"P" is for Parker

Hello friends! It's been a while! We've been staying pretty busy here at the Parker residence. It's hard the believe the Christmas season is already upon us. We had the pleasure of my dad and step-mother's company during Thanksgiving and we also opened Christmas presents with them since we won't get to see them in a few weeks. They gave me a gift card to Hobby Lobby which was wonderful! I've already gone and spent my card on some decor for my living room wall. I've become quite the Pinterest junky and I found an idea on there that I wanted for my home. And here it is!

This picture frame was half off, the "P" was less than $2.00, and the background is scrapbook paper. I had the yellow craft paint already, so this cost me less than $20 which I thought was pretty great. The "P" is heavily glued to the scrapbook paper, which is glued to the card board that came in the frame. I love how it turned out and if you ever want to change the paper or color of the letter you could. I also found this canvas print which was also 1/2 price. The wall is not yet finished but I'm very happy with the progress thus far!


Another Pinterest inspiration was a stocking for Joslyn. I had everything but the two large pieces of felt, which are cheap cheap at Hob Lob. I don't know that I could actually put much in the stocking but it's pretty anyway.

I so enjoyed these projects and seeing them come together. I told Nathan, "I need a craft room!". We may try to come up with a creative space in our laundry room. Maybe a high work bench with some shelving. I need to hire my dad for some projects this spring. He is so handy, in fact my step-mom refers to him as "Handyman". Give the guy a tool belt with a few bare essentials and there isn't much he can't do! I just love that about my daddy.

Fabulous Finds

Saturday we went to several garage sales and I found some goodies! First I found this book and two Pyrex bowls, totaling $1.25! Both are perfect colors for my kitchen and I don't own any good bowls this size. I would love to collect Pyrex and will be keeping my eye out for more in the future.


This tray was also a fun find. Nathan thought it looked too "old lady" because of the tea cups. I told him, "Well I could cover it with some fun scrapbook paper!" Someones trash not only became my treasure, for a dollar I might add, but also became a fun project. Oh darn, guess I need to go to Hobby Lobby and find some fun paper :)


Here's something fun I made recently. I saw this idea on Etsy and I knew I could get everything I needed at my favorite place, you guessed it, Hobby Lobby. I already had the paint and the knobs and wood plaque were on sale. So, this project was less than $10.00. This would make a great gift.
This shelf was $5.00 but I talked them down to $3.00. I'm thinking of painting it white or yellow and hanging it on my kitchen wall somewhere. Need to find some fun knick-knacks for it! I also bought Joslyn a pair of rain boots, two throw pillows, and two books for Jos. I was a fun morning and all for about $10 buckaroos.

Recent Happenings

Well I've let time get away from me once again. I haven't made much time for this blogging business, not even sure many folk read it, but there are a few updates in the Parker home to share.

Nathan has been back to school full force for 5 weeks now. He just got back today from a 3-day camping trip with the Freshman. Every year the Freshman class goes on this adventure to learn what "roughing it" means. They eat food from cans, don't shower or have bathroom facilities, and sleep under the stars in sleeping bags, no tents allowed. It takes place in the Wichita Mountains here in southern Oklahoma. It's been a tradition for many years in his school and though he returned tattered and tired, he really enjoyed it. Nathan has also been working with a group of students to start a slam poetry club. If you've never heard of slam poetry, look some up on YouTube sometime. It's very emotionally engaging. There are competitions and poetry slams held all over the US every year. Nathan is also in charge of academic bowl one night a week, which are trivia matches the students compete in. Aside from all of that, he is also working on a novel.

Joslyn has changed from a baby to a little girl, overnight it seems. Her vocabulary has increased so much. She enjoys reading/looking at books, coloring, playing at the park, watching "The Cat and The Hat Knows A Lot About That," a cartoon on PBS, singing, dancing, and let's not forget, EATING! She isn't too keen on vegetables but loves any dairy product, fruit, bread, mac 'n cheese, etc. Recently she had tubes put in and her adenoids removed. She has been her happy self this week, though it took her about a week to bounce back. We're hoping this helps prevent so many ear infections this cold/flu season.



As for me, I am still working full time in optometry. I am trying to do more photography and I think I have a few shoots lined up for October. I've been working on a photo book to leave at work for people to see and hopefully like what they see and hire me! I've also been working on getting things in order in our new house. It's amazing how it can take soon long to get everything where you want it. I have a wish list a mile long of things I'd like for our home, but a little at a time. I try to always look at sale items and if it's a good bargain and something I could use or need, then I consider it, but I try not to pay full price if I can help it. I have several craft projects I've been wanting to start, but oh how the time slips away. This weekend there is a local art show that I'm headed to. I'm excited to get my coffee and push Joslyn along the booths of some very creative and talented individuals. Maybe one day I'll have a booth displaying my photography. Who knows.

Hello again!

Wow, almost three months have past since my last post. I guess we've been a little busy with Nathan breaking his arm, buying a house, and then packing and moving into our new house! I have been pretty wiped out by these recent months, but things are slowly starting to feel "normal" again.

In June, Nathan was playing his first church softball game and as he was sliding into 3rd base, he broke his left arm. It's called a "galeazzie" fracture, which basically means his radius broke into two pieces. It was awful to say the least. He had surgery the next day and now has two titanium plates holding his bone together. He is slowly regaining strength and flexibility. He will need some physical therapy with in the next few weeks. He hasn't been able to fish like he'd hoped this summer but he's managed to maintain a positive attitude through it all.

The week after "The Big Break", we signed our lives away to the bank...AKA we bought a house! It's a humble 3 bed, 1.5 bath home with original wood floors, a 1 car garage, and a fully fenced back yard. Ella, our dog, has enjoyed her new home very much and loves having a yard to roam. There's a mud/laundry room off of the dining room, which is also connected to the garage. Our bedroom has the 1/2 bath, which I like very much. Here are a few photos of the interior:


This is Joslyn's room. I choose a very light blue for her wall color, which is difficult to see here. I need to paint one more coat on so it's a little darker, but I like how it turned out. Nathan's parent's bought the brown area rug for her room.

This is the main bathroom. I love how this paint color turned out. It's a sage green and is exactly what I wanted. Paint colors are so tough to pick out. My dad told me changing your light bulbs to fluorescent or incandescent can make a big difference in the way you paint color looks. Thanks dad :)

This is our bedroom. It was already painted this color when we moved in and I really like it. I want to put bamboo blinds up and hang white curtains. The little chair in the right hand corner is a piece I found on Craig's list. It's called a telephone table. I love how it looks in our room.


This is our kitchen. It was painted a soft beige-gold color. I decided on a light gray-blue which I really like. The curtains in the window I made with fabric from Hobby Lobby. Since I don't have a sewing machine, I used something called "Heat-n-Bond". It works great when you just need a finished edge for something simple like these curtains.

This is looking into the dining/living area from the kitchen. You can see the blue kitchen color at the top here. For the main living areas and hallway I choose "Gig's Gray". I like how it turned out very much.

Well now you've been given a tour of the new Parker home. Please come and visit! We have a guest room now. :)

Three Mothers?

That's right, I have three! My birth mother, of course, my mother-in-law, and my step-mother (no not the wicked one). These women have all helped to shape who I am today. Let me introduce you!

Meet Joy! She and my dad got married when I was in Jr High, I think. Anyway, I would often spend summers with my dad and Joy. I can imagine it was difficult for her being a step-parent at first, but she and I got a long great (and still do of course:). Joy is an amazing artist and is super resourceful. She can turn anyone's trash into treasure! I admire her character so much and though she may not always say much, you'll want to listen to what she does say. She inspires me to be creative and to not doubt the artist within my self.


This is Lori, Nathan's mother, or Mom #2 as she sometimes refers to herself. This woman has been through a lot in the last year regarding her health and has somehow managed to keep such a positive attitude! I've know her for about 10 years now and she has always managed to maintain a positive attitude and this beautiful smile on her face! She is a wonderful cook and she is pretty handy with a sewing machine too! I have enjoyed being a part of the Parker family. They have truly been a blessing in my life from day one!


And last, but certainly not least, is my mother, Jackie. She is a tender-hearted soul and an amazing person. I can truly say she is my friend as much as she is my mother. We have had some good laughs and cries together. I love her sense of humor and child-like heart. She supported me all through my volleyball playing days. She spent may hours on hard, wooden bleachers cheering me on. Sometimes when I doubted my abilities, she would find a verse in Psalms for me to think of when I was having a tough game. Psalm 16:8 stands out in my memory now, "I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken." She is a woman after God's heart. She loves to decorate and work with colors and textures. She makes a killer lasagna too. She is beautiful inside and out and I am so proud to call her my mother.

Happy Easter?

From the look on Joslyn's face you might think otherwise. Saturday morning I was watching the news and they were talking about events going on in the Tulsa area for Easter. They mentioned an "Easter Event" at Bass Pro Shops starting at 11:00. I envisioned small, happy children dressed in their various pastels plucking plastic eggs from the ground. Instead, it was this...

Other than the traumatic Easter bunny encounter, Joslyn very much enjoyed trotting around Bass Pro Shops. She and dad go there sometimes when he's gets off from work and is waiting for me to get home. It's a good way to entertain them both during a potentially cranky part of the day. Here are some other pictures I took at the park after her pm nap.



Joslyn received some nice cards and gifts from family. She especially loves this little lamb aunt Natalie bought her :)
Like most holidays, we can get very distracted by the food, presents, and things that make us "feel" warm fuzzies. I love another reason to buy my daughter things that make her happy, but none of it will last like the love and forgiveness Jesus offers. My prayer for Joslyn and all the other children in this world is that they understand why we celebrate holidays. Without Jesus, we would have no hope or redemption. He will always be able to offer her more than I can. More love. More contentment. More peace. More patience.

Dallas Trip

A few weekends ago I took my first trip with out baby or hubby! Thanks to Nathan's willingness to stay home with Joslyn, I was able to head south to visit a dear friend and some family. I stayed with my friend LeAnne, who I worked with in Manhattan. She and I spent 3 days together laughing and having a great time. This is her doggy Brady. He is the sweetest dog ever. I don't think he barked one time while I was there. He has been a very loyal companion to LeAnne and he is her kid. She would even tell you she spoils him rotten.


Here's a picture of LeAnne and I that my cousin took for us when we went to her house for dinner.

The last time I had seen my aunt was at my wedding in 2003 and I'm pretty sure the last time I saw Amanda was in 200o. Needless to say, we had a lot of catching up to do. Amanda made home made guacamole and hummus dips for appetizers and lasagna for dinner. It was tasty! We talked, ate, drank red wine and laughed for a few hours together. It was so great to see them again and catch up. I can't wait for them to visit Tulsa and meet Joslyn and Nathan (and Ella too, Amanda is a big animal lover).