shopping

It was a long day of shopping... whatever made me think it was a good day to schedule anything with Amanda? We started out driving down to Dulles to look at tableclothes. Who knew ivory tableclothes were so elusive? When we said ivory the ladies face kinda scrunched up and said yes we have one color of ivory...SERIOUSLY???? no choices???? luckily it will do if we don't find someone with a better price...

And then we went to Potomac Mills to find me a dress. for a country with a bad economy you wouldn't be able to tell from the amount of people at the mall... no parking anywhere and seriously you could barely walk.. now I have listened to my mother tell me the woes of how hard it is to find a dress for the last week... it was my turn to scour the mall... While the selection was limited it wasn't too bad... the problem was size... apparently I have turned into an elephant without my knowledge... dieting is a serious new years resolution... I found a few dress I liked but they were not all that flattering... and then the question is do I go with a Mother of the Bride style (very conservative ) or do I go with something I like... Amanda is anti conservative she wants me to wear something "fun".... hmm... the next trip will be over to Davids Bridal-- affordable, every dress comes in multiple colors and a decent selection...

Christmas 2008

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring...not even the the four dogs and 2 cats.....

We awoke in the morning to hear such a clatter, me in my reindeer pants and Christopher in his sweats-- what did Santa leave?? not one but two stockings for Christopher!!

And a bone ohhh so big for Cooper!!

Maizy was dressed in her sweater and not so very happy to have a new bed....
But wait maybe Santa was tricking her with the wrapped little things in her bed-- oh me oh my new Babies for Maizy --tumbling out of her bed

Week in review

So what I've learned this week--

1) You have sinus cavitities in the base of your head... which when filled (ewww) can mimic a brain tumor and make you wish for a labotomy.

2) That because your daughter is a scientist that doesn't make her mathamatian, but coming up 50 sheets of paper short for the wedding invites doesn't cause as much stress as you would think.

3) No matter how hard you plan to be done with Christmas shopping you still have to make one more run to the store.

4) Belguim waffles are better then frozen waffles

5) That boys will pee in the toilet before scrubbing the blue cleanser out that you left soaking in said toilet and look at you like it was your fault that you have to start all over.

6) That standing water in the basement is not a high priorty on my husbands list of things to worry about.

7) That trying to mop up a whole (costco sized) container of liquid laundry soap from the floor is a never ending battle.

8) Puppies can't ice skate

9) That gaining weight does make your shirts shorter

10) That coming up with lists is a great way to avoid housework.

wrapping

So after two weekends at the mall and dealing with holiday traffic I am not so sure about the old adage of its better to give than recieve.... shopping just makes the giving part hard!!! Christopher and I tried to finish up our shopping yesterday. Shopping with him isn't easy as he wants a plan.. no wandering the stores, no stopping to window shop he wants to know in advance where we are going and doesn't want to deviate from the plan... But you know me... I deviate... I putz around, I gotta compare prices, and I gotta look, touch and talk to strangers... he survived... and even made "one last stop" on the way home... Am I done... heck no there are two gifts that I can't seem to find... So yes I have to do this yet again...

Today I spent most of my day wrapping-- as punishment for yesterdays excursion Christopher talked me into doing his wrapping too.... and Mike --well he saw me and just dumped his pile of gifts into the mix.... I actually think gifts should come pre-wrapped...

With the clock ticking I think its time to start making lists... things to do, things to buy, things to clean, things to cook.... hmmm wonder if I can mix my wedding lists with my holiday lists.... I think I need more paper...

Have your cake and eat it too....

This past weekend may have seemed like it was all about turkey but it was also a blurr with wedding planning.. Having Amanda in the same state for four days in a row meant the calendar was full of vendor visits, computer time to proof invites, and discussions on all the the little details that we have put off for months... But in the end I got the reward!! the leftovers.. see one of the vendors that she and Corey met with was the bakery... MMMM can you say cake tasting??? After they had tasted, decided and discussed they brought all the leftovers home to MOM-- I won't tell you what they decided on but I can tell you that after 3 days the cake still tastes darn good... Can't wait til the wedding when I can have a big ol piece all to myself!

Because 2 times is not enough

So while most of you dined once for Thanksgiving we hit an all time high with three times!! Once in Florida with the folks, and then again on Thanksgiving with Mikes Sisters and then the next day at home... seems my family loves Turkey Day whole whole lot... Needless to say we have been eating Turkey sandwiches for three days straight now... and I don't see an end in sight!!

After dinner Maizy found someone who enjoyed holding her bone... Cooper was actually sleeping with the bone in his mouth and Maizy was chewing the other end...

And of course this is what the family looks like after multiple thanksgiving meals... hahaha... lots of couch napping over the 4 day holiday!!!

More Vacation

Ok so You saw Maizys vacation and I am sure you are wondering about mine!! It was just as wonderful as Maizys and I am happy with our decision to take Maizy with us. It all worked out.

It was so nice to spend time with the family and go down to Key West.

There are so many stories to be told... Mike and his coconut adventure... yes my husband stole coconuts and then learned to open them.... we did eat alot of coconut! And while fishing for Grouper he instead caught alot of Sharks. And of course we played tourists and saw Trumans whitehouse, the aquarium and Hemingways home and more bars then I care to count. The ocean is bluer than blue and the sunshine was just what we needed!

Maizys vacation

After a short Hiatis I am back... sort of-- Vacation was wonderful but sadly I came back with a horrible cold. Seriously I can't remember feeling this bad in a long time. We have been back since Tuesday and yesterday I finally opened all that mail... if that tells you how sick I have been.... Anyway today will be another day of sleep and medication... since I feel so bad I thought maybe We could start out with Maizy's vacation... because it is all about her in the end...right? hahaha

Maizy took her first plane ride to go to FLORIDA-- and really it was easier taking her on a plane then it was taking the kids... We bought her a little bag to sit in and essentially she was my carry on. She sat under the seat in front of me and literally slept the whole trip. I must say that when we boarded the plane and the stewardess peeked at her.. mentioning how cute and then asked if I had sedated her I was alittle taken back... was I supposed to? Was this going to be a nightmare trip?? but then reality set in and I remembered she is virtually a silent dog --she just learned to bark two weeks ago and even at her most frenzied shes pretty darn quiet.

Maizys first stop was my Mom and Dad's house... the first of many challenges-- white carpet and doors everywhere... nothing like a puppy honing their potty training skills and being thrown into a new enviroment. Here she swam in the pool, met the big blue birds (who scared her) and went to the beach.

This just wasn't any beach this was a doggie beach.. The Brohard Paw Park... Every gigantic dog in Florida must have been at the beach!! And they all loved it... except Maizy-- she wanted nothing to do with the ocean... although she found digging in the sand an enjoyable way to pass the time!! Apparently she ate alot of sand too because later that day she was making sand castles of her own in my parents yard... And of course she had lots of attention.. Always someone to play with!

Maizys next stop on her vacation was over to Mikes mom's house... another challenge with oriental rugs and again doors. So hard for puppies to figure out which door to go to! But again she was treated like a queen.. and we all learned exactly how much she like ice cream! Nothing like a trip to a home made ice cream store!

And she made a new friend! (kinda) Randal-- Randal wasn't too sure what Maizy was doing in his house and certainly wasn't fond of the fact that Maizy took all his toys.. but they did enjoy a few hours of fun!

Then it was on to Key West.. it was a long drive although I don't think Maizy knew it because she slept the whole way.... we stopped on one of the Keys to streach our legs and walk the beach Maizy pooped on the boardwalk... ehhh shit happens... hahaha and again refused to go in the ocean. But for Maizy this was probably the best part of her vacation because in Key West she got to stay with Baxter and Bendict... and she fell in love... She spent countless hours running, chasing and kissing Bendict.... for Maizy it will be a vacation to remember.

Christmas in October

We gathered together for an early Christmas last night. Brian was called again to serve- apparently once is not enough. He will be off to Gitmo next week and will miss out on the holidays so Jackie decided to make Christmas come alittle early this year. Complete with Christmas decorations and presents and the "Christmas elf" even made an appearance hahaha!

We will miss him but hopefully this send off will remind him how much we all love him--

And just like every other Christmas we tried to take family pictures... and even having Christmas in October didn't make it any better!!

quiet

Its incredibly quiet here this morning. Overcast and dreary too- Maizy went to the vet yesterday to be spayed which meant she needed to stay overnight so there was no puppy to wake me, no puppy to chase the cats, no puppy to try and get close to Bonnie-- its amazing that something only 10lbs can create such chaos in the morning.. but like the sound of the coffee pot brewing its become a comfortable sound.

Random Thursday

Random thoughts

• Three dogs, Three bowls, three different types of food... do you think any of them could get it right? Nope
• Got a call from Christopher-- he asked what I was doing... me of course "working, what about you?" "sitting 6 feet from the ocean" Yea both my kids are on the shore... Amanda moves into her new place tomorrow and he's working down in Norfolk for the week
• Maizy starts school again tonight.. kinda worried as she may have forgotten everything from puppy class.... and no we didn't go take a refresher session like the teacher suggested in between classes
• Trying to find new kitty litter because nothing so far is working with Furbee-- Another reason why dogs are better than cats
• Lovin gas prices being down to $2.93-- actually filled up for less than $50 today

Madison

Madison is staying with us for the week... Her momma has a business trip this week and unfortunatly its not a dog friendly event.. But we are ok with that! Its been alittle challenge with Maizy here... seems the routine that we worked out with Madison is the same one we have taught Maizy-- theres alittle tension during dinner as they both feel its their "right" to sit between Mikes feet... and at bedtime they both ran to the bed waiting for someone pick them up... Needless to say Madison has much better manners in bed than Maizy. She quickly assumed "her spot" and Maizy thought it was a good time to play! After some reworking Madison decided that perhaps she would take a spot under the covers (one of her favorite bedtime spots) -- you would think this would be the key to all of us getting some sleep... but Maizy didn't understand, shes not an under the covers kind of girl... and thought it was a game to un-cover Madison... yes you could her the growls from the covers... today we will try some new tactics to keep the peace...

Wedding weekend

Somehow David grew up overnight.. and now he's married. He's been Christophers best friend for as long as I can remember. They went to kindergarten together, They played sports together, they went to cub scouts together, they vacationed with each other year after year... We adopted David as our "other son" years ago, and I know his Mom set an extra place at the table too many times to remember... Christopher even introducted David to his new wife... and I think everyone would agree that she fits just perfectly into their lives...

This weekend we were blessed to attend David and Natalies wedding. The weather was as close to perfect as you can get for a fall wedding. During the ceremony a rainbow even graced the sky.. blue birds were playing in the trees and it was warm enough to sit outside all night.

The ceremony was just what I would have expected from David-- afterall his groomsmen were all his buddies from HighSchool... they were all dressed up but underneath they were the same silly little boys -- each one charming but as a group they couldn't help but revert to class clowns. They are a good bunch-- full of themselves, full of happiness...

Luckily Natalie is a good sport because there was nothing solomn about the days events.. the boys giggled at every turn and kept us all wondering would happen next.

Speaking of Natalie-- she was beautiful (as always) --her dress suited her personality-- She glowed all night. She did a remarkable job of planning her wedding to suit her and Davids personalities. And I know everyone had a wonderful time.

And once all the prerequisite wedding "stuff" was done-- It didn't take long for the dance floor to fill and we all danced the night away-- She picked a great DJ who had no problem mixing the popular dance music in with some country classics set to a dance beat.. I'm not sure everyone understood it but the kids loved it and didn't sit down all night. I can't help but laugh as for years I listened to country music and the kids quickly turned the station on me.. its funny to hear them singing right along with it now...

Sad face

Thats an unhappy face... but sometimes you gotta treat a dog like a dog... Poor Maizy has never been on a chain... leash yes but on a chain outside by herself nope... and she just wasn't sure what to do.. Unlike Madison who would scratch at the door do come in ... or Bonnie who would bark.. Maizy did neither.. she just sat there looking in.

Maizy hasn't figured out how to bark yet. strange I know. She cries, she whimpers, she even makes growly noises but no barking -- shes tried but it always comes out like a whisper... And I don't encourage anything more. I like my silent dog... with no tags hanging shes quite stealthy-- only her breathing (snorting) gives her away. I think barking would take away her charm.

So how long was she treated like a dog? How long did she stay on that chain... only long enough for me to go grab the camera... and then once again she was free to chase her cat friends and run circles around Bonnie..

jars

This is how I left the dining room table... Mason jars all lined up neatly in a row... cleaned...shining brightly... but somehow hours later Mike decided that they needed to be all put away before I got to play with them.. decide exactly what to do with them...

Funny I can't get him to throw his coke can in the trash, nor can I get him to hang his coat up or even collect his tools that he leaves on the table... but these blue jars --hmm he had no problem putting them away..

These jars were our first wedding purchase. Amanda mentioned them and Mike jumped on finding them and buying them.... alot has changed in the whole wedding planning since then...They were the perfect touch for a barn reception ... but like a puzzle piece we will find a way to incorporate them-- They catch the light just so... almost like they glow... and they are just the perfect blue...

Show your Voice

So have you voiced your opinion? I know you watched the debate, I know you are checking in with CNN to see if in fact the "Vote" is in... but have you told your congressman what you really think???

Yea Tom Davis heard from me today.... And it wasn't hard for me to say VOTE NO--- I am tired of hearing how every candidate for office is against unnecessary government spending but then turns around and supports it.
Shame on all of them for trying to slide "pork" into this bill.... How can they look us in the face and add on money for Wooden arrows???? IF this was truly as important as they say-- a CRISIS then maybe they should stop the greed and treat it with the importance that it needs.

And furthermore... When there is $5.00 in my checking account I certainly don't spend $100... and isn't that what they are voting to do??? WE HAVE A DEFICIT right??? We would have to borrow more money from CHINA right???

Winner

Continuing with my winning streak of late-- I posted on
Jeanettes Blog and won some cute decorative scissors for the scraproom.. gotta love free! now I just have to convince Mike that they are worth putting a nail in the wall.. he really "hates" when I mess up the walls with nails...
I think it just might be time to buy a lottery ticket

A little t-shirt...

This picture is for my favorite children... Rockin it old skool-- what you think??? Ok this t-shirt was actully bought for Madison last christmas... its supposedly a size medium.... in whose size world I don't know???? It never fit Madison... and I put it on Maizy awhile ago-- but really in 90 degree weather is it fair to put clothes on someone whose body temp runs 101 all the time??? No I think not... so I put it away... but today she refused to get out of bed because it was so cold (hmm 52 degrees this morning) (I think Madison taught her that trick) (mental note to self: close the bedroom windows BEFORE GOING TO BED)

Anyway tonight she still looked alittle cold... so I thought its not really sweater weather but maybe a little shirt was in order... from these pictures it looks like shes doing fine... alittle neck roll ... T-shirt shrunk??? hahaha but what you don't see is her running and rolling trying to chase the shirt off of herself.... This may take some training...
But the question remains... Are you on the list???? Thought you would like that one Christopher....

Signs of Fall

I guess Fall is here. I reached for my slippers tonight... that is after I changed into my sweat pants.... While I wouldn't trade Summer in for any season there's something comforting about pulling out slippers and jammie pants...certainly easier to slide into laziness at the end of a day.
Its not like our 80 degree days are gone... not for a longshot. But the cool crisp mornings and brisk evenings once the sun goes down are definitely here to stay.
Any day now the leaves will start to turn and then fall and then I know I will be wishing for days sans slippers.. but today it was "a good thing".

GRADUATION

-- Tonight was Maizy's night!! GRADUATION!!!

Oh yes we passed all the tests-- Sitting, Waiting, Walking, finding our mom's, even the hard Down command... And for a brief moment we even showed we can stay.....

Unlike the "other" graduations we have attended recently --the graduates in Maizy's class got to show off what they learned at graduation AND have some fun they all took part in one of their favorite class activities-- Puppy races and they got to play in the tube...

I'm not sure who learned more in class me or Maizy but after so much fun with our class mates we decided to continue on to Advanced classes...

Now to be honest I'm not sure how much Maizy has really learned other than sit and down... she rarely "leaves it" and never gets the "off" command... and stay--hmm she can only stay for a blink of a second before she comes running toward you... but her teacher promises that if "we" keep practicing she will eventually be a pro at it... I guess we will wait and see

But tonight just like her friends, Madison, Cooper and Rusty she is a GRADUATE!!

Happy Birthday!

In my bestest singing voice...Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthdayy(yes I hit the high note and no those are not dogs howling in the background) tooooooo youuuu!

Sending Birthday wishes out to my favoritiest Sister-in-law, who is also my bestest buddy & partner in crime..

Enjoy your day... and remember "Well-Behaved Women Rarely Make History"

late night

After working way to late tonight, I came home to happy mail.... Maizy found it interesting and I bet Amanda would too-- after all its "stuff" for the big day... Maybe its a surprise for now... but maybe she'll let me show it off later???
I learned the hard way that working late + puppy = an even longer night once we get home. See Maizy is done everyday at about 4:30pm-- shes had enough being "good" and is ready to go home. My boss feels otherwise... he thinks we should stay that last hour-- And tonight staying for an extra hour and then the 45 minute drive home made it a very long day for puppy!! Needless to say shes been going at 100mph all night and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight!

marching on

Slow day== I did clean the desk-- haha, and actually moved the filing cabinet to a more accessable part of the room... like that is going to solve the desk issues??? And I got the car vaccumed out-- other than that it seemed like I just puttered all day not accomplishing much of anything.
Mike is still nursing his poision ivy-- It seems to be getting worse not better-- but I read that it could take up to three weeks to heal... maybe next time he will listen when I tell him not to work in it..hard headed and stubbourn all in one.
Christopher went to a wedding yesterday and the best man as it turns out is also going to be his "new" brother in law. Small world-- Ryan and Christopher hung out for most of the day today. I guess Ryan flies back home (Oregon I think) tomorrow. I always forget that Coreys brother and Christopher were friends too in high school... at least we know some of the family will get along!

planning and cleaning

I find it harder and harder planning "the wedding" with the bride being long distance. Email and phones are great but its still hard. We spent alot of time this past week going back and forth over designing the Save the Date cards.. it would have been much easier if we were in the same state.... But I am happy to say we can check that off the list... now on to bridesmaid dresses... another long distance nightmare.. with the Bridesmaids in 4 different locations separated by 4-7 hours again we are turning to email and phone calls to get the dresses picked, tried on and ordered.

Somewhere in this mess of a desk there is a list of items to be done.... maybe the first item of business should be to clean the desk?