List...

Things to Blog about List...
- Po'okela's 10 Month
- Girls Night Spa & Pinterest Party
- Alohi's Princess 1/2 Birthday Party
- Grandma & Grandpa Visit
- All the Places you will go... Alohi & Po'okela

Things I need to get done...
- Packing for our early return to Nebraska
- Laundry so I can pack (which I have been working on since 8 this morning)
- Getting things to people that I have waited until the last minute to get to them (but I was supposed to have until Friday of next week)
- Organize everything to go into the car


Things I am doing now instead of the following things above...
- Blogging about list
- Texting Rylan complaining about leaving early (I wanted to have more time...)
- Flipping through the TV channels delaying all the stuff that needs to get done
- Relaxing since the kids are asleep

What about you?? What list do you have going?? I hope they are more excited than mine.

Eat More Chicken, Wedding, Pops, Texas

Yes the title says it all...

Eat More Chicken...
The catch phrase for Chick-fil-a. This is Alohi's favorite place to eat and play. I think it is more the playing since the play area is great for her petite size. Being back in the city, Chick-fil-a is a place Alohi knew she wanted to eat at.  After the clinical study, that was Alohi's request with going thru about 1 1/2 hours of test.  While there I found out that every tuesday night at their restaurant they have a family night. I wrote down the date that they were going to be doing "back stage tours" in hopes we could make it.  It was a really neat experience to go back in the kitchen to see how they do everything.  Alohi's favorite thing about the back stage tour was that she got to look for "cows" (mini stuff cow with their random sayings).  She found 4! And the crazy part was the manager said she could take them all.  2 went to brother and she got to keep the other 2.  At the end of the tour we got to have a free ice cream cone (Po'okela's favorite part).  It was kind of funny because at the end of the tour we were telling the manager that we really miss Chick-fil-a in Scottsbluff, which then led to a conversation with a guy there who grew up in Scottsbluff.  Small world!  Here are a few pictures from the night (I have more, but I am playing catch up on blogging).

 Above: We had to wear special hats to keep hair out of food. 

Below: Alohi loved the cow (normally she would freak out) & Po'okela just kept staring.

Wedding...
Memorial weekend, Rylan's roommate from college "Red" also known as Robert Douglas got married to Melissa. They had a private ceremony and then had a lovely reception where family & friends could celebrate with them.  It was a beautiful location, the Round Barn.  It did get a little warm... what am I saying it was hot.  Alohi had so much fun with Nolan & Ashley's kids (we share the same  wedding anniversary... They got married in Kansas and us in OKC).  The food was delicious and it are so happy for them.  Here are a couple of pictures...

 The Round Barn

 Nolan, Red (Robert), Ry, Po'okela

Mel with Po'okela (he wasn't happy... hot, tired, hungry boy)

Pops...

After the wedding, we went to POPs with Nolan's family.  The kids got to run around cooling off, pick out chocolate/strawberry milk (because you go to pops for milk??), and hang out with friends we haven't seen in so long.  Pops is a place you can get any soda imagined.  It is off Route 66 and a great place to hang out.  We had a great time!

 Kids playing in the grass... Po'okela loved getting pushed around.

 First taste of root beer

 Rylan & Alohi fighting the crowds to make a selection...

 And she picks... chocolate milk

Alohi and her new friend Sadia

 Family pic

Texas...

My soul sista from college just purchased a house and she hadn't met Po'okela and we were only 3 hours away instead of 16-18 and why not take a short weekend trip to visit!  It was short, with Alohi coming down with a temp saturday evening and then came home with Rylan sick (strep and inner ear infection) and then I got strep... Even with all the illnesses, we had a great time with them and pray God bless them in their new home!

Ro with Anecea; Me with Po'okela

This little guy helped drive while sitting in the parking lot waiting for the restaurant to open for lunch.

There is more to come... this is all I have got and it is time to nurse Po'okela.  However I did want to leave you with two of my favorites from our 9 month photo shoot with Capture1000words.com 

June Randomness

I have so much back blogging to do!! Since getting to OKC our time is going by so quickly. We have done so much and been on the go from the first day getting here.  Hopefully I will be able to put some time aside everyday this week to get caught up on all the things we have done, that way when grandparents get here I will be able to post about that.  I can't wait for them to get here! Hoping Rylan and I will be able to go on a real date!

So here is the randomness happening in no particular order....

Every Sunday Mr. Mike greats us at the door! Alohi always gets her hug from him and he normally has a cup of donut holes waiting for her.  One Sunday Rylan and I volunteered to serve donuts, so Alohi volunteered to help great people with Mr. Mike. I love this picture!!!

Pepaw came over for dinner a couple of nights while Memaw was out of town for business. Alohi had him play dress up with her, but if you look closely at this picture... I think she took the dress Pepaw has around his neck! She loves Pepaw!!

 Weekend sleepovers at B&T's (aka Pepaw & Memaw) are always so much fun!! They got bedtime stories every night!

 Swinging at the park... this was Po'okela's first swing ride. He loved it! Giggled the whole time!

 Zoo dates with the Davis' girls! It was a perfect weather and day at the zoo! We saw so many animals!

 Yep... more time with Memaw! This is from our sleepover weekend. Alohi is helping make mac&cheese.

 One great thing about being at an apartment is having a pool! Po'okela loves the water. We have to watch him carefully because he tips forward to get his hands in the water to splash!

 I love quiet mornings/days at the apartment. I get to watch the kids play together. We always have a tea party!

 When we stay home, I try to get back into our "school time" routine while brother sleeps. I brought a few things when I knew we needed to relax and not be on the go. Here Alohi is doing letter finds with simple magnetic letters.  I have a running check list of the alphabet and mark keep checks on the ones she is able to identify without any help. So far we has 12 out of the 26 master (I only did 12 letters the first day because it can take about 5 minutes).  Here she is finding the letter P for Po'okela or Papa.

 Play time together... Alohi can get into the smallest of places!

 And I sometimes find her in bed with her brother... I try not to let this happen because then they don't sleep so well.  He thinks it is funny... but I think in this picture she had dropped a doll behind packnplay, so was trying to get it.

 Then we have dates with this little man... Mason Reeves.  I got to watch Mason one day while his mommy and daddy got into a jam with work. Alohi and Mason get along so well!! I am sure his mommy and I wouldn't complain if in the future they got together... but I won't marry her off yet!

 Yep... another date with Mason! Here they are being supervised by Po'okela! He is making sure nothing fishy happens!

 A random Sam's trip! Man I miss Sam's... In Nebraska, we drive 1 1/2 hours to get to one and here in Oklahoma I can get to 3 within 20 minutes (and that is me driving to the farthest one!!).  The little old ladies love feeding these two during sample time! Free lunch anyone?!?!

 And to leave the randomness is.... Po'okela who has learned to "crawl" or better described as drag your legs behind you and pull with your arms.  He find himself in unusual spaces now.

Sorry... I couldn't bring myself to leave the last picture of screaming Po'okela! Here is a more peaceful picture of the two kids. Sleeping in their carseats with all the crazy running around, fun things, random things we have been blessed to do during our time here in OKC!

And I just counted... We have about 3 weeks left before we head back to our home in Nebraska... Bittersweet times again!

Po'okela 9 Month & Alohi 3 Year Pixs

I was so happy to be able to get together with our neighbors, who's husband is an amazing photographer and his sidekick wife who does great with kids for pictures.  Unfortunately with the move I never got Po'okela's 6 month pictures done, but I keep telling myself the moments I have been able to capture at home won't ever compare.  Here's the link to check them out!! And now the directions to find them... click on the link, then go to the tab captured memories, then families, and find Kocher Family.

I keep going back to them and looking at them!!

If you are in need of a photographer... Please check out Jeff and Syndi's site!!!
Capture1000words
http://www.capture1000words.com/