Hmmmm......seems like I forgot about my blog.......

Ok, ok....... with three boys under 35:) , I have no time to have thoughts of my own, let alone organize them and type them out.  I am going to try to be better.  We had a beautiful Christmas filled with almost all the things that I love: family time, LOTS of food, presents and daddy being home from work for a week and a half.  That situation is coming to a screeching halt tomorrow morning and I think I am in some sort of mourning/denial today.  He has been such a help and it is times like these when I wonder why it wasn't in God's plan for us to win the lottery so he could stay home all the time.  But I digress......

I spent most of yesterday feeling so happy, appreciative, hopeful and grateful that I didn't quite know what to do with myself.  I am declaring 2012 the year of doing BIG things.  I have so much hope and excitement in me for what this next year will hold for our family and I have decided that it must be God tapping on my shoulder and trying to tell me that this is the year to dream big and push forward because I am beyond excited to get this year going and I'm not normally quite THIS excited for a new year.  So, look out world.  Gina Ousley is going to be doing some great things this year.  Now I just have to figure out what they are:)

Happy New Year and wishing great things for all of you!

much love,

Gina

Are You There God? It's Me.....Aiden

Most days Aiden will say at least one thing that leaves me either laughing hysterically or scratching my head.  He has been on quite a roll these past few weeks.

Exhibit A:  We were playing in the floor and all the sudden he lets out a deep sigh and puts his head in his hands.  I say, "What's wrong, Aiden?".   He replies, "Mama, I been workin' a lot of years and I'm really getting tired."  Poor guy.  He's going to be worn smooth out by the time he's 9.

Exhibit B:  The very next day, we are rushing around trying to get out the door for school.  Just when I think I've got them heading to the car, Aiden stops and sits down on the stairs, again with his head in his hands and lets out a deep sigh.  "What's wrong, buddy?", I say.  He replies, "Mama, all this playin' and huggin' on bubba (Miller) is really wearing me out." 

Exhibit C:  Last week, Aiden got in trouble and I told him he couldn't go outside to play with all the kids on the street.  This was apparently cruel and unusual punishment because I have never seen him so upset or work so hard to get around something.  He starts trying everything he can to persuade me to let him go outside, but I am sticking to my guns.  He is begging, pleading, promising, getting angry, pouting, pouring on the charm, loving on me--EVERYTHING.  Finally, he relents.....or so I thought.  A few minutes later, he comes back to me and says, "Mama, Jesus told me that it's ok if I go outside and play."  "Oh really?" I replied.  "Yes, He came and told me that it was ok."  I said, "Well, Jesus also says that you should mind your mommy and daddy," I told him.  He thought for a few seconds and then says, "No....he didn't tell me that, He just said that I could go out and play."  Oh my.  What am I going to do with this kid?  He is too smart for his own good--especially when he's trying to get something he wants.  And all this time I had no idea my son had Jesus on speed dial for when he is being punished! 

Exhibit D:  He also does things that make me laugh.  For example, I sent him upstairs to put on his shoes so we could leave the house. He was up there for a while and when he came down, I saw that he had changed his entire outfit--head to toe--and decided that this was what he needed to wear to the grocery store:

 

Super Hero Cowboy?

I hope everyone has a happy weekend!

much love,

Gina

Happy Birthday Daddy

My daddy would have been 65 years old today. Finally to the age to "retire" like he so very much deserved.

He was the rock of our family. He was a happy, amazingly intelligent, handsome, funny, witty, story-telling man who lived every day for his family.

I will never forget the day that forever changed our lives: March 26, 2009. After the doctor came in and told us the news, I have never felt so scared and helpless in my life. I cried for what seemed like forever and then they came to tell us that dad was awake from his procedure. I pulled together all the courage I could muster, wiped the tears from my eyes and put on the bravest face I could so he wouldn't see how scared I was. After a few minutes, he started talking about the night that his mom had lost her battle with cancer. He told us that after she died, he didn't know what else to do, so he went to work. I now realize that he was trying to tell us that it was ok to be sad, but you have to keep going. My dad gave me so many gifts in life, starting with marrying my wonderful mother. But I think the greatest gift he ever gave me was just to live, and to let me watch him do it.  And in the end, he also showed me what it truly means to face all of lifes challenges, including death, with dignity and courage.

At one point during his remarkably brave and courageous battle, I asked him if he was scared. His reply was simple. He said, "No, honey. I'm not scared. I'm just so grateful for you, your mom and your brother." So today, that is what I am going to try my best to remember. He may not have had anywhere near as many birthdays as I wish he had, but while he was here, he really lived and he loved his life and all those who were in it.

I love you and miss you so much daddy and today I'll miss seeing how excited you always were to see your coconut birthday cake.

much love,

Gina

Baby Miller Goes to School

Today was sweet baby Miller's first day of "school".  He's going to our church one day a week this year.  I may have waited and started him next year, but Aiden's favorite teachers from when he was 2 are the teachers for this class and they really wanted Miller, so after some coaxing, I agreed.  Truth be told, I could use some time to get some stuff done!  Let's just say that Miller's favorite things to say right now are "Hold you!" and "NO!".  That combo doesn't allow much time for me to get stuff done:).  I was a little worried about how he would react to me leaving him.  My fears were totally unfounded, to say the least.  Miller was excited about going to school and he was workin' it for the camera!  But first we had to take big brother Aiden to his school:

Then it was off to South Tulsa Baptist for Miller's first day.  I told him mama wanted to take his picture in front of his school and he replied, "GO!".  That's what he says these days instead of saying yes when he wants to do something.  "Miller, do you want to go play?" "Go!"  "Miller, do you want to go outside?" "Go!"  "Miller, do you want to read a book?"  "Go!"  So precious.

I put his backpack on him, which he was really excited about and he stood there in front of the church posing for pictures for at least 5 minutes.  Both of my children are hams for the camera.  I have no idea where they get that from. 

 After I got several shots of him in front of the church, I told him it was time to go inside.  He started walking in like he owned the place, so I decided to just roll with it--taking pictures all the way.  He walked straight in and went right into the classroom that we go to every week.  He didn't understand when I told him this wasn't his class!  But, I told him to follow Ms. Staci (one of his teachers) and he went right into his room.

I stayed for a few minutes and he let me leave without so much as a single tear.  I guess the crying on the first day is for the mamas.  My little baby is growing up.  I am so happy and sad about that all at the same time.  It is such a joy to watch, but I know there will come a day when he won't need me so much anymore.  And I just don't know what I'll do with myself then.  I love you Bubba!

much love,

Gina

Back to School Blues

It was a beautiful morning.  The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and the air was the perfect temperature.  I woke up, casually got dressed, fed everyone a nice family breakfast, got them dressed and off we went out the door to Aiden's first day of school.............NOT EVEN CLOSE!

I woke up to Scott telling me "we have a problem".  The problem was that the torsion bar on our garage door had completely broke in half and my car was trapped inside the garage.  Fortunately for us, he had gotten his car out to go to the gym this morning and it didn't break until he tried to open it when he came home.  So, we tried to get the door up and it was not going to happen.  On to plan B.....switch the car seats to his company car, throw clothes on the kids, beg and plead for Aiden to eat breakfast (who promptly throws it in the trash as soon as I turned my back), throw everything together while literally running through the house trying to get it all done, force my child to pose for pictures, then put them in the car as fast as we can and off to school.  It was at this point that we got behind a person on Yale who was going TWENTY FIVE MILES AN HOUR!!!  Oh my.  My dad always, and I do mean always, used to say to me "pre-planning prevents a poor performance".  Well dad, I pre-planned, then I re-planned and then I planned again and sometimes life just creates chaos when it's the most inopportune time.  Especially when you have small children.  So, I didn't get all my fabulous first day of school pictures that I wanted and the only one I got of me with Aiden was the one I took myself of us hunched down next to the car right before we got in it.  But I was there.  And when I forgot to hug him goodbye because I was trying to hurry for Scott to be able to get to work, I went back.  I hugged him tight and told him to have the best day and that I couldn't wait to hear all about it when he got home.  And it made him smile.  That was all that mattered.  So here is our crazy morning in pictures, although I'm sure you can't tell by looking at them all the chaos that was going on.  And I hope that sweet smile at the door is all I remember of this day in twenty years when I tearfully look at these pictures.

much love,

Gina

A Warm Home

We had a house warming party after we finished the project in our backyard.  It was a crazy two months of construction right outside our bedroom door every morning at 7 am, but I think the end result was worth it.  (More on that later because I PROMISE I am going to take pics tomorrow and post them asap!)  Back to the party......have I mentioned how blessed I am with wonderful friends?  Well, I am.  They are the best friends a girl could ask for.  Most importantly, they are always there for me in good times and have supported me through some bad times.  Here are just a few pictures from the party.  I am so sorry for those who I didn't get pictures of!  But I did want to share the pictures I had:

 And I had to include on of my brother, Michael.  He was the first friend I ever had!

I have so many blessings to count right now that I don't even know where to start.  Thank you so much to everyone who came to the party.I know there were a lot of you who I didn't get pictures with.  I was a bad host and didn't take any pictures.  So, the only ones I have are ones that other people took.  I hope you all know how much Scott and I truly appreciated you being there!  It meant a lot!

much love,

Gina

I Was Running!

I am most definitely NOT a runner.  So when my friend Stacy called me in July and asked if I would run in the Bedlam Run with her, I was terrified....and excited.  I made myself a promise when my dad died that I was going to challenge myself to do something that I would have thought was impossible and then I was going to do it.  The thing I came up with was running a 5K.  I have been going to the gym, but I hadn't been running because it completely wears me out.  Again.....I am NOT a runner....at all.  So, when she asked me to do it, I immediately agreed in an effort to force myself out of my comfort zone.  In doing so, I proved to myself that nothing is impossible.  And not only did I finish the race, but I finished in the top half!  120th out of 306 runners.  Not too shabby for my first time.  I hope my kids will read this one day and see that even if you try to set what you think is an impossible goal for yourself, not only can you meet it, but you can exceed it!

 Me, Stacy and Missy:

Thank you so much to my sweet husband for coming out to support me.  Just having you there helped me so much!  Thank you also to my amazing mother-in-law for staying with the boys so he could go with me.  I can't wait for the next race!

much love,

Gina