Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Fun with Friends {OH to OK}

And for the rest of the story about Tricia's trip from OH to OK.

Nora and I picked up Tricia and 2 of her 4 kids at the airport. It was their 1st time in OK! From the airport we grabbed some Braum's to eat (it was a treat for them since there are no Braum's in OH) and went to Sawyer's t-ball game.

The next day was pretty low key. The kids had fun playing together and showing Leah their new house. Then we went around town showing them the Schenk hotspots.


We drove by the kids school and our rental house. Then we stopped at SNU and let the kids run around campus. Kolter always in his cape ;) After lunch and rest time we headed to the pool. This was a kid favorite! When it's over 100 degrees there aren't many other outdoor options ;)

On Saturday, Kyle graciously watched all 5 kiddos while the girls had a day out!


We started with summer kick-off pedicures. We went to a delightful, new-to-us cafe for lunch (Cafe 501), did a little clothes shopping (because when you collectively have 7 children 7 and under that's a very rare occurrence). And to top off our day out we stopped at Green Goodies which is a cupcake shop in OKC (that has been featured on Cupcake Wars) specializing in gluten free and vegan cupcakes.   They were delicious! It may have had something to do with the fact I hadn't had sugar in 30 days (Whole30), but I am officially hooked ;)

It was so refreshing to have girl time, a chance for uninterrupted conversation and to be with a friend that knows me so well!


Our girl time end on Saturday because Sunday we had scheduled a makeup consultation! Our group of 5 friends in OH had discussed how it would be fun to get a little makeover and to have someone teach us how to use and apply the right kind of makeup for our faces. We were both super excited to learn from the professionals! While it was a bit of a stretch for these normally natural skinned mamas, I can honestly say it was quite eye opening and we had so much fun at our lesson! I think I can now walk into a make-up store and feel pretty confident about my choices. Plus it's always fun to have someone do your makeup! Too bad we didn't have anywhere fancy to go…instead we went back to the house and Tricia helped me landscape ;)



While the mom's were away the kids had fun with daddy, went to VBS and made a tent to sleep in (what's the fun of a sleepover unless you have a tent?).



We are so thankful they came to visit us! We can't wait to see them again!

Monday, June 27, 2016

Fun with Friends {OK Science Museum}

A few weeks ago we had a really fun week when my friend (and a few of her kids ;) visited from Ohio. It was such a blessing to haver her in OK! While we are adjusting well in OK it takes time to build friendships and community, so it was sooooooo nice to have a friend around that we could skip all the pleasantries and just talk about life, our joys, our struggles. It was sooooo good for my extrovert loving soul. And I don't want to dwell on the negative…but lets just say I've been a little low since she left because it was a reminder of my lack of friends. On the positive side it has made me a bit more motivated to make friends here…

Now for the fun stuff! They were here for 5 days and we had a mix of low key downtime and fun activities. One of those fun activities was visiting the Science Museum. It was our 1st visit, but I had heard lots of good reviews and they didn't disappoint!


Our crew being silly and cute!



There were so many kids activities! I don't think we even made it through a 1/3 of the museum, but the kids had a blast! I bought a season pass because I think it will be a great activity for those 110 degree days.


They built paper airplanes and launched them.

Teamwork at its finest as they built a ball maze


We attended the science discovery show and Sawyer got to participate on stage. Lets just say he got a bit of a shock ;)


There were trains, planes and automobiles.


Testing out a cockpit


The life sized nail wall was also a hit!


There was so much more including a huge interactive play structure, building stations, music stations, etc. We can't wait to go back for more exploring!

Friday, June 24, 2016

Father's Day


We started the Father's Day celebrations on Saturday night with a trip to a local burger place, Irma's Burger Shack. Kyle loves a good burger and we love to try out new (to us) local restaurants. The food did not disappoint!


On Sunday we made Daddy a big breakfast, opened some gifts (everything from Lego's Sawyer built to an iPad case) and went to church. We took a quick picture of Daddy and the kids and miracle of all miracles they are all smiling! 

At church we met a sweet family who took us to lunch. Then we came home and Daddy got a nice long nap! It was pretty low key, but Daddy got his favorites…food and naps ;)


Before school let out Sawyer's class did a few things for Dad's Day. The Star Wars art is so cute!


And here's a glimpse into the abuse Kyle has to put up with each day! The kids and I are so thankful for a daddy who loves to play (even after a hard day at work)!

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

2nd Semester {Preschool}

Nora loved her preschool experience! She adores school, loves to make friends and adores her teachers. Her favorite activity is any kind of art, but especially painting!

Nora at the end of year pajama party with her beloved Lambie

Can you feel the love between Nora and her teacher, Miss Mary Lynn?

Nora brings homes loads of art, so this is just a small sampling of her work.

A dinosaur watercolor

A portrait of Mom and Dad

Nora loves a rainbow of colors.

She loves to color and works very hard on the details.

Nora's class picture

Nora with her turtle...I particularly love the sky with a sun, clouds and raindrops.

Nora's depiction of their sleeping arrangements in the rental house on the bunk beds ;)

Nora did great in preschool, but now she's ready to move on up to the big school!

Monday, June 20, 2016

24 weeks {#4}

I'm so far behind on these updates...as I type this I'm almost 27 weeks. My excuse...I don't have a desk, so editing the picture each month seems like a big deal...I promise to try and make these more timely ;)




How far along: 24 weeks
Total weight gain: 0 lbs. This may seem odd, but over the past month Kyle and I did Whole30 and I lost 10 pounds, so I'm back to where I started at the beginning of the pregnancy, no need to worry I was still eating plenty of food I just quit eating sugar, gluten and dairy. It was perfectly safe!
Maternity clothes: YES
Sleep: I'm out like a light the minute my head hits the pillow
Best moment this week: Kolter being fully potty trained
Movement: yes, several times throughout the day, the kicks are becoming quite pronounced, most active at night
Food cravings: not much this month since I was restricted to meat, veggies and fruit
What I'm missing: not much, I feel great!
What I'm looking forward to: my friend from OH visiting!

At my doctor appointment the baby's heart rate was 160 bpm and everything else looked great. A few days before my appointment I got food poisoning. It was pretty awful as I was at church decorating for VBS when it reared it's head. I barely had the energy to drive myself home and then I proceeded to throw up several times in the middle of the road (luckily our church is in the middle of nowhere, so I could just stop when needed). It was not a pleasant 24 hours. I was also having stomach cramping for the next several days. Thankfully, it did not seem to be baby related and I am now feeling much better! Ironically, after 4 pregnancies that is the 1st time I've thrown up while pregnant. While I don't enjoy throwing up I would say that is a huge blessing!

Friday, June 17, 2016

2nd Semester {Pre-K}

Sawyer completed Pre-K at the end of May. This year brought a lot of transition, but he took it like a champ. He still loves and misses his old school and teachers, but he also acclimated very well to his new school, made new friends and loved his new teachers.

Sawyer with Mrs. Rodgers and Mrs. Carmack

The learning/teaching style at his new school is very different from his previous school. It really pushed him in his writing skills. Here are a couple of excerpts from his second semester of Pre-K.
This is a 2 sided picture and Sawyer said the top picture was Daddy and Mommy in jail and we were crying. The bottom picture is Sawyer at home crying because he misses Mommy and Daddy. Such a sad thing for a little one to draw, but it also kind of makes me laugh to think what's going on in his brain.

A couple of Q& A sheets about what Sawyer likes at this age.

Below are a few writing samples to show how his penmanship has improved.

The first one says "Dear Mom and Dad, love you, dear Sawyer" the second picture/drawing says "I like to eat snow."

This is a picture he drew at the end of the semester and you can tell his name is much more legible and his drawings are far more detailed. He brought home so many papers throughout the semester, but it's pretty incredible to look back and see the improvement.

More Q & A papers about his loves for Valentine's Day and a birthday survey.

He also completed his 1st report. His class was talking about the 50 states and he was assigned Ohio. He had to fill out this report and bring something fun to represent Ohio. He took Buckeye candy to share with his friends.

One of his last (and my favorite) pieces of artwork from Weaver!


Besides his handwriting improvement he has also been very interested in reading, so that is what we are working on as we enter into summer fun! He can't wait to start kindergarten in the fall!