JOY to the World...

Christmas Eve...

Our Christmas Eve is celebrated at my mom and stepdad's house which is always like walking into the December issue of the Southern Living magazine.  This year Ben was working so he didn't get there until after all the aunts and uncles and cousins were gone....he made it for our immediate family gift opening after 10 o'clock....

...and "we are filled with joy"...So, excited to be an auntie!...

...cousins (missing Audrey and Brent)...

...sisters, daughters,  mothers...3 generations...

Christmas Day at Mamo's...

Our family group became smaller...Ben and I enjoyed Christmas lunch with my mom and Paul, along with Mamo and Sissy and D and my cousins,  Lauren and finace, Jared, and Abby.

Christmas evening...

...we spent at Granny's house, which is also known as Ben's mom...I am sad to say we didn't take  pictures.  It was great spending time with two of his brothers and one of my sister wives...the other sister wive and Ben's brother, who is in the service could not be home for Christmas.  Also, enjoyed his sister, Sarah and family....missed Rachel, Bill and Will....hoping your Christmas in Tennesee was wonderful....

love,

Ben and Ali...



Holiday Parties...

On December 10th, I hosted my second annual family "girls only" dinner at my house. 

I made salad, tortellini soup and apple dumplings....Yummola!  Lots of fun and laughs on this night. 

 ~

Party #2...Our dear, old (lol)  friends, Julie and Terry, hosted a formal  'holiday dinner party' for 15 people on December 15th.  It's always a noisy, great time with this group...Ben has been freinds with these boys since he was in 3rd grade!

~ 

Party #3...we hosted the appetizer portion of a 'progressive dinner' with our sweet neighbor friends.  I don't have any pictures from our house because we were busy with the appetizers.  Note to self next time... don't prepare three apps that all require the oven on different temps and times.  Needless to say, the raspberry brie, prosciutto wrapped asparagus and stuffed mushrooms were a hit. 

This is a picture of Kayla's dessert table...WOW!

She baked for three days and she's pregnant with twins...two thumbs up!  

~

I always feel blessed to share our time with family and friends...love & joy,  Ali

It's Beginning to Look Alot LIke Christmas

We took advantage of the late November 75 degree weather and put up our Christmas lights. 

We had fun doing this until we got to the high point above the garage... and the decision of who was going to make it up there!....

Check out the black socks...couldn't crop those out. 

Finished product.... house and our lonely tree...

Christmas Tradition

My sweet mom began the tradition of giving my sister and I an ornament every year in our stockings since we were born.  My very first ornament was given to me in December 1979 and it now hangs on our Christmas tree along with many more. 

I absolutely LOVE unwrapping each ornament  because of the fond memories held in each one.  I hope one day to pass this tradition on to our kids. 

Some of my favorites...

Thanks for creating this thoughtful Christmas traidition mom...we cherish it!



Thankfulness...

After eating a delicious Thanksgiving meal at Aunt Patti and Uncle Ronnie's house, we ventured to their barnyard to take in the country. 
Ben surprised me and roped a mechanical calf while riding a horse...
What?!?!...He's a Little Bit Country!



He had some "coaching" help from my Uncle Ronnie and cousin, Audrey Paige, and actually did a great job!

Cute miniature donkey

We missed Lindsay and Brett and the Hagan family this year.... 

But,  still enJOYed a special day relishing in the gift of family and LOVE...
my heart swells with gratitude.

October Fall FUN....

We have enJOYED an eventful month... 

On October 10th, Ben and I took advantage of the beautiful weather and had lunch on the Blue Rose deck along the Arkansas River. After eating a delicious club sandwich, we decided to share our left overs with the Canadian Geese. 

This brought back one of my favorite childhood memories...feeding the ducks and geese at the city lake behind our home...

 ...with my mom and sister...

That evening we attended our 3rd  Journey concert.  We ABSOLUTELY loved the show... All 3 bands can still rock after all these years!

Outside the BOK Center

The new lead singer of Journey, doing what he does best....BUT

missing Steve Perry....would have liked to have seen him in concert once. 

Our sweet "Perry" waiting for us when we got home from the concert. 

BOOMER SOONER....Sooners BOOMed Texas!

It was definitely a s-mack-ing good time celebrating with our awesome friends at Julie and Terry's house.

What a game..63-21...! 

 

HAPPY Birthday Husband! 

FINALLY, I could buy Ben a "husband" card....I was so excited...I actually purchased it a month early.  I drove back from my OKSDE training to celebrate his 35th birthday with him. 

 

 Opening gifts at home before dinner...

 We ate a delicious dinner at Smoke on Cherry Street. 

Our appetizer was to die for...Pâté and Rillettes which consisted of
Smoked Trout, Duck Liver Pate, Smoked Pork Belly Rillette, with dried fruit Compote

 For dinner we had the Tomato Braised Lamb Ragout

We highly recommend this place, and I've heard their brunch is great too!

LOVE you...Ben!

Weekend of Sports

After a long week of training, I came home to a very sweet surprise from Ben...

tickets to the Thunder Game and an adorable necklace from RSR...aka: Rockin' Sooner Ranch Merchantile on Brookside...  I LOVE receiving a "just because" gift...made my day.  The preliminary game sold out the BOK center.... we thoroughly enjoyed it.  

An additional bonus.... we didn't have to use binoculars like the last time we saw them play in OKC.

The very next day we left town for Sooner Football and our favorite place...Norman, Oklahoma!

 

  Riding the trolley from our hotel (NCED) to the dorms.  It always give me chills to see my old dorm, Walker Tower (525 E. to be exact). 

Campus Corner gets busier every year but we still enJOY every minute of it. 

We ate a ranchhand burger at O'Connell's before the game and the entry to the restaurant was one in, one out...crazy busy! 

And, YES,  we still made it to our old stomping grounds as well.  I even found some pictures of familiar, friendly Zetas on the wall...won't name who?!?! 

 Joe's Taverna...

BOOMER!!!

You know you're in your thirties when...

You go to Campus Corner after the game and it's too wild, so you decide to walk around campus and take pictures of the beautiful new buildings instead. 

This is the new college of education.... wish I could have gone to class in this place!

Cookbook Club

It was my turn to host our Pioneer Woman Cookbook Club.  

We had a small turn out this time but weren't short on good food and laughs! 

REE fans....Deana, Casey and Daisi and myself....thanks girls~~~~it was fun! 

Been  home on this cold, fall day in my warm pajamas working on a power point I have to get finished before Monday.  I honestly had a bit of separation anxiety not seeing my teaching friends (and my little friends, too) everyday after starting my new position with the OSDE.  It seems now, I am  getting adjusted and  enjoying going into different schools making these presentations and meeting new people and learning new ideas.

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."...Wm. Butler Yeats

....No more "Fear the Beard" for Thunder....Ben and I were wondering why he wasn't playing when we watched them play at the BOK....assuming he was still negotiating the contract of $40,000,000-$52,000,000.  which he turned down...guess now we will follow him in Houston when he is not playing against the OKC Thunder....Thunder Up fans.....!....we may now literally be fearing the beard!

....Was so pumped to see our Sooners come out with a win against Notre Dame....but that didn't happen...tough loss..questionable ref calls but that's the game of football...keep your head up Sooners...BOOMER SOONER!

love & joy ....and HAPPY Halloween week.....