The girls had an awesome birthday!!!

Wow - I can't believe my babies are 12 years old! Where does the time go. Seems like just yesterday we were bringing them home from the hospital! They really just grow up way too fast!!

They really had a nice birthday this year. As always their birthday fell on the Straight basketball tournament. So they had to play basketball on their birthday. They ended up getting 2nd place in the tournament, so they were happy about that.

We had a HUGE surprise for them for their birthday - since one of their best friends (Jett) moved to Enid last summer, they have really missed her. They have seen her a couple times, but not the same as getting to see her everyday at school. So - I made arrangements with her mom to meet in Woodward on Friday night and for Jett to come home and spend the entire weekend with us. It was all a total surprise for the girls - they knew nothing about it!! Janelle (their other best friend) rode the bus home with them on Friday and we then all got in the suburban and told them we had to go pick up some parts for Ed's work at Woodward. They moaned and groaned a little because they knew it was gonna be a long trip (2 hours one way). But they all 3 loaded up and we took off. Needless to say, when we got their and Jett jumped out and said "Jordan, Dakota" and I said "Happy Birthday" the squeals and hugs and giggling started!! These four girls have all been best friends since kindergarten, so all four of them were just thrilled to death to see each other!! We got Jett all loaded up and went to eat and then headed home. Ed said he should have brought his ear plugs, listening to four girls all the way home! lol They stayed up late watching movies, playing games and talking Friday night. Then Saturday we all got up and we let the girls open their gifts. They got a lot of nice things, but what excited them the most was the Wii. They were so happy and all four girls spent all morning playing it!! Then we all went to watch the basketball tournament. Since Jett used to go to school at Straight, Mrs. Hill (the superintendent) let her dig out her old cheer uniform and cheer with the girls during the game. So again - all four girls were back together cheering on the sidelines of the game. It was great!!! When the girls' game was over, I had had cookies made in their school colors and each girl on the basketball team had their # on a cookie and one cookie said "coach". So they had cookies with their basketball team for their birthday! Also to add to their excitment - my Dad and step-mom came out to see them and watch them play basketball. And our good friends RJ and Carrie came to watch them play ball. So they were pretty pumped up!! After their game, they all cheered at the boys game. The boys also took home 2nd place!! Then we all loaded up and went to Caktus Jacks and had a nice birthday supper. Came home and had cake and ice cream and then the girls all four stayed up late playing Wii, watching movies and giggling all night! lol Jett's dad came to get her around noon on Sunday to take her back to meet her mom at Woodward and we took Janelle home around 1:00. The girls were tickled to death over their gifts, all the phone calls, and cards and money and esp. their big surprise - Jett! lol It was definitely a birthday they won't forget!!!

A busy January!

Looks like January will be a busy one!! On the 2nd, the girls and I went to Laverne to have a small Christmas with my Mom, Grandma Margie, Aunt Vicki and Aunt Carolyn. We had a really good time. The girls got tons of clothes, a cute stuffed penquin and some little frog sun catchers. And my Grandma made them the most beautiful Straight Eagles quilt - last year the girls had ALL the kid in their class and ALL the teachers, cooks, bus drivers, coach, custodian, ect... sign their name on papers and then my Grandma copied over their names and embroideried it all along with some other things and put it all together in an amazing quilt in their school colors. Quit a keepsake for the girls!!! This week - The girls started back to school on the 5th. Jordan had gymnastics on the 5th. The 7th the girls played Yarbrough in basketball and they won again!!!! Then they had Awana that night. This Saturday (10th) Dakota will go to Guymon to compete in a free throw competition! They have another ballgame on the 12th, Jordan also has gymnastics that night. The 14th is another ballgame, Awana, and my Grandma Margie is planning on coming out to watch the game and spend the night. Also on that day - the Simon's guys will be showing up for another guided hunt. That will last through the 18th. The week after that, the girls are out of school on the 19th. Jordan will have gymnastics that evening. The 21st they have Awana, then the 22nd is the first night of their tournament. Saturday they will be celebrating their 12th birthday and also playing in the tournament that night!! Another round of gymnastics on the 26th. Ballgame and Awana on the 28th. I think that might be it - unless of course something else gets planned! lollllll Just another typical month in the Burden household. Busy busy busy!!!

A great Christmas!!!

We had a wonderful Christmas!! Bryce and Terry both got here on Christmas Eve. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows in the fireplace and the kids got to open one gift each. Ed and I also opened our gifts for each other. We actually got to sleep in a little on Christmas morning. Then we all had bubble cake and opened gifts. It was a wonderful morning. The rest of the day we all just sat around and visited and the kids and I played games together. Friday morning Bryce and Terry both had to leave. Ed, the girls and I just hung out the rest of the day. Then Saturday Ed went to haul some pipe and the girls and I took the tree down and got the house all cleaned up. They are out of school the rest of this week. I'm sure gonna miss them when they go back next Monday!! Yesterday we went to Liberal with Becky and her girls. We had our nails done, went out for lunch and did some shopping. Tomorrow we are going to see Marly and Me. Thursday I think we'll stay home and get some housework done and then Friday we are going to Laverne to see my Mom and Aunt Vicki and Grandma Margie and Aunt Carolyn. Sure wish we could see Gina and Sherry and Carolyn's boys too! Then I think Saturday we're gonna have a cookout with Becky and Colby and their girls. Start the new year off with friends and family, who could ask for more?

Been busy baking!!!

The girls and I have been busy today getting all the goodies ready for Christmas!! So far we've made white chocolate macadamia nut bark, muddy buddies (puppy chow), chocolate and white chocolate covered pretzels, and chocolate covered almond balls. We are still going to make fudge, billionaires, and a lemon cake and apple crisp. Then we'll get started on all the other stuff. We are just having finger foods all day on Christmas. We started doing that last year and it's so nice that I can have most of it all done before Christmas and then I get to spend Christmas day enjoying my family and not cooking all day!! We'll have our traditional weenie roast and s'mores from the fireplace tomorrow night. Then we'll get up and open gifts on Christmas morning!!! Bryce will be here sometime tomorrow and will be staying until Friday probably (unless he has to work Friday). Terry will also be in sometime tomorrow to spend Christmas with us!!!


Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!

Toby Keith was in Guymon!!!!!

He was here this past weekend for a pheasant hunt. How cool is that?? We never "seen" him. Seems as if we were right behind where he was going. lol He was in Caktus Jacks on Thursday night, I was in there Friday afternoon! He was in Tractor Supply Friday and the girls and I were in there Saturday! :( Oh well - still pretty awesome that he was in Guymon, OK! Here is the article from the Guymon Daily Herald.



Country Music Legend Toby Keith Visits Guymon for a Quick Shot at Pheasant Hunting, City Gets Star Struck

By J.D. DENNIS
This weekend Guymonites gabbed over the unusual visit of country music legend Toby Keith as he stopped for pheasant season in the Panhandle.Keith enjoyed a two-day pheasant hunt with friend George Foote and Foote's family. Through all the success and experiences Keith has ventured in his life, one would think that he would seem like a superstar, and perhaps even have an aura around him when he entered the room. Quickly, however, many realized that Keith was just a small town Oklahoma native out on a weekend hunt with some friends.Whispers of the star's presence had more than worked around town by Thursday afternoon, and soon many residents were out 'Toby Hunting' and scouting for a reported maroon Ford truck with Kansas state tags in which some claimed to have spotted him. That night Keith and company shuttled into the local restaurant Caktus Jacks for dinner after a long days hunt looking like every other hunter coming in as the sun rested over the plains. Dressed in his camouflage overalls, OU beanie, and sporting the reward of a two-day-old stubble left from the loss of clean swipes of a razor, he sat down to eat with his friends and the circus began. Once word quickly spread to the others in town the restaurant became the hottest place to be on a Thursday night. What started as a small dinner crowd quickly turned into packed seating all around within less than half an hour. From people leaning over booths to small children standing up on chairs merely to get a glimpse of the country music star, Caktus Jack's quickly erupted into a frenzy of fans wanting either a glimpse, word, picture, or autograph of Keith. After finishing his dinner, the town's guest of honor and his friends left the restaurant and walked outside for him to sign the autographs and take the pictures with the adoring public. When finally given a chance to be asked, Keith agreed to a 6:30 am. interview the next day at the Ambassador Inn, where he was staying.When asked about his sudden visit to Guymon, Keith simply stated that it was a two-day hunting trip with some friends before he left the country for his Christmas vacation. Toby said It was his first visit to Guymon, and the farthest he's ever been in the Panhandle. "I've lived in Oklahoma all my life, but the furthest I've been towards northwest Oklahoma was Vici and Woodward," Keith said. "It's been great, a great stay."When asked about the hunt he made it clear that he and his friends were skilled hunters, and found plenty of success on their outings. "We had a great hunt. We hunt a lot so it was typical, but we killed a lot of birds," Keith said. The conversation then steered towards his latest movie "Beer for My Horses" and how the movie itself seemed to represent small Oklahoma towns in several different ways. One difference, however, was noted when he remembered the scene of the movie involving pig hunting. "Y'all don't have pigs up here though," Keith said with a grin on his face. Not many wild pigs to hunt indeed, but instead he found out the Panhandle has it's own wild friend that infests the area as was seen Thursday night when the winds gusted up. A most memorable impression, naturally was of something Panhandle residents consider a pesky burden. "It was pretty crazy watching all of those tumbleweeds flying around," he said.

Free Throw Contest!!

Dakota just came home and told me that she won the free throw contest at school today, so she gets to go on to Guymon to for the next competition to represent Straight School. The contest is on January 10th. Wish her luck!!! If she wins there, she goes on to district.

Today's basketball game!

The girls won their basketball game today!! In overtime!!!! It was such an exciting game!! At the end of the game it was 16 to 16. Janelle got fouled and got to shoot two free throws. She made one, putting the score at 17 to 16. Then Dakota made a basket making it 19 to 16 and in the last few seconds of the game Jordan made a basket for a final score of 21 to 16!!! It was so exciting and an excellent game!!!!!