First OK Winter Storm

Well, we have experienced our first Oklahoma Winter Storm.  It started Sunday evening with freezing rain and changed to snow in the middle of the night!  We woke up to about 3 inches!  

The boys were so excited.  Unfortunately Ben also woke up with a 101 temp and it quickly rose to 105.  But Will and Wyatt got to play in it!!

We didn't go anywhere all day but I was hearing how the roads were...icy, snowy, black ice, terrible.  I don't know why but I didn't really believe it could be that bad.  This evening I had to drive the boys into the rink for hockey practice.  All I can say is WOW...they really do not treat the roads here! The highways were fine but when you came to a bridge overpass it was completely full of snow. We saw 8 accidents in a 10 mile drive.  I don't think I have ever seen that many in my life in that short of a distance. 

And, the snow plows are so tiny!  

The back part that holds the sand is so small!  And they drive about 10 MPH, which I guess is safer than the speed Demon's in MN!  

I am sure when I blasted past cars they thought I was some crazy lady driving a minivan until they looked at my MN license plates!  Yes...I know...I need to get OK license plates. But come on people, you can drive in this stuff!!!

To top it off schools are closed tomorrow!  Even though the temp will be 48 degrees. The reason is, "the roads are unsafe to transport students"...okay...!  In this would just be a normal winter day!

We are enjoying our experiences here, we chuckle at these little things but I am sure if we ever move back to MN we will not know what to do!  But for now, we are still Minnesotans at heart and can drive in a couple inches of snow and ice!!!

November Rain

No no no, I am not talking about the Guns N Roses song!  I am talking about life in Oklahoma!  Minnesota has already had one snow day this year, where we still have beautiful leaves on the trees. 

Now, a week or so ago we were under a winter storm advisory...

Yup, this is all we got!  Lol!  The boys had a blast but really are missing the snow.  Me...not so much!  I will take the beautiful trees and 50-60 degree weather any day over cold and snow!

Today, it is raining and thunderstorms.  

Again, I would take this over snow and cold any day!  It will be weird as we are entering the Christmas Season with no snow but as for now, I am okay with our November Rain! 

Still loving this Oklahoma life, and I have a feeling I will love it even more come December, January and February!!! 

Fall Time? Are You Sure?

We have experienced our first Labor Day in Oklahoma.  Well...we actually spent it in Dallas for a hockey tournament but the temps were quite similar.  It didn't even feel like Labor Day Weekend. One, we weren't heading "Up North" or even getting ready for school to begin on that Tuesday (because the boys had started 2 weeks earlier).  But also Two, the temps were in the 90's.  That just is not right...for this Northern Girl anyway.  It is supposed be cooler...mid 70's or lower, with really cool nights.  We were supposed to wear sweat shirts and jeans, not t-shirts and shorts and still be sweating.

Tonight on the news they "warned" us to get the coats out because a "cold front" is coming through.  Yup, it is going to be the low 70's/high 60's starting tomorrow and through the weekend.  BRRRRRR...NOT!  LOL!

I am actually heading to MN tomorrow for a girls weekend at Carlos Winery.  It will definitely feel like fall there.  I am excited for the cooler temps, to wear my jeans and sweatshirts.  Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining about this warm weather!  I love it; it is just so weird and does not feel like fall time.

People here are starting to talk about their favorite crock pot recipes that they are cooking now and will be this weekend.  Ummmm...doesn't it have to be at least 60 degrees to just start talking about it?  And those fabulous fall/winter hot dishes.  That's right...they are Hot Dishes, NOT casseroles! And then there is football...Is it Football Season?  It isn't still pre-season?  The weather is too warm for football.

I am not knocking on any of my Oklahoma friends, it is just so different from Minnesota!  I know I will slowly adjust and become "acclimated" to the weather but for now I am still a true Northern Girl!  And I love the fall weather there.  I can't wait to feel some of it this weekend!  And...I am sure I will be ready to go back to the warm weather on Sunday!  To my Minnesota friends/family I will be seeing this weekend...NO TEASING ME if I am colder than you are!  ;)

I know I will love this "Southern Weather" come January!  That will be a whole other post!

I promise not to wait so long to post again!  I do see likes/differences almost weekly so I will continue to post about them!

Until next time!

Where there is a "Will" (and Wyatt and Ben") There is a Way!

Piggy backing off my last post of not having many accessible parks and trails the boys have become quite creative this week!  A couple days ago we had our own driving range in the back yard!

With an empty lot next to us they have lots of space to do this!  Now their challenge is to hit it over the neighbors fence on the other side of the lot!  And they have met their challenge a few times!!! Thankfully the neighbor is nice and said she would just throw the balls over when she sees them.

Another creative idea they have done is is their own gym/American Ninja Warrior obstacle course.  The boys are obsessed with this show. So they decided to create their own gym (THE FIERCE GYM) and make it an obstacle course!  Click on their names below and you can watch each one run through them! Oh, I should mention, Will and Wyatt don't quite make it through the tube run at the end but it is quite comical! 

First we have Ben running through the course!  Then we have Wyatt!  And last but not least, Will!  

I am pretty proud of these boys for being so creative.  They have had lots of fun with it.  They have a course at the neighbors too that includes their 6 foot fence!  I haven't seen them do it yet but I can only imagine!!!  :)  

So, even though in my last post I was complaining about the parks and recreation...or lack there of we have found the positive in it and created our own! Who knows...we may have the next American Ninja Warrior Champion on our hands!  

Cheers to fitness!!!!!

Parks and Recreation...maybe?

Living here in Oklahoma we are quickly learning there just isn't the parks, lakes and trail systems that Minnesota has. We all are really missing them.  Minnesota is so abundant of trails and lakes and parks that no matter which way you turn you have one.  Here in Oklahoma, you have to drive at least 30 minutes...sometimes more...to find a park or lake and some trails.  And...those are mostly State Parks. Which aren't bad, just not your run-of-the-mill parks that Minnesota has.

The boys and I have had to become creative with finding things to do that don't always cost money.  Where we spend most of our time is our neighborhood pool but I even think they might be getting a little bored of that.  Other than that we have been to the roller rink, movies, shopping (costs money), skating at the rink, walking down to the creek to look for craw fish, turtles and what ever fun "boy" stuff we can find. and then just going on bike rides, roller blading, and running on the trails we do have in our neighborhood. These are the best trails we have found yet.

We will continue to search for some fun (free) parks and lakes to go to as we have made it an adventure!  But in the mean time...we are missing the Land of 10,000 lakes!!!

I scream...You scream...We all scream for...Snow Cones???

Yes, snow cones.  There is a snow cone (or shaved ice as they say here) stand about every few miles!  So cool to see all the different ones!  In Minnesota we have Dairy Queens every few miles, but here it is snow cone stands!  Here are three of them that we pass a lot. 

 So on hot hot days we all scream for snow cones here in Oklahoma!

Turtle Tunnel...HUH????

This is a very short blog tonight but I had to share this!  This is another BIG reason why we love Oklahoma so much, and why Minnesota and Oklahoma are different! A Turtle Tunnel in Minnesota?  Are you kidding me?  LMAO!  I can't believe there was money spent on this.  I am all about helping turtles across the road and will save them when I see them but come on...

This would NOT happen in Oklahoma!

Click on the link to watch the clip...
Turtle Tunnel In Minnesota