The Joke's On Me.

I should have known better than to brag about it at the lake this past weekend.

I should have known better than to say, "Yeah, we got the problem taken care of! You won't find any of them around our house ANYmore!", when my brother-in-law asked about it.

I should have known better than to say, "Nope, we haven't seen them or heard from them since before Christmas!".

I really, really, really should have known better.

Because, my friends.

The mice are baaaaaaaack!

I just finished putting all the groceries up tonight & opened the garage door to put a bag of trash out there & right there, staring me in the face was a 4-legged brown field mouse.

He ran when I screamed & dropped the bag of garbage.

Crap.

Because you know what I did before I discovered our little friend?

I sure left the garage door open for about 6 minutes while I brought the groceries inside.

There's no telling if, or how many, of his little friend's actually came INSIDE my house while they had the chance.

Great.

So, tomorrow, I'm going to do what I should have done last winter & call Terminex to see if they can come out & help us figure out how they're getting inside & what, if anything, we can do to stop them. Because even though Matt's blocked every place we can think of, we're obviously missing something.

Ugh.

Six Years.

Matt & I spent our 6 year wedding anniversary...at the lake.

(We actually celebrated Friday night with dinner at The Outback & then came home & exchanged presents).

It was a very fun, yet very tiring weekend.

This is how she rides on the boat. At the front, behind the door, but stands the whole time.

Matt & Jackson on the intertube.

My sister & Riley on the intertube.

Can you see Riley's face?

Riley, Jackson & Mop playing the freezing cold water.

My dad & step mom's dog, Zoey.

Riley eating a chocolate cupcake with blue icing.

My dad & Jackson on the wave-runner.

Cruising by.

A pretty sunset.

Riley putting sunscreen on her face.

See her cute sunglasses?

Wipe out.

Jackson cheering because he stayed on, but his daddy flipped off.

Still putting sunscreen on.

My Sister's Dog. The Story.

My sister & her husband had to put their 12 year old dog, Bailey, to sleep today.

She says it was one of the toughest decisions she has ever had to make.

My sister got Bailey back in February 1996. He was such a cute puppy..a little salt & pepper mutt.

When my sister moved back here from college, I remember riding with her. Bailey curled up in a little ball on the console between the driver & passenger seats. He stayed that way the entire way back.

We should have known then how much he loved riding in cars.

Or, actually, he just loved being in cars. He didn't care if he didn't go anywhere. He just liked to sit.

One time, at my sister's house, Matt opened his truck door (forgetting Bailey was right behind him) & Bailey jumped right in & settled himself down in the driver's seat. It took us about 30 minutes to get him out.

He also loved getting a bath because he got tuna fish afterwards.

He was a sweet dog, who was always happy to see me...and vice versa.

When he was about 4 or 5, my sister discovered he had allergies. He itched so bad, that he would scratch & chew the hair off his body. As he got older, his allergies got worse. Medicine could only do so much.

At about the age of 9 or 10, he started having seizures. At first, it was just once in a while, but then they started getting more frequent. Again, medicine could only do so much.

About a year ago, he started going deaf. The doctor yesterday, told my sister he was completely deaf & going blind. He also had a huge blood clot-type thing on his ear that was going to require surgery. His other health issues were getting worse & he wasn't eating or going to the bathroom.

The doctor said they could try more medicine, but it probably wouldn't do much good. It might prolong his life for a month or so, but is being blind & deaf really a quality life for a dog?

As hard as it was to do, my sister & her husband knew it was time to let go. And, I think they made the right decision.

My BIL stayed with Bailey while the doctor injected the medicine & held his paws until it was over. My sister couldn't handle staying in the room, so after it was over, she came back in to say goodbye. She was crying when she called me to say he was gone.

For as long as Jackson's been alive, Bailey's been around.

They were buds.

For a few months now, my sister's been telling Jack that Bailey is getting older & that he's not feeling well. He knows that dogs don't live as long as humans.

So, last night, my sister had a long talk with him & told him that Bailey was really sick & the doctor wasn't sure if he could do anything to make him feel better, but he wanted to look at Bailey one more time today, just to make sure.

My sister said Jack was very upset & cried for a little while last night. She told him that if the doctor couldn't do anything, Bailey would go to doggie heaven & God would make him healthy again & keep him there for us until we all went to Heaven.

Even though she tried to prepare him, it didn't make telling him an easier today. She sat him down & told him that Bailey died at the doctor's office.

"Did Daddy dig the hole yet?", he asked her.

Holly asked him what he meant & he told her he thought that once someone dies, you have to put their body in a hole for God to come & take their soul.

She explained that no, the doctor was going to keep Bailey's body (she did not tell him that they cremate animals) & that God had already sent an angel to take Bailey's soul.

(Let me stop here & tell you that my sister & Jackson have very deep conversations. She doesn't hold anything back from him. She just tells it in a way that he'll understand).

"How long will it take for God to fix Bailey?", he asked.

(How sweet is that, by the way?).

Holly told him that it was instant. As soon as Bailey got to Heaven, God made him healthy.

She told Jack that Bailey was having fun running & jumping & eating as many treats as he wanted. Jackson added that Bailey could go swimming & not even have to hold his nose.

(Again, how sweet is that?).

So, for now, Jack seems to be doing okay. My sister didn't really tell Riley anything. She's 3, so she won't understand as well as Jack does. She hasn't really decided what to say, if Riley asks where Bailey is.

The other "person" who's going to have a tough time with this is my sister's other dog, Parker. She was buddy-buddy with Bailey. They did everything together. They have separate bed pillows, but she never used hers. She always slept on Bailey's, with him.

She's really going to miss him.

And, so will the rest of us.

He was a good dog, who gave a lot of love & got a lot of love.

Hodge Podge (With Visuals).

4 years after moving into our house, we finally got gutters.

Right?

Guess where they put one of the spout-things?

RAN IT RIGHT SMACK DAB

THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF

MY NEW FLOWER BED.

Did they really think this looked good?

And, they did this, despite us telling them where we would like the spouts to go. We're pleased with everything else, but this.

Hello?

Needless to say, we met with the manager of the gutter crew this morning & it's going to be moved to the original place we wanted it.

*****************

Want to see what Maisy does when she refuses to come inside before Matt leaves for work?

This is her way of saying,

"I can't hear you telling me to come inside,

because I am busy,

scratching my back on the grass!"

************

See my 3 year old niece coloring so sweetly with her Mop?

She refuses to wear ANYTHING except shorts with pockets & long-sleeved kitty-cat shirts.

People.

It was 92 degrees today.

My sister had to find & buy 5 kitty-cat shirts today. Do you know how hard that is?

**************

But, all is right in my world.

BECAUSE...

I finally got a Dyson!

My Weekend In Pictures.

Two birthdays.

And, Mother's Day.

All in one weekend.

I'm worn out!

My niece, Suzanne, turns 7 years old tomorrow. Because it's Mother's Day & Suzanne's birthday, my SIL's family came into town for the weekend. We all ate brunch together today.

I cannot believe Suzanne's 7.

SEVEN.

Wendy actually went into labor on May 11th, 7 years ago today (like at 6am), but Suzanne was determined to NOT make her appearance until the 12th.

Those of us who were at the hospital waiting for her, slept on chairs & the floor of the waiting room. Matt went to Wal-Mart & bought toothbrushes & toothpaste for all of us, so that even if we barely slept, at least we'd have fresh breath.

Happy birthday, Suzanne. You will always be very special to me because you were my 1st niece. I can't wait to see the person you grow up to be. Always remember that I love you.

Watching us sing "Happy Birthday" to her.

Blowing out her candles.

Getting ready to open her gifts. Little sister, Madeline, is getting ready to help.

Opening a new scrapbook from Grandmother (my MIL).

And, yes, for Mother's Day, we got Matt's mom a new ladder. But, it's really what she wanted/needed. Four years ago, when we moved into our house, Matt "borrowed" hers & never quite gave it back. So, we bought her her own. I think she was very pleased with it.

Matt took this picture this afternoon when I was playing "Guitar Hero". Please do not focus on the fact that I look like poo-poo, or that fact that I'm making a very unflattering face. Instead, I would like to call your attention to the dog. Sound asleep on the couch.

We went to my mom's house tonight to celebrate Mom's Day with her, as well as my sister's birthday, which is on the 15th. Riley insisted on wearing her Krispy Kreme hat.

"D-D? Are you grilling doughnuts?"

"Jackson? Is that a doughnut you're eating?"

And, here she is playing football with her brother, still wearing her Krispy Kreme hat.

Happy Mother's Day everyone.

Project New Flower Bed, Part 2.

Part 2 of Project Flower Bed was completed today.

Matt's mom & I went to a local nursery & picked out a Crepe Myrtle that blooms purple (that's my FAVORITE color, but I was told I was NOT allowed to do the entire flower bed in purple).

We also picked out Shasta Daisy's, some other kind of white flower & a pinkish flower to plant. We also planted some of the lily bulbs that Audrey sent me in my Spring Sprung package.

Matt bought 10 bags of this really cool mulch that's supposed to last 15 years. We have to go back to Sam's, though, to get a few more bags because 10 didn't quite cover the entire thing.

I didn't take as many pictures as I normally do, because we were trying to hurry & plant everything to beat the severe weather that was headed our way.

So, you'll just have to enjoy these.

Matt digging the hole for the Crepe Myrtle.

Of course, you know who had to "supervise"...this time I opened the window so she could not only see us, but hear us as well. Can you see how she's resting her chin on the window ledge?

Putting the mulch in.

The rest of the flowers laid out to plant.

And, the "almost" finished product. The lily bulbs we planted are under the window on the left. They'll bloom behind the crepe myrtle. There are a few other flowers that you can't see real well, so once they start blooming, I'll take more pictures for you. And, NO, the bricks you see (right in front of the sidewalk) are not staying. Because it was going to rain, we put those there to try & make sure the water didn't wash the mulch out. The bricks will be replaced with smaller red bricks that match the rest of the border.

Our First Conversation.

Ok.

So, Kim & I just had our very first conversation.

On the phone.

For like an hour.

And, when we hung up, I wished that Matt & I were leaving for our trip tomorrow. I CANNOT wait to meet her, people. Like, these next few months are going to go by SO SLOW.

(Scroll down for more on our conversation. About halfway through this post, I realized I got WAY off subject...but, don't worry, I get back on track. Eventually.)

But, at least I have something really fun to look forward to. Because a few days before our trip, I will do something I have been dreading for a few years now.

I will turn the big 3-0.

On July 31st.

If you want to send me a card.

Or a gift.

Because I LOVE presents.

Oh, wait. What was I talking about?

Right.

Turning 3-0.

I have heard 30 isn't so bad. In fact, several of my friends who are in their 30's tell me this is the best time in their lives. Most of them are married, have kids, jobs, houses & now, they're just sitting back & enjoying life.

So, I'm really not so sure what my problem is, if I call it a problem.

Maybe I would be fine with turning 30 if I didn't look like I was still in high school. People still ask me what high school I go to. When I tell people my age, they usually say, "Oh, really! Wow. I was going to guess 19, 20...maybe 21...but, that's a stretch!".

Gee, thanks.

Last year, my TV station did a 30 minute "severe weather special" & a group of high school kids came in to answer phones (viewers called in with questions for our meteorologists). We were short one person, so my assistant news director picked me to fill the empty spot.

BECAUSE I LOOK LIKE I'M IN HIGH SCHOOL, PEOPLE.

And, yes, I know, I know...when I'm 40, I will LOVE the fact that I look younger than I am. I get told that at least 20 times a week. No joke.

But, people, it's 2008, not 2018. I'll think about my 40's when I'm in my 40's.

Plus, my 20's were awesome years. I graduated college, got married, got established at a great job, bought a house, got a dog, witnessed the births of my 3 niece's & nephew, took some awesome trips, started a (very small) designs business & started writing my very first novel.

Now, before you say anything, let me say that I know my 30's will be just as fulfilling. I KNOW that. Really, I do. I will be able to do & have all the things I had in my 20's...probably even more.

Like kids. I hope that my 30's will be full of spit up, diapers, potty training, 1st days of pre-school, 1st days of Kindergarten, swing sets, swimming lessons, tee-ball, dance & so much more.

And, I believe with my WHOLE HEART that Matt & I will have babies. 2 or 3 of them (just maybe not at the same time!). We will get pregnant, my belly will get really big & I will finally birth a baby.

Our baby.

I just have to be patient.

And, I know 30 is JUST A NUMBER & you're only as OLD AS YOU FEEL & I don't feel old at all. So, when I think about, I don't really have a reason to dread the big 3-0, do I?

Wow.

I REALLY digressed, didn't I?

Ok.

Back to the important stuff: My conversation with Kim.

She's been helping me search for hotels & has provided me with some good options over e-mail. However, it's nearing the time when we need to book something before prices are jacked up.

So, we decided that instead of doing all this over e-mail, we could just call each other & search for hotels on our computers...together.

If you've read her post, you know that we both asked our husband's the same question: "What if she hates the sound of my voice & doesn't want to meet me?". Seriously.

What's funny is that Kim sounded just like I thought she would. That's a good thing, Kim! When she answered the phone, I felt like I'd been talking to her all my life. I felt right at home.

I told her I'd call at 7pm (8pm her time)...but, I was a few minutes late. The 1st thing she said to me was that she was afraid I'd forgotten about her! Are you kidding me? I've been looking forward to this for FOUR WHOLE DAYS. I was not about to forget to call her.

We talked about all kinds of stuff: work, kids, husbands, flying, our families. And, somewhere in all that, we managed to find a few excellent hotel possibilities. Which I'm very excited about.

I do feel bad, though. When we get there, Kim's going to be a week or two away from Baby Boy's due date & I know she's going to be miserable from the heat & probably so tired. But, she told her husband that she won't care. If we have to make sure there's an air conditioner every 10 feet & plenty of benches to sit down & rest, that's fine with me. BECAUSE I CANNOT WAIT TO WAIT TO MEET HER. I can't walk far, anyway, without having to sit down because of my legs.

Anyway.

Kim, I had so much fun talking to you on the phone tonight! It's crazy how much we think alike! I know we'll talk more as our trip gets closer & closer. I absolutely CANNOT wait to meet you!

Nothin' Like A Good Nap, Doggie-Style.

If you're a faithful reader of my blog, you know that my dog, Maisy, loves to get underneath the covers of our bed & the guest bed & sleep. She started this when she was just a puppy...she gets on a bed, finds the top of the comforter & with her paws, pulls it down until she has enough room to crawl underneath. She curls up a ball & will sleep for at least an hour, sometimes longer. This is where she does some of her best snoring. More often than not, when we go to wake her up in the mornings (she sleeps in her kennel in the kitchen), she's under her blankets. Sometimes she gets herself so wrapped up in them, that we have to help her get out. Matt says he's read somewhere that Beagles like soft, fluffy bedding.

Anyway, Saturday morning, all 3 of us were sound asleep, when the doorbell rang at 8:30am. The Fed Ex man was here to deliver Matt's new softball glove he ordered. Maisy obviously heard us get up, so we let her outside to go to the bathroom & then let her get in bed with us. An hour later, all 3 of us were sound asleep (again) & the doorbell rang (again). This time, it was a gutter man, coming to give us an estimate on some gutters. Because Matt's mom was coming over around 10:30 to help with our flower bed, we just stayed up.

Anytime after the doorbell rings, Maisy will sit on the back of the couch & stare at the door, just waiting for someone else to come over. If someone else does come, she will run around the couch at least 5 times at full speed, which is her signal that it's playtime. She'll bark at us, run from room to room, jump on & off the beds & on her way back to us, grab one of her toys for us to throw for her.

Maisy LOVES Matt's mom. Maisy does ANYTHING Matt's mom tells her do. So, you can imagine her delight when Betty Jo came over on Saturday. Maisy went wild! But, then spent a good 2 or 3 hours, inside the house, looking out of the guest bedroom window, barking & howling because we were outside with Betty Jo & she wasn't!

After we finished with the flower bed for the day, Matt mowed the backyard. Maisy LOVES to follow him around the yard. She wears herself out & will usually fall asleep on the back porch before he's even halfway through.

We knew after the day she had, as soon as we were both in the house with her & sitting down, she was going to crash. We were right. Matt had no more sat down at our computer desk to check his e-mail, when she jumped on the bed, pulled back the covers & curled herself into a ball.

Her little snout was sticking out, which was cute, so he snapped a few pictures. A few minutes later, he looked back at her & her tongue was sticking out! Well, you can't NOT take pictures of that!

So, now that you know my dog's life story, here are some pictures to enjoy. You know she's going to be 4 years old next month? Matt & I just know she's going to live til she's like 40, just to spite us!

Project New Flower Bed. Updated.

The 1st part of Project New Flower Bed started today. Thankfully, I married a man whose Mom likes gardening & planting flowers. She also remembers to water them.

Unlike someone I know.

Me.

So, we recruited her to come over & help us dig up our old flower bed, help us decide what color border to do, help lay & level the border, help me figure out what plants/flowers to buy & help plant them.

The first step was to take out the old stuff.

Here's what I'll call the "before" picture. See how crowded & just kind of ugly it is?

While cutting down one of the bushes, Matt's mom found a bird's nest. We think the mom must have abandoned it because she was nowhere in sight. We relocated the nest to a tree in our neighbor's yard.

Getting there. A lot of the old stuff is out, except for the one bush/plant I'm leaving because it's very pretty when it blooms.

Maisy's "supervising" from the window in the guest bedroom.

Unloading the border from Matt's truck.

Every thing's gone, except (again) for the bush we kept.

Matt & Betty Jo laying out the border & making sure each piece is level.

Here you go! Let's call this the "in-between" picture. Every thing's out, the border is in & we replanted the bush.

While it might seem that all I did was take pictures (like I did when Matt re-did the fence), I want you all to know that I DID work. I cut down 2 bushes, pulled weeds, carried a bunch of stuff to the curb for pick-up, carried several bricks (border) & helped lay & level the border.

Next Saturday, Matt's mom & I are going to buy all the plants/flowers & plant them. Matt will add more dirt/soil & mulch. So, stay tuned...Project New Flower Bed continues.

**Update: After yesterday, I have one word for you people: SORE! I mean, I knew I would be sore, but THIS SORE? C'mon! I woke up this morning with a little pain in my shoulder, which I thought I could handle. Until I got out of bed, that is. The backs of my legs hurt, my neck hurts, my arms hurt, my butt hurts, even the palms of my hands hurt. Omigod. I am sore in places I didn't even know could be sore, people. Ugh. The price I pay for the most awesomest flower bed in the neighborhood (well, when it's finished!). Matt's getting a huge kick it out this, though. It hurts to sit, so when I do, I have to do it VERY SLOWLY. And, even then, I can't help but utter some kind of 4-letter word, which makes him laugh. Thanks, honey.**