Summertime Bucket List- Zoo & More

The summer is in full swing! We've been having lots of fun adventures at home and out and about. Our garden is growing, our kids are growing, and we're enjoying the summer.

We found a nest of baby rabbits in one of our raised beds....they didn't stay long after we discovered them, but we had fun peeking in on them.

First sunflower of the summer along with orange poppies from the garden

This is the view from our yard looking out the front of our property across the road during wheat harvest....pretty cool to watch them.

Homemade popsicles

Mommy and the boys

Cooper at the Tulsa Zoo

Cooper Monkey!!

My little zoo rider...he did great riding around and taking it all in!

Ok, this was just funny....first of all the lion is usually not out when it's hot, but we were early enough to see him, second, he was out and playing, then look to right and notice the keg....think he might've had a crazy night!? (:

Summer 2012 Bucket List--Woolaroc Adventure

  

We headed out to take a trip to Woolaroc with some friends yesterday. I have some great memories of that place as a kid. My grandparents would take us there all the time and we would roam and explore the acres and acres of stuff there!  We took our picnic lunch and away we went. Of course with four kids under five, we opted to not go through the large museum part, but they loved the petting zoo and running around the playground and park areas and seeing all the animals. We were all exhausted, but we all had fun! It will be fun to go back as my boys get older and appreciate different aspects of the place, especially when they will want to walk the amazing trails! I'm sure we have many  more memories to be made there.

Checking out the teepee at Mt. Man Camp

Clayton and his srunchy face

Curious Cooper...I love it!

Cooper and his buddy, Zander had to pose with the cowboy statue

Clayton and his friend, Azalee hanging out at lunchtime

Clayton's First Birthday!!!

I can't believe my baby is ONE!!! Clayton had his first birthday party last Saturday and I think he actually enjoyed  it! I was a little worried he would be tired, but thankfully, he decided to take his morning nap before his guests arrived and it made him a happy party boy!

Clayton and his friend, Azalee playing farm

Look, Mom DOES exist!

This is what Cooper and the bigger kids did during the party...it was too nice to be inside all day!

Southwest Oklahoma Road Trip with the Boys

  Dennis had to work two weeks in Lawton and didn't get to come home the weekend, so the boys and I made a road trip there to visit. It turned out that an area of Oklahoma that I'd only passed through a time or two was actually pretty amazing! We stayed at the camper with Dennis (who was very happy to see us) and went to the Chisolm Trail Heritage Museum in Duncan, had a picnic lunch with Dennis near his job in Lawton, then made a scenic drive through the Wichita Mts. Wildlife Refuge and to the visitor center there. We hated to come home so soon, but it;s time to get ready for Clayton's first birthday party!

Chisolm Trail Heritage Center in Duncan, Ok- "End of the Trail" marker for the "trail" in the concrete...way cool

View in the Wildlife Refuge

Longhorn cattle, buffalo, and prairie dogs were all spotted on our drive

Visitors Center at Wichita Mts. Wildlife Refuge

A cool wall sculpture/ mural in the visitor center

Springing Up

Coop and Daddy hanging out

 I haven't posted in a while...something about being busy with boys! Spring seems to be here extra early this year...like a month early! The boys are growing like weeds, of course. In a month, Clayton will be one year old!!
Cooper is getting tall and he has discovered fishing with Daddy. They don't get much fishing done, but he thinks it's the best thing ever. He managed to get a hook in his hand (barely) and nearly gave it up, but after he got home and did his dramatic cry and took a bath, the little spot he hooked was nowhere to be found. He has decided he would like to go again.

One of my peach trees blooming (mid-March)

Cruising!

Silly Cooper

Wagon ride

I took this April 6th about 8pm...the moon is orange and it was way cool

My roses blooming in April--they usually don't bloom til right before Mother's Day

Clayton is getting a mouth full of teeth! He has two on top and four on bottom right now and working on a couple more. He is also cruising around quite quickly and it won't be long before he figures out how to walk....them heaven help me, I'm in trouble!

We've been enjoying the mild weather and we are ready to go camping anytime now, especially before it gets to be scorching hot!!

I have our garden nearly planted. We got a lot of rain over spring break and I wasn't able to plant corn and okra and my flowers around the garden, just the raised beds.The boys are all sorts of help out there, as you can imagine...Clayton hangs out in the wagon or I wait til he is napping and Cooper actually does help a little with watering and he helped plant some seeds. He loves to check things out with me to see what's coming up. It's lots of fun to watch our garden (and our babies) grow!

My raised beds are all planted with potatoes and peas going crazy

Clayton is on the move!

Silly Little Boys

Kids being silly with Daddy

Clayton has mastered getting into brother's toy baskets

Playing in the mud

Clayton posing for me

A little too much jumping...he fell in the mud and this is the result...I couldn't help but laugh!

Road Trippin'

Hubby and I were blessed to be able to take a road trip weekend, just the two of us. We just drove, made no plans, except sleeping in...you know, the kind of stuff you dream about after you have children, but rarely get to do. So, we left home Friday morning and ended up in Arkansas. Now, I know that doesn't sound too exciting, but really it was. We took Talimena Scenic Byway all the way to Mena, Arkansas where we found a cute little place with cabins (Mena Mountain Top Cabin Motel) and dined at The Fish Net Restaurant, which was fantastic! Oh, and by the way, Mena is in a dry county, no beer. Closest beer was actually in Oklahoma...go figure. Saturday morning, we took a little jaunt to Hot Springs, Arkansas and checked out the Hot Springs National Park, which was totally cool. It was so wonderful to take a road trip with my man!

Scenic Talimena Drive- Even in winter it is beautiful!

Our cute little cabin in Mena, AR

Sunset over the Ouchita Mountains from our cabin porch

Some of the trees were already blooming in Hot Springs- this is outside the Natl. Park Admin Building

Hot springs fountain in part of the promenade part of the park

Hot Springs National Park Visitors Center- in the old Fordyce Bath House that you can tour

Checking out the bath house...sweat box, anyone??

The details in the bath house (built early 1900's) are amazing! This is one of the ceilings.

The actual spring flowing that feeds this bath house

Ranger Rains

One of the old tubs that were used in the bath houses....I want one for my house! It would hold a ton of hot water!