~Creative Adventure~ Thought I'd try something new using a very old formula from the 1980's PC adventure text games. Come on, let's see how creative you are....Fill in the blanks ;-}

1. While in a forest, you see a cabin ahead, you wade through the stream & cautiously go in.
2. In the cabin you find a large chest, you break off the padlock, open it, & gasp in horror at what you see!
3. Suddenly you hear a noise coming from the outside, you panic & run out the back door.
4. The adventure over, you leave the cabin and breath a sigh of relief that you escaped unfound. Or so you thought...

Friday, June 29, 2007: I am 'finally' back! I feel as though I've been gone for months. This has been a very difficult past month, & it feels like an eternity since I wrote the post below. I don't even really know where to start. I guess I could start with letting everyone know that we are blessed to still have my Mom with us. We aren't too sure how long we will have her. The drs. told us to enjoy the time we have left with her, & that is what everyone is doing. I feel as though I am getting ahead of myself here, so I will back up & begin where my last post left off. We left for Indiana 2 days after I wrote the post below. Come to find out, Mom had meningitis, along with pneumonia. At first they didn't know what was wrong. When they got to the ER, she was in incredible pain, & she went into a coma that night. They ran all the tests that they could, & this is when they found out what was wrong. Further tests the next day showed that she had colon cancer, that looked as though it had spread to her stomach, lungs, & liver. They are not sure of that now, as she had such a bad infection inside, that this is what showed. Apparently, this is also what caused the meningitis, as the infection in her intestines was so bad. Anyway...drs. didn't expect her to live through that first night, nor did they expect her to live through the next few days & nights. I was told that I would not make it in time to say "good-bye" to her. It was a long, emotional journey back there. When I got there, she was unresponsive, & that broke my heart to see her like that. She loves gospel music, so at the end of that week, my husband asked if I thought it would be okay to take his ipod in, & he would put gospel on it for her. I thought it would be a good thing to do, so we put headphones on her, so that she could listen to her favorite music. We then had to run out for a couple of hours. When I called my sister on our way back, she said "You won't believe this! Mom is awake, & she is talking!" Needless to say, we 'flew' back to the hospital! When I walked into her room, I couldn't believe it. She didn't sound quite like herself, & her speech was a bit limited, but she 'was' talking! I walked over to her, & she looked at me for awhile, smiled & said "Pretty girl!" I said "Mom, do you know who I am?" She said "Yes", & then called me my childhood nickname. Then she kept saying "Judy, Judy, Judy", over & over. She did this with all the words that were coming back to her...she would repeat them over & over. When I showed her Elliot & Emily, she 'really' responded! She was so happy, & kept reaching up to them. The drs. & nurses could not believe it! Apparently, she began making the motion of tapping her foot under her blanket about a half hour after we put the headphones on her. About 15 minutes after that, she kept saying "Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!" over & over. That is the only word she said for over an hour. The drs. think that the music brought her around. Anyway...it wasn't smooth sailing after that. She was still in horrible pain, she couldn't eat, she didn't have all her vocabulary back, & she was still considered in 'grave' condition. After a few days, they moved her to a nursing home to recuperate, & that actually set her back quite a bit. She hated it, & she was in so much pain. She was also discouraged that she couldn't remember things, & she kept asking us how she got there, & what was wrong with her. She asked about my niece Nikki...that was a hard day, as she sobbed all day after she found out that Nikki had been gone for 10 months. She didn't remember that she had died. At first they thought she had suffered a stroke, but they ruled that out. They now say it was the swelling of her brain from the meningitis. They are not sure she will ever be back 100%. She is home now, but not doing real well. She is bedridden, & this is difficult for her. She must have round the clock care, & therapy - which is torture for her. She still can't walk, & she feels that she will never walk again. She has lost so much strength, & says she hurts constantly. I will go back in a few weeks to do my part in taking care of her. When I go, it will probably be for a month. Her dr. told us that she is a miracle, & we are seeing her as just that. We will not take for granted, this time with her that we have been given. Her dr. told us that each time we look at her, we will be looking at a miracle, & that is such a wonderful thought. She is the talk of the hospital, as well as the nursing home. Not one of them thought she would survive. In fact, they told us that she couldn't survive. God answers prayer, & we attribute it to so many people praying for her. Please continue to pray for her, & pray for her outlook to brighten.

I am sorry that this was such a long post. Because of that, I will not say anything more tonight. I will jump back into the blog world tomorrow, & try to catch up with my reads too. I do want to thank all the sweet people that contacted me & let me know that you cared, & that you were praying. It meant the world to me. I am thankful that I have met such wonderful people through blogging. Again, I apologize for this going a bit long...but count your blessings, because this was a condensed version! There was just so much to tell, but I didn't want to give anyone eyestrain. I am also sorry if this seemed to 'jump around'...it was so hard writing a condensed version of the past 5 weeks. Love you all...it's wonderful to be back! And before I go - I must say that tonight, I am grateful for miracles, & for 2nd chances, because this is what we feel we got with Mom.

Monday, May 21, 2007: This is just a 'pit stop'. I feel so badly that I've not been by here to post. Seems as though life has been on 'hyper speed' for the past few weeks, & I haven't been able to get here. On nights that I 'could' get here, I used that time for something else. I guess I am not a good blogger. Some seem to be made for it - their posts are wonderful. I am sorry that I've been MIA again, & I will try to make it a point to get here more often. This week is my 'catch up' week, so if all goes according to plan, I can get back into the swing of things.

My Mom was rushed to the emergency room this evening. My sister called me earlier, & I have been sitting beside the phone, with butterflies in my stomach. I dread waiting for calls like this. Family called from the emergency room, & said she is not doing well, but they don't know what is wrong yet. She was fine today, & then within an hour, she had such a headache (the worst headache she said she had ever felt in her life), her temperature went up to over 103, & she isn't making sense in her talking. This is awful to be way out here in Vegas, & she is in Indiana. I have a feeling it will be a long night. My sister will call me as soon as they know anything more. It is 1AM there, so this concerns me, as still no new word. Please keep her in your prayers.

Sunday, May 13, 2007: I wanted to pop in & wish everyone a happy Mother's Day. I was blessed with a wonderful day. I enjoyed the time with family. I wanted to make today special for Lisa, since she is a 'Mom-to-be', & she loved being spoiled a bit. She's been doing great, but having some nausea off & on. We went out Saturday & bought her some prenatal vitamins at Whole Foods. I got her some 'pregnancy tea' too, that is supposed to support the uterus, & promote a healthy pregnancy. I have to take good care of her, as she is carrying our little grandbaby! She's going to be a wonderful Mom.

Speaking of Whole Foods, Emily loves their smoothies. I always buy one & let her take sips of mine. She would always end up getting more than me! This weekend, we bought her one of her very own. She loved that! Below is a picture of her enjoying it. As you can see - I go nowhere without my digital camera!

Thursday, May 10, 2007: My computer has been on the blink for a couple of days. My husband thinks it was my connection. He got it fixed, so I hope it stays. I was one that had to be dragged kicking & screaming to the computer world, & now I wonder how in this world I 'ever' survived being computer free!

My Mom got her results back today from all her heart tests. She is fine!! We were all thinking this wasn't going to be good news, but the dr. said that her heart is in perfect shape. They are now thinking she's been having all these problems because of an allergy to her cat. She will not get rid of him, so she wouldn't hear of that talk today. She says she would rather suffer the difficulty in breathing, & the weakness, rather than let him go. She loves this cat so much.

We received news Tuesday night! We're going to be a Nana & a Papa again! This will be #3. I certainly don't feel like I could have 3 Grandbabies, but I am on my way to having a houseful! This time, it is our middle son Shad. He & Lisa were planning their wedding, so this surprised us all. I am disappointed that the 'cart is before the horse', so to speak, but I do not regret having a new little member added to our family. Shad has wanted a baby for as long as I can remember. He's been talking about how he couldn't wait to have a child since he was a child himself! He will make an aweseome Dad. The best! He's wonderful with Elliot & Emily. And so, our family grows...

Monday, May 7, 2007: I had to share a cute story & picture of Elliot. I was up with Emily, & heard him getting up & begin to come downstairs. All at once I hear "Oh man! Not again!" I call out "What's wrong baby?" He laughed & said "My hair is sticking up again!" I knew he couldn't reach up to a mirror, & couldn't figure out how he was seeing his hair, so I called out "How are you seeing your hair?" He said "My shadow." I went to see, laughed, & told him to wait while I got the camera. Below is what I found:

I thought it was the cutest thing. I guess what I really found cute, was that he stopped on the stair landing to check his hair. He normally loves it when it looks all stuck up, because he says he looks like "Ty" (from Extreme Home Makeover) when it's like that. He loves Ty, & thinks that he can fix anything! Speaking of Ty, I was sad that he was arrested for drunk driving.

Off to surf the net for awhile...have a great day everyone!

Sunday, May 6, 2007: I pulled myself through this day. Lacking common sense last night, I had a Starbucks at about 8PM. 2:30AM came along, & I was still awake! I paid the price. Emily slept till 6:45, so I put on my best "Good Morning!" smile & greeted her. I'm sure I looked like a panda bear or a raccoon to her. Being the nightowl that I am, I am now perked up completely at 10PM.

My son Shad had an interesting job interview recently (while I was MIA). He was being interviewed, & in the midst of it, the cops came in & arrested the one interviewing him. He was then witness to a huge blow-up between the main boss & the one doing the interviewing. Apparently, they had asked her not to return to work, & she came anyway. He was extremely uncomfortable, but they had a 'lock-down' of some sort while the cops were there arresting her, & for some reason they would not let him leave. Needless to say, he is not interested in working there now.

Seeing all the tornado activity & damage though parts of the country is heartbreaking. These storms seem to be getting more & more violent & more widespread. The footage of the little town that was almost demolished (in Kansas, I believe), was so sad. I feel very blessed that we don't have to deal with that type of weather here in Vegas, but with the way weather seems to be changing, who knows.

My Mom's dr has finally decided to run extensive heart tests on her this coming Wednesday. She's not been well for so long, & she's been trying to tell them that she feels it could be her heart, but nothing has been done. She is to the point that she has difficulty walking a few feet without it exhausting her, & she has a hard time breathing. This has been going on for almost 2 years, & they are just now going to test her heart. I want her so badly to be able to get her quality of life back.

I could not believe it when it was said on DWTS last week, that Joey had lost 75 lbs.!! I love seeing the star's bodies changing as the weeks go by (except for John's, it seemed). I was happy for him, as he had said that was one of his goals at the beginning, to get in better shape.

Emily is growing up a bit 'too' fast. I heard keys at the front door & heard her call out "See ya yatey!" (See you later). I grabbed my camera & saw her with my car keys, trying to open the door. I asked her what she was doing, & she turned around & said "Go bye-bye. See ya yatey!" I thought it was so cute, that in her little mind, she actually got my car keys & thought that she would just take off on her own. (Note to self - DO NOT leave my car keys on the table where Emily can reach them!). I would love to get in her head & see how she thinks! I am putting a couple of pictures of her 'thinking' she was going on her road trip, below.

Off to 'force' myself up to bed! Have a blessed week everyone! I'm grateful for the new friends I have made in so many of you!

Saturday, May 5, 2007: Wow! I can't believe it's actually been that long since I posted! I feel very 'out of the loop'. A whole lot has been going on, & I let each day slip away without stopping in here. At times, when things go on in life, you want to pull the covers up over your head, & that is what I've felt like. One day, I hope to be able to share it all, but for now it is best left quiet. I have missed being here, & really missed my blog visits. I got caught up with that tonight, & it was wonderful! It was like stopping in to visit old friends. I will make sure that I don't let myself go MIA again.

As I sit here, I can hear the wind howling outside my window. It has blown for 2 days now, & today we got a bit of rain mixed in with it. Very 'different' weather for this time of year in Vegas. We took Elliot & Emily to the park yesterday, & had to cut the visit short. It was blowing 'so' hard, that it wasn't even enjoyable. The day was in stark contrast to the day before. Elliot loves going to this particular park everyday. He calls it the "dino park", & it really is a neat park. The theme is dinosaurs, & it is right up a little boy's alley! I will post a few pics of this park below. It's only 5 minutes from our house, so this makes it perfect.

Elliot was one very happy little boy the other day. We went to another Walmart, & found a Spiderman just like the one he had lost. Of course, I had to buy it for him, but it was worth it. He saw him on a shelf from a distance, & he squealed with joy! I bought Emily a 'Wilbur' toy (from Charlotte's Web), & she was in 'hog' heaven (sorry - I couldn't resist).

It is very late, so I am going to end this prematurely. I will post a few pics of the 'dino park' below. It's so good to be back here tonight!! I am grateful for familiar things - they can be comforting.

Monday, April 23, 2007: I've had my computer screen set on 1024x728 for a day now, & I admit - I think I do like it. My husband has told me for ages, that I just needed to get used to it. Things aren't a tiny as I had thought either. I will keep it this way for a week, & then try my old setting. I am sure it will look horrible to me then.

We took Elliot & Emily out shopping for awhile tonight. Elliot had to go to Walmart, to see if the Spiderman toy he had lost there a few days ago, could be found. He was heartbroken when customer service said that none had been turned in. I knew there was a 99.9% chance that it was gone, but he had such hope that it would be there. He's had this Spiderman toy for 2 years. We tried to find another one, but there was none to be found. We did find the Curious George bubble toy. He's wanted it since he saw a commercial for it a couple of months ago. We've never been able to find it until tonight. So Curious George came home with us. Elliot couldn't wait to get into the bathtub tonight! He was so excited. It scared Emily a bit, as you have to gently squeeze his tummy to make the bubbles come out. When you squeeze him, air comes from his mouth, so it sounds as though he's breathing. This scared her. I have a picture of Elliot in the tub with him below. You can't see the bubbles very well, but this is what had him laughing with such glee. He wasn't laughing so hard when George blew a bubble right in his eye a bit later. Not sure how long the intrigue will last. I hope they enjoy it for a long time.

Sunday, April 22, 2007: It was so windy today, & much cooler. Seems as though the weather has went wacky here! It's supposed to be back up in the 90's by the weekend though, so I actually enjoyed feeling a bit cooler today. I could have done without the wind though. Elliot went out into our backyard to play for awhile, but with the winds & the cooler temps, he couldn't stay out long. Speaking of Elliot...I so love the innocence of children. Tonight, we saw a commercial for DWTS, & it said something to the effect of "We will be getting down & dirty", & he looked at me, laughed, & said "Dirty? That's funny. They're getting in dirt!" Earlier, we saw an ad for a plastic surgery center here, & it showed this woman from the waist up, with just a towel draped around her shoulders (covering the 2 things that needed to be covered, but barely). It was so cute, as he said "That's a pretty towel Nana!" It struck me as so sweet. Just complete innocence. I had to give him a big squeeze. I will be sad as he gets older, & slowly but surely, that innocence drops away.

I am drawing a complete blank here. I guess I need to put my poor brain to bed. Have a wonderful week everyone!

Saturday, April 21, 2007: I think I have asked this before, but how many of you still use the screen setting of 800x600? I guess I am back in the 'dark ages', because I still do (even with a 19 in. flat screen). My husband keeps telling me that no one sets their screens at that. I am now really thinking about this, because I got an email from a graphic artist tonight, & she told me that there is virtually no one left that uses that setting (she can tell by her site monitor). So am I lagging way behind here? I have tried the 1024x728, but I cannot get used to how little the graphics look (not to mention how tiny the font looks - even though a change in font size would remedy that). The graphic artist also told me that the 1024x728 is now going by the wayside too. So come on...help me leave the 'dark side' here!

Emily has a new hat. She has kept this on her head for a few days now, & she thinks it's really something. I thought I would share a picture of her in it, below. It's so funny, the things that little ones latch onto.

I am calling it a night. I am really trying to get myself in bed a bit earlier. This is difficult for a night owl. If I don't start doing it though, I will look like another animal. A panda!

Friday, April 20, 2007: Emily let me sleep in for a little bit longer this morning. Her sleeping habits have been a little 'off' for the past week or two. I found out why this afternoon. I was diapering her, & she laughed, & there poking through her little red swollen gums, were 2 more molars. They are upper ones, so I hadn't seen them. Now I also see why she keeps taking me to the bathroom, pointing to her teeth, & saying "tees"...this is how she tells me that she wants her "tees" brushed. The soft brush must feel good on her gums. I also think she has decided that she's ready to venture out on her own. She will get her a Longaberger basket, fill it with her necessities (i.e. nuk, a few toys, & her toy cell phone...she's seen Nana grab hers), then she heads towards the door, waving all the while, & saying "See ye yatey!" Translation - "See you later". She is soooo cute! I have also discovered something about her. She is addicted to cheese! She loves the hard cheeses, & is constantly going over to the refrigerator , pulling on the door, & saying "Cheese! Cheese!" I bought some feta cheese yesterday, to put in a salad, & she even loved that! I thought for sure that this was where she would draw the 'cheese line'. I don't think there is going to be a whole lot of food that Emily doesn't like!

There seems to be an avalanche of sad & bad news lately. It seems to be one thing after another recently. My heart hurt for the Cho family when they released their statement today. In the midst of everyone focusing on the horrible pain that the families of the slain students & Professors are feeling, many forget that even though what Cho did was horrific, his family has to be totally devastated. How sad for a family to now feel as though they never even knew their own son/brother. It makes you wonder - can someone as close as family hide their true selves that well, or are families so disconnected, that they truly don't know one another?

Off to bed I go now. I will be getting my early morning wake-up call, courtesy of Emily. Have a blessed weekend everyone!

Thursday, April 19, 2007: Today was one of those days that make you look back & smile at the end of it. No particular reason, except for it being a day filled with the ordinary things of life - the things that make life 'life'...mundane household chores, time spent with family, a jaunt to the grocery store, & beaming as everyone told me how beautiful Emily is, time spent making a favorite family meal (with a little red haired girl underfoot, barely able to wait to eat), the talk & laughter over that meal, an after dinner walk with Emily in her stroller - just tiny little blessings strewn throughout my day. Do you ever wake up & just know that "this is going to be a good day!"? This was how it was for me today. Life was so precious to me today, & all that life means. I have been thinking so much on the VT shootings, & feeling heartbroken for the parents, family, & friends. Heartbroken for us as a nation. When things like this happen, it always makes me realize that much more, just how very, very precious life is. A gift. It makes me appreciate my friends & family so much more. It makes me appreciate serving a God that heals broken hearts, & One that has to also feel heartbroken as He sees the sadness & the horror of man's fallen state. And His heartache as He sees that many still don't take into account that life is a gift, it is short, it is uncertain, & the most important decision you can ever make in your life, is not to be left to chance, because no one has any idea when it will be their last chance. It makes me count my blessings, & thank God for His mercy & His grace, & the calm assurance that He is there. He is here. Even in the midst of deep pain & sorrow, He is there. I love The Newsboys CD 'Devotion', & I listened to that today (more than once). One of my favorite songs on the cd is 'When the Tears Fall'. This particular song spoke exactly how I felt during a few dark times in my life. I still cannot listen to it without crying my heart out, because it was the song that I listened to so many times in the weeks following Pugsley's death (our Pug). It brought comfort when my niece died last August. The words blessed me today, during this time that our nation is going through. I am pasting a lyrics box in below. Just reading the words do not do it justice. I wish you could also hear it. Anyway, I wanted to share this with you, & hope that the words give comfort & strength.

Lyrics Box from Lyrics Download

Tonight I feel grateful that God gives comfort, & that He continues to pour out His grace & mercy upon us as individuals, & as a nation.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007: I'm sorry that I've not posted in a few days...not sure there are a lot of readers anyway, but for those that do drop by here, I am sorry. I have been having a few 'catch up' days with things around home. I was in one of those moods to tackle drawers, cabinets, closets, everything. I am feeling very accomplished right now! I am also fighting a caffeine headache. I had been drinking a little more coffee than I normally do over the past few weeks, & went back down to 1 cup a couple of days ago, & I am paying the price. A caffeine headache is horrible! I'm tempted to give in & get my 'fix' , but know that this will most likely be the end of it after tonight. If not, then this will be me in the morning -

WOW...that is all I can say about Julianne & Apolo's dance the other night!! They are the cutest couple!! They have become my favorite. I was glad to see Clyde go. It seemed as though he had zero interest in the competition - almost sleepwalking through it. I am sure that John feels he will be the next to go, & I think he will be.

I used our jacuzzi tub again this week! Emily was soaking right along with me! She loved it. Each time I would turn the jets off, she would point to the button, & want them back on.

I am off to bed now, to put myself out of this caffeine withdrawal misery. Have a blessed week everyone!

Sunday, April 15, 2007: Busy, busy, busy weekend!! I also craved chocolate all weekend, & ate way too much of it - so much, that I would be ashamed to admit how much! I picked up the DWTS Cardio Dance DVD, so that should help a bit in burning off the calories of the weekend chocolate binge. I haven't tried it yet, but I am excited. Now if only it would turn me into a dancer like some of the professionals on the show! I don't think that will happen though. I have often thought about how a show like that would be with 'normal' people dancing with the professionals. It most likely wouldn't have the following that it does now, but American Idol does well. I think the appeal of the stars dancing, is that you see them in their chosen field (singer, sports, actress, ect.), & it's fun to see them out of their 'comfort' zone. I think Clyde will be the one that goes this week. In my opinion, he should have went last week.

We still have no word on whether or not our backyard play area is approved. Elliot was asking yesterday "When are we getting my park?" As we were driving out of our neighborhood yesterday, we saw one in a backyard, that was probably the same height as the one we want to put in our yard. We stopped & talked to the guy, & he said he just put his playset back there...he didn't ask. I guess we could have went that route, but what a pain if we were then told to remove it. These CCR's can really be a pain!

I keep forgetting to post an Easter pic of Elliot & Emily, so they are below. None of Emily's turned out well - every single one of them blurred. The one below is her standing in the foyer at church. Blurry, but still my cutie! She's carrying her first purse (she had put her Nuk & a Tigger toy in it). She is only 16 months old, but I think she looks older in this picture. Elliot is 4, but a little man!

I am grateful that tomorrow begins a brand new week. What a week this past one has been! This week, I am promising myself to spend more time on 'me'. As women, I think we forget that sometimes. We put everyone else first, & we take what's left.

 

Thursday, April 12, 2007: Another short post tonight, as I am feeling the effects of being a nightowl. I just got out of the bath , & I am feeling soooo sleepy. When we had our home built, I 'insisted' on getting a deep whirlpool tub. I also 'insisted' that I would put it to good use, even though I prefer showers over a bath. . In the past almost 3 years, I have used the whirlpool bath a 'big' 3 times. It's a shame really, as it is 'so' relaxing!! As I soaked tonight, book in hand, I promised myself that I will use it at least once a week. It was so therapeutic!

Nancy mentioned in her tag that it would be cute when Emily blows a kiss. She does - but she doesn't quite have it down. She puts her hand up to her mouth & blows on her palm. It is the cutest thing, but then I think that everything she & Elliot does, is cute. They make me smile.

What a change in our weather today! We went from having temps in the 80's, to down in the 60's. The winds were howling too, so this made it seem colder. I heard a terrible noise, looked out the window, & saw trashcans making their way down our street. It was trash pick-up today, & luckily it had been picked up earlier. Elliot sat in the window & watched them tumble & roll down the street, & he thought it was the neatest thing. He laughed & laughed. Easy to please. And here I spend money on dvd's for him! Shad ran out & tried to catch them to return them to the owners, but couldn't catch them. It was blowing 'that' hard. Elliot watched him, & was so afraid that the wind was going to "blow Shad away" (in his words).

Off to bed now - I am already past my deadline that I had given myself. That relaxed sleepy feeling from the bath, has wore off now, & I am starting to feel awake now. I need to get in bed before I get 'too' awake. I feel grateful tonight for a hubby that doesn't say "I told you so", pertaining to the bath. He had to pay quite a bit extra for that over-sized whirlpool bath, & he told me then "You don't really take baths - you shower. Are you sure this won't be wasting money?" I told him that I would use it. He's never said a word about my lack of use of it, even though it just sits there looking pretty & lonely. Why is it, that we sometimes want something so badly, dreaming of all the times you will have when you finally get it, only to not give it a second thought once you do have it? I will make it a point to use it more, as I really did enjoy it tonight.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007: Today was housecleaning day for me, so not a whole lot to blog about tonight. I will say that I was thrilled to see that Larry Birkhead was shown to be the Daddy of Anna Nicole's baby. He seemed to be the only decent one in the mix. I wasn't a fan of hers, but I would like to think that the baby has a shot at having a normal childhood, & he seems as though he would give her one.

I was sad to see Leeza get voted off of DWTS. I was hoping that it would be Clyde. Leeza is so likeable...such a positive outlook on life, & I love that. I have to say, that I was happy for Billy Ray, in that he has improved 'so' much since he was the "bear in the swamp" comment. When I saw parts of his dance Monday, it actually brought tears to my eyes. I was rooting for him to do well. Of course, tears come to my eyes easily! Apolo & Julianne are 'so' adorable! She is so cute, & they make a beautiful couple. I want to get the exercise dvd - I've heard it's very good.

Emily can officially give a kiss! It is 'so' cute! She puckers up & smacks her lips & says "Tiss". She has kissed & kissed & kissed me today!

Boring post, I know, but that's about it. I know you don't want me to detail my cleaning! I wouldn't do that to you! Have a blessed day!!

Monday, April 9, 2007: Pretty much a slow day, but a wonderful day. I spent the morning playing with Elliot, while Emily napped. Then I spent the afternoon playing with Emily, while Elliot napped. Mondays are normally my housecleaning day - my 'deep' cleaning of our home, but today I decided to just spend the day enjoying Elliot & Emily.

Mike got home early, & we went out for an early dinner, then off to shopping for awhile. We stopped in at my favorite Christian bookstore, & came out of there with quite a lot. I picked up a 3 cd set for Elliot & Emily. We had to open it & put it in the cd player, as soon as we got in the car. Elliot sang along, & Emily 'sang' too. She loves trying to sing. Deep & Wide is her favorite, & she can sing that one. Well, almost. She says "deep & wide" over & over & over & over....

That's really it for today. I think my brain is stuck - just can't think of anything to blog about. I am off to read for awhile before I go to bed. I am grateful tonight for the joy of hearing little voices lifted up in song. Elliot is doing better & better, & Emily gets 'so' into music, & she really thinks she is singing every word. It's so cute!

Sunday, April 8, 2007: We had a wonderul Easter Sunday. Church was great, & services were packed!! It was standing room only. It was a beautiful day too here in Vegas - in the 80's.

While Mike, Elliot, & Emily napped this afternoon, I worked in my computer room. I cleaned off my desk, & found out that there truly was a desk underneath all the books & paper! I hate clutter & messes, & do not function well if things aren't in their place & neat. If you want to know what a perfectionist I am (& I'm almost ashamed to admit this)...I almost didn't add the smiley's to yesterday's post, because they realigned the text - pushed a paragraph down, indented lines, ect. I love everything neat & tidy (notice my justified paragraphs). When I was growing up & had to write book reports, it would take me sooooo long to do one, because every single word had to be written perfectly. So many times, I would be almost finished, & 'one' word wouldn't be written neat enough for me so I would wad it up & start over. Bad, huh? I am learning to let some of this go. I can scribble in my left handed scrawl now, & move on. I still want to wad the writing up, but I grit my teeth & let it go. This is why I cannot have a Daytimer - I got so tired of entering something, feeling it was messy, & then I had no interest in using it. So I put it away. Very sad, but true. I guess I should move on, before you all consider me 'very' weird (if you don't already).

Before I got off the subject of cleaning my computer room - what I was going to say was this - as I dug through all the stuff that I had allowed to accumulate on my desk - books, papers, pictures, toys (courtesy of Elliot & Emily), & other odds & ends, it got me to thinking 'deeper' about this. Just as I allowed the clutter to cover my desk & bury it's usefulness & purpose, so I can allow the 'clutter' of life to cover my usefulness & purpose also. By 'life clutter', I mean things like worry, stress, pettiness, over-extending myself, busyness, time wasting, allowing priorities to get out of whack, & the list goes on & on. Some of these things cannot be helped but to enter our lives once in awhile, but we need to make sure we don't allow them to build up or take over. As I say so many times, I hope that makes sense. I don't feel that I made myself clear in what I really wanted to say. I'm feeling like I'm just rambling here, so I will close. Have a wonderful blessing filled week everyone!!

Saturday, April 7, 2007: The above gift is from Sue. Thank you so much! So many forget that this is what Easter is all about - the celebrating Jesus raising from the grave. When I was a child, the majority knew what Easter was all about, but today I think that most children don't know. They think Easter is bunnies,candy, & eggs. I have always made up Easter baskets & we do egg hunts, but the boys always knew the real reason for Easter. So again, thank you for the gift Sue.

We had a hectic day - one of those running around days. I finally found Emily some sandals, of which she is very proud. At first she couldn't walk very well in them, but that soon passed. Elliot is happy with his new belt (so easy to please!). You would have thought we had bought him the world!

We plan on having a very relaxing day tomorrow. Church, dinner, & rest! Not sure how much rest we'll get though, seeing as Elliot will dig into that Easter basket! He cannot handle sugar - he pings off the walls. It's so funny, because he will run around like a little madman, & then he comes to me & tells me that he's sweaty...so he thinks sugar makes him sweat.

I have always loved smileys, & really love the ones from Millan Net. I am amazed at how neat they are, & so many! I have never seen so much variety. They are lots of fun to use.

Off to bed now! Wishing you & yours a very blessed & peaceful Easter! I cannot close this without saying how very grateful I am that we serve a risen Savior!

Friday, April 6, 2007: Started my day in a perfect way, with Emily. Each morning, when she wakes up, I get her & cuddle with her in our bed. I love pretending I am asleep. I peek through my slightly opened eyes, just enough to see her. She has the same little ritual each morning...she'll lay on me, raise up just enough to stare at my face, & she'll smile & 'talk', all the while patting my face gently with both hands...one on each of my cheeks. Then she'll giggle & hug me...then pat again...then hug me...this goes on for about 15 minutes, then I open my eyes & say "Good morning Sweetie!" If you could see her face - she breaks into this huge smile. I cherish these mornings, & I pray that I am building memories for her & Elliot, just as they are for me.

Emily walked over to the kitchen today, came back over to me a couple of minutes later, minus a diaper & her pj bottoms. I said "Emily where are your pants?" She proudly took me to the trash, & there were her pants & her clean diaper. I don't know why she does this. I took her brand new outfit off of her last night, & she comes to me later, saying "Tank you!" (Thank you). She does this when she feels she's done something that we should say "Thank you" for. So I said "Show Nana, Emily." Again, she takes me to the trash, & there was her brand new outfit in it. Gotta work on this!!

We went out to eat this afternoon. Mike took the day off, & we wanted to go early to avoid the Friday night crowds. I sometimes feel as though everyone has the same idea though, because the restaurant was packed! And this was at 2:30PM. So packed, that we had a wait. We then had poor service. I sat for 15 minutes, waiting for a refill on my drink. We waited for about 15 minutes before they took our order, then waited 20 minutes to get our meal, only to have the wrong meal brought to Mike. It was a real mess. On top of that, Emily once again ate almost all of the guacomole that we ordered. She cried when she saw the last bit of it go. It was so cute...it was this little heartbroken cry. I felt like crying too, seeing as I gave up my portion of it to her.

After our late lunch/early dinner, we went shopping for a bit. I wanted to go to one of our Christian bookstores & browse around. They had such pretty stuff! I didn't do too much damage - just left there with a book & a cd for Elliot & Emily (children singing Sunday school songs).

Tonight, Elliot was King Kong all evening, so needless to say he was all over the place. When he gets in his head that he is a certain thing, he really gets into character! After witnessing King Kong wreak havoc all evening, I longed for him to slip into his Superman character. I even tried to convince him that King Kong gets tired, & that he should rest. Do you think that went over? No, he said King Kong already rested.

We have to go out tomorrow & pick up Easter baskets. Speaking of Easter - Elliot's Sunday school class has been having lessons on Easter for a few weeks now. It's so sweet how children take everything to heart & are so innocent. Elliot was telling me last week "Nana! Jesus isn't here!", as he was pointing to the picture of the tomb he had colored. He was telling me all about people yelling "Hosanna! Hosanna!", & Jesus "getting his back hurt by a man", & how they hurt His feet & His hands...he went on & on, & it was so real to him. I love the way he was telling it from a child's view...no fancy words, just from the heart, & so trusting. In dealing with him, I can see why the Lord said that we must become as little children. They have such faith, they aren't skeptical - they trust. When you tell them something, they don't question it, they just believe. As I've said many times, I learn so much from both he & Emily. Every single Sunday, Elliot runs to me with wide-eyed wonder, not being able to wait to tell me what he learned. I love hearing his thoughts on some of the stories. Like with Moses - he told me that the Mommy had to put the baby in the water because a mean man wanted to hurt him, & that he bet the baby was scared that an alligator was going to eat him. It makes me smile, just to hear what his thought process is. Can you tell, that I am just a 'little' bit proud of them? They bring so much life to days, & so much sweetness. As I was getting Elliot out of the bathtub tonight, & drying him off, he was looking at me with this sweet little smile on his face - like he had the biggest secret. I said "What honey?" He said "Nana, you're my sweetie.", then he hugged me. I melted! Life is good as a Nana! I am so grateful that I get to enjoy watching them grow.

Wednesday, April 4, 2007: I started off my day bright & early with Emily...she decided that she would like to beat the sun awake. Sun or not, greeting her smiling face each morning, brightens my morning. They grow up so fast, & this will all be a memory one day, so I will enjoy it while I have it.

When Mike got up, I spent the next 2 hours trying to help him find a document that he could not remember where he'd put. We checked everywhere, to no avail. With Emily's history of putting things in the trash, he thinks this is most likely where it ended up. Just because she has been known to throw her pacifiers in there, her clothes, bowls, toys, movies, ect., doesn't mean she would have thrown his papers away. When I get her undressed, she never fails to try to put those clothes in the trash. I guess she thinks she's done with them.

I fixed a big meal tonight, & ran out to get some things to make a cake from scatch (I was feeling ambitious). Tonight, it was one of those 'comfort' meals - all American - a pot roast, with potatoes, carrots, biscuits & corn. Elliot loves roast, & never fails to comment with every bite "Wow Nana! This is good chicken!" Every meat he eats, is "chicken".

Off to enjoy a piece of that cake with hubby. I'm grateful for time that we can spend together & talk about our day.

Emoticons from allemoticons

Tuesday, April 3, 2007: I just finished watching Shandi & her partner get eliminated from Dancing With the Stars. I thought that she would be the next to go. I couldn't believe how much Billy Ray Cyrus has improved. Yes, he's still not the greatest, but he has improved so much.

I installed a button at the bottom of this page, so if you are sick of hearing the music, you can now turn it off. I dread it, but I think I'll install it on every page of my site. I have 'so' many pages, & this will take ages to do.

We are so bummed about Elliot & Emily's playset for our backyard. Come to find out, we cannot put it where we were going to put it (our side yard), because our CCR's will not allow this. It can only be a certain height too. Sooooo, we either have to submit our plans to be approved, or we have to wait for the next meeting (soon), & present it in person. If we don't go the meeting route, it will be at least 2 months before we will hear from them. What a pain CCR's can be! We had so hoped to have this playset up within the next week or two.

It has been a long day, so off to bed I go. I must have my rest, so that I can be ready to chase Elliot & Emily tomorrow!

Sunday, April 1, 2007: I got Mike with an April Fools. I do this every year, & plan with glee on what it will be. This year's wasn't real great - I called downstairs & told him that he had better hurry upstairs, because Lilly (our Pug) had torn up the bathroom & messed everywhere. He comes flying with a "You've got to be kidding me!!" He was not thrilled when he was told it was "April Fool". I couldn't pass it up, because when we first got her, we came home one day & she had chewed up all the doorframes in the bathroom. She totally destroyed them - everyone of them. I am sure this is the vision that went through his mind. I then told Shad that she had gotten into his collectible hockey cards (many of them signed by players) that he had left out, & that she had destroyed hundreds of them. He managed a squeaky "What???" I cracked up as I told him "April Fool!" I can always use Lilly to make them believe me, as she's done so many naughty things in the past. She has improved, but she still has that 'streak' in her. This is a dog that has eaten a $50 rebate check. Amongst shredded paper on the floor, I picked up a piece that showed the $ sign & the 5. I asked Mike where his rebate check was, & he said "It was right here on the table." I said "Well it's not there now! It's in Lilly." I rolled with laughter, but he was not happy. He said "I don't see anything funny about her eating $50!" This made me laugh more. I told him to call the rebate center & ask them if they've ever heard 'that the dog ate my homework', & then to tell them "Well, my dog ate my rebate check." He did call them, but they wouldn't issue another one. I think my favorite Lilly story is when I came home one day while Mike was outside working in the garage. I walked into the house to see 'chips' all over the floor & couch. I went outside & asked him "What are the gray chips all over the floor?" He looked perplexed, & then scared. He ran in, & I heard this 'wail' - "Oh no! The keys from my laptop keyboard!!", & there stood Lilly & Annie, & Lilly was still munching on one. I really should make them a blog, because they live the life!

Elliot was so proud of his dress outfit. I am posting a picture of him below in it, along with Emily. I am in the process of creating a blog for Emily. I thought it would be a neat way to keep a record of her days for her, instead of writing in a diary. I will type as if she is recording her days (she'll dictate to me). I'm still deciding if I should also do one for Elliot. Being a boy, I'm not sure he will get into that as he gets older.

I talked to my Mom today, & she's not feeling well again. She's going back to the dr. tomorrow, & is really concerned that something serious is wrong. I don't understand why they won't admit her. I would think that if she has difficulty breathing, is very weak, & has difficulty walking, that they would take it more serious. She now says she has wanted to sleep all the time for the past week. Please keep her in your prayers.

I am off to bed now. After my April Fools today, I am SO grateful for the gift of laughter. I have laughed so much today!

Saturday, March 31, 2007: We had a day filled with shopping! We bought Elliot & Emily's spring & summer wardrobe (although I am sure I will pick up more). It's difficult to resist buying for them, especially all the 'girly' things for Emily. She being the first girl in the family, has proven to be an adventure, & so much fun (& expensive). We got her the cutest dresses today!! As we went by an outfit with 'Elmo' on it, she grabbed at it, & ended up getting that also. She did the same thing as we went by a 'Pooh' outfit too. The only thing we didn't pick up, was some sandals for her. That will come next time we are out.

We got Elliot a suit, a few dress pants, vests, ties, dress shirts, casual clothes, & dress shoes. He was one happy little boy! This will be his first suit, & he cannot wait to wear it. As soon as he saw it, he wanted it. He has really sprouted up in the past few months. He's already outgrown his fall/winter wardrobe that we got him. Kids grow so fast. When Emily was born, I was 'so' excited over 'finally' getting that long awaited little girl in the family. I knew they grew up all to quickly, but I somehow pushed that out of my mind as I ran out & got to finally buy little girl clothes. I am almost ashamed of this now, but in one day, I bought 17 dresses for her! I had fun doing it, but most of those got worn one time. Lesson learned! Even now, it's difficult not to buy her too much. They make such neat stuff for little girls.

We did some shopping at Costco too. I love that store, & we always end up buying more than we went in for. We seem to always leave there with things that we weren't aware we even needed! We are getting Elliot & Emily's playset from there, & are going to pick that up tomorrow or Monday. Mike also found a new grill that he's going to get. We didn't drive his truck today, so we couldn't take any of it home. Elliot is so excited to get the playset.

We drove some distance this evening to go to one of Mike's favorite Mexican restaurants, but it being a Saturday night, the wait was longer than we wanted. We went on to our 2nd choice, & it was really good. Then it was off to a store to pick up some ice cream that Elliot had been promised earlier in the day. He was so zonked from the long day out, that he went to bed without having any. He had eaten so much at dinner, that he was quite full too. He had me to check his tummy before he went to bed - he wanted me to see if he had grown bigger. He tickles me. I told him that it felt like he had, & he said "Just a minute Nana.", then he ran off to finish his orange, & came back & said "Now check Nana." That 'boy' mode is kicking in already...he makes me check daily to see if his muscles have grown. He also lifts things & says "Nana, look at me." Little boys are so precious. I remember when Shad was little & we took him to get new shoes, all he kept asking the shoe salesman was "Will these make me jump higher?" That was so much better than when the year before, he was asked what shoes he would like, & he replied "I want Jimmy Sue shoes." (Yes, Jimmy Sue shoes, not Jimmy Choo shoes). Jimmy Sue being one of my girlfriends. We still tease him over that.

Nancze had mentioned in her blog about children still needing to be in a booster seat while riding in a car, until they were 4'9". I didn't hit that height until I was 14. I had to laugh as I imagined me being driven to middle school in my booster seat, & the battles that parents would endure as they tried to get their kid in a booster at that age. Surely there is also an age in which they no longer are required to be in them, & not just a height.

Shad & Lisa went to the retired NHL players vs. celebrities game today. They had a blast. I had so wanted to go, & should have went. Shad brought me home a Marty McSorley card (LA Kings), signed by Marty to "Judy"...it was neat. This was Shad's all time favorite hockey player. I'm grateful tonight that he got to finally meet him & talk with him for awhile.

I feel as though I have rambled on & on here tonight! Off to bed I go now, so that I can be alert during church. Below is a picture of the playset we are buying Elliot & Emily.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007: Mike didn't have to go into work until 10AM, so we had a lazy morning. Emily put on a show for us, as she does all the time. She is such a little ham!

After her nap, we ran out for awhile. Today was one of those run, run, run days, but at the end of it you feel as though you didn't get a thing done.

The temperatures dropped over 20 degrees, & it was very windy today. We turned on our air conditioning 2 or 3 weeks ago, & this morning I had to turn our heat back on. It's supposed to be back to 70 tomorrow, & then in the 80's on Saturday. I will be glad to see the warmer temps return. Come summer, I will be longing for these cooler days!

Tonight at church, it was 'Crazy Hat' night for Elliot in his Awana's. He wanted to wear a 'Daisy Duck' hat. Had he been older than 4, I am sure he would have been teased about wearing Daisy, but all the kids (boys included) were 'so' excited over it. There were some really cute & imaginative hats. I only hope as Elliot gets older, he won't look at pictures of him in this Daisy Duck hat, & wonder why Nana didn't try to steer him in the direction of another choice. He was proud of that hat though, & that's all that matters. Hey, you're only 4 once! Below is a picture.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007: I worked out in the backyard for a couple of hours this morning. I wanted to clean up the water drip system hose that had been dug up. Trixie was the ring leader, & lead Lilly & Annie into helping her dig it up & pull with all their might. This is unbelievable, as this is the 2nd time they've done this. We have a huge backyard, & this drip system went around the entire yard, buried a foot underground, & she still managed to get it dug up! She chewed it too bits too, so now Mike has to face doing it all for a third time. This is Trixie...always into something, & manages to get into everything. Mike was really upset the first time she did it, but the 2nd time he honestly could not believe it. I didn't want him to have to face this clean up duty since he had to work such long hours last night, so Elliot & I did it. I was showing Elliot where his playground area will go. He calls this a 'park'. He's really excited, & we are hoping to get that done in April. As I said, our backyard is huge, & we have lots of plans we are hoping to bring to reality back there. We want a huge play area for Elliot & Emily, & we are seeing if our plans to build a casita are approved. If possible, we would like this to be a 2 bedroom one, with bath & kitchenette. We haven't decided if we are going to put in a pool. We had one at our other house, & rarely used it (yes, even in Vegas). We have a few other plans too, & are really excited about it all.

We went to a new restaurant tonight (the one that was supposed to have opened last Friday). It opened yesterday, & we were told the wait would be 45 minutes. That wait ended up being over an hour, & then another 45 minutes to get our food. It was insane in there tonight! A bustle of activity, & so loud that you couldn't even have a conversation. Shad & Lisa came with us, & he entertained us while we waited for our food. The people at 3 tables near us, walked out after receiving their food, because after being there for 2 hours, they were brought the wrong food. We weren't being nosey - they complained so loudly that everyone around heard. It was very good food, but it was a bad move to go there on the 2nd night of their opening.

Emily discovered a new food she loved. Guacamole! She shuddered on the first bite, but then wanted more. I would break off a piece of chip, dip it in the guacamole, & she would put her mouth on the chip, & get the guacamole off, leaving the chip intact. Elliot is like his Nana...he would eat a bowl of it, & does. Looks like Emily may be the same way.

One of my picks for first to go on Dancing With the Stars, went. Already, I think Shandi will probably go next. I don't think her or her partner are audience favorites.

Long day ahead of me tomorrow, so off to bed I go. Have a wonderful week!

Monday, March 26, 2007: Mike had a 'looong' day at work today - from 6:30AM-11PM tonight. He was zonked when he got home. It was the perfect day for me to get a lot accomplished with him being gone all day & evening. I put Elliot & Emily to work too, & they took it as great fun.

I wasn't surprised that Anna Nicole Smith died of an overdose, but I was surprised that they are considering the case closed. I watched Fox news tonight, & with all they were saying, it is unreal that this isn't being investigated further. I guess there is still a chance that prosecutors will not let this be the end of it. If not, I will feel as though justice was not served. I wasn't a fan of hers, but I do hope that this can be settled for the sake of her family.

I enjoyed Dancing With the Stars tonight. I thought that Billy Ray & Leeza had improved greatly. I'm not a fan of Billy Ray, but I think there is a chance that his fans will keep him on. I think that that the model Paulina Porizkova, Shandi, or Heather Mills will go home first. I know a lot admire Heather because she is doing this with an artificial leg, but I'm not sure that she has a big American following. I thought Laila did great!

Going off to bed now. I need to discipline myself more in getting to bed earlier!

Sunday, March 25, 2007: Started off the day by getting up late. Mike & Elliot ended up going on to Sunday school, & Emily & I met them for church. I hated driving separately, but had no choice. We had a guest preacher today, & he was really good. I got so much out of both services, but especially tonight's. He spoke on how in our life, we are either complainers, quitters, or climbers. Every point he brought out was so good & so true. He brought up that we should be climbing constantly in life, & that we should be able to look back from week to week, & be able to say that we are better this week than we were last week. We should be better Christians, spouses, better Moms/Dads, better sisters, daughters, friends, grandparents, citizens, ect., than we were last week. Life should be a continual growing & learning. I wish so badly that I could share points from each, but it would be much to long for you to read. I came away, having learned a lot. It made me think of how we make New Year resolutions or set goals for the year, & most people either put them away till next year, or they sputter to a stop weeks or months into the new year. We aren't keeping ourselves 'in check' with yearly goals, but if we give ourselves a weekly 'check', we could accomplish so much more, & see much more growth in the areas we want to. I hope this makes sense. I know exactly what I want to say, but feel as though I'm not getting it to come out right in writing. When he spoke of the complainers, he said he saw a bumper sticker he liked - "Stop Global Whining!" Everyone liked that.

We ate at Famous Dave's after church, & left there too full, as always. We learned our lesson from last time, so we ordered desert to go, & enjoyed that tonight.

It makes me laugh at how kid's minds work - the things they come up. As we were driving today, Elliot saw a dog with a stubby tail - really almost no tail. He said "Oh poor dog! It got in fire & burned it's tail off." He makes me smile! Why he would come up with that, is beyond me.

Today in church, right as Pastor was getting ready to preach, Emily sings out "Deep & wide" at the top of her lungs. I said "Shhhh!", & this only made her sing it louder. Everyone smiled. She can't sing the entire song - she only knows "deep & wide", but she sings those words over & over, complete with the hand motions. I was so embarrassed, & took her out as quickly as I could. As we went out, she was still singing out "deep & wide".

I ordered Shad tickets to see the NHL Alumni & Celebrity Classic. They will be playing for charity. He really wanted to see this, & he has no idea that I ordered him tickets. I wanted to go too, but Mike is working on that day, so I am going to send Lisa with Shad. I'm sure he would have much more fun with her anyway!

Tonight I am grateful for Pastors that speak & challenge us in our growth & in our lives. Today was such a blessing, & I pray that I will take the message to heart. I already set my goals for this coming week, & looked back over last week to what I want to improve in. I can't wallow in mistakes I may have made, but I can purpose to improve. Sundays would be a good day to do this, before I start my week.

Saturday, March 24, 2007: I got up this morning in a cleaning mood. Mike had to work till noon, so I thought it would be a good time to get some things done. I took all the cushions off the couch, & 'really' cleaned. Emily thought this was grand. She had the time of her life rolling & jumping all over the cushions. Now wait & see - I will find those cushions pulled off again very soon.

After Mike got home, we ran out to eat some lunch & do a bit of shopping. We had to pick up McDonalds for Elliot. He had seen the commercials for the new happy meal toy (Turtles), & he had to have it. McDonalds must make 'so' much just from offering the happy meals. They got it down - offer a different toy each week. After we picked his food up, we drove to a new restaurant. Yesterday was supposed to be their grand opening. We got there, got out of the car, got to the door, & a small sign on the door said "Now opening March 26th". Mike wasn't happy. We drove quite a ways to go there. We'd been watching the progress of the building, & was so happy when they posted a sign that said they would open on the 23rd. I am sure lots of people were disappointed, because there were others there getting out of their cars, or getting back in their cars.

We ran to Walmart to pick up a few things. Elliot & Emily seem to always leave there with something. We got them some pj's & a couple of movies. As always, Emily gave her usual loud "Mmmm!" as we pass all the food. This is a gross story, but she loves looking at this book we have on Pugs, that she just discovered a few days ago. The other day, she was sitting on the floor in the kitchen, looking at it as I cleaned. Every 30 seconds or so, she would say "Mmmm!" After her doing this about 6 times, I wondered what in this world she found so appetizing in that book. I went over & said "What is it baby?" She points to a picture & says "Mmmm!" It was a picture of a pug being born! I have no idea what she thinks that looks like, or that she would think it looked good enough to eat.

The kids went to bed early tonight after their day out, so I had a quiet evening. Both were so happy to put on their new jammies. Elliot chose Curious George & Emily got Dora the Explorer ones. Both looked so cute. I love evenings with them...they're always so 'fresh' & cuddly after evening baths & getting their pj's on. I am grateful for all the bedtime memories we have been able to make with them. I like to think of all these times with them, as of making 'deposits' in their little memory banks. We are making them in ours too, & we will always cherish them. I feel that one of the greatest gifts we can give them, is a treasure trove of memories to carry through life. I realized when our boys were small, that every single day I would be making memories for them. Good or bad, each day we make memories to take with us. I purposely tried to make special memories each day with them, & now we have the blessing of being able to do this with Elliot & Emily.

Friday, March 23, 2007: I ran on empty today. Emily woke me a couple of times during the night, & then she got up a little past 5AM. This isn't like her, & when I checked her mouth, she has a new tooth peeking through the gumbs. I ended up getting about 4 1/2 hours of sleep, so bed will be 'so' nice tonight!

To have slept fitfully, Emily was sure full of energy today! She goes non-stop. The world is a big present to her, & she loves finding out & learning everything. We got so tickled at her tonight. Mike was late getting home from work, so I had to go ahead & feed her dinner. While Mike, Elliot, & I were eating ours, she gets on her tip toes, & all at once we see this little hand reach up very slowly to Elliot's plate, grab something, & then slowly let herself down. She was holding it up to us, with the biggest smile on her face. That was a first! If only I'd had the camera at the table.

2 years ago, we lost our Pugsley, our sweet Pug. We'd had her for 12 years, & she was like a child to us. There isn't a day that I don't miss her, think of her, & wish so badly that she was still here. I don't know what it is, but she's been on my mind extra much lately. I think of her & cry my heart out. It's still hard, because one evening she was okay, we're playing with her, laughing at her, & in the middle of the night she wakes me having difficulty breathing. Then we lose her that morning. We have 3 Pugs now, but none of them can ever take her place. Just like no other could take the place of the 3 we now have. They have helped us in our grief, & we are grateful for that. Anyway, I felt a need to mention her. I am going to post her picture below. I am so grateful for the 12 years that we got to enjoy her. She was so very special.

Thursday, March 22, 2007: My new blog graphics & theme have grown on me already. I love Julie's bears. She is so talented! I have already changed a few graphics, & am now satisfied.

I worked on Emily's pages tonight (they are in my 'Personal' section on my website). I changed out her pictures to current ones. I have a couple more pages to work on for her to bring them up to date.

We took Elliot & Emily out tonight to celebrate his getting another Awana patch. No matter how small a matter, I have always been one to celebrate life. If there isn't something to celebrate, I will find something to celebrate! Life isn't something to do 'halfway'. He felt special. After we ate, he wanted to go to Krispy Kreme & get donuts to take home. He always picks the sprinkle ones, & eats the tops off & leaves the rest. We had a wonderful evening with them. Emily 'loves' food! She ate when we were out, & as soon as we got home she ran to the pantry & then to her highchair & said "Dear Jejus. Mmmmm!" She knows she eats dinner every night, so I guess she felt as though she hadn't eaten yet, seeing as she didn't eat at home in 'her' chair. She wasn't about to let me talk her out of a meal, so she ate again.

I bought one of those large collage picture frames. It holds 35 photos (the 4x6's). The total size of the frame is 30x52. I can't wait to start filling that up. I have been printing out so many pictures lately! Mike asked me "Where are you going to hang that?" I forgot about 'that'! I told him that I had no idea, but would decide once it was full of our memories. I hope to be able to work on that this weekend.

My heart went out to Elizabeth Edwards & her husband today, as they announced that her cancer had returned. I admit, I do not know a lot about them, but was very impressed with them when I saw them on Oprah awhile back. As a family, they have faced a lot, & she copes with such dignity. They have a great love story too!

I was trying to resist the Krispy Kremes, but they are winning out! Off I go to enjoy one, then off to bed. Not the best thing to do (eating a donut right before bed), but once Shad sees them, there will be none to be had in the morning.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007: As you can see, I decided to 'freshen up my blog for the spring. I will have to get used to it, & hope the change grows on me. I was going to go completely different, but decided to stick with bears since I love bears. What a job changing it all out though! It was a sinking feeling when I viewed it all after changing it, & wasn't really sure I was happy with it. Oh well - too much work went into it for me to start over with another theme. I will keep my old blog set-up for fall. I also moved all my prior posts into the 'archive' link.

The sky was so different today from the past few weeks. It was really cloudy, & at times it looked like snow clouds. I knew that wasn't possible in Vegas (although I guess anything is possible), but it looked like it was going to snow. It was very warm, but windy. It was actually a wonderful break from the temperatures that were in the 80's & the low 90's that we've been experiencing. Any cooler temps we can enjoy before the Vegas summer hits, is welcome!

Elliot saw Trixie nibble on Annie's leg today, & he said "Nana! Oh no! Trixie's eyes are turning red! She's mean!" I had to laugh. I guess he's watched cartoons in which the eyes turn red when the character is mean. Kids take everything to heart, & they have such an innocence. I love being in their little worlds each day. He earned another patch in his Awana's Cubbies tonight, & was so proud. We will have to celebrate with him tomorrow.

I have been asked to post more pictures of Elliot & Emily, so I will gladly pull out my 'brag book'. I will post one of each of them below. I am feeling very grateful tonight for being able to spend my days with them. I never thought at this point in my life that I would be raising 2 grandchildren, but I will not complain. I count it an honor & such a blessing to have them, & I also know that God has a purpose in this. I just pray that we are worthy of such an honor.