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!!