lowe's. As many of you know, Mark and I love a deal! It was buy one plant - get one free. Unfortunately, the plants had been picked over, so we didn't get everything we wanted. This summer's garden has a salsa theme. We have four types of peppers, two tomatoes and one okra stalk. (We lost the strawberry plant early on!) You will also notice in the picture that we have some yard art. Mark has wanted an old windmill after seeing one at my cousin's house in Austin. We found one and it has added a special touch to the garden area. The garden has been a big success and we are looking forward to adding more raised beds next summer. Sorry the pictures go from current to begining! I am relearning how to use blogspot!

The Blog is Back!!

2010-07-04T17:33:00.003-05:00

After a 9 month hiatus, Mark and I have decided to bring the blog back. We are not going to be overly ambitious. The goal will be to post a new story once a week. Our motivation for the blog revival is the upcoming arrival of our baby in November!! We are not finding out the sex of the baby. Since we cannot refer to the baby as a he or a she, we have lovingly nicknamed the baby BP (Baby Poge not the oil company). Please check back often!

THE Mizzou Room

2009-10-05T21:22:00.005-05:00

Here is a little preview of my Mizzou Room. Granted it is in the basement, but I finally have it. Included are two "before" pictures and 3 "after" pictures. The 2 before are actually after a good portion of the work had been completed (rewiring the ceiling lights, priming the upper portion of the wall and ceiling, and spray-painting the main pipe). Unfortunately I did not get any true "before" pics. Ultimately there will be a better TV, a refrigerator, down there with 2/3 of the room will be tiger striped carpet, so more pics will be forthcoming when the work is actually complete.

Chicago

2009-09-01T22:01:00.005-05:00

February 2009: Ellen and I took a long weekend trip to Chicago. Stayed in a Downtown hotel with a great view of the Lake to start off what was a great weekend!
Did a walking tour of Downtown Chicago in the cold. Got lots of cool pics. Also, Ellen had her first trip to the Field Museum.
The main reason for the trip was for my grandmother's 90th Birthday!!! Happy Birthday Grandma, and here's to many more!!!
Couldn't go to Chicago without staying with my brother. So here is a good summary of our time at their house... The blur in the above picture is Taylor as she swoops by to turn the roomba back on because someone had the audacity to turn it off!

North Carolina!!!

2009-08-31T21:43:00.005-05:00

May 2009:

Our good friend Colen was getting married to her German Air Force man in NC. It also so happened to be our 4th Anniversary so we made a vacation out of it.

Had to crop this picture down for 2 reasons. First: This blog is and will remain no worse than rated PG (Ellen is in a 2-piece; thanks to our agreement if I finished the 1/2 Marathon, she would wear a 2-piece). Second: our computer screen could not handle the brightness of our whiteness!

Reason #287,639 of why you should do blogs in a timely manner: I have no idea what the name if this ship is.
4 wonderful years!!!

Ellen Walks!!!

2009-08-31T21:32:00.003-05:00

May 16, 2009. College of Arts & Science graduation. Ellen gets her Master's in Public Administration and gets the chance to walk at graduation (she missed her undergrad graduation).
Everyone with a 4.0 stand up!!! Yep, that's right, it might not look like she is standing up, but she is. Way to go Ellen!!!
Don't worry everyone, she said she would still cheer for Mizzou if they played the Sooners!!

2009 Kentucky Derby

2009-08-31T21:30:00.000-05:00

Our 2nd Kentucky Derby Party (first one in Oklahoma). Grillin' on the front porch, big hats, lots of friends... fun was had by all.

Standing room only!!!

2009 Big XII Men's Tourney

2009-08-31T20:49:00.004-05:00

Well, it has been WAY TOO LONG since this blog has been updated, and we have probably lost what few readers we had, but I am bringin' it back baby!!! The next few entries are going to catch you up to what we are doing now via a few big events since we last updated (the last time it snowed in OKC).

Mizzou won. It rocked. 'Nuff said.

Snow Day!!!

2009-01-27T17:37:00.009-06:00

January 27th, 2009: OKC gets more freezing rain/ice/snow than it can handle. Everything closes down... EVEN TINKER AFB!!! So, Ellen and I got a Snow Day together. After diligently working in the morning and early afternoon, it was time to play.

That is when we went outside and noticed something very peculiar. We are still finding out things about our house that we like, but this one was unexpected: Magic Grass!!! Apparently snow/ice/etc will not stick to the grass in front of our house. As you can plainly see, every house on our street has snow covered lawns except for ours!

Some of you might be thinking, surely they shoveled their grass to just look like that. Really? Why would we shovel our lawn, that makes no sense. The real travesty here is that our driveway is not so magic and that will still need some wintertime maintenance when frozen precipitation starts falling.

Ellen tried her hardest to make a snow angel, but with only a thin layer of snow on top of ice, she just did not weigh enough to make a lasting impression.

Unfortunately in her efforts to make the snow angel, she had some frostbite issues and lost her left hand. She will quite possibly never be the same, but just as you would imagine with Ellen, she still had a smile on her face!

My NEW Camera (Take 3)

2009-01-19T18:17:00.003-06:00

Here is the final set of pics. All of these are from the Trail de Paris (TX that is).

She may be all of 5'1" on a good day with shoes, but MAN does she have some serious Ups!!!

My NEW Camera (Take 2)

2009-01-19T15:55:00.005-06:00

The following pics are all from around the Clark home this Christmas 2008.

Meet Scout, the newest addition to the Clark household and a great lap dog!

My NEW Camera!!! (take 1)

2009-01-19T15:32:00.004-06:00

Well, I have decided to try my hand at photography as it is something I really enjoy doing and Ellen says I need something outside of work (provided I get some time away from work). So here are a few of my first pictures with my new camera (the Nikon D90). These are pictures all taken in full auto mode and as I learn more about photography I will be cooler and not use the full auto mode, but I like the results I have gotten so far with this camera. These are some of the very first pictures taken with this camera.

The very first picture snapped with this camera, and most likely the subject of the majority of future pictures...

Initially very impressed with the ability of this camera to catch the details in the dark, also a shot of the first time we had ever put up Christmas lights!!!

Just took a couple of pics around the house...

Updates Galore!

2009-01-03T17:16:00.002-06:00

We have finally updated the blog after a six week hiatus!! 2008 was a great year for us! We are so excited about our choice to stay in Oklahoma City. We were able to see so many friends and family over the year through weddings and trips. We are looking forward to the unknown in 2009 and we promise to do a better job of capturing our life through the blog! Read below for more updates!

Christmas in Paris!

2009-01-03T16:35:00.003-06:00

On Christmas Eve, we drove down to Paris to enjoy a few days relaxing with family and friends! My brother, the Guatemalan, had come in for Christmas and a friend's wedding so we were so happy to have him around! This Christmas ended up being one of our favorites! The highlights from the weekend included: everyone cooking together on Christmas, trying to make our own cheese, walks along the Paris trail, sleeping in, seeing Valkyrie and having drinks out with the Hudsons and Lindsay. The other major highlight was Mark taking pictures with his Nikon D90!! For those of you who may not know, Mark is very gifted at taking pictures! We will definitely feature Mark's work on the blog. Most of the pictures that we took were with the new camera, so we will have to post those later.

Our Dining Room

2009-01-03T16:13:00.005-06:00

Mark and I have loved and cursed owning a historical home. We are really trying to become homeowners that can make updates and changes on their house without hiring an expert. We went so far as purchasing our first drill! Our first big project was the dining room. Half of the walls were covered in ugly wall paper so we had to rip down the wall paper and then prime, paint and decorate! Initially, we thought this project may take a weekend, but after 2 months of on and off again work, we finally finished. Below are the before, during and after pictures.

The hardest part was removing the glue that the wall paper left behind. It was gruelling!

We primed the wall with a gray primer, because you could still see a dark red seeping through the white primer.

Next we painted the walls. We actually painted the walls two different color greens. We had a vote with our friends and family on which color to paint the walls. The lighter green (Ellen's favorite) won out initially, but the first coat left little to be desired. We then went back and put the darker coat (Mark's choice) over the the lighter coat. The blended colors were a perfect match!

At Christmas, my parents gave us a beautiful Tunisian rug. They bought it at a cool rug shop in Tunisia when they went to visit my mom's cousin! So the dining room is a complete masterpiece!

The Pogemiller's Visit

2009-01-03T15:52:00.004-06:00

We had a few visitors to our house in November and December. Mark's parents enjoyed Thanksgiving in OKC. We gave them a tour of the city, walked through the Botanical gardens and served them buttermilk pie (a southern treat!) It was a wonderful weekend!

In early December, Kristin (Mark's sister) and Aubrey (our niece) came down to experience the real OC! We also tried to show them all of OKC. We ate OK-Mex, our favorite pizza and took a boat tour of Bricktown. It was so fun to be able to play with Aubrey. She is so cute!!

I also had a Junior League "Ugly Sweater" party that weekend. Below is a group of us decked out in our ugliness. It was one of those situations where it seemed like everyone else made their "ugly sweater" look cute and I just kept it ugly. Thankfully the picture is not a close up!

Our Trip to Fayetteville!

2008-11-17T21:07:00.006-06:00

Last weekend, we traveled to Fayetteville, Arkansas to surprise our good friend Traci for her birthday. We were very close friends with the Sips in Ohio and had not been together since Mark and I moved to Oklahoma. Matt, Traci's husband, invited us down to surprise Traci and boy was she surprised!

The weekend was awesome! It was also incredibly cold! We walked around the farmer's market in Fayetteville's downtown square and we also were able to see beautiful views of the city. We spent the rest of the day catching up, watching football and playing with Jack. Mark and Jack become the best of friends through a unique and hilarious version of catch!!

That evening we had dinner at the Hog Haus Brewing Co. near the University of Arkansas Campus. Imagine our surprise, when in the lobby of the restaurant we saw our current Oklahoma State Senator Andrew Rice. Andrew had recently ran and lost the US Senate race in Oklahoma. We, of course, introduced ourselves and were reminded at how small our community really is.

We are so excited that the Sips live so close to us and we hope there are many more reunions in our future.

Mizzou Homecoming 2008 (game)

2008-11-02T18:03:00.004-06:00

So here are a few more pictures from our trip to Mizzou Homecoming 2008. I think our campus is the best looking campus EVER (of course I am not biased as a former MU tour guide) but here is a great shot to show those that have not had the pleasure of being in Columbia, MO on MU's campus.While Ellen and I were in Columbia, we had to go to Bouches to get some burgers and who did we happen to sit next to at the bar... none other than the voice of the Tigers... Mike Kelly!!! He was very nice and I was able to get my picture with him. Great start to the weekend!!!

If we only had one game to make it to, this was a good one to be at... and our seats weren't that bad. 6 rows up even with the endzone. Here is a Chase Daniel pass that went for a touchdown early in the game:

Here we are cheering on our TIGERS!!!

Isn't that a beautiful site... 58-0! I had never seen Mizzou shut out anyone before (let alone a Big XII opponent). Of course Ellen did not see that as she left part way through the 3rd quarter to go hang out with some of her friends at a bar, but I will not leave a Mizzou game until the clock reads 0:00!

What an AWESOME weekend!!!

Mizzou Homecoming 2008 (friends)

2008-11-02T17:33:00.005-06:00

Ellen and I made our annual trip back to Columbia for a MU football game. This year we were able to make it the actual Homecoming weekend for the MU vs CU football game. Of course we wanted to see as many people as possible and trying to split our time between 2 different groups of friends is always difficult, but I think we did an excellent job and all in all had an AWESOME weekend. Here is a quick recap of all the good friends we got to see:

First of all, Sarah Jean was gracious enough to offer her beautiful house for us to stay at on Thursday night. It was great to see her, Adam (her husband) and her 2 cute kids (Molly and Luke). Unfortunately, I was an idiot and never got a picture with any of them.

Then on Friday after some Mizzou shopping for me while Ellen was working on homework at Panara we were able to stop by Amanda's house and see her and her 2 (yes now 2) kids Cole and Chase.

Then that night we had to get some pizza at Shakespears and met Chelsie and her husband Jason (who recently got back from Iraq). Always lots of laughs with Chelsie!

A little later Ellen's friends Jill and Suzanne met us a Shakespears and we went to House Decs with them. Both KKG's and KA's house decs left a little to be desired (although admittedly KKG's were better).

After a night on the town, the next day we had some tailgating to do so we met Katie & Andy at Katie's parent's tailgate.

And finished it up at John & Jen's tailgate where Travis was there as well! It was good to see some old med school friends again. Ellen and I also got schooled by Travis and his wife Allison in a game of washers.

All in all a great weekend for visiting with some old friends that we unfortunately don't get to see often enough. Hopefully they all know that we have a couple of spare rooms here in OKC if they ever make it down this way!

Halloween Weekend

2008-11-02T16:45:00.005-06:00

We had an awesome Halloween weekend. Both of us dressed up for work! Mark was Clark Kent/Superman. He wore a suit, but underneath he had on his "superman" uniform! If you look closely at the picture, you can see his Daily Planet Press Pass. I wore my German Beer Maid outfit that I bought while we were in Germany last March.

We bought a lot of candy to pass out and we invited our friend Colen over for the festivities. When we went outside, our sweet neighbors invited us to hand out candy with them. Afterwards, we went to dinner with our other neighbors.

On Saturday, we drove down to Paris to celebrate my Dad's birthday. It was another great day! We ate burgers at a new Paris joint, went on a long walk, ate a delicious dinner and cursed as the Longhorns lost the game in the last second.

Dolores Arrives!!!

2008-10-13T11:50:00.008-05:00

Ellen and I have decided to put down our roots in OKC and found the perfect neighborhood and house to do just that in:

Well, we decided to take that phrase (putting down our roots) literally and plant a tree. We think our front porch is pretty cool and one day we even plan on actually getting some patio furniture for that as a great place to just relax. However, the front porch is a little exposed and so we decided that planting a tree there will not only give us some privacy, but will also help the environment. We also thought it would be cool to plant a tree the first year we lived here and be able to watch it grow. So, after a recommendation for K & K Nursery (actually closer to Norman than OKC) we went there to learn about what tree would be good for us that will grow well in OKC. We had some limitations: could not be too tall (20-25 ft max) as it would be close to the house (and gutters), it had to be able to take full sun, wind, and the occasional ice storm, and of course, had to look cool. After a few suggestions and some extensive Internet researching (by Mark) we decided on the Shantung Maple. This glorious tree needed a equally awesome name and that is where Dolores comes in. She is the great woman who helped raise Ellen and Walker Clark in Paris, TX and we thought it was a fitting name.

We are proud to introduce to you the newest member of our family... Dolores!!

But, you can call her D-Lo!!!

Lindsay Visits!

2008-10-12T21:06:00.002-05:00

This past weekend our dear friend Lindsay came and spent the weekend with us. Each time Lindsay has visited us, we have tried to plan the perfect Oklahoma City weekend. We are hoping that by the end of the trip, Lindsay will decide to stay! While Lindsay did not decide to stay, we still had a wonderful weekend. The highlights included a matinee movie, drinks on the rooftop, lots of football and an evening with our friends Abby, Scott and their cute son Jude. I also ordered the BIGGEST cookie cake for the weekend festivities. Fortunately we did not finish it, but we made some major progress over the weekend!!

Aubrey's Dedication

2008-10-12T20:57:00.002-05:00

Two weekends ago, Mark and I traveled up to Ozark, Missouri (between Springfield and Branson) to see our niece Aubrey's dedication. We were fortunate to stay at our brother in law's parent's beautiful home. It was a great trip and we were so glad that we were part of such a special ceremony.

The State Fair

2008-09-26T12:10:00.003-05:00

Mark and I had not been to the State Fair in years!! I honestly think my parents took my brother and I once to the Texas State Fair. This year Mark and I had the opportunity to go not once but twice to the Oklahoma State Fair. The first trip to the state fair was to volunteer to serve wine at the Grape Ranch Winery Booth. Part of the profits for the wine booth went to a local nonprofit. We worked the booth with several of our friends. The wine tasters loved Mark. They kept lining up in his line. I guess he looks like wine connoisseur!!

The next weekend we went with another group of friends to spend the evening walking around the fair. We decided to splurge and we bought tons of different foods to try and share. Sharing was critical because the bite of one item of food was probably 300 calories!!! We ate fried macaroni and cheese, fried mashed potatoes, fried ravioli, french fries, fried oreos and a gyro. I honestly don't know if I would attempt this feast of foods again!

The Ladder Mystery??!!

2008-09-12T15:12:00.007-05:00

Last night, Mark and I both came home late. We were talking in the kitchen, when Mark noticed a ladder in our backyard and the motion sensor security light was on. (Exhibit A Above) We, of course, do not own a ladder, so this meant suspicious activity was occurring!! Suspicious activity can be described as any activity that is scary and may cause serious harm to your loved ones. You should report all suspicious activities to the police, so I immediately called the non-emergency policy number and made a report. Looking back now, I can't imagine what the woman thought of me as I described this "harmful" ladder!! She did say that she would send out a police officer to our house. After a five minute conversation with Mark, we decided that my police call was INSANE! Who has ever heard of a suspicious ladder?? Mark also remembered that he had asked to borrow a ladder from our neighbor and we assumed that he had dropped it off. I canceled our police officer and went to bed hoping not to hear the sound of someone on a ladder!

A Reunion!

2008-09-07T10:27:00.004-05:00

Last weekend Mark and I were reunited with our dear friends Heather and Jeremy and their daughter Annie. Jeremy was assigned to Albuquerque, New Mexico or Kirkland Air Force Base in July. We were so excited to have them so relatively close to us.

Mark and I left early Friday morning and our first stop in Albuquerque was my Grandmother's place. It was great to see her and our next trip will not be so short so we can see other family members!

The rest of the weekend centered around good friends, good food, good views and good weather! The highlight of the trip was finally meeting Annie. Jeremy and Heather had just learned that they were expecting when we left Dayton, so this was our first chance to meet the growing Sikora family member. Annie was so cute!! She laughed at everything and she was up for anything!

On Friday night, we drove around the city and ate out at this cute restaurant where I ate New Mexican style chicken fried steak. We learned that New Mexican style means "red or green chillies on everything!" This includes on top of breakfast foods! That night we sat outside on the Sikora's patio enjoying beer and ice cream and their lush green lawn. We also solved the problems of the world!

On Saturday, we walked around Old Town and that evening we went up the Sandia Mountains within the Cibola National Forest. Our ride to the top was the Sandia Peak Tram, the world's longest aerial tramway. From the top the panoramic view is 11,000 square miles. When we left the bottom post, the temperature was around 75 degrees. The temperature at the top was a completely different story. We were literally in the clouds and the temperature was around 45 degrees. BRR!! The views on the way to the top were incredible! After descending we had a traditional Al Fresco Mexican fiesta complete with Blood Orange Margaritas, chips and guac, tacos, rellenos and quesedillas overlooking the city of Albuquerque. The night ended with Mark and Jeremy watching the Mizzou game and Heather and I crashing on the couch. We had a blast and we hope to see each other more often!

We moved!!

2008-08-10T11:28:00.004-05:00

Mark and I moved to our new home last week!! Once we decided that we were going to stay in Oklahoma City, we went on an aggressive hunt for a house. We had already predetermined the neighborhoods that we liked and they all had the theme of historic. Our house was built circa 1920 and we love it! We discovered in our search for an old home that many old homes have character, which includes very poor layout. Luckily, we think we found the best of both worlds an old home with a functional layout and minimal house projects. We moved in last weekend with the help of my parents! There are some major advantages with living close to family, they can be roped into helping with big projects. We honestly could not be happier with our house and we would love for everyone to come and visit. As Mark says: (1) We have a spare bedroom and we are not afraid to use it & (2) Oklahoma City was recently listed as the top tourist attraction in central Oklahoma! Come and enjoy the fun!!!

Wedding Weekend!

2008-07-29T20:09:00.003-05:00

My mom is catching the ground, but it is early so we are convinced that she has caught a big one!

Mark, my parents and I all traveled to the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri for one of my best friend's Katie and her fiance Andy's wedding. We had a blast!! My parents and I made it up on Thursday night and enjoyed a barbecue hosted by Katie's parents. On Friday, my dad played golf, while my mom and I took fishing lessons. The lessons were really fun. We decided fishing can be addicting like gambling, because we kept casting out "one last time". Neither of us caught a fish, but a few times our hook latched on to the bottom of the lake and gave the feeling of catching a fish. The rest of the weekend revolved around wedding festivities. Katie and Andy have dated since our senior year of college so it was so exciting to finally watch them tie the knot! The reception was a blast and I think we were all sore from dancing the night away. The other highlight was seeing my cousin Charlie and my sorority sister Kristin together as a married couple!!

My Fridays!

2008-07-18T09:31:00.004-05:00

I love Fridays! I currently work part-time mainly because I have taken a full load of classes for the past year. My schedule rocks because I have Fridays off. I am hoping to move to a full time job in the near future, so I am enjoying this amazing schedule while I have it. So each Friday I can read the Oklahoma Gazette (OKC's independent newspaper) or study, clean up our apartment or venture to a local coffee shop. My favorite coffee spot in town is Coffee Slingers. My mom, the connoisseur of cappuccino's, had two cappuccinos the morning she visited Coffee Slingers!! So I hope you have at least one day a week where you indulge in something that makes you happy! I know when I begin a full time job, I will have to transfer my Fridays to Saturdays!

Mark's Camera Skills!

2008-07-11T10:45:00.003-05:00

Mark has major picture taking skills. In the future, I know he wants to purchase a professional camera so he is able to enhance his skills. Below are two pictures that Mark took in Paris. We were leaving a party and the night time sky was beautiful. The picture is of the Paris Chamber of Commerce which is an old train station.

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4th of July!!!

2008-07-06T15:07:00.004-05:00

Our original plans for the 4th were to visit our friends the Sips in Memphis. Unfortunately, our plans did not work out, but the Sips are moving to Little Rock in the fall so we will soon be state neighbors!!! We were lucky because our fall back plans were to go to Paris and see family! My Aunt Terry, Uncle Fred and Aunt Nancy were all going to celebrate the 4th in Paris. The highlight of the weekend (besides seeing the family!) was the Paris Parade. Only in Paris does the parade include free Twinkies and a huge cow on wheels. Other highlights included a 4th of July barbecue, picking food from the Clark/Swasko garden and sitting outside at Buffalo Joe's enjoying a frosty beverage! The weekend went by too fast!!

We are Okies!!

2008-06-29T20:28:00.003-05:00

Mark and I have decided to plant our roots in Oklahoma City!! For the past several years, we always talked about where we would settle down after Mark's military service was over. I don't think Oklahoma was even on the short list during these discussions! But after living here for a year, we have really begun to appreciate the OKC community. It also has major location perks (near both families and in the Big 12) and major conviences (Airport and Amtrak). This is all pretty new to us still but we are excited!!! We are even starting to look at buying a house. As always there is an open invitation to get the royal treatment next time you are coming through Oklahoma!

My first Greyhound Bus Experience

2008-06-14T15:27:00.004-05:00

This weekend I had two goals. One, I wanted to get to Dallas to see my friend Catherine and her new home. Two, I needed it to be a one way trip because Mark was on his way back from San Antonio and he was also going to stop in Dallas. I originally thought I would take the train, but low and behold it was sold out! I was very dissappointed, but excited that people were taking advantage of mass transportation. The only other mass transit available to me was Greyhound, so I booked the Friday morning trip.

I actually have to admit that the trip was much better than anticipated. I had a whole bench to myself and we arrived 30 minutes before our arrival time. I did learn a couple of things on the trip.

One, DO NOT get to the station early. I asked the lady what time I should arrive and she told me 40 minutes before departure. At first, I wanted to call BS on this woman, but because I lacked any Greyhound experience I took her word for it. We actually departed an hour and a half later!
Two, 90% of traveler's smoke. Therefore you make stops at gas stations along the way. The stops will revert you back to high school field trips except that everyone smokes when they get off the bus.
Three, my driver actually talked on his cell phone on the trip. I think this should be illegal.
Four, the Greyhound was an easy alternative to driving to Dallas. It may not be your best bet for a long distance trip, but short distances are duable and inexpensive.

Oklahoma Wind

2008-06-11T08:10:00.000-05:00

I am not one to complain about the weather, but I have to admit I hate wind!! You may ask, "How can you hate wind? Wind is a part of mother nature and it cools us off during the long hot summers." I will rephrase, I hate wind in Oklahoma. This morning we are actually under a wind advisory. Wind gusts will reach a speed of 50 mph during the next hour. I am actually considering meeting with community leaders about a retractable fence around the city to improve our quality of life. Roger and Hammerstein were brilliant when they wrote the lyrics to Oklahoma. "When the wind comes sweeping down the plain" now has a totally different meaning to me!

A New Car!

2008-06-01T21:13:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows Mark and I know that we are not the best at making big decisions. Hence when we decided it was time to purchase a new car for Mark, we knew that the decision would not be easy or quick. Mark spent months searching for the perfect car that met his specific criteria. We drove every car imaginable and we actually settled on each car. Mark, at some point during the search, was convinced he was going to purchase the Accord, Malibu, Focus and Altima. I, as the trusty passenger, encouraged Mark to purchase every car. I am pretty sure I used the phrase, "This is definitely my favorite" a few too many times! But this past Saturday, we finally made the big purchase. We are proud owners of a 2009 Hyundai Sonota!! The exact color and model of car had been dropped off at the dealer that day and it only had 4 miles on it. We took it as a sign!! Now maybe it is time for me to get a Vespa!

Welcome

2008-06-01T21:04:00.001-05:00

We are finally jumping on the blog bandwagon! We have had the good fortune of creating strong friendships with amazing people who live all over the US. We also have large families that stretch across continents that we love. Our blog will allow our friends and family to know a little more about our lives. I don't think Mark and I are exactly sure about the content of our blog, but we hope you will check back often! Cheers!