Sad News

Yesterday was a very sad day. We had to make the decision to put our Millie to sleep. It wasn't an easy decision, but it was time. She was about 14 years old.

We got Millie as a rescue dog when she was about a year and a half old. We already had two border collies and I wanted another. She was a bit of a handful, but I am glad she became part of our family. She was never happier (though I doubt Buck and Cap were) than when she was hearding and nipping the other dogs when we played frisbee.

She was a patient dog and never really gave us trouble other than the nipping. She moved with us through 3 houses and 1 apartment, and 2 two states. She was at 13 pig roasts. She lost two of her best friends and gained a pesky new brother. She will be missed.

Carrick took it harder than I thought. Millie was never very affectionate, especially to the kids, but I think because she had been with him all of his life it was hard to say good-bye. He even went with his dad to the vet. He was there when she left. He is braver than I. I knew I couldn't do it. I don't think the twins really understand what it means.

So now we are a one dog family. It hasn't been that way in a long time. Max cannot figure out what is going on. I think he is still looking for her, waiting patiently by the door for her to come back home.

Go Away H1N1

Since the last time I posted, Carrick got sick with the flu and didn't get to play in his last game. He still hasn't gotten over it, and it's been two weeks! Now it seems he has moved on to a sinus infection. I can commiserate with him since I have one too. Now Cade is sick with a back hacky cough and is in bed...so I have two home today. So much for going to JoAnn to use my 50% off coupons! It will just have to wait.

I've started a new obession -- knitting. I always wanted to do it, but never had luck figuring it out until now. I have knitted scarves for the boys and now I am working on dishcloths with a little more of a pattern. Still working on that purl stich. There are some great videos on YouTube. Here are my favorite... How To Knit . Make sure you watch the video...makes it easy to understand.

We had our first hard frost of the season this week. Most of the flowers are done now, with a few exceptions. The day after the frost, we had a big warm-up to 65 degress. And we got over-run by ladybugs and stinkbugs looking for a place to spend the winter. Take a look...you even get a peek at what the house looks like. See all the specks? They're the ladybugs!


Since I am showing off pictures of the house, here is one of the front door and porch. See the cute doggies at the window?
The pumpkin hanging and the green vase I bought at T.J Maxx (my favorite) for around $12 ea.. The crate was from a local antique store for $10. I got the owl many years ago at Cracker Barrel. The stuff around the door is grapevine from a wreath taken apart. I also have lights in it.

This past weekend we worked on moldings for the house. What a difference! That and the fact I don't have to keep tripping on them in the foyer, where we were storing them for the past 3 months before installation. I will take photos as I get them painted. I really hate painting trim. So much prep work (filling nail holes, caulking the corners and voids, taping,....ugh) to finally get to the finished project. Now we have to trim out all of the windows. Not such an easy job since most of the windows need extra extention since the walls of the house were thicker than the average house and we didn't realize that when we ordered them. So it is custom for each window! Ah, it will be so nice to have windowsills! Ha.

Have a good weekend!

Bittersweet Week....

This week is bittersweet because it is the last week of regular season football for the boys. Last night was the last night of practice. So after 2 1/2 months of practice almost everyday, we are done unless they win their games on Saturday -- then they go to the playoffs. I'm very proud of them. They have done an awesome job in their first year. Some of the kids have played since they were 5, so my boys were not starters and didn't get a lot of playing time. They still stuck it out and I think that they learned a lot. They also made new friends they wouldn't have met otherwise (kids from the other school in our district).

We had Open House a few weeks ago and it was nice to meet their teachers. They are doing well in school and got all A's on their progress reports. Carrick is home sick today from school...not sure if it is a cold or allergies, but he was running a fever of 100, so I had him stay home and sleep.

We are going to see Bruce Hornsby on Sunday. The kids and I are excited. He is our favorite and his concerts are so enjoyable. Carrick will be sure to make a request list for Bruce...he'll play requests from the audience. Then he'll save them and put them on his website. I made a scrapbook layout of the last one he did.

On the crafty front, I have been teaching myself to knit. I really enjoy it and get a lot done while watching TV in the evening. So far I have done two scarves...now I have two more for Carrick and Cole. I have also been sewing Pjs for the boys. I completed one for Carrick and 1/2 for Cole. Need to finish up the bottoms on that one.

Nothing has been going on in the house department. Still have a pile of baseboard and trim sitting in the foyer (for the past 3 months) needing to be installed. We have a lot that needs to be finished outside before Winter. A little siding, fixing overhang, gutters, painting window trim, and outdoor furniture put away. Those are just the things that have to be done. There's plenty more in the queue that needs done too....

I'm Found!

Boy. I have been missing for a long time! Summer was so short it seems.

We started with Football practice on July 25th and that seemed to cut our summer short. Practice everyday from 6-8. I'm glad that the boys wanted to play. My brother played for many years when he was younger and I even was the Manager (water girl) of his team for a year! So I don't mind the expense of time lost... and they enjoy playing. We have 2 games to go to each week (sometimes 3 if there is a scrimmage).









The other events of the summer were going to stay at my parents' cabin at Jamestown, PA; a wedding of two of our friends, and a week at the Outer Banks in North Carolina. The Outer Banks vacation was over Labor Day so that the kids didn't miss that much school. Too bad the weather was less than cooperative. It rained about 1/2 the trip.
















This week we have

• bookfair
• Open House
• 2 football games
• orthodontist appointment
• new freezer delivery.

Good Luck with getting too much done. At least I got the grocery shopping done yesterday!

P.S. - I uploaded a bunch of layouts to Studio Calico today. Check em out.

New Layout.s

I thought I'd post some of the projects I have been working on. Some of them were done last month, and some recently.This one is about my little Cade. Such a cutie!


This one is about Popcorn time at home.


This one is about my other cutie, Cole and how he seems older than 6.This one is about Carrick and how he started the summer off wrong.This final one is about the last day of school. Hard to believe that the year is over already!

I think that all of these pages are from the past two Studio Calico kits. Just love them.

Feeling kind of under the weather today. Not sure if it is that monthly thing or something else, but I have been crampy and my back has hurt all day. Not even 1000mg of Tylenol could help.
Hopefully it will go away soon. I have a birthday party to take Cole to tonight and then watch the Pens win the Stanley Cup! Gotta have faith.

Today was also weekly house cleaning day. Haven't done it in a few weeks, so it really needed done, especially since the kids have been dragging dirt in from the dirty driveway. I'll have to go into detail one time about how I have changed to "green cleaning" and how much better I like it.

I didn't think it had been that long!

My goodness! Where has time gone? I guess I have just been busy. Working outside. Putting in a garden, doing daily outside work like weeding and grass-cutting, and trying to keep the kids busy now that they are out of school.

There has been plenty else going on too. Carrick fractured his arm over Memorial Day. Spent 3 hours in the ER. He fell off the back of the hot tub while goofing off (we told him to stop, but did he listen?). He had to wear a splint for 4 days until we could get in to see a specialist at the new Childern's Hospital in Pittsburgh. He had a bone chip in his elbow and they were not sure where it had come from. He ended up having about 8 x-rays and a CT scan until it was determined they would not have to operate and he could be casted. A whole day spent at the hospital, $20 for parking and I had to have CASH to pay for lunch! Huh? So I had to pay $2.00 to get out $20 from the ATM. #$&(*%. At least everything turned out well. He goes back to see the Dr. on the 26th. At least we don't have to travel downtown for that.

Then we had the last day of school last week. They have been home for an entire week now and I have heard "I don't know what to do." about a million times. They are getting better at keeping themselves busy as the days go by. They only get to watch a little TV in the mornings and then from 2 to 5 they have to share playing Wii. I have also started quiet time from the end of lunch until they play Wii. They have to keep quiet and not bother me for that time --reading, coloring, playing. But they have to be quiet. It worked pretty good today and I got a whole layout done.
Been working on the house outside a lot too. Still grading for the new driveway, putting in the stone steps in the front with walls (we used stone from an old barn foundation here in the property) and planting beds. Have been planting lots of plants (roses, perennials, trees) and cutting lots of grass. I'll post photos of the front when I get a chance. It's raining out right now.

Lastly, we have been watching the awesome Pens. Hope they can come out victorious tomorrow. I know they can, but Joe Lewis seems to have a spell over them. Let's hope it is broken along with the Redwings chances. Go Pens! At least I have that to look forward to since we are not going to the Michigan race this weekend. It's always nice to go and camp out with relatives, but Mark says we have too much work. He always says that...