2022 was A LONG YEAR! We had more ups and downs in a short 12 months than we have experienced in a WHILE! But in the end, it was a glorious year. So good, I guess, that I never got around to writing any of it down. In short, we started 2022 living in Stillwater, and ending it living north of Edmond in rural Logan County with a Guthrie address and Edmond Schools. And the countless changes that are involved! Emma started 2022 in her kitschy assisted living facility turned dorm, attending the second year of her program at Cowley College, and she ends it living in a cute house in Ark City with her boyfriend and a couple other roommates, and just 2 classes to complete her Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) program and she will graduate in May in her AAS. Lara started 2022 in the ADPalace (Alpha Delta Pi sorority house) as a sophomore at Oklahoma State University and ends it as a senior with one more semester in the Palace and at OSU as she graduates in May with her BSBA in Management with a major in Sport Management and a minor in Marketing. Jake started 2022 wearing a bronze and blue Stillwater Pioneer uniform for the freshman basketball team, and now sports the #33 JV and #42 Varsity navy and white jersey for the Edmond North High School Husky Basketball team, just having played in a varsity game at the prestigious Tournament of Champions at the Tulsa BOK Center. And Finn! he has grown up SO VERY MUCH! He started 2022 as a shy 4th grader at Westwood Elementary school in Stillwater, and now is an outgoing, funny, charismatic 5th grader at Heritage Elementary School in Edmond! So much change for 2022, and so many memorable moments. Here are the highlights by month:
January 2022:
January brought us the 3
rd month of my new job; Pioneer
basketball for Jake (LOTS of Pioneer basketball), Britt and I's 16
th wedding anniversary, and our Mini Dashchunds Jasper and Ama co-existing comfortably. Late in the month, Jake turned 15, and we
ADOPTED OPAL! Adding a 3rd Mini Doxie - a 4th dog - to our menagerie.
February 2022:
February brought MORE Pioneer Freshman basketball, learning to be a four-dog
family (Evie, Ama, Jasper, and Opal), and surviving the ice storm. We even got a day off school and work for the bad weather! Jake started Driver’s Ed and got his braces off, and Mom and Dad took a late
anniversary trip to Bartlesville and Pawhuska (so jealous of Ree Drummond’s
PANTRY). I also started PT for my right hip and sciatica.
March 2022:
Finn enjoyed his school book fair and Indian Taco night this month. Emma sent lots of pictures of her and her boyfriend Austin to us - they have been dating since October. Lara celebrated
the start of the OSU Wrestling Season and attended her sorority formal. We
celebrated St. Patrick's day at Eskimo
Joe's! We enjoyed attending OSU baseball games, and
Jake started his stint as the newest player for OK Flight Basketball - measuring in at 6’7”. Finn enjoyed running club at his school. On our first official trip with the OK Flight team to Northwest Arkansas, Britt ended up in the ER with kidney stones. While not the best, it could have been much worse. One thing we didn't have to worry about was our puppies at home - we had THE BEST dog sitters! On the last day in NWA, we spent our time exploring and just being a family.
April 2022
We started the month by playing for 2 different teams on the same weekend
in different tournaments (Relentless and Flight). Finn got to experience a Westwood 4th grade tradition with State night. He spent the semester researching the state of Tennessee, and a famous person from that state. He chose Tennessee and Justin Timberlake. In the end, you dress up as your famous person and present what you learned. It was a cool experience and a fun night! Early in April, I had my first ER trip as a patient due to a fall which resulted in some left hip, back, and sciatic nerve pain - the OPPOSITE side I just did 6 weeks of PT on. I was in bed for 4 days, and I am still trying to finalize my recovery 8 months later. For Easter, I sent
Easter Baskets to my college kids - because every kid deserves an Easter basket! I also spent a lot of time in April with doctors, and chiropractors, exercising and resting. And Flight Basketball – LOTS of it! Emma went as
Lara’s date to the ADPi Senior
party, and the next day we had Mom’s Day at OSU and attended an
OSU baseball game. Ended the month
bouncing from
the ADPi Senior Tea to
Basketball.
May 2022
The Edmond move talk had ramped up in our house! School was about to end and we had to get
moving if we were going to do this! The
month started with a Flight swim party at one of the player's homes, and that
sealed the deal. Emma and Lara
celebrated their 20
th birthday this month!
Finn wrapped up Spring running club at school. We traveled to the DFW metroplex for
basketball with Flight. I continued my recovery from my leg injury. School ended (and so did carpool duties)
for the boys and Mr. Weaver, and basketball ramped up. During this time, we met with the ENHS coach – and Jake made the team! Jake
announced his move in style on the last day of school at SJHS,
and we
were deep in the house hunt. This month did come with a pretty significant lowlight for me, as my dear and cherished coworker and her husband moved to Illinois - just a few weeks after they had announced a pregnancy with their first child! So sad. Additionally, there was some sort of terrible accident in the
building I work in and I was greeted with this sign:
We ended the
month with the 3
rd flight
basketball tournament of the month!
June 2022
Jake started the month at Falls Creek Baptist Assembly with UHBC while I was researching schools for our move, and toured a perfect little house in the Edmond North district. We loved it so much that we signed a lease but weren't able to move in for 6 more weeks. Finn learned how to ride his bike without training wheels - we promised a new set of wheels once that was accomplished.
We started packing up our Stillwater house, and I had a 3-day work trip
to Nashville - which I missed some basketball for. We got Britt a very special father's day gift - a custom Edmond North Basketball front license plate for Frank (his Ford Flex).
LOTS of
planning was taking place for the big move, including a 2-day garage sale! By this time, Jake was coming to Edmond daily for practices and workouts, and he participated in Husky Basketball Team Camp
and scrimmage season. By the end of the month, we had enrolled Jake at Edmond North High School!
July 2022
July welcomed us to Edmond! Also brought us more Flight tournaments and Jake's first recognition in the High School basketball recruitment arena.
With flight, we traveled to Hot Springs and Dallas this month. We also got Finn all enrolled for Elementary School. AND WE MOVED INTO OUR HOUSE!
Jake got his driving learner's permit this month as well (pro tip: don't move to a new place the same month your son gets his permit as you'll never drive anywhere and you won't learn your new surroundings!) As we left Stillwater, we re-homed Ama with some friends who were already Doxie lovers, and we found a foster family for Evie so that when Lara graduates she can take her on the road with her! This month we enjoyed exploring Edmond! We found our favorite coffee (and other drinks) shop very close to our house, and a fun
donut shop for Finn. We also explored our neighborhood with dog walks and played basketball at our cute neighborhood park.
August 2022
August was insane! Basketball
practice for both Jake's Grassroots and his School team - constantly. Early in the month, Jake got his class schedule and the school had a pick-up day where you could walk the
school to find the classes. Also got his ID and Chromebook that day, too. During August, Jake went on his first
ever solo date (it didn’t last). He also participated in the Cameron University elite basketball camp in Lawton with some of his teammates. We celebrated Britt’s 48
th
birthday at Sunnyside Diner. Then, we sent Jake
to Las Vegas with his Flight family for a tournament – which meant he missed
the first 2 days of school in his new school.
While Jake was in Vegas, Finn had meet the teacher night at his school, and a few days
later he started 5
th grade at
Heritage Elementary.
After an AMAZING time in Vegas
Jake started
school a couple of days late. That week,
Dad and I went to an orientation at Heritage to learn how to be Heritage
parents. Then it was Emma's first day at
Cowley.
Then sorority bid day
and Lara’s first day at
OSU
I worked wayfinding for
OSU Welcome Week that day and saw a lot of friends during my shift. We also squeezed in Edmond North High School Open House, Football
games, family dinner, and basketball basketball basketball! Kinda fun having Jake to drive us around everywhere.
September 2022
In September, I was allowed by my boss to start a work from
home schedule and chose Tuesdays and Fridays as my WFH days – unless there is a
conflict. Football games, craft fairs, basketball tournaments, lather, rinse,
repeat for the rest of the month. Finn
broke out of his routine once again and started on the 5
th grade
School Safety Patrol for his school. He
works 2 weeks every 6 weeks and helps get kids off their buses and into the
school for breakfast and the morning routine.
We are so proud of him for trying new things. He has several friends in our neighborhood
who either ride his bus and/or are in his homeroom class. He gets to switch classes in 5
th
grade to prepare for middle school. His school had a super fun fall fundraiser that
ended with a glow run that he really enjoyed.
On September 16, Britt started his new job as a Noon Monitor at Heritage
Elementary school.
This was
definitely a God thing, and the path to get there was almost comical. But, he loves it and Finn loves having him at
school. We celebrated Dad’s Day at OSU
and had a ton of fun at the Alpha Delta Pi house
and at the Cowboy
football game. We also explored Edmond
some more and ate at some fun new restaurants.
Jake missed a week of school due to COVID, and around that same time
started hanging out with a new girl. This
one lasted a little longer. Long enough
that we learned how to shop for semi-formal wear for a Giant. Shout out to Laura at the OKC DXL store!
October 2022
October was more basketball, more family, more Edmond. I joined our neighborhood book club!!! We
celebrated Finn’s 11
th birthday and he got a new, bigger bicycle –
in orange! Best way to cruise his new
neighborhood and make new friends! We had
a visitor in our home for a couple of weeks as well. Evie was with us while her foster family was on a long vacation. It was fun to have her! Another way we celebrated Finn’s birthday –
and my 48
th birthday – was to take a bunch of treats to the Mercy
NICU staff and see Finn’s old nurse and doctor friends. That was a GREAT trip! We took pics, found the EXACT incubator he
was in while he was on oxygen, and looked in the room he graduated from. The staff also made a little graduation
ceremony for us as well. It was truly a
very special moment and a great experience
I celebrated my one-year anniversary at my “new”
job, and later that week we went to an epic Trunk or Treat event at Finn’s
school. Jake participated in a Prospect Camp for Prep Hoops this month too. OSU Homecoming happened, and Finn had his
first big vehicle crash where he layed his little scooter over and had road rash all up
and down his poor body! It was a huge
mess! Later in the month, Jake got all
dressed up for a full night of high school dance traditions with the Huskies
Fall Ball. There were pictures at one
girl’s house, followed by a large group that went out to dinner together, and then on to the
dance - in a rented "limo" bus!. There was an after party as well at one of the girl's houses,
and Jake took a date - the girl he had been dating - to all of these events. They had fun, but the relationship didn’t last.
Jake
also went to a large haunted house in Guthrie with his whole basketball team – I
am not sure the event space was ready for them! Britt and I attended his 40
th
high school reunion in Enid and had a great time. We ended the month with Emma having surgery
on Halloween, and Jake and Finn getting together with their new friends for trick-or-treating.
November 2022
Scrimmages, season staring – all basketball, all the time. Finn’s school had a fun book fair, and one
evening Nana and Grandpa came up for dinner and shopping.
We got to vote for the first time in Logan
county – our polling place is an adorable church in Guthrie. I also got a growth removed from my nose, so
the stress of finding a doc and getting it done, and being comfortable with it
all was a stretch for me! Husky
Basketball hosted a tournament at Solid Rock, and we volunteered to help all
day. That was a fun event to be a part
of! We hosted Thanksgiving at our house
the Saturday after Turkey Day. We made
all the food and had everyone here. My
folks, my 4 kids, and Emma’s boyfriend Austin.
It was a GREAT day!
We had decorated for Christmas the
Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving since we didn’t have any other plans, so
that was done! On the 29
th,
before the home-opening Husky basketball games, Jake was given a Varsity Jersey! He plays both JV (#33) and Varsity (#42)
this year. And we’re loving it! Late in the month, I was honored with the
Distinguished Service Award for my contributions to Oklahoma State University students and staff. This was humbling and very honoring. I was a top 10 finalist and got a small
monetary prize. Makes all the
work-related sleepless nights from the
beginning of this year worth it!
December 2022
Finn kicked off December with Colonial Day at his school.
He even made us a wonderful
candle during this event that he gifted to us as a Christmas present. Of course, there was a TON of Husky basketball to be played. Emma and Austin, and 2 other
roommates, moved into their adorable rental home in Ark City, and we went up to
deliver some home warming gifts and to see how they were doing. Jake’s old Stillwater Pioneer team came to
Edmond early in the month, and it was fun to see Jake on the court with his old
friends for both the JV and Varsity games.
Lara and one of her sorority sisters were there for it as well.
Mid-month, we had a Friday off from basketball and went to Dale, OK to watch some
of Jake's friends and teammates play against each other – stopped in Midwest
City at Tacos for Life – LOVE! Later in
the month, my boss and his wife hosted a Holiday Gathering at their home for
their 2 teams – and all kids were welcome! It
was crazy and fun and very cool to make new connections. We all started our “winter break” at
different times over the first 2/3 of the month. And we ended the month in usual style – what
day is it? Do we have plans? Are we eating? LOL. The
ENHS Husky basketball team attended Christmas Eve services at Life Church as a
team – a very cool moment to see! Christmas
was a little messy. We celebrated at our
house on Christmas morning with all the kids and Emma's Austin. BUT!
At this point, my dad had been in the hospital since Monday the 19
th. He went into ER with severe abdominal pain,
had an emergency surgery that day for a perforated colon, and then spent a VERY LONG
TIME recovering The surgery was healing
fine, but he had cardiac and pulmonary complications slowing things down. He was finally released to home - after a 2-week stay - on January
1. So the week after Christmas, while my
dad was still in the hospital, we drove back and forth to Tulsa a few times as the ENHS Huskies basketball team
participated in the 57
th Tournament of Champions
That was a fun experience! Jake saw some playing time in the BOK and I know that is a memory he will cherish.
On to 2023 – where I vow to do a better job keeping the blog up to date!
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