Update on Us

• We are 98 days from my due date for baby #3!!! I can't believe that we are getting close enough for L.C. to be thinking about getting the infant seat out of the attic and mentioning other "getting ready" stuff. I feel like we are still so far away and at times it seems like this is a never-ending, no-progress pregnancy. At other times I am shocked and amazed that I could be this close to having another baby when my (other) baby is not even 11 months old yet!
• I am no longer working! It was our plan for me to quit working in February when the baby comes. A few weeks ago I was informed that my contract would end Dec 31st. Then the Friday before last I found out the funding for the program I work for had been cut. My clients each got a budget to assist them in becoming more self-sufficient as they worked their recovery plan. With the money gone, it was pretty much useless for me to continue meeting with them since they are in treatment with other counselors already. I spent two days last week calling clients & meeting with them to give them the news and to wrap up my case files and reports. Last Thursday was my last day of work. I was not thrilled to give up the income, but I cannot contain my emotions regarding being able to be with my kids for 3 bonus months! I have so much peace with the timing of this whole process. I will be able to get the kids stabilized on a structured routine before the baby comes instead of several changes at once.
• I think I panicked a tad too soon on the thumb sucking deal. Over the past couple days Trey has only put his thumb in his mouth a few times and it didn't seem to be for sucking at all. He likes to make all kinds of noises by humming and moving his thumb back and forth or pulling it out real quick and making a popping sound. Also, I have been able to "hide" the pacis several times throughout the days and he has been happy. I love hearing his little voice and listening for new sounds that he can make. It sure does help to have that paci out!
• We believe Pheoby will be able to start K4 after the new year. We tried to get her into the Liberty Elementary program, but she did not qualify due to her lack of "need." We got a letter that says she is welcome to go to a neighboring school that has openings. We have the paperwork ready and I hope to submit our request tomorrow. It will be good for Pheoby to be back in a structured learning environment. She loved "school" when she went to The Growing Place. I just know she will love K4.
• I thought I was in the market for a new vacuum, but I was sorely mistaken! We have been using my mom's hand-me-down 20-some-year-old Rainbow for several years now. It is a great system and it works great, but to be honest I would like to have a simple pull-it-out-vacuum-and-put-it-back vacuum that would make small jobs so much easier. So... this afternoon I was all revved up for a major vacuum project and got my room 1/2 way done when the thing seemed to die. I checked the standard things real quick.... you know, the power switch, cord plugged in, assembly. I didn't see any problems so I quit, leaving all the stuff right in the middle of the floor for L.C. to confirm that it was really a goner. It took him all of about 7 seconds to determine that the cord was not plugged in well. UGH! I don't need a new vacuum after all! Now, I don't want you to think I was excited about shelling out the money for a new vacuum, but I was excited about the potential of having a new one! I guess I know what I am doing first thing tomorrow.... gotta finish the vacuuming! ;o)
• Pheoby had her first dentist appointment yesterday. She was very brave and said it didn't hurt at all. She does have one tiny cavity that we will have filled next week and she has asked that I go back with her again. I am not looking forward to this one because our insurance doesn't cover the "laughing gas" and she will have to get a shot to numb the area. I sure do hope it doesn't hurt! I am trying to be brave and I am definitely trying not to let on that I am nervous about it. I just want it to be a good experience for her. We shall see.
• Tonight Pheoby helped me clean the kitchen... the whole kitchen... until we were finished! What a blessing it is to have a helper! I am sure it helped that she decided before hand that we were super heroes. She picked two lightning stickers, one for each of us to wear, and we went about using our super powers such as super cleaner, super rinser and super lifter. It was fun! It really helps to have extra help and the company was huge moral support!
• One last Pheoby story and then I am going to end this update... We set up Pheoby's tent in the living room tonight. I thought she would play in it for about 5 minutes. Nope! She has been in there for about 45 minutes. She has some toys in there with her. She has books, flashlights, and some animals. One of the animals she has with her "talks." With the door and windows zipped closed (I think she feels she is in her own little world and we can't hear her) she squeezed the hand of the dog who said, "will you play with me?" Pheoby responded in a stern voice, "NO! It is your bedtime!"

Thumb Sucker?!

What kind of kid decides to start sucking his thumb at 10 months old? That is insane!!! ;o)

Yup. So we definately confirmed today that Trey likes sucking his thumb. We have been noticeing it over the past several days. At the beginning it seemed like perhaps it was just something to do or that he was teething and chewing on it. But, nope! He is definately sucking.

Now... to be fair, the boy does LOVE his paci and has it 80% of the time. I have been trying to take it away more and more so that he will be more vocal, but I am second guessing that choice now. I don't want to push him toward the thumb if he really feels the need to have something.

He did spend the first 5 minutes of his life outside the womb with the thumb firmly planted in his mouth. I presume he had lots of practice for several months. Perhaps he was distracted from the thumb because we have been good at supplying his needs over 9 months. Maybe now that he is getting bigger he may just remember how simple it was way back in the day when all was cozy and simple. Who knows!

What I do know, however, is that I will be pushing the paci like crazy for the next several days!!!

Moments Photography

My good friend Melissa Little came for a visit last weekend. We became friends when we both lived in Michigan. Her husband was the Youth Pastor at Croswell Wesleyan. She just moved to Wichita, KS and has officially started up her own business, Moments Photography. She offered us a great deal on a multi-location shoot while she was here. I don't have the CD with all the pics on it yet, but she offered me some previews today. I am thrilled with the results!!! Let me know what you think.

My First Kiss!

I got my first kiss tonight! WOO HOO!!!!

When I was putting Trey to bed just a few minutes ago I encouraged him to give kisses to L.C. and Pheoby. He didn't. But when I took him into his crib and was telling him "Nigh-night" he leaned in and kissed me. WOW! I am the happiest Mom in the world! ;o)

Tagged Again

I truely do have a desire to blog every now and again, but I just don't get around to it now-a-days. Blogging seems to be one of the things that I put to the side when things get too busy. Until I get more energy, this will have to keep my dedicated blog readers entertained! ;o)

4 things I love about my husband:
1. He has some interesting quirks himself (I found the sunflower seeds in the fridge yesterday!)
2. He is a great protector for me and our children.
3. He works hard to provide for us.
4. He often helps out around the house doing things I just can't manage to get done.

4 Movies I would watch more than once:
1. Wedding Crashers
2. When Harry Met Sally
3. My Best Friend's Wedding
4. Mr. Deeds

4 TV shows I watch more than once:
1. Brothers & Sisters
2. Private Practice
3. The Office
4. Scrubs

4 Places I have been:
1. Canada
2. Mexico
3. Hong Kong
4. New Mexico

4 People who email me regularly
1. Natalie
2. Jill
3. Sisters At Heart
4. My mother-in-law

4 Favorite Foods
1. Any Mexican Food
2. Pasta
3. KFC
4. Cheesecake

Places I would like to visit
1. Michigan
2. New Mexico
3. Kansas
4. Oregon

4 Things I am looking forward to this coming year
1. Trey's 1st Birthday
2. Meeting my baby
3. Learning about life with 3 kids
4. Being a Stay-At-Home-Mom

4 People I would like to tag
1. Mel
2. Jen
3. Jill
4. Shari

Look at what I found!

I had no idea this was still active. I thought I lost it years ago! Enjoy the history here.

Me, quirky?!?!? lol

Thanks, Jill... Ya know, (said sarcasticly) I haven't had enough reason to focus on my silly quirks so this will really help me out! ;o) Thanks for tagging me. I will be sure to offer the same opportunity to some of my quirky friends. I am sure they will enjoy the self-exploration! Thanks, too, for giving me a reason to come back to this blog and write. I am sorry to all my friends and family who attempt to read and discover that I am slack. I took some pictures on Monday specifically for blogging, but haven't gotten around to uploading them yet. So watch for those! It is regarding a big change in our lives. ;o)

***********
Here are the rules, link back to the person who tagged you. List the rules on your blog. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of your own and tag 6 "unsuspecting" bloggers to complete. Pretty simple, eh? Until you get to the 6 unspectacular quirks of your own.

Here are mine...

1. When I lay down at night I start off on my right side and turn to my left side when I am ready to sleep.

2. It drives me crazy to have the bathroom sink and counter cluttered up or dirty, but I don't get worked up about the kitchen counter being a mess. (This was the topic of conversation often when I was a newlywed!)

3. I hate ice in my drinks... unless I have a straw! I hate the feeling of the ice bumping against my lip/teeth. I used to stop drinking once the drink was gone so that I didn't have to drink watered down beverage, but I have gotten less particular with this in my older age.

4. I love being connected to people and relationships are very important to me, but I have a really hard time picking up the phone to make calls even to my very best friends!

5. I recently switched up my shower routine to make sure that I wash my face after the conditioner is rinsed out of my hair because it all of a sudden dawned on me that I might have a little conditioner along my hairline after my face is washed and that seemed counter-productive.

6. I love a glass of milk with cookies or cake, but it just doesn't taste good at other times throughout the day.


Alright, friends.... let's see what you've got to share! I am tagging Jen, Mel, Erica, Martha-Marie, Autumn, & Amy.

Motivated

Last Friday I had the opportunity to hang out with some of my scrapbooking friends from Foothills. They had a great time making progress in their books and I simply enjoyed the company. It has been a long time since I have had the energy to scrapbook or go out with my far-away friends. I have been trying to get into digital scrapbooking for years and haven't fully jumped in yet. I think most of my delay is motivation and energy due to being pregnant for much of the last year or two. Since I didn't take anything to work on at the crop, Jill offered me another lesson in digital scrapbooking. I took that motivation, downloaded a digi-kit and went to town today. I took further inspiration from Page Maps and am rather happy with what I was able to come up with. I was still unable to get around to playing with drop shadows. (Since my program is a tad different than Jill's.)

Update-A Month in Review

So, it's been almost a month since I posted. A lot has happened since I posted last.

First and foremost we discovered that Hayes Baby #3 is on its' way!!! We were shocked to say the least, but it is really sinking in now and we are thrilled to meet this next baby! Pheoby is most excited, it seems. Whenever I talk about having 2 children she corrects me and counts herself, Trey and then points to my belly with a knowing look on her face counting 3. She is growing into such a great big sister. In the last week or so it has become customary for her to carry Trey around the house.

Trey is growing daily. He has such a sweet personality. His current favorite activities involve standing up at the coffee table and pulling up on anything he can find. He is also enjoying some table foods. It won't be long and I think he will protest the jar food.

I am still working part-time, 3 days per week, until baby comes in February. I am enjoying it, but I am really itching to have more time at home for my family and to maintain my home. The timing is interesting because L.C. and I had just started talking about me returning to work full-time when we found out about this pregnancy. I also found out my supervisors were trying to figure out a way to work me back into full-time as well.

L.C.'s major project has been researching mini-vans. We are currently going through the debate of timing and trying to figure out when we will be able to get the best deal. I am so thankful that he is willing to be the researcher of the family.

L.C. had to head to North Carolina for a couple nights and while he was gone Pheoby and I saw that as a great opportunity to have a "Girls' Night!" We invited our friends Brandi and Arianah over. They didn't arrive until about 10 PM, the little girls had on their jammies and we had a mini-slumber party until about 3 AM. Although the girls had fun staying up late, I am sure Brandi and I enjoyed and appreciated the girl time much more!

Pheoby has taken up a new hobby. She got a real digital camera from her Uncle Andy & Aunt Anna for Christmas. She has been taking pictures like crazy! She has even started taking my camera on shoots. It is interesting to see the great images she is able to capture. Although, you have to scan through the pics of wall art, items in the pantry, furnature and toys!

My mom came for a visit a couple weeks ago. Here are a few things we did while she was visiting... visit the park, played games, read books, made special treats, played in the pool, bought stuff to make some projects and went walking. We had a fabulous time. We were a little better at keeping busy, but we still longed for a bit more time when the week wound down. While she was here we attempted tubing in Helen, GA even though we are in a serious drought. We did not make it down the entire river. It was just too difficult having to constantly pry ourselves off of the rocky river bottom. We will definately attempt that again once the water situation improves. Is it too much to hope that next year will bring higher water levels? (Pheoby took this pic of Grandma.)

Pheoby's ear is healing up great from her surgery this summer. It is hard to tell that she even has a scar. I am willing to bet that it will completely disappear as she continues to grow.

We had a fun time a couple weeks ago straightening Pheoby's hair. She was so sweet with her "long hair" as she called it. She continuously commented that she didn't think people would recognize her. We kept it straight for about 4 days. It looked really good and we were sad when it was over. I seriously considered a relaxer, but it is such a scary committment for such a little head of beautiful curls!

We were able to visit our local Zoo and noticed that there are now two lions the kids can take pictures on, in addition to the big bear we have been taking pics on for the past couple years. It will be fun to continue to take these pictures through the years as we continue to visit the zoo as the children grow.

Since the following picture, both kids have moved up to bigger carseats. Phoeby got to move into a big kid booster seat that is "girly" with pink and purple and flowers! And Trey is now out of the infant car seat and in the seat Pheoby has been using for the past 3-4 years. Gotta get these kids moved up so there is a seat available for the baby! ;o) If you are a parent who has a rear-facing child and do not have one of these mirrors you really should pick one up! They are great!

I've been tagged!

So I haven't been around her in forever, it seems. I will be getting better, I promise! For now, though... I've been tagged. Here's what Annie wants me to post...

1. Ten Years Ago- I was 21 years old. I was living in Seneca with my Chiropractor and his wife while I interned at BHS (where I work now). L.C. and I had been dating for over a year and I was itching to marry him and start my Senior year of college.

2. Five Things on Today's To Do List- Work, Attend the Advisory Board Luncheon, Convince my husband that we need to eat out, Drive some mini-vans, and Call to check on my babies who are bonding with Mimi & PaPa in GA.

3. Snacks I Enjoy- Spinich & Artichoke Dip, Candy Bars, Doritos, Butter Pecan Ice Cream

4. Places I've Lived- Croswell, MI; Central, SC; Easley, SC; Greer, SC; South Lyon, MI; Croswell, MI (again); Seneca, SC; Liberty, SC

5. Four People I'm Tagging - Jen, Jill, Mel and MM

Can I Wear Jeans?

Can I Wear Jeans is a great place you can go to list your church for free! Jon Acuff (from the ever-popular blog Stuff Christian's Like) is putting it together so that when you are looking for a church you can get a good description of the places you are considering visiting. Not quite the same as looking at search engines or in the yellow pages. And the great thing is that this is world-wide!

A Pretty Good Day

The kids and I had a pretty relaxing day today. Of course, they were both up before me. (Mental note... be sure to prep that bag of Teddy Grahams you promised Pheoby as a morning snack so you can get a few more minutes of shut-eye before Trey wakes up!)

We ran a couple errands first thing, then had a pretty lazy morning. We filled up the kiddie pool and played in that for a while before nap time. Trey had a relaxing time hangin' out in his crab baby lounger. (I have pictures to share some time!)

Pheoby likes to pretend to enjoy swimming in her pool, but spends more time and energy focusing on the bugs in the pool, on the patio, near the house or within 50 foot of her. Seriously... I am needing some feedback here... is this something that she will ever grow out of? I thought when it started about 2 years ago that it would be a phase, but it seems like it isn't. Hmm... anyway... we attempt to enjoy the outdoors as long as I can tolerate the panic!

Trey didn't sleep well this morning, so he was tuckered out by the afternoon. I put both kids down at about the same time. Trey slept for about 3 hours and Pheoby slept 4! That was a nice little break. I was able to pick up, work on laundry, develop my social calendar for the week and catch up on blogs and e-mails.

We had company over for supper and lots of play time! I have recently reconnected with a long-lost college friend who lives about 5 miles from here. Brandi (Alexander) Roper. We had seen one another about a year ago in the grocery store, but didn't think to get contact info. So when I saw her at the store a couple weeks ago we made sure to get the info! We have gotten the kids together a couple times and they have hit it off.... the girls are already planning a slumber party.

While they were here, I was comforting a fussy Trey by allowing him to grab my hand and discovered rather quickly that the boy had cut a tooth today!!! That's his first one... for those of you who like to know the details it is a bottom front tooth, not the eye tooth we were expecting first since it has been visable for a month or two. He will be 6 months old on Saturday. (That was for the detail-wanter's, too!)

Tonight I tried to work on getting the tape off Pheoby's incision. It didn't seem to be letting loose and I DO NOT want her to have to go through them ripping it off at her post-op appointment Thursday. We had a mini-surgery at home on the sofa! She applied a warm compress for a while then I massaged the tape with some anti-biotic ointment and tried my best to loosen the edges. I was able to get about 1/3 of the tape off. She laid very still so I could cut away the excess tape. I didn't want to risk it re-adhearing. I also wanted to give the new edges an opportunity to pull on the pillow a little tonight.

I hope we make more progress getting that off tomorrow! ;o) Bath time in the AM will help, I am sure. It looks like the incision may be longer than I imagined. He said one stitch so I thought one little tiny tie. It looks more like he maybe used one long piece of thread to sew up a 1/2 inch or longer incision, whereas I expected less than 1/4 inch. I took some new pictures of the progress we made, but I am not up to editing them tonight. Maybe by Thursday I will post new pics as well as find an old pic to show what it looked like before the surgery.

Well, I feel the need to apologize for rambling so long.... good thing the theme of this blog is about filling you in on my day-to-day life! ;o) Oh, and I forgot... if you didn't want to read this you didn't have to read it all since I won't know if you tune me out! You don't even have to put on that kind front that people do when listening to the longest-drawn out stories that remind me of Grandpa Tanner's story about raking leaves one fall day. If I had more time I would fill you in on how he would get them all raked up into a pile and the wind would come blow them all around the yard and he would just get them raked up again and....

But I don't. So you will have to ask me someday if you want to know more! ;o) Thanks faithful readers, for allowing me to share our lives with you!

Pheoby's Surgery

I had blogged previously about Pheoby's ear problems and that she needed surgery. (If you don't remember reading that you can find out more about the problem and the procedure here and here.)

Her surgery was yesterday. She did GREAT! And we are so thankful to the staff at St. Francis Eastside and Dr. Cooter of Greenville ENT. Everyone was fabulous and helped Pheoby to have a good experience. She didn't appear to be nervous or worried at all and faced the whole thing like it was any other day. Thankfully, they provided her anesthesia through a mask and they didn't give her an IV until she was already out. We were able to be with her up until they took her back to the operating room. And she was only gone from us for about 45 minutes.

We were informed that many times kids are quite irratable and therefore they like to bring the parents back right away. Not our girl! She was still sleeping for about 15 minutes while we were there waiting for her to wake up and finally I asked how long it should take. The nurse then woke her up by talking to her and rubbing her arm. She was still drowsy for a while, but enjoyed an orange popsicle and was ready to get her clothes changed. When asked if she wanted to be carried out or get a wheelchair ride, she cheerfully selected the wheelchair!

We had to go pick up Trey from L.C.'s sister, Jabecca's house where Mimi (L.C.'s Mom) was watching the kids. (Ironically, Jabecca was scheduled for surgery on the same day.) By the time we got there (about 15 minutes from the hospital) I had to give her instructions about how she could play with Micah and Caleb, but she couldn't be running around. She needed several more reminders while we were there.

We needed to go get her prescriptions filled, pick up pizza for lunch (Pheoby's request) and pick out a movie from Grandma (my Mom). By the time we got home Pheoby was wired! She kept going and going and going and going until finally I figured it was surely time to catch some Zs... no way! Have you ever tried your hardest to get a drugged up kid to sleep? We were laying in my bed and she kept making me laugh when I was at my most serious.

Later on we both had to ask forgiveness from one another.... me for being mean and her for being so silly when I was trying to sleep. (Actually, if you want the truth... she started it by telling me she was sorry and then she called me out for being mean!) The wild-ness continued through the evening. I got her to lay down again in my bed hoping she would crash, but she kept waiting for her movie to be done or for daddy to come to bed. Ugh! Once again, I fell asleep and she continued buzzing along to Bee Movie for the 4th time that day!

She did sleep through the night. And was up a few times this morning and fell right back to sleep. I was thankful for that. She is taking a good nap now, too. I think she is recovering well. She hasn't complained of much pain... and shouldn't really since she is on Loritab! Most surprisingly she hasn't been messing with the tape that is covering the incision. I am happy about that!

Here are some pics we took to document our day...

What a protector!

I want the world to know (or at least my 3 to 5 readers) that my husband is a fabulous protector! Of course, I always knew it, but today he had an opportunity to demonstrate just how great of a protector he is. I had a run-in with an office manager in a place of business our family frequents that sent me into a tail-spin. I felt a horrible amount of stress over the situation to the point of wanting never to return to that place of business again. You better believe when I am in a time of such crisis and stress I call my husband at the first opportunity I get. As I did today.

I left the business, had both kids in the car, told Pheoby I couldn't talk to her because I needed to cool down and proceeded to call L.C. about 3 times before he was able to answer my call at his desk. (That makes me realize one more reason he is amazing... he doesn't get mad at me for calling him and unloading while he is at work! He is available to me any time I am in need.) After I unloaded all my emotional (and factual) garbage, he said the words I marvel at... "I am going to call her right now."

Typically I would discurage L.C. from calling to defend me because of my major fear of confrontation and because I like to live by the motto "Never let 'em see you sweat!", but not this time. I felt so uncomfortable that if he hadn't called I would probably have tried my best to sweep it under the rug and let it lie and never return again. But... that really wasn't an option. This is a place we want to continue to do business with as long as everything gets worked out in a respectable way.

So he did call. He did explain how I felt I was treated. The office manager apologized to him. And she later called me to apologize. How I feel now and how I am processing the incedent is a developing story which I will probably keep to myself, but the main idea here is that it is amazing to realize you are loved enough to be protected when you are too weak to protect yourself.

Thank you, L.C.! I love you and am honored to have you as my protector! I also am thrilled beyond measure that you are the father of my children... they will be blessed their whole lives through to have you as their protector as well!

Cream of Broccoli Soup

I had to bring my Broccoli Soup into work today for a shower. I am becoming famous at work for in (not to toot my own horn or anything) and have been asked multiple times for the recipe. I had to type it up to share with my co-workers so I decided to share it here, too. I like to add cheese and bacon. It really is delicious! I challenge you to try it out and post what you think about it here!

Cream of Broccoli Soup

1 stick butter or margarine
1 cup flour
¼ tsp baking soda
1 quart half & half
1 quart water
8 chicken bullion cubes
1 bag of frozen broccoli (thawed)
salt & pepper to taste

· In a large pot, melt butter/margarine over medium heat.
· Using a metal wisk, mix in the flour gradually allowing a minute or two for the flour to cook.
· Slowly add about ½ cup of half & half mixing all the lumps out before adding more half & half. (It will be very thick to begin with, but make sure you get the lumps out every time or you will end up with lumpy soup. Taking the time to get the lumps out also allows the flour to continue to cook so you don’t have a flour flavor in your soup.)
· Once the half & half is mixed in refill the container and mix in the water slowly.
· Add the bullion cubes and ensure they are broken up. Mix in broccoli and allow to simmer on low heat until broccoli is warm.

HAPPY 13th BIRTHDAY, JOSH!

It is hard to believe my best friend's son is a teenager today!

Josh... I know I kid with you a lot, but I want to let you know that you are a very special guy! You have a lot going for you and I am excited to see how you grow through these teenage years. You have unlimited potential and I just know you are going to do amazing things!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOSH!

In other news, Trey started babbling yesterday! That was fun! He started out with the best.... dadadadada! I can't wait to hear more of what he has got to say! We will be starting sign language soon. We just watched some video of when Pheoby was a baby (6 months-18 months) and were blown away by how much signing we did. She was amazing! Although we have been planning on starting the same thing with Trey, I had forgotten how easy it was and how helpful it was in keeping the frusteration level down. I will be pulling out the books in a few minutes!

We did a little work on learning to crawl today, but Mr. Trayzer Bazer couldn't quite get the motion. You can get an idea of what he was doing if you imagine the opposite of crawling pose. His head, feet and arms were up in the air and his belly was on the ground. You could tell he was trying with all his might! He did "crawl" backwards a few times, though... so you know I am proud!

Our Sally-Dog

It seems like forever since I have taken the time to sit down and blog. And unfortunately, my return to this comfortable venue is not on a good note. We lost our Sally-Dog last week with no warning of illness or injury. I was shocked to find her dead when I got home from work last Tuesday. I took the loss much harder than I thought I would. As I mentioned to a couple of friends, it is difficult to grieve a pet because society doesn't allow time off to grieve like if we lose a human family member. There were a lot of things I went ahead and did last week with puffy, red eyes that I probably should have been more presentable for.

Shortly after L.C. and I were married in 2000 we started talking about getting a dog. I wanted one so bad. I figured it would be nice to "add to the family" before we were ready to have children. We called on an ad for beagle puppies that were selling for about 1/2 the price of others in the newspaper. We went to look at them. It turned out the man who owned her was a hunter who pretty much bred hunting dogs for himself so he wasn't looking to get rich as a breeder. There were two puppies left. Sally was the tiniest one... she took after her mom who also was a small beagle. Even though we really weren't physically ready to care for a puppy we brought Sally home with us. Who can resist a beagle pup?

Sally has been through a lot with our family. She has made 2 huge moves across the country, adapted well to 7 new homes since we got her and didn't complain too much when she went from queen of the castle to family pet with a whole lot less freedom once Pheoby joined us.

Sally has been a sweet and loving part of our family for the past 8 years. It has been hard to let her go.

Several things to share...

Several things are on my mind that I would like to share with you now...

• MM had her surgery today. The last update I read she was out of recovery and in her room. You can keep up with the updates at http://www.eddiesmith.com/.


• If you would like to help out with meals for MM and her family please contact me. We are trying to cover at least 3 days per week.


• My new nephew, Alex, is being watched in the special care nursery. It appears he is (and will be) fine, but please pray for this little guy and his folks! I know it isn't easy to have your little one swept away from you so early.


• I have a couple meetings at work on Tuesdays so I took my little man in with me. He was fabulous! All the ladies loved seeing him and playing with him. I took a fun pic that really sums up "A day in the life of a working Mom." Scroll down to see the picture.


• Trey is cutting his eye teeth! I found evidence of one today while we were at work today and found the other one when I was trying to show Pheoby a few minutes ago.
  
• I have added a pic of Pheoby enjoying a nice, refreshing Coca-Cola that we got from the tour. She enjoyed it in her new glass!

Loving Day

My husband forwarded me this article today. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080505/ap_on_re_us/obit_loving

I can't believe that was just 40 years ago! In honor of Mildred Loving we will begin celebrating Loving Day on June 12th. (I hope I remember the day right!)

Here we are with our World of Coca-Cola 4-D glasses on. We had a wonderful getaway to Atlanta last weekend. It was a lot of fun.

Babies All Around

Babies are all around us and it makes me so happy!!! I took the kids to our little friend's birthday party today. There were 5 moms and 4 babies! It was wonderful (although, probably not so much for Jill because she didn't have too much extra help with all of us toting the little ones around).

Then on our way home we got the text we had been waiting for! Baby Alex had arrived! My older brother, Andy and his wife, Anna, got to meet baby #3 today! Alexander Lloyd was 7 lbs and 20 inches long. He looks like such a sweet boy! I can't wait to meet him in 10 days! Alex is named after Anna's grandfather (Alex) and my dad (whose middle name is Lloyd, that is also what all dad's buddies call him).