A Want to Start a New Trend

It's called "when someone dies you send the closest relative you know a gift".

Here's why.

When dad died a couple of weeks ago we got flowers...boy did we get flowers!!!!! Red ones, white ones, yellow ones...plants...orchids...whatever...we got flowers. When people die, I send flowers. Never thought to do anything else really. When people die...you send flowers. It's just what you do.

But I had never had anyone close to me die before so I never realized just how silly flowers are. I mean really. They are silly. But gifts...they are cool.

When news that my dad had passed away I got on a plane and headed to Oklahoma for the funeral. I went right away to my grandma's house where there was a chocolate fudge cake made by one of the neighbors for our family to enjoy. Just to cheer us up a bit. Later in the day, the flood of food began. Bar-b-Que, Mexican food, lasagna, sandwiches, fried pies, more chocolate cake, roast and more came to the house. It was amazing.

I gotta say that I never really understood that whole thing of bringing food when there is a death in the family but I get it now.

Anyway, I get home. I've been home from OK a few days and I check the mail. HELLO!! A gift for me and my husband. A gift card to a restaurant from my in-laws. And today, a gift card for little ol' me to Target (I LOVE TARGET!) for some retail therapy. Now, THAT is counsel right there ladies!!! OHH!!! And last night, my neighbors brought me dinner.

Now, I'm not trying to discourage anyone from sending flowers to a funeral to express condolences to the family if that is what you really want to do but I had to share that I had discovered about being on the receiving end. The flowers we received are dead and gone (no pun intended-oops!) but I am so thankful for the thoughtfulness of those that gave of themselves
in this creative way.

We Had Ourselves a Merry Little Christmas

The whole Minney family got in the fun with the Wii.









There were a couple of people getting a little too nosey with the presents at Nana's so precautions had to be taken.












I love my town!!! A look at downtown OKC.








Kurtis is excited to get a new sleeping bag for camping!











Grant really wanted Guitar Hero!

















Roger and Billie had a lot of damage from the ice storm. Most of the trees on their seven acres were damaged.


So, Roger got a 4-wheeler to help with the clean-up...or to play with...not sure which really.











Grandma Babe had a blast with the Wii.










Matti, Megan and Paige enjoy roasting marshmallows and making smores.














Nana and Paige taking a walk in Bricktown in downtown OKC. Notice the lack of teepees-you Michiganders!!!!





Those buildings have running water too!!!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

That should really be a song, shouldn't it?

Good things just happen this time of the year. I don't know why people choose the season of November-December to choose to smile a little more, be a little more giving and a little more patient in the Wal Mart line but they do. Even in Michigan. Nice people in Michigan are really worth mentioning.-Well I guess that wasn't very nice. But anyway...

I just get wrapped up (no pun intended) in this season. I always have. I got married at Christmastime because I love it so much. I love getting together with friends and family. I love making cookies to send to parties and surprising my kids with cool presents. It just doesn't get better than this season.

Get this...my mom sent me a gas card to pay for our entire trip home and back to the freezer state for Christmas!!! What a blessing!!!! She doesn't just do nice things this time of the year by the way!

We got to hang out with our super friends from Minnesota this weekend and enjoy an amazing meal cooked by my son and super friend/chef Zac.

We got to surprise our kids on Friday after school by giving them a Wii for Christmas which we played together as a family all weekend while watching the snow blow down and fill our backyard.

All of these cool things and it isn't even Christmas yet!!!

Anyway...I hope all of you get a chance to enjoy this season and its blessings. Especially the greatest blessing of the season...Jesus.

The Chrstmas Schedule

Every year since we moved from Oklahoma we compose a tentative Christmas schedule for our departure from the ice box to the much warmer temps of our very prairie Christmas. I email this schedule out to my beautiful mother, wonderful in-laws, and my brother so that we can make plans.

I emailed it out on Monday.

My beautiful, caring, shower schedule planning mother emails me back and says, "Jacki, thank you so much for the thought and planning you put in to this schedule. I really appreciate all the hard work you put into planning your trip home every year and I can't wait to see all of you!"

My wonderful, compassionate, loving mother-in-law emails me back equally grateful for the schedule. Only making note that we may have to make one minor change which I am ever so happy to make.

My brother. My younger brother. Emails me back. Makes fun of me for the schedule. Mentions he has a schedule for THIS coming weekend that was just emailed to him. It is his schedule for the Big 12 Championship Game in San Antonio, Texas. It involves him being picked up by the team buses, being flown on the team plane, watching movies with the team, riding to the game with the team, being in the locker room with the team, running out of the tunnels on to the field with the stinking team, standing on the sidelines with the team, talking to the team, pottying with the team, laughing with the team, sharing a VICTORY with the team.

He trumped me. Wasn't this supposed to be about me coming home. Kind of a "I'll be home for Christmas" Hallmark card kind of a moment. Woe is me...........

Boomer Sooner anyway!!!

Close Call

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The Jacket

I now have a garmet known only as "The Jacket". Certain friends and family know that when I ask for "The Jacket" they know exactly what to get from the closet. I have only had "TJ" for a week but it is known in the house nonetheless.

Here's the story. While shopping with some friends this last week, I tried on some clothes that were a little out of my comfort zone. My fashion sense consists of OU sweatshirts and jeans. I'm happy that way really but sometimes I feel the need to do my own little "What Not to Wear" and so I go shopping with a friend with more fashion sense than I. Ok, let me be completely honest....this has happened once since college....this last week. I hate to shop with friends. My friends know this and accept it. They love me anyway.

Ok...so clothes...out of comfort zone...well, most of them were also out of my price range. After trying on several outfits and finally trying on "TJ" One friend said, "hey I think this jacket (which I did look pretty cool in I might add) is on sale, you keep trying on clothes and I will go find out if it is on sale". How nice I thought to just myself!!!

When she came back she commented on the cute top I had on and I said, "Thanks, but I can't get it AND the jacket!" and she said "Well, you already own the jacket!", and she handed me a hanger wih a bag covering my new jacket that she had purchased for me.

I didn't even know what to say. What in the world do you say to such a labor of love. I in no way could ever repay her for this gift. If I could I certainly would but I just don't see it ever being possible.

Throughout the week I kept thinking about this unconditional gift from my friend. I can't imagine being able to do this for someone else. The jacket wasn't cheap and I wouldn't have bought it myself. I even contemplated returning the jacket at one point and called my mom to ask her if that would be rude. I didn't want to hurt my friend's feelings or insult her in any way but at the same time I felt as though I couldn't receive such a loving gift.

Now to her this may not have been that big of a deal. She had the money-she bought the jacket. Case closed. But to me it was very touching and has left me this week with deep thoughts:

1-I have great friends.
2-My friends have great taste.
3-The gift is such a beautiful picture of Christ's love for us. I don't mean to get cheesy or anything but think about it. We have such an amazing gift in Jesus Christ that we don't deserve and that we could never pay for and we aren't asked to. We are only asked to accept it with no strings attached as a gift. How cool is that?

There's No Place Like Home

And I get to spend more time there now that Oz is over. Here are some pics from the show. They gave us a CD of almost 1000 shots and these are some of my favorites. Not all of them have me and Paige in them but still, I like them. It would have taken way to long to upload them all to the blog so I have linked them. Just click the link below...

Oz Pics

Your backstage pass to OZ

I know...I know...I'm not Joan and Melissa Rivers on the red carpet but I do have some shots from behind the scenes of Oz this weekend. Thanks for all the fun gifts and feedback from the show. It's been fun...

Abi's Halloween/Birthday Party

Abi's birthday is on opening night of Wizard of Oz so she had a Halloween night birthday party. Here's some of the highlights....

Happy real birthday November 9th Ab!!!!

Grandma and Grandpa's Fall 07 Visit

Gotta Walk...

I am not the best exerciser in the world. I walk. I lift my little hand weights. I do my cute little exercises Heather Kerr (my personal trainer for two hours) taught me. But I am not very consistent.

But as I get older. Like really old like I am now. 36 ya know. That is so old. I find myself like feeling old. Could it be that I have arthritis? I have since I was 25. Could it be that I recently sprained my ankle on a run with a pal? Could it be that I chipped a bone in my 2nd metacarpal totally unknown to me? Could it be that afore mentioned pal talked me into auditioning for a musical in which I must dance about on a stage as if I were in high school? Could be.

Anyway... I digress...

Every morning, as I take my kids to school I drive down Eager Road and see the sweetest little lady about my grandma Babe's age (84) taking her morning walk. She always carries her umbrella with her and she is wearing a little hat and she is walking down one side as I drive to school and down the other as I come home. It always inspires me to get out there and lose those extra few pounds! You can do it Jacki!!

The other day my 84-year-old grandma Babe was admitted to the hospital for a little "procedure" and the doctor asked my brother if she needed a walker to get up from bed. My brother just laughed. Why? The crazy woman volunteers at this same hospital at least one day a week, bowls 3 games a week and mentors at the local elementary school one day week.
P-LEASE!!!!

And then there is me. 50 years younger. Knowing that in a few minutes Mindy is going to call and tell me she is on her way to walk.

These ladies truly are members of the greatest generation. Not just because they lived through The Great Depression, Pearl Harbor and World War II but because they actually get off their duff and do something to make themselves keep living. I hope that when I am their age Mindy and I are still walking my neighborhood.

Except I hope we don't live in Michigan then...

There's the phone now....Yip that's her...Gotta go walk....

This is Just Wrong

Oz Ticket Info

Since Mrs. Dave Webber asked here is the Oz info...

Oz Ticket Info

Those of you 242ers can go with my cell group if you would like. Just email Carrie Clark at
carriechristophel@yahoo.com and she will get you in with our head count.

Tickets are not on sale to the public yet but Carrie is getting them through my cast privilege so that you can all sit together.

Glad you guys are all coming. Yell loud during our curtain calls!!!!

Creeeaaakkkk!!!

That is the sound of my joints this morning after my first dance rehearsal from Oz.

OUCH!!! I am so old.

I am so old that my favorite part of the dance is when I leave the stage to get the straw for stuffing the scarecrow.

But then I have to come back.

And dance some more.

And get down on one knee for our big finish.

And smile about it.

And get up quickly afterword.

It hurts me.

Because I'm not young anymore dang it.

You know what really pangs me about all this. Our choreographer just had a baby. Like 3 weeks ago. She dances around the stage like it is nothing. And she was doing that less than a week after her baby was born. Whatever.

So, if you come to see Oz...and I hope you do...please be impressed and pretend like you don't know how much pain this first rehearsal was on this poor old woman.

Memories...

Last night Grant asked to see me in my room so I stopped what I was doing and followed him in there. He said, "Mom, would you tell Abi to quit calling me a dork and telling my friends that I am a dork in front of everyone at school." So after a little talk about this I called Abi in.

I asked Abi what was up.

She said, "OK, mom, here's the deal. Grant comes in and takes all my friends. All my friends are talking about how cool Grant is and they want to talk to him and not me. And Jake (who was Abi's boyfriend last year) is like Grant's best friend now and won't even talk to me. And their like 'Gosh Abi, I didn't know your brother was so cool!'".

And that is when it was like de ja vu all over again.

See my twerpy LITTLE brother was TWO years YOUNGER than me and for the first time since grade school we were attending a school together because a new high school had been built and I was a SENIOR and he was a SOPHOMORE. I was supposed to be COOL and he was supposed to be a DORK.

Oh not so!!! On the first day of school I kept being asked, "Hey, your Max Stephens sister aren't you?" "Hey you know where Max is?" "Hey can I have your number?...I need to call Max!!"

I explained to Abi that I learned to use that to my advantage.

See Max was also an athelete and so were his friends. Max couldn't drive and neither could his friends. But I could. His friends often needed rides home from practice. And his friends were sometimes pretty cute.

So, hopefully Abi will have a better day now knowing that she can use her little brother to get what she wants out of middle school for now and when she gets older she can have a great friend out of her little brother like I do now.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Is today...

Today...

College game day comes on at 10:00 a.m.

The first college football game starts at noon.

OU kicks off at 6:00 p.m.

I get to see the most beautiful town in America, Norman, Oklahoma live on national television.

My grandma is here from Oklahoma to share it with me.

Friends are coming over for burgers and fried taters to share that with me.

Tales from the Sooner sidelines will be shared during commercial breaks.

Life is good.

Oh...and...today is my husband's birthday too. Happy birthday dear!!! I love you!!!

My life in a nutshell

If you give a mom a muffin,

She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.

So she'll pour herself some.

The coffee will get spilled by her three year old.

She'll wipe it up.

Wiping the floor, she will find some dirty socks.

She'll remember she has to do some laundry.

When she puts the laundry in the washer,

She'll trip over some snow boots and bump into the freezer.

Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan supper for tonight.

She will get out a pound of hamburger.

She'll look for her cookbook. (101 Things To Make With a Pound ofHamburger.)

The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.

She will see the phone bill which is due tomorrow.

She will look for the checkbook.

The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two year old.

She'll smell something funny.

She'll change the two year old.

While she is changing the two year old the phone will ring. (Of course!)

Her five year old will answer it and hang up.

She remembers that she wants to phone a friend to come over for coffee onFriday.

Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.

She will pour herself some.

And chances are,If she has a cup of coffee,

Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

Written by Kathy Fictorie

Based on If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

We're off to see the Wizard...

So, Mindy calls.

She says, "What do you think about auditioning for "Wizard of Oz"?

I said, "Sure, why not!"

So we head to Community Theater of Howell and go for it.

I learned a lot about myself. One, I'm old. Two, I can't dance. Never could but I used to be able to fake it. Three, auditioning is fun. Four, there are a lot of talented people in Livingston County.

Mindy and I decided that we would go for the Wicked Witch and Glinda parts. How fun if we were cast opposite each other. We sized up the competition and decided that we owned the parts. We are, after all... us. We already had "chemistry" together. Let's go for it!!! Boy, are there some talented people out there!!!! I couldn't believe the competition. Amazing people out there!!!

Paige and Evy auditioned for Munchkins. Let me tell you...they were the cutest ones out there of course!!!!!

To sum it all up...we had a blast this week!!!

Mindy was cast as Glinda, I was cast in the adult chorus and Paige was cast as a Munchkin.

We are very excited about this walk down the yellow brick road and hope all of you will come and check it out. Opening night is November 9 and plays 4 shows that weekend (2 on Sunday) and the following weekend the same schedule. Tickets go on sale in October.

So, if you see us around town with our dark shades on and Harry Winston and Mia in our purses please don't be offended if we don't say hello right away. We haven't forgotten you. Our security team sometimes prohibits us from talking to our fans. But we still love you and once this is all over in November we can hang out with the public again.

Happy Birthday Paige!!!!!!!!!!!