UGH

I always have the best intentions of blogging, but never take the time to do it.  I have two theories pertaining to why I do not blog more often:

Number 1:
I always have a lot to say, but it just seems like it takes so much effort to take my thoughts and form them into complete sentences that make sense to anyone else.  LOL

Number 2:
My life is boring and I am too embarrassed to admit it.

One year...

How much does life change day to day?  Week to week?  Month to month?  How much do things change in a year? 

When you think about yesterday, things were about like they are today.  This week has been a lot like last week, and this month has been a lot like last month, with a few differences.... But this year, compared to last year.. SO DIFFERENT!

One year ago tonight, we were so excited we couldn't sleep because one year ago tomorrow, we were closing on our first house.  How something can be so exciting and terrifying at the same time will always be a mystery to me... I mean, really, they say a mortgage is more binding than a marriage....   It doesn't seem like it's been a year already - It's been crazy, but it's been great, too!!

Then after we moved in, we made some changes as far as flooring, paint, you know.. they stuff you change when you buy a house. We bought furniture, window treatments, and very few new pieces of clothing. Over the course of the year, we have had a few leaks in the roof, made excellent friends with the people down the street (Thanks, in part to our leaky roof... our good friend down the block is a roofer and fixed it for us) 

We have become the parents to not one, but two fish (after we killed a few of them)  The two we have now are big, healthy fantail goldfish.  We have also become the parents to Herky, who is 1/2 lab and 1/2 beagle, and Layla who is ALL beagle.  Then there is Izzy (another beagle) who comes to visit when she gets out of her yard or sneaks out the front door when ! Just so happens her parents are our friends 2 houses to the north!  The three dogs are the best of friends... they also have a little boy, who is about 18 months.. maybe someday we will have someone for him to be best buddies with, too. ????

We also got engaged this year, which is probably the most exciting thing that's happened to us. Coming in a close second - seeing some excellent concerts this year -- Elton John, AC/DC, Pearl Jam, Paul McCartney!!

See, a lot changes in a year.  It makes me wonder how much more things will change over the next year.  I mean, obviously, we will get married, but who knows what else it will bring. 

I kind of forgot....

I kind of forgot about our blog, but I remember it now.

I am short on time tonight, but I'll be back...very soon.

How about tomorrow? Ok. It's a date. See you then!

28 days

It's been 28 days since Champy has been gone and I haven't been the same since.

Here's how he came to be so special to all of us.

It was July of 2002... Celeste had gotten him for Alyssa because she just HAD TO HAVE a dog... like most 10 year olds. I will never forget the first day she brought him over to see us.

He was so little and thin... He wasn't eating very well and they were having a hard time getting him house trained. I wasn't working at the time, so we decided that I could get him house trained, then he could go home again. That was the day our home became his home. Jereme became his daddy and I became his mamma.

He was SO ornery when he was little. I didn't have a kitchen towel that wasn't chewed up and there was no such thing as safe paper towels. We had to keep the bathroom door closed because he had a fondness for toilet paper too. He was definitely a chewer. He found an old Kermit the Frog stuffed toy, and it became HIS KERMIT. We eventually had to take it away from him because the only thing left was some green felt with a few wiry legs attached. Now I would let him chew on the towels. They can always be replaced.

Bedtime was always such a treat, too. We tried to put him in the kennel to sleep but he would just cry and whine constantly, to the point we would finally cave and let him out to sleep with us. He always mistook bed time for time to play. He used to bite and try to wrestle. He used to lay on our pillows, right between our heads and chew on my hair. He was so naughty. Now I wish he was laying in bed with me, hogging all my space.

He was always a cuddler... It started when he was little, and continued until he was a big boy. He thought he was small enough to sit on my lap. No matter where I would sit, he was forever trying to get up and sit on my lap. And I usually let him. And now, I would love to have him on my lap.

I have so many memories.. Like the time he ate 1/2 the toppings off the "perfect" Papa Murphy's take-n-bake pizza. Jereme was SO fricken' mad. Now, I would give him all the toppings, not just half of them, and I'm sure Jereme would too.

He always loved car rides. Going "bye-bye" always got him all wound up. He would run around the house like a child in severe need of ridalin! He loved going to see Gramma Corlie and Aunt Rosebud. He also loved going to see Grampa Ken... he knew there were always treats there... from pig noses to biscuits to yogurt drops and table scraps. Now, I wish I could take him for a ride and get wet dog-nose prints all over the inside of my windows.

Speaking of pig noses & table scraps.... They seemed to have the same effect on the dog that baked beans have on us. Yes, I am going there... Dog Farts. The boy could clear a room faster than you can snap your fingers. I am serious. Sometimes, you could hear them, so you knew what to expect... but sometimes..... SILENT BUT DEADLY. They were the kind that linger like a haze throughout the entire room, and sometimes the entire house. Now, I do not necessarily wish for dog farts, but I do wish for the hysterical laughter that normally followed them.

Then there was the humping. When he was younger, he had what we called "The Humpy Pillow." Yes, it was exactly what it sounds like.

I remember how heartbroken we were when we first discovered that he had wobbler's syndrome. It was early 2003. At that time, Dr. Benson told us that he would most likely not live a long life, but he assured us that we were the right people to make sure the life he did have was one well lived. And that is just what we did. We spoiled him ROTTEN... He loved cookies from PetCo, and even a dish of ice cream whenever we had it. Now, I would let him have 3 cookies at bedtime and 2 scoops of ice cream.

I remember when we brought Scrubby, cat #1 home. He was really unsure of what the hell the cat even was, they eventually grew to be great friends. After Shadow, cat #2 came, it got real crazy. It was twice as many cat turds to eat out of the cat box if he ever got the chance to be close enough to it.

Here's a little cat story for you.. I had noticed a little sore on Champ's chest but I didn't really think anything of it.. it seemed like a small scratch to us. Then one morning, I was putting on my shoes to go to work when it broke open... it was a HUGE abscess that drained itself all over the off-white carpet. Not knowing what to do, it was off to see Dr. Benson again. Turns out that he had to have some little doggie surgery to have the abscess debrided, which means they had to surgically remove the abscess cavity and the surrounding tissue that was dead. He had about a 10-12 inch scar. We had to buy shirts for him to wear so he would stop licking at it, per Dr's orders. I know you are thinking this was supposed to be a cat story...well it is. The abscess was caused by a bite from a cat. One of ours, I'm sure. There's the cat part of the story. We also had runs to the vet on other occasions for toenails that got ripped off.

When Jereme and I split, I couldn't sleep because I didn't have a dog laying across my legs, hogging all the room. It was SO hard for me. I used to go by just to see him. I even made a trip or 2 back from Des Moines to see him. He was always so excited to see me.. or to see any visitors for that matter. Now, I wish he was there wiggling when he saw me.

He was a very special dog. The wobbler's syndrome made him wiggle and wag. If you ever met him, you know exactly what I am talking about. The wag just seemed to fit his happy-go-lucky personality. He could make me feel better when I felt bad, he could make me happy when I felt sad. He did this for EVERYONE -- and THAT is what made him special.

I think of him everyday, and I miss him. I will always remember him and I will always love him.

He really was the pick of the litter.

A week in a nutshell

July 3/4

We went to the parade in West Des Moines on Thursday night with Brenton's friend Owen, his brother Parker, and their parents, Nick and Lori. It was fun.. Parker was the go-getter for all things sweet and Owen was very excited to see the Jeeps, Tractors, and Guitars!

After the parade, we went to Altoona to see the fireworks at Prairie Meadows.. but first we had to make a stop at Monterey for some dinner! And a pitcher of Margaritas. :)

The fireworks were good, and afterwards we stopped at Andy and Nikki Phillips' house to chat for a few minutes, which turned into an hour or so! Evidently we all need to see each other more often so we don't have SO MUCH catching up to do!! It was good to see them.. They are always such gracious hosts!

Then, on the 4th, we got up and met Brenton's friend Owen and his family, and Owen and Parker's friends Kelton, Kya, Kiera, and Kaden and their parents, Ross & Christi Ladwig, in Urbandale for the 4th of July parade! It was a long parade and the kids made quite a haul with the candy.

After the parade, we came home.. Just the 2 of us.. and put some burgers on the grill. After lunch, it was time for some pool therapy. It was quite nice. It was a good day to be lounging poolside!

That night, we headed to Waukee to meet up with the parade watching gang and watch some Fireworks. They lasted for a LONG time, and I have some pictures that turned out quite nice!








For the rest of the weekend, we didn't do anything. Went to the pool and that's about it.

On Sunday, I got the much needed new phone. You all know how bad my old one was.. How many times have I said.. "hang on, my phone's dying!"

All Dogs Go To Heaven

Jereme and I decided that it was time to put Champ to sleep. He hasn't been doing well for some time and was to the point that he could no longer stand up or walk anymore. On Monday, our son (he WAS a real boy, you know!) went to the Rainbow Bridge to play with Shadow, Harley, Lucky, and Cody.

You all know how well I must have taken this. I cried for 3 days straight and missed 2 days of work. I didn't even want to get out of bed. Brenton stayed home with me on Monday... he didn't think I should be alone. I did go to work on Tuesday, but could barely function. Then on Wednesday, I woke up with a major headache! I'm sure it was from the severe lack of sleep! So I called in and went back to bed. It wasn't until Thursday that I started to find my peace with this. He touched and enriched the life of EVERYONE who met him.. I mean really, how many of you remember the wag???

I am doing better, I still have my moments, but at least I can look at his pictures now without losing it. I just keep telling myself that it was the right thing to do for him. He could no longer run and play, or go "bye-bye" in the car anymore. I will always love him.. I will never forget him, either.



Then on Thursday on the way home from work.. I got into a fiery crash with my Jeep.

Ok, not really, and nothing major.. Just the front bumper.. it's scratched and took my license plate off. I'm not too concerned about it, but will get it fixed. It just has to be buffed and repainted is all... or it seems to me. I will keep you posted on an estimate.

And somewhere in the week, our garage sale TV decided to stop showing the picture, but we can still listen to the TV. So now it's time for a new TV.

Aunt Mary is having surgery on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week in Rochester to have her kidney taken out. They seem to think it is a contained tumor, so hopefully all turns out well with her. I will say prayers, and ask you to say one too.

Needless to say, you won't be seeing me on that show on VH1... you know...
The Best Week Ever.
LOL

Last night, I had a MAJOR stomach ache.. (Thank You, Boston's) so I got up and was witness to the sweetest light show on earth. I tried to get pictures, but only managed one good one before the camera died. I think Champy knows how much his Mamma loves lightning, so he gave me some to watch. We didn't get hardly any rain, but there was LOTS of Lightning and Thunder!


Anyway, there's my week in a nutshell. Let's all hope next week is better.

Zoo Brew

On Wednesday nights in July, the Blank Park Zoo here has what they call "Zoo Brew"



21 and older to get in... and beer at the zoo along with live music!!! We went and it was SO much fun. The animals seems to be much more active at night than during the day, and the beer was pretty good too!
You can buy beer by the can or you can sample all the different kinds for free! I chose to buy my Coors Light... I'm not real crazy about some of those other beers, with the fancy lagers and ales and all. I just want a simple beer.

Here are a few pictures I took.

You'll notice Mr. Lion sniffing around Mrs Lion.. he was trying to get a little action, but she wasn't having any part of that!! He was shot down in front of a crowd... poor thing!!

The zoo here is a very neat little zoo... I only wish they had some bears. Polar bears, that is!

Until next time, take care of yourself and others.