Tired Little Dinosaur

Ok, this may be outright theft! I got this adorable picture from Carter's Mom, Jen, as well as an adorable story that goes with it. I have a great affinity for both children and rocks and the temptation to BLOG it is overwhelming, so I waited til I could stand it no longer~ and see that Jen is not going to blog it, yet?
SO!
Here is the story verbatim~ (The Paris Family was out Trick'r Treating")

"These rocks are in the front yard of the people who live maybe 5 houses up.

He must have been exhausted because as soon as we walked by, he ran over to them like he'd been waiting all night for that super comfortable spot and sat down.

I had to carry him home or he may have stayed all night.

Maybe dinosaurs like to sleep in rocks, I don't know."

Now tell me, could you have resisted sharing this? THANKS JEN!!

Storm Mountain Dutch Oven Chapter

Last Chance Cook-Off and Dutch Oven Gathering
Sportsman's Warehouse

SouthMidvale, UT

This is the 4th child of my manchild, Ranes!

He loves DOG (Dutch Oven Gatherings) and we have come to like it as well,

(the eating part, not the cooking part, LOL)

The WORLD event will be in March, we hope to join them!

Look here for the Storm Mountain Blog!

http://stormmtn.blogspot.com/

First Place Main Dish

Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Wild Mushroom Sauce

First Place Bread

Jalapeno Cheese Rolls

First Place Dessert

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

Furure Grill Master

Is that a Candy Corn?
According to Carter's mother Jen, he has a huge appetite! Being a grill master night be a good thing for sure!

SNOW VS SUN

This day in Utah

(Thanks Ranes, hope you are warm and dry soon, a really nice suede jacket is in the mail)

Today in Georgia
(the Angel Trumpets, not the Victorian Child)
Sky, the Victorian Belle, dressed for Thomasville's annual Victorian Christmas, December of 2007.
The flowers are blooming right now exactly as shown.
What a contrast!

Sentimental Journey

We left Thomasville for Oklahoma on Halloween.
How fitting that the next two days are All Soul's Day, All Saint's Day,
the day we are transporting Mr Meacham to Mrs Meacham in their eternal resting place,
as WELL as a huge home OU football game!

This is the Meacham homeplace where John's grandparents (Mom and Pop he called them) raised their children, Martie and Ferrell who were born in 1924 and 1926. John recalled visiting when he was young, walking across the street with his Grandfather to see the dinosuers in his office in the Science department of Oklahoma University Being the first Grandson, I can imagine how Pop felt with litle John in tow. (VERY PROUD)
Mr Meacham (Ferrell) talked of 712 Lindsey St many times in the past few years. A few times, he would be half awake, half asleep, mentally back in this house, talking to Martie who he loved SO much. (called her a *spitfire* sister)

This is how close the Meacham Homeplace was to the University. I believe you might could watch the football games from the upstairs rooms on 712 Lindsey. John pointed out exactly which room was which from the outside, and noted the huge backyard that his father hated mowing as a child!

John's reaction to this downtown theatre was hilarious! I think that Brother Jack may have been present as well, due to the closeness of age. Anyway, John recalls going here to see Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Movies! He had a Cowboy hat, western shirt, jeans and COWBOY boots! Amazingly enough, we did visit a Western Store in Oklahoma City. John selected a *Crocodile Dundee* hat, the Cowboy Specials were not him any more I guess.
We would have simply stopped and visited if the town were not filling FAST with
tailgaters and football fans.

St John's Episcopal Church

No matter the angle, the church was beautiful. The gardens were especially nice with a great entrance poem stating~

VADE ME CUMM

(Your *Go With Me*)

Your own bible is your tour guide to *go with you* as you grow through the Garden of Eden! Enter in Peace! Genesis 2:15

My favorite, St Francis, who wrote this poem

(I first read it when I was 9, it is still the most significant I've read yet)

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.

The journey is almost complete, John has hand carried his father's cremains from Georgia to Oklahoma, now delivering him to the Church the Meachams attended, grew up in, all still in Norman. John is actually holding his Dad here.

Father Dwight and Twila, who conducted the service, which was most touching as
John's Dad has at last joined his Mom as they both desired and planned.
John put the cover back on the Niche, which was special as it was the one last thing he could do for them.
Mission Accomplished!

Oklahoma University

Mr Meacham was a very proud Sooner!
We loved to hear him tell stories of how Sooners arrived in Oklahoma, as well as stories of OU. Every Christmas and Brithday, his sister Martie would send him OU shirts, blankets, sweats, switch covers, noise makers, anything and everything OU.

The Meachams have a large OU history beginning (as far as we know) with John's grandfather, who was a noted football player as an undergraduate,

then went on to teach

and become the Dean of Sciences..
There is an hall the Student Union named, *Meacham Auditorium*.

Ferrell, his sister Martie, and well as Marties best friend Patti (Ferrell's future wife, John's Mother) all went to OU.
The next generation to attend was one of John's 4 brothers, Marc, where he met his wife Cathy, some cousins etc. We think Mr Meacham loved it best, he wore his 1948 classring with a gold Kappa Sigma insignia as long as I knew him. In fact we spent much time tracking the ring down when he would forget where he had put it. More than once, it was in the bedside table, but he always knew when he didn't have it on!

What an incredible walk down memory lane, wondering about the changes as three generations of Meachams looked at this huge clock

Sooners VS Cornhuskers 62-28

It takes a real SOONER to make a hat like this

Sooners satrted winning in the first 5 minutes!

Prettiest part of the field

TOUCHDOWN! Well, one of enough to total 62 points!
I bet Ferrell and Patti are laughing!

What a totally wonderful day of HomeComing

Ranes - Halloween 2008

Oh No! I have all of these great Halloween Shots and can not get the individual pictures to save so I can blog them! HELP!
I have *snatched* pics from another blog, but never got them from another Web Album (other than my own), am unable to save them to MY Picassa. Yikes!!

Until I learn this new trick, click below to see some incredible costumes and kids having fun!

Picasa Web Albums - Ranes - Halloween 2008

My Son in a Skirt

Since I was not a blogger last year, I claim the right to blog my first born son in a skirt!

Wonder what he will do for an encore this year!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

One bright October day, Winnie the Pooh and Piglet decided to carve their Halloween jack-o-lanterns. Pooh wanted to carve a scary face. Piglet wanted to carve a happy face. Pooh was so busy working that he didn't notice that Piglet had disappeared! "Piglet, where are you?" called Pooh. "Here I am, Pooh," cried Piglet, as he popped out of his jack-o-lantern. Both friends laughed and finished carving their pumpkins.

I'm snatching pics again~ Addison and Carter are ready!

I've been told that Sky is a Red Devil!

Braydon is a Punk Rocker!

Tyson is a Mad Scientist!

and

Kayleigh is a Princess!

We are headed to Norman Oklahoma this morning, will return Sunday, may have to help Nebraska Cornhuskers get whipped by the OU Sooners! (and may watch it froma distance, like on TV down the street :))

Polynesian Boys

The Green Pumpkin

I snatched this picture because it is SO good in so many ways.

The green pumpkin, the evident weight of the pumpkin, the location of a few orange pumpkins, the Church in the background, and last but not least, the look of sheer delight on Carter's face!

In Memory of Lucille

No, her name is not really Lucille, is but a name I tagged her over 30 years ago when we first met and started working together. This is actually Peggy Harrell, my best friend through thick and thin for many years. She crossed over in 2001 to join her Heavenly Father and has been missed on a daily basis since then. She was my children's GodMother, loved them almost as much as I did, and was one of the best Respiratory Therapists you would ever need. She fed Sky her first cheese cracker, had the chance to meet Braydon, but left us a couple of weeks after Tyson was born. With Tyson's loving personality, I think she might have had a word with him hefore he left heaven! The day of her funeral was the day I met Tyson for the first time.

So today is her Birthday, and a great time to let her come live in our Blog. This particular photo is a favorite as we were in Mexico eating shrimp and avocados after going to a wildlife reserve to hide in blinds and take pictures of Green Jays (yes there is) and Road Runners (yes they were too). Peggy was already sick at that time, so she was in a wheelchair, but sharp enough to throughly enjoy watching me overcome with awe to see a REAL roadrunner. My mouth simply hung open as she said *Beamer, you're missing the picture*. Beamer is what she called me for a long time, stating that the room lit up when I walked in. It was true if she was in the room, my headlights would automatically jump to *Bright* just to see her there, ready to listen to my every word, respond as if no one ever talked before, and live my life with me as if it were her own. That is all she wanted, to share with others and make THEM happy!!!

What an act to follow!

SO... HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUCILLE

See ya Next Time

Peggy Harrell and I, for all those years of friendship, began the phrase *See Ya Next Time*, as it was not as harsh as goodbye, or even bye! It means that we will surely see each other again, somewhere on earth or otherwise.

Braydon and Tyson are giving Mamoo a few tears to hold on her blouse, or maybe that is her tears, who knows, they are just loving each other until next time.

Poor Blace is just outright boo hooing!! She and Kayleigh really bonded this visit, don't know who loved who the most, but I see some sugar in action here!

Uncle Waymon, Uncle James and Uncle CL, brothers of Mamoo, prepared Ranes a full bushel of boiled peanuts to take back to Utah with him. It weighed in at 47 pounds. Now that's a LOT of peanuts, so you Utah friends make sure you get a sample!!

The End~~~until next time!