A Bit of Nostalgia

Over Labor Day weekend my family took a little trip back in time. We went up to Bartlesville to the kiddie park. I remember going to this kiddie park when I was little and it hasn't changed much at all since I was 6! Actually the park has been there for 40 years and hasn't changed much since my oldest brother was 6 either. It really did feel like stepping back in time. I even faced the roller coaster that terrified me when I was a kid and made me scared of roller coasters until about 3 years ago! Though I could have sworn that I remember it being much bigger! :) The girls had a ton of fun riding all the rides. And the best part of all is that all the rides are still either 25 or 50 cents each!

The "Big" scary roller coaster!
The amazingly cool airplanes

The girls really enjoyed riding the boats.

The World's Most Expensive Free Cat!

I have determined that I now have the world's most expensive free cat. Since I took him in as a stray I never imagined that he would end up costing me thousands of dollars in vet bills! Boaz went back to the vet today for some more testing. They wanted to collect some more urine for a urine culture. I am not sure what it is but it cost me 200 dollars and the results won't be back for a week or so. Though he has been back to his old self. Busy playing and begging for food. The vet was even surprised to hear him purring when they were petting him. I guess he is getting used to being there, even though he took off under the bed this morning as soon as he saw me get his carrier out. Hopefully everything will be clear and this whole fiasco will be over! I have now spent a grand total of 1900 dollars on him since June. Oh well, it's just money and Boaz is like my baby so I have to make sure he is okay.

What A Summer!

This summer has defiantly been a very interesting one. To add to all the drama that has occurred I ended up getting my wallet stolen last Friday when I was with the kids at the swimming pool. Have I mentioned I am not a big fan of drama? The good news is that someone found my wallet later Friday night in the creek that is near the pool and only the cash had been taken, of course that was after I spent all afternoon canceling all my cards, transferring my money to a new bank account, and getting a new drivers license.

I can't say that I will be sad when this summer is over. Though there have been some big challenges there have also been some amazing moments. Honestly I wouldn't change a single thing that has happened this summer. I have learned so much about God's grace and faithfulness this summer. I have had to rely on Him more this summer than any other time that I can remember. As always He has been faithful to see me through and has been right by my side the entire time.

One wonderful thing about this summer has been all the time I have gotten to spend with my family. I went back to my parents house again Friday night since it was the last night my brother and his family was going to be in town. Every time I am with them I am reminded of how lucky I am to have such a wonderful family and we all like each other! When we get together we are far from a quite bunch but there is always a ton of laughter and alot of fun!

The whole gang!

A Family Affair!!

This weekend I was back in Oklahoma, surprise, surprise! Actually one of my brothers friends wanted to know when I was going to buy a summer home there since I spend almost every weekend in the summer back home :) It was a wonderful weekend full of fun.

Saturday morning was spent biking with my brother and sister-in-law. I actually rode over 13 miles. Which for serious riders is just a drop in the bucket but it is the farthest I have ever ridden! Then I spent all Saturday afternoon backing a blackberry cobbler, which I have now perfected, and a peach cobbler for a party we went to that evening. At the party my lovely niece displayed her great will power when she decided she wasn't going to swallow a bite of baked beans she had in her mouth. She held it there for over and hour! Even under the threat of not going swimming if she spit it out. Needless to say her will power won and she spit it out but she didn't get to go swimming. I don't quite understand the whole concept of holding food in your mouth if you don't like it but I suppose to a three year old it makes sense. Saturday night I went and helped my sister bake cupcakes for my nephews birthday party.

Sunday we had my nephews first birthday party and the entire family was there. My brother who lives in Georgia had gotten in Saturday night so there were 14 of us just from my side not counting my brother-in-laws mom, dad, sister, and best friend. We had a great time with the baseball themed party. We even had peanuts and cracker jacks to go with our baseball cupcakes. I think the adults and older kids had more fun playing with my nephews new toys then he did! After that most of us went back to my parents house and went swimming! It was great to spend some time with my older nephews, who I don't get to see very often.
The Spread!

Open Wide!!

My oldest and youngest nephews!

My other nephew!

Monday I babysat my one year old nephew all day. We had alot of fun, and that was the first time I have ever just hung out with him. He really is a pretty laid back kid though he loves to climb on everything! Monday night everyone except for one of my sister-in-laws were back at my parents house. The entertainment for the night was creating aliens out of goo and watching my brother play Wall-e on the PlayStation 3. For a kids game it is really hard!!!

Of course through the whole weekend there was a ton of laughing and being loud! There is nothing quite about my family especially when we are all together like that. It was so wonderful and I was kinda sad when I had to come back home Monday night. It was quite a change going from being around 14 people to being home by myself. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family and to be able to spend so much time with them and still want to be around them!

In other news I took Boaz back to the vet and all of his tests were clear. So hopefully with his new diet and making sure he stays out of any other food we are now out of the woods!!

Boaz, Blackberries, and Big Splash!

Today I have been a busy "b" :) I called the vet this morning to check on Boaz. They said that he has been very irritable and that is a sign of good health. They said he has been going to the bathroom well again but wondered if he has a specific type of litter he liked to use because he kept throwing all of his out of the box and going on the towel they have in there with him. So looks like everything is going to be okay. Though I thought it was pretty funny when the vet said he didn't see how I could pill him by myself because it took himself and the male assistant to hold him down to give Boaz his medication today. So I am pretty impressed with myself :)

We got up really early this morning and went blackberry picking. It was so much fun! We each got a bucket and then went out and started picking. We discovered that having a three year old along with you is quite handy because they can see all the low berries everyone else missed. We ended up with a little over 3 quarts of berries. This evening my two nieces helped me make a blackberry cobbler that was extremely delicious.

After lunch we headed out to Big Splash for some fun. The girls had a blast playing in the kiddie pool and loved the three slides. Joseph didn't quite know what to think about it all and got surprised by a wave in the wave pool when it splashed him right in the face.

All of the craziness today has worn me out but lead to some great photos! For some reason I can't upload right now but I will try and get some new pics up tomorrow :)

Back To The Vet :(

Well Boaz is back at the vet today. He is going to be there till Monday now simply because of the holiday weekend. Last night I noticed he was having trouble using the bathroom again and was growling and hissing every time he went. So I called the vet this morning and they said to bring him back in. Right now they are going to watch him the next 24 hours, put him back on the meds he just came off of yesterday, and give him fluids. I have no clue how much this round is going to cost. The vet mentioned that if he keeps getting blocked up like this then he will need a special surgery. The surgery basically bypasses his boy parts and creates a new hole in which he can relive himself. In short they turn him into a girl. How many people do you know have a trans-gender cat?? If he has to have this surgery then I will most likely have to take him to a university of veterinary medicine and have a board certified surgeon perform the procedure. I am really praying that we can control this with medication cause I don't know how I will afford the surgery.

Not My Idea Of Fun!

Having to give a cat 8 different pills a day is not my idea of fun. Especially when the cat is having a bladder problem and when you try to hold him down he pees on you! I tried hiding it in his food but then he won't eat the food. And I can't hide it anything else because he can't eat anything besides his food!!! I am not going to have much fun having to give him 2 pills a day for the rest of his life either. But at least I still have him around and that is worth every minute!

My Baby Is HOME!!!

I got pick up Boaz today! The vet called around 10:30 and said he had been eating well and going to the bathroom on his own. His urine is still pink in color but they said that could take some time to heal up. He is now on 4 different medications that I have to give him at different times through out the day for the next two weeks and he has prescription food that he will always have to eat. The vet said that he wants to do a full work up on him again in 2 weeks. There is probably permanent damage to his kidneys but the kidneys can still function at 50% and he will be alright. The vet said that he was really a miracle kitty because with what his blood work looked like when he came in most animals would have been dead. I'm am so glad he is back home, cause I don't think I could have handled losing him, especially after the month June i have had. It has been a very interesting month to say the least.

A Good Day!

I went to see Boaz after my class today. His blood work is finally normal and they took the catheter out but they couldn't get him to eat or use the bathroom by himself. So I took him into an empty room and loved on him, he started purring and loving on me. I put some food in my hand and he started eating right away. He ended up eating about an 1/8 of a cup of food. Then they brought in his litter box. I looked at him and told him that he wasn't going to be able to come home until he used the litter box, then I pushed it over next to him. He looked at me and looked at the litter box, then he climbed in. He sat in there for quite a while and only went a little bit but he went! The vet said that he still has some blood in his urine so they would have to keep him overnight and keep him on fluids. But as long as he eats and uses the bathroom on his own he will get to come home tomorrow!!!

More On Boaz!

Well I picked him up this morning from the emergency clinic and took him directly to my vet. They said that it looks like he will be there for 3 or 4 days because they are going to have to watch him very closely. I was relived to know that the nurse that has been caring for him used to work in a place where he took care of cats with blockages all the time. When I talked to him this afternoon he said that the PH of his urine had come down and that his urine was starting to clear up but was still bloody. They are still really watching all of different levels of stuff in his blood because there is a chance that he could crash and they are really watching his kidneys making sure they are starting to function more normally. Needless to say, I have spent 1100 dollars on my cat in the last 24 hours. I am so thankful that I work in the summer.

In other news, this week I have been taking a class the last few days. It is call Music and Children's Literature. It has been very interesting and quite enjoyable. Today we spent 2 hours just doing different drumming activities, which now makes me want to buy a whole set of drums for my classroom. Though I did discuss the possibility of writing a grant next year with the other music teachers in our district and seeing if we couldn't buy a set that we could send around to all of the different schools during the year so that we could all benefit from it. I have also found more adorable books that I want to purchase for next year! I am loving this class and it is really motivating me to get busy and start planning activities for next school year!

Boaz Update!

Well I was so busy today that I didn't even get home until 9:30 tonight. When I got home Boaz was laying in the bathroom and I couldn't really even get him to stand up. So I called the Animal Emergency Clinic and took him in. The vet finally came in to see me about 11 and said that he has a blockage in his urinary tract so his bladder his pretty much stretched to the max and that toxins are building up in his body. His temperature was 97 which is 3 to 5 degrees below where a cat normally runs. So needless to say, he is at the emergency clinic all night, they are running tests and putting in a catheter. I have to go pick him up before 7 in the morning and then take him to his regular vet to be monitored all day. I must love my kitties alot cause it is costing me 600 at the emergency clinic and then I will have to pay for him to be at the vet tomorrow too. Thank goodness I work in the summer!!

I just got a call and the vet said that she was amazed at how well he looked on the physical exam because his tests came back pretty bad. They got the catheter to go in but all the urine being drained out looked pretty much like pure blood. Some number in his blood test that is normally supposed to be around 30 was over 140 and the test only goes to 140. And his potassium level which should be a 4 was 8.6 and they said that at 7 it could actually stop their heart. So they gave him some drugs to help bring that down and have given him something else to protect his heart. She said that he is resting comfortably and they will be watching him closely all night. She said to be prepared for him to have to stay at the vets for a few days as they watch for all the levels to come back to normal and I will probably have to have him on an even more specific diet and figure out how to keep him out of Ruth's food from now on so this doesn't happen again.

Poor Kitty :(

Do cat's get stomach bugs? Boaz didn't really eat dinner last night and today he has thrown up 4 different time. This last time there was nothing in his stomach for him to throw up. He has just been hiding in the corner of my closet most of the night and it feels like he is running a fever. I am going to call the vet tomorrow I guess and take him in cause I don't what is wrong. :( It makes me sad to see my baby sick.

Happy Birthday Janae!

Today we celebrated Janae's 3rd Birthday. It was great fun! We pretty much just had family, grilled, and then swam for hours. I was in the pool for over 5 hours today, which I haven't done in a very loooooong time. Then we played playstation for a while too! We discovered today that splash bombs are the best water toy ever invented and are great fun for all ages! My sister and I ganged up on my older brother and had a water fight with the splash bombs, my dad even got in on the fun later. Yet, they even entertained my 11 month old nephew who liked chewing on the tag :)

A Word From My Niece!

I am at my parent's house tonight and my niece Kallie is staying the night too! She wanted to write on Aunt Kelly's blog so here is her message in her own words, I am typing of course.

Funny faces, I make funny faces. Wiggle, wiggle like this. I love my Aunt Kelly. Sky up high. Playing games like this. Grandpa is playing games. Letter, we count letters. I have fun at Aunt Kelly's. I use the one (keyboard) on my little computer that plays games.

The total randomness of a 3 year old! And now she wants to type.

pkjhjkkjp'jpouhkhpojklhyyhltl;.jj;lpnhbl;knhh
[lgh;kgfpokpgoipgf[jfi gohjofhjcfp vhjvh kknhpghingo hpgifphg fgj hjgkhjiohhnkm;hjknhhnjkjkbhljngkhljkghlvmnjvhkljmnhvvvvvjkhlnhbkbnlmjjjjjjjjbmmhmjkmmbjj//// mmm, bbbbbbbmn nm bbm bv, .nnmgkl;;k;fkmlg;d 'fooofkkgofpkflxbvkjklfgjldtj;oidkgl;tdrhklfkbhgldxnklcgpofk

Eerily Quite

The girls just left and now it is eerily quite around the house. I must admit I am glad that I will be able to get some things done with unpacking again, but I already miss them :( It has been so nice the last few days to have them around. I am so thankful for the relationship I have with those two and it made me feel special to know that even though they haven't seen their parents for 4 days they still wanted to stay at Aunt Kelly's house.

I was contemplating the other night on how God works things out. If I had been the one to plan out my life then I surely wouldn't be almost 28 and still single. I would be married with at least two kids of my own right now. However, if I had had things my way I wouldn't have the awesome relationship with my nieces that I do. You know being single isn't bad it's just different and that's okay. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way :)

Enough mushy stuff! On to today's pictures! The girls actually slept in this morning. Janae got up at 9 and Kallie didn't get out of bed until 10:30! It was nice but because they slept so late we weren't able to go to the dollar movie. Then we went in search of the blueberry farm only to find out that they were closed today because the berries needed to ripen some more. We tried to find another one that was listed online but apparently they have gone out of business. So instead we stopped at a roadside stand and bought blueberries and grapes. Then we went to Cold Stone Creamery and had ice cream! It was a great end to a wonderful time with my two nieces.




I promise they were having a good time though by this photo you might question that!

Another Full Day!

Well we didn't make it to pick blueberries or see a movie today. Though we did go to the library, played at the park, visited Lifesource, ate and played at Chick-fil-a, and played at the Wilson park castle. And, Praise the Lord, my computer is finally fixed!! Since we had to wait on the Dell guy this afternoon we pretty much just hung out here and the girls entertained themselves. And tonight it is just now 9, baths have been taken, and we are heading to bed! I will probably wake up in the morning with two little girls on either side of me again:) This morning I woke up before either one of them but had to lay there until I finally decided it was time for us all to get up cause I knew if I moved at all they would be awake too.

Here are a few pics from today. Tomorrow the plan is to go blueberry picking and catch the dollar movie at 10, but we will see what actually happens tomorrow. You never know what will happen when there are two three year olds thrown in the mix!


At the library we went to a concert and they got to play the egg shakers!


Of course they both love to look at books!


They had a great time playing at the castle too!

Busy, Busy Day!

This has been a very busy day and I have defiantly gained a new respect for single moms for sure! The girls have been great and we have had a ton of fun but man am I worn out! Today we waited for the Dell guy to fix my computer, which is still broke and he has to come again tomorrow, then we went to the store, went to the park, came home ate lunch, baked cookies, played around the house, took a nap, put together a set of drawers, played musical instruments, ate dinner, finger painted, took a bath, and now we are watching a movie. Yes, it is 10:30 and they are still awake!!! I am amazed at how well they have played together and we really haven't had any major melt downs which is great! Here are a few pics from our event filled day. Tomorrow we are off to pick blueberries, go to the library, visit the kids at Lifesource, and maybe go see a movie!

Sleeping Beauties

Most people would think I am slightly insane to volunteer to take on two three year old for four days. Okay, Janae won't be three till next week but close enough. But, I love these two so much and we are going to have so much fun! Today I brought them over with me from Tulsa and went straight to church. Everyone thought they were so polite and well behaved. They are pretty sweet as long as they aren't tired :) Then we took a trip to Wal-Mart and headed back to the apartment. They played for a while as I got the car and groceries unloaded and then me made a pallet on the floor and started watching Flo the Lyin' Fly. They both passed out during the movie so I had to take a picture of them.

I suppose I should head to bed cause I know they will be waking me up early! And we have a ton of fun things planned this week, including blueberry picking, playing at the park, swimming, and going to feed the ducks!

Precious Puppies

Well it is now a little over two weeks before I am moving and I have a big lose end that hasn't been able to be tied up. I have two dogs that I can't take with me to my new apartment. I thought that I had somethings worked out but everything has fallen through and I don't have much time. If you know of anyone who is looking for a dog, or preferably two, please let them know about my precious puppies. They are both very sweet and get along well with other animals. They also are house broken, fixed, and will be getting their shots this week. They would be great family dogs for anyone who has a good sized fenced yard.
Buck is 7 years old and very laid back.

Sugar is 5 years old and is very energetic.

New Pages!

I have been working more on my nieces brag book over the last few days. Tonight I did two pages that I am really proud of so I thought I would share. The elements on the second page I made myself using the papers from a kit called Dottie. Well all of them except the tag. I am not sure who where I got the papers because the creator didn't leave any info with their download.