Sunday Funday

After our road trip on Saturday, we once again packed a lot into our day on Sunday. It was the final concert in the OKC Philharmonic's Discovery Series, so we met up with my mom for the Fiesta-themed  performance.

Gray tried his hand at several instruments before the concert began, and to my surprise, actually managed to get the trombone and trumpet to make sounds. 

He also made a maraca and enjoyed shaking it during the concert

Grandmama and Gray waiting for the concert to begin

Next up, we headed down to Norman to bowl in the Big Brothers Big Sisters fundraiser Bowl for Kids' Sake! I'm on the board of this wonderful organization and appreciate many of you who have made donations over the years. 

Michael's company, Quite Right Studio, was a sponsor and it was fun to see the logo on the t-shirts and event signage! 

Grandmama and Aunt Emily were on our bowling team this year and did an awesome job fundraising! We had a blast and there's still time to donate if you're so inclined! 

Weekend Explorers

Sometimes we try to cram too much into one weekend. That's basically what happened the past few days, but it was full of fun and memories.

One of my best friends from high school was back in Oklahoma for a baby shower (she's having twins!) and I couldn't miss the chance to see her. The shower was Saturday in Enid which is about two hours from where we live, so Michael and Gray woke up early to make the drive with me and then we were going to explore a bit in northwestern Oklahoma.

First stop, Starbucks for coffee! And a few treats for Grayson too. After three tries, this was the best photo I could get. Not sure why we're in an awkward smile stage, but this was the most "normal" I could get him to look. He's all decked out in his junior park ranger duds to go adventuring!

You can't really see Kristina's adorable bump in this shot, but she really is just the cutest. I'm so excited for her and her sweet hubby. 

While I was celebrating the bundles of joy, Michael took Gray to nearby Vance Air Force base to check out some planes. After that, we drove north about 45 miles or so to the Great Salt Plains. 

There's a national wildlife refuge and a state park there where you can dig for crystals. This is the only place in the world where you can find selenite crystals which feature sand in the shape of an hourglass inside. 

There's a designated dig area that featured unrelenting wind that was easily 40 mph the entire time we were there. Despite the crazy wind, we hiked out and staked our claim to dig a few holes. 

You don't have to dig very far, just under a thin layer of salt and you'll find layers of clay and soil that you scoop up and comb through to look for the crystals. It helps to bring water to sift through the dirt. 

Here's Gray holding one of the small crystals

Here's what they look like cleaned up. We found enough to fill a dixie cup and several were larger but not as clear as these.

After an hour or so, Gray and I were tired of being beaten down by the wind so we retreated to the truck. He was also itching to eat the skittles we bought him earlier.

Meanwhile, Michael kept digging for a little bit longer. He's in the middle/right side of this shot, but you can also see a small portion of the other folks who were out digging. I was surprised to see so many people there, but it was definitely the time to go before it gets really hot. 

Afterward, we drove over to the other side of the plains where there's a lake and checked out the visitor center. It was a fun day and we were all worn out by the time we got home!

Easter: Part II

Easter Sunday had a bit of a rough start. Gray was up early in anticipation of his basket of surprises and then we got ready and headed up to Oklahoma City for church. We planned to visit Aunt Emily and Uncle Levi's new church that they helped start which just opened in it's new building this month.

When we got there it was packed, even the two balconies were standing room only. We decided to just head back to Norman and go to our usual church, but not before I snapped a cute pic of Uncle Levi and Gray in their Easter bow ties!

We didn't think to have anyone take our picture at church as a family, so we snapped a few in the front yard once we got home.

Gotta get the sillies out!

We then headed over to Aunt Emily and Uncle Levi's new house for Easter lunch. It was quite the spread and Gray enjoyed a few more Easter surprises from his grandparents and great-Grandmama. I realized after that I didn't take any pictures of Gray with Nora or with Grandmama and Grandaddy. We did get a cute one with great-Grandmama Solomon. 

Every picture I take of Nora seems to turn out blurry since she's always on the move!

Easter: Part I

I hope everyone has enjoyed Easter weekend! We've had a fun time celebrating with family on several sides. On Saturday, my cousin Suzanne came over with her family and it's always fun watching the boys be silly together.

We dyed eggs, decorated and ate sugar cookies and hid eggs over and over for the boys to hunt. Luke had fractured his arm the day before on the monkey bars, but it didn't seem to slow him down. We missed having Holten at the table and are looking forward to seeing him in a couple of months.

It's getting more difficult to get pictures of the boys without at least one of them making a silly face. I have a feeling that's not going to end anytime soon!

Getting ready to dye some eggs

Anyone interested in a cookie with their icing?

Hey dads, try to relax a bit.

The hunt is on! Jack insisted on wearing a batting helmet the entire time he hunted eggs. It was given to Gray by his adult cousin John in Mississippi. What is it about boys loving baseball? 

Awe...a brief moment of sweetness.

Love these silly boys!

It's in the genes

It's safe to say that Gray has been bitten by the mountain biking bug. Michael couldn't be more thrilled about our son's excitement for hitting the trails. They picked out some new "knobby" tires and we tested them out at Sutton Wilderness over the weekend. The trail is relatively flat, so it gave Grayson the perfect opportunity to get used to his new tires and practice kicking up some dirt. They are looking forward to a daddy/son day on the mountain bike trails out at Lake Thunderbird soon.

All the elbow and knee pads were actually Gray's idea, but I wasn't going to argue. 

Thumbs up for safety!

First trip to the circus

The circus came to Oklahoma City last weekend and Grayson and I enjoyed an impromptu mommy/son date. He had never been before and I hadn't been since I was a child, so we were both excited to see the spectacle.

I must admit, the circus is quite different when viewed through adult eyes, but Gray loved every bit of it. We kicked off the fun with a ride on the elephants. I wasn't sure if he would go through with it once it came time to climb onto the large beast, but Gray was brave and seemed to be having fun.

Waiting to ride an elephant!

The brave boy climbing up to get loaded onto the elephant

Hi mama!

Next up, it was time for a snocone! 

We had great seats, right in the middle of the three rings

My cute date!

Let the show begin!

The tigers got Gray's attention 

We happened to run into Luke and Suzanne at intermission. I couldn't believe we saw them in an arena of hundreds of people! 

The boys trying their best to look mean and tough with their light sabers.

Library Fun

Gray and I enjoy frequent visits to our local library and we recently stumbled across a really cool (and free!) class. We just so happened to be in the children's area when one of the librarians came out and called for any kindergartners, first or second graders.

They all ran into one of the meeting rooms and Gray followed them without looking back. It turns out, they have a weekly class where the librarian reads a handful of stories, shows a short video and then leads the kids in an art project.

We didn't really know what we stumbled across, but it was really fun! Here's the art project they did at the end of the class:

This is shaving cream in a tray and then you drop in water with food coloring. 

Once you are happy with the drops, you swirl it around with a toothpick and then lightly press a piece of paper against it.

It looks like this, kinda a mess. Then the librarian came around with a squeegee and wiped the shaving cream off. 

Here's the final print. So cool! Everyone got to make two. Gotta love the library!