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!!

Party prep

Monday was Brooke's 5th birthday. We went to Chuckie Cheese for lunch and play with Grandma and Grandpa Deemer, Aunt Kathy and Uncle Rick. Brooke and Sloan had school that morning, then I picked them up and we headed to the Chuckster. They had a great time!!

Well, tomorrow is her big party. She wanted a Wizard of Oz party but also wanted to go bowling. So we told the kids coming to dress up if they wanted to. I made her party favors up last night.......I searched all over Ballwin and the surrounding area, for a toto dog, that didn't cost a bundle to put in the little "baskets". Those of you who don't know, my sis Kathy is amazing at coming up with great ideas for everything, and she can find a bargain on just about anything. She found the chinese take=out boxes to use as baskets, and rafia=sp that could be made into the handles. I thouhgt it would be adoreable to have toto peeking out of the basket..........so the hunt began. I finally found them, and they had just the right amount. Here is a pic of the finished product. I will post pics from the bowling bash tomorrow!!

Better times

Well, we are mending here at the Rogers' household, after a long, tiring, week of emotions. Man, crying and heartache make you tired!! Each day has gotten easier. We have all done little things to help us get by. Chase and Brooke made memory boxes of Spanky, Chase placed Spanky's old collar around a stuffed animal and lets me sleep with the dog by my feet at night. I have also placed pictures around the house (on the frig and on my mirror in my bedroom) of Spanky. It helps to "see" his sweet face around, if only in picture form. The place where Mike took him to be put to sleep sent us a sweet note (written by the vet) and a card with spanky's name on it and his PAW PRINT!! Powerful. I called them to thank them and to tell them how much that is appreciated by us and how we will treasure that forever. This was not our normal vet place mind you.....Thank you all for your kind words, prayers, and flowers (and visits from YOUR dogs) . We are blessed to have you all in our lives. Thanks to my sister for picking me up that day and taking me to get a diet coke and taking us to the park to just "be". I felt very guilty for the first few days at what I had done, but Sunday in church, a song we often sing, really hit home and I've felt at peace since then. The words were," I'm forgiven, because you were forsaken......" I've also been watching animal planet, where they rescue abused animals.....it helps me to know just how nice of a life Spanky really did have with us, compared to those poor neglected and abused animals...

Good-bye my sweet puppy

September 18th is a day I'll never forget. The day I knew would someday come, sooner or later, but I was hoping much later. You try to prepare yourself for days like the 18th, and even though you are receiving countless signs that the day is near, you just hope deep down, that it will never come. Almost 14 years ago my "first born" came into our lives, weighing a mere 3.5 pounds. He was my first dog on my own...our first dog as a couple. He really was our first child. He was sooooo spoiled. From day one, he stole my heart and he followed me wherever I went......for 14 years. At times it annoyed me, especially with 2 kids, I couldn't even go to the bathroom by myself, Spanky was always right there. He's always followed me room to room, and always sat by me. For all those years, he slept right by my legs in bed too......but now he's gone. He used to "talk" to us by making a whimper sound and sometimes that would get on your nerves, now I would do anything to hear that sound. My heart aches for him. As Chase said, "the house seems so empty without him here". That is so true. After 14 years of him being right there by my feet at every step...there's just emptiness. The house just seems so different without him here. I know it will get easier as time passes,but now it hurts. To those of you who don't understand all this greif over a dog, I tell you...it's so hard because Spanky was so many things to me. My sweet puppy who use to love to play tug of war with his towel, who used to "suckle" his blankie up until just a few months ago, when he was resting beside me on the couch or bed. He loved to go for car rides. He thought he was part cat, and use to lye on the upper cushions of the couch. In our first house, we had a bay window that he would lye in all day while we were at work, so he could look out the window and wait for us to return. He could give "five" and speak, and lye down when told. When the kids were babies, he was very protective of them. He always lied in bed with me when I was sick or if i worked nights, he slept with me the next day. He would lick me when I cried, or if I had a cut. He was there when I had a bad day and even when I yelled at him, stayed right by me. I love Spanky and will never forget him and will always love him and miss him. It hurts to know he will never again be at my feet or by my legs while sleeping. I hope and pray, that he had a good life with me. I hope he knew how much I loved him and how much I will miss him. September 18th was one of the hardest days of my life...... it is the day I chose to put an end to another living things life, and I pray, it was the right decision. I know in my heart that it was, but I wasn't ready.....to let go and I want him back. I hope and pray that dogs do go to heaven, and that he is lying at the feet of Jesus now, instead of mine. I love you Spanky. There will never be a dog like you in my life, you were so special and I'm thankful I had you for so many years.

Felt like a true weekend

It seems like all my life, I've had a job where weekends were just a normal, expected, part of the job. I have recently started working on Friday nights at the hospital, which means I don't leave for work until 10pm and get home the next am at 8. Although it can be tough staying awake all night, the night gig is pretty good. I usually sleep the next day for 4 hours...just long enough to function. So really it seems like I don't miss out on any of the weekend activities. After waking up around 2pm on saturday, I straightened up the house a little, showered, then we went out to dinner with our neighbors. We ate outside on a covered patio ( it was a gorgeous night), had good food, drinks, and LOTS of laughter!! Mike and I don't go out much without the kids in tow, so it really was a nice relaxing evening!! Today, we slept in til 9am and went to church. When we got home the power went out, so we opened the windows to let the crisp fall-like air in, and we just lounged around. It felt great to just "be" on the weekend for a change! Hope everyone was able to enjoy a relaxing weekend as well.

September 11

What a horrible day in our lives.......but I have to say, I did like the effect it had on most americans. Please don't get the wrong idea by that comment. It just seems, that when tragedy strikes, we do pull together as a nation, and i think that is sooo great. That terrible day somehow made us all feel like we were 'ONE'. I hope that for myself, and for us all, that the memory of that day never fades. Maybe that explains my obsession with watching the hurricane coverage too. We once again pull together as a nation, all eyes on the same thing, if only for awhile, hoping and praying for those in the path of destruction.

Just my thoughts for the day.

wordless Wednesday (for Julie!)

Gustav is in the house

Okay, not literally, thank God. But wow, I cannot imagine being where the storm first makes landfall. He is dropping all sorts of interesting rain today. You can tell there is still bands intact. I saw sideways rain while taking the kids to school this am!! The creek behind our house is RUNNIN'! Mike works outside so was glued to the radar all afternoon and night. He kept saying the whole state of Missouri is green, but there's nothing happening outside in Ballwin. Well, hon, Gustav is in the house now!

First and Last.......

Today is Brooke's first full day of Preschool for the new year. She was sooooo ready for school to begin...she has such a great imagination and loves to soak as much in around her as possible. I am happy but also a little sad today. This is her last year of preschool, then she's off to BIG GIRL school with Chase next year. MAN.....where has the time gone. Like my friend Kelli says, "the days are long at times, but the years are short." SO true!!! It's so easy to get caught up in the stress of daily life , to the point that you just wish the day would just end....sad, huh. At the same time I find myself trying to live in the moment and capture all the memories I can. Strange. Today has already been one of those days.......Poor Chase has a cold and is feeling tired, but off to school he went (the flu season has yet to come), I took Chase to school, then we dropped Spanky off at the groomers(he is still on medications and has new licking issues now), my gas light came on in the midst of all this, so now I had to squeeze a trip to the pump in. All of this BEFORE my hugo diet coke, mind you!!! Dropped Brooke and Sloan at their school, ran by the bank (got yet another Hugo diet coke:( ) made a call to my doctor................and here I am. I am SO rambling on, you don't really want to hear all that, so anyway, enjoy the pics from Brooke's first day. Sorry grandma Rogers, Brooke insisted on wearing those clothes instead of her dress from you.........picture day instead!!