Okay, now you're getting carried away...

Enough is enough! I gotta take the trash out! You can quit snowing now! We're all impressed!

Seriously, this is just crazy! I just took the trash out and had to basically plow through like 2 feet of snow. And it's going to snow for like 8 more hours. Good night! Well, I just hope the trash truck comes by tomorrow to pick up our trash, because I forgot to take it out last week and both our bins are totally full and I put 2 bags out, too.

Check it out... here's what greeted me when I opened the garage side door.

You can hardly see our John Deere tractor!!

Yeah, that's a lot of snow.

The side door.

I know what you're thinking. Nice stock photography from somewhere in Nova Scotia or Alaska. No siree, this is Edmond, Oklahoma. Today. Guess I shoulda got today's newspaper in the picture somewhere...

More Pictures!

Okay, Old Man Winter, you got the last laugh... My sarcastic entry earlier today about how much snow we had received was met with a blast of snow for 11 straight hours and it's not letting up. I stepped off the back porch to get some more firewood and my foot went down into about a foot of snow... So much that it went up my pants and all the way over my white-with-two-red-stripes tube socks. (Remember those, Mom?! Funny, the red ones were cool, but the green and yellow ones were SO uncool.)

Thought I'd brave the blizzard to take a few more pictures outside. Here I'm standing just in front of our mailbox and you can see that it's covered in ice. That's the precipitation of choice here in Oklahoma. It's very convenient. We get a good layer of ice and then the snow falls. The ice allows the snow to really drift nicely and not stick too badly on your driveway or sidewalks. No need for shovels here! Just sweep it away and then bring out a scraper to get the ice up. Presto! Quicker'n you can say antidisestablishmentarianism.


There are a couple of cute girls looking out this window. It's snowing a little bit here, so it's hard to see them.

There they are!

Isn't that the prettiest garland around the front door? Lights and all! I'm actually under the covered front porch here and you can still see a lot of snow!

Then back inside to the very warm living room, complete with crackling fire! We had quite the fire last night. In fact, it was still red-hot this morning, so all I had to do was add a new log and it started right up. Isn't that tree amazing? Hol does an awesome job decorating the tree. Looks like it should be in Nordstrom's. She even has poinsettias in there!


I can hear Dad reading this, "What!? You call that a fire?" (Dad's fireplace is big enough for a hibernating bear to sleep in. In fact, we once put a Yule log so big in there that it burned for like 3 days. Isn't that right, Dad? It really is an awesome fireplace. Okay, back to MY story and MY fireplace.) The deal is... I just put 2 more logs on. And they're covered in snow. You can still see some snow on them in the cracks in the bark. So there!

Snowed In! (so to speak)

Yep, it's official. We've been snowed in. There's at least 2 or 3 inches of snow on the ground and nobody's going anywhere!

This is the first time in 5 years that I've been out in the snow and haven't had my little rear-wheel drive roadster. The Toyota Avalon did really well in the now. No squirrely fun or sliding at all! It even has antilock brakes, so I don't slide through intersections any more. Woo hoo!

What a really wonderful day it's been! We went to bed early since Addie and I weren't feeling great. So we got up early to enjoy the snowfall from a nice cozy living room with fireplace roaring. Good thing I got that cord of wood delivered early this year! I could probably sell firewood to all my neighbors. =) I had to run a couple of errands like any real man would on a day like today, so I ran to Blockbuster, the post office, the grocery store, Happily Everlasting studio to see my good friend Rodrick, and finally the local bookstore to find a "Men's Journal" magazine. I did find the magazine after reading an entire "American Handgunners" mag first. What a great way to spend a couple of hours! I sat in the cafe part of the bookstore and flipped through page after adventurous page of great photos, fun facts and manly stories. Our pastor, Jason Gilbow, is an avid Men's Journal reader and I'm always impressed with his manly interest in adventures, etc. I used to be more like that. What happened to me? I guess I haven't fully recovered from getting married and sitting on the couch watching movies and snuggling for our first year of marriage. =) Not that I'd change that, it's just interesting to see how people change with significant circumstances of life. It's probably good that we change with our major life events, but it will be fun to at least keep in touch with the adventurous side of life, even if it's just reading about it every month.

After reading, I braved the wind and driving snow once again to find my car and head home just in time for Hol and Addie to wake up from their naps. What a great way to spend an afternoon! Wish I could do this every day. Or even once a week would be cool... Maybe I'll just schedule it and do that. =) I feel recharged.

Time to put another log on the fire and download some pics of the house and snow.


You can actually see the snow flying in this picture. Pretty cool for Oklahoma! It's going pretty much sideways due to the Oklahoma wind. =) Click on the pics to see larger versions where you can actually see details.

Storm of the Century, Celebrity Look-Alikes

It's snowing in Oklahoma! We got SO much snow, that the schools are closed all day and many government offices are closed! So far, we have a whopping 1/2 inch! In some places, it's drifted 2 or 3 inches deep!! I know, it's amazing. You can just barely see the grass through all the snow!!!

The emergency earth-moving equipment has been called out to scrape the streets with graders, dozers and backhoes. What an amazing storm to live through! Check back for updates later on... It's still snowing, so we might get more before the day is through!

In other news today... Thought y'all might get a kick out of this. =)

My Throat, my throat, my throat is on fire

It's that time of year. The weather's cooling down, we've eaten all kinds of candy and desserts for the last week and we're sleep-deprived from visiting family. Time for a cold or flu or something. =)

Pop quiz: Sore throat, mild headache and swollen glands are the symptoms of ___________ ? (You may use the back side of this page if you need more space.) Please turn your answers in within 24 hours so I know how to treat this.

In the mean time, I think I'm going to put on a turtleneck and lie down again.

My Girls, Part 2

Sometimes, when we're on a photo shoot, I just can't resist taking pictures of Holly. =) She was setting up a pose for a family, showing them where to stand and how to face, etc. when I snapped this beauty. Talk about a beautiful picture! I think I'm in love...

Click on the picture to see a larger version of it.

My Girls

Isn't this a great picture? I'm sure it means more to me than to any of you because I know that Addie is NOT a snuggler. At all. Only when she's really sick or has been awaken in the middle of the night. =) Check out how she's crossed her legs even.


Thanks for catching our father/daughter moment, Hol! I sure love my girls... soon to be 3 girls! What a lucky guy I am... Oh, and I should have told you, we were watching football in this picture!

Here For A Reason!

We've been fellowshipping with a new church plant here in Edmond and it's really been awesome! I've met with the pastor (Jason Gilbow) several times over coffee and really relate to and appreciate his vision for the "church" and "followers of Christ." Here's what was written on the back of our very first church bulletin 2 weeks ago:

"Here for a reason!"

"Your life counts! For the first 300 years of Christianity there were no church buildings, no paid or “professional” clergy. There were simply believers-those that embraced Jesus Christ as their life and mission. We are certain that there is no such thing as “secular.” There is absolutely no dividing line between clergy and laity. We are all called with one calling and no man or woman is to ever be elevated above another so as to create a division between secular and sacred. There are no professional believers!

"Christianity has become a civilized religion that promises comfort, abundance and safety. I am convinced that perhaps the most dangerous place to be is in the center of God’s will! I am convinced that Jesus did not come to simply bring convenience but to bring His kingdom through the broken, humbled and even the struggling.

"I believe that believers should be compelled by Christ and not by religious expectation, manipulation, guilt or shame. I believe our identity is in our birth as children of God and not simply our performance. I believe that God’s grace is determined by His character and not ours. We are hear to live out these truths.

"I am certain that Jesus’ death wasn’t to free us from dying, but to free us from the fear of death. I believe that Christ calls us to die up front so that we might truly begin to live. Now.

"I believe that Jesus is not simply the answer to the death question, but also to the life question. I believe that the redeemed are called to passionately embrace both the nature and mission of Jesus Christ.

"I believe we are here for a reason and that every believer is called to a life of service, studying the scriptures and investing the resources and gifts that God has given them.

"I believe we can touch the world by touching the person next to us. To the glory of God, we are here for a reason.

"Know that you are loved by God and the people of this body. Let me know if I can ever help or be a friend in any way. You matter to me!"

Because He Lives,
Jason Gilbow
Pastor

It's been really refreshing to fellowship with other believers in a loving, non-judgmental environment. These are people who are serious about their relationship with God, and serious about loving others as Jesus did. What an inspiration and encouragement to be around!

Here's the logo for the church. Titus designed it. Pretty cool, huh?
On the home front...

I think Holly's love language just may be firewood. =) We got 2 ricks of wood delivered recently in preparation for the colder weather. We've already had two fires and I think the fireplace is still warm from the one we had last night. We got a great deal on it, too! About 1/2 price, delivered and stacked from a fireman way down South who is clearing a lot and has a lot of green wood. We got about 1/2 and 1/2 green and seasoned, so we'll just burn the seasoned stuff this year and the green stuff next year (or after the fire's already going well =).

Can't wait for Thanksgiving!! And I found out my parents are coming for a surprise visit on my birthday. Fun times!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

I can hardly believe that it's Thanksgiving week already. Don't you just love this time of year with the weather cold and crisp and eggnog (ice cream even) starting to show up in grocery stores everywhere. I love Braum's egg nog (and ice cream, for that matter). One of my favorite Fall things to do is make egg nog lattes instead of my regular coffee in the morning. Mmm... Let the warm fuzzies begin!


We will be spending the holidays in OK this year. With Holly so far along in her pregnancy, it would be really tough to enjoy traveling. We're looking forward to seeing the Sangree grandparents, though, in January and February when they roll across the US in their nice mobile home. (Here's a picture they just sent us!)

They're getting good with Photoshop, eh? =) If you can't tell, that's my Mom in the window, waving.

Also, it's that time of the year when we renegotiate our cell phone contract and get new phones. (This doesn't fit in the "Most Wonderful Time of the Year.") It's usually none too soon, either, because these confounded electronics are only warranted for 1 year and they self-destruct on day 366. When we finally figured out what handsets everyone wanted and got them ordered, I got widespread reports that handsets were failing left and right, and, by and large, misbehaving in strange ways. It's like they knew they were about to be replaced. Strange...

So, anyway, after using my trusty cell phone for a year without any trouble, I upgraded to this tasty new Nokia flip phone. Lots of cool features and certainly a better programmed phone than the Motorola I had previously, but the flimsy plastic back blew apart on me the first day I brought it home. It's a good thing a Nokia rep didn't come to visit me that night or we'd have definitely had words. =) Here's what my phone now looks like. I can't believe I'm going to have to use this for a year now. What a bummer. I bought a case, so at least it will stay together now and hide my pretty duct taping job. Lesson learned: don't fix an adhesive knob to the back of cell phones with flimsy plastic backs.

Hope you all have a really great Thanksgiving!

Busy, busy!

It's been SO busy around here. Shuffling cars, paperwork, pregnancy, photography, marketing, gardening, organizing, cleaning, etc. I was telling Holly last night that I don't think I can remember when I last felt so inadequate. It's been a long time since I consciously thought, "It would be just GREAT if Jesus came back tonight to call it a wrap." I guess that feeling is actually a good thing, though it's not enjoyable for me. I'm used to being good at what I do, being competent, organized, ready for anything. I just haven't been able to keep it all up lately and it's been discouraging and kinda depressing for me, I guess. Just taking the time to think it through enough to write about it does kinda give it all a little meaning, being able to see how these times do draw me closer to God and help me to remember my dependence on Him. I've been through times like these before and I'm guessing we all have them. Seasons of life...

Well, today I was able to knock out a few things including firewood for the winter, putting the red Explorer up for sale, new cell phones for the office, and figure out new maintenance schedules for the new cars. Yesterday I planted ornamental grasses in our yard to hide utilities and various things. Planted some ivy, too, that I hope will grow up our mailbox. I have ivy from my parents' place in PA growing up the house, too. I hope it all survives the winter and grows nicely next year. If it does, we'll have quite the beautiful house.

Gardening has been a really nice stress-relief.

Miracles Never Cease

One of the really enjoyable things about a notebook computer is being able to take it with you and work while at the coffee shop, etc. One of the really bad things about notebook computers is that if you spill coffee on the keyboard, you don't just mess up your keyboard, you mess up your computer. You already know what happened to me this weekend, don't you?!

Yeah, so Saturday morning is our one morning to get up late, enjoy fresh bagels from Panera and fresh coffee from PrimaCafe (the best coffee roaster I've ever experienced, located here in OKC!). Holly had just come back with the bagels, I had just finished making coffee and I carefully placed my notebook computer on the table... Safely placed between my bagel and my coffee. What was I thinking?!? You guessed it. My finger hooked my coffee after taking a sip and over it went. Not quite all the way, but enough for a few tablespoons of coffee to spill out over onto the keyboard and into the speakers.

I immediately threw a napkin on it, shut it down and took out the battery and powercord. No sizzling sounds, smoke or other scary symptoms. So far so good. Actually, I skipped a step. Somewhere in between throwing a napkin on it and shutting it down, I was crying out for God's mercy on this poor computer and to somehow protect it from frying.

A visit to a "do it yourself" computer repair site and I determined opening it up myself was a bad idea. This isn't my old Dell. A call to the Apple store confirmed that they should probably take a look at it for me before anything else is done and especially before it's turned back on or even plugged back in.

A day later and the Apple store called me up and told me everything looks fine. There apparently was very little coffee actually down past the keyboard. They tested it and all's well. Talk about a huge releif. And an answer to prayer.

It's amazing how often we pray about things and take for granted the outcomes. We used to keep a journal of answers to prayer, but since we moved into our new home, we haven't unpacked it or something, so it's been off our minds. Maybe my blog would be a good way to journal answers to prayer so it's a faith-booster not just to us, but to our friends and family, too.

Nice Eyes!

As some of you know, I lost an eye when I was a child in a bike accident. My good friend Jeremiah Stonge and I were racing down a beautiful hill and I had a most unfortunate speed-wobble right at the bottom. My treasured glass eye was in my shirt pocket and I never did find it despite searching and bleeding all over the place.

My Mom's side of the family are opticians and ophthalmologists, so I soon got another glass eye to play with and freak people out with. =)

Here's a beautiful self-portrait as I get ready for a wedding photography gig tonight. Handsome devil...

Ant Attack!

So this afternoon hit 88 degrees here in beautiful, sunny OKC. I actually changed into shorts and flip-flops before leaving the office. Holly came by and picked me up and we did a photo shoot downtown for a really nice young couple who are celebrating their wedding anniversary.

Does anybody know the Chinese calendar and whether this is the year of the ant? I never thought of ants as mean before moving to Oklahoma. I mean, we had some huge black ants growing up in the Northeast, but I never knew anyone to be bit by them. Man, these tiny little Okie ants have major attitudes. For starters, they build huge nests underground in all the best places for photographs. Unsuspecting photographers wearing flip-flops regularly get taught nasty lessons by the entire colony.

Today I had the great misfortune to #1 be wearing flip-flops, #2 be wearing shorts, #3 kneel down in one of those well-placed colonies. They're called fire ants for a reason. When the burning sensation finally reached my brain, I looked down to see my leg covered in ants. I guess they somehow all got on and then bit all around the same time. I have no idea how I didn't feel them crawl onto my leg.

So I did a little jig and after some whole-hearted leg-slapping I got all the little buggers I could see. Then I was reminded of a rhyme from my childhood days... Something about "ants in your pants that make you dance all the way to France." You get the idea.

So, I'm having a hard time falling asleep. I have bite marks all over my legs and they itch and burn like the dickens. ("The Dickens," by the way, would be a great name for a band, don't you think? I mean, so many things are "like the dickens." Who wants to be the real "dickens?" And worse yet, I keep thinking I feel a stray ant or two wandering around uncharted territories and private property, if you catch my drift. Doesn't matter how much I tell myself it's ridiculous, there's no ant there.

Here's to a newfound respect for one of the world's tiniest critters. I'm buying ant killer this weekend.

Colorful Stickers on Cars, Meaning What?

For probably two or three years, I've been seeing these bumper-stickers with green, and yellow and red vertical stripes/bars and I've been wondering what the significance and meaning is. I've asked people who I thought might know, I've even looked it up on websites that sort symbols and their meanings, but to no avail.

You've probably seen it... Looks like this:Then, out of the blue, today I follow two separate cars with that sticker/symbol and the words "Vietnam Veteran" directly under the symbol on the sticker. Now, why didn't they think to tell us years ago? Apparently, it's designed based on what the service medal looks like for those who served in Vietnam.

It's nice to have finally figured that out. =)

My Princess

Waiting for a customer to show up, I captured this picture of Holly. She wasn't posing for it, obviously, and she's not smiling or anything, but I love the lighting, background and that it shows her little growing belly. =) Isn't that sun-flare awesome?

It's Fall in Oklahoma!