Worth the Wait.

Saturday, December 7, 2013, was one of the most amazing days of my life thus far! My sweet Nicholas Cooper asked me to marry him and I wanted to write it for the record, my thoughts and my feelings, because it was absolutely perfect and  I want to be able to look back and reminisce on how the day went!

So here goes...

     Thursday, Dec. 6, we had a big snow/ice storm roll into Oklahoma City in the afternoon, which I absolutely loved, because who doesn't love snow?! I love how beautiful a nice blanket of snow looks on the ground, so pretty! More snow came in over the night into Friday, which caused many people to be snowed in, which I'm sure no one minded too much =] My mom sister and aunts had scheduled to go over to my sisters on Saturday for Christmas cookie baking, but that had to be cancelled due to the weather. I was sad, but kinda grateful, because I love getting to lay around and not shower and stay in sweats on the weekends, especially with it cold outside! It is a good excuse to try to snuggle up to Nick hahaha, but not only that, the OU/OSU game was on and I wanted to really watch every min of the game, because if OU were to beat OSU, it would be a big upset to the Stilly fans and I wanted to witness it!
So Saturday, Nick and I got to lounge around watching the Bedlam game in our sweats and just hangout. The game was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! Oh my goodness!!! Ok even if you were a Cowboys fan, you'd still have to admit the game was GOOD! OU ended up winning (Yay!) but it was a fun game, because it kept going back and forth with scoring and was action filled! So we had a great time watching the Sooners bring home the WIN. During the game, Nick had mentioned he needed to go out to check on his houses..
( Nick started his own company, Redstone Custom Homes, and he works very hard at making sure he is there at every step of the way with his contractors and clients, so he is always running out to his
current houses to check on the status and make sure everything looks good and everyone's happy. His dad and brother work with him too and they all have that same trait!)
..we also needed to go to the grocery store, because it had been a few weeks and we needed some things, so he said he could go to his houses and I could run to the store, then when we get back we could go grab some dinner then maybe see a movie. He also suggested that we should get ready before we ran the errands so we'd be ready for dinner..
( Hindsight: He suggested that, because if he didn't, he knew I would most likely go to wal-mart dressed and looking like the people on that website "the people of wal-mart" haha because on the weekends..well..if you've seen me.. You know.)
          So we got ready and I went to wal-mart. When I was about to check out, I had called Nick because I wanted to see if we could make dinner plans with Moni and Johnny, because they were available to do something, so he said we would talk about it when I got back and he asked me to call him when I got to the car, so he would know to help me bring stuff in. So, I called him on my back and I was like, " so do you think we can make dinner plans with our friends tonight? Where were we planning on going?" And Nick said, " you'll never believe what happened..One of my clients was at their house when I went to check on it and he said him and his wife stayed at this cottage rental last night in Guthrie for a small getaway and he loved the fireplace there and he wants me to build this fireplace in their home and wants me to go look at it tonight, before they have to give the keys back." I was like, " are you serious? Tell him no! It is Saturday night and what if you wouldn't have even gone out there?!" He was like, " well he said he was about to call me about it." So I just said ok that's fine, then I texted my friends and told them we had a change of plans to run up to Guthrie, so I didn't know when we would be able to meet up. I got back and nick helped me unload the groceries, then we jumped in his truck to go check out this cottage fireplace. We were just driving along and I asked, "so he just gave you the key and gave you directions to this place?" Nick said, "yup" and he said he could just go in take a few pics then we could talk about dinner. We finally get there after going down some back roads, and we pull into the place and they are little single cottages that are so cute and we drive down to this one that is called the French Hen. We pull up and I asked Nick if I should go in, and he said, " if you want to." So, I decided to hop out so I could see what the inside of the place looks like! We get to the front door and there is a sign that is turned around.. For a sec. I thought about turning it over but then I didn't, because I just wanted to get in and make it quick. When we walked in, I noticed to my right, there were cookies sitting on a tray and my first though was.."I am going to steal a cookie on the way out!" Then I walk I some more and notice this fireplace on the left and look at it and say, " what in the heck ? There is nothing really special about this fireplace?" Then I kept walking through and nick said " hey come here" so I walked over to him in front of the bed, and he dropped to one knee!!!!! I just immediately froze. I thought he was kidding at first, and I actually said , " oh my gosh are you kidding me???!?!?" Hahaha I didn't know what else to say I was just in shock! Then I just broke out crying and he said some sweet things that involved wanting to spend the rest of his life with me and loving me with his whole heart and then asked me to marry him!!!!!! but I can't really remember exactly what was said, because my stomach was in knots and felt like a stomach feels when you're on a roller coaster! I was just soooooo happy and had so many emotions going through my head! It was the best feeling in the whole entire world!!! I think I said "yes" to his question but I honestly don't remember that real well either! Haha but we just hugged and kissed and it was so perfect! Then I look and see my mom and sister waving at me in the window and I got even more confused!!! I just had no idea what was going on! So they came in and congratulated us, then Nick told me that we were actually staying at this place for the night! I was sooo excited and still just stunned! He said he had to pack our bags and get our stuff together while I was at wal mart! I literally just had no idea about any of this and I didn't even know he had gotten a ring! He just completely planned all of this and somehow pulled it off! He also had dinner reservations at Gage's Steakhouse in Guthrie, so we had a lovely celebratory dinner that night.

     That night was literally the best night ever! I never want to forget how I felt when he proposed. I know everyone talks about how great it is, but until you experience the man of your dreams asking you to live and grow old together with him in real life, nothing is comparable. I just kept tearing up throughout the evening just thinking about what just happened. We are getting married!!! Omg.. We are getting married!! I have been waiting for this moment all of my life! But more importantly, I had been waiting/ wanting/ hoping for Nick to ask me for a long time. I wanted it to be him. It just touched my heart so much seeing how much time and effort he put into this decision. We had had the conversion many years ago about both of us only wanting to get married once. Marriage is a big deal.  He is the first, only, and last person to ever ask me that question and he really made me feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Our story and our journey is not just now beginning..it is continuing. Continuing to get richer, fuller, more blessed, and much deeper than we could ever imagine. God has been so good to us and I think one thing that we both have learned throughout our time together is patience is the key. Everything is best at God's timing. Nick and I met back in the fall of 2008, we didn't know what we were getting into, but each year has gotten better and better. Dec. 7, 2013 will always be a precious day written on my heart. I wouldn't have had it happen any other way with any other person. He was worth the wait.

     Below are some pictures of the place and of my ring, which I absolutely LOVE!!!  The place was so personalized and the front door sign actually had welcome Kaytie and Nick written in it and my mom and sister had turned it around so it didn't ruin the surprise!

 Below is the supposedly "amazing fireplace" that he had to check out for a client... haha

 My beautiful ring that Nick spent a long time picking out and making sure it was perfect! I love love the etching on the side!

• 
  

Good Things Come in Threes..

Hello loves,

So I woke up this morning, and started on my usual agenda of getting out of bed and getting my day started by showering and getting myself ready for a days work. After I get myself ready in the mornings, I have been reading my daily Bible reading on my Youversion app. I have also been reading two other plans. The Rick Warren Yearly Devotional Plan and the From this Day Forward 30 day plan, since that is the current series we are in. I like to read my Bible in the morning times, before my day starts and gets hectic or busy with the ways of this world. I used to try to listen to the Bible on my way to my first office, or read it at the end of my day, but I was not consistent with it, and after much prayer and failed attempts, I had an epiphany that made me realize... Why shouldn't my God come BEFORE everything else of this world? What makes everyone and anything better than my God, that I cannot chose to spend time with Him, before them? Which led me to the conclusion of morning reading times. I am a big social network addict, like much of everyone else, and I made a rule with myself that I have to read my Bible before logging onto any social network. It helps check myself, before pushing that Facebook icon.
Anyways, one of the verses I read was 1 Corinthians 13:

1 If I speak in the tonguest of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,t but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Such a good verse. Many people use this in their wedding to define love and what it means. So, I had been praying for God to show me the path he wants me to be on and I told Him that I want to be on the narrow path and I kept praying for Him to guide me allong that path and help to understand what that means.

This evening I attended the Sister's Event at the Lifechurch OKC campus. This is an event they have every year, where Amy GroeschelLysa TerKeurst speak. It was a fun evening filled with good words of wisdom. To my surprise, Amy brought up the exact same verse I had read this morning and focused her message on ..... LOVE.... So I started seeing a pattern here... Ok God, so Love is like Really important, when it comes to this narrow path thing eh? Yes, indeed!

Story is not over yet! So THEN.. I came home. I have this book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan, that I had not finished yet. The past week, I have been trying to decide what my next book would be to start diving into it, but I felt this urge to pick this book up tonight, after it setting on my shelf for about 4 months or so and opened it up to start reading where I had left off. And what to my surprise...... THE SAME VERSE!!!! Oh my goodness... Seriously God... THREE times, in ONE day! Talk about slap in the face. Believe me, I have told God that when it comes to giving me signs or hints that, because of my lack of some common knowledge I really need like a huge just give it to me straight sign spelled out, and I'm glad He understands that..haha. But seriously, what are the chances of that. I just sat in awe thinking about how much God really loves me. It is amazing and I am underserving. I get emotional when I think about everything He has given and blessed me with, and how little I feel like I have given Him.

Moral of the story: Love, LOve, LOVe, LOVE. Period. This life is too short not to Love. If someone has hurt you or there have been things said that shouldn't have been said or things done that shouldn't have been done and cannot be undone. Just Love. God's love is incredible. We cannot even fathom it. I think that I love my family, boyfriend, and friends, but that does not even come close to the love God has for us. I think that is what He was trying to get through my little head. He loves me and I need to love others and do eveything With Love. And if we love Him, then we need to put Him first in our lives. Put down the social networks, the television, the movies, the radio, the game stations. Turn it off and give Him your time. He can show you so much, if you just listen and read His word. Ernestly seek Him and He will open your eyes.

It was funny how I had read and heard this same verse 3 times today, and then at the end of the chapter of Crazy Love, Chan wrote:

     True faith means holding nothing back; it bets everything on the hope of eternity. I know that this whole swimming-upstream, pursuing-Christ, taking-up-your-cross, counting-the-cost thing isn't easy. It's so hard, in fact, that Jesus said the road is narrow and few will actually find it... and fewer still among those who are rich. Like the parable of the sower, don't assume you are the good soil; don't assume you are one of the few on the narrow way.

How perfect. What a blessed way to end my day. God spoke right to me. He answered my prayer and I know He lives in me.

Have a beautiful weekend!

-KJ

100 degrees and counting!!

Oh goodness! The weather outside is CrAzY HOTT!! This has been one of the hottest weeks yet in Oklahoma, all days clearly way above 100. YIKES! Not too much has been going on. I have just been working and still loving my new job. I have actually started getting back into reading books for pleasure, which is crazy for me. I hadn't read a book for pleasure since high school, I think. Once college started, with all of the homework and textbook reading requirements I got away with it. I am currently on the last book of the Hunger Games: Mockingjay. Yes, I actually read this series, and I'm not even sure why, but the books have been surprisingly good! Well, I enjoyed the first two books better than the last, but overall, not a bad read. Now I want to see the movie! I also have read Craig Groeschel's Soul Detox, which I highly recommend! He has a lot of good things to say in it, and his Weird book is also amazing. I have also still been reading my One Year Bible on my Youversion app on my iphone. I have figured out that the best time for me to read it is in the mornings with no distractions going on around me. I really believe that it is important to spend time with God and read his Word. A lot of times, people barely pick up their Bible, unless something is going bad in their life, I know this from experience, it is how I used to be, or sometimes I wouldn't even turn to the Bible at all. But I have learned that it is important to continually feed your relationship with Him by reading constantly. It's amazing how certain verses or chapters will jump out at you and the most perfect time you need them. I am almost done with reading the entire Bible, which is amazing because I have NEVER done that before, so I am really excited =). I do plan on starting it over, or starting a different full-Bible plan after I finish.
Quick crazy story:
So, a week ago Cooper and I were headed up to Skiatook. On the way, my car started acting up, it was having problems shifting gears. It was the transmission. Amazingly it was covered under warranty and I was only going to have to pay my deductable, so I was so happy and thanking God! They also provided a rental car for me to use and not have to pay for it, while they were fixing my car, which was another praise! So anways, I get my car back and it is working great. I start work the next day, go on about my business. I usually have my station on KLove radio to listen to Christian music, while I'm in my car driving between offices. Sometimes I change the station, if I feel like mixing things up. I have an "A,B and C" setting on my car and can set 6 different stations on each of those. I have KLove and my Christian stations saved under my "B" stations and KJ103, and Country stations on my "A" stations, and some rock and random stations on "C". Well, after I got my car back from the service dept., when I got in my car it was on KLove, which I didn't think anything about it, because that was where it normally was, but the next day I had gone to change it to my "A" station to listen to other music, but as I was switching through my stations, I realized that somehow my Christian stations and KLove were on my "A" stations and there was nothing but fuzz on my
B and C stations.... It was so weird! Some people may not see it as weird, but I was freaking out. It kind of made me happy, because in a way I took it as a sign from God and a lesson learned. His stations should be A stations as in #1. And thats how it should be in life in general. He needs to be #1 and everything else will come after. If you are living your life to please God and letting Him use you for His plan. He will take care of you. Most people would flip, if their transmission went out, it is expensive, and so is the car rental, but God was in control the whole time and His timing is perfect. Oh... AND just to add on to the blessing even more... I didn't even have to pay for my deductable!?!? Somehow, I showed up, they handed me the keys, and I left without paying a dime. God is good, all the time. It is important to remember to give Him the praise during the good times and give Him your time and attention during the good times. God will take care of you, He is just waiting for you to give it all to Him.
That's my Schmeal for the day, yes I said Schmeal and I can't define it! Ha ha.
Love Always
KJ

P.S. Cooper and I had a birthday this month. Yes, I am 26.... Yes, I still look 20, so yes, I am okay with it! =) This is one of our first pictures ever taken together! We were crazy kids back then =)
P.P. S. I love my brother a lot. He is a good kid, despite whatever everyone else may say. I love him and he is great. Has always been ornery, but what kid isn't!?! Love you Jajer!

I'm BACK!

It has been forever since I have been on here, so I thought I might get back on! Sooooo much has been going on. I got a new job in February that was such a blessing. It has turned out to be so wonderful and God has really given me more than I ever deserve! It makes me excited about what else is to come to the future. God has so many plans for us and uses for our lives here on Earth and we just need to throw our hands up and let Him take control to use us.

Cooper and I have been doing so incredibly well! He makes me extremely happy, and I love being able to spend time with that man, whenever possible. One thing that we have decided to try to do this year is pay off our debt. We may not have a whole lot, well I do- with my giant student loans, which will NOT be paid off this year, but hopefully everything else, and then hopefully I can get those down soon enough! We are also faithfully attending Church, together. We have been doing that for a while now. When Cooper had a different job last year, it was sometimes hard for us to go to church together, because he had to work on Sundays a lot, but God blessed him also with a new career path this year, which has allowed us to be able to attend regulary at Lifechurch's OKC campus, and we both love it! We really believe that going to church, reading the Bible, and incorporating God into our relationships (not just spouses, but family, friends, co-workers, EVERYONE) is the best way to do life!

Speaking of reading the Bible, I have been on the One-Year Reading Plan on my Youversion Bible App. It takes you through an Old Testament reading, a New Testament reading, and a Proverbs and a Psalm everyday. Some days I get behind, but then I catch up, or read ahead, so it all evens out! Currently, I am on Day 243 of 366! Woop Woop! I have never read the Bible all the way through, so I figured why not!?! Cooper is also on the plan, but we are on different days. It is amazing how God can speak to you through his Word. I know everyone always says that's how it works, but it is so incredible when you are having trouble with something or worrying about something and it's like God is reassuring you as you read and it applies directly to your situation. Awesome.

There is probably much more to update on, but I am about to start a training conference call for my work, so this will have to do for now! Hope all is well with everyone! Oh yeah, and I ran 3 5k runs so far this year and before that, I had never done any! Haha! Crazy!!!! Here is a pic of Coop and I at a Thunder game! Sooooo happy they won last night against the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals! Hopefully they can keep it up! THUNDER UP!

'Tis the Season

It has been such a long time since I have blogged! Just thought I would write a quick one, before the craziness of Christmas Season sets in..oh wait, it already has!!! =) Life has been crazy lately, ups and downs, but it has been eventful and exciting. Sometimes you have to remember it is okay to slow down and breathe for a minute, which is much needed, so you can remember why this season even exists at all.

If you really sit down to think about the Christmas Story, THE One and Only CHRISTMAS STORY, it is fascinating and miraculous. First, there is a virgin who is named Mary, who loves this guy Joseph. So you can imagine in our days, a woman being a virgin....
noun
1. a person who has never had sexual intercourse.
2. an unmarried girl or woman.
3. the virgin Mary, mother of Christ
Adj

4.being a virgin: a virgin martyr.

5.of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a virgin: virgin modesty.

6. pure; unsullied; undefiled: virgin snow.

7. first: the senator's virgin speech.

8. without admixture, alloy, or modification: virgin gold.

Sadly, comes rare and few and far between, and even if a woman truely is a virgin, many people would not or could not even believe that. Second, this virgin Mary ends up becoming with child with the Lord's baby!!!! Seriously, can you imagine if this was on the news a virgin girl getting pregnant, by the Holy Spirit himself???!!?!? Yeah right, every person would be dying to get their hands on the "real story" and they would be slandering that woman and insulting her....that would be rough. I mean, I couldn't imagine how the guy, Joseph, felt either! Your girlfriend, who you love so very much, who you thought and believed to be a virgin, is telling you she is with child, and it is the Lord's child??  And thirdly, after going through all of that, having to travel to Bethleham on a donkey, a pregnant woman on a donkey....YIKES! Then, to top it all off, going through labor, pure, straight out, no meds, no special doctors labor IN A BARN!??!?!?!? WHAT!? That may be considered child or woman abuse now-a-days! I don't know anything about labor pains, but I can tell you I have heard many many stories, which just by those I know I would not want to go through that.

If you really sit down and think about the Christmas Story, and why we even have Christmas, it. is. Amazing. Indescribable. I don't see how people could know this story, and not believe in Jesus. Thanks to Him, we can live!

People go through this holiday, and many times will say "oh, if we can just get through the holidays", or "I am ready for this all to be over." It is as if this season is a burdon. Don't say that! If this season is a burdon, you are not seeing it for what it needs to be.

..Do not be afraid. I bring to you good news of great joy that will be for all the poeple. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11

Savior:

1. a person who saves, rescues, or delivers.

Nothing negative is in that verse, or in the entire story told of Jesus. Even though many worldly people were not on Mary and Joseph's side, God was. They stayed true to God, and trusted that He would take care of them along the way, and Jesus was what they got from obeying! How Amazing!! We do not need to try to "get through" the Christmas season, but embrace and rejoice for the very day we have been blessed with, and thank the Lord for sending his Son to us. Imagine the possibilities of what blessings we could recieve, if we just chose to obey and follow God's word to it's greatest potential.

I just hope everyone does not get caught up in the presents and the hustle and craziness of the Christmas Season, but instead, embraces and enjoys their times spent with families and friends. But after the holiday, don't let it stop. We should always be living this way. God loves us so much, he sacrificed his one and only son, and he wants us to fully surrender our life to Him.

For we don't live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live it's to honor the Lord. And if we die, it's to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Romans 14:7-8

I hope you all have a Merry Merry Christmas and all remember the meaning of the day and season. And remember to be thankful for your families and friends that you get to spend time with. There are many people that do not even get to celebrate with anyone or who have no families. Love your family while you have them :)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!! Love you all!!!!

History Repeats Itself

To all of you who believe blogging is a new fad, I do have news for you. I came accross an old blog I, and everyone else in college, had, but this was before the facebook fad, so it was harder to creep on people, but only your real friends cared enough to read and follow you. It was fun to go back to see what things I wrote about. To see what people meant the most to me, and to compare to the present. The Xanga blog was a little nicer and filled with more love than Facebook by letting people give you Hugs and Kisses, rather than just Likes.Click here to visit..... UrbabydollQT17 Xanga Blog

This post was written Sept 1, 2005:

Things I miss....

• Sleeping IN
• 3rd floor hottest girls
• Our circle of friends prayer
• Easy Freshman classes
• Having Money!
• No Homework
• Mac N Cheese Thursdays
• Bachelor Night
• Long naps
• Stayin up talking and procrastinating till all hours of the night
• Yucky Shower wars
• Prank videos
• Breaking quiet hour rules
• Dancing in the basement
• Girlz Night Out
• Eating tons of snacks
• Worrying about extensions
• Having a curfew so we all make our own fun together
• Funny Jesus Videos
• Enrichment credits in Rm 318!
• Being so loud the RD has to call us on it cuz of complaints
• Kendra Imel
• Open dorms when it was a BIG deal
• Dance parties
• STOMP
• Crazy pics taken in the car while driving
• Gay clubs.... nuff said!! lol
• Spring Break '05

Reading this made me go BACK. IN. TIME. ! It is amazing how quick we are to forget how far we have come in life and the journey that got us to where we are now. I noticed that most of who I am has stayed the same, such as, I still like the same type of music..Britney Spears.. I still like the same funny movies..Achorman, Wedding Crashers, and anything that will make me laugh like crazy.. I still love my family and enjoy spending time with them...and I still love making memories with my closest friends and love to laugh and be crazy.

This picture is from my high school Senior Trip in 2004. Also on my Xanga page.

This past weekend I was talking with my mom about ancestry.com. She was telling me she joined for free and has tried to track down our family history. After my grandparents (her parents) passed away two years ago, she realized she did not want them to get lost. Not to just be forgotten, like most people are after they pass away, so that is why she wanted to try to track back our family and where we come from. It didn't really make sense to me at the time, but now...I get it.

Everybody wants to be somebody. We want to make a difference, make an impact, make a name. Blogging is not new. People write books, make videos, blog, sing, act, educate, speak, become, because they want to not be forgotten. Our online society is becoming who we are and a new way to tell our story...to not be forgotten. Facebook is even coming out with the new Timeline, which is a new layout of the website, which lays out your life in a Timeline fashion, starting from the date you were born to present. They pull out a person's most memorable moments in time for "friends" to easily see and comment. Facebook wants to replicate like an online scrapbook for people to attain throughout the years of their life.

It makes sense.

What are you doing today that you will be remembered by. What is something you are doing, saying, writing, or taping that younger generations can look back on and be inspired? I'm not saying you have to express yourself for all of Facebook or Google to see, but think about what you can do to leave your mark and your legacy.

Table Rock Lake

This past weekend, I got the wonderful opportunity to join Cooper (Aka. Nicholas, aka. my boyfriend, aka love of my life! =)  ) and his sweet parents on a road trip to the great Table Rock Lake in Missouri. Several months ago Cooper got suckered into buying a timeshare special advertising trip at Bass Pro (they talked him into it by giving him a Bass Pro Gift Card on the spot, and saying he would get even more when he actually gets out there, which was perfect, since he loves that store and everything it, why not get a trip out of 'em too?? Right!? ) Anyways, we got a chance to go stay at the Big Cedar Lodge, which was absolutely gorgeous. I forgot how beautiful Missouri is! The trees were on the verge of changing towards the Fall colors, and the weather was perfectly in the 70s. Our lodge that we stayed in was decorated in a log cabin theme and we had a beautiful view of the lake and trees outside our windows, with a balcony to go out and sit and enjoy the lovely weather and scenery. It was also furnished with a full kitchen and even had a washer and dryer. It would be the perfect place to go to, to spend a week or so. The camp grounds of Big Cedar Lodge had several pools and hot tubs, and a sand volleyball court for all guests to use. They even had a lazy river that is opened in the summer months.

We got to Missouri on Friday, and we to Branson to eat and walk around downtown. They have several outside shops, and the set up of downtown was very cute. There were many people walking around, and people carried lawn chairs down to a stage to listen to artists perform. We also made it to a 5 and 10 Store. I didn't even know what this was until we got there. It is an old store filled with pointless stuff. Pretty much everything from your childhood and from your grandparents house is in there! It was a sight to see for sure though!

Like I said.... EVERYTHING from your childhood.. =)

We then, grabbed some yummy ice cream cones and a phosphate drink...yes, I said PHOSPHATE...and NO I had no idea what in the heck that was until I tried one! Ha ha I guess this is what they had before actual sodas? I am still confused about it, but I assume this is how my own future children will react when I mention cassette player one day.. =(   . That night we went back to our lodge to enjoy fun conversation and each others company.
Saturday came, and we all got up and ate a huge breakfast at a restaurant on the campgrounds there at Big Cedar, then Cooper and I had to go to hear the salesmen give their sales pitch about buying into a timeshare.. bleh.. But don't worry guys... we said no..then we said no again..then again..and one more time again we said...NO, so we could get on with our day!
We headed to the lake to rent a boat, Cooper got lucky that the water was cold, or else we would have been on a ski-boat, but with the water being cold he somehow managed to rent a bass fishin' boat for us. We spent a few hours fishing, then rode around the lake some soakin' in the breathtaking beauty of God's country.

Cooper caught the only fish we caught of the day.. haha

This was my only catch of the day..

Cooper's sweet parents Karen and Kevin

Saturday night we went to Old Chicago for the first half of the OU vs. Missouri game. Surprisingly, there seemed to be almost more OU fans there than Missouri! Then, we went back to Big Cedar to watch the rest of the game. Sunday we got up and went to Branson for breakfast at Cracker Barrel, then headed back to reality, back to our stompin' roots in Oklahoma.

Overall it was a great trip. It was nice to get away for a while and get brought back down to remember to soak in the beauty of this land. Table Rock lake is beautiful! I would definitely recommend taking a trip there, if you have not yet been. I really enjoyed spending time with Cooper and his parents. They are extremely fun and it is always good times with them. I am so blessed to have gotten to take this trip with them. God is so great, giving me opportunities such as these, to enjoy travel and explorations, while making sweet memories with others.

"I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart it glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. For you will not leave my soul among this dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave. You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever," Psalm 16: 8-11