Ten on Wednesday

1. Still no news about Tyler...I was really hoping that his body would be found by now, but such is life. They are still searching, so hopefully, they will find something soon, if only for his family's sake.

2. Among other things, I went visiting yesterday. As a side note, Tyler was essentially a cousin to Tevis. They shared cousins from opposite sides of the family. (Tevis's uncle married Tyler's aunt) Also, Tyler had a small family, which was really just he and his mom, and also his grandma, so they were always included in family get-togethers. This should add a little bit of clarity to the rest of the story. I started by going to see Tevis. It was apparent that he wasn't 100% okay, but he was holding it together alright. His mom was having a rough time still. After spending a few hours over there and essentially scoping out the situation, I picked up a few supplies and went over to Tevis's aunt & uncle's house to visit with Tyler's mom. Since I figured that they were overrun with food, I brought some paper products (plates, cups, & napkins), because you forget about those things when you have so many people in and out. I went over to their house alone, mostly because Tevis had to work and his mom was busy with other things. I had a bit of trepidation, but once I saw Tyler's mom, my fears vanished. Thankfully, I have been able to stay strong through this whole ordeal, so I wasn't adding to their sadness. I had a nice chat with everyone over there, and I am very glad that I went. Chances are that I might go back by later in the week, but we shall see. Continue to keep the family in your prayers, because they need all of the support they can get. Thank you!!!

3. Before my blog gets any more depressing, I will move on to lighter topics...Yesterday I got my hair cut! I had no clue how I was going to get it done when I went in, but I knew that I was cutting it. It was the longest my hair has been in quite some time, and it was too hot and too much upkeep for this time of year. I ended up choosing a style from my hairdresser's new style book, and I love it! I would show you a picture, but I don't feel like fighting my computer today. So far, everyone has loved it; now the next step will be me being able to recreate the look! Here's hoping!

4. On Saturday, my dad and Scotty put up a new gazebo at our church. The old one was made of wood and was on its last leg, as it has been for the past five years. Thanks to some donations, they were able to have a new gazebo built. Jeremy was nice enough to draw up a blueprint and have his crew at work construct and paint it. It is solid (and I mean SOLID) metal, so hopefully it will outlive us all! It was interesting to watch it being set, because it was so heavy that they opted to hire a crane to come and put it in. That really made their job much easier. I am proud of the new addition to our church!

5. This Saturday, Gina and I will be participating in our first 5K. My whole "Couch to 5K" running plan really went to pot this month. Oh well. I have been running a few times a week, and if nothing else, I will be in good enough shape to walk/run it. Not really what I planned to do, but all that matters is that I will be doing it! On the upside, I have already found 2 more 5K races in the coming months that I have every intention of participating in, so hopefully those will be better for me, training-wise!

6. How about the Thunder?! I have never really been one to follow pro sports teams, or really any sports team, for that matter, because I usually just see it as a money-making scam. However, I have had to eat my words over the past weeks as the Thunder has actually had a great playoff run so far. Yesterday I bit the bullet and bought my first Thunder t-shirt. I probably just jinxed them, and I also probably seem like a band-wagoner by doing that. However, this is the first time in a while that Oklahoma is in the national spotlight for something besides fatal tornadoes, our poorly-funded public education system, or our meth abuse rates, and that alone makes me happy enough to shell out twenty bucks on a t-shirt. Who knows, by this time next year, I might even shell out the money to go to a game...even if I sit in the nosebleeds! Anyway, here's hoping they make it to the finals...Thunder Up!

7. Pardon my materialism, but how did I live without an iPod for so long?! (I know it's because I'm cheap, but still...) I am in LOVE with it! I have the 6th Generation Nano, and my only beef with it is its short battery life. Otherwise, it is perfect! It has a Nike+ Feature that lets you use it when you workout and it tracks calories burned, mileage, and pace. Also, the built-in clip is perfect for placing on your waistband so you don't have to hold it while exercising. I bought an accessory last week, which is a radio adapter. This works by plugging the device into the iPod, and setting it to a specific station that has dead air, and then setting the radio to the same station. With the adapter, you can listen to your iPod on any radio without cords or other "stuff". I like it best because I can put it in any vehicle, regardless of its specifications. My sisters know me way too well, and did a great job with that present! (Oh yeah, I think my dad might be hopping on the digital music wagon...all it took was finding out about iTunes and how you can get almost any song imaginable on there. Who knew that day would come!)

8. A couple of nights ago, I had a good talk with my parents during supper. They told me about their lives growing up doing all of the chores they had to do. My dad told me all kinds of colorful stories about running a dairy, as his family did until he graduated high school. My mom told me about canning bulk amounts of green beans, beets, and other produce. They also told me about butchering chickens and pigs; neither of which sounds like something I would've enjoyed. I have come to the conclusion that although I grew up on a farm and did some work, I have nothing on the farm kids of yesteryear. They were real troopers. Compared to them, I feel like an uptown city slicker, even if I've lived on a farm my whole life. On a related note, I learned how hot dogs are made and what blood soup was. Neither of which are too appetizing, and really shouldn't be something you should know about if you are faint of heart or mind, just saying. Gotta love suppertime conversations!

9. Harvest has officially commenced on the Hladik farm! Dad went out yesterday afternoon and got our "home place" cut. Most of it went to hay, so it was no surprise that he finished so quickly over here. He has since moved to our east field, which will take just a little bit longer, but if the weather and machinery hold out, we will hopefully finish by this weekend! Oh, the joys of not having multiple farms! Don't get me wrong, I don't mind harvest, but it is such the relief when it is done for the year. Here's hoping for no breakdowns and sunshine!

10. On a final note, I would like to wish a belated happy birthday to my friend Audra, whose birthday was yesterday! I hope that you had a great day with your family, and many, many more to come!