At the beginning of August, my mom and brother came down for a little visit. There’s not a ton of things to do in this town, but there are some jewels, especially if you’re into horses – like me and my mom. When I moved to Amarillo about 8 years ago, they came down for a visit and we went to the AQHA Museum. A few years ago they completely remodeled the museum, so we went this summer to see what the new museum looked like.
They really did remodel the entire interior and some of the exterior of the museum. When you first walk in the door, you’re greeted by this amazing medallion that hangs in the Grand Hall.


The lighting inside wasn’t great, so I didn’t get a ton of interior photos. This is one of my favorites though:

Before the remodel, they had it set up so that you could sit on fake horses inside the starting gates. It’s obviously not like that anymore, but I love how the new lighting really shows off the gates.
One of my favorite parts of the museum though is actually what’s on the outside. I love the statues of the great Quarter Horses, like:
Rugged Lark

Refrigerator

Dash for Cash

I’m not sure which horses these two are, but I love these statues as well:


The wall that they just completed is really cool as well:

If you’re ever driving through the Amarillo area, be sure to stop in and check out the museum. It’s $4 for non-members and free for members of the AQHA.

I’ve been wanting to get a macro lens for quite some time now. None of my lens would really let me get close-up and they don’t give you that nice bokeh background (which I love). It’s either everything is in focus or everything behind what I want to be in focus is in focus. I knew that a macro lens would solve this dilemma for me (it’s such a bad dilemma). Plus, it’s going to be great for photographing food. Another reason that I wanted it is because I’m taking an international trip soon and there’s going to be plenty of things that I want to get close-ups of (like really close-up) – most of which likely be food. Paella in Barcelona, crepes in France and pasta in Venice, will look delectable with this lens.

Here are a few shots I took yesterday afternoon with it:

Today an unfortunate incident occurred. The famous Admiral Twin Drive-In Theater burned down. The structure was wood, so the owner could not insure it. Today it went up in flames. Just this afternoon, however, a Facebook page to save the Admiral Twin has already been constructed and already has over 4700 fans.

I remember going to the drive-in as kids. It was the largest drive-in in Oklahoma with double screens. I remember lying in the back of our Dodge Dakota eating snacks and watching Casper. I also remember falling asleep during many movies because they always started so late! Heck, I’m guilty of that today!

My mom called and told me the news of it today. She remembers seeing the original Planet of the Apes there and remembers growing up and going with her sister and brother-in-law as kids. It will be interesting to follow the story to find out exactly why and how it burned down. Tulsa isn’t the city that I remember as a child. There’s been a lot more crime there these days. I hope that they are able to reconstruct the Admiral Twin. Thousands of people have memories from that place.

In addition to being a landmark of Tulsa, it was also a setting in The Outsiders. I think I was about 1 when that movie was produced, but I remember watching it several times and being in awe that they shot a movie at our drive-in theater. I’m sure you remember The Outsiders with Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, Diane Lane, Leif Garrett, and others. They were all teenagers when the movie was made. I just learned today it was also directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

The theater has been in Tulsa since 1951. It was opened with a single screen originally and a second screen was added a year later when it was renamed from the Modern Aire to the Admiral Twin. The theater is also considered a Route 66 landmark since Admiral Street followed the Route 66 alignment before the highway was built.

Visit the Save the Admiral Twin Facebook page for photos of the drive-in before and after the fire. It’s sad day for Tulsa, but it looks like the city might pull together to rebuild it from what I see on Facebook.

Who in Tulsa doesn’t remember a night like this:

Photo by Patabelena on Flickr.

Donations to help rebuild the screens: Attention Admiral Twin Drive-In / Select Cinemas, Security Bank 51st & 169 or P.O. Box 1165 Jenks, OK 74037

Admiral Twin Drive-In – A Tulsa Legend from Garrett Danz on Vimeo.

A couple of weekends ago I posted about the odd excursion to Kansas that me, my mom, son and brother took so that mom could buy a Jeep. Also, that weekend, the whole reason I went to Tulsa in the first place was for my grandma’s 80th birthday party. She’s had some health issues the last few years and her memory is fading, but we the party went quite well. This morning I saw that I Heart Faces posted a blog about photographing large groups. It just so happened that we did a large group shot of the whole family in the game room of the little restaurant that my grandparents eat at regularly. All I can say is thank goodness I brought my entire camera bag, because we needed the wide angle lens for this group big time.

We had nearly the entire family at the even minus my husband and sister (he didn’t make the trip to hold down the fort and my sister’s car broke down at the last minute). I’m sure we were missing a few others too. But, as you can see, this bunch was a bit unruly and there’s always one or two that don’t exactly follow the group picture taking rules, as you can see:

My cousin Faith is covering up cousin Zeke’s face (in all of the pictures not just the one we eventually decided on) and cousin Dylan has his hat too low and you can’t see his eyes. There were a few in the back that probably didn’t want to be seen too well anyhow, so we do have a few lost back there. But, hey, everybody but my son is looking at the camera! I have no idea what he was looking at. Considering the conditions we had to work with and the unruly bunch, I’d say we didn’t do too bad of a job setting this group shot up. After all, it is one heck of a group. Lol.

Here’s me and my family with Nanna as well.

And then there was this random shot. I think the only reason I actually look good in this one is because of the bite of burger in my mouth. Lol.

Okay, that’s probably the first and last time you’ll ever see a picture of me on my own blog.

Oh, and I almost forgot, my mom made a slide show of pictures from throughout Nanna’s life. I’ll try to get some of those from her to share here.

Ever since TJ started going to his new school, he’s been getting up earlier and earlier every morning.  I have no idea why. He goes to bed at the same time each night, maybe just a few minutes earlier.  Last night he went to bed late even and today literally woke up just before the crack of dawn. Seriously, like 5 minutes before daylight.

I know that he’s getting worn out at school and I know he’s taking a nap there, just like he would at home, because I watch him do it on the mommy cam.  I’m really perplexed at why he’s suddenly gone from getting up at 8 am to getting up at 6:55 am.  I’m not a morning person and when I’m cuddled up all snug in my bed and the bedroom door opens and I hear “Momma!” It’s not pleasant – especially when the clock says 6:55 am.

Oh, son, why can’t you let your momma sleep?

I wonder if it’s because he wants to watch cartoons?

I think I’m going to need a lot of this today:

It seems that the summer is coming to an end.  It has been a bit cooler around these parts, but you can still feel that an unbearably hot day is still a possibility.  The theme over at I Heart Faces this week is photojournalism. I made this collage of portraits of TJ from each month this summer (May-August) and I know that summer technically starts in June, but it always seems to start in May for us.  I thought it was perfect for Sweet Shot Tuesday this week as well, so I’m posting it here too.

I’m putting these two days together, as I didn’t have a chance to post last night. Here’s the rules:

Day Three:

“…love suffers long, and is kind…” 1 Cor. 13:4

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”Phil. 4:19

Love indeed suffers long and is kind. As you consider your Encouragement Challenge, determine today that you will not say anything negative to or about your husband. Speak kindly to him with words of genuine encouragement.

If your husband is considerate of your needs, let him know that you have noticed. Thank him for his kindness and consideration. Thank the Lord that your husband knows how to be both tough and tender.

Sometimes it’s difficult for a man to be gentle, kind or tender – especially if he hasn’t had role models in these areas. If he’s not a considerate person, appeal to him for help without complaining. Let him know that it’s hard for you to handle some things alone. Then, when he moves in to help, don’t insist that he do it your way. Be glad that he is responding, and express your gratitude.

Ultimately, you can’t expect your husband to make you feel more secure, loved, etc. Remember that only God can meet the deepest needs of your heart.

Day 3 turned into a work day for us somehow. We both sat down to do some quick work and ended up working all day.  It was a really quite day and TJ hung out and watched movies and TV.  Overall it was a pretty good and positive day. I think our situation is a bit different since we work from home. Despite it turning into a work day on us, he actually took a pretty long nap, which I’m sure he needed. TJ’s been an early riser lately and he’s learned to open doors, so he’s waking us both up.

Day Four:

“…let him labor, working with his hands what is good…” Eph. 4:28

We are all accountable for the things we say, both negative and positive words. Have you embraced the challenge to speak only positive things to your husband and to others about him? Here’s a suggestion that touches the core of your husband’s world.

Some women take their husband’s career for granted, and they show it in many ways. Do you “dump” on your husband at the end of the workday, or do you strengthen and encourage him with your words? A wise wife will make her husband feel that she values and appreciates his work. Let him know that you are glad he is a hard worker. Take opportunities to praise his diligence and resourcefulness to others.

If your husband is out of work, unable to work, or refuses to work, you’ll need to be more creative. Praise him for a character quality that you see in him that would be a vital part of a successful career – such as persistence, decisiveness, strength, an analytical mind, organizational skills, good with people, good listener, determination, etc.

Today was Day 4 and there were a couple of moments of tension between us regarding work related matters, but overall it’s been pretty pleasant.  TJ has started a new daycare so we don’t feel so much pressure from him on Mondays, which is a traditionally busy work day, and it makes things a lot easier on us as a whole.  I think we tend to “dump” work on each other since our business and lifestyle is a bit different.  He’s always been a persistent and driven worker, so I know that I need to show him some more appreciation in this area as well.

Today’s rules:

“…through love serve one another.” Gal. 5:13b

How did you do yesterday with your first day of blessing and encouraging your husband? Was it easy? Was it hard to hold your tongue when you wanted to say something negative? We hope you’re off to a good start. (If you blew it, don’t give up – start again today!) There are so many practical things you can praise, if you look for them.

Today, find some way that your husband is serving you or your family. Does he help around the house? Take care of the car? Fix things that are broken? If your budget allows, give him a new, small tool with a big bow attached. But make sure he doesn’t think it’s part of a “Honey Do” list!

Maybe your husband’s not a handyman, but does he run errands for you? Let you go first? Take care of you when you are sick? Help you make decisions? Praise him for his willingness to serve others. Let him know that you see his unique service as a great strength.

Yesterday went quite well.  He really loved his little Thank You note messages.  I think it put him on a positive note for the morning, which is always a good thing!

Today went quite good as well. He had garage sale part 2, in which we didn’t make as much money as we did from garage sale part 1, but we got rid of some stuff and at the end of the afternoon I didn’t have to put too much back in the attic so the attic is still relatively clean. We then made our trip to Wal-Mart and got a ton of stuff.  Since he does do the majority of the stuff around the house, his “gift” so to speak was not having to do any more than pulling the towels out of the dryer. I even got all of the clothes put up! Yay! It usually takes me a week to get that done. Lol.  All in all, I think we’re off to a pretty good start with this challenge. We did have a small tiff over a work related issue, but personally things are going pretty good.

A friend of mine that I went to high school with has decided to take part in this 30 Day Husband Encouragement Challenge and I’ve decided to take part. If there’s anything that he needs, it’s a little encouragement and I’m actually reminded of this daily. Of course, he’s not going to know this is going on and he doesn’t read my blog because he doesn’t like to read! Lol. I’m starting this on an odd day I know, but today’s just as good as any!

So here’s the rules for Day 1:

Day One:

“The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.” Prov. 31:11-12

To refresh your memory…here’s the 30-Day Encouragement Challenge…for the next 30 days:

* You can’t say anything negative about your husband …to your husband…or to anyone else, about your husband.

* Say something that you admire or appreciate about your husband…to your husband…and to someone else, about your husband!

To help you get started, have you ever thanked your husband for “choosing you” above all other women? He found you attractive as a person, and appreciated you. Though many circumstances in your marriage may have changed, let your husband know that you are glad God led you together, and that you want to be a blessing to him for the rest of your marriage. Let him know that he can trust you to be in his corner.

One of the best opportunities to express your gratitude is first thing in the morning. How do you greet your husband each morning? Is he confident in your love? Give him a “wake up call” that he’ll never forget-a big “I love you” and an “I’m so glad I’m your wife!”
Awhile back I bought a bunch of sticky notes from Knock Knock that are “Thank You” Post-It notes. So today, he’s going to get little notes of encouragement in unexpected places. The first one is stuck to his computer monitor already.

To learn more about this challenge, check out Revive Our Hearts.

Although we do work from home, we decided about a year ago that it’s pretty imperative that TJ gets out and plays with other kids. Of course, at his age, the only real option for that is a babysitter, a Mother’s Day Out or a daycare.

We actually had a great babysitter who had a little boy that was just about a week older than TJ. It was fun watching them grow together and hit milestones together, but they had to move when her husband got a promotion. We’re actually still friends with her through FaceBook and really loved her as a babysitter and we couldn’t ever find anyone to fill her shoes.

So, we tried a Mother’s Day Out. It was also great, but the downside is that you only get two days a week. It would have been ideal if we could have got three days a week from them, but that wasn’t an option. It was also really cheap, but this isn’t really about the money.

We had looked at several daycares in town in the past before deciding on either of the two options above, but couldn’t ever find one that we really liked. For TJ’s age initially, they pretty much just hung out in playpens all day. What’s the point of that when we can do that at home?

Over the summer we also had a friend of ours’ daughter sort of nanny and clean the house for us. Of course, she’s in high school and had to go back to school this week, so we had to find a place for TJ to spend a few days a week.

My husband’s mom was getting her hair done one day and someone in the shop mentioned that she was using a new daycare in town. She said that it was a little higher, but she really liked it. So, we went and checked it out the next day and loved it.
Other than cribs for the infants, there wasn’t a playpen in sight. Even the infant rooms had toys and stuff for them to play with. The toddlers take their naps on cots too. This was a good initial sign to us. They also have mommy cam’s so you can log in and watch your kid play in their classroom or the gym. They feed them organic and healthy meals and snacks too. Even the milk is organic. For those parents that work, they have “get well” rooms if your kid is sick and you have to work. They also help with potty training, although it could be perfected a bit, we realize that we started a little earlier than most and we’re still grateful that they are helping with that. Once he hits the two year old class, they start to focus on it even more. It really doesn’t get much better or modern than this. It’s a great addition to the Amarillo area.

Also, unlike many daycares that make you commit to a full week and paying for it even if you don’t use it, you can pick the days that your kid goes as long as the days are the same each week. So, we take TJ three days a week and it’s perfect. It’s that extra time we needed to work and he gets to play with a bunch of kids. We know he’s playing hard too, because he comes home starving!

Truthfully, we never really wanted to put TJ in a daycare of any sort, but it became apparent to us how much he really loves to play with other kids and it actually just makes sense to take him to one. Although, I’d be lying if I said my fingers aren’t crossed hoping that he never gets sick! Being home all of the time has really kept him illness free.