Woodward Park pics

Our last evening in Tulsa, we took Lexi and Mark to Woodward Park and invited our favorite photographer (Kelly) to join us and snap a few pics of the two munchins. While I anxiously await her blog site previews and the proofs, here are a few of my favorites that Tim and Mom snapped.

Summer Holidays 2009

Well, where to start? My last blog entry was the 4th of July, but since then, we attended the Allen Family Reunion at MarVal Family Camping outside of Gore, Oklahoma, we flew back to Norway and spent a few days in Arendal during the Offshore Class One Boat Races and then spent a few days in Feda working on the boathouse. Whew! And today was back to "the grind" of work and daycare. So, here are a few fun pics from the last few weeks.

Grammy and Gampa (PaPa) got to have Lexi and Mark all to themselves for three whole days. I think the closing comment was that they have great respect for daycare workers.... :)

You just can't beat corn on the cob in the summer

And, sidewalk chalk! Grammy and Gampa (PaPa) pulled out all of the stops...
The next few pics are from the family reunion. With the heat and humidity that we had, the pool was the most popular place. Even Lexi "took the plunge". Who planned a family reunion in the heat of July in Oklahoma???
Bumper boats...

Our cabin was outside of the main area. So, it was easier to have a golf cart to haul the food and little ones around...

Grandpa and two of his brothers

Peck, JW and Grandpa Ed (from left to right)

Bran & Grandma

And yes, we all had to have matching t-shirts...

John, Kris and Mark at the pool

Tim, Bran and Lexi waiting for the main meal on Saturday

A very hungry Lexi with zero patience for the speeches

Back in Norway, here is the Dubai boat that won this year's Offshore Class One Race Circuit in Arendal

2000hp and 280km/hr (175 mph)

Tim & Lexi on the ferris wheel in Flekkefjord during the Salmon Festival

Bran on the ferris wheel

And, I have to conclude with this picture. Princess Lexi has been EVERYWHERE with us. She had worn her new princess skirt (from Aunt Kristy) EVERY day since arriving back in Norway. Even during some naptimes... She is so hard-headed, you can't peel it off of her. Of course, she HAD to wear "princess" to her first day back at daycare today. That was certainly expected. What put a smile on my face was when we got home from daycare. Off came the trousers and t-shirt - leaving her tank top, socks and princess skirt. In her typical fashionista style, she chose to add her black Mary Janes and her princess purse - while riding her scooter around the house (duh, of course!)

PS - her tank top says "Dancing Makes me Happy". It is such a true statement. I'm going to have to see how early I can enroll her into a dance class or something similar...

Happy 4th of July!

Well, despite the morning weather of gray clouds (which did not look too promising), our afternoon/evening 4th of July pool party / celebration turned out to be a success and great fun. We spent time swimming, grilled hamburgers and hotdogs (and many other yummy side dishes), over-indulged on cake & ice cream (and fruit tart and cake balls), were entertained by John and PJ shooting off our "child friendly" fireworks and ended the evening watching the enormous firework show that our neighbors put on every year.

By the time we got Lexi and Mark out of the pool, fed and into their 4th of July t-shirts for pictures, Lexi wasn't too cooperative. We might have to stage a re-take. Here is the best 4th of July pic of them for 2009 (taken on my camera). And to prove that there were others present for our fun day, I have added a small selection of pics. I think the only people that I don't have pictures of is our friends PJ & Lisa! (...managed to get their gorgeous children Britton & Leyton)

No risk of drowning in the kiddie pool....

Lexi "turned the corner" on Saturday. Despite her normal reluctance to even stick a toe in the big pool, on Saturday, she was keen to get in and swim with me. I didn't dare get out of the water :) We stayed in for as long as she wanted which was probably 45 min or more. Then, she got in again twice more the same day!

Aunt Kristy and Cousin Mark (Mark knows no fear. He LOVES the water...hence, the double flotation devices)

Grammy and PaPa (aka Gampa)

Leyton, Britton and Mark

Grammy & Mark Thomas Uncle John, Cousin Mark and Aunt Kristy

Great Granny Bitting, Cousin Jonathan and Aunt Kristy

Great Grandma and Grandpa Allen

Lexi and Papa ("my papa")

Mark Thomas and Cousin Jennifer

Cousin Jonathan

Aunt Brenda and Lexi

Lexi and Maggie the princesses!

Even though I just uploaded a blog entry yesterday, I couldn't resist adding a couple more pictures. Lexi loves Maggie (the chocolate lab), and Maggie is very tolerant of Lexi. Seeing this picture makes me feel slightly guilty that I can't give Lexi the joy of having a dog for a pet like I did while growing up. Sigh, sigh. Oh well, she has Grammy & Grandpa's Maggie and can also visit Cousin Mark who has Mobley and Rocky. We'll just have to be satisfied with visiting dogs :)

Finally getting to see Cousin Mark again!

Yeah! We are here! We are back in Oklahoma after nearly a year away. Lexi and I are probably the only ones not complaining about the intense heat, as we are loving every minute of it! We left Norway Friday morning and arrived in Tulsa at 11:15 pm Friday night. Lexi was a super traveler, but we were both tired upon arrival.

On Saturday morning, Aunt Kristy and Cousin Mark (in his PJs too) came over to greet Lexi as she was waking up. What fun to see the two of them together again and how frustrating to constantly referee the hair-pulling, touching, sharing crisis' that plague an 18 and 30 month old! If you want to see some more fun pics, you should check-out Mark's Blog - there is a hyperlink from the right hand panel on this blog. Kristy has uploaded some blog entries about some of their fun adventures this week.

So, Saturday was a busy day of breakfast with Mark, haircut (both Lexi and I), naptime, playtime with Mark, a visit from Great Granny Bitting and dinner with the family. Sunday was another fun day of Sunday school, breakfast out, naptime, visting Great Grandma and Grandpa Allen, swimming pool time at Mark's neighborhood pool and pizza with the family.

On Monday morning, I drove to Duncan to start a week of work. Lexi stayed in Tulsa to enjoy a week with Grammy and Grandpa and Maggie (the dog). Since Kristy was off work on Monday and Tuesday, she and Mark joined Grandpa and Lexi on some more exciting adventures to the zoo, Arby's, McDonalds, the splash park, etc. The fun just goes on and on....

Here are some pics from Saturday and Sunday... these are from Mom's camera.

Princess Lexi has donned her attire in Tulsa as well (compliments of Cousin Mark...) The game was: Who can squeal the loudest? I think Lexi won...

Nothing better than attacking Grandpa...