Fall 2012 Highlights

I haven't been blogging for a number of reasons.  Busy? yes, but there is more to it than that.  I had an adrenal fatigue relapse this summer and, quite frankly, I don't remember much about these last few months!  when I have that I am super tired and cannot think clearly, much less keep up with things!  On top of that I have had computer issues, elderly parent issues, and, well, being busy at home, too.  I wish I could brag blog about all the stuff I have accomplished since about August, but there just isn't much to say!  I have totally been in survival mode.  Among with my "computer issues" was that my pictures haven't been automatically downloading and saving into the computer.  I'm not computer savvy- I just figured out plan "B" for that!  So here are some pictures of some of the bright spots of this fall.

 Kids play "sleeping".  Love that "baby"!  

{Side note: that couch is NOT in my livingroom!  Its in the basement and its a hide-a-bed or we probably wouldn't still have it! LOL}

 Hanging out in Grandma & Grandpa's back yard

 Peter's 8th birthday.

 His party consisted of his friend Shad and his family.

Silly picture!  Love Dallas' Stanly Laurel imitation!  {And Jordyn peeking in the back!}

 G&G with the girls.

Namesakes: 

Joseph Donald, Grandpa Donald, Mary, Grandma Mary

First day of school, including Lucy & her "blanket" which is no more because she completely shredded it until there is nothing left.  Maybe she ate it?  Who knows!

Corah, 8th grade

Joseph 4th, Peter 2nd, Mary 1st, Leah is 3 and she "homeschools" too.

My lovely back yard-- boy do I miss those leaves!!!

Playing in the leaves

Isn't that an awesome picture?!?  {Too bad she's wearing a gubby old shirt with paint all over it!LOL}

One of "Oreo Kitty's" last days with us.  He and Lucy made us understand the meaning of "fighting like cats and dogs"! Since their last {really big!} fight, we haven't seen him.  I don't understand why he would leave, Oreo ALWAYS won!!   

Jordyn's fall fun party

 "Happy Birthday to ME"

 Thanksgiving at Grandma & Grandpa's house, wearing the turkey shirts with tu-tus that Jordyn made for them.  Aren't they adorable?!

Grandpa hug!

I am so glad we were able to spend Thanksgiving as a family at Grandma & Grandpa's house because that was our las time to visit them there.   The next time we all go to visit, it will be at their new assisted living apartment. They "aren't ready" but it will be such a relief to us "kids" to know there will always be someone there to watch them and keep them safe.  It is a lot safer than their house that just isn't handicap accessible.  They are changing so fast... but I am so glad we still have them!!! 

We've adopted!

It has been almost a year since we lost our dear old Molly.  I think about her often.  I don't think we ever really realized what a big part of the family was until she was gone.  Sometimes I think I hear her, breathing heavily as she did in her senior years; or stepping onto the front porch. {She sounded like a person because she weighed as much as a small adult human!}  I was never afraid of intruders - she never would have allowed one!  Her bark was definitely worse than her bite.  She was very cautious about men.  Grown men would refuse to leave their trucks when she stuck her nose up toward the driver's window.  She hated the garbage man.  Think about it, 1) a man 2) stopping by our house during the day when her kids were playing right there in the yard 3) taking away something that "belonged" to us!  I have to laugh when I remember his face!

One sunny morning when I was having my morning prayer time... something triggered a memory.  I don't remember what it was, but I shed a little tear, thinking about Molly.  So I prayed... "Lord, You know we want another dog.  You know we have tried to get a puppy and it just never worked out.  I ask You to bring us the right dog at the right time... and with a shock collar... all for free."  Looking back, part of me believed it was just too much to ask.  But not too much for our God!

A week or so later, Tyler came home from work and asked what we would think of taking in a 1-year old American bulldog.  {Ummm, a bulldog?  I was thinking more like German Shepherd.}  His friend at work had her as a house dog and couldn't keep her any longer.  She had outgrown the house and was bored there.  She was chewing up everything in sight!  He couldn't keep her in the backyard because she could jump the fence!  We agreed to adopt her.

Meet Lucy!

{Shock caller and everything!}

She came to us on Memorial Day!  She is sooo sweet, and loves the country.  She hasn't destroyed anything since she's been here, she is having too much fun following all these kids around!  She has had to adjust to not being allowed in the house, that was tough at first, but she is learning.  She especially didn't like the day it rained off and on all day!

The cats aren't thrilled with her, but they have "put her in her place" a few times.  Today she killed a raccoon! That was funny to me since Molly {the brave dog that she was} was scared to death of raccoons! LOL

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Leah's birthday was Saturday.  She turned THREE!!  {Wow! Where does the time go?}  Two months before her birthday we started asking what she wanted for her birthday.  And do you know what she said?  Get this... A Christmas tree!!  That's right, she never got over us taking the Christmas tree down in January!

So I told Jordyn.  I knew the garage saling queen would come through for us on this one!  Sure enough, someone a friend found a PURPLE CHRISTMAS TREE at a garage sale for $.25!  So Leah got just what she wanted for her birthday.  Jordyn decorated it with water balloon "Christmas balls" and a "Happy Birthday Leah" garland!  She loves it!!

July, 2011

Wow, it has been a long time since I updated my life story via blog!  Part of the reason was that our internet provider wasn't doing a very good job... :-(  some of the problem was just busyness! 

Well, I guess I should start with the 4th of July.  It was a great day we spend with family!  We went to my hometown and watched the parade with my parents, sister, brother-in-law, niece and her husband, son, and cousin, and the rest of the Clarke County population.  It was a beautiful day and a good time together.  My niece, Jenny has been in the military since 2001 so we just haven't seen much of her in the last several years.  It has been nice to have her stationed relatively close to home. (Missouri)

Next was take the kids (Corah & Joseph) to camp.  This was Joe's first year, so I was excited to take them up there, with a few friends, too.  Joe was a little overwhelmed with being trapped in a minivan with 4 girls, but survived, none-the-less.  Next year there is potential for a couple of BOYS to go, too, so maybe it won't be such "torchure". ;-)

The next day, we had a family tragedy!  Our 13-year-old dog, Molly followed Dallas & Peter on a walk to the river -about one mile- on a very hot, humid, still day.  She happily tagged along WAY behind without them knowing.  They were at the river "checking it out" for a while when Molly came over the hill, barked once, as if to day, "Ok, you're safe." and headed back home.  Don't ask me how she made it home but she collapsed in front of the garage door and never got up again.  She died during the night.  It was a terrible feeling to go to bed that night knowing that she would be "gone" in the morning.  Here is her "Obituary":

Today we said good-bye to our very dear and faithful, ever-present

friend

companion

protector

entertainer

bumble-bee-chaser

playmate

After 13 years of love, devotion and service, we will sure miss her!

If we were gardening, mowing, plowing snow, playing, sledding, walking, sitting, whatever, werever, she was there.

Molly: January 1998 - July 12, 2011

I was truly amazed how hard it was to say goodbye to this dog!  It really made me sympathetic toward someone who lost a really special person.  I even was depressed for quite some time!  Sometimes I still think I hear her heavy breathing when I first walk out the back door.  She will truly be missed around here!

Dogs Update

Remember when Daddy said "NO" to the dogs?  Well, since we had fallen in love with them so quickly, we decided to give them some more time, you know, to see if they were going to 'work out'.  They were working out  pretty well!  They are so friendly and loving!  I named the big male "Jack". The female puppy still has several names, as we haven't settled on one yet, it might be "Kate".  They moved into Molly's doghouse which she never uses any more.  They would go in there and cuddle and keep each other warm.  On Wednesday, we were in our school room, which is in the basement with a glass walk-out door and we can see the doghouse from inside.  All of a sudden, Corah said, "Mom, Jack just fell!"  Strange, huh?  I went outside to him and he collapsed again... AND DIED!!!  Aaahhhhh!!!!  Needless to say, our school day ended right then and there!  We spent the rest of the day mourning the dog we had known for a whole 6 days.  I was afraid he would get frozen to the ground and be there until spring so I threw the dog blanket over him, also, so we didn't have to look at him!  Dallas was very busy when he got off work that day and could not "take care of" the body, so he was still there Thursday when we tried to do school.  Yuck.  Thursday evening he "took care of it."   (But there is a melted spot in the snow in the shape of the dog!)

We feel so bad we couldn't have done something to help poor Jack.  He was so thin.  I thought he was starving and Dallas thought he was sick.  I guess he was right.  We decided he died happy because he had a family to love him once again.  He was trying to come and be with us because he knew he was dying.  Poor Jack.  Rest in Peace!
This is Peter and Jack notice his ribs showing.  This picture is a perfect example of what a people lover he was.  This was taken last Friday, the first day he came!

 Puppy (Kate?)

What is that noise? .... Dallas is home early today!  YIPPEEEE!!!