An Idaho Update

It wasn't until I was scrolling through some blogs and saw mine on the side (with the little note that I hadn't updated in 2 months) that I realized how long it's been!

I'm sure anyone that cares knows by now that we're back in Idaho!!! {YAY!!!} We found a house on Craigslist and were able to actually move to a place instead of just arriving in Idaho and deciding who's door to knock on and "crash" at for a while... (We are very happy about that!)

Jordan is back in school and doing horribly (at least in Jordan's eyes that is......he got a 97 on a test recently and a 96 on a paper....poor him)!!!! Really, he is doing well and I'm very proud of him.

I am still looking for full-time employment, however I have been in contact with several temp agencies and sent out on a job. It's done with, so I'm ready for that full-time job to spring up at ANY time. I've been on several job interviews, but so far nothing permanent for me yet. (I'm still waiting to hear back on one, so cross your fingers!!!) In the meantime, I want to say a big THANK YOU to all my friends and family who keep sending emails and making phone calls with suggestions for jobs! I'm following up on them, and I really appreciate you thinking of me!!!

And, for a little bit of honestly, as of right now Jordan and I have both been feeling our depression flare up, and we're managing. It's hard being stressed about all the many things in life we CAN stress about, but again, we're managing. Thank you to all of you who are emailing and calling (or even just thinking and/or praying). We appreciate you and your thoughtfulness, and it really DOES help. We really do appreciate knowing that we can turn to our friends and family for that emotional support when we need it. THANKS AGAIN!!!!

Talk To Me PEOPLE!!!

Hello? Hello?? Who is this-is???? he he he.....

Back in December 2005 (I think!!!) Jordan and I signed up with a local phone company in Idaho for our cellular service so we could bundle our home phone, cell phone and internet into one bill. We've been with them since then, cancelling our home phone when we moved to Oklahoma, cancelling our internet when we went to Clearwire, but maintaining our cell phone service since there were no roaming fees (even living out here in Oklahoma), no long distance charges, etc. Well, we got a postcard in the mail from our friendly cell phone company about 3 months ago saying that they were very sorry, but they were going to be disconinuing their current cellular services in October and that we would need to make arrangements before then (and if we didn't, the phones would simply be shut off). WHAT THE HECK???? Yeah, that's what we thought.

So, since then we're spoken with the phone company, and apparently they are going to switch to a different carrier. Right now they're "piggy-backed" onto a Sprint system, and will be going from Sprint to something else in October (they could've just said that in the postcard...it would've created a lot less stress and a few less headaches....). Anyhoo, so before October, we need to decide what we are going to do. Obviously, the cellular plans are going to be different, so we're trying to figure out what option is best for us. HERE IS WHERE YOU COME INTO PLAY.

With all the friends/family/co-workers/enemies/frenemies/4th-cousin-twice-removed/pick your 5/pick your 10/etc. plans out there, we need to know what the best route is going to be for our buck. If we go with a cellular company that most of our aforementioned list is on, we can reduce our monthly minute plan, saving us money. So, if you don't mind, please take a minute (well, more like 3 seconds) to pick where you belong in my newly created poll, and that will help us decide what company to go with! Thanks a ton!!

A Little Bit of Good News, A Little Overdue

Just like the title says, we've got a little bit of good news that's just a little overdue. Some of you may already know this, but we sold our car!

In March of 2000, I test drove a Toyota Camry. When I got into the vehicle, the odometer had 10 miles on it. Yes, that's right...10...like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. I drove that vehicle around, and signed my name on the dotted line when it had 43 miles on it. I put on those 33 miles driving it to Homedale and back. The car has been through a lot with me, and was a great "companion" for a long time. She (yes, it's a girl!) will be sorely missed. HOWEVER, it was time to graduate my little family to a bigger vehicle and would serve our evolving needs.

And no, this is not a pregnancy post.

With our family now consisting of Jordan and I, 5 dogs and 2 cats, we knew that if we EVER want to travel anywhere again, and still be able to bring our luggage with us, we would need a bigger vehicle. So, we advertised the car on Craigslist, and on June 9, we got the verbal "we'll take it" from a young couple here in Norman. On Wednesday, June 10, we met them at their credit union, signed some papers, got a check, promptly cashed the check, and then frantically said to each other, "We REALLY have to find us a new car!" By the way, THANK YOU SO MUCH to Chase & Meghan who let us borrow their car for a couple days while we were transportation-less. :)

Here's our LAST few moments with the good ol' Camry. And notice that little piece of paper we're holding....?

It turned into a few of these....

Ashley and Richard, the new owners...

After looking around, we finally found a couple vehicles we wanted to look at, and decided that we would look at the ones the farthest away first. So, after I got off work on Friday, June 12, we headed off to Tulsa. After a long drive (2 hour little joyride) we made it. One vehicle was already sold (even though we called RIGHT before we left Norman and they said it was there) and the other one turned out to be EXACTLY what we never knew we always wanted! he he he...

We ended up purchasing a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee (Limited edition). WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! It's got leather seats (we're putting seat covers on so the little kiddo nails don't damage it, wood trim on the dash, 10 cd player, separate driver/passenger air controls, power seats/locks/windows/sunroof, folding down back seats, and much more. We really couldn't be happier with our purchase. We also even had enough money left over to buy 8 new spark plugs (which were BADLY needed...we found out AFTER we began changing them), new seat covers (I don't like them though, so we're going to see if we can't find something different), new oil/air filters, oil, and enough to pay the excise tax and all the title and tag fees that go along with it. We really didn't even expect to break even on our sale/purchase, but we couldn't be happier.

Now all we need is a fake license plate (vanity plate??? not sure what they're called) to replace the one that was on the front....BSU sounds good to us!

A View of My Own

For those of you who are just regular readers of my blog and not members of Swap Bot, here's a little info on http://www.swap-bot.com/ (according to their website):

What is Swap-bot?
Do you like sending and receiving snail mail? Do you like writing letters, making crafts, or putting together fun packages? You should try swapping! Swap-bot is a online service that organizes group swaps and a community of creative individuals. Swap-bot takes the hassle out of participating in group swaps by organizing all of the participant information and doing all of the partner assignments. On Swap-bot, you can host swaps, join swaps, and chat with other swappers from all over the world. Give it a try!

So, I thought to myself, I LOVE getting things via snail mail that aren't bills, so why not up my chances of getting something good in the mail??? So, I've signed up, and while this isn't an actual snail mail swap, I still wanted to participate.

The swap I'm referring to is called "A View of My Own" were you take pictures from around your neighborhood and share them with your swap partners. I figured an email would be a little long, and I wanted to have my description right next to each photo, so naturally I thought my blog would be a good place to do it at. Hope you enjoy "my view"!

December 2007 brought with it an ice storm to Norman, Oklahoma. This is the first ice storm that Jordan and I have ever experienced! This is what the ice did to the trees in our backyard.


This sign cracks me up...It makes me wonder just how you're supposed to tell someone where you're at... "Meet me at the corner of Jones Avenue & Main Street & Abner E. Norman?....."


Oklahoma is the only place I've seen that has "Speed Humps". Everywhere else I've been they're called "Speed Bumps."

Norman has a couple different wall murals painted, so I thought I would take a pic of a couple.

This is one of my dogs, Jack, who REALLY did not want to be sitting here. He did very well though. He was happily running along, not a care in the world....

...that is until he realized there was a "person" in the ground. He got scared and ran over to me. (That's why he didn't want to be on the foot.) This is on the University of Oklahoma (OU) campus.


This is also on the OU campus, and no, it's in Oklahoma, not Europe. I told my husband that this probably isn't even a phone booth anymore, it's probably just used as a rain shelter now and then since so many people have a cell phone these days. I still thought it looked cool though.


Here is the performing arts builing on the OU Campus.


Here is a lone flower....


...on a wall of green.


This statue is in front of the Art Museum on the OU campus. While it looks sorta cool, it's really kinda creepy to me. Not during the day, but at night when the eyes glow BRIGHT RED. I thought it would be better served on the Boise State University campus rather than the OU campus since Boise State's mascot is a Bronco and OU's 'mascot' is the "sooner".



Here's a house(???) across from campus. I'm pretty sure it's a frat house, office, or something else other than a house though. If you look at the fence on the left, you can see just how tall the fence is.....

...a close up view shows that there is a DOOR in the fence. Yes, the fence is THAT high...there is a standard-sized door in the fence for access!!!

Norman has a "table" near the railroad tracks/downtown that has a model of the old town on it. I thought it was pretty cool. (BTW, we just live about a mile OFF the table to the right/East.)


Apparently James Garner was born in Norman, or was from Norman, or something to that effect. I'm not really sure. I DO know that they're pretty proud of him though. This statue is downtown. Standing next to it, I probably come up to his knee, maybe a little higher (I'm 5'6").

This is someone that I KNOW is from Norman! This is me and Christian Kane back in December at "Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill".

This is where I spend 40 hours a week. (Then, I typically go home and at least several nights a week I dream about being here. It's exhausting!!)

This lamp is in a window of a second-story building downtown. It cracked me up.

AWOL

I know I've been kinda AWOL lately, and my posts have become sporadic at best... Just thought I'd let you know that once again, summer is here! You already knew that? What's the big deal?? Well, the big deal is, in the Accounting world, that means that the clock has coordinated with the sun in my little world to make the working hours of the day triple and the fun hours of the day decrease. (My days start to feel really long is what I'm getting at.) There's less to do, so that means there's more time....for blogging? Possibly. You might start seeing more of me.

Unthankfully (just kidding!!!) THANKFULLY my sister-in-law Stacie introduced me to Google Reader (which has made my blog world SO much easier) so I don't just follow what three or four people are doing these days. I've been bitten by the crafty bug, and am curious to death about what other people are doing....which means that I'm now officially following 60 blogs! And, there are several others that I don't follow, but check in on once in a while. So needless to say, the time I used to spend blogging, is now usually spent reading blogs!

Things have been a little hectic in my life the last couple of months, and I've had a couple really trying things come up that have put a strain on me. So, if you've missed me terribly and wondered if I died or something, don't worry, I'm here. I'm still truckin on, wading my way through life's muck, trying to make sense of things and what not.

I do want to say a big THANK YOU for the support of my friends and family who have been there to support me during these last couple of trials (you know who you are), and for those of you who don't know what's up, don't worry. I'll probably be doing some back-posting since I pretty much use this space as my "journal". I want to be able to keep a good record of the actual dates that things happened.

May Craft Challenge...

Holy Toledo you guys are awesome!! Thanks so much to everyone who voted for my project! I WON!!! Woo Hoo for me!! So, I'm feeling much better about my project (needless to say), and I'm also excited for the next packet to arrive! I'm also thinking about getting out April's stuff and making something (different than my original idea, but still). If you want to see where it's official, check it out here! Once again, WOO HOO!!!

Vote for ME!!!

Okay, the polls are open! Please go to Christy's page and vote for my project!! Click here! Or if you're having troubles with the link, try http:/www.christynelson.net. You can only vote Thursday and Friday (today and tomorrow), so go check out the fabulous "Movie Organizer" and help me win!!

Christy's Craft Challenge: May

You may be saying to yourself, "May? What happened to April?" Well, I had a great idea and it looked really cute in my head. When I went to create that beautiful idea, the reality of it wasn't as great as my imagination, so...I never finished. I know, slacker. In my defense though, it's hard to be enthusiastic about making something when you've got all sorts of tax deadlines and pressures and stressers. I had a few pressures and stressers during April. I may finish it, I may not. Oh well. Christy's didn't turn out the way she wanted it to, and she blogged about it. That made me realize that I didn't have to succeed at it either. What I had to do, was not let it get me down, and not give up. So, that's what I did. I signed up for 3 months worth (I think??) of the Christy's Craft Challenge. I figured, why not? It'll give me an opportunity to create something, and if not, build up my rats nest, cuz after all..... I am from a family of Pack Rats!!! He he he....

Anyhoo, so Christy mailed out the May Craft Challenge packets, and luckily I didn't have to wait to get it in the mail to know what was in it because Christy blogged about it here. When I read the post though, I was both a little excited (what would I make???) and scared (would I FAIL again???). Oh well, it came, I've made something, and "win" or "lose" I've got something crafty out of it in the end!

So, here are the materials that Christy sent out.

For some reason (probably because it's small) I lost the green flower button. Oh well. The rules say that you have to use at least SOME of each item, but not all of them. So......flower paper, blue fabric squares, 2 green wires, 2 large artificial flowers and 4 flower buttons later...... you get (well, if you're me at least):

FRONT

BACK AND FRONT

INSIDE

The reason I chose this project (which is sorta like an address book) is because I needed one! Jordan and I wanted a way to keep track of our movies (but you could also use the book for keeping track of your games, books, etc.) and so I made this. Now I can alphabetize my movies (on 3.5x5 index cards) and add more when I get more movies, or take some out if I give any away or sell any.

Now, the "win" or "lose" part. Well, everyone can vote on their favorite entry, and the person with the most votes will WIN. Win what? Well, a prize silly (a donated prize pack from one of Christy's sponsors)! And, Christy will also chose a second winner from those who blogged about it and that person will win a free month's craft challenge packet. So, if you like my little project, feel free to go to Christy's blog on the 28th or 29th (that's right, there are only 2 days you can vote) and vote for my project! Or, just go check it out, and if mine turns out to be really cheesy and someone else made something really cool (which will probably be the case because I'm new at this) feel free to vote for their project! I'll post a reminder on the 28th and 29th, just in case, so you don't forget to vote!!

So, based on my fun this past month (and I actually got Jordan's input and so it made it THAT much more fun), I'm definitely recommending this to everyone I know (and don't know too)! It's only $5 to partipate, and you can get all the details from Christy's site here.

Happy Birthday!!!!

Happy Birthday to my good friend Linsey!!!!

Happy Birthday!!!!

I just wanted to wish my sweet friend Melissa a Happy Birthday!!!!

Great Gatsby! It's a GIVEAWAY!!!

Okay, so while I don't have a little girl to do girlie hairdo's on, I still read a blog called "The Story of A Princess And Her Hair" and I love looking at all the cute little hairstyles. I try to think of my friends that have little girls who might not read her blog, and I usually forward it on because they are just SO DARNED CUTE!!! Anyhoo, she's got a sideblog just for deals and giveaways called Hair and Share! and on there was info about a GREAT givewaway! It's for a brand-spankin new flatiron! I've never owned one, and I'm WAY too cheap (um, I mean THRIFTY) to go out and buy me one, so I'm racking up my entries, hoping I can win it.

Check out all the details here that she's got listed about the givewaway, and how you too could be entered to win! You have a chance to have 12 different entries in the giveaway, which will be held on May 31st, but you gotta get crackin!!!

More GREAT STRIDES

Just in case you are interested in participating in a GREAT STRIDES walk for CF in your local area, I thought I would let you know that there is a walk scheduled for the following areas (check-in time is at 9:00):

Boise, ID (Veteran's Memorial Park)
Saturday, May 30th

Salt Lake City, UT (Wheeler Historic Farm)
Saturday, May 16th

Ogden, UT (MTC Park & Ogden River Parkway)
Saturday, May 30th

Provo, UT (Seven Peaks Resort)
Saturday, June 6th

If you would like to participate in a walk in your local area, let me know, and I can add you to our "Team" and you can get registered online (or I can even register for you).

GREAT STRIDES

This coming Saturday, May 9th, Jordan and I will be taking Great Strides to help the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation raise money for the research and development of a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. The GREAT STRIDES walk (for the Oklahoma City area) will be held at the Myriad Botanical Gardens in Bricktown in downtown OKC. Check-in for this walk is at 9:00, while the actual walk doesn't start until 10:00. It will be a short walk (about 1/2 - 1 mile) around the garden area, and lunch will be provided by the Norman Pita Pit to those who participate. If you're interested in joining, contact me, and I can sign you up as a member of my team, or, if you prefer, just show up!! There is no "entrance/registration" fee, however, sponsorship is encouraged...that's how they are raising money for the cure.

If you are unable to participate in the walk, but want to help sponsor my team by making a donation, you can do so by donating at this website: http://www.cff.org/great_strides/AshleaThiel

You might be wondering why I've chosen this "cause" to support, and how did I even hear about this fatal disease. Why do I care about this? The reason I support the CF Foundation is because my younger brother has been living with Cystic Fibrosis his whole life. This means that he has had numerous lung infections and hospitalizations, and a few times we honestly didn't think he would come home from the hospital. He's had a lot of health problems come up because of this disease as well, and I'm hoping that someday soon they will find some way to cure this disease.

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If you'd like to know more, here's some info on CF from the Cystic Fibrosis website:
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What is Cystic Fibrosis?

Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening genetic disease that causes mucus to build up and clog some of the organs in the body, particularly the lungs and pancreas. When mucus clogs the lungs, it can make breathing very difficult. The thick mucus also causes bacteria (or germs) to get stuck in the airways, which causes inflammation (or swelling) and infections that lead to lung damage.
Mucus also can block the digestive tract and pancreas. The mucus stops digestive enzymes from getting to the intestines. The body needs these enzymes to break down food, which provides important nutrients to help people grow and stay healthy. People with cystic fibrosis often need to replace these enzymes with medicine they take with their meals and snacks, which helps them digest food and get proper nutrition.

What is a typical day for someone with CF?

Because the severity of CF differs widely from person to person, and CF lung infections flare up from time to time, there is no “typical” day. However, each day most people with CF:

• Take pancreatic enzyme supplement capsules with every meal and most snacks (even babies who are breastfeeding may need to take enzymes).
• Take multi-vitamins.
• Do some form of airway clearance at least once and sometimes up to four or more times a day.
• Take aerosolized medicines—liquid medicines that are made into a mist or aerosol and then inhaled through a nebulizer.

What is the life expectancy for people who have CF (in the United States)?

There is no way to accurately predict how long a person with cystic fibrosis will live, as many different factors affect a person’s health. Severity of disease and time of diagnosis are two such factors. Many people have a mild case of CF, while others can have moderate or severe cases.
In addition, some adults with cystic fibrosis have only recently begun to use new treatments, while an infant diagnosed at birth will have the advantages of starting specialized treatments that were not available even a decade ago.

Data from the CF Foundation Patient Registry, a tool that tracks health statistics from patients treated at CF Foundation-accredited care centers, shows that more than 45 percent of all people with CF in this country are 18 years or older. Also, the Foundation calculates the median predicted age of surviva for people with CFl. This number is based on a statistical method of using life table analyses developed by insurance companies to calculate trends in survival.

In 2008, the median predicted age of survival rose to 37.4 years, up from 32 in 2000. The median predicted age of survival is the age by which half of the current CF Patient Registry population would be expected to survive, given the ages of the patients in the registry and the distribution of deaths in 2008. The steady rise of the median predicted age of survival suggests how improvements in treatment and care are advancing the lives of those with CF.

In 1955, children with CF were not expected to live long enough to attend grade school. Today, thanks to continued Foundation-supported research and specialized care, an increasing number of people with cystic fibrosis are living into adulthood and leading healthier lives that include careers, marriage and families of their own.

Back Posting??

Since we've now found homes for all 6 of our puppies (Jemaine was the last to go this past Saturday the 2nd) I've decided to take the posts off of the two doggy blogs and add them to this one, that way I have sort of a "running journal" that I can look back on. So, if you're using Google Reader, and all of a sudden a bunch of old posts pop up as new, that's why. I'm going to date them the same date/time that I originally did, that way I can keep a better time line.

Attention Girlie Mommies!!!

Here's a cute blog that is having a grand opening giveaway drawing (well, actually two)! Clever Clips makes hair clips and headbands for little girls/infants/toddlers, and she's having a giveaway (one for clips and one for a headband). Go to her blog page here before April 16th to see all her cute stuff and enter her contest!!

I'm Feelin Crafty....

Okay, so I've discovered a bunch of cute little crafty blogs, and I'm HOOKED! I found one blog in particular (Christy Nelson's blog) where she has a monthly craft challenge that you can participate in. Well, I thought, for $5, why not? If I don't like what I come up with, no big deal. I probably would've spent more on supplies if I went out and decided to get "crafty" on a whim and just bought a bunch of stuff. So, I've signed up for the challenge, paid my $5 for supplies (shipping included) and I'm anxiously awaiting my supplies to come in the mail. Please know though, if I can't really come up with anything cute or clever, I won't be posting my results. :) I'm sure SOMETHING will come to mind though, especially since I've been perusing all sorts of fun and crafty blogs. I've got a part of my brain that's SCREAMING at me to get crafty, and with all the sewing, stamping, scrapbooking, cooking and just all around useful tips I'm getting from these blogs, I'm JUST about to jump in with both feet and try it. (After April 15th, that is.)

Anyhoo, I'm planning to add some links to the blogs I frequently read, and hopefully you might find something there that inspires you too! Let me know!!!

March 31st

I just wanted to send out Happy Birthday wishes to my sweet hubby! I Love you!

Christmas in March?

No, not really. BUT, Jordan and I used one small portion of a Christmas gift from my brother's family (Ryan, Stacie, Lauryn, Faith & Kyla). We were given a some restaurant.com gift cards for some restaurants in Oklahoma City, and we actually went out one night and had dinner. In a restuarant. With no dogs and/or cats present. The two of us, together. Like on a real date. I know, I know, shocker eh?

For those of you who don't realize this, Jordan and I have actually become quite homebodies in our old age (har har har). We really don't go out that often, and honestly, I think the last movie we saw in a theater was back in December 2007 when his parents were in town. We actually have gift certificates that we could use to go to TWO separate movies, and yet, we don't want to use them unless it's for a movie that we just HAVE to see.

Anyhoo, the point is, that we finally went out, and we had a good time. The food was good, and since we have another gift card for the same place, we WILL be going back! Thanks so much!!

CONGRATS!!!!

Congrats on the baby news!!! I'm SO excited for you guys!!!

Something Special???

I make no guarantees about what I'll make but it'll be fun, I promise!

I'll make something for the first FIVE people to respond!The first five (5) people to respond to this post will get something made by me.This offer does have some restrictions and limitations so please read carefully:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. Whatcha get is whatcha get.

2. What I create will be just for you, with love.

3. It'll be done this year (2009).

4. I will not give you any clue what it's going to be. It will be something made in the real world and not something cyber. It may be weird or beautiful. Heck, I might bake (!!) something for you and mail it to you when you least expect it. I may even create something totally unbelievable and surprise you at work!! Who knows? Not you, that's for sure

5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

6. In return, all you need to do is post this text into a note of your own and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your note.

IMPORTANT: This offer is null and void if I do not see you post your own note to pay this forward!!!

6th and 6th (at work)

My 6th folder down, and 6th picture in, is this:

It's Jasper and Jemaine sleeping again! I seem to have more of these than I do of the awake looking at the camera pictures because they are so fast and playful that they always want to be up and moving. If I think about it when I'm at home, I might try doing this with my 6th and 6th from the home computer too. We'll see.

Checkin In

It was once again brought to my attention that I haven't blogged in a while...I know, I'm horrible. Tax season is all geared up and in full swing. We are busy at work, and yet today, I find myself working on some of my time-filler projects, so I thought it would be a good time to toss a few words and maybe a picture or two out here to let you all know I'm still alive.

Since my last post back the end of January, not a whole lot has happened in our lives. It's pretty much dogs/puppies, work, dogs/puppies, home, dogs/puppies, eat, dogs/puppies, sleep, and dogs/puppies. Oh, and did I mention that we have lots of DOGS AND PUPPIES???? It's crazy, but still fun.

One thing that happened (as everyone knows) is Valentine's Day. Well, we actually did something this year. Normally we decide that it's just too crowded and busy to go out so we stay in and have an extra special dinner/dessert, but we decided to go out this year. Chase & Meghan got us a gift card for Christmas 2007 (no, that is not a typo, it was 2007) and so we decided to finally use it. {Many times it's been "found" and then put up for safekeeping, forgotten, and repeat....}

Anyhoo, the food was good, and it was nice to be out for a change. We made a reservation for 5:00 so that it was early enough in the evening (we're getting old ya know...), actually it was so that we could go to a movie after dinner if we decided to. After leaving the house around 4:30, we still hadn't decided if we wanted to see a movie or not, but in the end, we opted not to (I wasn't feeling ALL that great), so we went to PetSmart and bought dog food instead. I know, I know, you're thinking, "how romantic..." However, it did give me a new realization/appreciation for my parents though. It seemed like for mom and dad's anniversary they would always go to "dinner and a show" but the only thing they would have to show for THEIR night out was groceries. They were always thinking of us kids. Even though I don't have CHILDREN, I find myself doing the same thing. When we go out, I tend to think about whether or not I need to pick up food for the kids, when the last time was they got a new toy or perhaps picking up a treat while we're out. And, we HATE to leave them. We often think, when we're out, about the kiddos at home in their kennels and how happy they are when we come home (and let's not forget how sad they are when we leave) so we often don't stay out that long or go far away. I'm reminded by them everyday about unconditional love really is.

Labrador Puppies: Day 21

The Lab puppies are 3 weeks old today!

Mandy
Milo (aka Tank)

Mocha

Mocha Again

Murphy

Murphy Again

Labrador Puppies: Videos on Day 21

The puppies turned three weeks old today. Here are a couple videos of them we took this past weekend.

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 34

Here are a couple videos of the puppies playing with their mommy.

I lost Jasper for a couple minutes, but found him in playing with Molly and her lab puppies. I quickly grabbed the camera because he was being so cute!!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

So, my mom found the Super Suppers recipe I was looking for! I thought I would share it with you since I love it so much!!! (And trust me, this is GOOD. I'm not a huge chocolate lover, but this is one pie I LOVE!!!)



Chocolate Pecan Pie
(Makes one 8-inch pie)

½ c. butter
½ c. chocolate chips
1 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
½ c. chopped pecans
½ c. shredded cocnut
1 8-inch unbaked pie shell (not a deep-dish shell)


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a saucepan, melt butter and chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in sugar, eggs, pecans and coconut. Pour into pie shell.
3. Bake for 35 minutes (pie will be soft in the center).


FREEZE AHEAD: Bake pie; cool completely. Place pie in a freezer bag and freeze up to 2 months. Defrost completely in refrigerator.

Super Suppers?

Anybody have a "Super Suppers" cookbook, or know someone who does? I'm looking for a specific recipe that they have and I don't want to spend $25 for one recipe. Plus, the closest Super Suppers to me is something like an hour away. Please let me know!!!

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 21

Labrador Puppies: Day 4

Molly and the puppies

Chihuahua Puppies: Day 18

Labrador Puppies: Day 2

Milo, Mandy, Murphy and MochaMocha and Murphy

Mandy, Milo, Murphy and Mocha

Murphy, Mandy, Mocha and Milo

Murphy, Mandy, Mocha and Milo

Molly and the kids

Mocha, Milo, Murphy and Mandy

Mocha, Milo, Murphy and Mandy