A day at the park...

I met my friend Amber and one of her friends at the park today to take some oh so cute pictures of three precious little ones. Here are a few of my unedited favorites.

Scrumptious

I made an oh so scrumptious pizza a couple days ago. It was piled high with everything I love, cheese, green & yellow peppers, spinach, tomatoes, basil, crushed red pepper, cheese…….Oh did I already mention cheese, well it is my favorite part of pizza and the main contributor to the size of my backside.

Here is what you need:

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 lb fresh spinach leaves
1 yellow pepper
1 green pepper
Crushed red pepper (for taste)
½ cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup Mozzarella cheese
3 ¼ cup All-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water (120-130 degrees)

Here is what you do:
Pizza Dough-
1) In large bowl combine 1 ¼ cups flour, yeast, and ¼ teaspoon salt; add warm water and oil. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat on high speed 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
2) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic.
3) Divide dough in half. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes
4) Spread dough out onto baking stone or pizza pan.
5) Sprinkle dough with olive oil, crushed red pepper, and ¼ cup parmesan cheese.

Toppings-
1) Cover bottom of skillet with thin layer of olive oil and pressed garlic clove.
2) Begin sautéing spinach.
3) Cut yellow and green peppers into choice shape and add to spinach.
4) Sauté for 5-7 minutes.
5) Spoon mixture onto dough; add sliced tomatoes, basil, and a combination of mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 425 degrees.



Enjoy,
Jen

Is it possible?

Is it possible that this little guy, holding a puppy in one hand and his brother’s hand in the other be old enough for prom?


It is somehow possible and this past weekend my little cousin all grown up went to prom. Looking beyond handsome with a stunning date at his side………


Boutonnieres were pinned on…………


Hair was perfectly fixed……..


The car was gassed up, washed, and ready to escort Mark and Sydney to prom…..



And they are off......


Uncle Erland was asked, along with many other fathers’ of prom goers, to be a valet parking attendant. He was such a sport to wear the ‘silly hat’ which went in line with the Asian theme party.



Mark and Sydney have arrived at prom……….


They looked great and had a great time!!

The wind comes sweeping down the plains......

At 4:30am last Thursday I was rudely woken up. My body was prepared for Tim MaGraw, Carrie Underwood, or Lady A to sing me awake, but was not prepared for a roaring wind outside my window to rudely wake me from dreamland. Having lived in tornado alley for quite a few years now, I am use to thunderstorms…..the cracking of thunder, the impressiveness of lighting (which I am secretly petrified of), the wind, the rain……….but my friends Thursday morning was a different sound.

As I lay in bed unable to hear my radio sitting on my bedside table right next to me, I realized this storm was something more than a typically Oklahoma thunderstorm. It was at this exact moment when I realized something was just not right, that we lost power. Like a dummy I laid in bed, paralyzed with fear, yet thinking I really need to seek shelter or at least get away from my bedroom window, so that anything that impales the window will not impale me as well. But sadly I continued to just lay there waiting for the terrifying noise outside my window to pass.

It did pass in time, our power came back on, and I immediately went to seek insight as to what just happened. As I flipped on the T.V., I noticed we were simply under a severe thunderstorm warning. I got up and began getting ready for the day. I was on my way out the door when I received a text from my boss explaining that the power may be out at the office and I could just stay put at home until she contacted me to tell me it was okay to come into work.

I never made it in to work last Thursday…………..our office didn’t have power restored until late afternoon, and the roads were covered with debris which made it difficult to navigate. As news began to filter in during the day it was determined that what I heard was not a thunderstorm after all, it was the winds generated from a tornado.

Since work was no longer on the books for the day, I ventured out to see what damaged had been done in our neighborhood……………………

Parts of roofs were missing…..


Trees were blown down……




Branches needed to be cut off power lines…..


There were many parts of town that looked like a war zone. Yet, the extraordinary blessing that came from this event was that not a single person was hurt from the 3-5 touch downs this tornado had in the Tulsa area.

Love,
Jen

Touch my life.

I was driving to work the other day and heard these lyrics............

When I think I'm going under, part the waters, Lord

When I feel the waves around me, calm the sea

When I cry for help, oh, hear me

Lord and hold out Your hand

Touch my life

Still the raging storm in me.

-Selah

Lyrics that will remain in my mind and heart as I face difficulty and feel I am going under.

Love ya,
Jen

Nothing better than a man in pink!!

Today I spent a chilly.....


for Oklahoma standards,

Mother’s Day at Driller’s Stadium,

watching a few hotties in pink



kick some NWA booty, 9-0.


I was not alone watching these man honor their moms in pink, I brought a few friends along…………


Kristy (our summer intern) and Christy (our ED)


and Hornsby and Joyce

Pink was the color of the day.......






I think I am safe to use the word tradition….after an event has occurred for a few years, right? Well tradition or not, yesterday the Driller’s teamed up again with Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Tulsa. The players wore pink jerseys that were auctioned off by the Tulsa Komen staff. We were able to raise nearly $5,000 all of which will stay within the Komen Tulsa service area, to be granted out for further dedication to breast screenings and education.


It was a fantastic Mother's Day for everyone!!


The End,
Jen

A day for special thanks!

Today I thank my mother, which I should do every day for being the beyond superhero caliber mother she is. A mother is many things..........

A woman of faith
A woman of selflessness
A woman of dignity
A woman of unending love
A woman of grace
A woman of strength
A woman of great character
A woman of unmatched honor
A woman that never quits
A woman of tenderness

My mama happens to be all these things and so much more, but the most important aspect of my mama is that she is one of my best friends. A friend I can share everything with (more than she probably wants to ever hear), a friend that never falters in her strength and encouragement, a friend that is genuinely proud of me when I am overflowing with excitement from an accomplishment, a friend that wants to hold me in my time of pain even when her arms can't reach, a friend that I am so blessed to call my mama!

I love you Mama!!!
Jen

Bucket for the Cure

KFC restaurants and Susan G. Komen for the Cure® are teaming up for a nationwide breast cancer awareness campaign.

Through May 30th or while supplies last, nearly 5000 KFC franchises participating, are selling specially designed pick buckets, as a fun side note, this is the first time the Colonel has received a color change since inception. The pink buckets inscribed with the names of survivors associated with the KFC family and those who have lost their battled to breast cancer will be filled with grilled or Original Recipe chicken. For every pink bucket sold during this campaign KFC pledges 50 cents per bucket to Komen, with a minimum donation of $1 million yet a goal of raising more than $8 million.

As a great promotional event, the Tulsa Affiliate, K-Hits Radio,

and the 71st and Memorial KFC partnered up today to draw attention to this wonderful nationwide campaign.


We had a great time meeting people...........




hanging out with the great KFC employees,


watching customers play games,




giving radio interviews,


and of course eating..........



Some of us do not have a diet conducive for the Double Down so a vegetarian plate was brought out to me.


It was a great time for an extraordinary cause!!


Love ya,
Jen