Isn't she Beautiful?!

Here are the pictures I took of my daughter right before we raked up the leaves this past fall. I told her to run in and change into something photo worthy. She knew what she was doing, and I just love the way they turned out!

Memories of OK

I know I just wrote a book on the last post, but it got me thinking about Oklahoma. More specific, I had brought up the scars on my toes and now I am thinking aobut all those scars and how I got most of them.
I kinda liked growing up out in Yukon. I remember most of all, I loved rainy days in Yukon. Very rarely was there lightning with our rain (something we see on a regular basis in CO. We even have thunder snow). I remember, my neighbor and friend, Michelle and I would wear our Underoos (sp?) out in the street, and when her brother would bug us about being outside in our undewear, we'd swear it was our swimsuits. Who were we fooling? I loved my Wonder Woman Underoos. Anyway, we'd sit right next to the curb where the water would rise. I remember it being warm rain too. Then we would race each other up and down the street and kick at the deep water by the curb to make it splash. Can you see how I'd end up with cut toes? Sometimes I'd drag my feet while running which would scrape a toe. Even so, most of those cuts came from playing in the rain.
I even remember the few times my feet were affected from things other than the rain. Our housing area was brand spanken new when we moved in. Other than the show homes, we got one of the first houses built in that subdivision (we even have polaroids of the entire building process) Too bad it now looks very run down. The house right across the street from ours was still being built when we (myself, my sister, and our 2 neighbors) decided to climb the mountain of sawdust left on the front lawn. Well, along with the sawdust were boards and NAILS!!! Yikes! I remember my bare feet feeling so good in the saw dust. I also remember taking a step right on top of a nail, then while trying to back of the mound, I stepped on another nail with the other foot. The neghbors' mom was "watching" us that day and I remember her having some ointment that stung like crazy. I was dreading having that put on the bottom of both feet. Maybe I passed out or something because I don't remember the pain after that. I don't know if I hobbled around for awhile, or if I picked up and ran off down the street ready for my next injury. I just don't know.
I do know that I wear my toe scars with pride. I think it needs to warm up here so I can wear sandles more often so I can look at my scars and smile!

Been Awhile

Wow! Talk about a hiatus. What can I say? I've been busy. Life has been busy. I forgot all about my blog in the midst of everything. My sister reminded me of the important things in life...all of which have to do with the internet. Should I recap the past couple of years? I think not. I'll just pick up from here, meaning the fast few months, with thoughts from way before then.
For a couple of years now, I have been toying with the idea of moving. As a kid and teenager, Colorado was the place to be. I loved coming out here to go skiing. When dad got transferred, I honestly believed I would spend everyday on the mountain. Classes would take place at the top of the slopes (kind of like the Sunday services most resorts have). All my friends would be ski bums and we would hang out in lodges while not skiing. My wardrobe would consist of ski pants, cute Swiss sweaters, and the brightest colored sunblock stripe right down my nose. Oh yes this was going to be the life. Funny, it never happened that way. In the entire 155 months I have lived in Colorado I have maybe been skiing 10-15 times total.
This part of Colorado is the complete opposite of the ski bum's dream. I am in a suburb of people who are too busy to say "Hi", wave or give common courtesies. My daughter goes to a school full of kids who are growing up faster than I ever did. I'd like to blame it on the water and all the extra additives in food, but plain old busy parenting is what's to blame. Suburbia is a place of "see how much one can pack into a day!" My daughter wants to have a birthday party. Well, this all depends on the soccer/hockey/lacrosse/football/baseball/softball/musical instrument/choir/you get my drift schedule. Yes, my daughter fits into two of the above categories. Most of her friends fit into 3 or more of those categories. I feel like my head is spinning. I feel like my 11-year-old has no idea what it's like to be an 11-year-old.
So, two years ago I was looking at Nova Scotia. My grandfather was born there so why not? Reality is, I'm not ready to change my citizenship. Maine was appealing too, but who lives in Maine? Virginia? I've lived there in the Army, loved the weather, but crime rate is high and I don't see me raising my daughter there. Tennessee I was very close to considering just a couple of months ago. They have an elephant sanctuary there and I would love to get the entry level position working there. But, it's nothing I've ever known. As much as I want to work with animals, elephants are a HUGE responsibility (pun intended). Due to the fact that part of my moving is to get away from some family members, I was under no circumstance going to agree with them that Oklahoma would be a great place to live. I think I wrote it off just because they suggested it. I looked at all the above mentioned places again and again, but it came back to what feels right. Oklahoma feels right. Not that the OKC/Yukon/Mustang areas sound right, but Oklahoma sounds right.
Here I am looking at the greater Tulsa area. Everyone I know says it's a beautiful area. I want to live outise the suburbs. Close enough to civilization I can run into town for the needs, but far enough away to have peace and quiet. I want my daughter to run outside barefoot and play in the rain. Those are my best memories of growing up in OK and I have scars on every single toe to prove it. I want my daughter to realize it's okay to go outside and find a grasshopper so interesting she forgets she's been following it for over an hour. Thus begins a trip down memory lane. Somehow, I pushed Oklahoma so far into the "I don't wanna go back there" corner, I've forgotten what was so great about growing up there. I wish I could rewind some of my daughter's life so she could go back and learn to be a kid again. I feel like she has been forced to hurry and grow up that I find myself telling her to "grow down." Yes, I say this to her all the time.
Now is the time (Okay maybe not right now, but in the next few months). Oklahoma is the place. How it will happen? I don't know. What work will I find? I don't have a clue. How will I afford to start over on a single income for 2? Pray, pray, and pray. I am lining up applications in hopes of setting interviews in June. We'll see what the future holds.