Nicknames

Isn't it funny how many names we go by in our lifetime.  My parents gave me the name Jacqulyn, but always called me Jackie.  My husbands parents named him Michael, but called him Mike.  This is common, many parents do this.  I always hated being called Jackie, because there were two boys in my community that were named Jackie and I did not like having a name that could also be a boys name.  In second grade I decided that I would start going by my middle name, Dianne, but not too many people were very cooperative.  I went so far as to have that engraved on my new Bible.  One man, friends of my parents, called me Dianne until the day he died....thank you Elmer, he was the only one.

It didn't matter though, I had many other names I went by.  Mervin's or David's little sister.  I really didn't mind that so much, I really looked up to my brothers.  They were 10 and 6 years older than me.  I must confess, I nicknamed them too.  They were Big Bubby and Little Bubby.  I did think after I got older and my brothers were gone that I would assume my own identiy.  Which I guess I did for awhile, but after I married I became Mike's wife.....then the children came along and I became Ryan's Mom, Krista's Mom or Amanda's Mom.

I asked my sister-in-law a while back as to why she called her husband McD.  Well, she finally got around to replying, LOL.  Just giving you a hard time, Julie.  I won't tell her story, that's for her to tell not me.  Then today when I  logged in to my blog, I forgot that when I started this blog I game myself the name McMom.  There is a story behind why I chose that name.  You would assume it is because our last name begins with Mc and that I am a mom, but that is not where it came from.  I'll let you in on a story I have not shared before.

When our son Ryan graduated from highschool his greatest desire was to wrestle for a Division 1 school.  We sent out letters to all the D-1 schools who had wrestling.  He had several that were interested but decided he wanted to go to the US Army Military Academy in New York, USMA, better known as West Point.  They decided it would be a good idea for him to go to Blair Prep School for a year in New Jersey before he came to the academy.  We went through all of the things you must do to get accepted to West Point and he got the appointment from 3 different congressmen and senators.  He eventually went in under David Boren, who was a US Senator from Oklahoma at the time.  Ryan had several nicknames in the 3 years he was at Blair and West Point.  One of those was Mac, believe me there were others, but it was that one that gave me my new nickname.  While he was at West Point I became known as Mac's Mom.  At the end of his Plebe year at WP my mom and I went to visit him.  That is when I met his friends and they began to call me that, so what seems to be the obvious isn't always what is the reality.  As Paul Harvey would say...now your know the rest of the story.

Spring Break at the Great Wolf Lodge

We had all three grandchildren with us for Spring Break.  We decided to take them to the Great Wolf Lodge, which has an indoor water park.  This was also to celebrate JJ's 6th Birthday.  They were so excited to stay in a hotel first of all and they had so much fun playing in the water park.  They thought they were so big because the water park has a section for little kids and they could run free, but of course we could see them at all times.  We had two beds and JJ slept on the couch.  He really thought he was big.  Of course my gout decided to act up on us while we were there so I really had a hard time keeping up with these three.  They went to story time after dinner and the next morning after breakfast they went on a nature walk....inside the lodge.

JJ had a special birthday present waiting for him when we came back from the water park the first time.  They loved it when we ate in the dinning room where they could choose what they wanted to eat and drink and of course wear their wolf ears.

We spent one night at the Lodge and played the next day.  Then we drove back to Wichita Falls and spent the second night.  We went to eat at Cheddar's and JJ got a huge piece of chocolate cake.  Everyone ate some of it.  The three were really good for GiGi and Bop.  Thank goodness.  They swam in the indoor pool at the hotel and had lots of fun there too.  They can't wait to go on another trip with GiGi and Bop and stay in a hotel.

We finished up by making it back to Anadarko and eating lunch at the Eatery for JJ's real birthday and then on to Ted's for our traditional Birthday supper.  He has done that every year for 6 years now.  It has become a tradition....until he decides to break it.  We love our grands.

Dominic Mr. Blue eyes

Dominic usually comes to stay with Mike and I in March.  His mom works for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and part of her job as the special events coordinator is to put on an event at the NCAA Division I National Wrestling Tournament.  With that being said, she must attend the tournament every year.  This year it was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  I picked Dominic up at Brooklyn's Birthday Party in Moore on Saturday.  He then had the privilege to stay with us until the next Sunday when his mom and dad got back.  On Sunday Mike had to work so Dominic and I went to church and then went to McDonald's to eat.  I brought along my camera so we could go to the park in Chickasha to snap some photos.  I had not gotten to take any really good shots of Mr. Blue eyes since I got my new camera.  He really did pretty good for such a sunny day in the park.  I am now going to post some of the pictures we took, plus some of him playing at the playground after we took the pics.  Dominic is a very easy going boy.  He is pretty cooperative most of the time.  He does have his limits on taking pictures though.  Most kids do have their limits with pictures though.

On Top of Mt. Scott

One Saturday afternoon Mike ask me where I wanted to go eat.  I told him I would like to go to Medicine Park.  If you know my husband he is always up to try a new place to eat.  It was late afternoon when we pulled into Medicine Park.  We chose to eat at The Riverside Cafe.  It sets right next to the water.  I am not sure you would call it a river, but there is water that come from the West over a little man made waterfall and there is also a wooden bridge.  We enjoyed our meal and then I asked Mike if he would drive me to the top of Mt. Scott.

This is the soldier we talked to running across the rocks in those shoes that have toes.

My sweety  looking good!

We took off West out of the Park and started up the Mt.  We passed several Army soldiers with full packs on their back running up the Mt.  I guess they are training to be deployed or maybe they just like doing that sort of thing. Once at the top I noticed several vehicles with signs painted on their windows that indicated they were photographers.  I had come to the top to take pictures of the sunset that night and guess what, so had they.  I am not sure how many were there but at least 20 or so.  They had come from as far as Enid maybe farther.  We were all a little disappointed because there was a haze and the sunset did not look very promising.  We had a really good time though.  We visited with several of the photographers, a soldier in the army, and got to see a really interesting car.  You will see what I mean when I post the photographs to go with this.

Every time we go down to the mountains and drive up Mt. Scott we have a good time.  There is always someone interesting up there to visit with.

Now that you looked at the sunset, you decide if it was a good one or not.  It turned out better than those of us up there thought it was going to.  Let me tell you it was pretty cool and windy that evening....but it was worth it. So this was On Top of Ole Mt. Scott not Ole Smokey.   I just love sunsets.  They are my favorite thing, well, next to my grandkids.