Quote of the Week

Setting: Jordan, Claire, and I are driving in the car. Jordan and I are talking. Claire pipes in with this:

Claire: Dad, how do you wake people up at work?
Jordan: Well, I primarily turn off the anesthetic gases.
Claire: Well, sometimes you can scream to wake people up.

Love it! And Claire has found my pink shoes. She wears them every day!

OKC Memorial

The week before Jordan started working, we visited Chris and Rebecca in Oklahoma City. While there, we ate LOTS of good   excellent food, and we did a little bit of sight-seeing.

The Oklahoma City Memorial was peaceful, yet sobering. I think that's only appropriate.

The gate of time for 9:03. There is another gate of time at the opposite end of the reflection pool for 9:01. 

Each chair represents a person who was killed because of the explosion. 

The arrangement of the chairs is based on where each person was when the bombing occurred. The nine rows of chairs represent the 9 floors of the Federal Building. Five chairs on one end of the arrangement represent the 5 people who died who were outside the building when the bomb went off.

The smaller chairs represent children. 

Claire was not somber at all; she was her happy, little, smiley self

The Survivor Tree - Chris and Jordan walked around it, and (only later did I learn) that, although one side of the tree is charred from the blast of the bomb, the other side of the tree is alive and well. I wish I had walked around it, but at least I can still see the symbolism inherent in the burned, yet living, beautiful tree.

Valentine's Week

Last week Claire and I spent a few days in Houston with, as Claire would say, "Stepen,Mel,Kyle,Ryan,Evan." (She says it super quickly!) Jordan was able to join us after he finished work for the week. (It's still kind of surreal that he's working - for pay! That's exciting!)

(While still at home,) Claire made some Valentine's for our loved ones.

On Valentine's Day we decorated some sugar cookies that Claire and I had made earlier in the week.

I watched Stephen and Mel's kids while they went out on V-day, and they watched Claire so Jordan and I could go out on Saturday. I love that we can exchange babysitting like that!

Claire spent the rest of her time there playing with cousins. She loves playing with cousins. Here, she and Ryan are taking naps. Looks comfy, right?!

Those cousins had plenty of playtime on the new swing set in the backyard, at the park, in the play room, and in the bathtub. Claire had a "near-death" experience, (not really, but she was scared out of her mind!), as she tried to follow Kyle's footsteps and go from the rope ladder to the opening in the swing set where the slide is supposed to be. (Long story about the slide; don't ask. - But it is up now!) Claire is not as old, big, experienced, or brave as Kyle, and so she didn't make it. When I heard some commotion outside, I looked out the window to see Claire hanging from the edge of the swing set. Kyle was gripping her hands trying to keep her from falling down, but one hand slipped away. Claire screamed even more. And then I got to her, so she didn't have to fall down. She was scared, but she wasn't hurt at all. By nap time that afternoon, she was completely worn out. She had the biggest breakdown I've seen from her in a long time - maybe ever! She had had some late nights and early mornings with Ryan, which added to her tiredness after playing outside so much that day. Thankfully, nap time can work wonders!

And speaking of naps, I think I'll go take one right now, since everyone else in my house is, too!

Working Man!

Jordan's first day of work was yesterday! Hooray! The process to get credentialed at each location where he will work is just that - quite a process. But it's basically complete! Here's to a great day two!