DEWEY

Yeah!!!!!!!! We have found our forever doggie, Dewey (Chase and Brooke got to choose his name). We adopted him from the humane society last evening. He is a 2 1/2 month old lab mix. He is a sweetie!!! He has had a few accidents in the house, but is learning quickly, as each time we take him out he goes potty and we praise the heck out of him. We are working on sit and down, and with a treat he is successful!!! He has a cold, so is on antibiotics and can't meet any of his neighborhood buddies til he is off his meds in 13 more days :( We are all soooo excited that he has joined our family! I'm sure you will get sick of all the posts and pics that are to come, so I'll apologize in advance!!!

Tissues required

We went to the movie yesterday. We have never done this before on Christmas day. In fact, the only time we go is with my parents. It was over $50 for tickets and popcorn and drinks (we smuggled in our own candy)!!!! that is CRAZY!! BUT, we had a great time. We went very early...12:00 for a 1:10 movie. When we got there it was empty, but within 20 min. you were lucky to find a seat. I haven't been to a sold out show in ages. We, again, usually go during the week and see kid friendly shows and often, we are the only people in the theatre!! ANYWAY.... We saw Marley and Me...so good. It is about a couple, whose first child is a dog (like so many of us) and they try to train him, they have kids of their own, jobs, frustrations...And Marley is there with them through it all. It shows you Marley through the years, getting older and slower. and yes, the ending I just wanted to burst out in tears, Oh, I cried all right in the theatre, but man, i was holding back from Exploding out in tears!!!! It took me back a few months ago with Spanky and I felt as if i was reliving it. Good movie. Good cry. It was a good day. My only regret was I should have brought some tissues, because the buttery covered napkins Mike so kindly gave me, were not workin!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Well.....the big day is finally here!! I thought for sure, all day yesterday, that Chase and Brooke would explode from anticipation. We all went to my parents last evening, which is a Christmas Eve tradition. We gather for a yummy dinner and desserts and of course there are plenty of presents to be opened!! It is a great night of family, food and love, that is so much a part of what Christmas is to us over the years. On the way home we always drive through a neighborhood in town that places hundreds of candle lit bags all along the subdivision....it really is beautiful. Once home we placed cookies and milk out for Santa, then got pjs on and read Luke 2, which describes the birth of Jesus. Morning came very quickly....Chase said he woke up 4 different times through the night and had to fight to get back to sleep each time. Finally at 6am he came into our room and we said the magic words......It....is....time.....!!!! He went to wake Brooke up, everyone went potty, brushed teeth...and then tore into the presents. It was a light Christmas this year, but the kids seem very happy overall. Chase's fav is Guitar Hero world tour with the microphone...FUN!!! Brooke got her easy bake oven and a dog that says her name and a doll house. Chase also got some UBfunkies (for the computer) and a new jacket he'd been wanting! Mike and I didn't exchange gifts this year, I am still hopeful for a new dog in the very near near near near future:) I hope and pray that you all have a Merry Christmas and take at least a small moment out from all the gifts, food and fun, to recognize the Greatest gift of all-JESUS. He IS the reason for the season, after all!!! Have fun!! What did you all get for Christmas???

Tooth Fairy

Brooke has lost her very first tooth this past week!!! Isn't she kinda young??? She is 5. I remember Chase was 6, but oh well. She said she bit down on her tooth the other day while eating a grape, I looked in her mouth and noticed one of her bottom teeth was crooked!! 2 days later, at Kohls, she all of a sudden burst out,"my tooth came out!!" Boy, that was quick and easy. She must have said,"I can't believe my tooth fell out" a million times that day. People in Kohls were excited for her too. Everyone we came in contact with that day HAD to know her good news... so cute. That night, she placed her tooth in a sweet little gold box, I think it's an old pill box, and tucked it under her pillow. "mom, make sure the tooth fairy knows to leave my tooth, since it's my first one". The next morning she lifted her pillow to find $3.00 and a new Barbie tooth brush. Fun!! I can't believe my baby has lost her first tooth!!!

Doggie update

I'm sorry to say, that Drake, that VERY sweet soul, will not become part of our family after all.
We had the priveledge of spending time with him for 3 days, what a sweetheart, gentle, loving thing!! BUT......His time as a stray roaming free all over, has given him some issues, and we quickly discovered that WE were not right for him! We want what is best for him, and we unfortuneatly are not it. My friend Jo at the humane society told me that most dogs who were roaming free on their own for a long while, often obtain many fears, which help them to survive while on the run. Drake saw our ceiling fans and ran as fast as he could the other direction. I think he may have thought they were a big hawk or something like that and feared it. Dear thing........I am soooooo glad for the short time to care for him. He had surgery, and I feel deep down, that I was meant to be his nurse!!! He touched my heart in his short stay with us. He was by me nonstop and always placed his head in my hand to be tickled for hours!! We will never forget him....ends up, he will be staying right next door to his foster family, whose dog became Drakes best bud!! So glad. We will sit back a little longer now, and decide to adopt again, when the time is right and the right animal crosses our path.

It's a boy!!!

After a week of just about, BURSTING, with excitement......we are now the proud owners of Drake. A friend of mine has a family farm. While winterizing it, her brother saw Drake shivering and half starved. My friend, Chris, has been caring for him since. As soon as she brought him home, she emailed me, because she knew my feelers were out for a "new" dog. Mike and I had decided after Spanky died, that our next dog would be a rescue. So, we picked him up from having all of his tests and his Neutering done last pm. He is soooooo sweet and gentle, but has lots of energy as well. You forget how much energy they have when they are younger. We think he is between 3-5yrs old.. Here is a picture of him. I can't wait for him to meet his neighborhood buds, Killian and Sadie:)

Christmas Past

A few of my friends have done this blog entry, and I thought it would be fun too. Here are some pics from Christmas past.

A Christmas tradition comes to an end

Today, the kids get to go to Grandma Jan's work to see the big man in red, himself..SANTA!! This has been a tradition that we all look forward to since Chase was a baby. Jan will be retiring in the spring, so this will be the very last time we get to take part in all the fun. There are jars filled with candy the the kids get to guess the amount. Chase has won several years!! They get to color pictures, eat Christmas cookies, sing Christmas songs, and of course sit on Santas lap and get a really cool gift! We'll see if miss Brooke goes near Mr Clause this year. I think the only time she has ever been close to him, was when she was a baby and didn't know any better!! She seems excited, so we'll see. Chase is still excited as ever to see Santa. Before going to bed last night he said, "mom, you gotta quit telling me such exciting things right before I go to bed, because I can't sleep now, thinking about Santa tomorrow!!" I know this may be one of the last times he gets so excited about it. But for now, I will enjoy. I will post some pics from today later (maybe in a day or two, I have to work tonight after it and in the am). Hopefully today will make it feel like Christmas time......It's been to much hustle and bustle around here lately!!

Thankful

I have been a little down lately. I can't put my finger on the reason, but I just feel sad and blah at times. Maybe it's the fact that I still miss my Spanky and still feel the guilt of him not being here, because of me. It is also the start of the holiday season, and I am sad because they won't include Spanky for the first time in 14 years. Also, the fact that I am way over weight, and KEEP EATING!!! I have SO MANY things to be thankful for in life. So today, being Thanksgiving, I will list them.
I am thankful for God's love, and His word, that reassures me of His presence in EVERYTHING in my life!
I am so thankful for my family, I have been blessed beyond measure in this department my whole life.
I am thankful for the health of my children.
I am thankful for my home.
I am thankful for Mike's job and mine.
I am thankful for friends. Those who are near and those whom I haven't seen in years, they have filled my life with joy.

I am thankful for the hope of someday soon, we will adopt a new dog that needs a loving home.

Of course, there are so many more things I am thankful for today, but these are just a few. I hope you all have a blessed day with your friends and family.

So proud

Chase has always been a very bright young man (I know i am biased). He has also been one of the youngest in his class every year, because of the cut off. But he has really thrived in school! He is very imaginative, loves to write stories, that i must say,are very descriptive for his age. He also loves to write songs and LOVES to read. He reads huge chapter books meant for much older kids. He takes after his Grandpa D in that area - he can read a book in just a few days!! I, on the other hand, would rather pop in a video or dvd of a book!! Mike enjoys reading too, so I guess he gets it from him. Anyway, I've been asking Chase if he wanted to test for the gifted program since kindergarten. He always said no, because he didn't want to be different and miss out on anything the other kids would be doing in school. The 'gifted' kids go to a creative learning school one day a week. Now that he's in the 4th grade and some of his best buds go to the gifted school every week, he wanted to try as well. I'm proud to announce that he tested high and is officially in the program. He will start after the winter break, and we are so proud of him. He is a great student and we are so blessed that he loves school so much. Hopefully it will continue through the years!

An entire weekend off!

As much as I enjoy my work.......man, it's nice to be a "normal" person and have the WHOLE weekend off from both jobs!! Yesterday I completed my free photo book compliments of Oprah. She had the declutter guy on last week sometime and gave this free offer on her website to all who checked it out and clicked on the free book site. I have made 4 other books before this one using Walgreens and Shutterfly. If you have never done one before, you really should, it's very easy and fun. Plus you don't have to spend money to get your digital photos printed out. You just upload them from your computer or you can scan some, which i did for this current book I made of Spanky. They are very nice keepsakes vs the old traditional photo albums. This book is through Snapfish, so we'll see. I believe they are the same as Walgreens. Anyway, it had to be done by today to be free. They actually extended the due date by a week (they were overwhelmed by the popularity of the free offer......what?! what were you expecting if you offer something FREE and on OPRAH!) Mine, again is a book about Spanky through the years.
Well today, brace yourselves..... we are trimming our Christmas tree (Julie, calm down) We put it up last night and it is sitting, waiting to be adorned in twinkling lights so that the kids can put the ornaments on. Hey, it's either be early or be late putting it up. Note to you.....look at the title of this entry. Next weekend i work nights at the hospital. NOT gonna happen after that. Brooke is about ready to burst from excitement about doing the tree. The second she woke up, she said, mommy, time to put lights on the tree. UM....it's 7am, not yet. Go get some books to "read". Yikes, I wonder what time she'll be up this Christmas morning??? This is really the first year she is showing such excitement. Fun!!! Chase gets to put the fragile ornaments as high up as he can reach, and his own personal ones he's made over the years or received as gifts. Brooke gets to put hers and the unbreakables all along the bottom. they really do a nice job!! I hope you all have a good weekend with your loved ones. Sorry it's been awhile since I've blogged. Work, work, work. Oh, also....I can see who is reading the blog now with my site meter. Kinda cool. Had to add that, because no one leaves comments (we bloggers get as excited about comments as a college kid waiting for mail from home!!!!!) Was curious who, if anyone was reading. Thank you to those who do follow in silence.......go crazy and comment sometime, I'd LOVE to hear from you all!! Blessings.

Childbirth prep class

Okay.....before anyone gets excited by this title.....NO I AM NOT PREGNANT! It would have to be by immaculate conception if it were to ever be again! (M-E-N-O-P-A-U-S-E). Many of you already know this, but some don't about me. I have been teaching Childbirth classes to expectant parents for over 11 years. It is FUN!!! Yesterday I taught my all day (8-2) saturday class, which is now the ONLY class I offer, because it is what they all want in this IM, text messaging world we live in now! Fine by me! I really had a fun group yesterday and we had a great time learning everything from what to pack for the hospital, to breathing and a tour of the labor and delivery rooms, postpartum rooms and a glimpse into the nursery, where the anxious parents-to-be could see what the prize at the end of this whole, scarey experience, will be!! I am so thankful for this opportunity each month to teach class. I feel like I touch a lot of lives. And it's a priviledge to be apart of such an amazing time in these first time parents lives! Birth is the most amazing experience given to us by God, I believe. And He has allowed me to teach what i know, to others to help them make it as special as possible. I am blessed.

four little monkeys sleepin in the bed

Mike and I have a king sized bed (thank the Lord). We also have a tv in our room. Well, last night, Chase was watching tv with me and was all snuggled in, and fell asleep in our bed. This is something he did every night, up til the age of 4. He would fall asleep in our bed, then we would carry him into his bed, where he'd stay the rest of the night. Since he IS a bit bigger these days, we just decided to let him stay. Well, little miss Brookie usually makes her way into our bed around 3 or 4 am, cause she's scared. We even leave a light on in her room all night, hoping that will keep her in her own room. NOT. so, she crawled into the bed between me and Chase, and I was left hanging off the edge of my large king sized bed!! I decided to get up and go into HER bed an hour later....then Chase came looking for me (Brooke was kicking him in the head!) He asked if I would come lye in his bed now.....OK. I just kept telling myself that the day will come when NONE of my kids will care to sleep with me, so I stayed pleasant and crawled into Chase's bed. So now it's 11 am and I am very tired. I counted 10 times that I woke up last night!! Hopefully tonight there will be no more monkeys sleepin in the bed!!!

fieldtrip from....

I've mentioned in a past post, that I am a co-leader for a new club at Chase's school. It is called club HOPE. The school distr. has teamed up with our local Humane Society of MO, to create this awesome opportunity for the kids to learn more about pet overpopulation, cruelty, humane treatment to all living things, etc. Well, today was the BIG event of the year for the club - the fieldtrip to the Humane Society to see all the animals. We were all excited. Today was also a half day for school, so when the bell rang all the kids met in the gym, we had lots of parent volunteers, we got the kids divided into groups....we were ready. We headed out to the main lobby ready to load the bus......I said, ready to load the bus....where's the bus??? It was supposed to be here 10 minutes ago....ok, lets call and check what's going on......what? the bus driver is lost.....she's "10minutes away"....ok, let's learn some HOPE songs and sing till it comes.... Just then a bunch of police cars pull up.......The principal informs us leaders that in about 5minutes there will be an 'Intruder drill in the school, with the SWAT team and guns!! WHAT???!!! (Okay, this is one of those moments where you feel you MUST be dreaming) So, all 55 of us....head down to the library to await the late bus. We are trapped in the library now, because if we leave the room the kids may be permenantly traumatized from the SWAT team in the school. It's getting VERY stuffy in the library, the 43 kids and 12 parent volunteers are beyond restless, and the bus is still NOT here!! She is still lost. it is now 1 hour past our original departure time was set for. FINALLY the bus pulls up and we are off. Unfortunately, we had to rush and cut half our trip agenda out, which is a bummer, but the kids still had a good time and loved seeing all the animals. Man, i hope next months meeting goes a lot smoother!!

Does money grow on trees???

Does money grow on trees. Not according to all of our parents, and I have been guilty of saying this same exact quote to my kids on more than one occassion. HOWEVER.....this weekend proved just the opposite for Chase and his friend Dillon. They made up some fliers for leaf raking and passed them around the neighborhood. Well, on Saturday, they got their first paying customer. I don't think they realized what they were getting themselves into........Saturday was a very cold, windy day, but they headed out, rakes in hand...ready to make some money. They left the house at 12:30. By 4pm Mike grabbed his rake to go up and lend a hand. It got dark around 5ish, so they called it a day. Chase was cold to the bone and tired!! I asked, "so, did you get it done?" They still had the whole backyard to complete.....YIKES! So, after church they headed back up for another 2 hours and finally finished. Another neighbor saw them hard at work and has offered them big bucks to do HIS yard....man, I don't know. Maybe 9 is a little too young for all that work. I am glad they did it though. It was a great lesson in committment and not quitting til the job is done. And, apparently money DOES grow on trees, that is, it does after it falls to the ground to be raked up!

Day of Dance

Brooke takes a dance class every week for an hour. The class consists of tap, ballet and acrobats. She is definately in her element while in class there. Today was the first time we, the parents, got to sit in on the class and actually see what she does each week!! Too cute!

Make a Smilebox postcard

Off to the Rams game

My dad has had Rams season tickets for many years now, and it's a tradition that the males in the family get to partake in. Today is the very first time that Chase gets to go cheer them on to what will hopefully be, a Victory! He was very excited to go with Mike and his grandpa today. GO RAMS!!!"

celebrity encounters

We've had a FULL past few weeks.....Chase had his parent teacher conferences (we are SOOO proud of him....all A's and a B) along with his school book fair. Brooke's school had its annual Fall festival, fun times. Mike and I actually went on a date over the weekend, while the kids had a blast at our church playing games, crafts, movies, snacks. It was a parents night out!! The sad thing is we were done by 8;30 and went to get the kids and THEY weren't ready to go! We had a nice dinner at a place where we could watch Mizzou kick Colorado's behind, then we just drove around looking at the sights. It was very relaxing. Brooke had dance friday and Chase had the day off from school. So while she was dancing Chase and I went to Walgreens to kill some time. Can you tell which "celebrity" he is??? Then after dance we met Grandama Deemer and went to see High School Musical 3! It was really good. Brooke met some celebrities of her own at the theater (Chase was too cool to meet them with her).

FALL, LEAVES FALL

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!!!

Today is my dad's 67th birthday! I have to tell you, that I have been blessed with the most caring, compassionate, patient and insightful dad on the earth. My dad truly is a reflection of God's great love...in his EVERYDAY life!! He offers great advice, support and direction to people around him daily. Not just to his family and friends, but to complete strangers that may call upon him for his expertise in business. Dad, I hope these things for you, today, on your birthday...-that you feel the love from us, like you've given so freely all your life.

- that you can look back on your 67 years of life thus far, and feel a GREAT sense of accomplishment, knowing you've impacted soooooo many lives around you.

- that the years ahead will be filled with good health, love, and yes, lots of GOLF!!

-that the RAMS win today, in honor of your birthday!!

I love you dad. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Tag.....I'm it!!

Okay, my dear friend Kelli tagged me, so here goes....

7 random facts about me:

1. I can do impressions too!!! Just like Kelli (boy, you think you know someone) My best is Harry Carry and it's probably not even that good, but I have fun. I was always the person who made everyone laugh in my family. I can also do Bob Dylan ( Mike says it's a far stretch though). Does anyone remember Jabber Jaw?? Yep, i can imitate him as well as Droopy. I am really dating myself. For you youngins out there, they were cartoon characters from my day.

2. If I ever come into money I want to buy some land and have a horse!!! I love animals, but didn't marry much of an animal lover! I am already feeling the need for another doggie, but Mike's not there yet.

3. I went to Mizzou and got a Bacheloers degree in Hotel and Restraunt management. I worked for the Marriott for a few years as a food a beverage supervisor, over 2 restraunts, a bar, the patio bars in the summer, and room service. I also had to hire and fire dishwashers, wait staff etc.

4. I love to play tennis, though don't play much these days. I was on the girls tennis team in HS and was co-captain. I played on the doubles team. I also played for Forest hills country club's interclub, which means we traveled to clubs around town, playing their members. Fun times. We use to live and breathe tennis!!

5. I used to LOVE heavy metal in HS and college. My first concert was Def Leopard! My friend Susie used to date a lead singer in a band called Trash Bich and we were their "groupies" i guess. We heard them play a lot.

6. I am 40 and in menopause already.......fun times....not!!

7. I would LOVE to live near a body of water. Even Lake St. Louis would do. I would also love to have a pool. Unless said money as stated in fact #2 ever enters my pockets, then the creek that runs behind our house when it rains will have to do for now!

There you have it! Now I tag
Oh, wait I'm supposed to tag 7 people......uh.....3 of them are already tagged. Besides Tim that's all of my bloggin friends.......so you silent readers out there.....(A. Elaine, Frank, Paula, Kathy, Dad) get to it and comment YOUR 7 random facts!:)

Any Ideas??

This year we are vowing to keep the holidays SIMPLE . I want to have the kids make home-made gifts for the grandparents and teachers instead of spending a trillion dollars on stuff. We all have so much stuff already, it's crazy. I also told the kids to expect ONE gift from mom and dad and Santa. I told my parents and will tell the other grandparents (listen up Frank and Paula:)) to only get ONE thing for the kids also. The way the economy is, it's even more reason to stick to this simplicity rule this year! So, does anyone have any fun ideas for home- made gifts??? Let's have fun getting back to basics this holiday season. Take some homemade goodies as a hostess gift, or to your hairdresser etc this year.

Still missing

I've been thinking about Spanky a lot this past week. (No different than any other day) but even more than usual. You see I was sick last week and missed his comfort. I worked nights last week and missed his company while sleeping. We got a note from his vet's office, consoling us just yesterday, and Jo from the humane society lit a candle in his name at a memorial service they had last monday for those pets who have passed. We had our first meeting of club Hope, a new club at Chase's school that I am co-leading. It is a partnership with the school district and the humane society of missouri. It's a very cool thing, that I am proud to be in charge of at Westridge. Anyway, after the meeting on thursday, Jo gave me the melted candle that she lit in Spanky's honor and a sweet note. On the way home from the mtg we had to drop off a backpack to a boy who forgot it at school. Guess what kind of dog he had..........yep, a bichon frise. It looked sooooo much like Spanky when he was young. Well, sorry for going on and on about my sweetie dog, I just am really feeling the loss of him this day. I miss him. Oh, yeah, I also went to pick up his ashes last week too, phew........thanks for reading and listening, it's just what's on my heart right now. :)

Apple of my eye

Today was a perfect, fall day to visit Eckerts Apple farm. We went with some friends from church. The day was filled with pumpkin launching, hayrides to pick apples in the orchards( man, there is nothin like picking an apple off of a tree and eating it right then and there!) pig races, goat feeding, corn mazes and Johnny on the spots! The latter, NOT being my favorite!! It really was good family time fun. There is a hill there, that you can see downtown ST. Louis and the arch.....pretty cool. Hope you are all able to enjoy some of the beautiful fall weather this year.

Cosmic Bowling FUN!!

Brooke was SOOOOO excited all day yesterday! It was the much anticipated day of her birthday party at the bowling alley! It was cosmic bowl, which means they turn out the lights and have all kinds of disco lights and laser lights, along with loud music, as you bowl. I have to say, as an adult I thought it was very fun too!!We brought a bunch of glow neclaces and bracelets for the kids to wear too. It was a good time. This is only the second party I've had for the kids, where it wasn't at our house and let me tell you, it was sooooo stress-free!! why oh, why, do I put myself through a home party year after year. Well, usually it's to save money! This yr we were so blessed by Mike's wonderful mom, Jan. She bowls in the league there, and won a ton of free bowl games, which saved us a ton!! We just had to buy the shoe rental for each child and some snacks. And, even after being scolded.... and told NOT to......my wonderful dad kept secretly getting the pitchers refilled!! Thank you dad and Jan. Some of the kids dressed in Wizard of Oz outfits (AKA, all the girls) and the boys really liked all the glow stuff!! We capped off the day, by going out to Dewey's pizza for dinner with my family (minus Chase and Mike, bc Chase started to not feel well, and has a fever this morning). Here's some pics from the party!!