Amara turned 2 years old on July 17th, 2010

Maybe a model someday.

JJ is 5 here, such a big boy.

This smile melts your heart!

This is my favorite look she gives!

 Kaci was really able to capture all of Amara's personality in these pictures.  She has so many faces and she just is so cute. JJ is a really good big brother and you can tell by the picture of the two of them together.  I just love these kids.  Amara is going to keep all of us on our toes.

They love each other so much.

What does she see???

I love her laugh!

Amara can give some looks....

Her expressions never cease to amaze me.  She can cut those eyes and it says everything.

4th of July

We have been home for a week now from Hawaii.  I have packed up my room at school, we have been to Stillwater to see Dominic, and to OKC to see Amara and watch JJ play T-ball.  Now we are home in Dodge and it has been raining all day, Mike had to work and I spent the day doing laundry and doing nothing much.  This is not one of the best 4th of July's I  have spent.  I did get to talk to one of my good friends on the phone.  That was pretty much the highlight of the day.  Everyone keeps asking me what am I going to do now that I have retired.  I have so many things on my list to do that I have no idea how long it will take me to get them all done.  One of the first things I need to do is make all of the doctor appointments that I have been putting off for the last couple of years.  I also need to de-clutter my house according to the people on Clean House.  I have at least 5 friends that I have promised to come visit.  They live all the way from northern Oklahoma to southern Oklahoma, Houston, Dallas, Toronto, and San Fransisco.  I also have promised to take a grandson on a vacation and another friend to Dallas to shop.  I really don't think it is too hard to find things to do.  Right now I am having more problems finding enough time to do all the things I want to do.

Mike and I drove up to the high school gym and parked where we could see the fireworks about 9:30 tonight.  I few other people had the same idea.  You can see them pretty good from there.  They did not last a long time, but they had some pretty ones.  Mike loves fireworks.  Well, it is bed time and I guess I will post this.  I don't really have much to say and that is unusual for me.  I hope that everyone is having a fun and safe 4th of July weekend.  Good night!

Hawaii...2010

Well, Mike and I arrived on Maui Friday, June 11, 2010.  That was the longest flight ever.  We flew straight from Dallas to Maui.  I thought it was a great idea at the time, but looking back, I think we will fly to California for a day or two next time and then fly over.  Mike and I have had a hard time adjusting to the time change this time and also sitting so long is not good for our bodies any more.  Twelve years ago when we first came to the islands it was easier for us.  Enough about that.

Friday after we got here and checked in we drove down South a little ways and ate at Freds Mexican Cafe.  Really good food.  Great view and got to sit next to the water where we could see the sunset.  We were so tired though we did go to bed early.

Woke up very early Saturday morning which was ok.  We took off to Lahaina for the parade, the birthday of King Kamehameha.  Mike loves parades and it was fun.  We went to the Lush Store.... organic handmade cosmetic store we found last time we were here.  I just love everything I have bought there.  We ate fish and chips at Da Kitchen at the Wharf.  Mike cooked dinner back at the condo, quite a feast of shrimp cocktail, scallops, baked potato and more.  We were so ready for that hot tub.  No one else was there when we went either.

Sunday found us off to the Fair in upcountry.  I could not trick him in to going down the road where Oprah's house is this time.  We did go to Makawao for the 4-H livestock show and that was fun to see how they do those things on the island.  Then... my favorite place to eat on the island POLLI'S Mexican.. again!!!  They had great food and great margaritas.  From there we drove on up the south/west side of  Haleakala through Kula and up pasted the lavender farm to about 6,000 feet altitude.  It was so cool about 59 degrees and very pretty too.  We were in Polipoli State Park.  Doesn't look like our parks.  On our way back home we stopped in Kahului at the Whole Foods Store.  We had a great time.  We got some crab cakes to cook for supper and more shrimp cocktail.  Now we have really had some great food.  I cooked this time.

Monday has been a kick back day and we have not done very much just sort of hung out here at the condo.  We will be back at it tomorrow I am sure.  I will continue this as there is more to say... Lovin my two weeks here in Paradise!!!

McComas Family Reunion May 2010

In May the McComas family got together at the park in Chickasha. Almost everyone was there. We missed those who could not come. We hope this is an annual event and that everyone is able to come next year. The kids loved fishing in the pond, playing in the water park and playing football.

Uncle Kenny got together an adult football game and he organized the little ones as cheer leaders. I think all of the adult males were sore the next day. We all had a great time.

Life's A Dance: McComas Family Reunion May 2010: "Click here to view these pictures larger"

McComas Family Reunion May 2010

Click here to view these pictures larger

Kick back day!

Today has been a day that I have spent with my dog Tino.  He loves it when I am home, especially if I sit down and he can lay down next to me.  We have done a little bit of housework, mailed some cards and went to the pharmacy to pick up my medicine.  I went out to the cemetery and looked it over.  I started watering it today.  It needs a lot of work before Memorial Day at the end of the month.  I promise to take better care of it this summer than I did last summer.  I was very upsetting to see it today.  We have never let it look this bad.  I guess Ryan would understand that we are getting older and it is hard to keep up even when I hire someone to mow.  Ica has done a good job.  We just need to water and fertilize more.

JJ gave me a card yesterday that he made for me at school.  Of course he made Amanda one too.  He also made her a gift.  He asked his teacher if there were enough pots for him to make me one too, and she told him no that was just for his mom. He told her he was going to get one and make it for me later.  He is just the sweetest kid ever.  I love him so much.  I love all my grands...Dominic and Amara too, it's just that we have had JJ for 5 years now and he has lived with us twice now, so there is a special tie there.  I say that but there is a special relationship with each one.  They all have such different personalities and we all have a special relationship.  Amara is the one who always wants her Gi Gi.  Dominic and JJ always want to know where there Bop is.  Dominic has decided to call me GiGiBop.  He is sooo cute and totally amazing with some of the things he comes up with.  God has really blessed me with three wonder children and now three equally wonderful Grandchildren.

I am so ready for the next two weeks to go by, even though I know I will miss being in school when Aug. comes this year.  I have so many things I need to do.  I have all kinds of scrap books that I need to complete.  I have a house that needs to get organized and I need to take time to take care of my hubby. I will be able to cook home cooked meals and hopefully we can trim a little fat. LOL  I will not have any excuses for not exercising now.

Travel is on the agenda too before we get to old to go and enjoy.  I am blessed that Mike was fortunate enough to get a job at WFEC and make better money than school teaching.  That is why I am able to retire.  A big thanks to Phyllis for helping us with our financial plan so we could do this.  Mike plans to keep working as long as his health holds out.  One retiree at a time is enough.  After I adjust and the time is right, Mike will join me, but probably not for 7 to 10 years.  I doubt that anyone but myself will want to read this post, but it is here so I will remember how I am feeling right now.

Oh yeah, there was a school wide retirement, teacher of the year reception at the high school this past week.  Krista and Dominic surprised me and showed up for the reception.  Mike and JJ also came.  It was special to have them there, but they really didn't have to come.  This coming week the 6th grade teacher want us all to go out and eat to celebrate me leaving. LOL no retiring. I have some really special people I teach with.  I know I am going to miss them.

OK....it is time to shut up and end this blog.  I am so excited about this next part of my life.  It is just really hard to put it into words.

May 2010

There are 13 more days of school after today.  I have 13 more days and I will be unemployed for the first time since 1975.  In 1975 I quite working in April so I could finish that semester of college.  Had Ryan in Sept. Went back to school in January of 1976, and graduated from Oklahoma State University the last Friday in July and began working the first Monday in August.  I have had a job non-stop since August of 1976.  It is really going to feel strange when August rolls around this year and I don't have to go back to school.  I think that I am going to enjoy retirement, but I am going to miss my job, my kids, my fellow teachers and just being part of the system.  I have been doing this for 34 years.  That is over half of my life and when you think about it, I have been doing something in the education field for about 50 of my 56 years.  Now that is a long time to either be a student or a teacher.  WOW!!!

Yesterday all my kiddos were here at my house.  We had pictures made down in the park.  The kids and the adults really did well.  Andrea got some really good pictures, but she always does, even if we have cranky subjects.  LOL  I love having pictures made of everyone but myself.  I guess everyone is pretty much that way.  I have three of the most photogenic grandkids in the world, and I am not prejudice either.  I will post just a few of the pictures that she took.

I hope to write more often when I retire.  Since JJ has stayed with us during the week to go to school here in Anadarko, I haven't written as often as I should.  I should have been writing down the things he did and said, but I have been pretty tired when I get home, so I have let a few things slide.  We have loved him being here with us and the house is going to seem very quiet when he goes back to his mom in three weeks or so.  He has had a good year and I know he made some friends here in Darko that he will keep forever. He has loved every minute of the day with Mrs. Glidewell and Miss Karen.  They are the greatest.  Next year he has been accepted into Nichols Hills Elementary in Oklahoma City.  It is supposed to be the best elementary school in the district.  I hope it is and hope he loves it there as much as he has here.  It is hard to explain that he will not be going to Sunset Elementary here next year to him..  They have toured the school and told the students that this will be your school next year.  He is starting to figure it out and he has a friend that goes to the school where he will be next year.

Well, that is all for now, I better quit and get busy.  I will see if I can get a few pics to load now.