TOFW in Oklahoma City

Time Out started on Friday evening, but we got to Oklahoma on Thursday night! Angie and I met up with Paula (who had flown in), and Emily and Shalene (who also drove). The plan was to play all day Friday till Time Out started.


So we went to IHOP Thursday night and talked till 1:00 am! It was so fun to catch up with Paula and just have fun with the girls! Angie and I were up and out of the hotel by about 9:00 Friday morning, it's a good thing we didn't get out any earlier, we couldn't find a restaurant that opened till 10:00! We ended up eating at Sonic. There was a cool fountain so we posed for a quick picture, but it was WINDY and cold so we decided not to walk on the Riverwalk and to go shopping!

First, we went to JCPenney, we both got some perfume samples and I bought a yellow dress for Angie's wedding.

Then we kinda just wondered around hitting random stores. I got some cute new sunglasses! And we found a Lego store... Did you know that the Indiana Jones Lego series was discontinued?? *GASP*

Then we found this awesome store called Georgiou (not sure of spelling or pronunciation). The sales people were super helpful and Angie and I felt like we were on the TV show "What Not To Wear" The lady saw I liked a yellow ruffled blouse and helped pair it with this awesome gray on grey zebra print sweater. Then she helped Angie put together a new work outfit!

While waiting for Angie in the dressing room, there was another worker who was helping a customer. This customer tried on a dress. When she came out of the dressing room, the worker told her: "I don't like it! It does nothing or you!" I had to laugh at the honesty! So the lady and her rejected outfit went back in the dressing room to try on another outfit which, actually did look so much better on her!!

I was kinda fun to have hands on help. I didn't expect that from a store in the mall... I've only had that kind of help with my wedding dress!

In the meantime, Paula, Emily, and Shalene went to lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. We met them there after our shopping extravaganza! Then Shalene mentioned that she wanted to get her hair cut, so I told her I would get mine done too! I have been wanting to for a couple months now, but just last week Ii found a hairstyle that I wanted.

Equipped with her IPhone, Angie helped me find a picture of the style I wanted and the lady who cut my hair went to work. Since my hair was so long, she first cut off 2 ponytails (so that my hair was cut more evenly) so that I can donate my hair to "Locks of Love." Then the real work began!

I was SO happy with the results, and I love that she took time to show me how to style it - - It kinds stinks that I finally found a hairdresser that I trust, and she lives in Oklahoma City!




After the haircut (btw, Shalene's turned out way cute too!), it was time for TIME OUT!! Timeout was split into 2 sessions. Friday Night and Saturday Day...


I loved hearing all the presenters, but one of my all time favorites is Hilary Weeks - she is SO FUNNY and has such an amazing voice and when she sings she just brings the spirit to the room! LOVED her songs! All of the ones she sang brought a tear to my eye!

Some of the others that I was able to hear from were:

Linda Eyre and her daughter Shawni Eyre Pothier - Their message was to LOVE MORE. Find little moments in our life that we can make holy. To find Magic in the Mundane.

Wendy Ulrich - I was able to her her at my last time out and actually, she gave the same talk! :( But It was still a good talk and I must've needed to hear it again! ;) One of my favorite things she does is puts an interesting twist on things we've all heard a million times. For example one thing she told us was to celebrate FAILURE - Why? Because failure often means we are trying new things, taking risks to grow, stretch ourselves. It's also good to show our kids it's ok to fail. To show them that it doesn't matter so much the outcome (i.e. that we fail), but that we worked hard and tried. Another is Don't get help with your problems - HELP someone else with THEIRS! How about this one?: "Don't endure to the end..." Life is not meant to be endured but enjoyed! Or "Don't try to be happy"... Feel Grateful! With that, she told us write down something that we were grateful for that day and everyday.

Mariama Kallon - This woman is amazing. Her life is so drastically different from ours. The things she went through and endured are heartbreaking. Her testimony is beautiful. I learned so much perspective from her but I also love her testimony of the scriptures. She calls them her good friend, her therapist!

Michael Wilcox - From him I learned we all need to reach for knowledge. That there is a relationship between learning and righteousness. D&C 50: 24 reads "That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day."

Mary Ellen Edmunds - She was apparently the oldest presenter at TOFW. She said that when she heard Virginia Pearce tell us she was 66, she thought: "Ah, to be young again! This woman may have been the oldest, but she was so witty! She called Satan "Mr. No Body" and "Mr. What's His NO Face" because of his lack of a physical body! My favorite comment by her may have been a quote from someone else (i may have missed that citation): "What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us."

Emily Watts - She had a great ability to tell stories. She had great insights in how we can become better women. One of my favorite principles she taught was that sometimes it takes a really big mess to get us clean. Her example was this statement: "I know how to get the fridge really clean, spill a pitcher of grape juice!" Well no one wants to spill a pitcher of grape juice, but once it happens, you thoroughly clean the spill area.

So we went to an Italian place to eat on Friday night.



Sometime during our meal Agnie tells us that it's a "Clark thing" to be able to simultaneously write your name with your left and right hands (With a crayon in each hand, you start with hands close together and they work themselves apart. The result will be your name written 2 times, Mirror images of each other!). So she demonstrates... Intrigued, I try it! It worked!


Then everyone else who was right-handed was able to do it... So I don't think it's a "Clark thing" but it is a cool trick... Try it - Don't look, Don't THINK, just write! You'll be amazed!


Here's Emily's attempt, but she is left handed, and it doesn't work the same - - Side note, at our table of 7 we had 2 lefties!

After Time-Out on Saturday, a few of us went to a gourmet cupcake/candy shop and then went back home! If you're ever in Oklahoma City and like cupcakes, I recommend Pinkitzel (the cupcake shop) and get the salted caramel cupcake - it's divine!

Well, that's it in a nutshell. A lot of scattered thoughts, a very long post, if you made it to the end, go get yourself a piece of chocolate or something. I had a wonderful time and hope to be able to go to TIME OUT again in the future!