Loss is hard....

Rita L. Hardman Pinkley



It was a very sad day last week when I learned of this sad news. Rita is a phenomenal woman. She is THE reason so many families are able to have children. I'm a lucky person that was allowed the gift of having a younger brother and sister adopted from an international country. Rita was the Director and the biggest part of the Baltic Blessings Adoption Agency out of Washington State. She is the reason Ilze is here. She is the reason Taylor is here. It is sad to have her gone, at such a young age. I hope that each child she brought over here will remember her and take a piece of her heart with them wherever they go.

What amazes me, is that after my brother has been here for 12 years, he decided to go to the funeral in Seattle yesterday. He is 15, going on 27, but 15 nonetheless. They asked for a child to speak at the service, and Taylor volunteered. I wasn't there, but I'm sure that he spoke from his heart and had profound things to say for a 15 year old. I wish I could have been there. I think he has a good perspective. I think they all do, I would imagine.

May God bless Rita forever, and take care of her family here on this Earth. She did wonderful things. I hope we can take her dreams and make them last forever. God bless you Rita for all you do. We love you and miss you already.

Wildflowers

Wildflowers on the side of the road....

Waterfalls...

A few snapshots of a small little place in the middle of nowhere Creek County. This is off the beaten path, about 3 miles west of Highway 97 that connects Sapulpa to Sand Springs. It's Pretty Water Lake that goes over a small waterfall/spillway into Lake Sahoma. It's beautiful. It's nestled in hills, quiet, quaint, and a nice getaway. I'll take some walks there and will take kids there and will play at the park. If only I liked to fish...

Oklahoma Sunsets

I love sunsets in Oklahoma. I love sunsets anywhere, but the skies of Oklahoma can be multi-colored blues, reds, pinks, oranges, grays, yellow's, and even green's. Beautiful sunsets. Here's a view of tonight's sunset out by my place. I took some snapshots on a walk with Wally overlooking the fence on the west side of the property. How beautiful it would be to face the west and see the sun setting every day...although it's rained so much the last month I don't think you could have seen the sunset very often. Anyhow....here are a few of the snapshots.

The Road to Omaha is Closed

Cowboys’ Season Ends With Super Regional Loss To Louisville

Guess my favorite team won't be going to Omaha....and they were soooo close. I was there last summer for Ashley's wedding...and it would have been so cool to go back to the College World Series....maybe next year.

Soaking up the sun...horse style.

Ilze is still doing so well with her horseriding adventures. She and Eve have so much fun together. Here are a few photographs from this weekend's show in Claremore. She's doing very well and takes first in several of the speed events. She's growing up. It's fun to watch her do something and love it so much.