Mother's day, 2011

After years of wanting to join the Mommy and Daddy club, Team Oakley FINALLY gets to participate in Mother's day and Father's day! Though our sweet son, Emery, is not yet here, we are going to take full advantage this year of being parents!!!

For Mother's day, Michael made good and sure that Beka was celebrated to the fullest!!!! He woke up early before he had to work, and started his spoiling. He woke Beka up with a lovely breakfast of curried potatoes, and orange juice.

On the tray he had a card "from Emery."

Then he presented her with a beautiful art piece that he made her. Oil pastels on canvas. 

It was a sweet sweet way for Beka to wake up on her very first Mother's day.

When he came home from working, he surprised Beka further with a BEAUTIFUL tulip. Then they were both getting ready to go, and she found three other tulips that he had hidden in different rooms of the house that he knew that she would go in. Four beautiful tulips in total. In the days to come the tulips opened up. It was like a gift that lasted for days. 

From there they went to shower Michael's Mom with love, gifts, and attention. Beka's mom and step mom are in SD, and they would be seeing them soon. Team Oakley is so blessed to have multiple moms, aunties, Mom in laws, step moms, and grandmas to be able to celebrate. Because, really, you can't have to much "Mom" in your life, can you?

It was a GREAT day, and the first of many to shower Beka in the love that is motherhood.

Happy mothers day to all! We hope you were as spoiled and blessed as Beka felt that day.

Thanks for sharing it with us!

Beka

Date day - Michael's turn

So in the Team Oakley house hold, we know the importance of date days. Both Beka and Michael are very busy, and unless we schedule it out, we can go weeks without spending any real time together. So we switch on and off who plans the date. This particular date was Michael's turn to plan and execute. And as is the usual for his date days, it was raining, and it ruined his plans. :( That always seems to happen to him. But if there is anyone who can improvise, it is Mr. Michael Oakley. 

He took Beka to Kroger (the local grocery store) to get a yummy lunch, then to sonic for some drinks. And instead of a drink, Michael opted for some soft serve ice cream. 

Then Team Oakley went to a local park (where a picnic would have ensued, had it not been raining) and sat in the car, listening to the rain, and eating lunch together. 

Beka's lunch consited of some veggie sushi. It was very good, but a little hard to eat in the car. 

Michael chose a favorite of his for lunch...bread. He LOVES bread. He bought a huge baguette, and some chicken salad. Voila, the perfect Michael Oakley lunch. 

After our bellies were full, we sat in that car, at the park, in the rain, for a couple of hours, just talking. It was not very "exciting," but it was precious time that we do not get to enjoy very often. And if we were to cancel, and wait till better weather, we could both be 50 before anything happened. You have to be flexible, and you have to make the best out of what life gives you. 

Here is to date days, rainy days, and still being able to talk for hours, after years of marriage. 

Thanks for sharing in our little adventure! 

Team Oakley

the Franklin festival!

It is the time and the season in the south to go to as many fairs, festivals, and carnivals that you can! Team Oakley cannot get enough of these culture rich festivities! We bask in the southern food, traditions, and people.

This festival is Team Oakley's FAVORITE! Every year we cannot wait to go and see all the art, booths, and bands. But with the craziness of the pregnancy and the business of life, we almost missed it! It was not until a few days before that we found out it was happening. We had already made some commitments, but we were determined to go. We were able to squeeze in a few hours on Saturday to get our fill of Franklin Fair goodness.

The day was BEAUTIFUL! the sun was out and everything was in bloom. We actually had to put sun screen on and we still got a little toasty by the end of the day.

We started at Cracker Barrel with Michael's parents, Craig and Josie. Happy bellies make for a happy day.

The colors of spring are breathtaking. We cannot get enough of the out doors and all it has to offer.

Here we are at the festival! When we pulled up, and finally found a parking place, Beka was so excited, she exclaimed, "It smells like fair!!!"

This was the 'beer tent' which neither of us participated in, being that Beka is 5 months pregnant :) No partying for Baby Oakley today, sorry bud. 

We entered on the street that had the majority of the food. The smells were wonderful! There were so many choices, and you cannot go wrong with anything there. Yum yum yum!!!

At last, after surveying all the wonderfully unhealthy but amazing options of fair food, Michael and Beka made their delicious decisions. Michael chose Jet's pizza and a coke. He was one happy Oakley.

Beka, being a vegetarian, had a bit of a harder time finding her grub, but alas landed on a veggie gyro. 

It was messy, overpriced, and so good :)

There were so many people there sharing in the experience with us. There was young and old, and it was so fun to be a part of something that so many people share once a year. 

All of these booths are vendors selling their handmade and unique goods. Everything from art, to collectables, knick knacks, and so much more. If you are a visual person, like Beka, and love to be entertained, like Michael, it was a wondrous place to be on a sunny saturday. There were new vendors offering fresh and exciting things that we had never seen, and there were repeat vendors that are still at their trade, years later. 

Our other favorite part (mostly on the Michael side of team Oakley) was all the live music and acts. All sorts of blues, blue grass, country, folk, and soul. We could have just sat and listened for hours. 

Here is a video of this fine band charming our ears. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugA3ekhMMo4

And this is a video of some youngsters just playing their little hearts out on the corner for a few extra bucks.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwIe300XU2w

It was the most wonderful day, and it filled a place in Team Oakley's hearts of the arts and culture. We would do this every weekend if we could, but alas, we must wait until next year. But you can be sure of this, we will be there when the festival returns to Franklin.

Thanks for sharing in our adventure!

Team Oakley