Parker Hall

Many of you know the story, but some don't....but it's important to us, so I wanted to include it on the blog forever to be seen. Micheal and I met when we both lived in Parker Hall on campus way back when......when we were choosing a name for our Parker 8 years later, we debated and debated on what to name him. It's such a big decision, and it's a life long choice that will effect him for life! We had the name Parker on the list...it had a significant meaning to us, we loved the name and we lived in Parker, it's where we met, which clearly all led to us ending up getting married and having a baby. So, after much debate about whether or not a biblical name would be better, or a name that meant something different than "keeper of the park", or "guardian", or if we chose Parker would our other children feel like their names were just as special? We decided Parker was the best...so here's to our Parker!

First time Parker visited Parker, Homecoming 07

Parker Hall....a smaller dorm on campus, I lived on the 4th floor, Micheal on the 3rd.

Parker and Micheal in Parker Hall, Homecoming 09

Random pictures from homecoming...

There are so many pictures from our trip to sort through, probably over 100, seriously! So, here are some random good ones I wanted to include....eventually we'll put all 100 on our picasa site, so if you want to see all the house dec pictures or more family pictures, let me know and I'll guide you to the picasa site.


This is a sweet daddy son moment in the pool. Who knows what Parker was telling his daddy?!

In order to make it to Stillwater, we took 2 days to travel down and 2 days to travel back up to Minnesota. On the way down we stayed in Topkea, KS. The hotel had a pool, so we decided to take the time to swim in hopes to wear the kids out before bed after sitting in the car all day.


Parker is usually too short to touch the ground in the pools we've been in, in this one, he could walk on the edge, he loves the water.


Parker was coming up to Addison and acting like he was taking a nibble out of her each time he got out of the pool and jumped back in. She thought it was funny, and he had a blast getting in and out.

Tracy and Addison at lunch, both looking so pretty!


Jon and Parker watching the ducks and geese at Theta Pond.


Parker fed the ducks while Bristol and Addison watched.


Family photo! Addison loves to touch and grab whatever is in her reach....Parker is of course 2 and dramatic about it most of the time. He doesn't want Addison to grab at him, but of course he can grab at her anytime!

Addison showing Aunt Kelly her stuff! Maybe if I weren't so skinny, my pants wouldn't fall off, and I wouldn't get them caught in my feet when I'm trying to walk, and then I could learn to walk faster...

How old do you first discover you can roll down a grassy hill? Apparently at least by the age of two.

Kelly's all hyped up about......?

Grandpa Shields "Pa" and Parker watching a movie in their pajamas.


Grandma Shields "Amma" and Parker walking side by side, who do you think the leader is?


The Fletcher's! Thanks for babysitting for us during the game, I hope you survived!


Parker and Aunt Kelly playing piano in the lounge.

OSU Homecoming football game

Here come the Cowboys!


Pistol Pete!


The marching band, in the form of the state of Oklahoma. Notice the sea of orange!
Orange Power!


We're gonna score a touchdown! Go Poke! Way to go Cowboys!


The star Kelly...sister-in-law extraordinaire! We have fun being cozy at the game, it was quite chilly, in the 40's according to my sister in New Mexico via texting during the game!


Guyla and I before the game, before we were Popsicles!


We won! Yay! All of us at the end of the game. It was a late night, the game started at 8:15 pm! So we were quite chilled by the end, but it was worth the fun. It's been so long since we had gone to a game, thanks for the tickets Guyla!

The OSU Walk

Two hours before each home game, the team does what we call "The Walk". They start at the student union and walk to the stadium. The band and cheerleaders and Pistol Pete are all there before hand and have a mini pep rally. We all line the street to cheer them on before the big game.

Guyla and I at the walk.


A view of the crowd just in our part. There were hundreds of people there.

The marching band drum line.

Some of the players walking by....I'm not a fan enough to know their names and faces...sorry.

Barry and Garth are in the letter jackets. Mike Gundy, our coach is in the suit.

OSU Homecoming Parade

Garth Brooks, Barry Sanders, and Robin Ventura all OSU alums were the grand marshalls of the parade this year, as they were being inducted into the OSU Alumni Hall of Fame. I have to say, Garth Brooks seemed to take the spotlight over the other two. They also seemed t always come as a package so you couldn't get a picture of each one. Below is a picture of Garth Brooks, courtesy of Guyla.

Parker seemed to enjoy the parade. He especially loved Pistol Pete and the horses. We spend the whole weekend watching out for Pistol Pete and the week after we continued to look for him as Parker always asked if we could go see Pete. Addison slept through most of the parade, it was in the afternoon this year, so it was her naptime.


Part of the crew at the parade.


I don't know how we don't have a picture of Pistol Pete walking in the parade, but oh well.....heres a giant Pistol Pete at least!

OSU Homecoming house decs

So, I wanted to share part of the great things that draw us to homecoming each year. Besides the family and friends we get to see, OSU is deemed America's greatest homecoming for a reason. There are tons of activities the students do the week before, from blood drives, food drives, a harvest carnival for the community,painting community windows with OSU spirit, the pep rally,the orange and black basketball game, the walk, the parade, and lastly the football game too of course!

Above is a painting...it's on a very large piece of plywood board. Each organziation like a dorm or club or fraternity/sorority paint a sign to be displayed on the library lawn...they have to meet the theme, this year's was Branded for Life. Each "event" like the sign painting or house decs is scored at the end for a trophy and bragging rights.

This is one of the house decs. They are giant displays, made out of tissue paper in chicken wire, and much more. This one has the "flap" that goes up and down. Often there are fountains and other mechanical parts to make them even more grand. They are very tall....as tall as their 2 story house behind it. The house decs are made by a sorority and fraternity that are paired to work together.

It's amazing how real they look, considering what they are made of and how they start out.


The details are amazing.


Oops, my head is in the bottom of this one under the date! The very first Sonic was opened/built in Stillwater, OK...I'd say that is branded for life....Sonic, yum....I miss Sonic!

These look like the actual photos would in real life! You can see the top of their house behind it on the right corner.

This one shows how big they really are. There's a whole giant house behind it! There are tons of people that go too, this is nothing...we started while it was still light, once it's dark, there are lights on the house dec, and the streets are so crowded, you just move with the pack.

You have to include Eskimo Joe's, it's such a part of Stillwater and OSU.

Another one...with the cover of Sports Illustrated this fall made into it, with our star Cowboys! Go Pokes!

You walk many street blocks looking at all the houses. Addison was carried in her sling, this is what she thought after taking it all in, it was too much to watch all the people and stay awake. She has her hands of course, and slept quite well and snuggled as a bug.

Cousins

When we made the trek to Oklahoma for OSU homecoming, we were able to see Tracy and Jon and Bristol, as they braved Stillwater to come see us! yay! It was so good to see them and spend some time with them, as who knows how long til we get to see them again! It was fun to see Bristol and Addison together. They are only 9 days apart, so fun for Tracy and I, and I hope it will be fun for them as they get older. Hopefully we'll be able to coordinate them having lots of time together as they grow, it will be fun for them to have that like Tracy and I did when we were little.

Addison and Bristol are so different. Addison was all about touching Bristol and checking her out and wanting to give her love. Problem is, Addison can have a killer hug with the strength she's gotten from always holding her own hands together. Bristol just watched her. Addison is super skinny and light as a feather, Bristol feels like there is a brick in her bottom.