A Final Goodbye

LIBERTY BELL CT

With a tear or two in my eye today I went to say a final goodbye to my childhood house. My Mom has sold the house I grew up in and the final closing is today so I grabbed my camera and headed over there to take a few memento photos. I love to scrapbook and so am planning to make a page with these pictures, later.
I wasn't too sad at first. I pulled up and got out snapped a few pics walked around a bit reminisced a little and took some more pics. As I finally got into my car to back out of the driveway it's when it hit me that this is the LAST time I will ever pull out of this driveway again - EVER. Then the tears started to flow and I'm even a little weepy right now typing this. I stopped took one last photo as I pulled away and didn't look back. I took one more photo of our street sign at the top of the street and then slowly drove off. Thank goodness I didn't have a key to go inside or I might really have lost it.
I know it's just a house and I know that it's my family and our lives that made it our home but that is why it's so hard b/c there were so many happy times there. That was the last place that I saw my father alive and well, the last time I saw my pets alive and well, on and on I could go but I won't.
I have my own house now and it is already filling with it's own memories. I am having company this weekend and so will get back to scrubbing and cleaning in prep for some more memories to be made with my own family & friends.

More Puppy Pics

Here are a few pics of the pups w/my boys.
JT has fallen in love w/the little boy puppy and is calling him Dexter. Every day he wants to get Dex out and play w/him. I'm already dreading the day that Dex will be going to his new adoptive home. Which, by the way, I am praying will be SOON. I am seriously tired of cleaning up puppy poop.
JW is just amazed with the pups - he's pretty gentle with em and loves em till he gets nipped and then he's just Pi$$ed. All in all though it's been kinda neat to see the kiddos enjoy the little buggers.
Check out the pics - can't ya just smell the puppy breath!

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

I took this on Father's Day.

This photo just speaks for itself.

Good Times!

Puppies Are Cute But.......

Puppies are cute but boy are they alot of work. Scooping poop, feeding every couple of hours and just generally keeping an eye on em.
Momma Boxer, Hilde, and 5 babies (4 F and 1 M)came to us on Sunday night. They were found under a porch by my neighbor's daughter and after they remembered I volunteer for Boxer Rescue they brought em my way. Momma dog is such a sweetie and the pups are too but good gosh the poop 5 pups can put out is amazing. They are currently in my laundry room because it is so hot outside. Both of the boys really like them. JT has really taken to the little boy pup and named him Dex after Dexter's Labratory (a cartoon on Boomerang channel). Hopefully 4 of the five pups have homes and maybe the momma. I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Currently my rescue group is full up - we have 35 dogs right now and there are 6 sitting in a shelter that we are prob going to have to turn away b/c of being full and having no money at the moment. If you or any one you know is interested PLEASE tell them to visit our website and make a donation or consider adopting a dog. http://www.boxarrescue.rescuegroups.org/
It would help SO much!
Back to poop scoop duty!

Happy Father's Day

My Husband's an Amazing Father

After posting the tribute to my own Father I decided that the number one man in my life deserved his own tribute, as well.

The big guy with his two little guys - they think he is the greatest thing in the world and they are RIGHT! I don't know what else to say except this is an amazing, loving, kind, hard working, strong, intelligent, devoted, man who is a great husband and Daddy too! I love you Babe! Happy 3rd Father's Day - hope you will enjoy the lasagna you requested for your special day! I still can't believe we made such beautiful and perfect boys - you are awesome!

Love,

L

One Very Special Father

A Father's Day Tribute

Today's post is one that I can't do without crying - guess I wouldn't be human if I didn't. Although my Dad has been gone 15 years this year, I still miss him and think about him nearly every day. It's hard not too since my eldest son is his name sake. I dug out some photos of him that I had not seen in awhile and decided to post them in tribute. As I went through the pictures I began to realize that there are not very many pictures of him. He was always the one behind the lens when I was a kid, and so the photos are always of me, my sis, mom, or other friends and family. Thankfully I made it a point to take a picture with him in 1991, before he passed away. That's the black and white of me and him. I was a lifeguard that summer and was brown as a biscuit - so "no" that's not a bad developing job on the picture. The pictues of him as a little boy were salvaged and sent to me by my cousin (his neice) a few years back and I just treasure them. The photo of him in the hat and t-shirt was taken one summer at our cabin - I love this picture cause this is how I remeber him best. The picture toward the top is of him and Mom on their wedding day after they changed clothes and were headed out of their reception.

Although my Dad had to leave us far too soon he lives on in my sons (one in name and the other in looks) as well as in my memory and my heart. I know deep in my soul that he is an angel that keeps me and my family safe each day and he sees everything, although I don't get to share it with him, personally anymore.

If you still have a dad around tell em you love em not just tomorrow but every day! Happy Father's Day!

Ever Waited Tables or worked Retail?

New Blogs of Note



For any of you that check my page regularly you might take a look at these two blogs b/c they are hilarious & so much fun to read. I mostly enjoy these because they are written by people who are working at jobs that I have also done. So I can commiserate right along with them and you might too.

The first blog of note is:
Behind The Counter http://bbcamerican.blogspot.com/

This blog is written about the misadventures of gay guy that works as a returns clerk at Wal-Mart in Florida. Too funny - he tells hilarious tales of the crap people try, and successfully I might add, return each day. You will laugh - I promise!

The second blog of note is:
Waiter Rant http://www.waiterrant.net/

This blog is written by some guy in his late thirties that waits tables at what sound to be a pretty nice Italian restaurant in a big city on the East coast - either Boston or New York. This guy is not just blogging, he's obviously a writer. He gets a crazy number of hits a day and has anywhere from 50-300 plus comments each post. He creates all these wonderful characters, backstories, and literally paints a perfect picture in you head of what is going on in each post. It's like reading a little snippet of a book each day. You know it's all not real - can't be- but it is so wonderfully written that you don't care! Totally addicted!

Hope you enjoy em as much as I do!

It's All In The Past

Inspired by this same "years ago" posting on my cousin, Lindsay's, blog site today, I will hark back to years gone past. Enjoy the photo montage and my everchanging hair color!


20 YEARS AGO, I......
* was in 7th grade & a Jr High cheerleader
* had just started wearing glasses
* still had my father alive & I had no idea how awesome that was

10 YEARS AGO, I.....
* was waiting tables & partying all night - woo hoo
* had just met & started to date, my husband
* was still in college
5 YEARS AGO, I.....
* had just graduated college, been married for one year & was a new homeowner
* a branch manager at Regions Bank
* had a brand new BMW convertible

3 YEARS AGO, I.....
* had a brand new baby boy
* quit my job to stay at home
* started looking for a bigger house

LAST YEAR, I.......
* gave birth to my second wonderful son
* got no sleep
* cut my hair and became a brunette, again

SO FAR THIS YEAR, I....
* have repainted and redecorated some rooms in my house
* bought/traded 3 or 4 cars - life w/a car salesman
* have learned how to manage two toddlers on a day to day basis

YESTERDAY I....
* took my boys to the pool
* actually got to take a nap and have a shower
* discovered my one year old has chipped his front tooth

TODAY I....
* get a small break b/c my oldest son is at "Jamma's" house
* cleaned & bleached my master bathroom
* hope to have a margarita later

TOMORROW I....
* will eat lunch w/my mom, grandmother, and sister
* will take my boys to the pool to cool off
* will hope my hubby can come home early from work

NEXT YEAR, I....
* will be potty training my youngest son
* will have been married 7 years
* will build a new flower bed out back

This is all pretty light hearted stuff and fun to think about - and I did have to really think about some of it.
So.....what were you doing all those years ago? Can you remember?

One In A Million!

Jamma: AKA, Sherry, to the adult world is my MIL. She is retired from Southwestern Bell Phone Company (Now AT&T) after 30 years of service, and is the best! In addition to being a wonderful grandmother, Sherry likes to garden, is great at do it yourself home improvement, a wonderful seamstress, amateur photographer, BoxAR volunteer, and all around good cook.

Jamma often takes the kiddos for a day or overnight and is always around to baby sit when we need help. Jamma keeps all kinds of toys, and pajamas, and toddler foods, and just all kinds of fun things at her place - it's a home away from home for the boys. Everything is "baby proofed" and so the guys have free run of the house and can play to their hearts content.

I have been blessed with a great MIL and our boys are blessed to have two wonderful G-ma's one of which goes by Jamma!

My First Riding Lesson

SISSY THE PONY

Today we had our first riding lesson around 9:30am. This is the second time JT has been on a horse but this was different b/c he was going to learn to ride and control the horse by himself. We both had a lesson - as I don't know much about horses myself other than that they are big beautiful creatures. We first learned how to go out to the pasture and put a lead rope on Sissy and then we walked her back to the barn brushed her down and learned how to put the saddle and reigns on her.

Sissy is a pony that belongs to our neighbor/stable owner, Deborah, and she is a "school horse." Basically it means that Sissy has been used for lots of lessons over the years and she is as gentle and sweet and easy as they come. She pretty much did all the leading around - JT just held on and let Sissy do her thing.

JT really seemed to like it and was actually starting to learn how to manipulate the reigns pretty good. A few times he asked to get off b/c he got a little scared but mostly he had a really nice ride. We are planning to take at least one lesson a week - so far so good. I'll keep the blog updated w/photo progress on his riding skills as the weeks go on.

Peace Out for now,

L