bye sweet girl.

This is how our dog Missy spent her last day. By the fire, in a warm spot and getting a lot of attention. Today was her last day with us.

This last week has been really hard on her. We knew the time was getting closer, but the last week went downhill pretty quickly. It was almost exactly like the movie Marley and Me. One night she just stood at the bottom of the stairs when it was time for bed and looked like she just didn't have her in it to make it up. Her back legs were not working like they should have been and each step (she sure tried.) she'd try pulling herself up with her front legs. We would carry her up to sleep in her spot under the bed.

Last night I noticed she hadn't even moved an inch from where she went to sleep last night.

This past week she'd go out into the yard and stop and lay down. Like she was looking for a place to go and be alone.... like dogs do.....when they know it's time. With how cold it has been and some snow on the ground this seemed strange. She'd be carried back in and would go into her favorite spot in front of the fireplace.

Yesterday and today she would struggle to get up but her back legs would fail. She had also stopped eating her normal food for the past few days. She was telling us it was time. She did enjoy lots of human treats today.




(above) back in 1998 not enjoying getting a bath.

(above) better and younger days - before Megan was born. (wow.)

So today she goes to see my Katie dog, and Dixie and I'm sure is chasing tennis balls. She was obsessed with them. I mean OBSESSED. - This is hard because she's the last link to life before my kids were born. It seems like such a different time...kind of a time I don't remember much of anymore. She's the last link to my best dog ever Katie (who actually had an emergency euthanasia on Christmas Eve of 2001.)

The vet was a much better experience (if you can call it that.... let's face it....making this decision sucks.) Mike carried her inside and set her on the table. She didn't move. She was in pain, you could tell. She was taken back to have an IV put in, and given a sedative. Something I wish was the experience for our other animals.... this girl was sleepy and not aware when we said our goodbyes. She was just sleeping hard. Then when we were ready the doctor came in and gave her the final shots through the IV without her even waking up. She went from a peaceful sleep into her final one. Damn, it sucks making this decision, but knowing the pain she was in it was time. You could see it in her eyes. This is the worst part of pet ownership. Making a decision when you want to be selfish and keep them around forever.

I say it every time that we have this happen....that I never want another dog. That I never want to experience this again. But we do, we get another dog (Piper) and the cycle will go on. For the amount of pain that you feel when one animal member of your family leaves.... the happiness, frustration and madness of their life with you does really enrich your own. It's just too bad that their lives are so much shorter than our own.

Miss you Mook doggie dog. :(

Matthew and George.

I was redoing a layout that was lost during my computer crash about Matthew getting his tonsils out. Part of the journaling was how George was able to lay down next to him on the operating table after he fell asleep and they could pry him from Matthew's hand and tuck him in under the sheets during his surgery.

Side story: while typing the journaling for that layout Matthew came up next to me and was reading it while I was typing. He said, "Wow mom that was years ago, shouldn't you have done that page a long time ago?" I thought it was kind of funny how he thinks I'm so up to date on scrapping. I understand where it comes from though, since he's the child who has seen the most digital changes....there are more photos of him as a baby and toddler since that's when I got a digital camera, and also now with digital scrapping I usually am quick to make a page about an event or something within that YEAR unlike some paper pages in the past. haha.

So while typing about George I realized that little stuffed monkey needed his story told. I went back and found a million photos of Matthew with George in his hand. It was easy to find photos. That monkey was with him constantly.

gettin my digi on.

Is it catching up or falling behind? Photos from Megan's 11th birthday. Finally on a page. I still have the boys to do. - Yay for sleeping children and husband, and a case of insomnia!

Today was a very social day. Trevor had a friend over who happens to play really nice with Matthew too. Sometimes the big boys don't play nice with little brothers.... but this boy is always nice. He's a pleasure to have over. They played Legos for hours.

Megan had a friend over for dinner tonight too. A boy! He's a good kid, and one of her group of friends from lunch. He lives pretty close to us.

Yep, you've seen a version of it before, but since my computer crash... I'm redoing some pages. I'm listening to boys playing Legos in the living room. There are friends over, and this way I can 'multitask' and pay attention to what is going on. ;)

These pictures of the summer are making me miss warmer weather right now. Don't get me wrong, I am loving the snow....but right now most of what we got the other day has melted. The sun is out and it looks so much warmer outside than it is! It makes me want to go for a walk or play outside....until the cold hits you! Brr.

drive by posting...

I'm feeling stressed out today so I decided for some scrapping therapy (and a coke!) I'm working on some more pages and will post them later. (The kitchen and vacuuming can wait right?)

Christmas morning

Christmas photos. They are never good. In fact, they really stress me out! This year I didn't get that many because I was watching the action. This one of Megan and Matthew makes me laugh though, because I had the camera on manual and hadn't fixed all of the settings yet. But the funny thing is, with Matthew's blurred head is that is about the speed the kid was on most of the morning anyway! It was definitely a Lego Christmas too. We saw this look on Trevor and Matthew lots of times.

I have no idea what to say other than we did have a very nice Christmas. There were times that I had to stop and remind myself that it actually was Christmas day. I have had a really hard time lately feeling like time is where it is. I think it's because of Mike being gone so much this past year or something. It really feels like that time didn't happen now that he's home. I really do feel like it should be spring or something. Weird.

The kids were all very happy with all of the things that they got from family and from Santa. (Matthew is still holding onto the Santa thing this year.) It was cold outside so we stayed indoors and stayed warm all day. The kids were all quiet playing with their new toys.

Christmas photos continued...

Boys putting together Legos.
Trevor playing with one of his new wii games

Megan putting a halter on one of her new horses....plus new webkinz in the background.

Me getting a little Christmas nap in. Not sure who took this photo. I think I look much better blurred.

There is not much cuter than finding smiling boxes waiting for you by the front door. Especially knowing there are presents in there that you didn't have to go to the store for. I can't even get into the debate about whether online shopping is hurting the local economy because Amazon has a warehouse in Hebron....not far from where I live. So I get the added bonus of knowing my purchases paid employees locally. Score!

No way. Is it really Christmas EVE eve? What year am I finally going to learn that I should wrap more presents in advace? I think I did last year, but this year I put it off and now the kids are home for winter break. Which also means they are staying up later and not always asleep even at midnight! I did it to myself. I have to find a way to be sneaky and get some started tonight.

I went to Walmart today. Usually a place I avoid at any time of year...but especially around Christmastime....I'm not sure what we were thinking. I had a couple of last minute filler things I needed to buy, and I have been to Target, Meijer and Toys R Us a million times only to find that they have nothing new. - and believe it or not... it was a successful trip into Walmart. Which made the crowd worth the trip. I have to give them props for that.

Is it me? Is it Kentucky? The economy? I don't remember it being like this in years past. It is like stores got toys and things in back in October and that was IT for the holiday season. There hasn't been any restocking. I can tell you from the million times I've been back to Target that the same Space Police Lego sets are still sitting in the same spot on the shelves. And for some reason, the aisle that used to be entirely ALL Legos has been cut to 1/3 for over a month....sharing shelf space with some weird baby dolls. So if the picking was slim before, it's even more so now.

BUT

I am done. Shopping is done. And that is all that matters. I think there will be some happy kids in our house in the next couple of days. Oh and there will be many more legos to step over, kits to put together, movies to watch and all that. :)

I am behind in blogging. The past few days have gone in fast forward. It's crazy! We made our Christmas cookies on Thursday. - and yes, they were good. Too good....not many made it out to neighbors, so I guess we have to make a couple more batches. The ones above with just sprinkles on the side are dipped in white chocolate. Those were my favorites. Next time.... I am dipping the entire cookie in chocolate!

We didn't get hit with as much snow as expected. We did wake up on Saturday with a white neighborhood. I can tell now when it has snowed overnight as soon as I wake up because of the shade of light coming through our bedroom blinds. It's hard to explain.... it's like when the sun is up, but much more intense. I peeked through the blinds when I got up and sure enough! SNOW!

The kids got dressed and went outside to play. This year we were better equipped with snow boots, gloves and pants. So they were outside for hours. Kids had taken over the neighborhood and were sliding on sleds out on the street. The hill in front of our house is the best sledding hill.

Until the snowplow/salt truck comes. But still, there's plenty for them to do.

It's finally feeling like Christmas.

little holiday update...

I took this photo of the boys from the family room when Mike and I were watching TV together the other night. (He finally had a night off!) It was before we had put decorations on the tree. I remember loving sitting in the same room as our Christmas tree, sitting in the dark, looking at the lights or just wanting to be near it when I was a kid. I loved that the boys were playing a video game together and enjoying the lights too. The boys have been inseperable friends lately.



The tree is now decorated and the skirt is around the bottom. And no Star Wars ships at the bottom for the time being.




Today while the kids were in school I started rolling and cutting some cookies. This year we are making cookies instead of our usual gingerbread house project. I baked a lot of trees, bells, stars and wreaths and tomorrow after school we can decorate them. I figured I'd make the cookies before all of my 'help' arrived. I was talking to my sister on the phone while baking.... she wanted to smell the cookies. :) Here is a photo for her. *Hi Kim! I hope you are feeling better!*



I also scored on finding some snowboots at Once Upon A Child today. Last year we didn't have any, and were not prepared well for the snow. This year I found stuff early and we are set with snow pants, heavy jackets, boots and real gloves that snow doesn't stick to so we can make a snowman. Matthew has been so happy about his new boots that he is walking around the house in them, with jeans and his Cincinnati Reds shirt. I can't help but laugh at him.... he looks like Napoleon Dynamite. I keep waiting for him to start dancing. Gosh.



We are supposed to get snow this weekend!! I'm hoping! I saw a snow plow truck on our street today. Hopefully figuring out his route!

December progress....not much.

Photo for Christmas card taken, ordered and stuck inside cards that will be making it out this week.

Christmas tree up, and finally decorated by the kids. (I had no input in it at all....and even my OCD self does not care how it looks. It's done.)

Hopefully Christmas cookie dough made tomorrow and baked. Maybe decorate some tomorrow night....maybe not. We're flying by the seat of our pants here.

Some gifts bought and hidden. - and I think searched for by small boys.

Tonight we went out to drive around in the warm car, with cups of hot chocolate and jammies, and Christmas music playing to go look at Christmas lights around the neighborhood. We do this every single year. Part of that tradition is having the good intentions of doing this and getting excited about it only to realize that the only people who seem to hold to it the longest are megan and I.

The boys start to bicker, which makes part of the tradition also being me yelling back at some point, "If you boys aren't going to sit nice and look at lights out the window I am going to turn around right now and head home." Again, it's a Christmas tradition that starts out with good intentions.

Tomorrow we are planning on rolling out some Christmas cookies to decorate on Sunday.

quick post!

We woke up to more flurries this morning. I think I really enjoy driving Megan to school when it is dark and it is snowing. (after the car has warmed up and the heat is on high of course!) - and when the roads are clear.

They're baaack!

This photo is from last year.... but I noticed today that they are back! A sure sign that something is coming! SNOWPLOW TRUCKS! I love watching them. I've noticed many more of them hanging around lately.

Flurries! Even though it was cold, I stood out on the deck at 6 this morning smiling waiting for the dogs to do their thing. Nothing is prettier than flakes of happiness falling from the sky! (That's what Megan and I call them in Will Ferril type enthusiasm.) Yay! I love waking the kids up and telling them to look out the window. Trevor of course asked first thing, "Snow day? Hour delay??? Anything?"

It isn't supposed to stick at all, but it made for a fun and pretty drive to take the kids to school this morning.

This isn't a new story.... but a new page. Last night I decided to ditch all responsibility and work on some of my pages that I lost when my computer crashed. Thank goodness I was good about posting most of them on my blog or other galleries. Even though I learned my lesson on how to save them so I don't ever lose them again.... I still feel superstitious enough to want to post this one if I ever lose everything again. Ugh. (It was fun to sit and do some digi scrapping while the boys were a few feet away playing wii though.)

I am having a very difficult time finding any Christmas spirit this year. I have no idea why. I think after Mike got home my body just realized that I was on auto pilot for 6 months, and I'm in need of a vacation or rest of some sort. When he is home we try to get our things done that have been waiting for him, or just spend time together. I guess the last thing on my mind is Christmas right now. (Sorry Maddy!) I keep getting asked every day when we are putting up the tree, when we'll put lights up outside, when we're baking cookies or making a gingerbread house.... etc.

I'm sure the spirit will get here. It's just waiting for snow and a few presents to hide somewhere in the garage.